15/03/2021
1 recensioni2018
Kaela got distracted. It was a lovely autumn morning. The sky was clear and a blue so intense it could easily be mistaken as the Mediterranean Sea. And she loved the colour of the water gliding against the Italian Riviera. For the past ten years she and her family had visited Italy every summer. Mostly because Sabina had grown up in Rome and always said that if you grew up knowing the wonders of the Italian land it was impossible to live without them. And so her mind drifted to those warm summer days, the sky stretching above her in an endless cobalt blue and the sand gently pressing against her body. She thought about the sea, the salty air sticking onto her skin, the distant chirping of seagulls cradling her to sleep.
Kaela? Stop getting distracted.
An invasive voice popped abruptly in her head making her snap back to reality just in time to dodge a tall man dressed up as a Viking walking straight into her. Kaela instinctively turned her head around and searched the crowd for the source of the voice. She sighed, the ashy dark blonde set of hair she was looking for was nowhere to be seen. However, glancing around made her notice that the amount of people around her had worryingly doubled. Kaela was now walking through The Shambles, a narrow street in York skirted by mediaeval buildings and currently swarmed with families and tourists, giving one only little space to move. Kaela didn’t enjoy being surrounded by people, so she started searching the crowd with determination as panic started growing inside her stomach.
Peter? Even in her head she heard her voice dropping in a pleading tone.
I'm coming to get you.
People had started to bump into her to pass through. Kaela felt stuck. She tried to move away but her body didn't respond to any of her brain's commands. At this point all her senses had started to shut off and on so quickly that all she could feel was panic, panic, panic. Suddenly, what felt like a hand gently wrapped around her wrist and started pulling her away from the crowd. After a moment everyone was gone, and she stood in a side street alone with a young man helping her stay up.
"Thanks, Peter."
Kaela couldn't quite see him, but she felt his worry tickling the back of her mind.
"I'm fine, really. If it weren't for you, I would've fainted in the middle of the street and died," she said, stressing her tone to add a dramatic effect.
The uncomfortable tickling in the back of her mind stopped. She turned around so she could see Peter's face properly. He was smiling at her. A pure, genuine smile. He looked like a chilly summer day, with his ashy blonde hair and those soft green eyes. Actually, everything about him was soft. His colours were perfectly blurred together. They reminded her of that painting of Monet’s she had once seen in a museum in London, The Beach at Trouville: calm, reassuring, airy. Sometimes she just needed to look at him to feel better. Peter was the son of her adoptive father. He, as all the members of her family, was a Shadowhunter. Kaela had always envied them in some way. Shadowhunters endured through trauma and loss in a way that she herself would never be able to do. They were strong, resilient, brave. Probably their impeccable mental health was due to the angelic blood flowing through their veins, but still Kaela found herself hoping she could face problems with their same dutifulness; instead most of the time her mind was her greatest enemy. She had always felt very intensely and got stuck in certain trains of thought, so she believed that panic and anxiety were only a consequence of her unusually strong emotions. However, only Peter knew about Kaela’s struggles, most of the time she pushed all her negative energy aside and put up a neutral face. Peter was the person Kaela cared for the most in her life. They had been inseparable since the first time they met, when Kaela was only eight. She had arrived at the York Institute with no family and no prospects and was welcomed by Sabina and her husband Kenneth with open arms. They had a child together, Beatrice, she was a year younger than Kaela and the fiercest girl she’d ever encountered. Kenneth also had two children from a previous marriage, Jason, a couple of years older than Kaela, and Peter. Jason had mostly ignored her in the past ten years, speaking only when necessary and never to her directly. Peter instead had been friendly from the very beginning. Kaela never understood how they grew so close. Family bonds can always be very strong, but what she had with Peter was different; she felt as if they shared one soul in two bodies.
"You know Kai, I can feel that you're thinking about me".
It tickles, he added.
"Ugh."
Kaela leaned against Peter’s arms. She closed her eyes and the sunlight shone through her eyelids in vibrant spots of red. Kaela started feeling the air filling her lungs again. She took one deep breath, and then broke free of Peter’s embrace.
“Is there a way to get there avoiding the crowd?” she asked Peter, not bothering to hide the high pitch in her tone.
Peter nodded and got up, giving Kaela one last attentive look before leaving her alone against the wall. She steadied herself up and followed him as he turned right through a tiny street. Some time passed before Peter slowed his step, Kaela new that meant they were nearly there, and she started to feel a strange mix of anxiety and excitement. The memory of the crowd gathering around her was already fading to leave space for the crackling energy and concentration needed in battle. They turned again and a small door appeared in front of them. It was made of iron and was completely covered by rust, it looked out of place, surrounded by all those mediaeval houses made of stone and wood. Kaela flinched a little, the iron made her skin tighten.
