Distant Fires of Heaven (The Malevolent Sacrifices #1)

Pieces of the Puzzle

The Night before Juliet's Birthday:

Effy kept calling Ariel until she answered the phone. Finally, she picked it up. Effy felt her heart stop when she heard Ariel's breathing through the phone. She was used to hearing voicemail for so many times now, the sound of Ariel's soft voice caught Effy off guard when Ariel said: "Effy, I don't want to talk right now."
Effy felt tears coat her cheeks. "You haven't spoke to me in 2 weeks. I've come by to see you, and you've ignored me. Now I am actually speaking to you, and you don't want to even speak to me. How do you think I feel, Ariel? How can you just ignore me?" Effy was crying now. "You just shut me out! I don't even know what's wrong!" Effy cried. Effy knew what was wrong, but if her parabatai didn't tell her, it's not her business to know.
Ariel didn't say anything. Effy heard nothing but breathing over the line. "Ariel. Ariel what is wrong?" Effy asked.
"Effy, I am so sorry." Ariel whispered. Then the line dropped. Effy wasn't thinking anymore. She was only acting. She sprung up from the bench in the court yard, and ran back into the institute. She didn't know who she was looking for, only for any adult to help her. Who she really needed was Clary, someone to make her a portal to New York.
So she turned towards her parents room, and banged on the door. "Mom!" She cried. "Mom! Please!" No answer. Her parents must be in a different part of the institute.
But she attracted attention from somebody.
Andrew was rushing over to her. "Effy! What is wrong?" He asked.
Moonlight washed through the window and turned his golden blonde hair a milky white, one side of his face was highlighted at his cheekbone.
Fresh tears coated Effy's face, she turned from him out of embarrassment. "Oh god. Don't look at me. I'm an absolute mess." She sniffled and wiped her eyes.
Andrew neared her. "It's alright. Everyone is a mess every once in a while. What's going on? Do you want to talk to someone?"
She looked at him then, wiped her eyes and sighed. "Ariel answered the phone. She hung up and now I'm worried sick. I'm looking for my mom so she can make a portal for me to go see her." She slid to the floor and leaned her head against the wall. Andrew sat next to her.
"You said your brother used to do that, right?" Effy asked him. He nodded.
"All of the time."
"Why did he?" Effy asked. "If you don't mind me asking?"
Andrew bit on his fingernails. He put his hand down then, and looked over at her. "He was hiding that he was gay. Of all the shadowhunters that have come out, you'd expect them to be accepted. I mean come on, our last consul was gay. But Calvin saw the way Alec Lightwood was treated because of his sexuality, and he was afraid. For the longest time, I'd try to make him come out if his room, and he just wouldn't come out." Andrew bit on the bottom of his lip. "Then one day I just couldn't take it anymore, so I opened the door, and I caught him- hurting himself." He said softly. "I just couldn't believe it. You never think this person could be capable of inflicting pain on themselves, but there they are, doing just that." Andrew looked away from Effy then.
She looked at the side of his face, understanding him completely.
She put her hand on his arm. "You're brave for going in there. I- I wish I could have done that. I don't know what she's been doing in her room, and I should have invaded her privacy. I should have proved to her in person that I care." Effy felt the tears coming up, but she forced them down.
Andrew looked down at her hand then up at her. His eyes were like staring into a fish tank, and his pupils were like the fishes swimming around in the water.
"But Effy, you are brave. You're doing your part right now. You're going to check on her, going to make sure she is okay. It doesn't matter that you waited so long, but you didn't think Ariel was hurting herself then, did you?" Effy shook her head. "I didn't think Calvin was hurting himself until I had that gut feeling. You will save her Effy. I know you will."
Effy smiled at him and leaned over hugging him tightly. "Thank you." She said softly.
"You're welcome." He murmured into her hair and she pulled her head up, their lips barely centimeters from each other.
Effy closed the distance, pressing her lips to Andrew's softly. His lips felt like clouds. Clouds that Effy could dream about when she slept.
He cupped her cheek with his hand, his thumb running across her face.
He pulled away slowly. "Go, Effy. Make sure she's alright." His voice was unsteady.
Effy nodded, before Andrew pulled her lips to his again and kissed her once more.
Effy felt reluctant to pull away, but this time she did. She stood up, Andrew watching her with a visible profoundness. "You were my first kiss." He said softly.
Effy smiled. "I hope that is a good thing."
"A very good thing." Andrew said.
She waved goodbye and ran down the corridor, looking for Clary.
"Mom!" She called. "Mom! I need you!" She shouted.
"Effy? I'm in here!" Clary called from the room with light pouring into the hall.
Effy walked into what looked like a studio for painting. Clary and Julian were each at an easel, paint brushes in their hands and each wore old clothes. Jace was sitting in one of the seating chairs, Simon in another.
Effy felt like an absolute wreck. Clary set down her paint brush. "What's wrong baby?"
Effy couldn't control them anymore. She broke down in tears. "It's Ariel." She sobbed. "I think there's something wrong with her."
Simon shot up from his seat. "What? What could be wrong? She was fine when Isabelle and I left!"
Effy shook her head. "People lie Simon!" Jace pulled Effy into his arms. She shook under his touch. "Mom I need you take me to New York. Now. I can't wait." She sniffled. "Not when I'm petrified that Ariel is going to do something."
Clary set her brush down. Julian nodded at her a good luck before Clary, Simon, Effy and Jace ran towards the foyer where a portal could be drawn into the wall.
Simon pulled out his phone, the screen lighting up his panicked face. He worked his thumbs fast, then alerted Clary to wait for Isabelle.
