Overwhelmed [3] 《SHADOWHUNTERS》

Chapter Nineteen

The sun threatened to breach a foreign horizon before Clary found herself with just enough energy to get the group back to New York City. The cutting wind was hardly altered apart from its direction as the four Nephilim found themselves between the fettered ruins of a burnt townhome. The air brought old soot to their nostrils as it swept in between open frames that once held windows and flapping gaps within the foundation. 

The redhead that had led them there hated how long it took her to even begin to recognize the area. Ash had been forced down with rain from its gathering place on the ceiling and it painted every feature she could see with a dark coat. It took a lot of squinting to make out the once-flowery pattern of the tattered rug that lined the living room she had taken her first steps in.

Her mind was stamped with the impression of a lost soul. Her mother had painted by the light of each window in that top level apartment. But Jocelyn's easel had fallen against a toppled rack of paints, both of their supports turned to dust. Clary doubted that the wood could ever be considered recoverable. She found herself mumbling an apology as she tried to stop scanning her fragile past. Every wall held a memorable conversation with her best friend, no matter how unimportant the details. Every glance to the door had her somehow still expectant that Luke would arrive with no announcement besides a single knock just to brighten up her mother's day.

Clary had never imagined that it could all be gone before the Sight had found her on her eighteenth birthday. She had barely been able to grasp a solid footing on the existence she was forced to navigate now, and yet in the past three days, someone she dared to imagine as the love of her life had been ripped from her arms, turned against her, and the very culture that had recently lifted her up with praise tore her down and smashed her into shards of gravel with deadly accusations. She could begin to understand her mother's disdain for the Clave and the desire to keep them out of their lives.

Andina was quick to assure the younger woman, "It's fine. We're close to Magnus'." Alec nodded beside her, confirming that Clary had not gotten herself too mixed up. His expression hardened when Andy made a loose addition, "Which is great, because we probably shouldn't go back home with a fugitive." The curt reminder of the deep treason that they had committed by breaking Clary out of the Silent City tightened all of their shoulders. Unless they snuck her into the Institute, she would be in danger of getting spotted and it would put them all at risk.

"Like hell we're staying away, it's my Institute," Alec stated contemptuously. He had the final say on what went on in his building when the Clave had not yet sanctioned the control to one of their own advisors. He regretfully did not know how long that would remain the case, but he would run it as he saw fit to the best of his abilities until he no longer could.

"We obviously had something to do with this," Andy slammed the knowledge back into him as she threw her hand out towards Clary. Her explanation was rather blunt as she said, "Who else cares about her?" The redhead knew that the woman spoke the truth, though she could not keep the awkward sneer from her lips in a small defense of herself. It felt to Clary like she had been picked last again for a game in P.E., except the consequence held much higher stakes than the embarrassment of being cast out by her peers.

Andy's argument, however unintentionally hurtful, shut Alec down for a tense moment as the song of crickets droned from outside. The insects still clung to the autumn air as they missed the call that the day had arrived. Izzy took over before his frown could deepen much further, a bit worried that her brother's distraught glare would become permanent at the rate he displayed it. She was careful as she told Andy, "I think you gotta take the blame for this one."

The woman blinked, taken aback as she was asked to shoulder the fall. Upon quick review of their predicament, she realized that she would have come to this exact plan on her own if given the time. In fact, it was more surprising that her family agreed with the course of action. They all knew that they needed the Institute if they were going to do anything to stop the problem that still hung heavily overtop of their city. And it wasn't entirely unbelievable to the rest of the Clave for Andina to act out irrationally and alone.