Chain of Thorns

Chapter 10

Malcolm was scowling as he was being ushered up to the lectern. Jesse was there too, shaking a bit.

"Miss Herondale-" Bridgestock began. Charlotte held his arm.

'Lucie," Charlotte continued more formally. "Do you think you, Lucie Herondale committed necromancy?"

'No," Lucie replied, her hands on her hips and eyes glaring at Bridgestock. "I did not."

"That's preposterous, Charlotte," Bridgestock objected. "How is bringing back someone from the dead not necromancy?"

Will and Tessa, situated on a chair near Lucie, was about to cry OBJECT when Charlotte spoke again.

"As I am well aware," Charlotte said. "Lucie has a power to command ghosts. That is not necromancy. That is a power."

Jesse winked at Lucie.

"That's exactly what he said," Lucie thought.

"So," Charlotte continued. "This case is closed."

"No!" Bridgestock protested. "This is the shortest case ever! You'll be voted off as Consul by the Clave, Charlotte!"

Charlotte didn't flinch.

'And you'll be voted off as Inquisitor, Maurice. For keeping a 'criminal' in court for no reason."

Bridgestock stuttered.

'CASE CLOSED," Charlotte yelled.

Will leaped up from his chair and was crying hooray. Tessa opened her arms wide and Lucie went into them, hugging her mother. Malcolm, standing there had nothing to do with this at all as Charlotte and Bridgestock talked the most, walked off, shrugging. Jesse was smiling and watching them with amusement.

"I am sick and tired of this," Tessa said.

"We must go home and rest, right Lucie?"

"Yes,' Lucie replied. "Yes."

*Cordelia*

"Ohhhhhhh. James, this is beautiful!" Cordelia sighed, entering the room.

"I knew you would like it," he said, smiling. They had put down all their things when a scream rattled downstairs. It was the maid, Elaine. They were renting a townhouse and James, apparently, wanted someone to housekeep. When she had heard this, Cordelia rolled her eyes.

The maid was lying on the floor, her hands bloody. Her brown hair was greasy and wet with red splotches. She was a Sighted mundane.

"Miss," she whispered at the sight of Cordelia. Jasmine tumbled out of her room downstairs, her hair a mess.

"Elaine," Jasmine whispered. "Are your alright?"

"I am," Elaine said, struggling to sit up. "A man was here. He opened the door with a bobby pin."

"What did he look like?" James demanded.

"He had blonde hair," Elaine said, feeling better. "I am sure he tried to kidnap me, but he noticed you darting down the stairs. Oh, mon Dieu," Elaine sighed.

James nudged Cordelia.

"She is a better maid," he whispered.

Cordelia smacked him smartly on the arm.

"Even if you don't like Effie very much," she said. "Don't compare her, she will hate you even more."

"But we could hire her," he said.

"We'll talk about it, dear."

"Would you like me to begin cooking dinner?" Elaine asked.

"Of course,' Jasmine said very suddenly. 'I am rather hungry."

Elaine scuttled off and began washing vegetables and chopping off the stems. James bid Jasmine a quick goodbye and told her to take shorter showers. Cordelia went up the stairs and watched them with amusement.

"Blonde hair," she thought. "The only person I know with blonde hair is Matthew."

*Lucie*

"I shall not. I shan't," Jesse protested.

"Jesse Blackthorn, I command you to meet my parents," Lucie said jokingly.

"Haha, very funny," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Please, Jesse. I can't like you unless Mother and Father agree with me."

"Fine, I haven't been living for at least 7 years, who are your parents?"

"Are you kidding me."

"What?"

"You have a serious forgetting problem. Heron-dale?"

"I don't get it."

"My mother and father are Will and Tessa Herondale!"

"Oh. My mother despises them. Speaking of my mother, have you seen her? She would be glad to see me resurrected and alive."

"No, Jesse. I don't think she will. She will be mad and angry at Grace and I for bringing you back."

"I had spied on her for a while and she is extremely mad."

"Yes... OH just meet my parents, they aren't mad like Tatiana."

"Err..."

"JESSE!"

"Okay fine, which way?"

*Cordelia*

After showering, Cordelia wrapped her hair in a loose bun and let it dry. When dry, she let go of her hair, tumbling down her back. James had watched her, he always did when he saw her hair. She kissed him, hard. When she was alone in her room, disaster struck.

"JAMES!"

He ran into the room, almost breaking the door. A hooded figure with a black hood drooping over his face, shadowing it from view. He reached a normal human hand out and pulled Cordelia against him. His hood fell off and-

'Matthew?" James said loud enough for Jasmine to hear.

'MATTHEW?" Jasmine yelled, galumphing up the stairs. She was about to run to him and throw her arms around him but James held her back.

"That isn't Matthew," James said to her, which made Cordelia more unsafe.

"Indeed, grandson," Matthew said.

"Belial,' he whispered. "Daisy, stay there-'

"Oh, no, she's coming with me,' Belial said, grinning villainously.

"Grandfather-"

"No. She is with me. I will end you puny Shadowhunters, one day, become the greatest Prince of Hell and rule the world with my brothers. Not Belphegor of course, he is an idiot. And there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

He took off with her, hand around her waist. It was cold and cool, despite being Matthew's scarred, familiar hand.

"Where did she go?" Jasmine said curiously.

"I think..."

"No..."

"The top of the Eiffel Tower."

Sorry this took so long for another chapter because I am working on 2 Combined Lands with my IRL BFF.

-daisy  herxondale