Distractions - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Everest laid on the training room floor with her right arm behind her head, her left tapping along with the beat Alec created as he trained. Izzy was pacing angrily, though Everest couldn't blame her.
"She calls Meliorn in and arrests him, then acts like it's all out of her hands," the girl ranted.
"You're going to hurt yourself," said Everest softly, pointing at Alec.
"I'm fine, Everest. It was the Clave that gave the order, not Lydia," Alec told his sister, knocking his arm against the punching bag. He hissed in pain and Everest winced. That looked like it hurt.
"Are you sure about that?" Izzy snarked. Alec rolled his eyes.
Footsteps thundered towards the three and Everest rolled onto her side to see Jace running towards them, more concerned than Everest had ever seen him.
"Hey, you all right?" the blonde asked.
"I'm fine," Alec huffed. Everest smiled a little. He was probably annoyed that people kept asking him that; Everest knew the feeling.
"I just spoke to Robert and Maryse," Jace continued. "They're being sent back to Idris."
Everest shot to her feet. "What?" she and Izzy exclaimed at the same time.
"Yeah." Jace looked dejected.
"Another "order" from Lydia?" Izzy asked mockingly. Alec averted his gaze.
Jace looked between the girls, wanting answers. "Who's Lydia?"
"She's in charge of the Institute," Everest answered vaguely. She leaned on Izzy's shoulder, her fingers tracing the empty spot on the other girl's wrist. She smiled faintly at the memory that surfaced.
"She's what?" Jace snapped, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.
"Temporarily," Alec corrected.
"And now she's convinced the Clave that Mom and Dad aren't doing their job?" Izzy demanded. Everest applied more pressure to where she was tracing in an offer of comfort. Izzy's lips quirked the slightest bit; her attempt at comforting the other girl was working—at least a little.
"Maybe they aren't. The Institute was under their control when the Forsaken got in." Everest's brows furrowed at Alec's words. What was he saying?
"What are you talking about?"
"Mom and Dad were members of the Circle," Alec snapped. The three gasped.
"What? They don't have Circle runes," Izzy protested. Everest felt as if she shouldn't be there—she shouldn't be involved in the Lightwood's family matters.
"That's because they made a deal with the Clave prior to the Uprising." Everest didn't know what that was, but it sounded bad. "In exchange for their cooperation they were pardoned."
"You're questioning their loyalty?" Izzy demanded.
"Valentine is back. The Circle is rising. They're under suspicion." Alec looked slightly pained as he spoke.
"No way," Jace said. "Robert and Maryse took me in. They raised me as one of their own. I know what kind of people they are."
Everest ignored Alec's words, focusing more on his hurt tone. He wasn't angry with what his parents had done, she realized. He was angry with the way they lied and acted because of their actions.
Izzy's finger tapped four times on the back of Everest's hand, signaling that she needed to pay attention. Everest lifted her gaze from the floor and saw Lydia Branwell, the frustrating and—oh how Everest loathed to even think this—kind of hot woman in a two-piece set, though she had a new jacket on. Everest's eyes narrowed at the smug look that resided in the woman's eyes and the slightly guilty look on Alec's face.
"No, not her," Everest muttered. Izzy and Jace both hid smiles.
"You must be Jace Wayland. Lydia Branwell. You're quite the legend back in Idris." She held out her hand for Jace to shake, but he ignored it. Everest was proud of him.
"Don't believe everything you hear," the blonde snapped.
Lydia turned to Alec, her smile growing. "Did you tell them?" Alec's guilty look grew.
"Tell us what?" Izzy and Everest demanded.
Alec hesitated, but only for a moment. "Lydia and I are engaged."
"We're getting married," Lydia declared. Everest inhaled sharply, Izzy's eyes shone with hurt and anger, and Jace looked ready to explode.
"That's what being engaged means," snarked Everest, though the blonde woman took no notice.
"You're not serious."
"You were supposed to tell them no!" Izzy exclaimed. Everest was quickly realizing that Izzy's eyes weren't just shining with hurt and anger, but tears as well.
