Heavens Shadow ▹ Jace Wayland (2)

4.

Clary showed the same reaction i did at the sight of raphael standing here in a room far too holy for him.

"What happened to you, brother? You look as if a pack of wolves tried to tear you apart." He addressed Jace with a toothy smile.

"That's either a shockingly good guess." Jace said. "Or you heard about what happened"

Raphael's smile turned into a grin. "I hear things."

Maryse rose to her feet. "Jace," She said, voice full of anxiety. "Did something happen? Why are you back so soon? I thought you were going to stay with—" Her gaze then moved past him to Luke and Clary. "And who are you?"

"Jace's sister," Clary replied.

"Yes, i can see it. You look like Valentine." She turned back on Jace. "You brought your sister with you? And a mundane, as well? It's not safe for any of you here right now. And especially a mundane—"

Luke smiled faintly. "But i'm not a mundane."

Maryse fave turned to one of bewilderment as she looked at Luke properly. "Lucian?"

"Hello Maryse," Luke said. "It's been a long time."

Maryse's face was very still. She sat down carefully. "Lucian," She said again. "Lucian Greymark."

"You killed Gabriel." Raphael remarked after he'd been watched the proceedings with a bright curious gaze.

Luke gave him a slight shrug in response. "I did, yes, just like he killed the pack leader before him. That's how it works with lycanthropes."

Maryse looked up at that. "The pack leader?"

"If you lead the pack now, it's time for us to talk," Raphael said, inclining his head graciously towards Luke. "Though not at this exact moment; perhaps."

"I'll send someone over to arrange it," Luke said. "Things have been busy lately. I might be behind on the niceties."

"You might," Raphael commented before turning face Maryse. "Is our business here concluded?"

"If you say the Night Children aren't involved in these killings, then I'll take you at your word. I'm required to, unless other evidence comes to light." 

Raphael frowned. "To light?" He said. "That's not a phrase I like." He then turned to face me. "Good to see you again, Annalina." He grinned at the way Jace's face clouded over at his words. "Always a pleasure to be in the presence of such a beautiful young lady."

Then his hand started to fade away becoming transparent. Then it spread up his arms soon consumed him completely leaving no part of him behind, he was simply gone.

Clary gasped. "Is he dead?"

Jace's face still wasn't back to normal when he looked over at me. Apparently immortality does gift you with some level of intelligence. Raphael knew full well what he was doing, perhaps he could never punish him for the havoc we caused that night but messing with his feelings apparently was a reasonable second best.

"What, Raphael?" Jace said, voice still laced with bitterness. "Not likely. That was just a projection of him. He can't come into the Institute in his corporeal form."