The Demon Towers: Secrets and Lies

Chapter Three

Cousins.

Phoebe had not seen her cousins and sister for more than a year now. She wondered if they have changed or gotten taller.

They gathered around Xavier who took out his stele and began drawing a rune Phoebe couldn’t identify. Her teacher back in the Glass City had instructed her about Marks she will need in a fight and in ceremonies but Madame Merryweather didn’t tell her about this one.

The rune turned into a Portal and Phoebe looked at in amazement. Only warlocks could create Portals and here Xander, a Shadowhunter with the Gift of telepathy, made one.

Xander walks in the Portal first just like the day they had left home. And again, Phoebe is the last one. She walked forward and felt the familiar empty space she experienced two years ago.

Phoebe opens her eyes and the first thing she sees are Bella’s green eyes. They were an unnatural shade of green - the color of antifreeze, spring grass. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Phoebe answered, sitting up. She landed on soft grass which must have been the work of Bella to break her fall.

“Come on,” Bella says, “we have to head to the Canberra Institute first.”

Phoebe pinches her arm to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

Bella giggles. “Yes, Phoebe Seraphina Nightshade. It’s me your sister Arabella Claudia Nightshade-,” Phoebe tackles her sister in a hug.

“Bella! When did you get back? I thought you were supposed to be in Miami.”

“Izzy needs me and I left Miami in a minute.” Bella makes a wreath of daisies that appeared with a wave of her hand. She puts it on top of Phoebe’s head. “I missed using my Gift,” she said and Phoebe understood. They weren’t allowed to use their Gifts in public, even in front of their fellow Shadowhunters. Their parents had taught them that since they were little and they have been following it since.

The walk to the Canberra Institute wasn’t long. They arrived there three minutes tops. Xander opens one of the huge wooden Institute doors and all of them walked in.

“Austin?” a male voice echoed through the foyer. “Austin, is that you?”

“Mike!” Austin fist bumps a guy with blonde hair and hazel eyes. “Good to see you, man.”

Xander introduces him to the V Quad as Michael Brightway, their cousin on the mother’s side – their mother and Michael’s father are siblings, which explains the slightly matching hair colour of Xander and him. He runs the Institute when both his parents are away on Idris, which was most of the time. He has a younger sister named Mackenzie. They don’t have Gifts like the Nightshades and Phoebe found it odd. He’s Isabelle’s parabatai.

Phoebe only knows two pairs of parabatai: Isabelle and Michael and Veronica and Valerie. She was about to ask Felicity last year if they could be each other’s parabatai but since Phoebe wasn’t allowed on demon hunting missions with them, what good would that be?

Parabatai are closer than family and it’s not an easy task of finding your own in your lifetime. You become one as parabatai. The ceremony can only be done until you’re 18 years old and after that, you could not have the parabatai ceremony anymore. Also, there is a stern rule to not marry your parabatai.

Phoebe knows Austin have no parabatai and she wonders why. Maybe he wants to go solo. Or couldn’t find one at all. Phoebe’s certain it’s the former.

A tall dark haired girl with tawny eyes with two whips – one gold, one iron - cleverly disguised as a bracelet and necklace walked into the room and smiled wide. “Guys!” Isabelle tackles her brothers in a bear hug. “I missed you.”