This will probably be the last chapter for a bit as this is the last pre-written chapter I have and I'm not sure when I'll have the time to write another one.

Anyways, enjoy!

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"What do you mean that's her curse?" Clary questions, her anger evaporating

"You wanted your answers, right?" Magnus interrogates me

"Y-Yeah" I stammer, anxiety balling up within me

"Well, you may as well sit down. All of you. Because this is a long story"

"I guess I shall start at the beginning, shall I? You mother used to bring you girls to me frequently, to remove your memories of the Shadow World. It was a routine thing, every couple of months before you could get too suspicious. However, the spells never completely worked on you, Camille, in fact, within a week your memories would return and your mother would come back, begging for me to take them. Clary's 18th birthday was the date your mother had set to tell you both the truth, as that would be when my spells would become ineffective and you would be mature enough to handle the truth. But, until that time, I kept removing the memories. By the time you had turned 18, Camille, I told your mother if I continued to take your memories from you so frequently, it would fracture your psyche. So we stopped."

"But why doesn't Cami have any memories of the Shadow World, then? She's 21 now, and you told us you stopped the memory treatments when she turned 18" Clary interrupts, confused

"That's where the curse comes in" Magnus winces, "In order for Clary to reach 18 before your mother told you both the truth, there was only one option I could offer...to re-wire your brain and turn you into a sleeper."

"A...a sleeper?" I stutter, looking around the bewildered faces around the room. No one seemed to know what it was.

"Yes, a sleeper" Magnus confirms, "It's a rare, ancient and incredibly complicated magical curse that allows someone purely mortal, purely mundane to self-erase the memories of the Shadow World from the conscious mind and store them within the sub-conscious. Since I couldn't continue to completely erase the memories from your mind, this was the only option that was the least damaging."

"So I truly am just a mundane?" I question

"In theory" Magnus allows, "You, yes, were born mundane but you were born from two Shadowhunter parents...Jocelyn and Valentine."

"Wait, wait, wait" Isabelle interrupts, a mask of shock etched into her face, "Wouldn't that make her a crucem genus mundani?"

"It does" Magnus nods, "She is, indeed, a crucem genus mundani"

The room falls silent and I watch as Alec, Jace and Isabelle exchange shocked looks before turning to stare at me, wide-eyed.

"I thought they were just legends" Alec murmurs

"Ah, yes, but all the legends are true" Magnus hums, "Is that not your saying, Shadowhunters?"

"Okay, what the hell is this crucem genus thingy?" Clary interjects, "Is it bad?"

"No, it's not bad" Magnus shakes his head, "The literal translation is 'cross breed mundane.' It's a very rare occurrence, but it has happened before, centuries ago. It's when two Shadowhunter parents produce a mundane child."

"But what does that have to do with my curse?" I was getting anxious now, this didn't sound good at all

"Oh, everything, Buttercup" Magnus assures me, "The sleeper curse I put upon you is something that can only work on a mundane from Shadowhunter bloodlines, on a crucem genus mundani. The Shadowhunter bloodline allows an angelic blooded backbone for the magic to rest upon, ensuring it works. However, it does not work on full fledged Shadowhunters, especially if they're over 18, as their minds strength of will is too strong. A crucem genus mundani's angelic backbone is the only thing strong enough to support the sleeper curse without overruling it, they way a true Shadowhunter's blood would do."

"And what exactly is this sleeper curse?" I inquire, "You still haven't explained what it does, or why it somehow tries to kill me when surrounded by runic energy, or why I'm a mundane that can survive runes!"

"I'm getting to that, Buttercup, remember patience is a virtue" Magnus sings and I roll my eyes, but he continues, "Erasing the memories from the conscious mind and restoring them in the sub-conscious allows for a crucem genus mundani to become what people call a 'sleeper'. When in danger from something of the Shadow World, the mind slips into sub-conscious and the mundani reacts on pure instinct. So, though you have never trained a day in your life, your pure Shadowhunter instincts become driven by your Shadow World memories, though you're completely unaware of it. Previous mundani's affected by the curse, though there have only been a few, have described it as 'slipping into a haze.' The best way to detect this, the only warning sign a victim of a sleeper will get is their eyes...they turn black. It's a bit of an obvious warning sign if you ask me, at least warlocks can hide their marks but, to be completely fair, a sleeper is incredibly dangerous, especially in your case."

The pieces begin to click in my mind, like a puzzle piece.