Peter turned towards her. Ready?
You bet, she smirked at him.
Peter pushed the door slightly and it opened. At first Kaela could only see black, but her sight got quickly used to the light difference. Everything was now as clear as day. She knew her vision was better than Peter’s, so she walked past him to give a better look at the room. It seemed empty, but she could feel something moving the air around her. But, around her where? She closed her eyes and focused, breaching for that sticky energy she felt every time a demon was near.
On your left.
Peter moved in response, and a low growling sound rustled from the corner of the room, its source hidden behind a thick wooden pillar. Kaela and Peter were now standing back to back, their muscles tense and reactive. Another sound echoed in the dark. Then a sudden movement followed, and a shadow-shaped figure jumped from its hiding den and leaped towards her. Kaela ducked as Peter turned around and swung his seraph blade where her head had been only seconds ago, hitting the creature with an unpleasant quaggy noise. Kaela had rolled herself on the floor and stood up, now a couple of meters away from Peter. She watched as the demon screeched and tumbled a few steps back, only to start charging at Peter again as if nothing had happened. Kaela drew out a war scythe from the cover hanging behind her back and sprinted at the demon. She was not very good at full contact combat, but thanks to the Alliance rune burning on her forearm her abilities were at peak. The scythe was longer than a normal knife and allowed Kaela to keep some distance from the demon as she slid behind its back and stook the blade above its hip. The sudden attack made the demon stutter, just enough for Peter to free himself from the creature's clutch. Now that the demon was facing Kaela, she realised how human it looked. Its body had the same shape as hers, only taller and broader. But still, it felt odd fighting against something that didn't look much different than yourself.
Watch your right, said Peter.
Kaela spun back as he charged the creature, jumped on its shoulders, and swept the blade from one side of its neck to the other. The demon's head rustled on the floor and, after a moment of stillness, its body disappeared, leaving Peter mid-air. He reacted fast enough to ease his fall by ending it with a roll on the ground, and rapidly got up to run towards Kaela.
"Kai? You alright?"
But Kaela didn't answer. She had suddenly become aware of someone else's presence in the room. The feeling she had felt earlier had not disappeared with the demon. Slowly, Kaela made her way to the angle of the room where the demon had hidden. When her sight was not obstructed by the wooden pillar anymore, her heart skipped. Chained up against the wall was a Faerie. Her skin pale and bruised, dark blood tangled her long red hair and most of her body was covered in dried ichor. Kaela took a step forward and threw herself on the floor next to the Faerie. Her eyes were closed, and her shoulders looked fragile and stood in a way that made them seem lifeless. As Kaela lifted her hand to touch them, the Faerie opened her eyes. They were as blue as the night sky. Kaela startled, but didn't move. The Faerie was now looking at her with wide eyes, panic pouring out of her dilated pupils. Something about those eyes sparked a feeling of recognition in Kaela, but she quickly dismissed it.
"It's okay...," Kaela told her, in a soft hushed tone. "We're here to free you".
The Faerie seemed to realize just now Peter's figure standing behind Kaela, only partly hidden in the shadows. Her eyes widened even more.
Peter, see if you can get rid of her chains.
Peter stepped forward, but hesitated. What if she attacks us?
So, Kaela chucked her hair behind her ears, revealing the slight point that characterized her species. The Faerie's eyes drifted to the ears, and Kaela thought she saw her shoulders slightly relax. Peter was leaning now on his knees next to her, taking out his steel. Kai noticed a bloody cut on his forearm, but she pushed her worry aside as he drew an opening rune on the Faerie's chains. A sharp sound escaped from the mechanism as the chains opened. The Faerie didn't move, still in shock.
"Why did the demon imprison you?" asked Kaela, her tone as gentle as before. But no verbal answer came; just a long, frighted stare. Then, everything became black. Kaela instinctively held out her hand to reach for Peter, and as she turned to face him, suddenly the darkness evanesced and left them surrounded by trees and water. Kaela had just the time to take in the sounds of nature that, as swift as it appeared, the forest dissolved around her. Kaela blinked, she and Peter where back in the room, the Faerie nowhere to be seen. It was Peter who moved first, gently touching Kaela’s hand as she sat motionless on the floor. The last time she had seen a court Faerie was when she was seven. Her mother had been screaming to her then, as they dragged her away from her child. Kaela felt Peter’s fingers close around her own, his gaze brushing on her face as gentle as his touch.