She moved her hand to grip the raven haired girl's tightly, Izzy returning the hold with an almost painful grip. Everest didn't miss the way Alec stared at the girls' intertwined hands or the way Lydia raised her eyebrow at the way the two were practically clinging to each other.
"This isn't what I meant when I told you what I did," Everest told Alec, avoiding his gaze. "Not at all."
"It's your life to ruin," Izzy snapped angrily.
Izzy pulled the girl from the training room, her heels clicking as Everest slid along behind her in her fuzzy socks. Izzy pulled her to her room and slammed the door behind them. Everest pulled the girl into a hug without hesitation. They clung to each other as they cried, though for different reasons. Their sobs were silent, and not just because the rooms were soundproof when shut properly. It was because neither of them could handle the exhaustion and backlash of breaking down fully, which was what them sobbing loudly would represent.
Soon Izzy fell asleep in the shorter girl's arms. Everest tucked Izzy into her bed, scribbled a note on the back of an invitation, and left the messy room, dialing a number on her phone.
"Everest? What's up?" Gino asked as he answered the call.
"I—meet me at the clearing." Everest hated how her voice cracked.
There was a pause and then, "Alright. I'll bring Skittles and coffee. Be there in ten."
"Thanks."
"Anytime. See you soon."
"Bye."
Everest grabbed her bag and slunk through the Institute, a pair of slip-ons now covering her feet. She left the building and took off. She ignored how her gun rubbed irritatingly against her hip and how she got strange looks from those she passed. Her tear-streaked face and messy hair likely gave them the wrong conclusion, but she didn't care. All she cared about was getting to the clearing where she and her friends had always met when they were having a bad day.
She shoved past the branches and plants, panting slightly as she made it to the clearing. Gino was already there.
"Oh sweetie," he muttered as he pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, you can shatter now. I'm here, nobody else will see you shatter."
Everest let herself break—shatter as her friends called it. She was all alone with only Gino there and she knew he wouldn't judge her. After all, they were the person the other could be broken with. When Gino broke under the strain of his life, she was there and let him break. When Everest shattered under the weight of her world and everything else, he was there and let her shatter. That was one of the best parts of their friendship, at least in Everest's opinion.
She cried and muttered things about how stupid people were, how angry she was, about anything and everything that had happened and that she had kept bottled up. It was nearly twenty minutes before she and Gino sat down on the grass.
The boy handed her a large mug of coffee and a bag of Skittles. She smiled weakly at him.
"What shattered you?" her friend asked, taking a sip of his own coffee.
"Alec and Lydia are getting married," she deadpanned.
"Who?"
Everest chuckled despite the situation. "Alec is tall archer and Lydia is the Clave lady who arrested your brother." She muttered something more under her breath, causing Gino to lean forward with a teasing smile.
"What was that?"
Everest muttered the words again.
"Still can't hear you," he said in a sing-song voice.
"I said she has no right to look as good as she does," Everest admitted. Gino smirked and took a long sip of his coffee. Everest rolled her eyes.
"It doesn't matter. She's a bitch and I don't like her. At all or like that."
"Then why does her and Alec getting married bother you so much?" he asked. Everest looked away and Gino gasped as the realization hit him. "You like Alec."
"And Magnus," she muttered. Gino stared at her.
"Magnus? Magnus Bane?" Everest nodded. "Shit Everest. I'm starting to think your type is everything."
"I'm Pan," she deadpanned.
He rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes I know. But a brooding archer of a Shadowhunter that's Raven's brother? And Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn and glitter tornado? Not exactly my first picks, but you do you sweetie."
"I will," she retorted, though both knew that she wouldn't act on her feelings for either of the men. Everest got too self conscious and anxious to do that.
"I'm sorry for not telling you," Gino said softly. He didn't have to clarify what he was talking about, Everest already knew.
"It's alright. It's not like you could have just said 'hey Everest. Just so you know, I'm a Seelie, something that you don't know is real,'" she said, pitching her voice lower in a bad imitation of Gino.
"One, I don't sound like that. Two, you're right. Three, I'm still sorry."
Everest gave the boy a small smile and a side-hug. "It's alright."
There was rustling near the entrance to the clearing and Everest eyed it warily. She relaxed, though, when Magnus Bane appeared in the clearing.
