Betrothed ❀ A. Lightwood [ON HIATUS]

SEVEN.

CHAPTER SEVEN: Raphael Santiago

"There are only three things women need in life: food, water, and compliments."

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"Izzy, I got your text. Where are we exactly?" Alec called throughout the abandoned area. Athena felt her lips turn down. Something had changed with Alec after what Hodge said. The air was different between them, more tense.

"It's an old meatpacker service entrance, it leads to the basement of the hotel." Athena cut in before Isabelle could open her mouth. Both Lightwood siblings looked at her weirdly. It was still hard to comprehend that Athena, pure and angelic, could associate herself with a Vampire, which was basically the opposite.

"Why didn't you just tell us you knew how to get in before I had to interrogate Meliorn." Isabelle asked, slightly annoyed for the time waste.

"No offense." Athena drawled, a small smile curving her lips, "but I don't think you mind." Alec arched an eyebrow. Her eyes twinkled with mischief, and he had to bite back an amused smile of his own.

"Alright, we all have our things don't we. Why don't you go check out the second entrance, while Alec and I check the first." Isabelle asked with a roll of her eyes. Athena only shrugged in response, her small smile growing into a full-fledged grin as she walked away. It was immensely amusing how Isabelle would get when teased. Her entire face would turn as red as her lipstick.

As she walked around a corner and out of sight, the only indication she was still in the same area as the Lightwood siblings was the ever present clicking of Isabelle's heels as she walked. Athena continued walking until she was a good meter or two away from the second entrance, hearing small footsteps and hushed whispers behind. She stopped once she knew for sure someone was following her.

Athena sidestepped until she was around the next corner, her sword out. The sound of only footsteps echoing made Athena's hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She didn't know who it could possibly be. Usually they had an image to go by, read the reports and skills of everyone they chased down. For all Athena knew, the clan leader could very well be the one lurking.

She stayed frozen, controlling her breaths. Vampires did have above average hearing after all. As the footsteps got closer, just around the corner, she prepared herself. Grabbing the edge of the blade and moving out from her hiding spot, grabbing the nearest person and holding the weapon to their throat.

"Step dow, Athena. It's just us."

A quick flash of annoyance pulsed through Athena as she recognized the bright hair of Clary she had been gripping and Jace's familiar voice.

"She shouldn't be here." She chided with her jaw clenched, pushing Clary once she took the blade from her throat. She looked at Jace with a glare that, if looks could kill, he'd be on his knees begging for life.

Both Jace and Clary ignored the comment, instead focusing on the scurrying vamps they could see a little distance away. Jace grabbed both girls arms, leading them away from the vamps and into a different room. A room decorated with furniture, antiques and extravagant colors.

"I just ran thirty blocks to get here before I got burned to death by the sun!"

Funny enough, as they were running from vampires they ended up bumping into more. A tall guy in a blue jacket and about five others came barreling at them, specifically Jace and Clary. Jace attempted to take the brunt of the attack, but Clary still went down.

Athena had her dagger in the air before Jace could even touch the ground, the weapon embedding itself into a nearby wall. Meanwhile, both her and Clary were grabbed by the neck and shoved against another wall.

"The blade!" Jace shouted to them.

Clary attempted to pull hers free from the utility belt around her waist, but the guy in the blue jacket grabbed it out of her hands. It was a pretty dumb thing to do considering it was a Shadowhunter blade, it burned him on instant contact, forcing him to drop the blade and let it clatter to the ground.

"Dammit!" He grunted, pulling the girls away from the wall. Clary had his arms wrapped around her neck while Athena was sent flying to the floor, his heavy foot on her back and crushing her delicate wings.

She cried out loudly, scream vibrating at a higher frequency than normal. As soon as the scream was heard, Alec and Isabelle had shown up. Alec sent an arrow through the wall, breaking through the concrete and letting sunlight flood on to the vampire. Meanwhile, Isabelle had her whip around the man's ankle that rested on her friend, yanking hard.

"Athena, this isn't supposed to happen. You're supposed to be the invincible one!" Alec called out, running towards her while the other three Shadowhunters slayed the remaining the demons. He had his steele out, already reactivating the healing rune.

"Shit happens." She grumbled, sitting up with the help of Alec. Her wings were the only weak spot she had. The sensitive, flimsy bones were easily breakable. Much like a birds with their hollow bones.

"We need to find Simon." Clary interrupted, walking determinedly farther into the hotel.

They left the room without another word spoken, not wishing to waste time even further. Athena stumbled over her feet as she tried to catch up with everyone quickened pace. She was astonished when none other then Simon Lewis and Raphael Santiago came into sight, Simon with a face bruised and bloody while Raphael had a knife to the mundanes throat.

"Simon!" Clary called out, Jace stopping her from advancing and doing something carelessly.

"Listen to him, Clary Fairchild. Put it away. I've had more than enough of your friend for one day. I'd love to cut his throat, don't give me a reason."

Athena stood beside Clary and felt tempted to pull out a blade of her own. This wasn't the Raphael she had known. The Raphael she knew was sweet and good with a wanting of being bad but never really having it in him. But they followed him nonetheless down a small corridor leading to the back door,

"Open the door now, or I'll kill him." Raphael commanded with a clenched jaw. Athena would have laughed if it was a different circumstance. He looked like the joker with that almost chalk colored face and rosy lips. And of course, when they opened the door a wave of sunlight filtered in, making him flinch in pain.

"Go, go, go!"

Raphael shoved Simon towards them, hiding behind a few pipes.

"I don't know how to thank you!" Simon said as he was halfway out the door. Athena let out a snort. Even in situations like these, Simon was still a polite dork.

"Don't thank me," he breathed out. "You mean nothing. This is about Valentine and the chaos he can bring,"

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