“Let’s go, Kai. It’s not safe here,” he whispered. Then he helped her get up and guided her outside. Kaela took a deep breath, York’s humid air filling her lungs. As Peter guided her through the streets, her eyes were fixed on the dark clouds hovering above the sky and leaving no space for the sunlight to shine through. The weather had suddenly become grim. Kaela felt the thick air fizzing with the electricity, a premonition of the thunderstorm approaching. Peter turned towards her as the first drops of water started falling from the sky. Kaela smiled at him and started running. The rain began to fall hard and she and Peter speeded through the streets of York to try to get back to the Institute as fast as possible. They passed through The Shambles, now empty, and the sky broke with thunder. Kaela stopped, panting. She was soaking wet; the water made her gear stick to her body and it weighed her down. Peter stopped as well and looked at her with his head slightly tilted to one side. He didn’t look at all bothered by the run. Even if Kaela trained every day and was fast, Peter was a Shadowhunter, so no matter what he would always be faster. She glanced at her arm and saw that the Alliance rune had faded.
I need a break.
Peter nodded and pointed at a sheltered nook in the building next to them. Kaela followed, the rain still falling cold against her skin. They leaned against the wall and looked at each other.
“What was that?” asked Peter.
Kaela shook her head. “I have no idea, Pete. But it was strange. By the way, did you recognize what demon it was?”
Peter shook his head. “Never seen anything like it.” He stared through the rain, deep in thought. “Whatever it was, demons are not intelligent enough to tie… people up like that.”
Kaela stiffened as Peter spoke and she gave Peter a sideway glace to check if he had noticed, but his gaze was still hovering unfocused on the street in front of them. The rain had started to fall lighter, Kaela squinted at the sky as the clouds scattered, leaving the pale sunlight hit the wet cobbles and creating the illusion that flickering diamonds hid between the cracks of the stones. The sun shined through the gentle drops of rain making it seem that sparkles of light were falling from the sky. Kaela turned towards Peter and caught him looking at her, thoughtfulness covering his eyes as a veil.
“Let’s go,” Peter said, taking her hands in his and intertwining their fingers together to steady the grip. She knew that look on Peter’s face. It was the look that appeared when he was going over some event and analysing it as deeply and thoroughly as possible. It was one of the things Kaela loved the most about him: Peter had a very introspective nature and was always on the search of the deeper meaning of something. The encounter with the Faerie had sparked something within her, and Peter knew her too well not to notice.
“We need to go back to the Institute and tell Sabina what happened, she will be able to give us a logical explanation, as always,” he said, and turned to walk out under the soft rain. But Kaela didn’t follow, so as Peter moved his steady grip tensed, and he sprung back.
“I think we should go back there,” she said.
Peter’s eyes widened, but more than with surprise they were holding her gaze with worry.
Kaela set free of his fingers and placed her hands on Peter’s shoulders. “By the time we get back to the Institute and ask Sabina for advice the person behind the kidnapping is likely to have stripped the place of any clues.”
Peter didn’t look at all convinced.
“Please, Pete. I can’t just stand here and do nothing.”
Kaela new that the feeling of uselessness was something Peter could empathize with. Peter’s family, the Starkweathers, was an ancient one, and usually original Shadowhunter families were the most powerful ones too. However, throughout history many members of the family had been famously involved in dark and evil activities and so now the Starkweather name was permanently tied to the tragic events that these members were responsible for. For this reason, the Clave had very little esteem for them and, as the branch living in York was the last one surviving, the Clave had therefore put it under strict prohibition, especially after it was discovered that a distant cousin of Kenneth had been collaborating with Valentine Morgenstern. The Starkweathers had always lived as exiles and the Clave still maintained firm control on their freedom, no matter how little the interest it actually showed for them. It had always pained Peter to be disregarded so by the Clave. He was a fine warrior, but still he wasn’t allowed to be a proper Shadowhunter due to the historical heritage his last name carried.
Peter rested his hands on top of Kaela’s, that still laid on his shoulders. “Fine. But first let me draw the Alliance rune on you again. I can see half of it fading.”
Kaela pulled up her sleeve and exposed the pale skin on her forearm were the other half of the rune had been covered by the gear. Peter loosened his shoulders and took out the stele from his pocket, drawing the rune over the lines of the one had just faded. He then passed his stele to Kaela and she did the same. The odd thing about the Alliance rune was that Kaela felt it didn’t help much. She felt her muscles becoming stronger, her resistance growing, but on the other hand Peter did not seem to get any real benefits from it. Still, they had been using it for years to fight as a team, and even if its effects were dubious, there was still something empowering about the idea of sharing a rune. Kaela felt new energy flow through her bones and looked up at Peter, giving him a mischievous grin. Then, she started running.
