Distractions - Chapter 61: Chapter 61

Everest ran through the Institute, leaping down stairs, flying around corners, dodging people, and scanning frantically for Jace. She huffed irritably when he wasn't in any of the main Institute areas. She ran a hand down her face as she ran for the last area of the Institute she hadn't checked yet: the greenhouse she had only found out existed a week ago. She skidded to a stop just inside the doors. Sebastian was sitting on a dark green bench a little ways inside the greenhouse. She really hoped he knew where Jace was.
"Hey Sebastian," she greeted, hoping she didn't look or sound like she had just run around the entire Institute and the courtyards trying to find Jace.
"Hello Everest," he greeted politely, a small smile on his face. "What's up?"
Somehow, it felt strange to hear Sebastian, who had spoken so formally and politely earlier, say something as simple as 'what's up'.
"Do you know where Jace is?"
He shook his head. "He left ten minutes ago to run an errand."
She huffed again and facepalmed with an echoing smack. Of course he had. "Of course," she grumbled, shoulders sagging. "Thanks anyway."
"What did you need him for?" he asked, tilting his head.
"I can't figure out what a couple kinds of weapons are and I was going to ask him so I actually got an answer because he's absolutely terrible at checking his texts."
"I could try to help if you'd like?"
She brightened. "That'd be great!" She sat next to him on the bench and pulled a pen from her bun, turning to him with a serious expression. "So let me preface this by saying that I most likely know exactly what these weapons are called, but my brain has decided not to give me the information. So please don't think I'm stupid or incompetent or a bad Shadowhunter or anything. I just can't remember the words."
"I'm not going to think any less of you," he promised earnestly. "What do the weapons look like?"
Trigger Warning: Descriptions of weapons, mentions of death, mentions of grief
"The first one is a really long, curved Japanese sword—" She stretched her arms as far as she could for emphasis, "—that some girl at the L.A. Institute favors based on what Mia has told me. It's really sharp too, but it's a single edged blade, good for slicing."
"That would be a katana," Sebastian said almost immediately. "You can tell by the fact that it's curved and has a single edged blade."
Everest scribbled down the name on her wrist and then looked back at Sebastian. His pendant necklace was swinging slightly. "The other one is a medium length blade forged with a really specific recurve to it, kinda like a really wide V almost. It's from Nepal and is a great fighting knife but it's also great at cutting, chopping, skinning animals, and opening cans."
He hummed slightly, eyes drifting away from her face as he thought. His gaze settled on her again and she repressed the urge to flinch. His dark eyes were surprisingly full of pain for someone who was so young. Granted, she and many of her friends had the same pain in their eyes, but still. It was startling to see someone her age that she had never met before hold the same pain she did.
"I believe that might be a kukri, based on it being from Nepal and shaped like that."
"That! That's it!" She scribbled down the name and grinned at him gratefully as she stood. "Thanks Sebastian, you've made my life a lot easier. Less research and Jace hunting and all."
He chuckled, a low rumbling noise that sounded bitter to her ears despite her not knowing any reason for it to sound like that. "You're welcome. I'm glad to have been helpful."
Everest was halfway to the door when she stopped. She turned halfway, hesitating for a moment before forcing herself to speak. "Sebastian?"
His gaze switched from the foxglove to her and once more she couldn't help but notice the pain in his eyes. "Yes?"
She took a deep breath and let the words tumble out. "I wanted to say thank you for helping Izzy. You didn't know her at all but you still saved her. You didn't have to. And you didn't have to let her stay at your apartment afterwards, but you did. And I don't think I've thanked you yet, so here I am. Because I don't think you realize what you've done for me and everyone else here by helping her." She swallowed thickly and he stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. "She's everything to me. My best friend, my sister, the reason I'm still here walking around causing chaos, my everything and more. I love her so much, and I just—I don't know what I would have done if I had lost her. Especially after just losing my mom and so many other people I care about. It messes you up. A lot. And I don't know if I would have survived losing her too. So thank you, genuinely, from the depths of my soul."
His gaze was sad as he nodded. "I'm sorry that you have lost so much," he said quietly.
"Me too," she whispered, gaze falling to the floor.
