Distant Fires of Heaven (The Malevolent Sacrifices #1)

All the Stars

Idris never has sunny hot days like Los Angles, or humid and muggy days like New York. Idris never goes over 82 degrees.
As everyone prepared for ball, the temperature cooled down to a soft warm, a soft 65 degrees. The seasons change earlier than America too, meaning Idris's Brocelind trees were already changing their colors.
Tonight's ball is dedicated to the families that serve the Shadows. Such as the Blackthorns, the Herondales, the Lightwoods, the Fairchilds, the Morgensterns, the Carstairs, and many others families.
This evening, families will gather and walk the topaz carpeted floor of the Palace of Shadows (a building built 15 years ago dedicated to Raziel and Jonathan Shadowhunter, replacing where the Wayland Manor once stood) and rejoice under the twilight.

This was the night Ariel had been talking to Effy about for months. They both went to see a dress designer in Alicante to have dresses customized to their tastes.
For the Familial Ball, a common theme of dressing around one's family crest was the yearly tradition.
It could be as simple as wearing the family ring, to going all out and customizing outfits to match.
Last year, Effy attended the ball wearing a purple silk gown with feathers of herons hand stitched into the fabric.
This year, Effy decided on a red ball gown, large and accentuating and bold.
The waist band of the dress had herons designed into it with bright golden thread. She matched the dress with golden heels, a golden necklace with a heron locket around her throat.
Earlier when she first arrived, Rosemary was able to heal her leg. It took Rose a few tries, but soon enough Effy's bones fused back together in her leg. Jace made Effy walk around the Herondale Manor until Jace was sure she'd be alright.
As soon as he gave Effy the clear, Rosemary pulled Effy to one of the dressing rooms to ready themselves for ball.
As a little girl, Effy used to beg Rose to play dress up with her.
Rose would braid her hair, put Clary's pink lipstick on Effy's lips, then Effy managed to talk Stephen into playing the prince who needed to rescue his princess.
Effy used to dream of nights where she'd be able to prance around in beautiful dresses and heels with a crowd on her head and diamonds on her fingers.
When she first met Ariel, the two of them talked forever about castles and princes and being a queen.
Ariel and Effy's sleepovers used to consist of Isabelle dressing them in little gowns, putting light make up on them, then running around Ariel's house pretending to turn everything into objects like in Beauty and the Beast.
Effy knows for ball tonight, Ariel chose a soft pink dress with etchings of plants and wildflowers.
On Ariel's waistband, bright red, orange, and yellow threats captivated a fire for her Lightwood family.
Effy memorized her dress perfectly, because Ariel and Effy gushed over it ever since Ariel brought it home.
Rosemary had sat Effy in a chair in front of the vanity, combing through her red hair. She styled her hair in a side rope braid. Effy's hair was long, so the braid ended at the middle of her waist.
Effy did her own makeup as Rose worked on her own hair, curling the ends of her blonde hair before pulling the front of her hair back and into a a braid.
Effy applied red lipstick, golden eyeshadow and a bit of blush.
Currently, Effy stood in her red dress, her braid swooping down her side. Her arms were exposed, as were her runes etched into her skin. She stepped out of the dressing room to let Rose change.
She walked downstairs to the living room of the Manor, making sure to walk as graceful as she could, remembering the way she had done so when she'd play dress up.
Her Herondale ring was gold unlike the rest of her families rings. Effy felt like she looked dull with the basic silver, so the gold make Effy feel like a goddess.
The ring shined as she walked, correlating with her other accessories.
She held her gown up a bit so her heels wouldn't trample on the fabric.
Effy walked into the living room seeing Stephen standing next to Jace. Jace was fixing the bow on Stephen's neck. He wore a white tux, with light blue accents such as his cuffs, tie and waistband. Stephen's hair was parted down one side, neatly held with a little gel. His face was freshly shaved, not like he had much facial hair to begin with, and a silver ring wrapped around his left ring finger.
Effy noticed the ring was designed with thorns and not herons.
When did Stephen and Juliet swap rings? Effy must have been distracted by Ariel to really notice.
The jacket of Stephen's suit had been threaded with herons along the trim, the threat itself blue to match his accents.
Stephen looked handsome for the ball, she imagined Juliet will match his attractiveness with her own beauty.
Jace finished fixing Stephen's tie. Then he started adjusting the cuffs on his own jacket.
