Shadowhunters Season 4

|21|

Chapter 21, The day of returning...

"Whoah. . ."

The word echoed through the newly renovated institute. The structure looked more ethereal than ever. Colored glass lined the walls, the stains on the windows forming biblical figures. As always, the institute took form as a cathedral. Multiple shiny, golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the candles upon it making small shadows graze the room. 

The newest kind of technology was also installed. The once black TV-screens were now floating transparent screens, a blue hue surrounding them. The conference table in the ops-center also became a hologram of some sort that could be formed into a table made of real matter, when a certain button was pushed. The hideous tiled floors were now white-spotted marble, sometimes golden runes meddling with it.

"How did they make this so fast?" Clary wondered, trying to stick her hand through the new screen. When she did, a keyboard appeared, also a hologram. 

"A little bit of magic sped up the process tremendously." Alec shrugged.

"When will others be stationed here?" Jace was the one who asked the question.

"As soon as possible. We need this institute running again."

"Hey, guys." A voice rung out.

The group all turned around quite fast, some getting whiplash.

"Simon!" Izzy screeched, running into his awaiting arms.

"Where were you?" Clary asked her best friend. "Same could be said for you, Fray." Simon smiled. 

"Jokes aside, I was with Maryse and Luke. Somehow, the explosion of the institute didn't affect me like the rest. I was blown away by the blast. My body was littered with serious burns, but I didn't disintegrate as the rest did. Maryse found me and brought me to her home. I was still healing and unconscious when Clary came 'round."

Now that the triplets looked closer at the -for them- unknown vampire, they could see small, white lines snaking up his arms and neck, disappearing in his burgundy-colored T-shirt. 

The three men couldn't even grasp how a vampire survived such Angelic energy amounts when their kind even couldn't. 

"Who are these guys? They're seriously giving me the creeps with their staring match!"

The triplets didn't even notice that they, -yes, all three of them- had started staring at the Daylighter. Simon found it quite hilarious, but also kind of scary. Three brooding, unknown 'dudes' had been staring at him for quite some time that it had become uncomfortable. He felt as though their gazes scorched his skin.

Izzy laid a perfectly-manicured hand on her confused boyfriends' shoulder and began explaining. When she'd told everything, Simon's mouth was hanging open. The tables were reversed and now he was the one staring. 

"Maybe it was a bit much?" Jace questioned as he looked thoughtfully at the face his former enemy was making. His face looked priceless. Jace would've taken a picture of it if he had his phone.

Some chuckled at his remark.

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"So, first, we need to know where he's hiding," Aramis stated. He was clearly the most experienced one in strategizing out of the three. "And what he's planning." Jace piped in. Aramis nodded in confirmation. 

 Jace tapped on the hologram table and a huge, floating map of New York appeared. A few red, blinking dots were spotted on the map. "These are potential places where he could be hiding." Alec pointed out.

Simon made a 'huh' sound. "What is it?" Isabelle asked, laying her hand on his forearm. "I know most of these places. Raphael told me they were mostly vampire dens where the more 'savage' people of my kind live. They host so-called 'Blood parties' where they lure mundanes in and drink from them without compelling them afterward. He says that they go in a sort of hype when they drink blood that is spiked with adrenaline and fear of the person." 

"So, you're saying that Raziel is hiding with some vamps?" Jace asked, confused.

"I guess, so," Simon confirmed.

"That doesn' t make sense." Isabelle chimed in. "He probably the most powerful being on Earth now and he decides to go hang out with some vampires? That just doesn't add up."

"Well," Porthos started, "I think we first need to know what happened when Clary shot the burst of sunlight out of her hand." 

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Hey guys! I've finally updated, and almost half of the next chapter is also written, so you can expect the next chapter to come online faster than normal. (I hope!) I also made some changes to the way my chapters are normally written. I have a 'banner' now. The title of the chapter is also mentioned above paired with a gif that relates to the chapter. (or just something that I found cool and pretty). The text also stands in the middle instead of to the left.

Love to you all,

-Maite