Distractions - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Everest was scribbling away on a piece of paper, sitting on the floor against her bed. She had raided a supply closet and found a stack of paper and pen to her delight. She had gotten an idea for Shadowed Spotlights mid-tattoo and was only just now able to write it down.
Everest jumped when three harsh, powerful knocks echoed in the room. She hadn't realized how unnervingly silent the room had become.
Whoever had knocked didn't wait for her to say anything before barging in. Everest yelped upon seeing Cyprus standing in the doorway, a harsh glare on his face.
"What do you want?" she asked, scrambling to gather her papers before he stepped on them or did something equally petty. She wouldn't put it past him.
"Your daddy wants you," he sneered. Everest preferred it when he pretended to be nice. At least then he looked less like a drowned, hairy armadillo.
Everest huffed and followed him through the ship, muttering about "stupid brothers" and "how could Lyn possibly be related to this asshole?"
"Will you shut up?" Cyprus snapped, whirling on her. "All you've ever done is whine and complain, will you shut up for just two minutes?"
"Not if it will make you happy," she shot back, fed up with him.
"How the hell does my sister even like you? You're insufferable!"
"Says the one who tried to do unspeakable things!" Everest waved her hands about in complicated motions to somehow demonstrate the hypocrisy. "You're the one who did a complete one-eighty and completely flipped on his sister."
Trigger Warning: Being attacked and pinned
Cyprus snarled dangerously and slammed Everest against the wall, arm pressed against her throat. "Don't you dare talk about my sister."
"You brought her up first," Everest rasped, fighting for oxygen.
"FALLIS!" Valentine's angry voice roared. "What are you doing?"
For once, Everest was glad to hear her father's angry voice.
Everest dropped to the ground as Cyprus backed up hurriedly. "Nothing, sir," he said, words tinged with fear.
Trigger warning over
"Really? Because it looked like you just attacked my daughter."
"I apologize, sir."
"Take him away."
Four Circle members Everest hadn't seen rushed forward and each grabbed one of Cyprus's limbs, hauling him away to who knows where. Everest just stared after them, rubbing her throat.
"Here, let me." Valentine drew a healing rune on the side of her neck and almost instantly the pain went away. She nodded gratefully. "I don't understand why you insist on antagonizing him," the man sighed.
"He started it," Everest muttered, not unlike a child being scolded for taking an extra cookie. "He's the one who snapped first. You'd think he'd be better at keeping his cool since he's an assassin and all."
"You know what he does?" Valentine sounded curious.
"I know his sister, of course I know what he does."
"Who is his sister?"
"Not tell—oh hell no." Everest cut herself off and took off sprinting for the top deck. Valentine stayed in the hallway, simply watching like a creep.
"...I, I know this sounds crazy, but I can see the future," Clary was saying. Why was Clary here? Why did she think she could see the future? Had she done drugs or something?
"No, no that's not possible. Shadowhunters can't do that, Clary—" Jace started to walk away.
"Then I guess I'm not your ordinary Shadowhunter. Neither are you. I never wanted this, Jace. I never wanted any of it."
Jace looked away from the redhead, grimacing slightly. Everest sighed.
"Great bedside manner, Ritz," Everest said, announcing her presence to the two. She nodded at Jace to assure him that she was alright and waved to Clary, who stood stock still with the most impressive fish imitation Everest had seen in a while.
"Everest?" Clary rushed forward and pulled her younger sister into a hug. "Oh, you're okay. I can't believe you're okay. I'm so glad you're alright."
Everest cleared her throat and Clary let go. "Yeah, me too. Anyways, continue with your insane theory about how you're suddenly the Sorcerer Supreme?"
"What did you see?" Jace asked.
"The Downworlders. They slaughter mundanes, one by one, until there's no one left. And. Jace, with your demon blood, you're the only one who can stop them."
Everest couldn't help but wonder if Clary ever thought about how maybe Jace didn't know about his demon blood. Like, what if Valentine hadn't said anything about it and Jace had to find out through Clary that he had demon blood? Sometimes her sister had no tact.
Powerful footsteps approached and Everest looked behind her to see Valentine walking towards them. So, he had decided to stop watching them like a creep. That was at least a third of a baby step in the right direction, right?
"Ah, my children. This is what I've always wanted. To be with my family."
Everest fake gagged. "Ew, please stop. Don't go there. That's gross."
"You and I are not family." Clary's nose scrunched up and her eyes narrowed.
"Clary, I am your father, and I do love you." Everest hated that Valentine seemed so sincere. It was disgusting.
Trigger Warning: Mentions of death, mentions of manipulation
Valentine turned to Jace. "So, are you going to join Jeremy? He's going big game hunting. We got intel on the wolf that killed Jeremy's father. We're gonna bring the beast back to the boat."
Jace shook his head. Valentine turned to Clary and Everest and Everest already knew it was a manipulation tactic. Valentine knew that Jace wouldn't let either of them participate in whatever murder Valentine was planning, he just wanted Jace to say yes.
"Look, since Jace doesn't want to go, why don't one of you girls come along? Hone those Shadowhunter skills of yours, huh?"
"I'd rather face the flamethrower that has complete control over itself," Everest scoffed. Valentine's eyes closed for just a second, and he looked ready to lecture her.
"No. She's...they're not ready to face a cornered werewolf. I'll go."
Trigger Warning over
Valentine smirked and followed Jace inside. "Oh, and Clarrissa?" he called over his shoulder. "Don't let your sister near a flamethrower, alright? I don't want you two getting hurt."
Clary turned to Everest, raising her eyebrows. "You wanna explain that one?"
