The Tenebrous Weapons

He needed to get away, but only for a few hours. The walls of the Institute were suffocating him, and he felt like he was going to scream from the quiet that bounced off of the walls in deafening torrents.

“I’m going out,” Louis announced, rising from the rickety chair on the other side of the training room.

Zayn quickly walked up to him, catching his wrist before he could leave.

“You are not leaving me alone with her,” he whispered into Louis’ ear.

The blue-eyed boy ran a hand through his hair, hoping that he wouldn’t lose his temper.

“By the Angel! You act like she’s the Devil’s spawn! We would know. We’ve fought enough to be able to tell the difference. Besides, I quite like her. She’s sassy. I like that. You better hurry up and take her before I do,” Louis said, cracking a smile.

Zayn looked taken aback. “What’s makes you think I would want her?” he spat.

“I am right here, you know. Now, let the boy go, and come back here. I’m not finished with you yet,” Stacey said, a stern look taking over her features.

“Looks like she just challenged you, mate. Now, I have to go. I’ll see you later. Don’t wait for me,” Louis called out before exiting the room, ignoring Zayn’s demands.

He walked to the lift and shut the caged door, waiting for the old device to carry him to the next floor. Once he reached his destination, his hands reached for the complicated design of the door and pulled it open, stepping into an empty hallway. His footsteps echoed along the dark corridor as he travelled to his room.

He plopped onto the bed, groaning as he rubbed his face.

"Why does everything have to be so difficult?” he asked himself while staring at the blank ceiling, devoid of any pictures or posters.

It was a simple room. There was a dresser on one side with a metal box situated on top with his initials. It was the last thing his mother gave to him before she sent him off to train in London. However, that wasn’t his treasured possession. A letter from his younger sister was on his bedside table. It put a smile on his face every day. She absolutely adored him.

A crystalline tear escaped its prison, and Louis immediately wiped it away, not wanting anyone to see this side of him. She was killed by a demon. He wanted so badly to find who murdered her, but that was impossible. There were so many. He couldn’t do anything about it. He was too young and helpless to fight back.

Louis punched the wall beside him, creating a dent in the structure. His lungs were aching for him to scream, but he wouldn’t give in. His mind was whirling with a hurricane of thoughts. He had to get out.

Before he left, he glanced at himself in the full-length mirror by his closet. He had a barely visible bruise on his jaw that was healing nicely from a run-in with a vampire the other night, but other than that, he looked presentable. His hair was fringed across his forehead in a neat mess from running his fingers through the soft texture. His blue eyes seemed to glow and take on the characteristics of the ocean, depending on the weather.

Now, his eyes seemed to be a stormy gray, the rain clouds threatening to let the tears fall. Tearing his gaze from the mirror, he pulled a black sweater over his chest, the baggy material covering up every muscle underneath.

As he exited the building, a rush of cold air hit him. It froze his buzzing thoughts, making the hair at the nape of his neck stand up. He looked around to make sure nobody was watching him and continued walking to his usual realm of escape: Earkheart’s, one of the old clubs in town.

He heard the music before he actually saw the place. The bouncer let him through, recognizing him as a regular. Louis walked to an empty bar stool, and a drink was placed in front of him.

He pondered whether drinking would solve his situation and decided against it. He pushed the toxic glass away and began scanning the crowd for someone to distract him.

Bodies were smashing together in time with the music. Faeries and warlocks littered the floor. They blended in with the humans easily. The club was dark, the only lighting being the flashes that flew around the room, illuminating it at intervals. A few people were gathered by a table, talking, which caught Louis’ attention.

He walked over to the table and grabbed a stray chair from a nearby table. His eyes scanned the group around him, realizing they were Downworlders. One of them caught his eye. He had a slim build, and black-rimmed glasses framed his face. He seemed like a mundane, but Louis saw the way his eyes changed colors as the light periodically hit them.

“I’m telling you, none of this is a coincidence. Why are so many people dying? I think something’s going on here. I refuse to believe otherwise,” spoke the soft, melodic voice.

“What do you mean?” Louis asked, the words leaving his mouth without as much as a whisper of permission.

The warlock looked at Louis with confusion and then disgust.

“Shadowhunter,” he spat, “what are you doing here?”

His tone was full of venom, a strong acid that cut through Louis. Louis gritted his teeth to keep himself from killing the warlock.

“I could ask you the same question,” Louis fired back with the same vitriolic nature.

