Chapter 2

                                    

                                          
Val's POV
                          
I glared at my brother who was currently as agitated as I was but for a different reason than I was. The mundane girl from the club was still sleeping in the infirmary and her mother was missing. Jace wasn't even concentrating on the task at hand which was trying to knock me on my ass with the bow staff.
                          
"You're distracted." I stated as I knocked him down for the tenth time. I rolled my eyes and helped him up before I put my staff back. I left the area and glared at everyone including Hodge. The only one who was as agitated as I was about this was Alec. I walked back to my room and slipped out of my training clothes and took a quick shower before changing into a strapless jean styled shirt and a pair of blue jeans. I pulled on a pair of my thigh high black boots and threw my hair into a messy bun. I put my family ring necklace back around my neck and headed out the door. I stopped outside of the infirmary when I noticed the red-head awake. 
                          
I only stepped inside when Jace and Alec finally entered as well. 
                          
"A mundane shouldn't even be here." Alec said. I silently agreed with him. I was wary of the red head. 
                          
"And where is 'here' exactly?" The girl asked.
                          
"She's not a mundane, Alec." Jace said.
                          
"How do you know that?" I questioned coming to the dark haired boy's defense. 
                          
"Because, Val, the seraph blade lit up when she touched it." Jace replied. "Look, Isabelle can you..." He sighed. "I'm Jace Wayland. And that is my sister Valkyrie." 
                          
I glared at my brother as the mundane answered him. "I'm Clary Fray."
                          
"We know who you are." I told her with venom laced in my words. I didn't like the fact that this girl was coming between the four of us. Especially my brother and his parabatai all the while mine is in Idris with their parents.
                          
"Am I the only one who finds this unusual?" Alec asked. I left before anymore could be said. I had already broken up about 4 separate arguments between the two boys and I wasn't interested in stopping them again. I headed toward the library where I welcomed the silence and my thoughts. I grabbed the photo album that Hodge had of his days from the Shadowhunters Academy in Idris. I flipped the album open to the picture of my dad. 
                          
It had been nearly ten years since that day when I had to say goodbye to my homeland. Ten years since I last saw him. In those ten years Jace and I relied on each other. It took us time to trust the Lightwoods since we had never met them before. 
                          
The others knew of course where I disappeared to, but they wouldn't come look for me for a few hours at least. 
                          
"Every year you look at that picture." I glanced up and saw Hodge. I knew he was an ex-Circle member from the rune on his neck. I didn't trust him. I remembered that day all too well. Any ex-Circle member who came across my path I was wary of and Hodge was no exception. Jace couldn't understand it and neither could I.
                          
"And every year I ask myself the same unanswered questions." I mutter. "He wasn't even supposed to be there. He wasn't due back for another week." I added. Hodge said nothing. I sighed and closed the album letting my unanswered questions float away only to be asked again the next year or when I least expected. I walked around the library looking for anything to catch my eye. When nothing did I turned and left the room very much aware of Hodge watching my retreating figure. 
                          
I followed behind Jace and Clary -who was wearing one of Izzy's least revealing outfits since hers had demon venom on them-  who were headed outside. I smiled as Jace passed me his stele. I redrew the glamour rune and passed it back to him. I slipped a blade off of him as we walked out the door. I was on high alert while Clary asked Jace questions. Questions that only stopped when she was a few feet away from a mundane boy.