"I know how it feels to have lost people," Sebastian said after a moment. Her gaze shot back to him. "My mother died when I was very young and my sisters soon after. I didn't get to know my sisters like I wanted to, and I still feel that pain every day."
"I'm so sorry," she said, her heart breaking despite hardly knowing him. No one deserved to go through that.
"As am I. And besides not wanting someone to die because I didn't help, that is part of why I helped Isabelle. I didn't want someone to go through the pain I did because they lost a sister, girlfriend, friend, Parabatai, or whoever she is to them."
"I appreciate that, a lot," she said quietly, spinning her snake ring around her finger.
He offered her a small smile that she did her best to return as she walked out of the greenhouse. As she walked, she couldn't help the sadness she felt for Sebastian. Even when she was young and thought her dad was a soldier who had died before she and Clary were born, she hadn't had a connection to him beyond the idea of him. And she still had her mom and Clary. Sebastian had had a connection to his mom and sisters before he lost them, and had mourned not just the idea of them but the connection they had shared. And having experienced both types of grief, the one where you didn't properly know them and the one where you did, Everest thought that knowing them and losing them was worse.
Trigger Warnings Over
Because sometimes loving and losing was worse than never loving.
...
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of weapons, mentions of death, mentions of grief
She let out a long, loud string of very violent curse words as she sprinted to her room to grab her weapons belt and a small velvet bag she had for special occasions. Of course. Of course Valentine and Magnus switched bodies. Of course Valentine was holding Jace hostage in Magnus's apartment. Of course Jace was the Inquisitor's grandson. Of course he was basically Shadowhunter royalty. Of course she was in the middle of writing an argument when she got the alert. Of fucking course.
She slipped on the belt and a leather jacket on her way to the weapons walls lining the Ops Center. She didn't have time for the weapons room. She snagged a couple extra knives that she put on various parts of her body (including one in her hair that made her feel so incredibly badass). She tossed an extra seraph blade and dagger at Clary as she approached and her sister nodded gratefully. She returned it and then they were running out of the Institute.
Everest hurried to finish putting on her sharpest, most aggressive rings as she, Alec, Clary, and Sebastian power walked to Magnus's apartment. Well, Alec and Sebastian were power walking. Everest and Clary were basically running.
Fucking tall people, she grumbled silently, tucking the small velvet bag into her pocket.
"I don't know why you felt the need to bring him here," Alec said, irritated.
"We need all the help we can get," Clary said, just like she had every other time Alec had asked that.
Everest and Clary tried to rush into Magnus's apartment but Alec and Sebastian grabbed one of their arms.
"Woah."
"Woah. Woah. Woah. Wards are up." Sebastian's voice was quiet, serious—a far cry from the mournful tone he had spoken with earlier.
"You said Valentine wouldn't have this kind of warlock power," Clary accused.
"He's too smart for our own good," Everest snarked, doing her best to ignore the sudden ringing in her ears that only increased as she crept closer to the wards. Why did whatever side effect (ability as Valentine had called it) have to act up now? Her apparent sensitivity to wards had never acted up at Magnus's place before. Why was it now?
She stared at the shimmering blockade in front of her. How had she not noticed the highly visible ward before?
"Yeah, as always, he defies expectations." Everest had a feeling there was a story behind the bitterness in Sebastian's voice. She wasn't sure she wanted to know it. "Look, we're gonna need you."
Her sister nodded and stepped up to the wards, stele held like a paintbrush. Everest missed watching Clary paint.
Clary traced the rune onto the wards, but it disintegrated before her stele had even lifted.
"Try again," Alec urged.
"I can't make it work," Clary protested.
"Yes you can," Sebastian insisted.
She traced the rune again. And again. And again. When it disintegrated once more, Sebastian pulled Clary away from the door and leaned down so that he was nose to nose with her, hands on her shoulders.
"Tell me what it feels like to have your entire family ripped away from you," he said urgently.
"What?" two voices hissed.
"That's enough," Alec said, heavy hand falling to Sebastian's shoulder. Everest's fists were clenching at her side, ready to knock the blonde away from her sister if he got too aggressive, no matter how much they had low key vibed over trauma earlier.
