Valentine's Arrow

Epilogue

REBECCA

Six months later

"Happy birthday!"

Rebecca's mouth fell open at the sight of the dress. It was a beautiful, dark red, with streaks of orange running through it.

"Flame for the birth of Nephilim," Adam said, quoting the old Shadowhunter poem.

"It's beautiful!" Rebecca unfurled the dress. It fell to just below her knees, and the sleeves were made of red lace, woven with patterns of runes - runes of good luck and happiness. She traced them with her fingers. "How did you get the runes in here?"

"That's all thanks to your mother," Adam said proudly, squeezing his wife's shoulder.

"It's amazing. Seriously, I cannot stress how absolutely gorgeous it is."

Susanna smiled warmly. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

Rebecca dropped down to her knees beside her mother and enveloped her in a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"There's something else I have for you," Adam said, as Rebecca stood up. "If you want it, that is."

"What is it?"

In answer, Adam handed her a small velvet box. Inside, there was a polished silver ring, engraved with a pattern of crisscrossing swirls. She took it out, examining it in the palm of her hand. "Is this..."

"The Trueblood family ring," Adam said. "The engraving is a modified form of what mundanes call the triskele. The three spirals represent the mundanes, Downworlders and Shadowhunters."

"It's yours if you want it," Susanna said softly.

Rebecca stared at the ring in her hand. "I'll take it," she said, surprising even herself.

Adam reached out and curled her fingers around the ring. "You're a Trueblood now," he said. "You belong to a line of great warriors, of Consuls and Inquisitors, of Centurions from the Scholomance. Wear it well."

Susanna rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop pressuring the poor girl, Adam!"

Rebecca couldn't help the smile that crossed her face.

The sun was beginning to set by the time Rebecca reached the Institute, the dress neatly folded in her backpack, which was bouncing merrily on her shoulders. The Trueblood family ring, along with the Morgenstern ring, was hanging on the chain around her neck, gently clinking in rhythm with her steps.

As was customary every time she got back from visiting her parents, Rebecca took an alley that led to the back of the Institute, instead of using the front door. The alley opened out into a small square, from where she could easily climb in through her window using the pipes that ran down the wall.

Once she was back inside, she carefully hung the dress in her closet. She was about to remove the chain around her neck when a knock sounded on the door.

In a flash, Rebecca slipped the chain under her shirt, making sure the rings were out of sight, and kicked off her boots. When she opened the door, she found Isabelle standing outside, a somewhat suspicious expression on her face. She was wearing a red dress that clashed brilliantly with her black hair, and her whip was curled around her wrist.

"What's up?" Rebecca said, trying to look innocent.

Isabelle's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why do you have mud on your face?"

Crap.

Rebecca sighed, mentally kicking herself for not checking before she opened the door. She'd had far too many close calls lately, but she'd also perfected lying through her teeth.