Chapter Three
Perfect Strangers
Part One
C
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Percy accompanied me home all the way from Manhattan to my mom and I’s apartment in Queens. While we ride the F train, we’ve endlessly argued about Jace and the threats that he might bring if we try to get ourselves involve with his world. He also told me over and over again to avoid Jace if I ever see him again.

He only stay long in our apartment to explained to my mom why I got home late, altering the story by not mentioning about Jace, instead he told her that were attacked by monsters and he was worried that I might be attacked on my way home that’s why he decided to accompany me. My mom was very fond of Percy, she treat him like her own son like how his mom treat me, the two woman were even good friends. I’d say that Poseidon had a good taste with women for choosing my mom and Sally, Percy’s mom.

After Percy left, my mom told me she prepared the bath for me though it might be already cold by now. I told her that’s fine since I can’t just control water, I can also control its temperature –one of the perks of being a daughter of the god of the seas. I was bothered by Percy not mentioning about Jace and the demons we’ve encountered. I know that he means well, but I’ve never keep a secret from my mom although I know she keep a lot from me.

When I finished take a bath I’ve changed to my pyjamas then came out of the bathroom. My mom was waiting for me, sitting on the foot of my bed.

“Let me blow dry your hair.” My mom offered, noticing my wet tangled mess of silver blonde hair, I got it from my mom but hers were a darker shade of blonde almost like the color of gold.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll just go get the blower.” I went back to the bathroom, fetching the blower. Then I came back to my bedroom handing the blower to my mom. My mom and I were both silent as mom blow dry and comb my hair, were always been close since it was just the two of us together that silence doesn’t bother us.

The thought of meeting Jace was waiting on me. I felt like need to tell her about him, so I broke the silence. “Mom,” I started to say with a soft voice.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“There is something Percy and I leave out in the story we tell you,” I admitted, looking down on my folded hands on my lap as I tell her about meeting Jace, his fight with Percy and our little exchange of information about our worlds. My mom stiffed, dropping the hair brushed on the floor. I turned around to look at my mom. Her face paled, her eyes wide with fear and her hands, no –her whole body was shaking.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, panicking at the way my mom reacted as I mentioned meeting a shadowhunter.

My mom was still shaking as she crouched down to my level so were eye-to-eye, but even though she was looking at me it seemed like she was not seeing me but a distant painful past.

All I know about my mom’s past was both of her parents were dead –never told me the cause of it– and that she used to work as a servant in West End theatre until the manager heard her singing while cleaning up the dressing room, since then she undergo vocal training and later on became one of the main cast of a musical. Her career as a Broadway singer in West End had been running for two years when she met my father.

“Mom?” I called again louder this time.

She seemed to snap out of her trance, but she looked like she was about to cry. “Percy’s right, you should not intervene with the shadow world. Forget about it.” She told me, her voice was quivering with emotion. “Promise me!” Then she stood up and hugged me so tightly as if she was afraid to lose me as she keep on telling me she love me.

I was so taken aback by my mom’s reaction that all I did was nod my head. I know that my mom was one of those few mortals who have the ability to see through the mist and now she also knows about shadowhunters, even call their world shadow world. Why does she look so afraid when I tell her about meeting a shadowhunter? Did they do something wrong to her?

“Mom, what’s wrong?” I murmured against my mom’s embrace.

“Just promise me, Cassy.” She repeated.

“Okay, I promised.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “It’s already late, you should go to sleep. Goodnight, sweetheart.” She said and kissed me on the forehead before leaving my bedroom. And me on my own thoughts.

I lay down on my bed and stared at the ceiling, tonight’s events made my nerves high-strung that I can’t fall asleep then found myself sitting down on the bench of my upright piano. Before I know it my long, thin fingers started to glide on the familiar keys of the piano.

The earliest childhood memory I remember was when my mom sat me down on her lap at the age of three to taught me how to play the piano. Up to now it was the most precious memory I have, just my mom and I playing the piano together without a care about the world because we have each other and that was enough.

At one am, I finally felt sleepy, so I stopped playing the piano and crawled to my bed. Sleep immediately took me over as I close my eyes.

The shivers that ran through my body were very violent because of the cold temperature of my surrounding. Why is it so cold in my bedroom? I thought to myself as I slowly open my eyes. I could only see nothing but darkness and I realized that I was not in my bedroom and I was lying on a damp cold ground that was hard on my back. I was only dreaming –more on having a nightmare. I sat down and tried to see through the darkness with no avail.