"Magnus?" she asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?"
"Isabelle sent me," he told her, eying the mascara smudges and tear streaks across her face. "She asked me to find you and make sure you're alright and take you back to my place so that the Clave can't claim any fouls against you."
Everest sighed and gave Gino an apologetic look, which he waved off. "It's fine. Go with the glitter tornado. I have to go figure out how to get my brother a lawyer anyway."
Everest hugged Gino goodbye, grabbed her coffee and the empty Skittles bag, and followed after Magnus. He opened a swirling purple Portal and gestured for her to go through it.
"After you Cupcake."
"Where does it go?" she asked, once more resisting the urge to poke the swirling mass.
"My apartment," he smiled reassuringly. "I can go with you if you'd like?"
She nodded and, still slightly overwhelmed from her earlier breakdown, hardly reacted as Magnus grabbed her hand and pulled her through the Portal.
She stumbled as she landed and would have fallen over if Magnus hadn't grabbed her waist and stopped her. She gave him a small smile and followed him to the couch. She curled up in a ball as the glittery man sat on the other end of the couch facing her.
"What's wrong, Cupcake?" he asked. He was frowning and his eyes were pinched slightly, showing his concern.
She shrugged. "Sometimes I just wish that life was normal. But not the normal it was before, you know? Like, I wish it was a normal that still had all you guys but not the stupid craziness in this quote unquote normal. Does that make sense at all?"
"It does." She looked up at Magnus, who had a wistful expression on his face. "Sometimes I wish that too, but then I remember that if there was no Shadow World, then it wouldn't be my normal."
Everest hummed slightly. "Yeah, that makes sense. I just wish that this world could come without all the BS. But I guess it wouldn't be this world then, would it?"
Magnus chuckled. "No, I guess it wouldn't."
Everest leaned against the back of the couch and gazed out the window.
"Caw, caw, caw," cried a crow. Seven more joined its call and Everest smiled slightly.
"One for sorrow, two for joy. Three for a girl, four for a boy. Five for silver, six for gold. Seven for a secret never to be told. Eight for a wish, nine for a kiss. Ten for a surprise you'd be careful not to miss," she sang slowly. Her voice was soft and Magnus found himself unable to look away, "Eleven for wealth, twelve for health. Thirteenth beware it's the Devil himself."
"What're you singing?" he asked her. Everest blinked and watched as the crows flew away.
"Oh. It's just a children's rhyme. I saw some crows," she added as an explanation.
"How many?" Magnus looked out the window, searching for the birds.
"They're gone now, but there were eight."
"Your singing's lovely," the man complimented.
Everest blushed. "Thanks," she mumbled.
Magnus's P.O.V.:
Magnus smiled down at the young woman with purple hair. She had fallen asleep a few hours before and had moved in her sleep so that she was leaning against Magnus. He had missed Everest greatly the last few years. He had missed her colorful hair and ever changing style of clothing. He had missed her silly comments and random knowledge. But what he was starting to realize was that he didn't think of her as the cute little kid he babysat sometimes and who's memories he took every few years. No. Now he thought of her as a very pretty woman who he wanted to get to know and spend time with. The little girl with rainbow hair had been replaced by a woman with purple hair and a curious gaze that bored into your soul if you looked too long.
Magnus was starting to realize that he liked Everest as much as he liked Alexander Lightwood—which was maybe more than he should. His smile turned rueful as he moved the young woman so that she was lying down. He stood up and tucked a blanket around her. Magnus wrote a note for her in case she woke before he got back, which he doubted considering how exhausted she was, and left for the coffee shop down the street.
The bell chimed as he entered and he was immediately surrounded by the smell of coffee and the warmth of a roaring fire. He smiled. No wonder Everest liked it here so much.
"Hello, how can I help you?" a brunette woman asked from behind the counter.
Magnus gave her a kind smile as he looked down at his phone which had Everest's order—according to Isabelle—pulled up. "Hello. Could I get an iced coffee with whole milk and a..." he trailed off, trying to make sense of the words on his screen. "Hang on, sorry. I don't know what this means." He gestured to his phone with an odd expression.
