ANGEL WINGS - SHADOWHUNTERS

[3] vampires and blood bags

Once the three got to the Hotel DuMort, Simon led Clary and Rowena up to one of the top floors and into a dark, grey room. The room was covered in divine old paintings and ancient artefacts as well as high-class furniture, arranged neatly to give the effect of wealth.

"Why can't we just take what we need and leave?" Clary asked, growing extremely frustrated at the situation they were in. Rowena shrugged and looked over to Simon, who looked extremely nervous.

"If we were transfusing goat blood, no problem. But human blood, that's against the Accords." Simon explained.

"I'm surprised you know that much." A vampire said, appearing behind Simon, in a flash. He was fairly short with immaculate dark brown hair and light brown eyes, a small smirk playing on his pale lips.

"Why do you keep doing that to me?" Simon questioned, a stern look gracing his features. Rowena listened to their conversation but some of the artefacts and paintings around her had gained some of her attention.

"If you worked on controlling your enhanced senses, as you should, you wouldn't be surprised. Clary... you really have to stop barging in here." The vampire said, keeping his attention solely on Clary and Simon, paying no mind to the angel-demon trailing around his room.

"Sorry, Raphael. We need blood." Clary explained, bluntly.

"So, I've heard." Raphael stated. "Human blood. Funny how those rules for Downworlders stop being such a big deal when you need our help. 'Que lastima.' No can do."

Simon stepped towards Raphael and opened his mouth to speak but Rowena beat him to it. She turned her head around to face the vampire, "Raphael, huh?" She asked, "Camille's little lapdog."

Raphael turned his attention to the overconfident angel-demon, "I'm not a lapdog. Who are you?"

"Rowena." She smiled, a smirk playing on her lips and a mischievous grin in her eyes as she held out her hand for him to shake, which he did, graciously, keeping his gaze on her.

"Okay, listen. Come on. Last night, I bumped into Bernice." Simon butted in, moving Raphael away from Rowena. "She overheard a couple of bridge and tunnel vamps gossiping about Camille."

"You said Camille took a leave of absence, right?" He asked, worry lacing his voice.

"Yeah. Yeah, yeah. They didn't care about that. They said she kept around a couple of humans. Apparently, she'd feed on them, but never went all the way. What are they called? Uh, sub... submissives?" Simon said, he was trying to blackmail Raphael and to Rowena, it looked like it was working.

"Keep your voice down. They're called subjugates. Horrible things. Even Camille got sick of them." Raphael said, moving Simon further away from Clary and Rowena, who had moved herself towards Clary.

"Okay, so, they're gone. But keeping around human beings just to drain at cocktail hour, that's against the Accords. Camille had a taste for the real stuff. I know from experience. She had to have something on ice."

"I'm sorry. If you want to tattle to the Clave about Camille draining humans, fine. I'm the new administration." Raphael said, trying to assert his dominance over Simon, who was handling himself quite well in this situation.

"Yeah. You could probably get over on them with that line, but you weren't exactly an innocent bystander in my case." Simon retorted. Rowena didn't know all the details but she guessed that Simon's vampirism was new and not wanted at the time.

Anger started to rise in Raphael as he took a sharp breath, "We agreed not to discuss that."

"Did we? Funny, I can't really remember. Hey, did you ever tell the Clave what Camille did to me?" Simon questioned, sarcastically, while Clary and Rowena moved towards the vampires, Clary shaking her head at the last question directed to her.

"You can't. I'd be implicated." Raphael said, glaring at Simon.

"Then help us. Raphael, Jace will die without it." Clary said, Raphael moving to look at Clary as she spoke.

"I can't believe you'd do this to me. Blackmail." Raphael stated, looking between Clary and Simon. Before moving past Simon towards a painting and pin machine.

"Save it. You're getting off easy." Simon said, as they watched Raphael punch in the pin code before the painting raised up to reveal a selection of human blood.

"What's his blood type?"

"Go for type O." Simon instructed as Raphael got two blood bags out. "Universal donor," Simon told Clary and Rowena.

Raphael punched in the pin again and lowered the painting, reluctantly handing Clary the two blood bags. "Thank you. Simon, let's go."

"Yeah, not so fast. I like the way you handled yourself in this negotiation. Stick around." Raphael softly demanded, sending chills down Simon and Clary's backs. Rowena could see where this was going. Raphael was getting his little bit of revenge for Simon blackmailing him.

"I'm ambassador to the werewolves. It's very time-consuming." Simon rambled, nervously to try and get himself out of the situation.

"Let me take that burden off of your shoulders. As of now, you've been recalled. You're advisor to the interim chapter president." Raphael stated. Simon sighed and was about to open his mouth to speak before Raphael continued, "Don't complain. My new advisor has to stay here." He directed the last sentence at Clary, making a frustrated frown cross her lips and a subtle glare come from her eyes towards the older vampire.

"It's okay. Just go. Really." Simon reassured, ushering Clary and Rowena out of the building, with a comforting small smile on his lips.

"Thank you," Clary said, pulling Simon towards her and kissing him on the cheek. "Both of you." She looked over at Raphael with eyebrows raised before looking back at Simon with concern and turning to leave.

"Bye boys!" Rowena confidently cheered, while waving, as Clary pulled her by her arm out of the Hotel DuMort and back to the Jade Wolf.

A/N: Hey, hope you enjoyed that chapter! I am about halfway through writing this book and have some sequels and stuff planned, I'm so excited!

Anyways, luv u guys xxx