So this is my first Mortal Instruments story. I hope it doesn't suck. I like original characters, adds a bit of personal flair.
SUMMARY: Jace Wayland rescues a mysterious, troubled, and silent Shadowhunter girl. After he brings her back to the Institution, he finds out that she is the slave of another Shadowhunter. Jace's sudden attachment to the girl pushes him to find her Master and free her. The search for her master leads Jace, Clary, Alec, and Isabelle to a newly established city that is full of Shadowhunter slaves. Can Jace free his newfound friend from her bonds of servitude? Or will he lose her in the City of Masters?
Jace Wayland prowled the dark streets, feeling unsettled. His hands itched. He was looking for a fight. He was always looking for a fight. On this particular night, he didn't care who he fought. He'd take on demons, Downworlders, hell, he'd even settle for a gang of Mundies. Just as Jace had that thought, he passed a gang of Mundane boys in an alleyway. The gang was slowly edging toward the back of the alleyway. As far as Jace could see, they were cornering a frightened, helpless girl.
"Nice tattoos, baby," one of the Mundanes jeered. "Do you wanna see mine?"
Jace took a closer look at the girl. She wore a black V-neck T-shirt. Her exposed arms and the exposed part of her chest were covered in black lines and swirls. Runes. Jace recognized the Marks at once. The girl was a Shadowhunter. Jace was tempted to jump in, beat the stupid Mundies to a pulp, and take the glory like he usually did, but he was curious. He wanted to watch the girl fight.
The girl cowered back until she could no longer move backward, trapped by a brick wall. One of the Mundanes grabbed her by the wrist, and the girl flinched, a look of pure terror on her face.
"Come with us, girlie," the Mundane boy said, "and we'll show you a good time." The other six Mundanes laughed.
The girl tried to pull herself out of the boy's grasp. She still hadn't made a single move…or sound.
"Look boys, our little girlie's speechless." The Mundane boy grabbed the girl by her shirt and pushed her to the ground. The girl lashed out frantically with her free arm as the boy sat on her hips. The boy grabbed her wrist and pressed both her hands to the dirty asphalt. She struggled against him, fighting to free her hands.
"Damn, girl, you're beautiful," the boy growled into her face. Then he kissed her neck. "We're gonna have fun with you tonight."
"Hell yeah, we are," Jace said loudly, announcing his presence. It was time for him to step in.
The seven Mundane boys turned to see a slim, beautiful blonde boy with golden-amber eyes that gleamed like fire in the darkness of the night. He wore a gray shirt under a black jacket with jeans. He looked like a Hollywood angel who had just stepped out of a badass action flick.
"Come to save the girl, pretty boy?" jeered the Mundane sitting on top of the girl.
"Of course," Jace said, smirking. "Pretty girl like her deserves a pretty boy like me. Oh, and thanks for the compliment. I'm glad I'm not the only male who thinks I'm pretty."
"Get him!"
Jace laughed as the six Mundanes rushed at him. "Now, now, one at a time, boys." He lashed out with his right fist and caught the first boy square in the nose. Jace reveled in the feeling of the bones breaking under his fist. Then he turned on the ball of his right foot and kicked out with his left foot, catching antoher boy in the side of the head with his combat boot. Jace grabbed the next boy by the front of his shirt and hurled him into an open dumpster. One boy managed to tackle the Shadowhunter to the ground, only to be rewarded with Jace's fist in his ribs, breaking three of them with a sickening crack! The last two Mundanes fled from the alleyway. The boy who had been sitting on the girl had gotten up and was now brandishing a knife. Jace laughed.
"Nice blade," Jace said as if he were impressed. "I've got one too." He pulled a small knife from under his belt and threw it. The knife spun through the air at an impressive speed, then hit its target with a thud, burrowing deep into the Mundane's knife arm. The boy howled with pain, dropping his knife and sinking to the ground.
Jace looked over at the girl, who was now sitting up. "Hey, are you going to sit there all night? Let's go."
The girl didn't move. She sat, petrified with fear and trembling.
Jace sighed. "I guess I have to come get you then." He walked forward and kicked the injured Mundane boy out of the way. Then he kneeled down by the girl. "Climb onto my back."
The girl slowly reached out with her hands and put them around Jace's shoulders. Then Jace stood up and linked his arms around her knees. He walked out of the alleyway and back toward the Institute.
"Some Shadowhunter you are," Jace muttered to the girl. "Why didn't you fight back and defend yourself? They were just Mundies."
The girl didn't reply.
"You didn't even bother screaming for help. Actually, you never said anything at all. But I was there, so it's okay. I have that effect on girls."
The girl still didn't say anything. Jace set her down when they finally reached the Institute. The girl immediately sank down and sat on the steps. Jace sat down beside her.
"So, do you have a name?" Jace asked.
The girl didn't respond. She only looked down at her shoes. After a bit, she nodded.
"Can you tell me your name?"
The girl stared silently at her black and white Converse Chuck Taylors.
"Can you tell me your age?"
The girl held up ten fingers.
"Ten?"
