Chapter Text
The snow became so thick that the trees appeared as the confetti, as if they were the flakes that danced. Everywhere there was light, every crystal magnifying the rays from above, the mountain tops so beautiful covered. The Sterling Mansion was overflowing with Shadowhunters escaping the swirling storm of screaming silver. Zora could remember some of the faces, most strong, but all painted with the runes. She could remember sitting with a pen as she practiced drawing each rune on the papers in front of her.
Her father would tell her that one had to learn every rune in case of a need. He drilled it into her brothers and her. He said their family was special, and needed to know everything there was about the outside world.
"Zora?" One of her older brothers, Felix slipped into her bedroom. "Time to train," He finished, dropping beside Zora with a smile.
She gave a small nod, his face brightening as he leaped up. "You ready to lose?"
"You wish, bro." Zora smiled as the two headed toward the training room. They could be caught in there for several hours a day. Their father watched every single training from the balcony above. Correcting anything that needed to be. Heaven forbid they missed the bullseye or pulled their punches.
The training room was large with wooden sticks lining one wall, bows and arrows on another with many other weapons. Our family had special weapons, their father told them. Ones that their father and his brothers made.
Felix grabbed the Bo staffs first, throwing one in Zora's direction as they took their positions. The two sticks, smaller than the rest, still towered above her height. But that didn't matter. It was all about speed and power.
His frame lurched forward, thrusting the stick in her direction. She smacked it away with ease. He moved again, tapping at Zora's leg with the staff before she leaped back. A grin moved onto the face of her older brother who gave a small laugh.
"Struggling there, sis." Felix smiled. His guard lowered gave Zora a chance to strike. Her staff lowered, swinging the wooden pole that took his feet out from beneath him.
"You were saying?" She laughed. Dropping to the ground beside him, his frame came to lean against her own. "Another round?" She asked, throwing an arm around his shoulder. He nodded as they stood up taking their positions again.
Zora lurched forward this time, only to have her stick smacked away. She jumped away as Felix's eyes turned a bright blue. "That's not far. You can't use them against me."
A splash of water jetted out from his hands toward her as Zora was grabbed from behind.
"Shhh!" a raw voice brutal against her ear. She struggled against the person behind her, shooting her right leg out but her movements were far too slow. Hands moving from her waist, the stranger seized her arms, trapping them to her side. He pushed her roughly further, the agile gesture causing Zora to stumble almost falling flat on her face.
"Losing your touch, Zora." She turned to see that it had been her oldest brother, Nikolai.
"Felix cheated." Zora whined. Their father trained them to not use their gifts until it was needed. It was rare that shadowhunter had abilities outside of runes. But the Sterling family was different.
"You would be dead, if it was a downworlder." Another one of her brothers leaned against the wall. "They cheat all the time. Life's unfair, Zora. Learn it."
"Ryker, she knows." Xavier walked into the room and helped Zora up.
At least one of her brothers helped her. Her smile died quickly as Xavier studied her with an unwavering attention.
"You were thinking too much." Xavier curled the staff in his hand. "You need to read the opponent."
Zora narrowed her eyes. "I can't read their minds like Nikolai can."
"And you don't have too." Nikolai pointed out. "You should be able to know their next move by watching how they fight and knowing the opponent's strengths and weaknesses."
A scream echoed around the room.
Some say we cannot feel the pain of another, but that scream sept into their skins. The siblings ran from the room, searching for what cause the yell.
"What the-"
"Under attack!" They heard a familiar voice shout from down the hallway. "Where are the children?" The voice shouted again. It was their mother.
Zora ran forward, but was pulled back from Xavier. "What's going on?" Fear creeping into her voice.
"Mother?" Nikolai stood in front of them, watching their mother fight a Shadowhunter.
"Nikolai, take your siblings to the portal." She told her oldest.
Zora froze, realizing the situation almost instantly. Her head shook wildly with tears filling in her eyes. Felix pulled her arm as she tried to make her way to their mother. "No! Momma!"
"Go! I love you all." She killed the man in front of her.
The look on her mother's face scared Zora. Her mother was one of the strongest people she knew. The look of fear shined through her mother's eyes. Fear of leaving her children. Fear of losing them.
Their father came running around the corridor with a stream of blood trickling from his brow.
"Isa, they need to go now." He walked up to his children. His eyes scanning each of them as if he was trying to remember them.
"Papa?" Zora asked. He planted a gentle kiss upon her brow before he pushed her toward the dark corridor. "I love you, Parva bellator," he whispered. He shared a nod with Nikolai, before he took their mother's hand and ran toward the danger. (Little warrior)
Felix took her hand with tears rolling down his cheeks, as the siblings back away.
"No. Momma.. Papa." Zora cried, turning her body as the siblings ran down the corridors with her frame trailing behind. "We need to go back." She whimpered.
"Just come on." Felix sniffed.
Zora turned her head once more, her eyes finding the sight of her mother deep in combat with a demon.
Felix froze. "Z," He whispered beneath his breath. "Run."
"Come on!" Nikolai and Ryker yelled as they picked her and Felix up with Xavier following them. The two oldest pushing their siblings into a room. A room that they were never allowed to go in.
A large mirror lay against the wall. As soon as the door slammed shut, the mirror began to change. The reflective pane turned a flickering shade of blue.
"Z, we got to go." Nikolai grabbed her hand as Ryker grabbed Felix, "Xavier followed us." They tumbled through the mirror and appeared in another place.
"Where are we?" Zora whispered from their position, sprawled on the floor of a large room. The floors were laminate, with lavished walls and large windows. She could hear the mutters from all directions, and felt the runes beneath the floorboards.
The door of the room flung open. Four pairs of eyes falling upon the Starling siblings.
"Mom!" One of the children yelled.
Zora curled her arms around Nikolai as he stood silent. She could feel the pain through his tight frame. What had just happened? Were their parents going to be okay?
A woman came into the room. She froze instantly. Her eyes scanning the siblings as her face softened. "Nikolai. What happened?"
"Our home was attacked. Our parents told us to come here." He told the lady.
"Nik?" Zora whispered, hiding behind her brother. She didn't know who this lady was. Or the children behind her.
"Zora. These are friends of Mom and Pa." Nikolai told her. "This is Mrs. Lightwood and her children."
The dark haired lady smiled at her. "It has been a long time since I have seen you, Zora."
Zora smiled as she curled back into Nikolai. He started to talk to Mrs. Lightwood with Ryker. Felix and Xavier were talking to two younger looking boys and a young girl.
Zora looked toward the dark haired boy as he smiled at her. "I'm Alec. This is my sister Isabella." He pointed to the girl beside him. "This is Jace." A blonde boy put his hand out for her to shake.
Zora shook Jace's hand as Isabella came up to her. "We are going to be best friends." As she hugged her, Zora watched as her brothers talked to Alec and Jace. So these were the friends they would go hang out with during the summer and winter breaks.
"Welcome to your new home."