The barista laughed. "Here, maybe I can help."
He handed her his phone and watched as her expression fell, replaced by one of suspicion and confusion.
"Who're you ordering this for?" she asked. Magnus pocketed his phone as he hesitated.
"Someone I know, why? Is there a problem?"
"No," she assured him. "'Cept there's only one person I know that orders that."
"Who?" Magnus knew it was probably Everest seeing as Isabelle said that the young woman was a frequent customer here.
"A girl named Everest Fray," the barista said slowly. "Do you know her?"
Magnus nodded, a little relieved that he wouldn't have to explain why he was ordering something that sounded like liquid death. "Yes, she's at my apartment right now, asleep."
The barista's eyebrows shot up but she smirked and began to make the drinks. "Is that so," she mused.
A few minutes later, the woman handed Magnus the drinks. He gave the coffee in the absurdly large mug a strange look. "What exactly is in this one?" he asked, nodding to the large to-go mug.
"That right there is a large cup of coffee with two espresso shots, otherwise known to Everest and Everest only as a Double Red Eye." The woman smirked. "Nobody here knows exactly how she drinks those and lives, but she does."
Magnus nodded as he paid and left the coffee shop. It really was a wonder how Everest was still alive.
Everest was still asleep as he entered his apartment. He placed the drinks on the counter and grabbed a pack of Skittles from his pantry. He hadn't been kidding earlier when he had said that he would get Everest Skittles. He turned around only to see Everest standing right behind him.
He shouted in surprise which in turn made Everest shriek. They both jumped back and landed on the floor. Simultaneously, they burst out laughing at how ridiculous whatever had just happened was.
"I bring you Skittles and coffee," he said as his laughter slowed.
Everest grinned excitedly and said a quick "thank you" before diving for her coffee. (She had finished her other one before she fell asleep.) He smiled at her and they sat in his living room, watching reruns of a children's cartoon until Everest's phone rang.
"Hello?" she asked, still absorbed in watching Lincoln Loud be put in his place by his sisters.
"Purple, get to the Jade Wolf. Now." Jace's urgent voice was loud enough for Magnus to hear and he unashamedly listened in.
"Huh?"
"Get to the Jade Wolf. Clary will be there. Listen to her."
Everest stared down at her phone. "He just hung up on me." She looked up at Magnus. "He really just hung up on me."
Magnus did not laugh. "He sounded serious. Where does the Wayland need you?"
Everest sighed as she pulled on her shoes. "Jade Wolf." She looked up and saw a Portal in front of her.
"Go on. We can finish the show later." Magnus smiled at her. She returned the smile, though she surprised him as she hugged him tightly for a moment.
"See ya Mags," she waved as she stepped through the Portal.
"See you Cupcake." He stared after where she had disappeared. "Stay safe please."
Everest P.O.V:
Everest looked up as three sets of footsteps approached. It was Clary, Luke, and Simon.
"Finally! I was getting bored," she whined.
Clary rolled her eyes. "Come on Everest. We have to get somewhere the Clave won't look for us."
"What? Why?" Everest yelped as Clary began to draw a rune near her elbow. "What's that for?"
"It's to keep you from being tracked," Luke explained. "And the Clave thinks you two are working for Valentine."
Everest stared incredulously at her sister as she tried to comprehend the severity of the words. "What the fucker shit?"
For once Luke didn't chide her for her language. He just pulled her to Simon's van and Clary drove off to who knows where.
"Have you lost your mind Ritz?" Everest exclaimed as the redhead pulled into the backlot of the Hotel Dumort.
"Ev, Raphael is the one person who can help us all right now. Please, just trust me on this one?" Everest sighed but nodded and followed the other three out of the car.
"Have you lost your mind?" Raphael whirled on Clary as she finished explaining the situation. Everest snorted softly. She had said the exact thing five minutes ago. "Two Shadowhunters and a werewolf? You do know this isn't a hotel?"
Everest smiled. "Well..."
"Technically it is," Simon spoke up. At least turning into a vampire hadn't taken away Simon's humor.
"Even starvation can't shut you up," Raphael snarled, his annoyance rolling off of him in waves.
