"I can see why all the girls in Idris are clamouring to meet you" Lydia remarks as we weave our way through the maze of freight containers by the Redhook Docks surrounding the Jade Wolf

"What do you mean?" Alec inquires, seemingly oblivious to his own looks

"Rumour has it your looking to settle down...get married" Lydia announces and my jaw drops

"Damn it" Alec grumps

"Let me guess" Lydia suggests, "Not your idea?"

"Not even close" Alec confirms and I feel my chest lighten. Alec looks at me as he says the words and my heart soars.

"My parents tried to set me up, too" Lydia sighs

"And how'd that work out?" I question

"Not well for them" Lydia remarks and I smirk slightly. Seems rebellion runs in the family, "I made my own path. Married the love of my life...John Montaverde. Together, we were going to run the Lisbon Institute."

"Going to?" I echo, pondering whether or not I should have asked

"John was killed" Lydia murmurs, "Everything was ripped away. My love, my dream job..."

Yep.

Shouldn't have asked.

"I'm sorry" I apologise

"Piece of advice" Lydia sighs, "In this line of work, the only thing worth falling in love with is the work itself."

I look at Alec when she says this. This was basically what'd I'd been telling him to do, telling him I had to do. To keep my sister protected and allow him to live out his dream job...

It was a whole other thing to hear it said by someone else though.

It hurt a lot more.

Lydia nods singularly before heading inside the Jade Wolf restaurant leaving a staggered Alec and bewildered me in her smoke.

"It's got some characteristics of a Forsaken" Lydia muses, crouched down beside one of the bodies Alec had pictures of

A Forsaken?

I think back to when I'd been told about all of this, about how when mundanes were runed, they either died or went insane...became the Forsaken.

This is what I could have been, were I not a mundani.

Feeling self conscious, I check my arm for the rune Jace had drawn the night we went to save Simon and exhale in relief when I see it's completely faed.

Having just announced my mundane vulnerability to the Institute and Lydia, I didn't want to be accused of being Forsaken.

Though how anyone would even chalk up that conclusion was beyond me...these men were disfigured in incredibly noticeable ways. If I were one, everyone would know.

"It was human" Lydia continues, "It was runed."

"I don't know" Luke's voice penetrates the air and I turn to face him, "It was more focused, more determined. It attacked like it had a plan."

"Luke" I smile, stepping over the body of the Forsaken to embrace him, "Feeling better?"

"I'm fine, Cami" Luke assures me, "Are you doing okay?"

I nod slowly, giving him a 'the-bitch-doesn't-know' look. Thankfully, Luke catches on and stops there, addressing Lydia again.

"Plus, a normal Forsaken wouldn't have been so hard to kill. It took five werewolves to take that thing down. Never seen anything like it."

"Five?" I breathe, looking at the portly man with a disfigured face, "Forsaken aren't normally like that?"

"They look about the same but not nearly as strong" Luke explains, "It's usually an easy task to take one down but, like I said, this one was strong and calculated. It had planned this out."

"We'll take the body back to the Institute" Lydia announces, "Do a full autopsy."

"Woah, hold up" Luke interjects, "I get that I called you...Actually, I called Alec. But what I didn't want is someone to come down here and just take over."

"Yeah, that's kind of her thing" Alec notes

"Look, I know I can come across...abrasive" Lydia defends, "But we're all on the same side here. Can we agree on that? The Institute has the resources to find out what this thing is."

"We have an expert forensic pathologist" Alec states, "Highly trained in all the creatures of the Shadow World."

Lydia look as Luke pointedly, "Do you have one here? In this, uh, Chinese restaurant?"

"Fine" Luke concedes, "You win. Just let me know what you find."

"Don't worry" I assure him, "If she doesn't, I will."

Luke smiles at me, squeezing my shoulder in goodbye before escaping into the back room.

I don't blame him. Lydia's an uncomfortable force, that's for sure.