I heard a scary disembodied laugh. It was hard to pinpoint where the laughter came from because it was as if coming from all direction.

“Who’s there?” I asked, my voice echoed through the darkness.

“My return is coming near, daughter of Poseidon. Gaea was just an instrument I use to divert your attention from my rebirth.” The gravelly voice told me and let out a booming laugh again.

The temperature went back to normal but I can still feel my body shivering, not from the cold this time but because of the disembodied voice that spoke to me.

I suddenly sat upright on my bed breathing heavily covered with cold sweat and my throat was dry. I stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face. I stared at my scared reflection on the mirror, remembering the stories Percy and Annabeth told me about when demigods have a dream it always mean something. But why in all of demigods there were, it had to be me to have such a disturbing dream? I wasn’t able to go back to sleep after that.

One week later…

It was finally weekend; I usually spend it hanging out with Percy when I don’t have much homework to do and today was one of those. Today I’m not just going to hang out like usually with Percy but will also talk to him about the nightmares I’ve been having every night this week.

I stepped out of the F train I always used as my form of transportation from Queens to Manhattan, when I noticed a figure with a golden blonde hair –Jace, he was leaning on the wall and his golden eyes met my sea green eyes, as he openly stare at me as I’m a puzzle he find so hard to solve.

Well, that made the two of us. But I made a promise to my mom and even Percy warned me to avoid him. Instead of approaching him, I willed myself to ignore him and continued to walk out of the subway station as if I didn’t saw him standing there at all.

Of course, Jace didn’t give up. He fell into step beside me, so much for my effort to ignore him. I noticed that for someone as good looking as Jace no one seemed to spear him a glace, although were in New York his looks will definitely catch someone’s attention, right? My curiosity was starting to get the best of off me. I didn’t speak to him until were in a corner where no one can see me talking to myself.

“Am I that remarkable good looking that you can easily pick me out from the crowd?” He said, smirking smugly down at me when I turned to face him.

I ignored what he said. “The mortals can’t see you.” I said matter-of-factly.

He shrugged. “I cast a glamour.”

“What’s a glamour?” I asked, not understanding what he was talking about.
“It’s what made me invisible to the mundane.” He answered.

“Ah. In our terminology it’s called mist.”

“I thought you’ll ignore me.”

“I plan to.” I admitted, fidgeting with the strap of my messenger bag.

“Can’t resist my charms?” He teased; his smirk was back on his face.

“Just curious.”

“Curiosity kills the cat.”

“If it wasn’t for Isaac Newton’s curiosity of the falling apple there will be no law of gravity.” I countered.

Jace raised his eyebrows. “Have you ever used the law of gravity in your daily life?” He asked, looking very amused. “And didn’t Isaac Newton die because of mercury poisoning out of his curiosity?”

I narrowed my eyes at him then can’t help myself and end up laughing.

“I like you.” He said with a sincere smile.

It was my turn to raise my eyebrow at him.

“Not that way.” He cleared up. “I have a girlfriend.”

“I know.”

“How did you know?” he frowned.

“Good looking guys are either; taken, playboy or gay.”

He burst out laughing. “True.” He agreed. “So, you do think I’m good looking.” He stated with a smug look

“Are you always this narcissistic?”

“Usually more.” He answered. “Come, I’ve got something to show you.” his tone change from being cocky to serious.

“I can’t. I promise to avoid you.” I protested, fidgeting with the strap of my bag again as avoid his eyes.


“And yet you’re here talking to me.”

“I really need to go, Percy’s waiting for me.” I started to walk away from him.

“You know I’ll wait for you here every day if I have to.” He called out to me, standing there look very arrogant because he knows that I believe he’ll definitely do that

I sighed at his persistence. “Fine, I’ll come with you just make it very quick, okay?” I said, giving up on his request to go with him. I noticed a passerby glance at me as if I lost my mind. “Come on, people are looking at me as if I’m going crazy talking to thin air.” I motioned for Jace to walk ahead of me but kept his strides next to me.

Part Two
J
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I thought Cassy will not come with me. She seemed to be very hesitant to talk to me unlike when we first met; she even took my side instead of Percy. I noticed the dark circles under her eyes due to lack of sleep, making me wonder what kept her awake all night but that was none of my business.

“Where are we going?” She asked me.

I was impressed how she was able to hold back this long before finally asking me where were going. “To the institute.”

“What’s the institute?” She was frowning was me as she asked.

