Heavens Shadow ▹ Jace Wayland (2)

11.

The corridor opened out in a wide room with dirt for the floor and walls lined with high stone pillars. Between each pillar was vines and bright flowers all bursting with colour. There was a sweet music playing that a circle of faeries danced to. Their feet barely skimmed the ground as the hairs of all kinds of colours flew behind them.

I'd turned away not trusting myself to even look upon them. I knew the stories you danced with faeries, you danced for an eternity.

Jace's hand found my after he'd finished with restraining clary. He pushed her forward with the other causing her to stumble. Simon was head where Isabelle held onto him with a firm grip. Jace dragged me through the room as i adverted my eyes, self control wasn't exactly a strength of mine.

We passed through a curtian of blue silk into another corridor. I noticed the scarf Isabelle had tied around Simon's eyes to prevent him giving in to the temptation. I blocked out the following conversation soon we began walking again, it came as a welcome distraction.

Finally Meliorn paused. "These are the Queen's chambers." He said. "She's come from her Court in the north to see about the child's death. If there's to be war, she wants to be the one declaring it.

Meliorn drew the vines in front of him aside and ushered them into the chamber on the other side. Jace ducked through first and i followed after him as his has gravitated from my hand to the edge of jacket.

A woman i could only assume was the Queen reclined on a low couch surrounded by an assortment of faeries.

"My Queen." Meliorn said bowing before her. "I have brought the Nephilim to you."

The Queen sat up. "Four of these are Nephilim." She said. "The other is a mundane."

Meliorn seemed to shrink away at her words. Her gaze remained on us though. Jace jumped to the rescue. "Our apologies, my lady." He voice now careful and delicate. "The mundane is our responsibility. We owe him protection. Therefore we keep him with us."

She titled her head. "A blood debt?" She murmured. "To a mundane?"

"He saved my life." Jace replied. "Please, my lady. We had hoped you would understand. We had heard you were as kind as you were beautiful, and in that case—well." Jace said. "Your kindness must be extreme indeed."

She smirked in response leaning forward. "You are as charming as your farther, Jonathan Morgenstern." She said gesturing to cushion scattered around the floor. "Come, sit beside me. Eat something. Drink. Rest yourselves. Talk is better with wet lips."

Jace hesitated for a moment before Meliorn leaned over to him. "It would be unwise to refuse the bounty of the Queen of the Seelie Court." He said softly.

Isabelle shrugged. "It won't hurt us to just sit down."

Meliorn led them over to a pile of silky cushions. I sat down cross footed on top of one of them. Jace sat closest to the queen but still near enough to me that my senses went into momentary overdrive.

"Now." The Queen said. "Meliorn tells me you claim to know who killed our child in the park last night. Though I tell you now, it seems no mystery to me. A faerie child, drained of blood? Is it that you bring me the name of a single vampire? But all vampires are at fault here, for the breaking of the Law, and should be punished accordingly. Despite what may seem, we are not such a particular people."

"Oh, come on." Isabelle said. "It isn't vampires."

Jace shot her a look. "What Isabelle means to say is that we're almost certain that the murderer is someone else. We think he may be trying to throw suspicion on the vampires to shield himself."