The Shadowhunter Chronicles

The air in the venue was thick with the smell of alcohol and smoke. It was also rather warm thanks to the several dozen people that filled it, most of whom were crowded around the stage that took up the back wall. Places like this weren’t usually my scene, but I made exceptions for two reasons; patrolling and a good concert. Tonight, the latter was the reason, but we’d been here for a few hours and Pulling the Trigger, our friend Owen’s band, had yet to make its appearance.

“What time did Owen say his band was coming on again?” I asked, turning to look at Owen’s girlfriend and my parabati, Ella.

“He said 10:30.” she replied.

“And it’s currently 11:45.” Noel replied glancing at her phone.

“Look I’m sure they’ll be on soon. I’d text him, but he probably turned his phone off.” Ella said.

“I wonder what’s taking so long.” Caleb replied draping an arm around my shoulder.

“Agreed. But anyhow I’m going to grab another drink. Anyone want anything?” Noel asked pushing off the wall she leaned against.

“Diet coke.” I said while Caleb shook his head.

“I’ll come and help. Be back in a few.” Ella replied and the two of them headed for the bar, disappearing into the crowd.

“It’s nice to have a night off huh?” Caleb said breaking the silence after a few moments.

I nodded, “For once. It’s been forever since we’ve been able to come out and just do something without having to stab something.”

Caleb laughed and pressed a quick kiss to the side of my head, “Just another day in the life of a Shadowhunter babe.”

Suddenly the already low lights dimmed more, and the crowd burst out into cheers as a group of shadowed figures made their way onto the stage. A moment later the lights around the stage brightened at the same moment the band kicked off.

“About time.” I heard Caleb shout over the music.

“Agreed.” I nodded and turned back to the band.

For a group that had only been together a few months they were pretty good. Owen was still new to the area, having been transferred from the Salt Lake Institute earlier in the year. I had no idea how he managed to balance all of his Shadowhunter duties and band practice, but he managed, and it obviously paid off.

Glancing around I tried to spot Ella and Noel but couldn’t see them through the throngs of people that were between us and the bar. They should have been back by now, but I shrugged it off, assuming that they found spots to watch the bands. However, as the band continued to play I shake the creeping feeling that ran up and down my spine. It was like the harder I tried to ignore it the worse it got.

I was debating on whether or not I should indulge my random feelings when suddenly there was a hand on my shoulder. Instantly my body tensed up and my hand shot up, wrapping around the wrist the hand was connected to.

“Whoa, Charlie…what’s wrong?” Caleb asked.

Realizing that he was the owner of the hand I let him go, “I’m sorry. I just have this really bad feeling. Something doesn’t feel right.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one. You thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked.

“That Ella and Noel have probably managed to find the only source of trouble in this place?”

He nodded, “Exactly.”

“I’ll go left, you go right. Meet you on the opposite side.” I said and with that we parted.

I wove my way through the crowd, my eyes scanning for anything that seemed off; people who weren’t fitting in, strange smells, odd sounds. By the time I reached the other side of the venue I hadn’t found anything but a moment later Caleb appeared, pulling a seraph blade from his belt.

“They’re in the alley out back surrounded by Iblis demons. They’re surrounded. Get Owen and get out there. There’s a shit ton of the bastards.” And without another word he hurried off, his seraph blade bursting to life as he hurried off.

I hurried towards the stage. I made it as far as the side when I was stopped by a couple of security guards.

“I’m a friend of the band.” I said motioning to the group.

“I don’t think so sweetheart.” One of them smirked.

I frowned, “Look I’m not some groupie. Owen Hawkspear, the drummer, he’s my friend. It’s an emergency. His girlfriend is…has been in an accident. He needs to know.”

“We’ll tell him when he gets off stage. For now, you can go over there.” The second guard said and pointed back towards the crowd.

Resisting the urge to call both of them some very mean names I walked away. I could have easily taken both of them, but they weren’t the only security and it was crowded in the venue which mean that doing anything that would cause attention was a no no. Attention could lead to chaos and chaos led to terrible things. I had to do something else.

I considered climbing the scaffolding above the stage for a moment, but it didn’t look the sturdiest. That meant that I would have to try to get his attention from the crowd.

Getting to the front was no easy feat. I left several angry people in my wake as I shoved my way through, but I finally got to the barrier. Pulling my witchlight out of pocket and reached up and waved it above my head. It wasn’t very bright, but the light was different enough from the light of a phone, so I hoped he’d see it.

It took a few moments but finally he noticed and shot me a questioning look. Wordlessly I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt and pointed to my parabati rune. His eyes instantly grew wide before he turned and shouted something at the bassist to his right. He made a few motions and the bassist nodded and moved to the singer who he whispered to who also nodded in turn.

When the song they were on finished the band grew quiet, “I’m sorry folks but we’re going to have to cut this short. It seems that our drummer has a family emergency and needs to leave.”

The crowd began to groan, and the singer started to say something else, but I didn’t hear it as I was already pushing my way back the way I had come. By the time I got out Owen was at the side stage.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Iblis demons. A mass of them outside.” I replied.

“Shit. C’mon I’ve got a few seraph blades stashed in one of the equipment cases.”

As we approached security Owen flashed his pass and the two guards from earlier let me through. I followed him towards a set of cases from which pulled two blades, tossing one to me.

“Michael.” I whispered and the blade in my hand blazed to life a moment before Owen’s did as well.
With that we hurried out but not before I paused briefly to flip off the security guards with a grin.

“What was that for?” Owen asked.

“For being dicks. And calling me sweetheart.” I replied.

He just rolled his eyes and muttered something about parabati under his breath.

Reaching the door to the alley we burst out into the night, brandishing out blades. Caleb, Noel and Ella were surrounded by the moving masses of the shadow that were the Iblis demons. Without a moment’s hesitation we jumped into the fight, slicing through them with our blades.

“It’s about time!” Noel shouted when she realized we were there.

“Not all of us can just jump into something without thinking, Noel. I had to grab backup.” I spat.

She opened her mouth to reply but was cut off when a demon lunged at her.
By the time the last one was down I had lost count of how many there had been. We were all a little worse for wear but overall, we were fine.

“So…how did this happen?” Owen asked collapsing against the wall of the building.

“Reece called so I stepped out to take his call and suddenly there were a ton of Iblis demons. I called Noel since she was closest but then one of those assholes broke my phone. We thought we could take them.” Ella replied.

“And you were obviously wrong.” I snorted as I sat about drawing an Iratze on her shoulder to fix the gash on her leg and her obviously broken nose.

“We could have taken them eventually.” Noel replied.

“Bullshit.” Caleb, Owen and I said in unison.

“Whatever.” She frowned.

We finished cleaning ourselves up and applying runes before emerging from the alley where a cab was already waiting for us. The lot of us climbed in and settled back in for the ride back to the Institute.

“So much for our night off, huh?” I smirked as I leaned into Caleb’s side.

He grinned, “Maybe next time.”

I laughed, “Yeah maybe. But I doubt it.”

“Same but like I said…Shadowhunter life.”

I nodded, “Yep. Would you change it?”

“Fighting demons, never getting a chance to rest, having reckless ass friends who don’t t think? Not a chance.”

I grinned, “Me neither.”