"We just need some place secure until we can figure out a plan," Clary said, pulling out her puppy dog eyes that only ever worked on Luke.
Everest and Raphael rolled their eyes in sync and the girl saw Simon do a double take.
"These people never listen. Don't bother. Let's go." Luke turned away and Everest frowned. That was a little harsh.
"You should put a muzzle on your mutt," advised the vampire. Everest gave him a warning look. That was a little harsh too. "The fledgling and Everest can stay. You aren't exactly welcome after you barbequed half a dozen of my people."
Everest ignored Luke and Simon's expressions.
"Let's go, please. I don't want any part in this," Simon begged.
"Look, there isn't any place else." Clary turned to Raphael who was giving Everest a concerned look. He masked his expression quickly. "You need Simon back, right? To prove Camille broke the Accords. What good will he be if he dies of starvation?"
Everest whirled on Simon. "You haven't fed?" she seethed. She had asked Raphael about what would happen now that Simon was a vampire and he had told her about what would happen if he didn't feed. "Have you got a death wish?"
Simon looked away and Everest threw her hands up in the air. Her friends were idiots. Not Izzy, Izzy was a darling. But her friends were idiots.
Raphael glared at Clary and Simon. "Fine. But the stray waits outside."
"If anything happens to these three," Luke growled, "you won't have to wait till sunrise. I'll kill you myself."
"Easy there Fido." Raphael smirked. "They'll be under my protection."
Everest's nose crinkled as she saw the same gold couches that had been in the room where she had seen Camille for the first time in four years. Raphael placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from walking further, even as Simon and Clary walked into a small seating area with a rather large painting. Everest was confused, but then Raphael pushed a button and a chain link fence trapped the duo in the seating area.
"That's your protection?" Everest asked, somewhat amused that Raphael had stopped her from being trapped in the cage with a starving, desperate fledgling vampire when he so willingly let Clary.
He shrugged, also looking rather amused. "It keeps my people away from them, and them away from my people." He turned to Clary and Simon. "Give a shout when you're hungry. Of course, you have a pretty decent snack right here, no? Silly me, I forgot. You two are such great friends. Or has that changed?"
"Why isn't Everest in here too?" Clary demanded. "Do you not think that we'll be upset if she gets hurt? Because we will."
Raphael rolled his eyes. "My people know not to harm Everest, not if they want to continue existing."
"What do you mean?" Simon asked, his gaze piercing Everest's soul.
"My clan knows that to go against Everest is to go against me. And going against me is an act of war." Raphael left the room but not before he said one last thing.
"Oh, and Escritora? Do let me know if you need anything. I'd be happy to get you whatever I can to make your stay here more comfortable."
Everest rolled her eyes at her brother's antics. He was really trying to get Clary and Simon to snap wasn't he?
Everest put her headphones on as she laid on the couch, content to ignore Clary and Simon until the boy snapped and finally fed. She had no interest in getting involved in whatever spat they were having at the moment.
Chaotic Mess:
How long till he snaps do you think
Nocturnal Bitch:
10 minutes, max
Chaotic Mess:
Sounds about right
Can I have Skittles? Please??? Or coffee??
Nocturnal Bitch:
I'll bring you some once the fledgling has snapped
Chaotic Mess:
Okay...
Everest glanced at Simon who was really struggling and silently wished that he would snap soon.
"Raphael!" he shouted. She heard him even over her noise cancelling headphones. She flinched at the volume but removed her headphones, placing them back in her bag. She sat up and watched as Clary stumbled back in shock.
Raphael walked back into the room with a rather smug look on his face. He approached the cage with a smirk.
"You ready now?"
"Yes. Please!"
Another vampire entered with a tray. Raphael took the tray and dismissed the vampire. As he walked away, Everest was minorly distressed to see that the vampire was someone she knew—Jack Hyde, a boy who was in one of the writing workshops she attended three months back.
Jack disappeared around the corner with a wink in Everest's direction. Raphael glowered at him but handed a tall glass of blood to Simon. Everest looked away.
"It's all about presentation and quality produce," he told them. "You see, us vampires look after one another. We take care of our family, even if they aren't a vampire themselves." Everest gave Raphael a smile as she stood to take the Skittles he offered.
