Searching for Safety

Chapter 10

 We got to Alec's house and quickly ran inside, he locked the doors and Clary closed all the curtains in the house, in less than a second. Izzy took me to the living room and sat me down on the couch, and Ryder got me a cup of cold water. We all sat in the living room, Me, Izzy, and Ryder on the couch, Clary in an arm chair to the left, and Alec on the coffee table facing us. I sighed and swallowed before taking a deep breath and looking around.

"So... Two demons, one vampire, and one warlock. Then, me... the only human in this group, and the half warlock, half vampire guy, who apparently doesn't like me very much. Am I missing anything?" I said slowly. Ryder shifted uncomfortably next to me and Alec gave me an apologetic smile.

"Possibly, but we'll get to that later. First, questions. I'm sure you have quite a few." He said softly. I nodded and looked at the cup in my hands for a second.

"Guess I'll go one... species, at a time. Vampires, um, I'm assuming books are inaccurate since you've been in the sun today." I said turning to Clary. She chuckled and nodded.

"Just a bit. We can be in the sun if we take caution, it weakens us. But we do live off blood, have the super speed and strength, and some of us have specialties, specific to just that one." She said calmly. I nodded and looked at her.

"I live on animal blood, so don't worry about that, and I don't like, lose control around blood either. Um, with specialties, there are a lot, for example, I can teleport at will. Not all vampires can do that." She said. I nodded and looked back at my cup.

"Okay... Um, how about warlocks?" I asked after a couple seconds. Alec readjusted and rubbed his hands together.

"Well, for starters, we're not all gay. Um, we have powers and abilities, magic if you will, but it's limited. We lose energy when we use our powers, and have to practice in order to properly use them, it's not just an instinctual thing. We can't fly, and we can't shape-shift, that's a very popular myth. We do use herbs and gems and crystals for some things, potions, spells, things like that. However, spells aren't like in Harry Potter, there's no special phrase for them, just takes focus and again, energy." Alec said, pausing and chuckling a few times. I nodded and forced a smile, trying to show I appreciated his attempt to lighten things. I felt Ryder shift again and I closed my eyes, then I thought, in Alec's direction,

"Can you read minds?" I looked at him and he straightened up.

"When I want to." He said nodding. I nodded and sighed. Some things were starting to make a little sense. I stared directly forward, at the floor in front of me and took a slow breath.

"Demons... Can tell when people are lying, I've gathered. Anything else important I should know?" I asked slowly, being careful to not move my face other than to talk.

"We have heightened senses, and don't get injured as easily. We heal quickly, most of the time, and we're kind of a dying breed." Izzy started quietly. I nodded my head slowly and stayed quiet, waiting for Ryder to speak.

"We have strength and speed like vampires. We're immortal in the sense that we don't age, and we're incredibly persuasive, or cunning, whichever you'd like to say. We're immune to fire, and shadows are where we're strongest." Ryder said rushed. I nodded and stood up, walking across the room, before I finally turned and looked at Ryder.

"And they're hypocrites who take everything personally too, right?" I said, my voice cracking slightly. His head dropped and he stayed silent. I nodded and looked around.

"So I'm gonna make a rule, right now. No more lying to me, no matter what your reasoning may be, don't lie to me." I said, looking at each of them. They all nodded and I sighed.

"Chase. What do I need to know about him?" I asked sitting back on the couch.

"He's strong, very strong. His mixed genes give him an advantage. He's like every other vampire, plus he can do anything a warlock can do." Clary said, Ryder gave her a dirty look before realizing I saw him.

"His specialty is tracking, hunting down his prey. And he likes human blood, but his preference is warlock or demon blood. It replenishes energy and helps him heal faster, plus the taste is sweeter." She continued, still just looking at me. I nodded and took a deep breath.

"So I'm not safe. Even being here. But I still don't understand why he's after me." I said looking around, hoping someone would have an answer.

"He also hates me. And loves to do anything he can to get a reaction out of me. We've been in countless fights, and I'm the one who gave him the scar..." Ryder said slowly. I took a deep breath and put my cup down.

"Bathroom?" I asked as I stood up slowly. Alec stood up and offered me his arm, I took it and followed him upstairs.

"There's a bathroom down there too, but I'm assuming you want to be alone more than anything else." He said quietly. I nodded and rubbed my forehead.

"It's just a lot to process." I said leaning against the wall. He shifted his weight and waved his hand in front of us, toward the top of the steps. I saw a wavering transparent film cover the doorway and stared at it for a second.

"You can see it, can't you?" He asked. I nodded and looked back at him. He nodded and looked down.

"It's so they can't hear us. Elaina, can I see that note your mom wrote you?" I nodded and handed it to him. He scanned over it quickly and his face looked worried as he folded it and handed it back to me.

"Elaina, I'm not sure yet, so please don't freak out, but I do have another idea as to why Chase is so interested in you. I didn't want to bring it up down there because I'm not positive, so keep it between us until I'm sure, please." He said after a second. I nodded and took a deep breath.

"Is it about my real father?" I asked slowly. He nodded and cleared his throat.

"Magnus Lightwood is a warlock, a very powerful and skilled warlock. If he's your father, then there's a very good chance that you're at least half warlock." He said carefully. I stood there for a second, not knowing how to react, and just stared at him. My mind was buzzing; my thoughts were going a mile a minute.

"You know him?" I asked after a minute. He nodded and chuckled nervously.

"Yea, he uh, he's my dad." He said slowly. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped.

"He what? Like... what?" I asked, feeling beyond confused.

"Him and my mom split up after I was born, I guess he found someone new. But yes, that means we're related." He said trying to sound calm and collected, but I could tell he was also confused.

"Where is he?" I asked. Alec grimaced and shook his head.

"Washington. But Elaina, if he chose to leave he probably had a good reason for it." I shook my head.

"That's nice, I just lost my mother, who wasn't actually my mother, and now I'm being hunted because I could possibly be a warlock. I have a good reason to find him, he owes me some answers." I said rushed, feeling slightly betrayed. He shook his head with a pained expression.

"Elaina... I don't think it's a good idea." He said.

"I don't care, if he can give me some answers, I'm going." I said starting to turn toward the steps, then I hesitated.

"Do they know, that he's also your dad?" I asked quietly.

"Clary does." He said. I nodded and started down the steps, him following behind me. They all looked at me as I walked back into the room and I sighed.

"I'm going to Washington; I need to have a conversation with my father. Anyone up for a road trip?"