"Trust me on this, okay? Trust me." He turned back to Clary with an intense, wide eyed expression. "Look, your mother, she's never coming back. Jace is not your brother. You feel like you're all alone in this world, don't you—"
"Stop it." Clary's eyes were red and watering.
Sebastian shook his head. "No, feel it, Clary. Feel it."
She could see tears growing closer to falling from Clary's eyes.
"You mother is never coming back. Your father will never love you."
That did it for Everest. He had crossed a line. Valentine and his sick, twisted form of love was something they had agreed never to talk about. And here this newcomer was, crossing that line that even the Shadowhunters she had only talked to a few times knew not to cross.
She flew forward and shoved Sebastian away from her big sister, her rings catching on his knuckles. She ignored his affronted expression and Alec's stare as she took Clary's hands in hers.
"Ritz, fuck what he just said." Clary let out a watery chuckle. "I know it sucks and it's scary, but you have to do this. You have to work through this artist block you have and just do it."
"I can't," Clary cried.
"Yes you can. I know you can. Just breath and focus on what you want to accomplish." She let Clary take a few breaths. "Now visualize the purpose of the rune. Can you see the wards breaking?"
Clary nodded.
"Good. Now visualize a rune breaking them. It doesn't have to be specific right now. Just the vague shape of the rune. Now allow it to take shape, to clarify itself and sharpen its edges."
Trigger Warnings Over
"I can see it," Clary said fervently.
"Then draw it," Everest commanded.
Clary stepped up to the wards once more and the other three stepped back. Her hand danced across the shimmering wall, a golden rune forming before their eyes. With one last violent motion, it was complete. The wards melted away.
They shoved the doors open and burst in.
"Alexander! Everest!" Magnus called out.
Clary ran at Valentine (since when was she a faster sprinter than Everest?) and football tackled him just like Leo had taught the twins. The two of them flew through the Portal in an awkward tumble of shock and limbs. It closed behind them. Distantly, Everest noticed that the ringing in her ears was gone.
Everest slowed to a stop beside the other two, Magnus on the ground.
"Oh by the Angel! She did not just dive through another Portal with that man."
No one said anything.
...
Alec and Everest knelt on the ground, carefully picking the glass off the floor. Alec was getting the big pieces and Everest was using a damp paper towel to get the smaller pieces just like her mom had shown her when she accidentally shattered her favorite cake plate.
They both looked up when Magnus slowly walked out of the bedroom, a hand against his forehead. When he sat down, they approached him, mindful of the potential shards left on the ground. Alec stayed standing, even as Everest sat beside Magnus. She rubbed his back gently.
"Is this okay?" she whispered.
He nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Magnus, I am so sorry for everything that you had to go through," Alec said quietly.
The words hung heavily in the air between them for a moment before Magnus spoke.
He shook his head. "That agony rune." Alec looked down. "It made me relive memories that I've spent...centuries trying to forget."
Alec sat on the other side of Magnus on the black leather couch.
"Magnus, tell me how to fix this. Just tell me what to do, please," he said, voice thick.
Magnus looked away from him.
"Magnus, mon rayon de paillettes, we want to help you. Please tell us how to do that," she said, still rubbing his back.
"Can you just...stay here and...hold me?"
He hesitated slightly in his request and Everest felt the distinct urge to pummel whoever made him think that he didn't deserve to request things like cuddles. But she pushed back the urge and wrapped her arms around Magnus, Alec doing the same. Luckily they were on the larger couch which had the ottoman nearby so Alec pulled it over with his feet and then their legs were all tangled together on the new surface as they leaned back. Everest traced designs across Magnus's torso and Alec rubbed his thumb across Magnus's neck gently.
"I could tell you a story if that would help distract you?" she suggested lightly.
"I'd like that," Magnus whispered. Alec nodded encouragingly.
Everest smiled fondly at them as she rested her head against Magnus's shoulder. "This one is an Italian folktale that I love. It's called How the Devil Married Three Sisters."
Alec snorted quietly.