"Jace, stay here. Stay for Rosemary, Incase something happens to her." Clary said. Jace nodded and gave her a quick kiss. He pulled Effy into a hug.
"Let me know if she's okay."
Effy nodded, then Jace let her go.
Isabelle ran into the room, buckling on her boot when she halted.
She did not say a word. She was silent. A shock of horror across her face.
Clary created the portal, the nighttime in New York called Effy's name. Currently, she could see the shape of Isabelle and Simon's home in Brooklyn. It used to belong to Simon's mother, but he renovated it to be larger to fit his family.
Clary took Effy's hand, and the two of them jumped through the portal, landing directly in front of the house. Effy didn't even wait for the others. She ran up the steps, used her set of keys to unlock the door, and ran through the well known living room, past the kitchen, and up the stairs to Ariel's room.
When she was younger, she'd run this fast up the stairs out of pure excitement. Her and Ariel used to play dolls and dress-up. They used to use Isabelle's makeup -without her permission- and give each other makeovers with bright red lipstick. As Effy ran up the steps, she wasn't remembering any of that anymore. She felt as if she was racing against time as her feet pounded down the hallway.
"Ariel!" She shouted as she made it to her room. She turned the handle, it was locked.
"Ariel!" She screamed and pounded on the door. "Ariel! Please!" She grabbed the handle and groaned. Then something came to her mind, like lightening striking the ground.
She grabbed her stele, put it to the knob, and drew an open rune, but with a curl at the end of it, giving the rune more power. The door broke open, and Effy ran into the room. It was quiet. Ariel's room was in perfect order. Her pictures were placed neatly on her shelves, her bed was neatly made. She had a candle lit, making the room smell like daffodils.
"Ariel?" She asked looking around. She stepped around the room, checking under the bed, checking Ariel's closet. She didn't notice it at first, but then she did notice. The light to Ariel's bathroom that she shared with Ethan was on, but there was something covering the bottom of the door.
Effy didn't have time for anymore knocking. She's seen Ariel naked before, she could bare it again. She turned the handle, opened the door, pushing it open. She looked to see what was covering the bottom of the door, a towel.
"Ariel?" Effy asked, then she turned around.
Her hands started trembling at her sides, her eyes brimming with stinging tears. She felt her heart turn inside out.
Ariel was laying in the bathtub, her eyes shut tight. A dagger rested in her lap, covered in blood.
There was a wound penetrated in Ariel's stomach, the blood was oozing out, maybe at first it pulsed.
Effy screamed at the top of her lungs. "No! No no! No! ARIEL!" She cried and ran to the tub. She kept screaming and screaming. Screaming for her parabatai, but also for her own pain.
"Ariel! Wake up! It's Elle! Please!" Her heart felt as if were evaporating into nothing but metal shards. She grabbed Ariel's limp hand, screams still wretched from her lips.
"What is it!?" Clary shouted running into the bathroom. She caught her breath when she saw what she saw. "Oh, oh my god. Simon! Isabelle!" She ran back out of the room, returning with the two of them.
Effy grabbed her stele again, screaming as she painted a blood loss tune into her skin. If Ariel wasn't her parabatai, she'd assume Ariel to be dead. But her mark still inked her skin in a dark obsidian, so she knew Ariel wasn't gone.
"Ariel! Ari, please. It's Effy. Wake up!" She cried. Clary grabbed Effy's arm.
"Let Simon and Isa-"
"NO!" Effy growled. "I can't leave her side again. I won't do it. I can't do it." She cried.
There was another scream that ripped through the house besides Effy's. Clary grabbed the seraph blade at her waist.
Effy didn't even look as the demon advanced into Ariel's bedroom. She didn't look as Clary killed it, only to be followed by Isabelle to check the rest of the house. Simon stayed. His sword glimmered in his hand.
Effy had her whip in it's charm form, she didn't have any use for it now.
Her pulse was pounding against her neck as she waited for some sign from Ariel. Nothing.
"Effy. Uncoil your whip Incase more come." Simon informed her.
Effy didn't respond to him or even take her whip out. She just didn't care anymore.
"Simon! They're coming!" Clary screamed and more demons ran into Ariel's room. There was 3 of them. Simon started to fight them with his sword, but one escaped into the bathroom.
Effy felt its presence, smelt its garbage stench.
She did not give a damn about it. Her eyes were glued to Ariel, fresh tears coated her face.
She felt something slimy and cold grab ahold of her leg. She closed her eyes as the pressure built, and before she knew it, her body slammed into the bathroom mirror.
Her body hit the floor, hard. Her leg was twisted, she had felt bones snap when she was thrown.
Effy didn't make a sound. She only opened her eyes and stared at Ariel in the bathtub.
"Effy! Oh my god! Effy!" She heard Simon's voice as a distant echo.
Let me join you, my parabatai. Whither thou goest, I will go.
Where thou diest, I will die.
She heard clashing of metal, heard the screeching of the dying demon, felt arms run up under her body.
Someone grab Ariel. She wanted to say, but no words could form. The pain she felt physically helped the mental pain. It helped her deal with it.
"We can take Ariel to the institute, call for Max to help us." Isabelle said. Effy didn't like that idea.
"Take Effy back to Los Angeles. Magnus is there. Effy was bitten on her side, he'll be able to treat her in Los Angeles." Simon said to Clary.
Effy started screaming again. She wouldn't be separated from her parabatai.
But when she could barely feel her body, she didn't have much of a choice to make.
She could barely hold on to what vision she had, she felt herself losing color of the world and sleep called for her more times than she called for Ariel.
Everything from that point on was a blur. Effy only remembered screaming, before her vision went black, and she started to dream.
When she dreamt, she dreamt of clouds.