Hybrid (Shadowhunters)

Chapter Five

Morning August 30th

The next morning, Tria was walking around the institute when she was crossing in front of an open doorway just in time to see Clary in there. This must be her room, Tria thinks to herself. She knocks on the doorframe and Clary jumps startled at the noise, but then turns scared at sight of the brunette.

"I'd like to apologize for last night," Tria starts and takes a step into the room. "I like to think that when that happens it's the demon blood talking." She chuckles nervously.

"Can I ask you a question?" Clary asks and Tria nods. "What exactly are you? You have runes like a Shadowhunter, but you have demon blood like a warlock."

"Yeah," Tria looks at her exposed arms. Runes lined them up and down, also her collarbone was exposed which also held one of its own. "That's a long story."

"I've got time," Clary takes a seat on her bed already trusting the girl. Tria takes a seat across from her and sighs.

"I'm what you would call a hybrid," Tria starts off. "Part Shadowhunter, part warlock, part human. My dad is Stephan Herandale, Shadowhunter. My mom is named Natalie, a warlock. She died giving birth to me, so Magnus Bane took me in and I took his last name. I always knew Magnus wasn't my real dad, but that's what I call him as you might have overheard last night. I learned I was part Shadowhunter when I was ten and registered into the institute's downworlder database. My biological father died before I could meet him, before the institute ever found out he was my father. So really I never knew my parents and never will."

"I'm so sorry," Clary says and looks down at her hands. "What exactly can you do, if I may ask? Like abilities wise."

"I can draw runes, obviously. And use warlock magic," Tria explains. "I still have the same angelic abilities as the others, except I can't hold a seraph blade. And that's because of the demon blood, but it leaves a weird mark on me. Usually if a warlock were to hold the blade it just wouldn't light up recognizing the demon blood instantly. But with me, it burns me. The blade recognizes the angel blood, then the demon and then thinks I'm some sort of imposter and uses a self defense mechanism. A lot of things with me actually are try and fail or try and succeed. It took a lot of trust just to let me rune myself, it was either it worked or I turned into a forsaken."

"Wow," She shakes her head and looks down. "I'm so..."

"Don't even think about saying it Carrot Top," Tria cuts her off. "I love who I am, even if it's all trial and error."

"There you are." Both girls turn to see Izzy in the doorway. "Are you okay?"

"I saw my mom," Clary says and stands up. "Then your brother..."

"I heard," Izzy finishes. "And believe me, there have been plenty times where we all wanted to kill Alec."

"Look," Tria sighs along with the girls. She didn't know what they were talking about, maybe that purple necklace Clary was wearing the first few times they met but wasn't wearing now, but she didn't really bother to get details. "Alec can be a real pain in the ass... but he means well."

With that she leaves the two to talk in private. Walking through the institute she stands in front of a holographic screen and looks up attacks anywhere in New York, she wanted a case, something to put her mind to work.

"I don't think I've ever seen you in a skirt," She hears Hodge's voice and turns to see him standing next to her. "It's cuter than what you wore last night when you showed up in front of my room."

"What's wrong with cute?" She asks and looks down at her outfit. Black tank top, maroon skirt ending mid-thigh, and black heeled ankle boots. "Last night I was dressed more as a warlock, now I'm embracing more of my hybrid-ness."