The Last Hours

20: Lucie

We all stood in the Institute waiting for everyone to arrive for Cordelia's surprise birthday party. Currently, she was out with her parents. while we got everything ready. Bridgette had baked a cake, and we all had decorated the Institute with daises. They were her favourite flower.

For her present, I had gotten her a necklace. It said "Cordelia" on it, which I thought was perfect for obvious reasons. I wasn't sure what James had gotten her, but for his sake, I hoped that she liked it.

"Lucie?" Jesse said, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Yes?" I replied.

He sighed. "I'm so nervous."

Jesse had been nervous all day, about seeing Uncle Gabriel and Uncle Gideon properly for the first time. He thought that they would hate him, because they hated Tatiana.

"It's going to fine, Jesse." I comforted him. "Their not going to hate you, trust me."

"When are they going to get here?" Jesse asked.

"Very soon." I replied.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Aunt Charlotte, Uncle Henry, and Charles walked through. Matthew saw them right away, and went over to say hello. They had all been in Idris, and had come back just for Cordelia's birthday.

"Oh Lucie! Look how much you've grown!" Aunt Charlotte said, as she embraced me.

I just smiled and hugged her back. I was then awkwardly trying to make conversation with Charles, when I heard a voice.

"Hello, princess." The voice said from behind me. It was very familiar.

I rolled my eyes amusedly, knowing who it was.

"Hello Uncle Gabriel." I said while turning around.

Uncle Gabriel and Uncle Gideon both called me princess, because they knew it bugged me. Secretly though, I liked it when they called me that.

"What? Your not going to give your favourite Uncle a hug?" He said, his green eyes twinkling.

I laughed and hugged him. When we pulled away, I heard another voice.

"I'm her favourite Uncle, not you Gabriel." The voice said.

I turned to see Uncle Gideon standing there, smiling at me. He came over and hugged me as well. Just then Jesse came over and stood beside. As he saw Uncle Gabriel and Uncle Gideon, he visibly stiffened. For a moment they both just stared at him.

"Your not going to give your a Uncle Gabriel a hug either?" Uncle Gabriel said finally, with a smile.

I was then filled with relief. Jesse then awkwardly went and hugged Uncle Gabriel and Gideon.

"Lucie, annwyl!" Aunt Cecily said while walking up to me. Annwyl meant dear in welsh.

"Hello Aunt Cecily." I said while hugging her.

We then pulled away, and Aunt Cecily turned to Jesse. She looked at him with a smile.

"You must be Jesse. I'm Cecily Lightwood, Will's younger sister. I used to be a Herondale." She explained.

"Nice to meet you." Jesse said with a smile.

"If only you still were a Herondale." I heard my father's voice from behind us.

Aunt Cecily turned, smiled, and hugged my father. My father and her had always been very close with one another. Uncle Gabriel, just chuckled as my father's comment. Just then I heard Jesse whisper something to me.

"She is very pretty." He whispered, and I laughed.

It was true though, Aunt Cecily was very pretty. Up until he had been ten, Matthew had fancied her. Just then we all heard a knock on the door.

"That's Cordelia!" I shouted, and we all got into our spots.

Thirty seconds later, Cordelia, Alastair, and her parents all walked in.

"Surprise!" We all shouted.

Cordelia looked get shocked for a moment, but she eventually smiled. I went over to her and embraced her.

"Happy birthday!" I exclaimed.

"Thank you, Luce." She beamed.

I walked away to let other people come say happy birthday to her. I watched as Harry walked up and have her a peck on the cheek. Matthew went up and hugged her, and made a joke about him being older than Cordelia. James then finally went up, and said happy birthday and awkwardly hugged her. Soon the party started, and everyone was scattered everywhere.

"I told you that Uncle Gabriel and Uncle Gideon wouldn't hate you." I said to Jesse, who was standing next to me.

He smiled, and my heart fluttered a bit. "Yes, you were right."

"I always am." I said in a singsong voice.

Jesse laughed, and my legs turned to jelly. By the angel, I was falling for him hard. I wondered if he fancied me back, but I doubted it. Just then I heard a voice calling me.

"Lucie!" My mother called me.

"Excuse me Jesse." I said, and went to my mother.

"Yes mother?" I said, when I had reached her.

"Charlotte wants to see your power." She said, with the slightest bit of worry in her voice.

"Alright." I agreed.

She lead me to the drawing room, and opened the doors. Inside, sat my father, Aunt Charlotte, Uncle Henry, Aunt Cecily, and Uncle Gabriel. By the angel, I had to do my power in front of everyone. I went to stand in front of all them.

"You don't have to do this, if you do not want to, Lucie." Aunt Charlotte said.

I took a deep breath. "It's okay, Aunt Charlotte. I can do it. I need something that is dead, though."

Uncle Gabriel then gave me a dead bug of some sort, and I fought the urge to throw it in the ground.

"Why did you just have a dead bug in your hand?" I asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I was the only who was willing to kill it, so you could use it."

I made an amused face, and closed my fingers around the bug. I felt the spark grow through my body, as it had the first time. It burned through veins, and then I felt something moving in my hand. I held up my hand, and the bug was alive, and moving in my hand.

I then looked up. My father was regarding me with cool blue eyes, and he was expressionless. My mother looked a bit worried, and she held my father's hand tightly. Aunt Charlotte looked very anxious, and she had gone pale, as had Uncle Henry. Aunt Cecily's blue eyes were wide with shock, and Uncle Gabriel had stopped midway from taking a sip of his water.

"Lucie." Aunt Cecily breathed, shocked.

"Do you think the Clave will want to question her, Charlotte?" My father asked.

"I cannot say." Aunt Charlotte said, still very shocked. "I will not tell them about Lucie's power, though."

My mother sighed in relief. She is afraid for me, I thought to myself. Oddly enough, I wasn't afraid for myself. I knew that Aunt Charlotte wouldn't let them touch me.

"Well, you have a quite a power there, Lucie." Uncle Gabriel said.

I sighed. "That I do."