Catch me if you can.
Kaela knew she couldn’t outrun Peter, but she had learned to use her thin build to her advantage. Kaela felt Peter’s steps getting louder behind her, so she turned through a narrow alley, just wide enough to fit the length of her shoulders. An irritated grunt echoed against the walls of the alley and Kaela smiled, the rune on her arm burning like fire on her skin. When she arrived at the end of the alley, Kaela turned again, and this time there weren’t any footsteps following the sound of her own. She got on her stomach and crawled through a low archway that cut the way to another street, closer to her destination. A map in her head guided her movements, she had earlier gathered the memory from Peter’s thoughts so her own sense of direction didn’t disadvantage her during the race. When they shared an Alliance rune, it was easier for Kaela to have access to Peter’s thoughts and somehow borrow them for a short period of time. Of course, the thoughts weren’t hers, so they didn’t stick to her memory as her own would normally do. But in moments like this, having access to Peter’s mind was very useful. Kaela stood up and started running again, turned left, and then found herself in the little square where the rusty iron door stood half open. Kaela stopped abruptly. She rested her hands on her knees, panting, her eyes fixed on the dark space hiding behind the slightly open door. A strange feeling stretched inside her body, as if her organs were tied together with a string that was now being tucked, pulling her towards the door. Kaela grabbed the scythe hanging from her back and wrapped her fingers around the stake, her knuckles whitening. Her mind was foggy, only one clear idea floated in the mist that were her thoughts. Go in. She stepped inside, her senses lighting up in as a jarring off-key melody. Kaela’s eyes rapidly got used the dim light, as they always did. The room was as they had left it. Broken pieces of furniture carved out of mahogany laid scattered on the floor, as if someone had violently bumped into them. The ceiling was made of dark wooden beams, swollen with humidity. Kaela walked attentively towards the spot behind the pillar where the Faerie had been. The chains were still hanging from a metal pole that lined the stone wall. Kaela kneeled on the floor, just where she had earlier. Her eyes studied the parquet, there was fresh blood covering it. Blood so dark it could’ve been mistaken for ichor. But the smell was bittersweet, the same her own blood gave out whenever she cut herself. Kaela noticed there was something on the floor, it’s shape hardly visible under the layer of thick red fluid that gathered in a sinister puddle. She let her fingers reach for the object, and fished it out of the sticky puddle. Her thumb glided across the object to clear it of the blood and expose its surface. A choked gasped escaped Kaela’s lips as she recognized the shape. Her eyes were fixed on the object with incredulous horror. Her shock was so strong that her ears started striding and she didn’t hear the steps of someone walking up behind her. Suddenly, a flash of light illuminated the room, and Kaela’s head turned in alarm. Standing in the middle of the room was Peter, witchlight in his hand and a tensed look spread across his face, made disturbing by the cold light casted from the stone. Peter opened his mouth to say something, bit then his eyes were caught by something behind Kaela. She turned. And for the first time Kaela noticed that the walls of the room were not made at all of stone. Instead, they were smooth and covered in elaborate symbols that Kaela had never seen before. Intricate lines and curves bended together in sharp looking figures. The wall in front of her was engraved with these symbols from top to bottom, Kaela turned slowly around and saw that every wall in the room was equally covered. She then took a step back and looked down. The floor also had symbols the same written all over. Kaela started walking backwards, her hands clutching the object with force, the blood that covered it leaving droplets on the floor as it escaped her grip and flowed down her palm. Kaela bumped into Peter, her eyes still fixed in the symbols unravelling under her feet. Peter took her by the arms and turned her so she was facing him.
“I tried to call out for you. Your mind was blocked.”
Kaela shook her head violently. “Peter. This was a bad idea. We have to go.” She grabbed his hand and guided him out the door.
Kai- wait.
But Kaela didn’t listen. This wasn’t right. There weren’t experienced enough to deal with such matters. Peter tried to force Kaela to stop, but she moved with a determination that convinced him to follow her. Kaela had too many complex emotions storming up inside her and wasn’t able to pin any of them down. She needed time to sort them out, and now was not a convenient one, so all she did was shove them somewhere in the back of her mind and concentrate on the stone street spreading underneath her feet. Kaela kept walking. She needed to get Peter safe as soon as possible. The Institute was the only place.
Kai-
Kaela turned, she looked into Peter’s eyes. Something clicked inside her. “We are going back to the Institute. Do you understand?”
Peter’s expression became blank for a split second. Then he only nodded, following her as the sun began to lower itself beyond the mediaeval buildings of York.