"Muffin too Escritora," he muttered. She raised her eyebrows but took it anyway. Just to make her brother stop giving her an expectant look, she ate the muffin first. He nodded, satisfied.
"Simon has a family," Clary said firmly.
"Had a family. That's all gonna change now. You're a Shadowhunter, he's a vamp. You two will never be equals. You'll have to learn that for yourself." Raphael handed Simon another glass of blood.
Everest stood next to Raphael, out of sight of her sister and friend.
"You won't be equals with him either." Everest looked up at the boy.
"I know that. The whole Shadowhunter and vampire thing, right?"
"Yes. But you've always been superior to him."
Everest smiled, amused at his declaration. "How would you know? You didn't meet Simon until recently."
Raphael rolled his eyes. "You're my sister. That makes you better automatically," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Everest smiled fondly and leaned against her brother. "Thanks Phae. That means a lot. Oh, and you have a growing list of people who want to kill you."
Raphael peered down at her. "What are you talking about Escritora?"
"Well I told some people about you not being dead and now they're all upset with you." She began counting on her fingers as she listed the names. "There's Roslyn, Gino, Sarah, Mark, Brad, Jay, Harper, and probably Dusk who probably also wants to hurt slash kill you," she said, maybe a little too cheerfully as Raphael began to look horrified.
"Shit," he swore. Everest giggled. Raphael smiled as he hugged her close.
"I really missed you Phae," she said softly.
"I missed you too Escritora," he said just as softly.
Jack returned and whispered something in Raphael's ear. He gave the girl another wink—which made her crinkle her nose in disgust—as he left. She really didn't like him. He had made creepy comments during the workshop and had tried to get her number multiple times.
"I will kill him," Raphael glowered. "Get your things. Your friends are here."
Everest grabbed her bag and stood beside Raphael as he released Clary and Simon.
"It appears the cavalry has arrived. You'll want to use the back stairs."
Luke, Jace, and Izzy were waiting for them behind the Dumort. Izzy grabbed Everest's hand tightly and she smiled at the taller girl to assure her she was alright. Clary and Jace were hugging tightly.
"Clace alert," Everest muttered. Izzy didn't even smile.
"Hey. Thank God you're okay. So this is your safe hideout, huh?" Jace asked with the same amount of disbelief as Raphael and Everest had earlier.
"What? You think the Clave was going to look here?" Clary smiled at Jace and Everest bit back a sigh. Great. Her sister was utterly and completely in love with Jace and he with her, while Simon was still pining after Clary. What a mess.
"Can we please focus on the matter at hand? Unless no one here cares that the Clave is planning on murdering Meliorn?" Izzy snapped. Everest rubbed Izzy's wrist soothingly.
"What?" Clary and Simon shouted.
"Yeah, they think Meliorn's been keeping information about Valentine to himself and so they want to kill one of my best friend's brothers," Everest informed the two who looked appalled.
Everest zoned out of the conversation. Her meds had worn off hours ago and she had caught sight of an alley cat prancing around as if it owned the place. Essentially, no chemically induced Dopamine plus an egotistical cat equals a very distracted Everest.
"I'd suggest the vampires, but I doubt they'd cooperate," Simon said, somewhat jokingly.
"As much as I hate to agree with Simon, vamps aren't exactly team players," Jace reminded Clary.
"Let me talk to Raphael. I think I can persuade him." Clary looked at Everest who nodded, recognizing the question in her twin's eyes. "And if I can't persuade him, Everest can."
"What?"
They ignored Luke's question.
...
"We're offering an alliance with the Seelies," Clary announced to Raphael and the group of vampires behind him. Everest held back a groan as she recognized more faces: Lily from her cooking class, Kat from the gun range, David from Camp NaNo, and unfortunately Jack from the writing workshop.
"And the werewolves," Luke said reluctantly.
"Why should we believe you? You killed our people. You violated our home." The vampires behind Raphael snarled at the reminder of what happened nights ago.
"You kidnapped a mundane, remember?" snarked Jace. Everest flicked his ear. Lily and David hid smirks.
"That was me," added Simon.