Of course.

When the Circle member had come for Clary and I outside the Institute, I had slipped into a haze.

Same for when Clary was attacked by that vampire when we went to save Simon.

When everyone had said my eyes went black.

I had gone into sleeper-mode.

"Wait, why do I need an extra warning?" I frown, his words were starting to scare me...I sounded like some kind of weapon, "Why am I more dangerous than a normal...sleeper."

"I'll get to that in a minute...but the point is, these curses can be tricky" Magnus adds, "The sleeper curse, when activated, moves Cami into a different version of herself. The conscious thoughts and memories cease to exist in that haze, and sometimes she may appear devoid of emotion."

It made sense.

I remember the first time Mom had told us about the Circle, when she'd sent us through that portal.

I'd been like a robot, standing still and on guard, keeping Clary close at all times.

'Cami, I know you know what you need to do'

My Mother's words echo through my head on a loop but before I can register them, Magnus is continuing.

"And because of your bond with your sister, your sleeper curse re-engineered itself to react only when Clary was in danger. That's why I found it so interesting that you seemed not to care for yourself. Working with the brain and magic is a complicated task and your bond with Clary, your strength of mind, it re-directed the curse's effects to respond to Clary's endangerment, not yours"

"So that's why you were so shit fighting that Circle member off" Jace pipes up, "When you saved Zoe."

"A gracious way of putting it, Jace" Magnus scolds him, "But yes. In essence, that is why Cami failed to protect herself. Since the curse did not sense Clary's endangerment, it didn't activate. In terms of you being more dangerous, it's because you're not just responding to danger to yourself, but to Clary. Not to mention, you're instincts tend to be overprotective of Clary from what I've seen and heard from you both. I fear that even the slightest scream of fear could cause your sleeper to appear."

"Great, so even my brain is trying to get me killed" I scoff, "Perfect."

"On the contrary, Camille, it is an incredibly noble reaction" Magnus objects, "Your love for Clary and inherent selflessness was so strong in your will that you re-engineered your own brain. The human brain is fascinating, I've always thought so but yours is even more extraordinary. Truly my finest work, I really must say."

Suddenly, something dawns on me.

Clary had been in so much pain with Jace drawing the demon summoning rune. She'd screamed for the better part of an hour...

"Wait...but Clary's demonic rune, the one to summon Valak...she was screaming, a lot. She was in so much pain...I don't get why I didn't go all sleeper on Jace then? He was the one putting her in pain, shouldn't I have attacked him?"

"Well, as I said, I don't have all the answers to your particular situation but I would assume it's because you know and trust Jace, he'd warned both you and your sister. Had he not said anything, not warned you and had you not trusted him...well, there could have been a different ending to that story." Magnus ponders, puzzled. He didn't seem to like not knowing all the answers...

"Hold on, doesn't all that make her somewhat of a Shadowhunter then?" Alec inquires, "The way she moved and fought...it was like nothing I'd ever seen before."

"No, she is not a Shadowhunter. She is a mundane, I assure you...or at least the mundani version of a mundane." Magnus counters, "The sleeper curse just rebounds on pure instinct, pulling from the Shadowhunter bloodlines. Though Camille is a direct descendant of a Shadowhunter, she is not one in essence or spirit."

"Then how does she handle runes?" Isabelle frowns, "And how does she have the sight?"

"Well, she doesn't handle runes at all" Magnus notes, "Not completely anyhow...but I'll get to that in a moment. As for the sight, it is the only component of the sleeper curse that is linked through both conscious and sub-conscious. In order to be a protector, she would need to be able to see the threat, wouldn't she? A blind protector is near useless."

"And the runes?" Alec prompts, forehead creased in concentration

"Ah, the runes" Magnus sighs, "That is something I don't have all the answers to, but I assume it's all to do with the mundani gene in her blood. Considering the Shadowhunter gene is double dominant, the production of a mundani is near impossible and usually only occurs within a mundane-Shadowhunter parentage but, of course, the happenstances of that are slim to none as you Shadowhunters prefer to...procreate within the same angelic bloodlines. You see, mundani's have a unique resistance and sensitivity to runes and runic energy, it's almost like a side effect, a protective mechanism of the body against being born mundane when, usually, a Shadowhunter, even when paired with a mundane, should produce a Shadowhunter child, because of the dominance of the gene, that's why they're so rare...that's why they've been reduced to legends and horror stories. As for runes, Mundani's can apply them but they more often than not drive them crazy if used too frequently. In fact, Camille, you are the only mundani of a double Shadowhunter parentage in history, which I can only assume is why you are indeed able to handle runes so efficiently."

