CHAPTER ONE
_
"He's touching me."
"AM NOT!"
"SHUT UP!"
"This was such a bad idea."
"There is glitter… In places glitter should NEVER BE."
"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!"
Everybody stopped what he or she was doing to look at Clary.
"Wow. I didn't know you could be that feisty Clary." Acclaimed Isabelle
"It's the whole red hair thing."
"It's so hot…"
"NOT NOW JACE!"
"I was talking about the fact that we are in a heating duct buuuuut… if you want it to go in that direction…"
Clary assumed banging her head on the side of the air duct repeatedly.
"Ok, guys, Clary has a point. We came in here with a mission. Now how about we get on with this mission so we can get out of the world's smallest air duct!" said Alec.
"THANK YOU for agreeing," Clary said, exasperated.
"I agree! This heat is terrible for my hair gel, isn't that right Alec? Alec?" said Magnus.
"I'm still mad at you."
"Alec it was only one box of glitter! It will wash off... Eventually!"
While Alec and Magnus bickered in the background Clary had already managed to use an opening rune, a couple of bobby pins and a crowbar to open the enchanted grate opening. Clary looked at their situation. It wasn't good. They were about 30 feet above the floor of what was an elegant ballroom. Getting up there was easy… well, easy enough when you had one high maintenance diva, a very dynamic warlock, and two bickering parabatai.
"Ok," Clary began assessing the situation. "Maybe I can create a levitation rune! Or we can make a human latter! OH If only I had exercise band…" WOOSH!
"Wha-"
Jace had already proceeded to slide himself out of the air duct with grace only Jace could possess and fall gently, landing on two feet. WOOSH! WOOSH! Izzy and Alec followed, only Izzy used her whip to latch onto a chandelier and swing down.
"Okay Magnus I guess you and me can…" Clary began but before she could finish Magnus fished an umbrella out of his jegging pocket and proceeded to float down to the ground.
"Cheerio, LOVE," he called, imitating Mary Poppins.
"How did you even manage to hide an umbrella!" said Clary.
"Trust me I have many places…"
"Rhetorical question!" she shouted.
Clary let out a sigh. After the defeat of Valentine, Clary had developed into quite the Shadowhunter. When training she sometimes even beat Jace in Seraph dueling. He always would claim that he had let her win, but that was just Jace. Of all the things Clary had managed to tackle in her Shadowhunter training, falling wasn't one of them. The last time she tried… well you know what happened. It wasn't that she was afraid of heights. She just didn't like the fact that the ground looked so far away… and so hard. Perhaps she should have thought about this before suggesting breaking into an abandoned institute through its vent system.
"Come on Clary!" Jace called up to her, with a concerned expression on his face. He knew the look on Clary's face. It was a look that said I-really-don't-want-to-do-this-because-I-want-to-make-my-super-hot-boyfriend-proud-and-not-look-like-an-idiot. Or at least that's what Jace read into it. "You can do it!" he called again.
"I think I'll wait here!" she replied with a smirk.
"I'll catch you! Just like last time!"
"That ended SO well!" she retorted.
"It did. Didn't it?" he replied with a suave grin on his face.
"NOT THE TIME JACE," Clary yelled. Clary took a deep breath, "Ok, I'm coming."
She shut her eyes and imagined herself gracefully falling to the ground.
"AND IM FREE! FREE FALLING!" Magnus sang out.
"Terrible song choice Magnus!" groaned Isabelle.
"Aw, Alec likes my choice, right?" Magnus inquired.
"Still mad at you…"
Clary started to shut all the voices out as she gripped the edge of the vent before sliding off into nothing. Clary began to panic, waiting for the moment when she got squashed into the ground like a little ginger pancake. But, it never came. Clary opened her eyes and saw Jace holding her bridal style. His face inches from hers as he leaned in and said,
"I told you I would always catch you."
Clary felt her breath catch in her throat the way it always did when he was this close. She also felt her cheeks grow redder until she felt she had the complexion of a flaming strawberry. Jace gently set her down on her feet. Wrapping a hand around her waist protectively, he began,
"Ok, so lets recap here. We were alerted this morning by the Clave that there was some type of activity in this abandoned institute. So here we are, checking out the activity."
"Question. Actually, two," began Izzy.
"Number one, so far seeing from all the noise we just made there is nothing here! Number two, even if there was why didn't we just go through the front door?"
"I second that notion," chimed Magnus.
"Guys," said Clary, "I think, or at least I hope, that from the past we have learned its better not to take our chances!"
"Yeah," sighed Izzy, "I'm still mad I ruined a totally good pair of boots in those air ducts."
Clary ignored Izzy's ranting about broken heels and melting lipstick as she began to wander around the ballroom. On one wall there were large arched golden windows, reaching to the ceiling and letting in the streams of moonlight. On the parallel wall was an elegant double staircase. At the top was a set of double doors. Under the arch was another set of doors. Around the room there were Latin sayings scribbled in perfect cursive on archways, walls, picture frames and the ceiling. Candles eerily glowed on candleholders. Reading Clary's mind Jace said,
"Candles. Lit. There is definitely someone here."