Kaela got distracted. It was a lovely autumn morning. The sky was clear and a blue so intense it could easily be mistaken as the Mediterranean Sea. And she loved the colour of the water gliding against the Italian Riviera. For the past ten years she and her family had visited Italy every summer. Mostly because Sabina had grown up in Rome and always said that if you grew up knowing the wonders of the Italian land it was impossible to live without them. And so her mind drifted to those warm summer days, the sky stretching above her in an endless cobalt blue and the sand gently pressing against her body. She thought about the sea, the salty air sticking onto her skin, the distant chirping of seagulls cradling her to sleep.
Kaela? Stop getting distracted.
An invasive voice popped abruptly in her head making her snap back to reality just in time to dodge a tall man dressed up as a Viking walking straight into her. Kaela instinctively turned her head around and searched the crowd for the source of the voice. She sighed, the ashy dark blonde set of hair she was looking for was nowhere to be seen. However, glancing around made her notice that the amount of people around her had worryingly doubled. Kaela was now walking through The Shambles, a narrow street in York skirted by mediaeval buildings and currently swarmed with families and tourists, giving one only little space to move. Kaela didn’t enjoy being surrounded by people, so she started searching the crowd with determination as panic started growing inside her stomach.
Peter? Even in her head she heard her voice dropping in a pleading tone.
I'm coming to get you.
People had started to bump into her to pass through. Kaela felt stuck. She tried to move away but her body didn't respond to any of her brain's commands. At this point all her senses had started to shut off and on so quickly that all she could feel was panic, panic, panic. Suddenly, what felt like a hand gently wrapped around her wrist and started pulling her away from the crowd. After a moment everyone was gone, and she stood in a side street alone with a young man helping her stay up.
"Thanks, Peter."
Kaela couldn't quite see him, but she felt his worry tickling the back of her mind.
"I'm fine, really. If it weren't for you, I would've fainted in the middle of the street and died," she said, stressing her tone to add a dramatic effect.
The uncomfortable tickling in the back of her mind stopped. She turned around so she could see Peter's face properly. He was smiling at her. A pure, genuine smile. He looked like a chilly summer day, with his ashy blonde hair and those soft green eyes. Actually, everything about him was soft. His colours were perfectly blurred together. They reminded her of that painting of Monet’s she had once seen in a museum in London, The Beach at Trouville: calm, reassuring, airy. Sometimes she just needed to look at him to feel better. Peter was the son of her adoptive father. He, as all the members of her family, was a Shadowhunter. Kaela had always envied them in some way. Shadowhunters endured through trauma and loss in a way that she herself would never be able to do. They were strong, resilient, brave. Probably their impeccable mental health was due to the angelic blood flowing through their veins, but still Kaela found herself hoping she could face problems with their same dutifulness; instead most of the time her mind was her greatest enemy. She had always felt very intensely and got stuck in certain trains of thought, so she believed that panic and anxiety were only a consequence of her unusually strong emotions. However, only Peter knew about Kaela’s struggles, most of the time she pushed all her negative energy aside and put up a neutral face. Peter was the person Kaela cared for the most in her life. They had been inseparable since the first time they met, when Kaela was only eight. She had arrived at the York Institute with no family and no prospects and was welcomed by Sabina and her husband Kenneth with open arms. They had a child together, Beatrice, she was a year younger than Kaela and the fiercest girl she’d ever encountered. Kenneth also had two children from a previous marriage, Jason, a couple of years older than Kaela, and Peter. Jason had mostly ignored her in the past ten years, speaking only when necessary and never to her directly. Peter instead had been friendly from the very beginning. Kaela never understood how they grew so close. Family bonds can always be very strong, but what she had with Peter was different; she felt as if they shared one soul in two bodies.
"You know Kai, I can feel that you're thinking about me".
It tickles, he added.
"Ugh."
Kaela leaned against Peter’s arms. She closed her eyes and the sunlight shone through her eyelids in vibrant spots of red. Kaela started feeling the air filling her lungs again. She took one deep breath, and then broke free of Peter’s embrace.
“Is there a way to get there avoiding the crowd?” she asked Peter, not bothering to hide the high pitch in her tone.
Peter nodded and got up, giving Kaela one last attentive look before leaving her alone against the wall. She steadied herself up and followed him as he turned right through a tiny street. Some time passed before Peter slowed his step, Kaela new that meant they were nearly there, and she started to feel a strange mix of anxiety and excitement. The memory of the crowd gathering around her was already fading to leave space for the crackling energy and concentration needed in battle. They turned again and a small door appeared in front of them. It was made of iron and was completely covered by rust, it looked out of place, surrounded by all those mediaeval houses made of stone and wood. Kaela flinched a little, the iron made her skin tighten.
