The next days consisted of training, just training. Daggers, bow and arrow and I began to go on missions to get better in controlling the demons. After Izzy, it looked like I was more or less playing and dancing with them. Jace and I had no time together, it almost seemed like Maryse controlled our missions. We never went onto the same ones and when we came back from them we both were incredible tired, so we ended up in separated rooms, falling asleep immediately.

Alec and I just came back from a mission, Jace and Izzy were gone for another one.

Alec: "The clave decided to destroy the institute within the next week, by the way."

He said it incidentally while putting our weapons away. He knew it meant the world to me and didn't even look me in the eyes.

Kalia: "And you did not come up with the idea telling me about it earlier.  When exactly?"

He still avoided my glimpse.

Alec: "In exactly seven days."

Kalia: "Are we going to join?"

No answer, still avoiding eye-contact.

Kalia: "Alexander, I am talking to you."

He mumbled something that I couldn't understand. I began to get angry, grabbed his arm and forced him to turn around.

Kalia: "I'm pretty sure you are able to speak properly."

Alec closed his eyes. At this point he reminded me a bit of myself. When situations came out of hand I closed my eyes, wanting to escape.

He shook his head.

Kalia: "What? You are not able to speak, or we are not going to join?"

Alec: "You are not going to join."

He opened his eyes again and watched me with his grumpy look. I let go of his upper arm and separated myself from him with some steps.

Kalia: "I am not going to join? If I wouldn't be here you would not even know the institute still existed."

Being angry was understated.

Alec: "See, it was not my choice. I said we should leave it up to you if you wanted to join or not. But Mom, I mean Maryse, doesn't think about it that way. It would be too traumatizing for you."

Kalia: "Oh, I am going to give Maryse a trauma if she ever decides over me again."

For a second I forgot I was talking about his mother but then I realized he was not happy about her decision too.

Alec: "Kalia, I know it is unfair. I know how it feels when you want to fight for something but you just can't. I know exactly how it is. The law is hard, but it is the law."

Kalia: "Dude, you can shove up the law where the sun doesn't shine. I don't care."

With that I turned around and went back into my room, waiting for everyone else to go to bed. When they did I went into the entrance hall again. Big monitors surrounded by desks. No one was there. I knew what to do. I went to one of the monitors and entered a code that I watched Alec put in. Successful. The databases had all information about warlocks, nephilim, vampires etc. All I needed was a warlock. I pressed the option and the first one who came up was Magnus. Definitely not him. All the other ones were loyal to the clave. They would not help me. My only chance was a girl named Freja. She seemed to be around my age and lived at Hotel Dumort. That's weird. But I did not care.

A day later I stood in front of the hotel. The lock was destroyed so the building basically screamed "Come inside". It was dark but my eyes got used to it pretty soon. I channeled my way through the hallways until I reached a big room with a dark sofa. A man with dark hair and pale skin was sitting there, looking at me. From what I researched that must be Raphael Santiago, one of the leaders of the local vampire clan.

Raphael: "Do you know how much luck you have, I am here today and my clan is out to eat?"

I came closer. Let him kill me. I don't know. I don't care.

Raphael: "Your heart is not even beating fast. Are you tired of your life, shadowhunter? What do you want?"

Kalia: "Freja."

Raphael: "I need to disappoint you. She's already married and into men."

He chuckled and held up his hand, showing a ring on his ring finger.

Kalia: "I need her magic."

Raphael: "Many people do so."

Kalia: "Please let me talk to her. I am willing to pay you anything you want."

I could see a shimmer in his eyes. He smiled.

Raphael: "We probably have everything we ever wanted. How could a shadowhunter help us out? Everything you could do... my wife can do it ten times better."

I could hear a voice from the dark, someone joined us. "Mi amado, let her speak."

A light but harsh voice. A small blonde girl came out of the shadows. So that was the warlock I was searching for. She sat down next to Raphael. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Freja: "What do you need, shadowhunter? Who send you?"

I don't get it. How can such a young person broadcast so much authority and warmth at the same time? She must have been in my age and got time to marry, be a warlock and also the leader of the vampire clan. And what did I achieve? Right, nothing. I can't even plan an evening with Jace.

Kalia: "Nobody sent me. I came on my own. They don't know. Don't tell them."

Raphael: "Oh, secret mission."

His sarcasm was almost hurting.

Freja: "Behind the back of the nephilim? Not a good idea. Jace has a feeling for those things."

She caught my total attention by mentioning that name.

Kalia: "You know Jace?"

Freja: "Just because we are vampires does not mean we need to stay under our kind. We are close with the nephilim and the warlocks. Jace is one of my closest friends."

I could see Raphael's muscles being tensed. Seems that he did not like what he heard. We were on the same side with that. Jace never told about Freja but seems like Freja does not really talk about Jace either.  

Kalia: "I need your help with something. Please. I already told your husband, I'll give you anything you desire. I heard nephilim blood is good. You can have it. I can..."

She interrupted me.

Freja: "Tell me what you need."

She removed Raphael's arm from her shoulder and without words he knew that it meant 'Leave us alone'. As her husband was gone she winked me over and patted the place next to her. I did what she showed me and sat down.

Kalia: "I don't know how to explain."

Freja: "Try it. I have an eternity to listen."

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A/N If you don't know who Freja is, you should check out my other fanfiction "Moonshine".