Perfect Hunter

Trials for the Rune

Words couldn't describe what Calliope felt when she first stepped out the portal to see sparkling crystals all around her. Everything pristine and clear, elegant, radiated energy that felt pure and angelic, sending goose bumps up her arms when she felt the cool wind hit her face. Around her she was surrounded by shadowhunters, all wore black, runes all over their arms and neck, some runes familiar, others not so much but she briefly saw when she first opened the gray book herself.

“Welcome to Alicante, Calliope Fairchild,” a man approached. He was a tall well built man, with dark curly hair, a well shaped and kept beard and mustache too. Walking towards her, a welcoming tone in his voice and face that made her feel at slight ease. “How was your portal trip? Was it good?”

“It's not my first time traveling by portal,” Calliope says, finding that portal much better than the first time she had.

“Really? And when was that may I ask?” The man asked, intrigued, having Calliope purse her lips. The first portalling memory was not so good, she was pushed into it by her mother.

“The night of my 18th birthday,” she says.

The man nods in understanding, probably catching on to the tension that Calliope had on her shoulders when she said that. “Well, let me introduce myself. I am Elijah Heirbrook, assigned by Inquisitor Imogen Herondale to guide and escort for the duration of your stay.”

“It's nice to meet you, sir Heirbrook,” Calliope shakes his hand, though he stops her by giving her hand a kiss.

“Please, just Elijah,” he grinned before releasing her hand.

Calliope hoped she wasn't as red as she thinks she is as she felt her cheeks heat up, not used to such actions.

“Shall we? Inquisitor Herondale expects us to meet her within the hour,” Elijah says, motioning for the other shadowhunters around them to come closer. “But first I’d like you to meet my team.”

Only three of the shadowhunters that surrounded them came close. Two men and a woman.

“Ezekiel Gerardis,” one of the men introduced himself, holding up his hand for her to shake. He had sandy brown hair, tan skin and a prominent scar from his jaw to his chin. “And this is Adrian Rosewain,” he motions to the man beside him, blond with very mystifying gray eyes. Not as built as Elijah, but he was certainly bigger than Ezekiel.

“Nice to meet you both,” Calliope greeted, u sure if she should offer her hand to shake or not. Thankfully they didn't seem to show expectations of her giving them hand shakes.

“And I am Francesca Heirbrook,” the woman in the group introduced herself. She was blonde as well, though her hair was cut short, one braid to the side to show her undercut, with lines shaved to form a pattern. Under it was a familiar rune… a marriage rune.

“Also known as my beautiful badass wife,” Elijah smiled, placing a hand on Francesca’s shoulder before giving her a kiss on the temple. Now realizing that the marriage rune on Elijah was on the side of his neck, next to his angelic rune.

Francesca elbows Elijah with a small glare, “Your wife who is close to kicking you off the demon towers if you don't finish your paperwork on time,” she huffed.

Suddenly, Calliope felt out of place. A bitter taste on her tongue when she sees the happily married couple in front of her reminded her so much of the scene with her mom and Valentine in the other dimension. Shaking her head, she didn't need to remind herself of all that, especially after what happened.

“We heard about your mother, you have our condolences,” Adrian Rosewain says, having Calliope steer her attention away from the couple.

“Thank you,” Calliope thanked him quietly, though unsure if she should be thanking someone after giving condolences for her mom's death.