"Once upon a time the Devil was seized with the urge to marry," she began. She told the story with the same amount of passion that Luke did when he told her the story when she was young. Her voice changed to match each character, her intensity varied from moment to moment, her expression morphed to match the scene, her hands making gestures to further her point. And the entire time, Alec and Magnus watched her intently, a smile forming on both their faces as she continued. And then she told another story, and another, then another. She continued until Magnus and Alec had fallen asleep, and then she simply fell silent, a smile on her face as she pulled a soft grey blanket around her shoulders. Alec's head was in Magnus's lap and her fingers carded through his hair, her other wrapped around Magnus's waist. Magnus's hand was gripping Alec's hand and his other was tangled in Everest's hair. Alec's free hand was draped over his stomach lazily. The contented smile was still on her face when she woke up.
...
Their interlocked hands swung between them as they walked, steps echoing with the kind of power that only came from wearing clothes that made you feel like you could rule the world. Her hair, pulled back in bubble braids, brushed against her neck and she forced herself not to squirm in irritation. Izzy's thumb ran over the back of her hand gently and Everest squeezed her hand in return as they stepped into the elevator.
"Ready to blush away Alec's professionalism?" her friend said with a teasing smile.
Everest laughed, her head coming down to rest on Izzy's shoulder as the elevator doors closed behind them. Izzy's settled on top of hers. "I don't know, he has a pretty good poker face sometimes."
"I'll bet you a trip to Java Jones that once he sees you his mask will slip a little and that it'll fall completely if you say something suggestive."
"Deal."
Everest straightened up as the elevator stopped, the doors opening with a hiss. The two of them walked towards Alec, who was scanning through reports on one of the screens. He glanced up briefly, smiled, then went back to his screen. He froze a moment later. He slowly looked towards them again, or more specifically, at Everest. His ears and neck brightened. She could feel Izzy's suppressed laughter, even after they let go of each other. Everest was extra careful not to let any of her dozen or so rings scratch Izzy's hands.
She continued walking even when Izzy stopped, careful not to let the leather pants (she was pretty sure they were leather pants at least. Either way they were supposed to be part of Everest's Shadowhunter gear before she said "Fuck that, I'm wearing jeans".) ride too far up her crotch. She really didn't want a cameltoe thank you very much. Alec looked her up and down as she approached, the blush creeping into his face. Everest stopped a step away from him, a smile playing on her lips.
"Feel how soft my shirt is," she said eagerly.
Izzy snorted in the background. Alec blinked at her.
"What?"
"Feel my shirt."
He slowly reached out a hand and nodded approvingly once he felt the soft material of the band tee. "It is soft."
"Isn't it great?" She beamed up at him as she wrapped her arms around his waist, careful not to trap the material of her oversized leather jacket (that was technically Alec's) between them. His arms came down to drape around her hips as she leaned up close to his ear. "You know what's also great?"
He hummed slightly, the sound reverberating through his chest.
"Your face when you saw my outfit." She rested her chin on his shoulder, a feat only possible due to her extremely tall platform boots. (She had taken to wearing shoes with heels and platforms far more often now that she had two extremely tall boyfriends. It was worth the occasional stumbling and near falling.) "It was priceless. And very much felt like a promise for later. And if it wasn't, Love, well. Now it is."
Her voice was low and quiet enough that only Alec could hear her, though her grin was still on her face. He shivered lightly and her grin only grew as she caught sight of his bright red face and gaping expression. She stepped back and Izzy smirked at her.
"Told you," Izzy said, voice full of her restrained laughter.
"Oh I only had a little faith in his ability to keep a poker face," she admitted. "I knew very well what would happen when he saw me dressed like this. We'll get coffee later today or tomorrow. Within two weeks at least. Probably."
Izzy let out a short laugh.
"You two were betting on my reaction to seeing my girlfriend dressed in my leather jacket and our boyfriend's shirt?" Alec's voice was half a pitch higher than usual in his disbelief.
"Alec," Izzy tutted in a perfect imitation of Brad, "we do it all the time."
He sputtered and the two of them gave in to the laughter, leaning against each other in order to stay upright. Every time Everest looked at Alec, at his red face and startled expression, she started laughing harder. Every time she looked at Izzy, at her shining eyes and bright grin, she started laughing harder. Every time she looked at one of the other Shadowhunters just trying to work, at their rolling eyes and exasperated faces, she started laughing harder. Really, it was an unrelenting cycle that only allowed her to look at the ground if she wanted to get her laughter in check.
