The room was dark and smoky, and a bit too blurry, if she was to be honest. The music, if you could call it that, shook the room, drowning out anything but her pounding head. Bags filled with luxuries that she'd only heard stories about were passed around, people who couldn't afford rent seized by gluttony as grubby hands fought for a fix.
Her eyes searched the club in ever earnest curiosity. Faces were dimly lit, hollow eyes invisible, cheap lipstick blending with designer. It was always the same people, and by now she had learned whose intoxicated hands were whose, which drunken laugh belonged to each stranger. The tall girl with the nose ring laughed in an unusually high voice with the stocky dealer whose smoking habit was catching up to him. She could just barely make it out, but it was there. As everything was always here.
But, tonight, there was a new laugh, new hands, and an awfully handsome face just across the room. His features seemed to blend together, as if he was a painting someone had carelessly smudged. He was beautiful. Too beautiful to be here.
As she kept staring, she became entranced by him. She was addicted, though she did not know whether it had been for hours or seconds. And as he raised his hand, beckoning to her, she felt herself pulled toward him, until a small draft from the door broke her spell.
Three girls stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at the crowd. At least, she thought they were girls. They seemed to be ageless, almost like angels, if angels wore black.
The first one she noticed was already looking at her, eyebrow raised delicately. Her jumpsuit hugged her every curve, her olive skin only visible on her heart shaped face and thin hands. Dark waves cascaded over her shoulders, not a single strand out of place. She tapped her foot, the thick heel of her boot too expensive for the cheap wood beneath it. Her eyes quickly moved on, seeming to find something more interesting.
The one in the center was the smallest, her pale skin glowing in the lights. Her dress covered her entire neck and arms, but cut off mid thigh, giving way to stiletto clad legs. Her hair formed a halo around her face, wild curls flying in a strangely organized disarray. And as lovely as she was, she could tell she was cold, as if her gaze alone could move mountains.
The one beside her, the tallest, was just the opposite. Her blonde hair was braided carelessly, flowing over her shining leather jacket. Her dress was longer, her shoes more practical. Even at a distance, the blueness of her eyes was vivid, almost shocking, stormy like the ocean. Her doll-like face was smooth as she surveyed the people, none of which seemed to have notice her yet. All except the boy, whose face was twisted with disgust.
He turned his eyes back to her, and suddenly her spell resumed, as if it had never stopped. The three mysteries were forgotten, it was only him.
She reached his arms, just as the smallest girl did too.
"Step away, Incubus," the girl said, her voice somehow coherent above the music. The boy's grip on her arms tightened. She could feel herself melting, almost slipping away. And she wanted to fall into that feeling. Desperately.
"Stay out of it, Nephilim," he hissed. His voice, like his appearance, was ever changing, different sounds mixing together and suffocating her.
"That's all?" The girl scoffed, her eyes unwavering from his.
"Let her go," the blonde said, her hand suddenly on her shoulder. Suddenly she could breathe clearly, the melting feeling draining out of her body.
"Just her, then I'll be on my way," he smirked, his lips gently touching her neck. Her knees buckled, the blonde's grip the only thing keeping her from slipping away completely. Why wouldn't they leave. She would make them leave, if only she wasn't so tired.
"I'm not sure you're remembering how this works," the third laughed humorlessly, flashing a glint of silver that she was sure wasn't a flask.
"Maybe I'm changing the rules," the boy grinned, his beautiful appearance suddenly torn away. He was terrible, a creature dragged from her nightmares. She wasn't sure if she screamed, for that was when everything became a blur.
She could hear the fight, the shouts that nobody else heard. She was thrown to the floor, air rushing back into her lungs. The spell was once again broken, but her vision was still hazy.
"Come with me," the blonde said, holding out her hand, "Now!"
She was pulled away, shoved into a dusty closet she never knew existed.
"Who are you?" She murmured, making the blonde turn in surprise. But close, she was even more beautiful, almost glowing.
"Never mind that. What I want to know is how you can see me in the first place," the girl said, studying her with her dainty eyebrows furrowed.
"I see things," she said. "Monsters. They can be beautiful, like the boy out there. And-- like you?"
"I'm no monster," she shook her head. "You have the Sight, you just didn't know it."
"I knew it, girly. You don't see pixies in the park and not know."
"You know about faeries?" The blonde said, her voice peaking in interest. "What's your name?"
She had to think for a moment. Years of giving curious Downworlders and humans alike a false name did that to you.
"Madeleine. Just Madeleine," she said, watching the girl's eyes carefully. Shadowhunters couldn't be trusted, especially in the last few years. It was bad for business.
"Well, Madeline, I'm Rose Ashway. What can you tell me about faeries?"
Iris
Her breath was the only sound in her ears. Marlow ran ahead of her, somehow managing to be uncharacteristically graceful in her heels. Incubus rounded an alley way corner. His speed was making Iris wish she sucked it up and ran more often.
Marlow skidded around the corner, patting herself down in search for weapons. She stopped completely, taking off one stiletto and throwing it with precise aim, the heel sinking itself into the demon's shoulder.
Iris caught up, looking at Marlow in disdain. She grabbed a knife from her boot and throwing it at the now crumpled demon. It hit its mark, the handle jutting out of his chest.
Incubus, a minor demon, was all too quick to return, leaving him weaker and weaker each time. He was a nice distraction from the shitshow at the Institute.
"I like my way better," Marlow muttered, taking off her other shoe and tossing it aside.
Iris rolled her eyes as the two approached the demon, his body shifting from human to monster and back again. With one quick slash of a knife, and a rather large spray of ichor, the body disappeared completely.
"You think he'll learn his lesson?" Marlow asked.
"No, but I'll let you finish him off next time," she said, tucking her dagger back into its proper place, though it was missing its twin. She always ended up losing at least one weapon to that sonofabitch.
"I'll add it to the calendar," Marlow said. "'I'll meet you back home, I have to go rescue Rose from the mundie." She turned back towards the street, shoeless and covered in demon blood.
"Hold on," Iris said, her phone buzzing in her pocket. She took it out, quickly reading the message on the home screen. Marlow turned, raising her eyebrows in exasperation.
"Emilio needs us back. He says it's urgent."
"Well, we still need the blonde," Marlow rolled her eyes, beginning to walk again.
Iris followed her, Emilio's text replaying over and over in her mind.