Then she put down three fingers on her one hand.
"Seven. Seventeen?"
The girl nodded.
"You know, things would be easier if I knew your name."
The girl looked up at Jace, then grabbed his hand.
"If you wanted to hold my hand, you could have just said so. I mean, I'm used to it. Girls always–"
The girl traced her finger on Jace's palm. Jace tried to pull his hand away.
"Thanks, but I don't want my palm read."
But the girl held tightly to his hand and continued tracing her finger on his palm. She traced three quick lines. Then she did it again, over and over. Then Jace realized she was tracing a letter.
"Oh…I? Your name starts with an I?"
The girl nodded. Her finger traced a different pattern on Jace's hand.
"M?"
The girl nodded again and changed her pattern, tracing a circle into his palm.
"O? …G? …E…N?" Jace paused to put the letters together. "Imogen? That's your name?"
The girl looked up at Jace and nodded. Under the street lights, Jace could see her smooth, cream-colored skin. Though scratched, bruised and dirty, the girl was beautiful. Her large, round, violet eyes glimmered under the light of the moon and the streetlights. Then the girl held up a finger and jabbed it into Jace's arm repeatedly.
"Me?"
The girl nodded.
"I'm Jace."
The girl smiled and nodded as if she approved of his name.
Jace stood up. "Come on, let's go inside."
The girl stared at Jace, wide-eyed with surprise.
"Come on. Do I have to carry you again?"
The girl stood up and followed Jace into the dilapidated church. Inside the Institute looked nothing like a dilapidated church. Rather, it looked like an elaborate Gothic cathedral. The girl followed Jace into an elevator, and when the elevator opened to let them off, there was a blue Persian cat sitting in the middle of the floor as if waiting for them.
"Church, where are Robert and Maryse?" Jace asked.
The cat meowed and began walking. Jace followed the cat, Imogen close behind. Imogen took in the sights as they walked. Jace stole a few glances at her. She looked awed, confused, and frightened.
"Jace!" The dark-haired Alec Lightwood strode toward Jace. Then he stopped in his tracks. His eyebrows furrowed into a scowl. "Did you bring another Mundane in here?!"
Frightened by Alec's anger, Imogen ducked behind Jace, her quivering hands gripping the back of Jace's jacket.
"She's one of us," Jace said. "She's got Marks."
Alec's anger slowly ebbed away. "Why is she hiding behind you?"
"Isn't if obvious? You scare her. It's probably your face," Jace laughed. "But it's no big deal. Not all of us can be as good-looking as me."
"Who is she?"
"Her name's Imogen. I haven't been able to get her to talk yet."
"Then how do you know her name?"
"She spelled it out on my hand." Jace held his hand up as if the lines Imogen had traced there could be seen.
Alec paused to think. "Mom's in the library. You should head straight over there and talk to her."
"That was my plan." Jace walked past Alec toward the library. Imogen was now clinging to his arm, trying to hide herself from Alec's stare. She pressed herself against Jace's side as they walked.
Jace smirked at her. "If you come any closer, I'll think you want to sleep with me."
Imogen sprang away from him as if he had burned her. Jace just laughed. Imogen looked at him with confusion, but followed anyway. When they reached the library, Imogen stood back and refused to follow Jace any further.
"Come on," Jace urged.
Imogen shrank back and shook her head.
"What? It's okay. No one here is going to hurt you." Jace took the girl's wrist and dragged her into the library with him. "Hey, Maryse."
Maryse Lightwood looked up from the papers on her desk. "Oh, by the Angel, Jace! Is that another Mund–"
"Imogen's one of us."
Maryse stood up to look at the girl. Her Marks had already faded into thin, silver scars that were hardly visible. Imogen ducked behind Jace again, cowering away from Maryse's stare.
"Why is she so frightened?" Maryse asked.
"I found her like this."
Maryse stopped right in front of Jace. She held her hand past Jace and smiled warmly at Imogen. "It's alright; I won't hurt you. I just want to see your Marks."
Imogen looked up at Jace as if asking him what to do. Jace nodded reassuring, and Imogen carefully took Maryse's hand and steoped out from behind Jace. Maryse studied the Runes on the girl's arms.
"Warrior," Maryse mused. "A very experienced one, at that. Imogen, right? Can you speak?"
The girl's eyes filled with fearful tears as she slowly shook her head.
Maryse sighed. "How old are you?"
Imogen held up ten fingers, then put down three.
"Seventeen. When did you become a warrior?"
Imogen held up ten fingers again. Then she put one hand down and held up two fingers on her other hand.
"Did you become a warrior as soon as you got your first Marks when you turned twelve?"
Imogen shook her head and held up both her hands again.
Maryse looked confused. "You got your Marks when you were ten?"
Imogen nodded.
"How many years have you been a warrior?"
Imogen held up four fingers.
"Of course," Maryse mused again, nodding as if she understood something profound. Imogen had become a warrior at twelve and had been a warrior for four years. That only added up to sixteen, but she was seventeen.
What happened to the other year? Jace thought.