"I heard from Mom," Alec said once the two had calmed down—mostly—in an obvious attempt to change the subject. "Max is on his way."
Izzy smiled fondly. "Feels like just yesterday we were taking knives away from him."
"And here I was trying to teach him Poker yesterday," Everest said with an exaggerated gasp. Izzy and Alec rolled their eyes. Everest hoped any mischievous glint she might have wasn't too obvious. It was amazing what technology could do when it came to contacting people when they were in different countries, even supposedly top secret Shadowhunter one.
"He's lucky to have you as a tutor," Alec said.
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of addiction, mentions of drugs, mentions of recovery/recovery  struggles
Izzy's smile dropped and she stepped in front of Alec. "Alec, maybe it's a mistake putting me in charge of him."
"Are you kidding? Izzy, you're the smartest one here and one of our best fighters." Alec sounded absolutely incredulous. And, if she was being honest, Everest would too if she hadn't watched so many fall prey to self loathing during rehab and recovery.
"But it's just...I don't totally feel like myself yet."
"What about those mundane meetings?"
"NA," Everest supplied.
"They're helping, even though they think I'm talking about heroin."
Trigger Warnings over
Everest and Izzy shared a look of exasperation and all of their lips quirked up into smiles despite the heavy topic.
"Well babe, I'm glad they're helping. Even if that one guy's ride keeps trying to get my number."
"Babe?" the Lightwoods asked in perfect unison, arching their eyebrows simultaneously.
Everest snorted and shook her head. "I've spent too much time talking to Mark and Sara," she muttered. "I've picked up their pet name habits."
"I mean, I don't mind it babe," Izzy said, draping herself over Everest and dawning one of her infamous "You're Coming Home With Me" smirks. "But Alec might."
Everest glanced up at Alec—who was rolling his eyes but smiling too—and she smirked right back at Izzy, eyes widening ever so slightly and head tilting to the side slightly as she covered the hand on her chest with her own. "He can deal."
"Besides. It's not like it's anything we've never done before," Izzy added.
Everest ignored Alec's shock of laughter as she pressed her forehead against Izzy's, smirk growing. "Exactly. Nothing new."
"You two are terrible," Alec managed, words muffled curiously.
They looked at him through their lashes, heads resting against each other, and they smiled innocently at him. His shoulders were shaking violently with laughter and a hand pressed against his mouth as his eyes sparkled.
"What do you mean?" Izzy asked.
"We're just doing what good friends do," Everest added.
Alec didn't get a chance to respond because Jace and Clary came running into the Ops Center.
Trigger Warnings: Death (off page), descriptions of extreme violence (off page), mildly graphic description of injuries
"Shadowhunter down!" Jace announced.
"Milo Keytower," Clary added.
Immediately the two of them snapped to attention, no longer draped across each other like sappy high school lovers and instead standing with perfect posture and ready for anything.
The Inquisitor fell into step with the chaotic "Not-Siblings-But-Clary-Has-Simon" duo. "From what I understand, his runes were carved out. Is this true Jace?"
Almost anything.
Everest's stomach flipped uncomfortably at the images her brain supplied and she really hoped she wasn't about to hurl.
Don't hurl. Don't hurl. Don't hurl, she chanted in her head.
"Yes. After he was attacked by a werewolf," Jace said grimly.
"He had multiple bite and claw marks," Clary said, looking every bit the professional Shadowhunter Everest knew she was.
Her internal chanting grew louder.
Imogen's eyes closed for a brief moment and Everest thought she saw a slight shudder to the woman's breath but she wasn't entirely sure.
"What kind of werewolf randomly attacks a Shadowhunter?" Izzy demanded.
Trigger Warnings over
Everest was glad she asked because Everest didn't think she could form words just then.
"One who's trying to send a message," Alec said, shoulders pushed back into what she and Magnus had labeled as his "Badass Leader Pose".
"And get the attention of the Clave." The Inquisitor sounded resigned.
