Simon stood on the sidewalk, staring up at his mother’s brownstone, his stomach churning. Traveling by way of Portal always made him feel a bit like puking up his lower intestine, but this time, he didn’t think he could blame the inter-dimensional magic. Not entirely, at least.
“You sure this is a good idea?” he said. “It’s late.”
“It’s eleven pm, Simon,” Clary said. “You know she’s still awake. And even if she’s not, you know—”
“I know.” His mother would want to see him. So would his sister who, according to Clary, was home for the weekend because someone, presumably a well-meaning, red-headed someone with his sister’s cell number, had told her Simon was stopping in for a visit.
He sagged against Clary for a moment and, small as she was, she bore his weight. “I don’t know how to do it,” he said. “I don’t know how to say goodbye to them.”
Simon’s mother thought he was away at military school. He’d felt guilty lying to her, but he’d known there wasn’t any other choice; he knew, all too well, what happened when he risked telling his mother too much truth. But this, this was something else: He was forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to tell her about his Ascension, about his new life. The Law also forbade him from contacting her after he became a Shadowhunter, and though there was nothing saying he couldn’t be here in Brooklyn to say goodbye to her forever, the Law forbade him from explaining why.
Sed Lex, dura Lex.
The Law is hard, but it is the Law.
Lex sucks, Simon thought.
“You want me to go in with you?” Clary asked.
He did, more than anything—but something told him this was one of those things he needed to do on his own …
“You sure this is a good idea?” he said. “It’s late.”
“It’s eleven pm, Simon,” Clary said. “You know she’s still awake. And even if she’s not, you know—”
“I know.” His mother would want to see him. So would his sister who, according to Clary, was home for the weekend because someone, presumably a well-meaning, red-headed someone with his sister’s cell number, had told her Simon was stopping in for a visit.
He sagged against Clary for a moment and, small as she was, she bore his weight. “I don’t know how to do it,” he said. “I don’t know how to say goodbye to them.”
Simon’s mother thought he was away at military school. He’d felt guilty lying to her, but he’d known there wasn’t any other choice; he knew, all too well, what happened when he risked telling his mother too much truth. But this, this was something else: He was forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to tell her about his Ascension, about his new life. The Law also forbade him from contacting her after he became a Shadowhunter, and though there was nothing saying he couldn’t be here in Brooklyn to say goodbye to her forever, the Law forbade him from explaining why.
Sed Lex, dura Lex.
The Law is hard, but it is the Law.
Lex sucks, Simon thought.
“You want me to go in with you?” Clary asked.
He did, more than anything—but something told him this was one of those things he needed to do on his own …
****
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