Watching Over You

Chapter 4

When we reached the kitchen I saw everyone else standing awkwardly around the room not sure what to do with me here. It was shockingly similar to the first time I had come to a new institute. Even the other people act and look so similarly. For a moment I was too lost in the past to concentrate on the people around me here. Thankfully Clary noticed my confusion but thankfully thought I just couldn't remember names or something of that sort.
"Jace this is Briella, Briella Jace-"

"I also respond to stunningly handsome and hot stuff." The Herondale boy interjected and received a glare from Clary.

"Dear God you're just like him" I said before I could stop myself. Luckily, I don't think anyone heard me.

"Anyway, that's Alec." Alec nodded his head and smiled at me kindly but his eyebrows were knit together. He might have heard me. I know he heard me call him Will earlier, perhaps he is just worried about something else.

"You obviously know me, Clary, and Izzy," Clary finished and Izzy looked at me with her dark eyes far less troubled than earlier and slightly smiling.

"Thank you for letting me stay here-but I still don't understand-why I am supposed to stay here I get the whole Angel-Demon Thing you were talking about-but what does it have to do with me?" I have to keep playing dumb if I don't want to be suspicious.

"Well, Briella, you are one of us, you shouldn't have been able to see Clary and Jace earlier." Jace tried to interrupt but Isabelle wouldn't let him.  "You may be a mundane with the sight-but I doubt it."

"Why?"

"Because mundanes with the sight are practically nonexistent, after the mortal wars everyone who might have the sight was recruited to the academy, so many lives were lost, we had to keep going and sometimes the good of the world is more important than the ease of mundane life." Clary said with an undertone of resentment or regret- I can't tell which.

"You were one of them weren't you? The people like me, or the mundanes with the sight who were 'recruited' weren't you?" I have to ask, the way she has been talking, the way she looks at me, the way she seems to empathize with my supposed introduction to the shadow world. Her eyes quickly flick between Jace, Izzy, and then back to me.

"Yeah, I was about 15 and these guys killed someone in front of me-turns out it was a demon and they were glamour-just like we were when you first saw us, but I didn't know that. Simon thought I was crazy and my mom went missing and almost died and Luke-he's my step-dad now, he said he didn't want anything to do with me-that I should never ask him for help again. So I ended up staying here for a few days until all that stuff Izzy explained earlier happened." I stare at her in shock, sure I had known about the legendary Clarissa Morgenstern, but I had no idea how she came to this life.

"But everyone else here has always known about the shadow-world right? It's just me and Clary who had to get scared out of our wits to learn the truth?" I ask

"I never said I was scared!" She protested her eyes flicking between Izzy and Jace again. There is more to this story than she wants them to know.

"Suuuurrreeee, creepy invisible people murder someone in front of you and you weren't scared." I tease rolling my eyes to keep in act. She looks really uncomfortable with the subject so I figure I should move on. My how things have changed-once upon a time I would never let the subject go if I thought it made her uncomfortable.

"So," I clap my hands, "what are we eating?" They all look around-anywhere except at Izzy.

"I can cook if no one else will," she offered and everyone screamed no at the same time.

"I'm not half bad. If you tell me what you like I can fix something up-it's the least I could do." I offer-I can't cook to save my life-I've never had to. But how hard can it be? They all agree that waffles and peach jelly would be best-who eats peach jelly?
"So umm where do you keep all the stuff?"
"You know what, I'll make some frozen waffles you all can do whatever you want-except Briella, would you stay in here?" Clary pipes up. I nod and everyone else leaves-Jace kisses clary on the forehead a d whispers something in her ear and she smiles softly at him. They're adorable together. I'm sure Izzy and Simon are too and Alec-we haven't talked much yet and I don't think I'll be able to look at him long enough to keep a conversation going without the memories attacking me.
"Jace right?" I ask when everyone has left.

"That's my name-don't wear it out." He says.

"So...what do I need to stay in here for? I can make waffles another time you know. I didn't realize you all just wanted the frozen pre-made kind."

"No, its not about that. I get that you're new to all this-believe me I'm sure it is hard for all of this to suddenly be thrown on you. But just don't let it overwhelm you. I mean, last time a new girl suddenly showed up with the sight completely clueless about who she was, we had a world war twice and a lot of people died. It's not like it was her fault but it still happened. Clary, I love her, but we can't do that again. And besides, No one randomly comes up and compliments a stranger on their hair in New York. You already have or had a voyance rune and there are left over rune scars. You aren't as new to this world as you want us to think. What are you really?" Wow. I did not see that coming. And better yet, I have no idea how to answer. What do I say. 'Oh I'm a century and a half year old shadowhunter who became a ghost and saved the London institute in the mortal war?' Yeah right. So instead I just stare at him blankly-well, until I hear a voice over my shoulder that I haven't heard in a very long time. I whip around to look at it.
"MAGNUS!?" I exclaim what is he doing here? And then I realize that I definitely should not know Magnus Bane as a mundane.  My cover is soooo blown. And what happened to his hair?

12/25/15
-Hallie
K check in next Friday and Merry Christmas! My mom did NOT like me writing a fantasy book this morning by myself instead of being with the family. Y'all are welcome.