Of Duets and Clever Demons
“No.” Seraphine growled. “Under no conditions do I agree to this.” She narrowed her burnt gold eyes at her parents. Clary and Jace sighed simultaneously. They had anticipated that she was going to be difficult.
“I know you’re not fond of Liam, but the Clave needs a way into this venue.” Clary’s voice was calm, but a bit of irritation simmered beneath the surface.
“Then they can find someone else to do it. Someone willing.”
“You and Liam are the only ones who can do it.” Like I’ve said a million times so far. Jace thought, irritated. They had been arguing about this for the last half hour.
“Liam can enter the competition with Kai, then! I don’t have to go! In fact, Kai should go because he’s Liam’s parabatai.”
“They only want piano or violin duets. Kai can’t go in there with his drums, they won’t have it.”
“Use a persuasion rune, then!”
“For an event on mundane national television?” Jace replied dryly. “Sera, you know those runes won’t work on those watching via television.”
“These demons, either they’re getting smarter, or someone’s directing their movements, causing the attacks to be difficult to predict, more public, harder to prevent. And they’re growing more frequent. It is the Clave’s responsibility to find out what’s going on. You know that. And based on previous evidence and current theory, upcoming music competitions seem to be the target, and the next one is in two months’ time. It’s a classical competition, for pianists and string musicians, and you and Liam are the only ones with enough classical music and fighting training expertise to infiltrate and provide the Clave with the information they need. We need to get to the bottom of this. You understand, yes?” Clary was quite persuasive, but Seraphine was as stubborn, if not more so, than Jace.
“You’re sure it can’t be anyone else?”
“This particular competition is for young adults, ages 17 to 22. And as you know, those are prime ages for demons to prey upon, all that life, all that vigor. You’re 17 and Liam’s 19, and you are both classical musicians. You won’t stand out, so you both can get what we need.
“This isn’t a request, is it?” Seraphine remarked without amusement. “But why can’t Liam go solo, surely it’s not a duet competition.”
“You would send a Shadowhunter into the mundane world to hunt demons alone?” Jace raised an eyebrow, giving a disapproving look. “You were taught better than to expect that.”
“I know…” She muttered, a surly expression on her dainty face.
“It is better to go in as a duet pair, so you can each be safe and you can be seen together. Two in the lion’s den is better than one. Plus, Jem Carstairs has been dying for you two to play a duet together. The guy’s over a hundred and fifty years old, surely you could set aside your differences for two short months.”
“You won’t even really have to talk to him. Just play the damned music and complete the mission. It’s simple.” Jace really did have a way with words.
“Sera, it will go better for you if you just agree and go along with it. It is an honor to be picked for such a mission, and it will do you no good to disrespect the Clave while you are so young. They are not forgiving, you know that.”
“Fine.” Seraphine muttered darkly. "Fine.”
“Good, you’ve already been entered into the competition with Liam as your partner. You’ll need to pack, we’re sending you to the Los Angeles Institute to learn and practice the duet with Liam. No dawdling, either. We’ve arranged for the portal to be opened tomorrow at nine. You’ll have a month and a half at the Institute to train before they send you to the hotel where the competition is taking place. Remember, this is a great honor to represent Shadowhunter talent to the mundane world, even if they won’t recognize you for what you are. You will also need to be cautious, living among mundanes is not like living at the institute. But they will teach you before you immerse yourself in the mundane world. Now don’t look at me like that, Seraphine. The world is not conspiring against you.”
“You’re telling me.” She grumbled. “You’re not the one who’s packing up to leave tomorrow to go live with a boy you hate.”
“No, but you’re not having to deal with being seduced by your own blood brother while convinced the boy you love is your brother.” Clary retorted lightly. Seraphine winced slightly, recognizing how selfish she was being. Her life was paradise compared to the craziness of her parents’ past.
“All right, you’ve made your point. I’ll go quietly.”
Even though I don’t want to. Even though this could be just another way for Liam to humiliate me. She thought, even though she knew it wasn’t true. Liam and Seraphine, while the institutes they stayed at were not close, continued a sort of heavy rivalry no one could contest. Seraphine, highly competitive as she was, had never forgotten how easily Liam had landed her on the ground in their first sparring match, as well as many other rematches. While she was the best knife thrower of the trainees, she could not best Liam in sparring, even now. And she resented him for it. She wanted to be the best, like Jace had once been. But Liam was not to be underestimated. While he never seemed to be fully engaged in their rivalry, he single handedly beat her in every sparring match she threw at him. His easygoing manner infuriated her, as well as the way things seemed to come naturally to him.
Seraphine hated it.
She hated him for it.
And now, now she was to spend two months with him? To go to Los Angeles and practice with him every day? How was she to deal with her failure standing right in front of her, every day, with a rosined bow and beautiful instrument? She didn’t want to look into his silver eyes and know that her inability to be the best was due to the boy in front of her.
But she knew her duty. She was, first and foremost, a Shadowhunter. And that meant she would do what was asked of her.
However, that didn’t mean she was going to go down without a fight. Seraphine, as much as she hated Liam, never did anything by halves.
If they were going to enter a competition, then by the angel, they were going to win.