“Blaise! Calm down. He isn’t worth our time,” said another Downworlder, grabbing Blaise’s arms, pulling him back.

Blaise, thought Louis.

He had to admit, Blaise was attractive, and those purple eyes were beautiful. They pulled Louis into a hypnotic trance, making the fire of thoughts return to his mind.

I can’t, Louis thought.

His heart was beating faster as the heat in the room began to rise. He was feeling light-headed as his mind was bombarded with every harsh memory. He quickly went into the cluster of sweaty bodies and began moving his body in time with another girl. He didn’t care who it was; he just needed to escape.

The girl had fake blonde hair, and her face was smeared in make-up, making her look unreal. Her flirty smiles meant nothing to him. Her dress was sticking to her like a second skin, showing off every piece of her.

His hands roamed her body as he began snogging her. His tongue danced with hers forcefully. It was pure lust. There was no attraction or love on Louis’ part.

“How about we go back to mine?” she asked, biting her bottom lip slightly.

Louis’ eyes seemed to glaze over. He needed it. That’s all he was there for. She would be a good distraction. That was his goal.

He nodded his head and followed her out of the club. She grabbed his hand and began to trip over every surface, stumbling and falling as she walked with her unmanageable heels. Louis never understood why girls wore those things. They were an accident waiting to happen.

They finally made it to her flat which was fairly close. Louis felt like he was going to be sick. All he could smell was the strong scent of her perfume as he ripped off her shirt, letting his hands glide along the pale skin. That was when he noticed something was off. She had patches of green skin that grazed along her torso.

He pulled himself away, contemplating whether he should continue.

“We both know you want more, Shadowhunter. You need something to keep your mind off of things, and I’m your little distraction. Who cares what I am? You lot take advantage of us all of the time. So why not now?” she said, letting her tongue roam his jaw line, planting kisses along the faded bruise.

Louis struggled to decide, and his mind was clouding. She was doing something to him. He couldn’t think as she got on top of him, pinning his arms down.

Once he realized what she was doing, his mind cleared, and he got out from under her, leaving the room immediately.

I can’t believe I almost let her do that to me, he thought, combing a hand through his hair.

He was too caught up in his own thoughts to realize that she was a Downworlder. But, she was right. What did it matter if he shagged her right then and there? He would only leave and never see her again. That’s how most mundane relations worked. Then again, they were not mundanes.

He didn’t know what was wrong with him. Usually, he didn’t care who he picked up, but the purple eyes of that warlock were imprinted on his mind. All he could think about was the way they changed color under the lighting.

Louis shook his head to free himself from those thoughts. The cool night air bit him, penetrating his skin and running through his body like shots of electricity. His body was shaking as the temperature continued to drop, and a light drizzle made an appearance, soaking through his oversized jumper.

A few minutes later, he was climbing the steps to the Institute and let himself in. Silence enveloped him as the doors shut with a slam, causing Louis to flinch at the noise.

“Where were you?” asked a stern voice.

He turned around to see Tricia standing there with her arms crossed over her chest and a frown displayed across her face.

“Out,” he replied simply.

“You know the rules. No going out unless I know where you are going. That’s all I ask from you. It’s dangerous out there right now, and I don’t need you going off alone to get killed!”

“I’m nearly eighteen! I can do things on my own. I just needed some time to think,” he managed, bowing his head.

He felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders. A hand smoothed his hair down comfortingly.

“I know, Louis. Next time, just let me know that you are going out. You are like a son to me, and if you were to get killed, you know I would be upset. Now, get to bed, it’s late. You have to train with Stacey and Zayn tomorrow,” she said with a soft tone.

Louis was about to walk upstairs when he remembered something. “Is Zayn going to be cranky tomorrow?”

“Yep. She beat him about ten times before he finally gave up for the night,” she snickered.

“Oh, well, at least the new girl is fun. I like her. And she puts Zayn in his place. I like that,” he said with a mischievous grin.

He left the main corridor and walked up to his room.

“Way to leave me alone with her, mate,” said a voice as he was about to plop on his bed.

Louis shrugged innocently. “She seemed sweet enough. I figured you both would get along swimmingly.”

“No! I swear by the angel that if she wasn’t a Shadowhunter, I would consider her a demon,” he said, fuming.

“Oh, stop being dramatic. She’s a girl. Now, leave my room before I get her in here to escort you out,” Louis concluded, flashing Zayn a smile.

Zayn walked out, but not before giving Louis a death glare.