Peter turned towards her. Ready?
You bet, she smirked at him.
Peter pushed the door slightly and it opened. At first Kaela could only see black, but her sight got quickly used to the light difference. Everything was now as clear as day. She knew her vision was better than Peter’s, so she walked past him to give a better look at the room. It seemed empty, but she could feel something moving the air around her. But, around her where? She closed her eyes and focused, breaching for that sticky energy she felt every time a demon was near.
On your left.
Peter moved in response, and a low growling sound rustled from the corner of the room, its source hidden behind a thick wooden pillar. Kaela and Peter were now standing back to back, their muscles tense and reactive. Another sound echoed in the dark. Then a sudden movement followed, and a shadow-shaped figure jumped from its hiding den and leaped towards her. Kaela ducked as Peter turned around and swung his seraph blade where her head had been only seconds ago, hitting the creature with an unpleasant quaggy noise. Kaela had rolled herself on the floor and stood up, now a couple of meters away from Peter. She watched as the demon screeched and tumbled a few steps back, only to start charging at Peter again as if nothing had happened. Kaela drew out a war scythe from the cover hanging behind her back and sprinted at the demon. She was not very good at full contact combat, but thanks to the Alliance rune burning on her forearm her abilities were at peak. The scythe was longer than a normal knife and allowed Kaela to keep some distance from the demon as she slid behind its back and stook the blade above its hip. The sudden attack made the demon stutter, just enough for Peter to free himself from the creature's clutch. Now that the demon was facing Kaela, she realised how human it looked. Its body had the same shape as hers, only taller and broader. But still, it felt odd fighting against something that didn't look much different than yourself.
Watch your right, said Peter.
Kaela spun back as he charged the creature, jumped on its shoulders, and swept the blade from one side of its neck to the other. The demon's head rustled on the floor and, after a moment of stillness, its body disappeared, leaving Peter mid-air. He reacted fast enough to ease his fall by ending it with a roll on the ground, and rapidly got up to run towards Kaela.
"Kai? You alright?"
But Kaela didn't answer. She had suddenly become aware of someone else's presence in the room. The feeling she had felt earlier had not disappeared with the demon. Slowly, Kaela made her way to the angle of the room where the demon had hidden. When her sight was not obstructed by the wooden pillar anymore, her heart skipped. Chained up against the wall was a Faerie. Her skin pale and bruised, dark blood tangled her long red hair and most of her body was covered in dried ichor. Kaela took a step forward and threw herself on the floor next to the Faerie. Her eyes were closed, and her shoulders looked fragile and stood in a way that made them seem lifeless. As Kaela lifted her hand to touch them, the Faerie opened her eyes. They were as blue as the night sky. Kaela startled, but didn't move. The Faerie was now looking at her with wide eyes, panic pouring out of her dilated pupils. Something about those eyes sparked a feeling of recognition in Kaela, but she quickly dismissed it.
"It's okay...," Kaela told her, in a soft hushed tone. "We're here to free you".
The Faerie seemed to realize just now Peter's figure standing behind Kaela, only partly hidden in the shadows. Her eyes widened even more.
Peter, see if you can get rid of her chains.
Peter stepped forward, but hesitated. What if she attacks us?
So, Kaela chucked her hair behind her ears, revealing the slight point that characterized her species. The Faerie's eyes drifted to the ears, and Kaela thought she saw her shoulders slightly relax. Peter was leaning now on his knees next to her, taking out his steel. Kai noticed a bloody cut on his forearm, but she pushed her worry aside as he drew an opening rune on the Faerie's chains. A sharp sound escaped from the mechanism as the chains opened. The Faerie didn't move, still in shock.
"Why did the demon imprison you?" asked Kaela, her tone as gentle as before. But no verbal answer came; just a long, frighted stare. Then, everything became black. Kaela instinctively held out her hand to reach for Peter, and as she turned to face him, suddenly the darkness evanesced and left them surrounded by trees and water. Kaela had just the time to take in the sounds of nature that, as swift as it appeared, the forest dissolved around her. Kaela blinked, she and Peter where back in the room, the Faerie nowhere to be seen. It was Peter who moved first, gently touching Kaela’s hand as she sat motionless on the floor. The last time she had seen a court Faerie was when she was seven. Her mother had been screaming to her then, as they dragged her away from her child. Kaela felt Peter’s fingers close around her own, his gaze brushing on her face as gentle as his touch.
