Runes and Seraph Blades - Book 1 {Mortal Instruments}

Chapter Six - Orion

Orion walked into the library, having been abandoned by Isabelle a couple minutes ago. He saw Alec and immediately walked over to him. There was something about the eldest Lightwood that made Orion feel safe and comforted in times of need.

"Hey," Orion said softly, leaning against the armchair Alec was in.

"Orion, how are you?" Alec looked up, poorly covered up worry showing in his eyes.

"I'm fine Alec, don't worry about me," Orion told him. Clary was the one who just woke up from a three day coma, nobody needed to worry about him. At least, that's what he thought.

"I don't believe you," Alec set his book down and fully looked at Orion, "You looked super shaken up when you brought her in... what's the matter? You can talk to me, you know..."

"I know, Alec," Orion replied softly, looking away from the boy's dark blue eyes. Whatever Orion was going to say next was lost by Clary and Jace entering the library. They seemed to be having a conversation with Hodge and got onto the topic of Clary killing the Ravener.

"I can't believe you buy that story, Hodge," Alec spoke up. This shocked Orion a bit, the malice in Alec's voice was unrecognizable to the Roseheart. Orion took a step back from the chair and sent Clary an apologetic look. He missed the confused look from Alec.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean, Alec." Hodge raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Alec," Orion stressed his name, "Are you actually suggesting she didn't kill the demon?"

"Of course she didn't. Look at her—she's a mundie,Orion, and a little kid, at that. There's no way she took on a Ravener," Alec explained, his face contorted by confusion and hurt by Orion's actions,

"I'm not a little kid," Clary interrupted. "I'm sixteen years old—well, I will be on Sunday."

"The same age as Izzy," Orion commented, defending Clary, "I wouldn't call Izzy a child, would you?"

"Isabelle hails from one of the greatest Shadowhunter dynasties in history," Alec said dryly. "This girl, on the other hand, hails from New Jersey."

"I'm from Brooklyn!" Clary was outraged. "And so what? I just killed a demon in my own house, and you're going to be a dickhead about it because I'm not some spoiled-rotten rich brat like you and your sister?"

Orion was surprised by her outburst, but also expected it at the same time. He didn't blame the girl after all she'd been through. And if it truly was his cousin then she didn't deserve to be treated so harshly by others.

Alec looked astonished. "What did you call me?"

Jace sounded as if he could barely contain his laughter. "She has a point, Alec. Plenty of Downworld activity going on in the boroughs, you know. It's those bridge-and-tunnel demons you really have to watch out for—"

"It's not funny, Jace," Alec interrupted, starting to his feet. "Are you just going to let her stand there and call me names?"

"Yes," Jace said kindly. "It'll do you good—try to think of it as endurance training."

"If you don't want to be called names then learn to respect other people," Orion glared at Alec.

"We may be parabatai," Alec said tightly, ignoring Orion's outburst. "But your flippancy is wearing on my patience."

"And your obstinacy is wearing on mine. When I found her, she was lying on the floor in a pool of blood with a dying demon practically on top of her. I watched as it vanished. If she didn't kill it, who did?"

"Raveners are stupid. Maybe it got itself in the neck with its stinger. It's happened before—"

"Now you're suggesting it committed suicide?" Orion asked, tone firm.

Alec's mouth tightened. "It isn't right for her to be here. Mundies aren't allowed in the Institute, and there are good reasons for that. If anyone knew about this, we could be reported to the Clave."

"That's not entirely true," Hodge said. "The Law does allow us to offer sanctuary to mundanes in certain circumstances. A Ravener has already attacked Clary's mother—she could well have been next."

"Raveners are search-and-destroy machines," Alec said. "They act under orders from warlocks or powerful demon lords. Now, what interest would a warlock or demon lord have in an ordinary mundane household? Any thoughts?"

Clary said, "It must have been a mistake."

"Demons don't make those kinds of mistakes. If they went after your mother, there must have been a reason. If she were innocent—" Alec started to say.

"What do you mean, 'innocent'?" Clary's voice was quiet. Orion noticed her discomfort and approached her to comfort her.

Alec looked taken aback. "I—"

"What he means," said Hodge, "is that it is extremely unusual for a powerful demon, the kind who might command a host of lesser demons, to interest himself in the affairs of human beings. No mundane may summon a demon—they lack that power—but there have been some, desperate and foolish, who have found a witch or warlock to do it for them."

"My mother doesn't know any warlocks. She doesn't believe in magic. Madame Dorothea—she lives downstairs—she's a witch. Maybe the demons were after her and got my mom by mistake?" Clary suggested. She looked up to Orion and smiled softly in thanks.

Hodge's eyebrows shot up into his hair. "A witch lives downstairs from you?"

"She's a hedge-witch—a fake," Jace said. "I already looked into it. There's no reason for any warlock to be interested in her unless he's in the market for nonfunctional crystal balls."

"And we're back where we began." Hodge reached up to stroke the bird on his shoulder. "It seems the time has come to notify the Clave."

"No!" Jace said. "We can't—"

"It made sense to keep Clary's presence here a secret while we were not sure she would recover," Hodge said. "But now she has, and she is the first mundane to pass through the doors of the Institute in over a hundred years. You know the rules about mundane knowledge of Shadowhunters, Jace. The Clave must be informed."

"Absolutely," Alec agreed. "I could get a message to my father—"

Orion cut off Alec with a glare, "She isn't a mundane..."

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And on that note, the chapter ends. I'm excited for you all to read the next chapter, let's just say something goes down between Alec and Orion

- MadKat101