A Shadowed Romance

Chapter 22: Starting Over

Chelsea:

"Listen," I hush the other hunters as we clear out the break off the following weekend, the weekend before the Clave meets with the downworld reps. Harrison is learning how to remove runes. If it's going to be a safe haven for the downworlders, it has to be safe for them, no runes.

I close my eyes and let myself find what's pulling me. "Attic, something's moving around up there."

"We'll go check it out," Some of the older hunters offer grabbing a couple seraph blades and heading up. I hear them call the names and disappear around the corner.

"How do you do that?" Alec asks.

"I've been told I have 100% angel blood, but I was also injected with demon blood when I was little, so I have extremely acute senses of demons," I answer with a shrug as I freeze again, "Back shed," I call out two more hunters go off.

"Are you ever wrong?" He asks.

"She's usually spot on with the location," Theo says, "Types and numbers are another thing."

"Does it ever get old, always being right, never being surprised?" Jace asks. "Dumb question I know," He sighs. "Part of the reason I love doing this is the excitement of not knowing."

"I hate surprises," I answer him as I mark out another rune. Harrison on my heels, almost literally. "I always have. It's a pretty embarrassing but true story, I got so mad when Theo and Sasha threw me a surprise party when we turned 10. I refused to go back to the party after I found out."

"After that there were no more surprise parties for her."

"She almost lit the venue on fire," One of the older hunters mentions.

"Looking back it was kinda funny," His parabatai says.

"Yea yea yea," I roll my eyes, "All the laughs at the expense of the human demon detector." I smile but suddenly my smile fades and Jace's immediately fades following. He and Clary both draw their blades. "Greater demon."

I suddenly find it hard to do anything, even standing is hard. "Harrison, get Chels out of here." Andrew says. Theo agrees as he and Andrew both rune up.

"Why is Chels having so much trouble?" I hear Clary ask as they follow Theo and Andrew. I don't hear Theo or Andrew answer as Harrison pulls me away. To the safety of the one room that we are keeping runed up, right by the front door, but it is windowless. There is one room, a small parlor. The Sanctuary. Harrison and I hole up there while the rest of the team heads to find the demon.

"Go," I tell him, "Go help them."

"I'm not going to leave you unprotected. Not while there's a greater demon out there." Harrison says. He draws his sword and takes a deep breath. "I'm staying." He tells me. "You can't make me do otherwise."

"They need you out there." I tell him. "Go I'll be fine in here. A demon can't cross into a runed room." I tell him, "I'll tell you some more runes to draw, and then will you go?"

"No. I'll not leave your side."

"I don't need a hero, but the team needs another hunter."

"Be careful?" He asks. I nod. He leaves a seraph blade with me as well as Michael and a quiver of arrows and a bow. He heads out and locks the door with a rune.

~~~

Theo-

"So, what's wrong with Chelsea?" Clary asks as they look around with Andrew and me.

"Think angel versus demon, then take that and say Archangel versus Greater Demon. We all have the blood of an arch angel in our veins so greater demons don't bother us, but Chelsea is pure angel blood after the yen fen, the demon blood, burned out. There's not a drop of human blood in her system, there never was."