Angels of Light

What Heaven Aspires To Be

   Emma paced the room. The bedrooms in the New York institute were similar to the ones in Los Angeles, save for the view. In almost every room in Los Angeles, you had a view of the ocean, but here all you could see were sky scrapers. Not that Emma minded too much. She was glad for the change of scenery. There had been so much stress lately back home, and with the letter coming from the Seelie court, well that had set the Blackthorns on edge. Mention of Mark Blackthorn potentially being returned to them in exchange for help had set everyone's nerves on fire. Of course, Julian, Emma's parabatai, was willing to do anything to get his older brother back. But Emma knew better. The Seelie court didn't have jurisdiction over the Wild Hunt. No one did. She was worried it was a trick; one that, if it went badly, would break the hearts of the Blackthorn children beyond repair.
There was a knock on the door and Emma flew across the room, flinging the door open, expecting Julian.

"Jules--" she started, but stopped as she saw who it was. Standing in front of Emma was the only living relative she had left. Brother Zachariah--no that wasn't right. He was a silent brother, but not anymore. No, before her stood a normal shadowhunter. Before her stood James Carstairs. They'd tried to figure it out before and James, though he preferred the name Jem, was probably her great great something or other. But they decided that if anyone asked, they'd just say he was her cousin. He looked it. Despite his hundred and fifty years of life, he only looked about 22. He had dark hair, dark eyes and pale skin. He had told Emma that he was from Shanghai, and she saw it a little bit. But his face was partly obscured by the faded runes on his cheekbones from his time as a silent brother, and now Emma thought it was hard to tell his true descent. Jem Carstairs was something of a mystery and a legend in the shadow world. No one had ever come back from being a silent brother. It was supposed to be an irreversible thing. But Jace Herondale's heavenly fire during the dark war, had burned whatever magic it was out of Jem's veins. Jem had said that it seemed Herondale's were always saving his life, and Emma had learned that her "cousins" own parabatai had been a Herondale, one of Jace's ancestors.
"Oh, Jem. what're you doing here?" She asked, trying to mask her disappointment. But Jem had been around a long time and he had lots of experience reading people's faces and emotions.

"Sorry, to disappoint," he said, but he half smiled.

"You didn't, I just thought you were Jules. Is something wrong?" Emma said, waving her hands exasperatedly.
Jem gave her a little smile. He understood parabatai better than anyone. He'd watched his own parabatai live and die, then he'd watched as his children had lived and died. Emma thought it was rather sad. She couldn't imagine having to live on in solitude as Julian lived his life, got married, had children, and then watch as he died. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. A world where Jules wasn't her best friend, her parabatai, was a world Emma didn't want to live in.

"May I come in?" He asked politely. Emma nodded and moved aside. Jem walked soundlessly into the room and Emma shut the door behind him. He walked over to the window, watching as the snow fell over the city, and he sighed.
"I know that you're here in regards to the letter that Julian's uncle received at the institute in Los Angeles---" he started but Emma interrupted.

"He's my uncle too."

"Sorry, you're right. I just meant..." But he trailed off and continued from where he left off, "the letter that your uncle received came from the Seelie court, as you know. But it would appear that now the Seelie Queen has gone missing." Emma blanched. If the queen was missing, did the letter even matter anymore? Was Mark lost to them? Forever? She sat down on the window seat and Jem placed a hand awkwardly on her shoulder as a comfort, before quickly removing it. Though it'd been five years, they'd only seen each other on holidays and somehow, the action seemed more intimate than they were used to.
"There's something else too." He said, as if sensing Emma's despair. She looked up at him, expectantly with wide eyes.
"They found a girl in the institute. In Los Angeles, I mean." Emma looked up.