"Two doors. Can only mean one thing," she said, looking at him.
"We have to split up." Jace grabbed Clary's hand and pulled her up the stairs.
"Me and Clary are together!" he yelled like a five year old claiming a cookie.
"Oh no! You got Clary last time and I got stuck with these bozos!"
In the background Magnus and Alec continued to bicker about oddly large amounts of glitter.
"Fine," said Jace "We'll flip a coin!"
"Guys! Really, I'm not a piece a candy!" groaned Clary.
"FINE!" yelled Izzy ignoring Clary's protests.
"Tails I get Clary! Heads you get Clary!" said Jace.
"NU-UH! I want the tails! Tails never fails!" Izzy protested. A huge smile worked its way onto Jace's face.
"Suit yourself," he said as he flipped the coin. "HEADS!" he shouted, "In your face!" Izzy stuck her tongue out at him as she began pulling Magnus and Alec toward the door under the archway.
"C'mon bozos. The sooner we move it. The sooner we're done!" She groaned.
Jace and Clary headed for the other doors.
"Ready?" Jace asked Clary. She nodded her head "Whenever you are." She added with a smirk. Jace called down to Isabelle, "Bona Fortuna!"
"Yeah, Yeah Whatever! You too. Good luck," she replied, clearly unhappy. That was Izzy for you. They both knew by the end of night she would be more concerned about chipped nail polish or getting ichor stains out of satin. Clary laughed as Jace grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door. Jace stepped through the doors but right before he did, Clary didn't miss the sight of him slipping a double-sided coin into his pocket.
Isabelle Lightwood had found herself in difficult situations before. Many of them included lipstick stains, broken heels and sometimes broken hearts. At this point Isabelle decided she would much rather spill red wine on her new white chiffon dress than stay in the predicament she was in now. She looked at her surroundings. A dark gloomy dungeon hallway stretched in front of her. Just peachy. She examined the wooden archways and twinkling candelabras as her heels clicked on the cobblestone floors.
Besides the drafty air and the unflattering lighting there were also 'ahem' THOSE two…
"I swear it was an accident!" whimpered Magnus.
"Its ALWAYS an 'accident' MAGNUS!" shouted Alec.
"OHMIGOSH! Would you two SHU
33mins ago
UP!" screeched Isabelle.
Alec and Magnus stared at her with wide eyes. Oh great, thought Isabelle, now they're mad at me too.
"You think I'M enjoying this too?," inquired Alec "I am stuck walking down what looks to be a gloomy dungeon hallway, with a huge drama queen who is only concerned about their clothing selection and MY SISTER!"
"Can you believe him?" asked Izzy looking at Magnus with sympathetic eyes. Magnus shook his head solemnly.
"Would somebody please KILL ME NOW!" Alec screeched resting his forehead on a stonewall panel. CLASH!
"What was that!" Izzy asked with a frightened tone.
"Either someone is making a deadly soufflé in an abandoned institute kitchen or Alec just angered the villagers!"
"Lets hope it's the first one…" said Izzy.
"Unless its your cooking…" retorted Alec.
Isabelle was so slightly terrified that she didn't even have the strength to come back with a witty reply about the skinny jeans Magnus insisted Alec wore or the fact he had so much glitter on him Christmas trees were jealous (but that's another story).
Isabelle pulled out her seraph blade, as did Alec. Magnus pulled out what looked like a vial of perfume.
"What are you going to do spritz them to death?" asked Alec.
"There is no need for an attitude young man and you will see soon enough!"
Isabelle let them continue to bicker like a typical married couple. Well, a gay, magical married couple.
"Eurabatras," Isabelle whispered as her blade glowed to life.
"Wouldn't it just be easier to name it blade?"
"Shut up Magnus."
"You never know guys it could have just been a cat," thought Alec.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
"That is one humongous cat," said Isabelle.
They could have heard the sound knives being sharpened, or axes being thrown, possibly the hissing of demons. The most terrifying sight before them was the sight and the sound of human footsteps making its way down the corridor.
"You think you're pretty slick don't you?" Clary grinned up at Jace.
"What are you talking about?" asked Jace, not meeting eyes with her as he looked ahead at the elegantly flourished hallways, but Clary noted the grin on his face.
"The double sided coin… Really?"
"What if I am just a really lucky person?" retorted Jace.
"Number one, I saw the coin," said Clary pulling the coin out of his pocket. "Number two, you're not a lucky kind of guy." Clary sighed looking around at the elegant tapestries and golden picture frames of Shadow hunters dressed in gear.
"Oh really! Please elaborate!"
"The odds of us being siblings! You can't tell me that's not unlucky. There's the fact you got stabbed at Lake Lyn…"
"Well then I must be Just my Luck," he said.
"Oh really!" she mocked him, "Please elaborate!"
