Leah Carstairs (Book #2)

To Stay In The Institute

2008

Emma - maddeningly influenced by her parents' unusual death - and Julian - burdened by the 4 younger siblings who looked up to him as their guardian - led a hard life in the Institute.

Additional to the Blackthorn children and crazy old Arthur Blackthorn, were the constant flow of letters and messages that came from the Clave, asking Emma to come, stay and train in the Shadowhunter Academy in Idris.

Initially, their offers spoke of kindness for the poor orphaned Shadowhunter girl. But after some time, the letters became annoying and desperate. It seemed as if even the Clave was eager to separate Emma from the Institute and the Blackthorn family.

Unfortunately for them, Emma was the most reluctant to go. Her family-like bonds with Julian and his siblings, stopped her from turning her back to them now, during this critical time.

Aside from that, Emma was also determined to find out the mystery behind her parents' murder - and she could only do that so as long she stayed close to the Institute and the scene of crime.

The other reason why Emma didn't want to go to Idris, was because now she had Leah Carstairs. Leah's ghost, at least.

It was a hard topic of debate, deciding whether having Leah's ghost around was a good or a bad thing. It was true that everyone in the Blackthorn family dearly missed the sympathetic, brown-haired girl who had taken care of them during the days of the Dark War.

But not everyone was comfortable around the silvery ghost form of Leah Carstairs. And, the ghost didn't have the ability to do all chores either.

She also appeared from time to time. Sometimes she was invisible, at other times she was in her translucent, stereotypical ghost-like form, and during some instances she could also speak.

But, when the children truly required her, Leah always answered their calls. She often magically prepared their food, wiped their tears, healed their wounds, saved them from minor disasters, warned them of important occurrences, advised them solutions to their problems, heard their confessions and guarded the Institute of all evils.

She was also particularly close and dear to Emma Carstairs.

It was Leah who had advised her not to regard her parents as random victims of Sebastian Morgenstern, but to look in closely at their murders, try to differentiate them from Sebastian's victims and then find out the motives behind their deaths.

It was Leah who had stolen reports of John and Cordelia Carstairs' murders from the Consul's Office in Alicante. It had also been Leah who had told her about book from the LA Institute library, that had been purposefully stolen during the Dark War for an unknown, yet important, reason.

She approved of Emma's desperation to figure out the mystery behind her parents' deaths, and she had also privately trained Emma to become a Shadowhunter warrior.

Emma slammed her fist onto the wall of the Training Room in frustration, and then winced at the pain that shot through her knuckles. "What's wrong with me? Why am I such a weak little wimp!?" She yelled.

"Because you let your anger take the best of you." Leah Carstairs replied patiently.

"That's not what I meant. Why do I have to be such a weakling? You were such a great fighter at my age. Jace Herondale was an excellent fighter, when he was of my age! What is in me that refuses to embrace the essence of a fighter?!"

"I was an abnormal half demon girl who often found herself on the brink of death, when I was of your age." Leah's ghost reminded.

"Very encouraging, Leah." She snapped. "I thought if only I trained hard enough and proved everyone that I was stronger than they thought I was, I would earn the Clave's respect and be able to persuade them to send their forces to bring Mark back. And Helen. And stop them from sending me to the Academy. Seems like I am not as strong as I thought I would be."

"Emma," Leah spoke gently. "People don't become fighters and warriors overnight. Experience and hard work decide their strengths and abilities. And sometimes, magic."

Emma dropped her sword and sighed. "I don't want to be sent to Idris. Julian needs me here. I need you. And I have to find what happened to my parents."

"And let me guess, the Clave doesn't understand your reasons for wanting to stay in Los Angeles?"

"They don't. They want to treat me like a miserable orphan and send me to the Academy. Technically, I am an orphan, but . . . I have you. And Brother Zachariah. And Julian. And really, that is all the family I require to not label myself as an orphan. I wrote a letter to the Clave 3 days back, saying that if they want me to go and train in the Academy, they had to promise to let Helen stay in LA and send an army to bring back Mark."

Leah's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Don't laugh at me. Have you seen how much pressure Julian has been under? Does it not break your heart? Because, it has that kind of effect on me. He's too young, Leah. He doesn't deserve to suffer this way. And Arthur is no good, in case you've noticed."

"I have noticed." Leah Carstairs said. "What did the Clave reply?"

"It sent me a short note asking me to keep my nose out of matters that do not concern children's opinions, and allow the Institute's head to made such decisions instead. Oh, and, requested me to mind my manners and dare not send further 'bribes' to the Clave." Emma answered.

"Expected." Leah shook her head. "Although, that was very brave - saying that you will go to Idris in exchange for Mark and Helen. I am proud of you."

Emma smiled. "There is another solution, though." Leah said. "That, you and Julian become Parabatai. No one can separate Parabatai."

"But . . . you said that both of us will regret the bond at some point in our lives."

"I did, but . . . what other option do we have?"

"Are you sure, Leah? Your . . . predictions nearly always turn out to be true?"

"Nearly always? You insult me, little sister." Leah joked.

"No; but the Parabatai deal is forever." Emma reminded seriously. "And I'm not sure if Julian wants to . . . ?"

"He does. Trust me, he does."

And so, little more than a year later, when Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn were freshly fourteen, they had their official Parabatai ritual in Idris.