Middle School of Bones - A Mortal Instruments Story

Chapter 18

The five of us found our way back to the elevator. I'd put Simon in Jace's jacket pocket to keep him safe in the crowd. It was so late that it was early morning, and some of the other guests were leaving, too. When I accidentally bumped into a guy with pale skin, he hissed at me with gleaming fangs. Jace pulled me away by my sleeve.

"Was that a vampire?" I whispered. Jace just laughed.

The crowd dispersed once we made it to the sidewalk. I held my pocket open for Simon to climb out, but he didn't. I checked inside. It was empty.

I said, "I think I lost Simon."

Isabelle waved a hand. "He'll turn up eventually."

"We can't just leave him!" I felt sick. "Magnus has a cat. What if it eats him? Or if- if he gets stepped on?" A thought struck me. "Do vampires take rats?"

Jace's bored expression was momentarily interrupted with brief concern. "Actually, that's a good point."

That only scared me even more. "You really think vampires might have taken Simon?"

"Accidentally, most likely," Alec said. "They probably thought he was one of their friends. If you're right, he's going to be in trouble once the spell reverses."

I tried to imagine what Simon was feeling. He liked monsters and dead things in movies and YouTube videos, but he hated vampires, even before I made him watch Twilight with me five times. "Then we have to help him!"

"We will." Jace waved at Alec and Isabelle. "You two get back to the Institute. Clary and I will meet you there in the morning."

I watched them leave. "How are we going to get to their uh- lair?"

Jace grinned. "Same way the vampires do."

--

I probably shouldn't have been as excited to fly again as I was. But just like the time before, climbing onto the motorcycle behind Jace gave me the same thrill that outweighed my fear. We took off into the sky, soaring above the street. It ended too quickly, and I realized we had landed in front of an abandoned hotel. Above the door, someone had changed the sign to say Hotel Du Mort. I knew enough French to know that the "o" was supposed to have an accent.

Jace and I climbed off the motorcycle. "I can never understand why they choose to live in a hotel," Jace commented.

"You live beneath a middle school."

Jace shrugged. "There's a difference." 

The doors of the main entrance had been nailed shut with boards, and as we looked around, I realized all the others were the same.

"How do they get inside?" I asked. Jace pointed upwards, and I saw that the windows on the very top floor were open. Easy for anyone who could fly, and they looked too narrow for the motorcycle to help. "There has to be another way in."

"There's an entrance in the back," Jace said. I didn't ask him how he knew that and just went. 

The area behind the hotel that looked like it used to be for deliveries. The set of doors were blocked by an overflowing dumpster. I looked to Jace, and he shrugged. 

I groaned. Simon better be grateful for this. I found the dumpster handle and pushed as hard as I could. It barely moved. Jace stepped in to help me, and it rolled a few slow inches.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." I turned. There was a boy standing in the shadow. He probably had dark hair and some other features.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Raphael," he said. "I live around here. Everyone says that hotel is filled with vampires. You should leave."

I shook my head. "My friend's inside. I need to save him."

The boy stepped closer. He had a cross necklace, and I wished I'd brought better protection against vampires. I should have taken more weapons from the Institute when I had the chance.

"A hundred years ago, a group of boys went into that hotel," Raphael said. "All were killed but one. As the story goes, he's still alive to this day." There was a glint in his eye as he spoke. "Your friend is already gone most likely. And I'd advise you to scram before the same happens to you."

I looked at Jace. I was small and carriable. He'd probably save me if we encountered any vampires.

"Thanks, but we're not leaving," I said. I went back to pushing the dumpster even as green sludge dripped down my wrist. 

Raphael shrugged. "Then I'll come with you. You're going to need all the help you can get."

He put a hand on my shoulders and pushed. The dumpster rolled out of the way and crashed into the brick wall, leaving the back doors exposed. I stared. 

"Come on," Jace said. He kicked the door open, and we went inside.