“Let’s go, Kai. It’s not safe here,” he whispered. Then he helped her get up and guided her outside. Kaela took a deep breath, York’s humid air filling her lungs. As Peter guided her through the streets, her eyes were fixed on the dark clouds hovering above the sky and leaving no space for the sunlight to shine through. The weather had suddenly become grim. Kaela felt the thick air fizzing with the electricity, a premonition of the thunderstorm approaching. Peter turned towards her as the first drops of water started falling from the sky. Kaela smiled at him and started running. The rain began to fall hard and she and Peter speeded through the streets of York to try to get back to the Institute as fast as possible. They passed through The Shambles, now empty, and the sky broke with thunder. Kaela stopped, panting. She was soaking wet; the water made her gear stick to her body and it weighed her down. Peter stopped as well and looked at her with his head slightly tilted to one side. He didn’t look at all bothered by the run. Even if Kaela trained every day and was fast, Peter was a Shadowhunter, so no matter what he would always be faster. She glanced at her arm and saw that the Alliance rune had faded.
I need a break.
Peter nodded and pointed at a sheltered nook in the building next to them. Kaela followed, the rain still falling cold against her skin. They leaned against the wall and looked at each other.
“What was that?” asked Peter.
Kaela shook her head. “I have no idea, Pete. But it was strange. By the way, did you recognize what demon it was?”
Peter shook his head. “Never seen anything like it.” He stared through the rain, deep in thought. “Whatever it was, demons are not intelligent enough to tie… people up like that.”
Kaela stiffened as Peter spoke and she gave Peter a sideway glace to check if he had noticed, but his gaze was still hovering unfocused on the street in front of them. The rain had started to fall lighter, Kaela squinted at the sky as the clouds scattered, leaving the pale sunlight hit the wet cobbles and creating the illusion that flickering diamonds hid between the cracks of the stones. The sun shined through the gentle drops of rain making it seem that sparkles of light were falling from the sky. Kaela turned towards Peter and caught him looking at her, thoughtfulness covering his eyes as a veil.
“Let’s go,” Peter said, taking her hands in his and intertwining their fingers together to steady the grip. She knew that look on Peter’s face. It was the look that appeared when he was going over some event and analysing it as deeply and thoroughly as possible. It was one of the things Kaela loved the most about him: Peter had a very introspective nature and was always on the search of the deeper meaning of something. The encounter with the Faerie had sparked something within her, and Peter knew her too well not to notice.
“We need to go back to the Institute and tell Sabina what happened, she will be able to give us a logical explanation, as always,” he said, and turned to walk out under the soft rain. But Kaela didn’t follow, so as Peter moved his steady grip tensed, and he sprung back.
“I think we should go back there,” she said.
Peter’s eyes widened, but more than with surprise they were holding her gaze with worry.
Kaela set free of his fingers and placed her hands on Peter’s shoulders. “By the time we get back to the Institute and ask Sabina for advice the person behind the kidnapping is likely to have stripped the place of any clues.”
Peter didn’t look at all convinced.
“Please, Pete. I can’t just stand here and do nothing.”
Kaela new that the feeling of uselessness was something Peter could empathize with. Peter’s family, the Starkweathers, was an ancient one, and usually original Shadowhunter families were the most powerful ones too. However, throughout history many members of the family had been famously involved in dark and evil activities and so now the Starkweather name was permanently tied to the tragic events that these members were responsible for. For this reason, the Clave had very little esteem for them and, as the branch living in York was the last one surviving, the Clave had therefore put it under strict prohibition, especially after it was discovered that a distant cousin of Kenneth had been collaborating with Valentine Morgenstern. The Starkweathers had always lived as exiles and the Clave still maintained firm control on their freedom, no matter how little the interest it actually showed for them. It had always pained Peter to be disregarded so by the Clave. He was a fine warrior, but still he wasn’t allowed to be a proper Shadowhunter due to the historical heritage his last name carried.
Peter rested his hands on top of Kaela’s, that still laid on his shoulders. “Fine. But first let me draw the Alliance rune on you again. I can see half of it fading.”
Kaela pulled up her sleeve and exposed the pale skin on her forearm were the other half of the rune had been covered by the gear. Peter loosened his shoulders and took out the stele from his pocket, drawing the rune over the lines of the one had just faded. He then passed his stele to Kaela and she did the same. The odd thing about the Alliance rune was that Kaela felt it didn’t help much. She felt her muscles becoming stronger, her resistance growing, but on the other hand Peter did not seem to get any real benefits from it. Still, they had been using it for years to fight as a team, and even if its effects were dubious, there was still something empowering about the idea of sharing a rune. Kaela felt new energy flow through her bones and looked up at Peter, giving him a mischievous grin. Then, she started running.
