Overwhelmed [3] 《SHADOWHUNTERS》

Chapter Six

Alicante appeared as something ripped from of a fairy tale. Most of its streets were still laid with worn brick and stone, cutting narrowly through the cottages, old shacks, and townhomes. The city had been mostly untouched by modern life, lit by iron wrought gas lamps and witch lights and protected by runed glass towers. Even in its most urban corners, nature poked out wherever it could. Hedges overtook side gardens and ivy crawled up whatever it could grasp.

The air was brisk, winds swept in from the mountains and across the canal that cut through the city. The sky was clouded over, grey and murky. Occasionally, a striking dash of blue split through before it was swallowed. The road was empty save two figures, one much taller than the other. Their voices rang out, the freedom of the country having lifted their spirits.

"You probably shouldn't start out with annoying our superiors," Alec advised, though his tone was light and full of jest. Beside him, Andy shook her head, beaming pridefully.

"You should have seen their faces," she managed through a laugh. She had been forced to go to a meeting today, in which her "honour" was being forced to endure an hours worth of petty Nephilim gossip and ten minutes of actual Clave discussion, of which she didn't get to spend a second speaking. How could she be expected to behave through those conditions?

Alec smiled at her, trying to ignore the things that remained unsettled between them. She was trying, too; to pretend he wasn't prying every time he watched she and Jace in a room together. As for their feelings on the past week, they were attempting to follow Magnus' lead and let it go.

It had been odd, returning home later that evening. Alec didn't think of how to explain away the sudden forgiveness between them when Jace had questioned it. He just told him he was talking to her, something else on his long list of trying. And Andy was still getting berated by her siblings, facing the brunt of Isabelle's terror-inducing glare. 

The break to Idris was a welcome one in a way, because they at least had their parents' presence to moderate them. They were staying at one of the Lightwood's smaller properties closer to town, the house Alec and Izzy had grown up in. At least with Maryse and Robert around, the young adults were all eager to pretend they had everything under control.

Andy had picked up her pace eagerly, stuffing her hand into the pocket of her jeans and feeling the wad of bills she had picked up fresh from the cash exchange. Alec asked if it would kill her if she slowed down, to which she responded it might. Their destination was just in sight, the old, red metal sign creaking against the arch it was hooked onto. Jutting out of the front of a stone cottage rounded by time, the swirling white letters needing a fresh coat of paint among the runes for protection and defense: Elroy's Wares.

She all but ran the last few storefronts to the splintering door, finding the cold metal handle and clicking the latch down before pushing it open. A bell jingled from far above the doorway, a string-and-hook contraption made long before simple buttons were possible. Alec followed after the jittery girl, who made no attempt to hold the heavy door for him.

The store was always dark, no matter when they ended up stumbling on in. Isabelle had gotten one of her training whips from there, and it was where Andy had brought Jace to get his first good blade when Robert and Maryse said he was old enough. A lamp on the desk shone through the hazy room, along with the dusty window behind the clerk's counter. The bell jingled again as Alec walked in behind Andy, who was already racing to meet the Shadowhunter who ran the store.

Around the room sat old and finished projects alike, authentic European weaponry perfected by angelic magic with the help of the Iron Sisters. The sweaty man inside greeted them with a crooked smile, recognizing the pair. "What can I get you two? Heard you need to supply an Institute now."