"I can understand the redhead, but where did she come from?" the tall man asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against the table. His tone was laced with suspicion, his gaze flickering toward the closed doors.
"The redhead was attacked by demons," the blond guy replied. "And she-" he gestured vaguely, "-just showed up out of nowhere and killed one." His voice carried both curiosity and wariness.
Instead of speculating, the black-haired girl, dressed in a revealing outfit, rolled her eyes. "Instead of standing here making up answers, why don't we just ask her?"
Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and strode toward the dorms, her confidence evident in every step.
The others exchanged glances before following her lead. It was time to get some answers.
---
Syed's fingers traced the symbols on the wall, their curves and edges both familiar and foreign at the same time. A slight frown creased her brows as she tried to place the feeling.
She exhaled softly, turning away and heading toward the bed, her bare feet making almost no sound against the floor.
Her long, black curls cascaded down her back, framing her glowing brown skin and hazel eyes, giving her an almost ethereal presence in the dim light. She took in the room again, her gaze lingering on the small details-subtle things she hadn't noticed before.
The grey sweater and sweatpants she wore provided warmth, a small comfort amidst the uncertainty. Settling onto the bed, she folded her legs beneath her, lost in thought, when a soft knock at the door pulled her from her musings.
Her eyes snapped toward the sound, her entire body tensing instinctively.
She moved swiftly, crossing the room without hesitation. The moment she pulled the door open, she was met with the solid wall of a muscular chest.
Blinking, she tilted her head back, her hazel eyes locking onto piercing grey ones. He towered over her, his presence commanding and unwavering.
He was handsome-sharply defined features, pale skin, and the faintest trace of tattoos peeking out from beneath the dark fabric of his clothing.
"We need to talk," he said, his voice low and even. "Clary and the others are waiting."
His gaze flickered over her face, down her form, then back up again, his head tilting slightly as if assessing her.
For a moment, the silence stretched between them. Then, finally, he spoke again.
"I'm Alexander Lightwood," he said, extending his hand.
Syed hesitated only briefly before placing her hand in his.
"I'm Syed. Syed McKenzie."
His grip was firm, his fingers wrapping around hers completely. There was warmth in his touch, but also something unreadable in the way he lingered. He didn't let go until he felt her slight attempt to pull away.
Even then, his fingers released hers slowly, as if committing the feeling to memory.
---
As Alec walked toward the others, his mind kept drifting back to the girl following him.
Syed.
There was something about her-something that made him intrigued. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.
They entered the center of the Institute, where the large monitors tracked Downworlder activity and other supernatural disturbances.
"It's sorta our thing."
"Your thing? You guys have a thing?"
Syed overheard the conversation between Jace-the blond guy-and Clary, the redhead. The sarcasm in Clary's voice was hard to miss. But Syed's attention flickered to someone else entirely-the boy with glasses standing beside them.
He wasn't like the others.
His aura felt... normal. Human.
Her head tilted slightly. This is a Shadowhunter Institute. So what is a mundane doing here?
Alec voiced the same question she was wondering. "What's going on, and why is there a mundane in the Institute?"
Jace turned to him, arms crossed. "Circle members followed him to get to Clary."
Simon-so that's his name, Syed thought-looked between them, confusion and unease written all over his face. "Who are the Circle members? And why do they want Clary?"
Syed stayed silent, soaking up every word of the explanation that followed. The history. The rebellion. The fact that Jace's father had been killed because of them.
None of it was pleasant, but she needed to know.
"Are you Syed?"
Clary's excited voice snapped her attention back to the group.
Syed had been standing quietly behind Alec, his broad frame completely blocking her from view. She hadn't made a sound, making her presence nearly invisible-except for the strands of black curls peeking out from behind the Shadowhunter's shoulder.
The shift in attention made her aware of Simon's reaction. His gaze lingered on her, eyes slightly wide as a faint blush crept onto his cheeks.
Syed ignored it, looking at Clary with a neutral expression. She gave a small nod, hands still tucked into her pockets.
"Well, you've got company," Alec said, turning back to the monitors. "Syed here didn't even know she was a Shadowhunter. But at least she knew she was different. The fact that we can't find any records of her but her mundane life? That's suspicious."
"I'm not much different from her," Syed said, her voice calm and steady. "But instead of the Circle, I've got demons chasing me."
Clary turned to Jace. "And how do you not know about the Circle members? Isn't that your history or something?"
Jace smirked. "Says the girl who didn't know she was a Shadowhunter."
Clary rolled her eyes, then looked back at Syed.
"How did you know my address?"
Syed exhaled, her fingers curling slightly in her pockets. "Some demons were chasing me. I didn't have a choice but to follow that message from Luke. It had your address."
"You mean Luke-black guy, stubble, NYPD?" Clary clarified.
"Yeah. He told me if I needed help, I should go there."
"But Luke betrayed my mother." Clary frowned, her confusion evident.
Jace's gaze sharpened. "So why would he help you?"
Syed hesitated for a brief second before explaining the bus incident-the demons, the fight, the escape.
The room fell into silence.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Clary exhaled and shifted back to the main topic. "There must be someone here who knows more about the Circle."
Even though they didn't push the topic any further, the look in their eyes told Syed a different story.
Jace led Clary and Syed toward the training room, intending to introduce Clary to a Shadowhunter who was a former Circle member.
Well, he tried to.
Before they got far, a stunning girl with long, dark hair strode over to Syed with effortless confidence. Her sharp eyes sparkled with curiosity-and mischief.
"Hi, I'm Isabelle," she greeted warmly, taking both of Syed's hands in hers.
Syed blinked at the sudden contact but didn't pull away. "Um, hi. I'm Syed-but I guess you already know that."
A playful smirk tugged at Isabelle's lips as she gave Syed a quick once-over. "You're gorgeous. No wonder my brother can't take his eyes off you. Well-most people can't."
Syed's brows lifted slightly. "Your brother?"
"Yes. Alec."
At that, both girls turned to glance at him.
Sure enough, Alec was looking at Syed, but the second he realized they had caught him, he shifted his gaze-pretending to be engrossed in the conversation between Jace and Simon.
Isabelle let out a quiet, knowing laugh.
Meanwhile, Simon was clearly struggling under Jace's scrutiny.
Jace had taken it upon himself to intimidate the mundane, throwing in cryptic remarks and smirks that made Simon visibly uneasy. And it was definitely working.
"Don't worry, Clary, I'll take care of the best friend," Isabelle announced smoothly. With a mischievous grin, she linked her arm through Simon's and pulled him away before he could protest.
Simon, dazed, barely managed a response. His gaze flickered to Isabelle, taking in her confidence, her effortless allure.
His eagerness to go with her evident in way he discard Clary saying he was fine.
Jace snorted. "See? Best friend, safe." He shot Clary a smug grin.
Clary rolled her eyes, but looking worried about her bestfriend well being.
Syed shook her head slightly, amused by the whole exchange.
She didn't know what she had just walked into, but one thing was clear-this was going to be interesting.
With that, she followed the group toward their destination.