Catch me if you can.
Kaela knew she couldn’t outrun Peter, but she had learned to use her thin build to her advantage. Kaela felt Peter’s steps getting louder behind her, so she turned through a narrow alley, just wide enough to fit the length of her shoulders. An irritated grunt echoed against the walls of the alley and Kaela smiled, the rune on her arm burning like fire on her skin. When she arrived at the end of the alley, Kaela turned again, and this time there weren’t any footsteps following the sound of her own. She got on her stomach and crawled through a low archway that cut the way to another street, closer to her destination. A map in her head guided her movements, she had earlier gathered the memory from Peter’s thoughts so her own sense of direction didn’t disadvantage her during the race. When they shared an Alliance rune, it was easier for Kaela to have access to Peter’s thoughts and somehow borrow them for a short period of time. Of course, the thoughts weren’t hers, so they didn’t stick to her memory as her own would normally do. But in moments like this, having access to Peter’s mind was very useful. Kaela stood up and started running again, turned left, and then found herself in the little square where the rusty iron door stood half open. Kaela stopped abruptly. She rested her hands on her knees, panting, her eyes fixed on the dark space hiding behind the slightly open door. A strange feeling stretched inside her body, as if her organs were tied together with a string that was now being tucked, pulling her towards the door. Kaela grabbed the scythe hanging from her back and wrapped her fingers around the stake, her knuckles whitening. Her mind was foggy, only one clear idea floated in the mist that were her thoughts. Go in. She stepped inside, her senses lighting up in as a jarring off-key melody. Kaela’s eyes rapidly got used the dim light, as they always did. The room was as they had left it. Broken pieces of furniture carved out of mahogany laid scattered on the floor, as if someone had violently bumped into them. The ceiling was made of dark wooden beams, swollen with humidity. Kaela walked attentively towards the spot behind the pillar where the Faerie had been. The chains were still hanging from a metal pole that lined the stone wall. Kaela kneeled on the floor, just where she had earlier. Her eyes studied the parquet, there was fresh blood covering it. Blood so dark it could’ve been mistaken for ichor. But the smell was bittersweet, the same her own blood gave out whenever she cut herself. Kaela noticed there was something on the floor, it’s shape hardly visible under the layer of thick red fluid that gathered in a sinister puddle. She let her fingers reach for the object, and fished it out of the sticky puddle. Her thumb glided across the object to clear it of the blood and expose its surface. A choked gasped escaped Kaela’s lips as she recognized the shape. Her eyes were fixed on the object with incredulous horror. Her shock was so strong that her ears started striding and she didn’t hear the steps of someone walking up behind her. Suddenly, a flash of light illuminated the room, and Kaela’s head turned in alarm. Standing in the middle of the room was Peter, witchlight in his hand and a tensed look spread across his face, made disturbing by the cold light casted from the stone. Peter opened his mouth to say something, bit then his eyes were caught by something behind Kaela. She turned. And for the first time Kaela noticed that the walls of the room were not made at all of stone. Instead, they were smooth and covered in elaborate symbols that Kaela had never seen before. Intricate lines and curves bended together in sharp looking figures. The wall in front of her was engraved with these symbols from top to bottom, Kaela turned slowly around and saw that every wall in the room was equally covered. She then took a step back and looked down. The floor also had symbols the same written all over. Kaela started walking backwards, her hands clutching the object with force, the blood that covered it leaving droplets on the floor as it escaped her grip and flowed down her palm. Kaela bumped into Peter, her eyes still fixed in the symbols unravelling under her feet. Peter took her by the arms and turned her so she was facing him.
“I tried to call out for you. Your mind was blocked.”
Kaela shook her head violently. “Peter. This was a bad idea. We have to go.” She grabbed his hand and guided him out the door.
Kai- wait.
But Kaela didn’t listen. This wasn’t right. There weren’t experienced enough to deal with such matters. Peter tried to force Kaela to stop, but she moved with a determination that convinced him to follow her. Kaela had too many complex emotions storming up inside her and wasn’t able to pin any of them down. She needed time to sort them out, and now was not a convenient one, so all she did was shove them somewhere in the back of her mind and concentrate on the stone street spreading underneath her feet. Kaela kept walking. She needed to get Peter safe as soon as possible. The Institute was the only place.
Kai-
Kaela turned, she looked into Peter’s eyes. Something clicked inside her. “We are going back to the Institute. Do you understand?”
Peter’s expression became blank for a split second. Then he only nodded, following her as the sun began to lower itself beyond the mediaeval buildings of York.