Chapter one – Runner

POV Jace

I'm Jace Herondale, Stephen and Celine Herondale's son. I've lived with my parents until my seventeenth birthday, when I discovered who they really were.

Criminals. Both. My father, Stephen, always worked to your friend Valentine. Since high school they stayed together and when Morgenstern decided to get in into outlaw life Stephen followed him. My father always loved a only women in your life: Amatis; and she was abandoned by him when Valentine realized that she worked to your rival gang.

My father broken up with his love to marry with Celine, who was friend and loyal follower of Valentine's think. So… here I am.

For my whole life, my father hid from me your real job. He was bank manager, the bank witch Valentine use to assault to cover all your arrears. You must to be curious to know for what he needed funds, aren't you? Illegal car races, drugs and weapons.

Jonathan Morgenstern was your son, who received the orders. Valentine worked on a penitentiary, infiltrated, to always solve the your men whose were arrested. And the administration was on Jonathan's hands. Both, father and son, have a grotesque appearance. Pale skin, white hair and demoniac black eyes.

However, was a common day and I woke up early, took a shower and went to a morning run. I always liked to run before breakfast. My body shows no musculature of a guy under eighteen years old, even I was turning into eighteen in few months; and my father encouraged any tattoo since I turned fifteen. I should have realized.

I never forgot my headphones, but happened that day. When I arrived home without headphones to muffle the loud discussion in my father's office, I couldn't stop myself to heard it behind the door.

Valentine's voice scared me. He screams how my father couldn't take your obligations forward and how I should have already begin my training to take Stephen's position on the gang.

I walked away in complete silence while the voices became lower and lower. When they completely disappeared, words echoed in my head. Stephen was building me to serve Valentine Morgenstern and assume your position since my fifteenth birthday. And was that night when I run away.

Was a cold winter night, but nothing impossible to handle. I took some things that a I could transport on my motorcycle. I searched into Stephen's office for more information and before live the house I wrote a message in blood on my room's wall "GAME ON".

My motorcycle roaring keep me awake for hours until I found what I have looking for. I was lucky to discover the name of the group that fought the Valentine's Circle. The Clave.

Pseudo anarchists. A subgroup, named Shadowhunters, said that they were charges to clean the society. Killing all the people who don't deserved to live, most of them were Circle's members. I have known if I wanted revenge I needed join the Clave.

For the night I just watch them hidden on the desert. I heard men saying about a dubious information about a Valentine's supposed daughter. I've discovered the truth. He had a daughter, Clarissa Morgenstern. Her mother was poisoned slowly after give birth to a Morgenstern heir, but she was saved when discovered be pregnant again.

When the girl was born, the mother ran away with an employer – who went to school with Valentine and herself – before your husband reorder give to her the poison again.

The men of Clave were discussing obscenities and it torn the dawn. They said they will fuck the girl soul out when put their hands on her to revenge all done by your father. When they all slept, I let my body relax and sleep a little. And when I woke up the odds weren't in my favor.

Laughs sounds and screams woke me up past twelve o'clock. I was sleeping upon my motorcycle and a man kick me to the ground. I rolled in reflex action and stood quickly.

A group was near grabbing chains, crowbars, even a piece of glowing iron outed from hell.

A man move forward and he wasn't too much older than me. My arms were bigger than yours, but he don't care. He had weapons and employers all around.

— Who are you? – He asked with smirk.

— Jace. – I answered dryly.

— Last name, Goldie. – Insisted.

— Look… - I joke. – Until last night I answered by Herondale.

Immediately I heard sounds of guns and knives rolling out their covers.

— Why until last night? – One of your guards asked.

— I discovered all my father's life work to Valentine Morgenstern. I left them.

— Discovered? – Laugh the first man. – Why you think we'll believe in you?

— I'm here, - I opened my arms. – on the devil nest. Which other reason could bring me here? I want to join the Clave.

— How old are you, kid? – The second asked.

— I turn eighteen in three months. – Laugh, laugh, laugh.

— All right! – The first one said. – We will have a race.

Roars and screams filled my ears. It looked like a chorus of beasts. And, so, the first said:

— By the way, I'm Alaric. The leader.

Fuck!

That guy have never ever lost a race in your short life. He race since fifteen and was under twenty-seven.

A man with no tattoos and biceps opened way followed by a girl, he grab my arm and she my motorcycle. Slowly I was conducted into their camp and into a tent which glows with glitter.

First I look at the tall girl with the black hair like her eyes, your arms were covered by tattoos and weapons were hanging in your teeth. Definitely that tent doesn't belonged to her. So I looked at the man who conducted me and he was trying – yet – to look like a gross man. He wasn't. Nor at this planet neither at the moon. The tent belonged to him.

— You really are Stephen's child? – He asked with a voice totally different that minutes ago.

— Magnus. – The girl warned and your face turned into a pseudo caveman, again. Or almost.

— I know what you are, and, yeah, I'm Jace Herondale. Was.. I don't know. – I joke. – Why is the motorcycle in here?

— You will cannot say your bike was sabotage. – The girl looked too much man than Magnus.

— What means 'I know what you are'?

I stayed in silence with smirk joking in my lips.

He sighed.

— You don't seems so bad. I think you could be good here. – Said.

The girl agreed and sat on the bed.

— By the way, I'm Isabelle Lightwood.

At the moment I took a few steps back and touch my bike.

— You know each other. – Magnus accused.

I confirm with a movement of my head.

— I thought you wouldn't remember me. We had six years old.

— If you can, why I cannot?

Silence.

— I ran just like you. Alec trying to be responsible and protect us from that life following orders from Morgenstern. And when he ran, brought me. He had contacts inside Clave.

— Well, we have to give you the rules. – Magnus interfere.

Isabelle sighed.

— Yeah, I think Alaric could create more rules just to kill you lower or faster. Always is the same shit. No offence, Jace, but no one won that piece of shit.

— So… how the people get in the Clave?

— They don't. They all are chosen. But always shows up an asshole trying to. He always challenge, but never a race. The race trophy is the Clave's leadership.

Alaric was the son of the ancient dead Clave's leader.

— You have to relax. The race is tonight. I'll take some food. – Magnus out.

— I wouldn't care if you win, Alaric must be replaced immediately. – Isabelle muttered.

Hey, I have to apologize, I have no beta, I am brazilian writer and have two books published, but in english I have not practiced. Sorry sorry sorry.

This story have until now 67k words in portuguese [posted on Nyah! Fanfiction].