herondale | shadowhunters

8

"Focus Maddie, you've got to block it." Alec says, demandingly.

Alec, Isabelle and I are in the Institute's training room. I haven't left the Institute for a week, and yet over the whole 7 tiresome days where the Lightwoods have been attempting to train me, I've made no progress.

"I'm trying," I reply, frustrated.

The previous day, Alec visited Jace with Magnus at the New York Institute. Magnus stayed there, it seems strange here without him. He seems the only one here who knows me.

I was told I couldn't come and see Jace with them because I've never travelled by portal before. Whatever that is. All I know is that I desperately want to meet my brother who I've heard so much about yet still can't envision. He seems imaginary to me.

"You have to focus on yourself as well as your opponent. Otherwise you stand no chance," Isabelle says. Alec is my opponent, how am I supposed to stand a chance regardless?

Alec forces a punch towards my face and I duck it.

"Good." Alec says, though he sounds completely unimpressed. I can tell both Isabelle and Alec have both become impatient.

"You've got to focus on defence before attack. Keep your distance then move in at the right moment." Alec says, beckoning Isabelle over. Isabelle tries to throw several punches at Alec while he keeps his distance so that she misses. "And then, throw a front kick." Alec kicks Isabelle in the stomach. "Izzy's punch can't cause any damage if she's too far to reach you. Though this technique means that she's unaware that the front kick is coming. This works if your opponent is much bigger than you because your kick can reach further than their punch." Alec looks at Isabelle, smugly. "Let's try it." Alec says, raising his eyebrows at me.

Good luck to me.

Isabelle steps aside and Alec stands directly in front of me, holding his hands in fists. He steps closer to me.

"Keep your distance." Alec reminds me.

I step backward, away from him, while he begins to throw strong, violent punches toward my face. My eyes widen. I thought he was meant to be going easy on me. I continue moving myself away from him as he keeps throwing frightening punches.

"Front kick, Maddie." Alec says, impatiently. He says it as if I've done this before.

I somehow allow Alec to move closer to me and kick him in the stomach while leaning away from a punch.

"That was better." Alec comments. "But you've got to work on your speed, you have to move away from the opponent faster than that."

"Are we done?" I ask.

"We aren't done." Alec says, sounding somehow frustrated. "You have to take this seriously, Maddie. This isn't just a one time thing, your entire life relies on this. You're a Shadowhunter." He says, as if this clarifies it. Isabelle sighs. "Izzy, she's Jace's sister. She's got to train like one of us."

"Let's just take a break, Alec." Isabelle says, walking out of the training room.

"Fine." Alec says simply, left with no choice. He is clearly frustrated.

I hover there awkwardly before Alec follows Isabelle. I don't know if I should follow the two of them into the kitchen, or stay here. I decide on the latter.

The training room is eerily silent. Every step I take along the marble floor seems to echo throughout the whole Institute. I gaze around, hoping to find something to occupy myself. My eyes linger at the weapons room, attached to the training room.

My curiosity overcomes me. I slowly walk towards the weapons room, unsure of what to expect.

The room is larger than I expect it to be. At the back wall there is a huge stained glass window with the most intricate designs and yet I can't make out what they're supposed to be.

Though I am overwhelmed by the amount of weapons which fill the room.  There are several swords, knives, daggers, projectile weapons like slings, crossbows and bows and arrows and other weapons which I have never seen before. Though the weapons that I can clearly identify from the Shadowhunters Codex which Isabelle gave me at the beginning of the week, by the door of the weapons room, are the Seraph blades.

The Seraph blades, for some reason, look no where near as magnificent as I had expected them to. Compared to the other dangerous looking weapons in the room, they are a simple blunt blade.

"You aren't supposed to be in here." I jump in shock at the voice from behind me. I turn to see Alec, looking entirely unimpressed.

"Why?" I question.

"Because you don't know what you're doing." Alec replies, flatly. I frown at him. Alec hates me. For sure. "Why are you in here?"

"I was curious..." I reply, tactfully. "The Seraph blades, I saw them in the Codex. Though I had pictured them differently."

"Because they're deactivated." Alec says, sounding fed up.

"What-"

"To activate a Seraph blade you have to name it to evoke its power. Any angel's name, except for Raziel's." Alec takes two of the Seraph blades, handing one to me. He walks out of the weapons room and into the training room and I follow him apprehensively.

Alec walks to the centre of the training room and stops. I remain standing in the corner, waiting to see what he does.

"The louder the angel's name is called, the stronger the power." Alec says. "Taharial."

After Alec calls the angel's name, suddenly, the blade springs to life and starts glowing bright and intensely. My eyes widen as I stare in awe. Alec just stands there casually, looking completely underwhelmed.

I look down at the blade in my hands, viewing it differently that I had before, thinking about the amount of power this dull, blunt blade can evoke.

"Maddie." Alec says, beckoning me over. "Try it."

I hold the Seraph blade in my hand firmly, walking into the centre of the training room. I take a deep breath to prepare myself.

"Taharial." The blade feels like it has just exploded in my hand, suddenly emitting bright, intense light and feeling so great and powerful that it shocks me so much it makes me immediately drop the blade. The sound of the blade clonking onto the hard floor echoes throughout the room.

Alec stands half smiling half laughing at me, clearly finding my reaction entertaining. I watch him, and though I constantly feel patronised by Alec and the way he treats me, it doesn't bother me anymore.

I pick up the blade once more, I hear footsteps getting closer to the training room.

"Taharial." I say it confidently, without fear this time. The blade springs to life and fills me with immense energy. I stare at it almost proudly, watching it glow brightly in my hand.

"Alec." I hear an unfamiliar male voice say from behind me.

"Jace." Alec says, cheerfully.

I turn to see him smiling at me. A boy with strong facial features with fine, golden blonde hair and eyes that shine like gold. My brother, Jace Herondale.

"Hello, Madeleine."