"We need to find them before this happens again," Clary said, her hair whipping around her head like a halo as she faced Jace, Izzy, Alec, and Everest once more.
Everest nodded, swallowing back her disgust as best as possible.
"Well, I think I have a pretty good idea who it is," the older woman said, before turning away.
Everest didn't like the feeling those words left in her stomach.
As soon as the Inquisitor left her sight, Everest bolted.
"Everest?"
"What's happening?"
"Are you okay?"
"Purple?"
Trigger Warning: Vomiting, mentions of torture/violence in shows (true crime) (no descriptions graphic or otherwise)
She ignored their shouts and ran for the nearest room that was either empty or belonged to one of her friends. She didn't pay attention to whose room it was as she sprinted for the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her, sliding on the tile despite her boots having grips on the soles. She gripped the edge of the toilet seat and stayed there for several miserable minutes.
The door clicked open and someone swore softly while two voices demanded answers. Where was the other person?
She got her answer when small, callused hands pulled the ends of her braids away from her face with practiced motions, the door clicking as it presumably shut.
"You sure know how to shock a crowd, Ev," her sister mused quietly. Everest relinquished her grip long enough to flip Clary off. Her sister chuckled. "You think you're done?"
The words weren't harsh or mocking, instead compassionate and full of love. Everest made a faint noise that she hoped conveyed her uncertainty.
"Do you want to try water?"
Everest nodded ever so slightly. The hands disappeared from her hair for only a moment before Clary passed her a glass of vaguely warm water. She swished the water around her mouth and spat it into the toilet, eyes squeezed shut. When her stomach didn't flip around any more, she made a thumbs up. Clary didn't say anything, just passed her a neatly folded wad of toilet paper so she could wipe her mouth.
Once the toilet was flushed, she stood up on surprisingly steady legs and rinsed her mouth out with the rest of the water. Clary draped an arm around Everest once she was done.
"Feeling better?"
"Sure," Everest deadpanned.
Clary chuckled. "Gotta love the graphic details of this job."
"So much," she drawled, matching her sister's sarcasm with an eyeroll. "Fucking sadistic ass bitches, I swear."
"You're just mad because you haven't watched enough uncensored true crime shows to be able to stomach torture and having body parts carved out."
"You can't even watch the censored versions of Luke and I's shows!"
"I'm not the one that threw up."
"We can change that real quick."
"Fuck off Everest Dawn."
"That's what I thought."
As soon as the twins entered what she was realizing was Alec's room, Everest was ripped away from Clary and was being scanned for any sign of injuries or illness by both her boyfriend and brother. Izzy watched with a quirked eyebrow that did nothing to hide her worry.
"Are you okay?"
"What happened?"
"I should have warned you not to stop watching your disgusting crime shows."
Everest sidestepped the worrying hands and shot her friend the best annoyed look she could muster up. She popped her hip out and slammed a hand onto it in her best ten year old sass pose. "Yeah, no shit you should've."
Izzy's worry melted away as she laughed. "She's fine guys."
"Are you sure?"
"What just happened?"
Alec and Jace's voices blended together and she sighed. Looks like she had to do damage control. She gestured for them to come closer and opened her arms wide. Almost immediately both of them latched onto her tightly. She rubbed both of their backs and tried not to smile so much so that it was obvious in the way she breathed.
"I usually watch a lot of uncensored true crime shows and they get rid of any queasiness I might have. I've been too busy to watch them lately and so my desensitization to literally anything and everything awful you can think of times a hundred has gone down. But I've watched enough of said shows to know exactly what a Shadowhunter with their runes carved out and mauled by a wolf would look like. Which led to all of this." She let out a small chuckle when both Alec and Jace let out simultaneous sighs.
Trigger Warnings over
"Angel, you're a mess," Alec muttered.
"We gotta get you watching those shows again. I really don't want to deal with you vomiting every time we have a mission." She lightly flicked Jace's shoulder.
"That'd be a lot easier if there weren't people constantly going 'Let's murder Everest today!' and doing their best to go through with their murder plans," she snarked.
All four of them grew tense at her words and she let go of the guys with a huff.
