redamancy | jace herondale

53

"Never in the history of the Seelie Court has someone managed to do what you have." The Seelie Queen was admiring Jonathan that day in the living room of the apartment. I tied my boots and listened them trade words from the other room, trying to distract myself from my own mind.

Jonathan was leant against the door frame when I walked into the room. "Well— I can't take all the credit, your Highness."

"If you two are done flirting-" I started when both their eyes fell on me. "We have something much more important we need to discuss."

Jonathan looked at me. "I wasn't flirting."

"I was." The Seelie Queen gave a wicked smile.

"I don't care." I kept a hard glare on her and stayed still. "Your people have something that belongs to us— so, why don't you use your birds and your bees to get out the message to your Court to hand over the Morning Star sword?"

She stared. "And if I don't comply?"

"Well, if you don't—" I walked over to her and crouched in front of her. "If you don't, I'll gut you so slowly that you can feel every ounce of pain and then we could examine all your organs together one by one."

"I'd expect this behaviour from a proper Morgenstern." She looked at me in horror and then looked up at Jonathan. "What have you done to her?"

"Made her see the truth." Jonathan shrugged easily. "Of who she really is."

I stood up. "Get to work."

-

"Jonathan— the Queen is secure." I walked into the separate room that Jonathan was hiding in. "Why haven't we left?"

"I guess I got distracted." Jonathan's back was to me and his voice was low. "It's difficult for me to believe that this is actually happening."

"What's happening?" I questioned, standing still where I stood. "This? The two of us on the verge of reclaiming our birthright?"

"Yeah, precisely that." Jonathan turned around to look at me. "You and me— us."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Jonathan, you're going to have to elaborate further if you want my opinion on this."

"The look you had in your eyes the first time you saw my true face— the hatred, the disgust." Jonathan cringed at the thought and looked away from me, fixing his gaze onto the floor to avoid eye contact. "I guess I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"Jonathan." I took a few steps toward him, crossing my arms over my chest. "I don't know if you've noticed but things have changed."

Jonathan looked at me, staying silent.

I sighed and walked closer to him, putting my hands on his shoulders. "Listen. What Lilith did to me— putting this rune on me and forcing us to be attached to each other so that I couldn't hurt you without hurting myself, it's made me see you in a new light."

"You hated it." Jonathan said to me.

"Not anymore." I squeezed his shoulders assuringly. "It brought us together and made me realize I was wrong about you."

Jonathan stared at me for a few moments before he leaned in, attempting to close the distance between our lips. I pulled my face back and tried to save the conversation while also setting boundaries. "And you will always be my brother."

Jonathan swallows hard and looks down.

"And, as my older brother— don't you think it's about time to teach me how to drive this place?" I gestured around us. "It's my home too, isn't it?"