A Shadowed Romance

Chapter 21: Break Off

Chelsea:

"You're not going without me," I assure Theo. "I'm ready, it's been two weeks. I'm fine."

"I know you're lying, you know that I know that you're lying but you're lying anyway." Theo says, "You're unbelievable, you're willing to get killed over something that can most definitely wait another week."

"It can't," I tell him strapping on Michael and tracing my newest rune.

"At least let me help you." He draws his own stele and traces my runes. I tense as one burns at my spine.

"Your turn." I draw his runes next and hand him his sword before reaching for the books. "Harrison and Andrew are meeting us at the wolf den."

"Let's go." Theo says, "Before I change my mind about you coming."

"Good to see you again Chelsea," The Alpha greets with a firm shake of the hand.

"And you," I answer, "I brought some new books for the pups."

"I'll be sure to pass them along." He promises, "Your boys are in the back with my second."

"Thank you, Marcus," I give him a nod and head into the back with Theo. Harrison and Andrew are both drawing runes on their weapons and the younger wolves are watching curiously.

"How many seraph blades do we have, Andrew?" Theo asks.

"Not enough, Theodore," Andrew answers. He holds up four.

"Chels and I can stop at the church on the way, you both can use those."

"You know I don't fight well with a blade," I tell them.

"Yeah right," Andrew retorts. "We've seen you slay a handful of demons with the flick of a wrist."

"We're not fighting demons, we're fighting shadowhunters. We're fighting our own."

"Let's all head to the church, I could use a few long blades." Andrew says. "I know Harrison prefers using knives."

"I definitely need something that's not a seraph," Harrison says.

"Let's go then," I tell them. We make our way to the church; I gather two blades and all the arrows. Harrison grabs knives and stars, along with a short blade, Theo and Andrew grab their weapon of choice and I send a fire message to Vanessa to restock this church. Theo draws the rune to bond himself to the seraph blades he picked up and Andrew does the same with the long blades.

"So what exactly should we expect Lovelace?"

"It's nothing like the institute. Not at all."

"The runes on the walls and floors still terrify me."

"What do they use to block out demonic beings?" Andrew asks.

"No idea, until I got to your institute, I didn't know that was a thing." Harrison says, "Nothing I suspect."

"So demons, vampires, werewolves, and the Faeries can come and go from the institute as they please in whatever form they please?" Theo asks, Andrew and myself just as shell-shocked. We're in for a long day.

"Look, like I warned you, they're quite different, and they don't have the same rules as you do, as we do." He amends, he's finally starting to feel like part of the Chicago Institute. I can't help but give a small smile, it's the small victories.

"So they'll have no problem producing a blood bath," I finish, "I already called the New York Institute, they're meeting us here with a few of the Clave officials, we're not to kill anyone if we can prevent death, we're to do so."