"You need to button your collar." Effy said to him. Jace quickly buttoned his collar.
Jace and Stephen turned to see the youngest Herondale stand before them.
Jace's eyes widened, Stephen smiled like an idiot.
"Elle, you look so beautiful. I could cry." Jace pretended to sniffle.
Effy grinned. "Don't I look dashing?" She said and spun in a little circle.
"The gold looks incredible with the red." Stephen said. "Are you and Ariel matching?"
"We're keeping it in the same shade range, but she's wearing a soft pink." Effy smiled and went to stand next to Stephen.
Jace wore an all black tux, which isn't surprising. Jace literally wears no other color. He did have a green handkerchief tucked into the suit pocket. Clary must be wearing green.
"So you aren't matching with anyone for ball?" Stephen asked.
Effy shook her head. "I'm going solo. Which is fine because I believe that one is always better than two."
Stephen rolled his eyes. "Who are you doing to dance with? The air?"
"No you bimbo. I'm going to dance with Ariel." Effy said. "Maybe I'll ask Ethan to dance with me. He needs to climb out of his own shell."
"You can have your turn with my parabatai after me." Stephen laughed.
"Who will Juliet dance with? The air?" Effy mocked him.
He gave her a look and opened his mouth. But then Jace made an exaggerated gasp and Effy turned to see Rosemary walk into the lounge room.
Rose wore black pearl earrings, a matching pearl necklace and a sunshine yellow gown. It was long sleeved, with herons etched into the sleeve pattering.
Herons also ran along the bottom trim of the dress. She matched her accessories with black heels.
"By the angel, I have such beautiful daughters." Jace gasped.
"Yes. Effy, Stephen and I are such beautiful ladies." Rose grinned walking into the room.
Her dress curved around her waist, moving with every step she took. She looked absolutely beautiful, like a blonde version of Belle.
Stephen snorted. "I am not a girl!"
"By the way you fuss about your hair sometimes, one would say different." Rose laughed.
She walked over so the three of them stood aligned with each other. Stephen was in the middle.
Once there would have been one more Herondale walking into this room, with her dark and delicate features.
Effy blocked that out of her head. She would not think of anything bad. Not tonight.
"Well, Rose. My hair is something to be fussed about." Stephen corrected her.
She rolled her green eyes. "Whatever you say, Stephanie."
He gasped. Effy started laughing.
"Here. Juju told me to give this to you." Rose pulled a silver necklace out from behind her dress. Effy didn't even realize Rose was hiding her hand behind her dress in the first place.
The necklace had a bunch of thorns budding out from the chain. Stephen took it in between his fingers.
"Did you give her the earrings?" He asked.
Rose nodded. "I gave them to Drusilla because Drusilla's doing her hair and such."
Rose helped Stephen but the necklace on. It rested over the collar of his shirt, matching the Blackthorn ring on his finger.
"Okay, how do I look?" Clary said walking in.
Her dress hung loose around her small frame, it being the color of the trees in upstate New York. A beautiful deep emerald.
She wore a silver necklace with a Heron on it, but she also wore the Fairchild ring on her finger.
One of the things that is especially significant about the Familial Ball is that the Shadowhunters must walk with their original family.
So Clary will enter the ball with Uncle Charles, Arabella Grandma Jocelyn and Grandpa Luke.
Jace caught his breath at the sight of her. Effy found her parents to be absolutely adorable.
Everytime Jace saw Clary dressed up, he'd be absolutely wowed by her. His eyes would focus on her and only her. His face would age back by years with the way he stared at Clary. As if he were just seeing her for the first time.
Effy thought of Andrew in that essence, being the only boy she's ever kissed. Would Andrew look at her that way tonight? Would anyone look at her that way?
"Is everyone ready to go?" Clary asked walking into the room. Jace wrapped his arm around her, planting a kiss on her forehead.
"I think we're ready to go." Jace smiled. "I'm so proud of this family."
Rosemary made a muffled sound. Effy glanced over at her sister, but she just looked down at her fingernails and then followed Jace and Clary out of the room.
Effy fell into step beside Stephen as they emerged from Herondale Manor. Right behind the manor was Blackthorn Manor.
Lightwood Manor was right down the dirt path, then a few miles down held the Palace of Shadows. Since Jace is Consul, there is a specifically designed coach for him and his family.
Stephen helped Clary in, followed by Rose and Effy.
Effy could hear the distant sound of music from down the dirt path, in just a few minutes she'd be able to show off her dress, make heads turn, and act like the princess she's always dreamed of being.