“It’s where shadowhunters live.”

“Why are you taking me there? Aren’t you afraid that we might attack you?”

“No, only with a shadowhunter blood can open the door of institute.”

“How convenient,” She murmured loud enough for me to hear. “But what if we bombard the institute with grenades and explosives?”

I chuckled at her ridiculous question. “You have a very wild imagination did you know that?”

“A lot of people said so.” Cassy agreed dryly. “But seriously, why are you taking me there?”

“Because for some weird reason I trust you and I want you to trust me too.”

After that we stayed silent the entire walk to the institute. We stopped in front of the gates of what looked like a rundown church to the eyes of the mundanes. She squint her eyes, trying to see through the glamour that surrounded the place. When the institute was stripped of its glamour the true vision of the place will appeared as an old gothic cathedral with soaring spires and a brass plate fixed on the wall next to the door was the institute’s name.

“Annabeth will definitely love to see the design of this church.” I didn’t think that she mean to say it out loud while I fitted the key on the lock to open the heavy double doors.

We went inside and walked down the hallway. I watched Cassy study each glyphic of shadowhunter runes carved on every step of the winding stones stair as we climb up towards the elevator.

“Some of those symbols were tattooed to your skin.” She observed. “What do they mean?”

“They are called runes and I’m not tattooed, I was marked.” I corrected her.

“It’s so confusing. Sometimes it’s like you are talking in completely different language.” She admitted.

“Be patient and I‘ll give you a shadowhunter 101 when we reach the library.”

Come to think of it, it was easier to understand about demigods since there were books written about them available to read in every library and bookstore unlike about us shadowhunters, only we have the books about our race.

We reached the elevator and rode up in silence. The elevator stopped with a hissing stop and we were now on the entryway. Before I left to go to the subway everybody went out to do their own business. I hope that no one has returned yet.

We walked pass through one of the corridors that were lined with bedrooms then the mosaic of Angel Raziel holding the mortal cup and sward while emerging from the Lake Lyn and still she didn’t asked a single question or utter a word. I found it weird how she listen to me and didn’t continue to ask me questions.

We reached the arch-shaped wooden doors. I opened the door and we entered the circular library that was built inside a tower. The walls and shelves were lined with books from floor-to-ceiling that tall ladders were set. All of the books were hard bound with wither leather or velvet and didn’t look only old but also well-used and had been well loved.

Cassy’s eyes had a glimmer in them only those who adore books can possessed as she her gazed swept around the room, taking it all in with a complete awe on her face.

“You like to read books.” I stated.

“I love to read books.” She corrected. “My mom has those old classic novels and poetry books that she read to me at night. Those were also the same books I’ve first ever read.” She confessed shyly.

I can’t help but thought that her mother must be amazing to educate her child very well when it comes to literature. Cassy even read the bible considering that she was a demigod. It occurred to me that I didn’t know who her godly parent was. “Who’s your godly parent?” I asked her as we turned to the aisle where the codex was shelved.

“My father is Poseidon.” She answered as if were just having a conversation about the weather while were drinking tea. I was speechless and that rarely ever happen.

I didn’t exactly know who I expect to be her godly parent –I mean there was like hundreds of Greek god. But one thing was for sure, it never occurred to me that her father might be one of the most powerful Greek gods.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

I shook my head and arranged my expression carefully. “Have you already met him?” I asked as I climbed up on the ladder to reach for the codex.

“Yes.” She answered quietly without emotion just plain fact.

As I descend down the ladder, I heard Cassy let out a gasped that sounded like. “Blue!”

I looked at what caught her attention and saw Church curled up, lying on the floor. The cat must have felt our stare, it arched its neck, looking at us and yawned.

Cassy moved towards Church, crouching down to pet the stomach of the cat. It slit its eyes in pleasure, rolling over to get more comfortable position.

“Usually Church doesn’t like people.” I told her, leaning on the bookshelf.

She frowned. “You name your cat Church?”

“Church is already the cats name when I arrived here at the institute.” I answered. “You also love casts?”

“I never had a pet growing up.” She shared. “I have Porkpie now but he’s Pegasus.”

“You have Pegasus as a pet?” And here I thought nothing will ever surprise me anymore.

“Percy had a hellhound as a pet and the original Pegasus was my half-brother.” I didn’t said anything, just stood there looking at her.

She glanced at the book I was holding. “Shadowhunter Codex” she read the title of the book out loud.

