Strange Games

5: How Mundane

The moment Jace saw the girl from the previous night, he activated his speed rune and raced across the dance floor of Pandemonium after the warlocks. Why would a Shadowhunter be with Downworlders?

"Magnus!" he called sharply. The High Warlock of Brooklyn gave him a cursory look, taking a protective stance in front of the girl. Jace couldn't hear what was said, but the next thing he knew, the warlock running in front of them vanished through the open Portal. The next moment, Magnus and the girl vanished as well.

"Mag- Damn it!" he cursed, pulling up short when the Portal dissipated.

"Damn it!"

Blinking, Jace turned around searching for the unknown voice curiously. Standing next to Isabelle and oblivious to the Shadowhunters' presence was a Mundane staring around himself awkwardly.

"So glad no one heard that," the Mundane mumbled, rubbing his neck self-consciously. His gaze dropped back to his phone and his face scrunched up in frustration. "Something's up with this app," he muttered, fiddling with his phone. "That is the second time this has happened."

"Jace," Alec called, striding up to his parabatai, ignoring the incessant mumbling flowing at a near constant rate from the Mundane. "We need to report this to the Clave," he said. "The warlocks ran from us and Magnus was ready to fight."

"Alec's right," Isabelle interjected. "Something's going on here and I don't like it. We need to talk to Magnus."

Alec huffed a sigh earning him a semi-annoyed look from his sister. But Jace shook his head. "She's right Alec," he said in resignation.

"I know," the archer of their little group said. "I just... this whole thing is wrong. First a Shadowhunter no one knows about appears out of nowhere, demons attacking Mundanes-"

"Were they Mundanes though?" Isabelle asked. Her brothers stared at her incredulously. She shifted her feet so her weight rested comfortably on her left side. "Think about it. I went back there this morning and there was no police tape, no evidence of anything. The place was glamoured. Only a warlock could do that."

"Why would a warlock glamour a building like that?" Jace asked. He crossed his arms in frustration. "This is just getting more and more confusing. We need answers."

"I should never have let her wander off alone," the Mundane kept talking, walking dejectedly through the building back to the entrance. His voice carrying through the huge, open space. "She must've been drugged. I am going to die. Luke is going to kill me. Ms. Fray is going to kill me. I am going to kill me."

Jace groaned and ran a hand down his face in annoyance. "Mundanes," he muttered under his breath.

Alec snickered and Isabelle smirked as they made their way out of the building right behind the still mumbling Mundane. Honestly, did he ever shut up? Once back out in the sunlight, Isabelle strode confidently ahead of her brothers towards the sidewalk where Mundanes mingled, oblivious to her presence. She turned left and halted, her smile falling from her face.

She felt her brothers catch up to her and fall still next to her. She knew what they were staring at because it was the same thing she was staring at. The rune for angelic power was boldly spray painted in deep blue, purple, and black across the broad side of an otherwise plain yellow van.

"Izzy?" Jace asked cautiously.

"Yeah," she answered, nodding slightly. "I'm seeing it too."

"Who-?" Alec was interrupted by the continuous muttering of the Mundane from earlier strolling past him right towards the van. He and his siblings watched the Mundane walk up to the van, pull out a set of keys, unlock the driver's side door, and hop in.