"That still doesn't completely explain why runes work on her...in fact, they only half work and then they fade...not to mention her iratze rune keeps like...undoing itself" Jace scoffs

"As I said, this part of Camille's curse and mundani bloodline is something I'm not familiar with, after all she is the only one of her kind in history. A mundani from dominant Shadowhunter genes...it's unheard of. Not only that but, as I've said, it's never happened before. Ever." Magnus rambles, "A normal mundani, as I said before, can apply runes to themselves but only up to 4 or 5 maximum. The runes don't fade, they tattoo to the skin like with Shadowhunters, but a mundani is usually driven crazy within a short time, it's kind of like a climax reaction. The mundani's have resistance and sensitivity to runes which balance themselves out, but as with anything, too much in one direction tips the scales...and then you have a Forsaken on your hands. I can only guess that Camille's runes only half-work and then fade and disappear because it's her body's way of protecting itself, it may be something to do with the sleeper curse reaction to her mundani nature, now that I think of it. The curse seems to have a mind of it's own, it has already redirected itself to protect Clary, so I can only assume it's also protecting the body and well-being of the protector, to keep her sane and balanced so she can protect Clary efficiently. It really is a marvellous occurrence."

"Great!" I exclaim, "So not only am I freak of nature but I'm even freakier than the original freaks of nature, and I'm cursed!

"Cami..." Alec whispers

"No! This is ridiculous!" I snap, "My own mother cursed me just to protect Clary and I from the truth. Was it really so hard to just tell us what we are instead of damning me to this awful life?!"

"Cami-"

"No, Clary! Stop!" I shout, "It's all well and good for you, you're just a Shadowhunter whose memories were stolen, but I'm a cursed freak of nature that is stuck in between a normal life and a life in the Shadow World. My own blood, my own body, my own mother have cursed me into living a life in two worlds I don't truly fit into!"

Everyone stays silent, even Magnus. I grimace at the pitying faces surrounding me. I don't want pity.

I just want to be normal.

"What about the runic energy?" I finally speak up. Even though I'm livid and horrified, I still needed to know what I was up against, "If I have some freakish ability to ward myself off against the runes' tendencies to turn people like me crazy, why does it instead make me sick, why does it almost kill me?"

"Again, I'm unsure" Magnus admits, "But if I had to guess, I would say that a large concentration of runic energy, like there is within the Institute training room, I assume it overwhelms you to the point you feel sick but it doesn't start to kill you because it's not as strong. The City of Bones however...the runic energy surrounding the place is intense, it kills regular mundanes as soon as they enter and since mundani's have a higher sensitivity to runic energy, coupled with your sleeper curse's instinct to protect the body and mind of the protector, it's like a warning sign. I think it's why you started dying when you were close to the entrance, I guess it was like your sub-conscious was warning you to steer clear."

"Wait" I interrupt, remembering when I punched the van after Simon was taken, "If the sleeper curse doesn't activate unless Clary's in danger, than how was I strong enough to dent Simon's van? After he was taken, I was so angry I punched the side of the van, I dented it. Even though I love him like a brother...he's not Clary. And no one saw my eyes turn black that time either so I couldn't have been full sleeper."

"Adrenaline can activate a sleeper curse at times" Magnus informs me, "But it doesn't cause you to slip into the haze, and the sleeper's instincts, strength and speed are not as effective."

"So, essentially, she's the perfect bodyguard?" Izzy ponders, "Instinctual, ridiculously fast and unnaturally strong with the ability to use runes and sense danger?"

"More like the perfect killer" I mutter

"Cami, don't say that-" Alec starts

"Why not?" I hiss, "I dented Simon's van just because I was pissed off! What if someone angered me too much and I just snapped and killed them? What if I'd still held onto that same energy and adrenaline when I started punching you? I could've killed you!"

They know I'm right, it's evident in the silence that follows.

I finally knew what I was and why I was like this.

But now I wish I didn't.

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So, there you go, Cami is a crucem genus mundani (imma say Mundani for short)

Did this chapter make sense? I kind of delved into the scientific gene stuff a bit so I hope it makes sense to everyone, let me know.

Are you intrigued to see what happens next?

Happy Reading! xoxo