"Look, you were just following Camille's orders. She violated the Accords. You are a different kind of leader. We are a new generation of Shadowhunters. We believe everyone can be equal. But we have to work together to stop Valentine. And to ensure the Clave doesn't repeat past mistakes. What do you say?" Clary said in her suck-up, ass-kissing voice. It was the one that she used on their mom to get out of being grounded. It usually worked.
"This decision requires a consensus," Raphael drawled. Everest saw the look in his eyes, the look in Lily, Kat, David, and even Jack's eyes, the look that said they were waiting for something they wanted to happen before they agreed to Clary's offer.
"I vote yes," offered Simon.
'Ah,' Everest thought, watching the smirks form on the vampires' faces. 'That's what they were waiting for.'
"Well, well, well. Baby's first words." Raphael smirked.
"Don't make me regret them."
"You won't," Everest told the boy with a smile. "You're not like that Rat Boy. You don't regret saying things like that."
Her friends gave her warning looks at interrupting the vampires' decision making, but the vampires that knew her simply chuckled lowly with smirks plastered across their faces.
"If our newest member pledges his loyalty to his new leader and joins our clan, we'll stand beside you," Raphael told them.
"Simon's not a pawn," Clary snapped.
"Don't move him like a chess piece Raphael," Everest warned her brother, though he took no offence to her warning like many others would have.
"No, I'm not." Simon stepped forward. "But I accept your deal."
"Simon what are you doing?" Clary asked, somewhat helplessly.
"Whatever it takes to protect the Downworld. It's my world now." He shrugged.
Raphael glanced behind him at the nodding vampires. He turned back to Everest and her friends. "Then we're in." He met Everest's eyes and she smiled.
Thanks Phae, she mouthed. He nodded at her.
...
Everest walked between the vampires and werewolves, just behind Clary, Simon, Jace, and Izzy. Her gun was still holstered but her hand rested at her hip, ready to draw her weapon at a moment's notice.
Internally, the girl was freaking out because she had a feeling they looked so badass and she really wished she could play fight scene music, but she'd probably ruin the badassery so she didn't.
"This does not look like the City of Bones," Clary mused.
"This is the Downworlders entrance," Jace said.
"Why does the City of Bones have a service entrance?" Everest asked, slightly distressed at the new knowledge.
"The City of Bones has a service entrance. Perfect!" Clary exclaimed sarcastically.
Luke raised an eyebrow at the purple haired girl. He pointed at her with a mock stern look. "If you ever have any doubt that you two are sisters, I am reminding you of this moment."
"Sure Luke."
"I hope I have better luck here than last time," Simon joked. Everest and Jace each gave him a look. "I'm just saying."
"Everyone knows what to do?" Clary asked the groups. It was silent.
"Text when you're in position," Jace commanded.
Fleetingly, Everest wondered why Jace's hair was slicked back and shiny like an eleven year old Draco Malfoy, but ultimately decided it wasn't important.
Luke and the werewolves started walking but Raphael whistled.
"Stay." Luke stopped moving. "Good dog." Everest gave her brother an annoyed look.
"Not the time," she muttered.
"Bite me," snarled Luke.
"Roll over," prompted Raphael with a smirk.
"Stawwp it," Everest grumbled with a pout.
"Play dead."
"Boom!" Simon gave Luke a fist bump and Everest groaned. Were they actually over 18? Or were they immature brats faking their age? Everest really couldn't tell.
The werewolves and vampires began snarling and hissing at each other. Everest had had enough.
"Hey!" she shouted over the noise. "Cut it out! You're all adults, I think, yet you're acting like children! I swear to you I babysit toddlers more mature than you!"
She gazed around at the people around her. Most were shocked, though Izzy and Jace looked proud. "Our lives are actually at risk here and you lot fighting and acting like brats will not help anything! So cut it out, leave each other alone, deal with each other for the night, and then you can go back to hating each other. Preferably when I'm not in the middle of it all! Thank you."
"You heard my sister, work together. Luke? Raphael?" The two nodded and the group kept walking.
"You've gotten feistier," Jack told Everest as he fell into step beside her. She saw Kat, Lily, and David surround the male vampire with glares. They knew of what had happened between them; they weren't at all happy about it.
