City of Redemption

Five

Miri tossed the book down, blowing out a breath. It was eight in the morning, five hours since Katelyn had showed up with her Mia-like sweater and ridiculous mental history textbook and three after Jonathan had given Magnus a call. Cam had gone home to sleep and Katelyn was camping out on Mia's floor. As much as Miri hated being shoved back into the library, she had to admit... this Katelyn girl was useful. Already, she'd managed to find more on the victims than before, if only because she knew where to look now.

Unfortunately, across from her, Jonathan wasn't having so much luck. He had his head on the table with books scattered around him and he wasn't moving. At all.

Miri reached over to poke him on the shoulder. He sprung up immediately, grabbing the nearest book. Then he looked up. She watched, struggling to keep a straight face, as he realized Miri was the one who had poked him, not Clary or Diana or Jace. Jonathan scowled.

"Seriously?"

She shrugged. "Wasn't sure whether you were alive or not."

Some of the annoyance melted off his face, replaced by a tired amusement. "There's just so much information, and so little time before the next murder, and it's all because of me, and—"

"Oi!" she said sternly. "Quit it. Quit blaming yourself for every damn thing that happens. The world is a awful place. Live with it. Not everything is centred around you."

He looked miserable. "But this is."

Miri had never seen him look so... lost. Sitting there amidst the books and notes piled haphazardly on the table, Jonathan hardly looked sixteen, much less nineteen. Her heart went out to him. It couldn't be easy, living a life you hadn't asked for, having everyone hate you for things someone else was responsible for. She, at least, had wanted to be a Shadowhunter. She held her hand out to him.

"Come with me."

He stood, green eyes puzzled. But he took her hand. "Where are we going?"

She tried to ignore the shock of actually holding his hand as she grinned, grabbing her car keys. "To get away."

It took only twenty minutes to reach Laguna Beach. She led him down the beach, feeling for the path that would take them to her secret spot. Jonathan followed her, confused but trusting, down the path. Suddenly, she stopped, spreading her arms wide and plopping down onto a flat piece of rock.

"We're here."

She heard Jonathan gasp as he looked around. "It's... beautiful."

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "It is."

They were standing on a narrow strip of rock and sand. Clear, perfect water surrounded them on both sides. In the daylight, the pools shimmered, throwing light off it like an aquamarine under a spotlight. The cerulean water stretched before them as far as the eye could see, disappearing into the horizon as if the sky and water had melded into one. At night, as Miri had found out about a month ago, stepping into the pools felt like stepping off the edge of the world. They reflected the darkness, collected the shadows, disappeared into the black as if they were made from the fabric of the night. She'd discovered the pool a few months after moving to Los Angeles, when she'd needed to get away. On really bad days, she brought her cello with her. There was something so undeniably calming about being alone with the sand and the water and music.

Jonathan looked awed as he sat there, feet dipped in the pool. After a moment, he turned to her.

"Thank you," he said quietly. She started. No one ever really thanked her for anything.