Valentine Morgestern

Valentine Morgenstern- Part 11

If it hadn't been for the fact that I often seen Ragnor Fell whilst walking with Jonathan I never would have seen Lucian again. Ragnor stood one afternoon with me near Lake Lynn and in muttered quickness he told me where exactly the lycanthrope pack was located.

"Jocelyn you must go soon, just beyond the outskirts of Brocelind forest, keep straight for just over two miles and there you'll find him." Ragnor spoke gently and barely paused.

"Thank you Ragnor."

The warlock nodded before murmuring a hasty goodbye and disappeared. Warlocks I thought in amusement, just appear when they fancy and disappear when you want more information. Ragnor had always been a minor fascination with me. As a child I'd been interested in his pale green skin and how he seemed to be proud of it and often refused to wear a glamour to conceal his mark. I knew other warlocks were not as noticeably marked but Ragnor was indeed distinctive with his horns as well as his green tinted skin.

As I walked quickly through Alicante I could feel stares on me. I knew people had been wondering if I was still sick because I so rarely ventured out these days. The walk home took just over fifty minutes but it was good to be out in the fresh air.

That night I pretended to get ready to go on patrol. Since I did not have a parabati I insisted I went alone. To my surprise there was no objection. My Mother was going to babysit for me as Valentine had "work to do." The second he said those words the horrors of the old wine cellar or his, I suppose projects is the word as I can't describe him as a torturer as he seemed to be perusing an almost scientific end, sprang to mind.

I walked through the forest on silent feet like I'd been trained to do. My eyes, now adapted to see in the dark thanks to my Nyx rune, checked for twigs that would make unnecessary noise. I clutched my seraph blade in my hand ready to use it if necessary. I had already decided to name it Ithurial. As I reached the edge of the forest I let out the breath I had been holding in.

The next two miles felt long and when I saw the lycanthropes home I slid my seraph blade into its holder out of sight but somewhere it would be easy to reach as you never knew when something would attack.

One lycanthrope eyed me in nervous surprise but I held my empty hands up to show that I meant no harm and that I didn't wish to hurt them which was true.

"What brings one of the nephilim to our territory?" The teenage boy asked as a frown formed on his forehead.

"I have come to see your pack leader. Lucian Greymark," I said as I let my hands return to my sides as I realised the lycanthrope was also unarmed.

"Why would a nephilim want to associate themselves with us?" The boy snapped.

"Because I miss my friend," I said and even I heard the honesty ringing in my words.

The boy frowned and I saw out of the corner of right eye saw a female lycanthrope begin to edge her way toward me.

"I will not fight you," I said, directing my comment toward the woman who had been trying to attack me without being noticed.

The boy shook his head in apparent amusement. "Give me your name and I will tell Lucian you are here."

I cleared my throat and raised my chin in a proud manner. "Jocelyn Morgenstern."

The boy nodded and headed off to find Lucian. I stood in that one spot deciding it was best to stay put when the lycanthropes were eyeing me with caution and some looked ready to pounce on me if I even dared shift from my spot on the edge of their camp. I watched them carefully, marking obvious movements towards me or away from me. I noticed that the men were more relaxed around me and I suppose they had reason to feel relaxed around me, I didn't look like a force to be reckoned with rather I looked delicate, fine boned with a slim waist. The women seemed to not underestimate me at all and eyed me with more caution. Then again women always eyed each other with caution, it was an instinctive thing. It felt good not to be underestimated however.

The boy returned with a smirk on his face. "He will meet you on the edge of the forest in a few moments."

"Thank you." I smiled at the boy and turned on my heel and left but kept my ears well peeled for any sounds of movement behind me.

At the edge of the woods I rested my hand on the hilt of my seraph blade for reassurance that I could protect myself if it came to that.

Within a minute of me standing at the edge of the woods Lucian was stood beside me.

"Jocelyn, is it really you?" He asked.

A lump formed in my throat as I looked at his changed face. He looked older, wiser and more confident as if this was the path he was supposed to pursue in life.

"Of course it is Lucian, of course it is," I said as tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Don't cry Jocelyn. I'm here now." Lucian wrapped his arms around me and I sunk into his familiar and warm embrace.

It was then that hatred burned in my stomach as I realised Valentine had lied to me about Lucian's suicide. Lucian was alive. I'd fallen into a pit of despair because I thought my friend was dead when really he was alive and well. The only thing that had died about Lucian was his life as a shadowhunter but he'd been resurrected in his life as a lycanthrope. He was still here. It was that moment whilst I was still locked in Lucian's embrace that I realised that I hated my evil, lying and twisted husband. If I hadn't hated him for what he'd done to Jonathan I hated him for taking my friend away from me.

"He told me you killed yourself," I admitted as I stepped out of his embrace.

"He wanted me to kill myself. He handed me a silver dagger to dispose of myself in the true manner of my kind." Lucian's face twisted into a mocking smile. "I've kept the dagger to slit his throat with."

"Lucian," I gasped as I was appalled he would speak so horridly about Valentine.

Lucian softened for a second then he looked at me with a look of mistrust. "Did Valentine send you here?"

"No."

"Then why did you come?"

"Because Ragnor told me you were alive and I wanted to see it for myself. I missed my friend."

Lucian smiled at me sadly and we spoke for a few more seconds before I realised I had to be back in Alicante before dawn and it was coming soon. We arranged to meet in nine days to talk properly.

With a new found hatred for Valentine I made my way back to Alicante. I gripped my seraph blade tightly in my hand. I despised him for what he'd done to our child and for what he'd put me through as a result.