"Go away Jack."
"Much feistier," he purred. She resisted the urge to gag.
"You heard her. Back. Off," snarled Kat. The three had gotten closer to Jack and their looks had gotten darker.
"Why would I do that?" Jack asked, flicking his pale hair out of his face.
"You're bothering Everest," snapped David. "Reason one."
"Reason two. We said so." Lily's glare was by far the scariest of the three.
"Reason number three," snarled a silky voice laced with a Spanish accent. "You die for good if you don't back off."
The vampire paled more somehow and scurried off to the other side of the group. The four surrounded Everest and pulled her into the group of vampires.
"Okay then, this is a thing," she said softly.
"Don't try to fight it," David advised. "You'll only get held hostage for a bit while they make sure you stay safe." Everest rolled her eyes.
"Everest? Where's Everest?" Clary called out, sounding distressed.
"Here!" Everest waved her hand in the air and saw her sister's relieved look.
"What are you doing?" Jace asked her. He was gaping slightly, as were many others. None of the vampires though; they were used to Lily and Kat's overprotective natures.
"They didn't like something so now I have to walk with them," she answered vaguely. Jace looked skeptical, but thankfully he didn't question it further. He motioned for her to follow him. Everest slid off Kat's back with a sigh; she had liked being tall for once.
Everest followed Jace and her sister to where Meliorn and Alec apparently were—she had declined the rune that would enhance her sight. She really didn't want to enhance her already oddly good vision.
She stayed in the shadows as Clary and Jace confronted Alec. She knew Meliorn had spotted her—he was smirking and had the same glint in his eyes that Gino got when he was getting his way. They really were brothers.
"Girls, Meliorn! Go, now!" Jace shouted, tackling Alec to the ground.
Everest ignored the pang in her chest when she caught sight of Alec's betrayed expression. She pulled Meliorn behind her as they ran, and she couldn't help but notice that his grey trench coat was billowing behind him like a cape.
"One of these days you need to tell me where you get your clothes," she told him, still running. "I want a coat that billows like a cape!"
"Not the time Everest!" Clary chided.
"Oh!" Everest exclaimed, remembering something important. "You owe me a week's worth of coffee!"
"Not the time!"
...
Everest stood beside Meliorn as Clary and Simon said goodbye inside the Hotel Dumort. She had already told her friend goodbye and made him promise to text her if Raphael was an idiot.
"You're a jerk," she told the Seelie.
"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. Why could everyone but her do that?
"Yes. You made Gino worried and go off on a hunt for a lawyer." Meliorn looked slightly guilty.
"I will apologize when I see him then."
"Good." She gave him a side glance and he shook his head.
"No Everest, I will not give him a bear hug as an apology." Everest pouted but Izzy laughed.
"Sunny, can Meliorn and I talk?" Everest nodded and walked away to let the two "talk".
She watched the same alley cat as before until Clary and Jace returned and Izzy was leaving. Izzy gave her a hug and a smile before she disappeared into the darkness.
"Isabelle tells me it was your idea to rally the Downworlders. That you spearheaded my rescue," Meliorn said to the twins.
Everest laughed. "No, that was all Ritz. I just made sure the vampires didn't attack anybody."
"I will get this story someday, Everest," Meliorn said sternly. The girl just smiled.
"Don't give me too much credit. Isabelle made this happen. We just helped," Clary said, once more pushing off the credit.
"She's being modest. You're a Shadowhunter now. You both are." Jace smiled at Everest, a smile that she had noticed he only gave to the Lightwood siblings and now her—one of sibling love. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about it. But she already had a lot of brother figures, what was one more?
"I've been surprised by more than one Shadowhunter tonight," Meliorn mused. "You risked everything to unite us."
"Right after you tried to sell her out." Jace rolled his eyes.
Everest stared at Meliorn. He shrugged. After a moment of contemplation, Everest simply flicked his pointed ear in retaliation. The man just rolled his eyes.
"Not my finest moment—"
"Obviously," Everest muttered.
"—Which is why I'm offering you a gift. If you're ready, I can help you find your father."