Everest sighed, plopping down and leaning against the railing. Clary sat on the deck beside her. "Jace and I made a flamethrower in the middle of the night. Except I think we did something wrong because after we turned it off, it turned back on again and I think we all almost died."
Clary facepalmed. "What have I said about playing with fire?"
"Have fun?" Everest smiled when Clary facepalmed again.
"Try again."
"Only do so with correct supervision?"
"Yep. Is Jace correct supervision?"
"I'm gonna take a guess that the answer is no since you look like you wanna lecture me."
Clary shook her head in exasperation, though she was smiling. "Did you at least have fun making fire?"
"It was a lot of fun!"
"That's goo—what is on your ankle?" Clary's eyes widened even more than they had been before and Everest grinned sheepishly.
"A tattoo?"
"When did you get a tattoo?"
"Sometime in the last twelve hours." Everest glanced at her sister's expectant face. "You want me to explain, don't you?"
"Yes, yes I do."
"Basically, Valentine found out about the flamethrower, yelled a lot, kicked us off the ship until morning, Jace ended up drunk, convinced me to go to a tattoo parlor, and the two of us got tattoos."
Clary looked torn between Big-Sister-Lecture-Mode and Proud-Big-Sister-Mode. "What did Jace get?" She chose the latter, which was better for Everest in the long run.
"A bathtub of spaghetti."
Clary burst out laughing, Everest joining in moments later. They laughed for enough time that Everest lost track and their sides began to hurt. Everest wasn't quite sure why they were laughing, Jace's tattoo wasn't that funny, but it felt good to laugh with her sister. It had been too long.
Clary stopped laughing first, though she was still smiling. "Do you know where the kitchen is? I haven't eaten in hours."
Everest nodded and stood up. "Yeah, follow me."
"I'll be right behind you."
Clary wasn't right behind her, as Everest would soon find out. She hadn't noticed because there were so many people milling around that she didn't notice the lack of her sister's footsteps. She didn't notice Clary wasn't there until she got to the kitchen.
"Damnit," she swore. "What's she gone and done now?"
...
Trigger Warning: Mentions of death
Everest found Jace before she found Clary. He was standing on the top deck with Valentine, Circle members, and a silver haired woman that was no more than twenty.
"Five years ago, my father was mauled to death by a white wolf," snarled one of the Circle members.
The silver haired woman was silent. Was she the werewolf that Jace and whoever Jeremy was went to go get? Were they going to kill her?
"That was you. You did that, didn't you?" Jace pointed a blade at the woman's throat. "You murdered him, an innocent mundane."
"No, I've never killed anyone. I swear. I'm telling the truth," she cried.
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm telling the truth."
Everest saw Clary and...was that Dot? Since when was she alive? Everest needed an updated list on who was alive and who was dead, fast. Everest fell into step with the duo as they approached the mess of a scene in front of them.
Trigger warning over
"I've obeyed the Accords. I'm part of Luke's pack. We don't hurt anyone, we're not like that!"
Oh shit. This was Gretel, wasn't it? The wolf that called Markus about Theo, the one who always had the best gossip about the people who frequented the area around the Jade Wolf. They were going to kill Gretel, shit.
"Gretel?!" Everest ran forward, unable to stay back.
"Everest? What are you doing here?" The young woman turned to face her as best she could. "Are you stuck here too? Or are you working for him?" She said the last part with so much venom and hate that Everest flinched a little.
"I'm stuck here," she said, and she wasn't lying. She was stuck there. She just wasn't telling Gretel why she was stuck there.
"Jace!" Clary shouted. She was running towards them now.
"Clarrissa, how nice of you to join us," Valentine crooned. "Maybe you can convince your brother to finish what he started before Everest interrupted."
"Jace, Everest, I need you to listen to me." The desperation in Clary's words made Everest's attention turn fully towards her. And the seagulls flying overhead. And the people training in the background. But mostly on Clary. "Everything I said before, I was under a spell. Run!"
"Johnathan! Everest! Johnathan! There is no way out. Everest!"
Trigger Warning: Fighting, blood, blades, guns, mentions of death
The three siblings ignored Valentine's shouting and ran towards wherever Clary was leading them. Men began to attack them, and Jace pulled out a seraph blade and Everest grabbed her gun. Jace fought most of the men off, but those who he knew he couldn't defeat, he knocked towards Everest, who shot them. Most of the shots weren't fatal, not if they got medical attention at least.
The sea of men became less dense and they began running again. Jace stopped suddenly and began to cough.
"Jace, are you okay?" Clary demanded.
"Johnathan!" Valentine roared. "Everest!"
Jace's nose began to bleed. Everest's lips thinned in worry. That wasn't good. That wasn't good at all. Jace stumbled, but Everest caught him and supported his weight as best she could. That was even worse.
"Johnathan, Everest! Come back here! There's nowhere to run!"
Everest found it interesting that Valentine was only calling Jace and Everest's names, as if he knew that Clary was the best out of all of them, and wouldn't ever even think of betraying those she loves.
More people began to approach the siblings. Everest's breathing quickened. No, no. She wasn't going to be a prisoner there anymore. Not when Valentine was so cruel and vague and unhelpful. She wasn't going to be trapped there anymore, away from her friends, family, and partners. That wasn't going to happen, even if she had to suddenly gain special powers and take down the wards herself.
Trigger warning over
"Jace, Everest, we have to go now!" Clary screamed, yanking on their arms until they stumbled after her.
They ran towards Dot and a rather large, gaping hole in the shimmery yellow wards. Everest's hand that wasn't holding Jace's hand to help support him was gripped by Clary just before they jumped from the side of the boat. Everest just barely had time to take a deep breath before she hit the frigid waters. And yet, the water was still warmer than Valentine's boat.