Catch Me If You Can - The Last Hours

Chapter 1

As Celeste Rosewain was getting settled into her new bedroom at the London Institute, rain quietly began to patter at the windows that laid in the walls. She enjoyed the homey feel that the Institute harbored with each of the bedrooms having a four posted bed, a large fireplace and vanity along with a washroom. She decided she ought to get ready for supper as the stars were starting to flicker the sky while dusk approached. She had already unpacked her bags and had written to her mother and father telling them how she missed them dearly. Shadowhunters were encouraged to take a travel year once they turned 18 to learn other Shadowhunter accustoms and that was exactly what Celeste was doing. Although, she had never been interested in a travel year because she hated the idea of leaving her family behind but, her parents insisted that she would regret it if she did not go. Her father was not fond of the idea that she would be staying with the Herondale's as he thought it was mad that a Shadowhunter was married to a warlock. Celeste absolutely despised that her father thought so negatively about the Herondale's as they were heroes of the Clockwork War and a small amount of demon blood meant nothing about who they truly were.

Celeste had bathed instantly when she arrived at the Institute from the port where Mr. Herondale had picked her up in one of his carriages. He was strikingly handsome with black hair salted with gray and startlingly blue eyes. She would be lying if she were not looking forward to meeting the infamous James Herondale who was near the same age as her. While on their way to the Institute Will had cracked many jokes and was indeed as lively as Magnus Bane had mentioned to her back at home in New York.

Celeste's long, thick dark hair had finally dried from her bath and she sat at her vanity to begin styling it in a presentable way. She indeed wanted to make a good impression on all the Herondale's and was hoping to become friends with their youngest daughter Lucie Herondale as she was only two years younger than herself. After debating between a deep crimson silk high-necked gown and a dusted blue chiffon dress with lacey sleeves that reached her elbows, she decided on the crimson gown. The gown was stunning she had to admit, its sleeves were short and did not pass her shoulders and had a thick silk black ribbon that tied around her waist accentuating her curves. After fussing with her wavy hair for what felt like an eternity, she had perfected her pompadour and went to place gold rings along her slender fingers. Feeling presentable, she nervously entered the hallway outside of her room and started heading down the direction to which she remembered Mr. Herondale and herself had walked down earlier that day.

After aimlessly walking throughout the witch light-sconced hallways for at least ten minutes she had come to the conclusion that she must have taken a wrong turn. The hallways were dimly lit and had tapestries of images all too familiar to Celeste. They depicted stars, swords and various Shadowhunter runes. When she gazed up at the ceiling, she noted how it appeared to disappear into an abyss, this place truly felt like a castle out of a book. How dreadfully embarrassing it will be for her to appear late for dinner. She turned back around, eyeing the carpeted ground as she walked. This was not how she had planned her first evening in London and had dreaded making---