"I think Valentine's behind this" I announce, "It seems like his kind of style"

"What do you think he could be after?" Alec wonders

"Honestly?" I frown, "I think he's after Luke specifically"

"So you think Valentine's going after ex-Circle members?" Lydia suggests

"Something tells me this is more personal than an escapee member" I sigh, regarding the clawed nails of the Forsaken, "Luke and Valentine had a history together. A complicated one. But I wouldn't rule out old grudges against the people who turned against him. He already has my mother...he may be out for more blood."

"We'll put up extra wards on the Institute" Lydia decides

"Right, for Hodge" Alec agrees

"And your parents."

My mouth drops to the floor at Lydia's comment.

Maryse and Robert Lightwood? Circle members?

High strung, rules-are-rules, tough love Maryse Lightwood was a Circle member?

People really are full of surprises.

Alec's surprised look forces Lydia to retract, "Did they conceal that from you?"

Alec's face following the comment tells me that yes.

They certainly did.

***

Back at the Institute in the surgical room, Alec and Lydia were observing the body whilst I watched from a distance.

The thing was starting to stink.

"We need to make sure no magic was used to make this" Lydia deduces, "I'm calling the nearest High Warlock to come in and consult."

"Magnus Bane?" I question, "I could call him if you like?"

"You know him well?" Lydia interrogates, "What affairs does a mundane have with a warlock?"

"Oh, you know, just the lovely actions of my mother" I huff and, out of the corner of my eye, I see Alec's panicked expression, "She paid him to remove our memories as children, so we'd never know about this world until we were 'ready'"

Alec relaxes and I give him a 'you really though i'd tell her?' look. Alec shrugs and I roll my eyes.

Boys.

"Well, regardless, I've already called him. Thank you for the offer, though" Lydia thanks me robotically, "I actually can't wait to meet him. Did you that my...well, kind of our, great ancestor Henry Branwell, who was the last of the Branwell's to run an Institute, and Magnus Bane invented the portal?"

For the first time since I'd met her, Lydia's expressions were child-like and excited. She actually seemed like someone I could get along with.

"Nope" I admit, "Then again, I'm mundane so I don't know anything"

"Neither did I" Alec scoffs, "The again, you can just add that to the long list of things I didn't know."

"Alec" Lydia sighs, "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to find out your parents were ex-Circle members. Not like that."

"You mean from you?" I counter, "He shouldn't have found out from you but that's on his parents."

"I'm sure you know there's been a ban about talking about the Circle till now" Lydia comments

"Never stopped Hodge" I point out, "And he gets burnt every time he mentions anything. A lovely punishment from the Clave, I must say."

"Yes, how convenient for my parents" Alec scoffs

"This doesn't change how I feel about the Lightwoods" Lydia assures him, "Your family has always had a strong alliance with mine. They've been a powerful force in the Shadow World and praised for their devotion."

"'Devotion?'" Alec echoes sarcastically, "My parents were in league with Valentine."

"People make mistakes, Alec" I sigh, "God knows I've made plenty of them and I'm sure I'll make more."

"Yeah, but this one...it's unforgivable" Alec snarls, turning on his heel and leaving the room

As I talked about my mistakes, I had no idea I'd already made one of the biggest ones of my life...One that was going to mess with mine and Alec's relationship forever.

But, like I said, I didn't know that then.

****************

So, in Australia anyway, it is officially August 2nd aka MY FREAKIN BRITHDAY

It snuck up on me this year, honestly and it deadass does not feel real. Like...I'm not 19 right now...I legit turned 18 like 2 days ago what the fucking frick?!

Adults always used to tell me that like after your 18th birthday, it just kinda doesn't matter anymore like a birthday is really just a damn goodass day where people treat you well, give you presents (sometimes) and say 'happy birthday' and that's it is not a big occasion anymore and they were totally right! Like, i'm not fussed it's my birthday it's just like - cool imma have some extra money in my bank but like nothing else is really different.

Anyway, rant over, as a kind of gift to you guys i'm going to upload 2 (or maybe 3?!) chapters today, like probably all within the same hour

So yeah!

Happy Reading lovelies xx