I handed the book to her. “Everything you want to know about shadowhunters are there.” I informed her.

“It’s like the Pirata Codex in Pirates of the Caribbean.” She commented.

“What’s Pirates of the Caribbean?” I asked, not understanding what that was. “And I’ve never heard of the Pirata Codex.”

“You didn’t know the Pirates of the Caribbean movie? Or Johnny Depp?” She was looking at me like I came from another planet. It was the same look Simon would sometimes gave to me. “Pirata Codex in real life is called Boxer Codex.”

“I think we have a copy of Boxer Codex somewhere.”

Church seemed to be irritated that Cassy stopped paying attention to him/her anymore as we talked and decided to leave us alone, but Cassy didn’t want the cat to go.

Cassy thrust the book back to me and chased after the cat. “Meow. Meow.” She called Church but the cat ignored her.

“Cassy.” I called, following them.

I stopped dead on my tracks as I saw Isabelle and Clary standing in the doorway staring at Cassy with bewildered expression.

“Who is she, Jace?” Isabelle asked, glaring at Cassy.

“Didn’t you hear? She’s Cassy.” Clary responded. Her expression was carefully blank. Oh,shit! I immediately know I’m in trouble. This past week I’ve been out a lot, either search for Cassy or Percy and waiting for her on the subway station. I didn’t tell anyone about meeting the two of them. Clary must be remembering the time I was avoiding her before. Her eyes and mine met briefly before she walked away from the us, down the corridor.

“What’s going on Jace?” Isabelle demanded.

“Look, Izzy–” I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration as Cassy interrupted me.
“Chase after her. I’ll explain to her what’s going on.” Cassy told me. I almost forgot that she was there. All I can think of was Clary walking away and hurting for nothing.

I gave Cassy a small but grateful smile before I took off, running after Clary. I reached Clary in time before the elevator doors open.

“Clary!” I grabbed her arm, stopping her from stepping inside the elevator.

“Is she the reason why you are gone a lot?” she asked me in an accusing tone.

“Yes, but not the way you think.” I told her the story about how I met Cassy and explained the reason why I brought her here in the institute.

The relief was apparent on her face. “Why didn’t you tell any of us about this?”

“I don’t know.” I answered honestly.

I cupped her face with my both hands and kissed her gently.

When we broke apart, Clary said. “Come on, let’s go back there. I’m afraid what Isabelle might do to her.”

“Right.” Clary and I walked hand-in-hand back to the library to find Isabelle and Cassy getting along just fine. Isabelle was explaining to her the basic things that Cassy need to learn.

“What took the two of you so long?” Isabelle asked.

I ignored her inquisition. “What happen and it seem like you two are now good friends?”


“Well, she explained to me everything so we’re cool now.” Isabelle shrugged.

“Cassy, this is my girlfriend Clary. Clary, this is Cassy.” I introduced the two girls to each other.

“I’m sorry about the drama earlier.” Clary apologized to Cassy.

“It’s alright.” Cassy assured her.

Aloud ring of cell phone goes off. Cassy immediately dove through her messenger bag to search for her phone. We were alarm by her sudden panic when her phone started ringing.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nobody calls my phone unless it’s emergency.” She explained.

She checked the screen of her phone and her expression turned to complete anxiety. She answered the call. I heard her say Percy’s name with so much worry.

“Where are you?” She asked as she started to pace back and forth, running her fingers through her snow white hair.

Percy’s answer only added worry to Cassy. “I’m not going without you!” She objected. “NO! Percy! Percy!” she looked at her phone as if she wanted to throw it away in frustration when Percy hung up the phone.

“Is Percy being attack?” I asked.

“Yes, I have to go. My brother needs me.” She answered absentmindedly, putting her phone back to her bag and strapping it on her shoulder.

“Percy’s your bother?” I asked, very surprise about it. They didn’t look alike at all. I thought that they were friends or even a couple.

“Yes! I don’t have time to answer all your questions.”

“I’ll come with you to help.” I stated. “I bring you here after all.”

“I don’t want to involve you to our troubles.”

“We like trouble.” Isabelle said with a friendly smile.

“We can help to take you to your brother faster.” Clary spoke up. “Tell me where he is and I’ll open a portal for us to help him.”

Notes

A/N: Hi! Thank you for reading my story!

I realized that it was hard to write different POV’s so I’ll just stick to Cassy’s.

Don’t worry Cassy’s not going to take Jace from Clary… ^_^