Detained [2] 《SHADOWHUNTERS》

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Andy entered the narrow office of the Inquisitor just as the first rays of the sun hit the side of the building. The woman wanted to see her and Jace again, but Andy hadn't bothered waking him up on her way here. 

Now, she stood alone in front of Imogen, who still had moments of utter disbelief while looking upon her kin. The lines of her face seemed softer, less intimidating than before. Her crystal eyes were warmer and seemed a bit far away. "I really should have known," Imogen stressed again. "The chances of my granddaughter and the Wayland's child having the same name were... slim to none."

Andy wasn't really sure what to say. She considered Imogen's words kindly, understanding why she usually held herself so rigidly and refused to be talked over or second guessed. Imogen had lost her son. And then she had lost her entire family, her namesake, her legacy in one burning night. 

Her piercing gaze was filled with something deeper as she reached out and found Andy's hand. Her light touch was endearing and Andy found her own steadfast apprehension begin to melt. It felt familiar, like she should remember the woman in front of her from earlier in life.

Imogen's tone as she spoke next sounded nostalgic, like warm tea on the first cold, rainy day of autumn. "I never thought I'd see you again, Andina. And yet you've been tossed in front of me for being stubborn so many times."

Andy imagined it was a long shot to try to argue against the woman's self-pity, but she still found herself muttering, "you couldn't have known."

She was met with a set jaw. "I should have known." Imogen said stiffly. "You have your father's eyes, his laugh..."

Andy believed her grandmother, but she wanted to know. She wanted to remember her real father's voice and his deep blue eyes. She wanted to remember more than vague details about being told she was going to be a big sister. But she couldn't. So she let herself pretend that hearing it from the woman in front of her was enough.

She tried to keep herself strong, eyes clear of tears and breath even. But when Imogen pulled her in for a hug, it all broke down. She didn't feel like she was in the Inquisitor's grasp, trapped by the ghost of a soldier. No, it was like a heavy blanket on a cold morning that had been kept warm for her since she was a child.

She wrapped her arms around Imogen's shoulders, not able to stop herself from gripping the woman's pressed suit jacket. She had learned how to accept love from people over time, when the Lightwoods threw it her way unexpectedly. And this didn't feel like something she had to double-check the sincerity of. It felt like it had always been there, waiting for her to return to it.

Imogen didn't pull away, but moved her gentle touch up to the back of Andy's neck and faced her. With inches between them, where Andy could make out every web in her iris, she told her, "I meant it with every part of my being when I said you and Jace don't have to be alone anymore. I couldn't help you then, but I can now."

Andy bit her lip to stop it from quivering and offered a quick nod. "Thank you," she said, unable to manage much more than a whisper. She hoped her grandmother realized how truly grateful she was.

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A mix of tissue paper and plastic rustled in Andina's hands, settled behind her back. She spared a hand to give another knock on the solid wooden door in front of her before she returned it to the crinkling materials.

The door opened to reveal her favorite warlock inside, still in a pair of comfortable looking pajamas. She was a bit surprised to catch him in the flannel patterned pants and plain t-shirt. The only thing sparkly about him was his gorgeous eyes and the rings on his fingers. She wondered briefly if he ever took them off.