ANGEL WINGS - SHADOWHUNTERS

[9] warlocks and weddings

Rowena flew around her home country, her wings flapping and her long brown hair flowing behind her in the wind. She thought about Ragnor, about Magnus, and about her family; her mother and father. She thought about how little she knew of them and how much she wanted to know. She didn't exactly know where she was going as she flew, her wings going into a kind of autopilot mode as she landed by a small cottage, with steam rising up through the chimney.

Rowena sighed as she retracted her wings and went up to the front door, knocking four times in a type of rhythm. The door swung open and a woman, around forty, stood in front of her.

"Rowena, it's been so long! I wasn't expecting you!" She smiled, pulling Rowena into a big hug. "I have just taken a batch of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven! Come on in!" Rowena entered the little cottage and followed the lady through to the living room, where she sat comfortably on one of the blue couches. Rowena looked around the room, all of the paintings were the same as was the fireplace but the cushions on the couches had changed, she'd upgraded her television and radio and she had gotten a new reclining chair in the corner of the room.

"Thank you, Diana." She said, as she took one of the cookies from the plate Diana held out in front of her.

Diana smiled, putting the plate down on the coffee table. "Roe, it's been almost fifty years since I've seen you, what made you come here now?" She asked, picking up a cookie and dipping it in her cup of tea before digging in.

"Ragnor Fell, he died today... I just needed someone to talk to." Rowena said, a single tear rolling down her cheek as she took a bite of the delicious cookie. "I couldn't think of anywhere else to go."

Diana moved from her seat and came to sit right next to Rowena, pulling her into her shoulder, "I'm so sorry, I know you used to be close with him... It's always hard to lose someone close to you, but I'm glad it brought you to me." She moved to look right at Rowena, "You know I'm always going to be here for you, right?"

Rowena nodded, pulling Diana towards her and holding her close. Diana was a close friend of Rowena's; she was a warlock who had lost her magic a few decades ago but retained her immortality. Diana was over 900 years old and the two had been friends for centuries, longer than Rowena had been friends with Magnus, or Ragnor.

Rowena stayed with Diana for another hour or so before she left with a promise to come and visit again soon. She stood on Diana's front lawn, sprouting her wings before taking a run up and flying away, back to New York.

When Rowena got to New York, it was almost sunset. She decided to go back to the Institute to talk to Clary and Jace, apologise for her sudden disappearance and make sure the two were okay. She landed just in front of the Institute, no doubt making the wards set off the alarms inside, and retracted her wings again. Her shoulder blades ached and stung and she could feel the blood running down her back. Rowena knew she shouldn't have used her wings so much that day but she knew that flying always made her feel better.

Rowena walked into the Institute to see everyone very dressed up and decorations littering the walls and ceilings. Izzy was stood near the door, as she entered, welcoming guests, with a woman who looked very much like her but was definitely older.

"Rowena!" Izzy smiled, pulling her into a hug even more bone-crushing that the last one the two had shared.

Rowena smiled, "Hey, Izzy... Is Clary here? I need to talk to her."

"Yeah, she's in her room." Izzy smiled. Rowena was about to walk away to find Clary before the woman standing next to Isabelle stopped her.

"And who might you be?" She asked, looking over Rowena's t-shirt and jeans in a displeasured manner. Rowena looked extremely underdressed for whatever occasion she had stumbled into.

Izzy grabbed Rowena's arm, "Mom. This is Rowena. The half-angel, half-demon."

"You're the daughter of the demon and the angel." Isabelle's mom said, knowingly. "I'm Maryse Lightwood." She held out her hand which Rowena shook, graciously, "My grandmother used to tell me stories about the time her grandmother met a girl who was half-angel, half-demon; you. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Rowena smiled, no one had ever greeted her this way before. "Thank you, it is a pleasure to meet you too, Maryse."

"Please stay for the wedding. Perhaps we could talk more after?" She asked.

"Of course." Rowena said, "Let me just..." She started, waving her wrists up, using her magic to change her everyday outfit into a flowing burgundy dress that went down to her ankles and some black high heels to match. "Does this look alright?"

"You look gorgeous." Izzy said, smiling at her newest friend.

"As do the both of you." Rowena commented before she excused herself from the two Lightwood women and made her way to Clary's room. She knocked on the door, hearing an 'it's open' from inside. Rowena pushed open the door to see Clary stood in a dark dress that went down to the floor.

Rowena wolf-whistled and waved her arms around, jokily, "Wow, you look incredible!" She smiled.

"Rowena!" Clary cried, pulling her into a desperate hug. "Where the hell did you go? We've been worried sick about you!"

Rowena sighed, looking at the ground, "Sorry, I just had to get away. I went to see an old friend... to talk."

"Don't be sorry... Ragnor was you friend, right? You just need some time to grieve." She smiled, holding Rowena by the shoulders. Roe nodded, smiling. "Now. We have a wedding to get to, coming?"

The two friends walked through the Institute to where the wedding was being held. Rowena saw a bunch of shadowhunters, some she knew, some she didn't. She excused herself from Clary and went up to Alec, who she didn't really know that well.

"Hi." She started, "Congratulations on your wedding. I know I don't know you that well, at all, but from what I've heard, you're a good guy."

Alec's lips formed a sort of smile as he heard the compliment, "Thank you, you're Rowena aren't you. The one that helped save Jace's life. The half-angel, half-demon that my sister and now mother, won't stop talking about."

"That's me... Congratulations." She said again, before leaving him to go and grab Clary and sit down with her. The two made their way to sit on the edge of a row of seats, Jace catching Clary's eye as she looked up towards the alter.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Simon said from behind both Clary and Rowena. Rowena took a quick moment to look at Simon, the vampire really cleaned up well. Both Clary and Rowena stood up, Rowena mainly so she could move along the row so Simon could sit down. "Did I miss anything? I left right at sunset."

Clary smiled, "No, you're right on time. Simon... You look incredible." Rowena sat down on the third seat from the end of the row to make room for the two best friends.

"Thanks. I borrowed one of Raphael's suits. Embracing the new me." Simon said, as he pulled Clary into a hug. "So, how's your mom?"

"She's good. Uh, Luke's with her right now, watching over her." Clary explained before one of the Silent Brothers called for the ceremony to begin. Clary and Simon both sat down, with Simon placed between the two girls.

Simon lent over towards Rowena, "You look really nice, by the way." He whispered.

Rowena smiled and whispered back, "You too." Rowena watched as the ceremony commenced, Lydia walking down the aisle and presenting Alec with a bracelet, as he presented her with a necklace.

"It is time for Alec Lightwood and Lydia Branwell to mark each other with the Wedded Union rune. A rune on the hand, a rune on the heart, a union is born." The silent brother spoke. He touched the crystal with his staff and a rune appeared on it. Lydia took her stele from Izzy and was about to draw the rune on Alec's hand but the doors opened and Magnus appeared. Everyone looked behind them. Maryse stood up talking to Magnus but Rowena couldn't exactly make out what she was saying. Everyone waited in anticipation as Lydia and Alec talked in a hushed whisper.

Suddenly, Alec turned away from Lydia to face everyone. He looked around the room, his gaze landing on Magnus as he started to walk towards him, ignoring his mother's protest. He grabbed Magnus by the collar and kissed him, passionately. Rowena's jaw dropped, along with many others, as she smiled in happiness for her best friend, Magnus.