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Cast Long Shadows is the first short story in Ghosts of the Shadow Market, co-written by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.

Description[]

Matthew Fairchild is the Consul's son and the golden-haired boy of the Nephilim. He has the love of his family and his parabatai James Herondale, and nothing to wish for, except excitement and artistry and beauty that do not seem to fit in with a warrior's way of life. Matthew gets more than he bargained for at the Shadow Market, where he commits the greatest sin of his life—something he can never tell his parabatai, or any of the honorable Shadowhunters around him.[1]

Plot[]

SPOILERS AHEAD!

London, 1901

At the London Shadow Market, Brother Zachariah sees Matthew Fairchild dancing happily with faeries. Upon spotting Brother Zachariah, whom he calls Uncle Jem, Matthew leaves the faeries and greets him affectionately.

Shadowhunter Academy, 1899

Flashback to the Shadowhunter Academy in Idris, 1899. Matthew was in a bad mood because his best friend, James Herondale was being expelled from Shadowhunter Academy and he hadn't been able to ask James to be his parabatai yet.

Matthew wanders the halls of the academy and runs into Alastair Carstairs again. Once he sends Thomas Lightwood away, before insinuating that Matthew's father is not Henry Branwell but instead Gideon Lightwood, mentioning how he looks more like Gideon and the age gap between him and Charles. In a rage, Matthew strikes Alastair in the face, locates Christopher Lightwood, clears the area, and gives him matches. Not long after, a wing in the Academy blew up and Matthew was expelled. In his fit of madness, he demands that James be his parabatai and, much to Matthew's surprise, he agrees and they begin making arrangements to train together.

Present

Back at the Shadow Market, two years later, Matthew and Brother Zachariah talk, during which Matthew requests that Brother Zachariah not mention the fact that he saw Matthew at the Shadow Market. Brother Zachariah warns him of how mischievous faeries can be and to be careful around them. The pair then walks through the Shadow Market together to find the stall where Brother Zachariah must meet someone, Matthew casually chats and flirts with patrons on the way.

They are stopped by a faerie woman with her store, Matthew asks about her various charms and potions. Eventually, Brother Zachariah pulls him away from the stall and tells him that the faerie woman's wares were mostly fake and he should not be fooled. Matthew spies a stall selling books and runs over to talk to the werewolf running the stall. Brother Zachariah tells him to wait for him there while he goes to speak with Ragnor Fell.

Ragnor says that he has a lead on the information that Brother Zachariah is looking for and asks if he wants him to follow up on it, despite it being dangerous. Brother Zachariah says yes and spots Matthew who has wandered back to the faerie woman's stall. He calls Matthew over sharply and the boy sulks over. Ragnor becomes rapidly alarmed, much to Brother Zachariah's surprised. He soon finds out that Ragnor is afraid that Matthew is here with Christopher who will inevitably blow something up. Upon finding out that Christopher is in London, Ragnor gets up and leaves, saying that he is heading to Paris.

At the Fairchild manor in London, Matthew rose early to help the Cook with baking, something he does from time to time. When Charles reached for the scones during breakfast, Matthew shook his head, communicating that it was intended for their mother. Suddenly, Gideon Lightwood walks in, planning to escort Charlotte through the Portal to Idris and Matthew regards him coldly. He gets up abruptly, saying that he must meet with James.

Matthew heads to the London Institute to collect James. While James gets ready, he talks to Lucie and realizes that Cordelia Carstairs is quite unlike her brother and must be special person for Lucie to like her so much. Matthew and James meet Thomas and Christopher at their room at the Devil Tavern with his puppy Mr. Oscar Wilde. They exchange lighthearted banter but what Alastair said about Matthew's parents weigh heavily on his mind.

The next morning, Matthew puts a truth potion, that he had purchased at the Market without Brother Zachariah seeing, in Charlotte's scones. Charlotte soon collapses and Brother Zachariah is called in. While waiting to hear more on his mother's condition, he learns from his father that they were expecting a third child, hoping for it to be a girl. Henry goes on to explain that Matthew gets his coloring—blonde hair and green eyes—from his great aunt Matilda. Realizing that Henry is positive his children are his and that Gideon is just a supportive friend to Charlotte, he regrets his actions and is devastated.

Soon news comes that Charlotte will live, however that she has suffered a miscarriage. Brother Zachariah speaks with him saying that he will keep his secret of having seen him at the Market, and of the poison he unwittingly purchased, but advising him not to hold it in. To which Matthew replies that he was never at the Market, making it clear he plans to bury the secret.

Matthew then joins James and Lucie in the library as they had come to comfort him. Lucie leaves Matthew alone with his parabatai, and though Matthew plans to share his secret with him in hopes James could understand, he changes his mind upon James's story of throwing Augustus Pounceby in the river for insulting his mother. Realizing that had James been in his situation, he wouldn't have done the same and thus feeling he could not understand, Matthew decides to keep the secret to himself. Asking to be left alone, he falls to the floor, curls up and cries understanding the burden this will be as he could never be forgiven.

Outside Will Herondale waits for Brother Zachariah and asks to walk him back to the Silent City. Will hands him his old walking stick, asking him to carry it while they walk as it lightens his heart. They set off together down the road as bells rang throughout London for the death of the queen.

Characters[]

Gallery[]

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Trivia[]

  • Though this is the first story, it was released second due to Son of the Dawn being released first.
  • The title of the story is taken from the proverb "old sins cast long shadows", which hints at the story's content.[2]
  • This story is told from two characters' points of view: Brother Zachariah and Matthew.

References[]

  1. Cast Long Shadows on CassandraClare.com
  2. q&a: ghosts of the shadow market — Cassandra Clare on Tumblr
Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter Chronicles
The Mortal Instruments
City of Bones City of Ashes City of Glass
City of Fallen Angels City of Lost Souls City of Heavenly Fire
The Infernal Devices The Dark Artifices
Clockwork Angel Lady Midnight
Clockwork Prince Lord of Shadows
Clockwork Princess Queen of Air and Darkness
The Last Hours The Wicked Powers
Chain of Gold The Last King of Faerie
Chain of Iron The Last Prince of Hell
Chain of Thorns The Last Shadowhunter
The Eldest Curses
The Red Scrolls of Magic The Lost Book of the White The Black Volume of the Dead
The Bane Chronicles
What Really Happened in Peru Saving Raphael Santiago
The Runaway Queen The Fall of the Hotel Dumort
Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything
The Midnight Heir The Last Stand of the New York Institute
The Rise of the Hotel Dumort The Course of True Love (And First Dates)
The Voicemail of Magnus Bane
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy Pale Kings and Princes
The Lost Herondale Bitter of Tongue
The Whitechapel Fiend The Fiery Trial
Nothing but Shadows Born to Endless Night
The Evil We Love Angels Twice Descending
Ghosts of the Shadow Market
Cast Long Shadows Son of the Dawn
Every Exquisite Thing The Land I Lost
Learn About Loss Through Blood, Through Fire
A Deeper Love The Lost World
The Wicked Ones Forever Fallen
Companion books
Secrets of Blackthorn Hall
Better in Black: Tales of Romance
The Shadowhunter's Codex
A Long Conversation
An Illustrated History of Notable Shadowhunters & Denizens of Downworld
All the Stories are True: Classics Reimagined in the World of the Shadowhunters
Adaptations
The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novels
The Official Mortal Instruments Coloring Book
The Infernal Devices: Manga Series
City of Bones: The Graphic Novel
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments
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