"Okay, what is it with you guys? Every time I joke about the very real potential and inevitability of my death, you all freak out, but when you do the same thing everyone is chill with it? What is up with that?"
They shared a look that could have meant anything from "If you tell her I will murder you" to "Hand me the whole damn liquor cabinet" to "How do we tell her".
"Everest," Clary began, taking her hands like she was going to tell her that she had some sort of medical condition, "you are very important to us and a lot of other people too and the thought of you dying scares us."
"And? You're all important to me too."
"You're a whole lot more important to a lot more people than we are," Jace amended.
Everest raised her eyebrows. "Sure."
"Darling, we care for you more than you know and the thought of you dying terrifies us because we don't know what we'd do without you."
Everest still didn't get it. She loved them more than they knew and she knew that losing any one of them would destroy her beyond repair. What was so different about her dying? Especially when she was just joking about it?
Izzy sighed and stared Everest down. "Sunny, we love you. You've changed our lives and made us better people. We're complete assholes without you. If you were to die, we would be terrible enough to be Valentine or American government level bad."
Everest's eyes narrowed. "Liar."
"Do you remember how much of an asshole Jace was when you first met?" Jace's offended noise was ignored. "Imagine that and make it a thousand times worse, add in far more creepy innuendos, and shove it into the body of a sixty year old who has the power to destroy the world and does not give a single flying shit about how it's destroyed so long as he can survive. That's how bad we are without you."
Everest wanted to protest, wanted to remind them of all the time they hadn't had her and been just fine, but she saw the fire in Izzy and Clary's eyes, the determination in Jace's, the genuineness shadowed by something Everest couldn't decipher in Alec's, and decided that arguing was a terrible idea.
"Do you get it now?" Clary asked firmly, hands shoved deep into her pockets.
Everest nodded slightly, even though she wasn't sure she fully agreed, and the four of them grinned in satisfaction. It was a little unnerving to see all four of them agree so strongly. It rarely happened. Now that she thought about it, it really only happened when it was about her.
She grimaced when she ran a hand over her braids and felt how greasy they were. She had styled her hair so that it wasn't obvious that she hadn't washed her hair in far too long, but she was all too aware of the grease. So now she had to wash it otherwise it would bother her until she did.
"Right, I love you all dearly, but I need to shower so unless you want to hear me sing in the shower, I recommend you leave and go get work done." She smirked at the four of them and gestured to the door. Clary's cheeks reddened, Jace gagged, Izzy winked, and Alec returned the smirk.
"No, Alec," Izzy chided with a too gleeful smile. "You have work to do. You can make out with my Parabatai later."
"Parabatai? You did the ceremony?" Alec's voice was several octaves too high as he whipped his gaze between the two of them. At this rate, his voice would get stuck octaves higher than it was naturally.
"Maybe we did," they said together, matching smirks plastered across their faces as they wrapped themselves around each other in a way that would have had Everest's old classmates blushing and fainting upon seeing them.
"But—you said—we would have known. You said you'd tell us when the ceremony was going to happen so we could help you." Jace's eyes were shining with genuine hurt and Alec was sporting a kicked puppy expression.
Clary's eyes narrowed in on Izzy's exposed wrists, specifically the lack of a Parabatai rune. "They haven't done the ceremony yet," she said.
The boys froze, both looking like they were about to cry, and stared at them.
"They haven't?"
"You haven't done it yet?"
Everest and Izzy shared a look and decided to take pity on them.
"No, not yet."
"We're trying to get a date set though," Izzy added with a smile that was so soft and carefree that Everest briefly wondered if Izzy had been possessed by her nine year old self. She hadn't seen that smile in a long time, at least, not so light and free of worries that the smile threatened to fly off Izzy's face.
"Let us know when you get it figured out," Alec said with a proud smile, though the relief in his eyes was painfully obvious.
"We will. Not get out of here so I can shower. And yes I'm aware it's not my room," she added when four mouths opened at once. "So don't say a word about it and get out."
Four different laughs echoed through the room even after the door closed and Everest couldn't help the smile that formed on her face as she turned on the water to warm up. Despite the awful, disgusting news, her day hadn't been entirely terrible.