"It seems to me you, Clary Fray are the answer to all my problems. We aren't siblings anymore! And yes there was a time when I thought I must be the darnest most unlucky guy in the world to fall in love with my sister! But, it seems that fate really did play into our hands. I'm also not dead. That is a definite sign of luck! I mean imagine a world without me!"
Clary tilted her head back and laughed out loud. "Your head is so big," she said to him.
Jace was about to reply when he heard a loud clattering from down the hall.
"Uh…" asked Clary.
"I have no clue," He said shaking his head.
"Chamuel," Clary whispered to her blade as it came to life. Jace and Clary proceeded down the hallway their glowing blades held in front of them. Clary began to ponder what could be making the noises. A huge spider, a small squirrel? Then came the question to how it got into the institute. Clary knew for a fact that no their were no other institutes nearby or Shadowhunters that would be living in here. Then again Clary wasn't always right.
"Whatever it was it went away," Clary said as they neared the end of the hallway. A hand appeared out of the shadows of and unlit section of the hallway and wrapped around Clary's waist pulling her towards the wall. Clary yelped in surprise, but not fear. The agility the figure possessed that was able to pin her to the wall, without her seeing was the grace only a Shadowhunter could
"It appears I have spoken to soon," Clary grumbled.
"Who are you?" the figure shouted, his face hidden by the unlit section of the hallway.
"Number one, I'm gonna be a lot nicer if you let her go and number two, the more important question; is who are you?" said Jace.
"I asked first."
"I'm handsomer."
"You can't see my face."
"I don't need to. There is obviously a reason your hiding it."
"I do-!"
"GUYS!" Clary shouted. "Well, I'm assuming from your cocky attitude and low voice you're a man," she said to the figure holding her. "Is this really necessary at the moment?" she said to both of them.
Both of them lowered their heads, slightly ashamed.
"Now here's an idea," Clary said, "Mr. Whoever You Are will let me go. We don't hurt you and in exchange, you don't hurt us. Also, if you tell us who are, well we'll return the favor."
"Plus if you act now we'll throw in a brand new car!"
"JACE!"
"Fine, how about a bicycle?"
The figure behind her did something she didn't expect. He began to laugh. His tone more friendly and inviting he said, "Fine, I agree to your deal," he said as he released Clary.
32mins ago
Clary began to stretch her arms as she said to him, "You've got quite a grip buck-o you wanna tell us were you learned to do that?"
"Nu-uh-uh… first you have to tell me who you are," he said.
"Fine," she said, "I'm Clary, I'm a girl. This is Jace he is a big headed as-"
"CLARY," shouted Jace. The figure laughed again.
"I'm assuming you too are enemies."
"Dating actually," Jace said suavely resting his arm around her shoulders.
"Well one thing I do know is your Shadowhunters. I mean you have runes how could you not be."
"Oh we are. Not only are we Shadowhunters… WE ARE THE BEST SHADOWHUNTERS IN THE WHOLE WORLD!"
"I don't know about that…" said the figure stepping out of the shadows. Clary's instincts were right. He was a Shadowhunter, and a handsome one at that. Not that she would ever admit it! He had chesnut shaggyish short hair, the kind that wasn't swooshy enough to be long, yet not short enough to be a buzz. His green eyes and freckles gave him a friendly look that made you want to play board games and watch movies with him all day instead of stabbing him with a blade like they should have been doing though. His most unique quality though was his smell. It wasn't necessarily bad it was just… interesting. He smelled like freshly applied runes and one of the pennies you get from McDonalds that you know has been in the cash register since the store opened. Clary guessed that he just didn't get to shower much if he lived in the old building like she assumed.
Clary didn't realize she had been staring until he piped up with, "See something you like?"
"Wow, Jace I think you're related!" Clary said.
"Oh no, lets not go through that again he replied.
Clary laughed as she looked to the boy again, "You have a name?"
"Matthew."
"Religious family?" Clary asked referring to his name being one of the gospels in the bible.
"Well I am a Shadowhunter!" Matthew retorted.
"Matt!" a male voice shouted from down the hall.
"What Luke?"
"Look what we found scurrying around here." A boy looking about 18 appeared out of the shadows dragging Isabelle behind him. With them were two other boys pushing Magnus and Alec along too!"
"IZZY!" Clary cried.
"Clary!" Izzy cried.
"Clary?" Luke cried.
"Luke?" Matt cried.
"Matt?" Luke cried.
"Alec!" Jace cried.
"Jace?" Alec cried.
"MAGNUS!" Magnus cried. All went silent and stared at Magnus."What? I thought we had a fun little thing going on here and I felt left out!"
Clary started laughing. "Oh Magnus! I'm happy you're okay," she said then with a frown she added, "I might be even happier if these strange boys would release our friends!"
"We're the strange ones?" added the boys restraining Alec, "You're the ones who broke into our house."
Clary pondered this. She imagined what it would be like if some other Shadowhunters just waltzed into their institute. Besides the fact that it would seem extremely stalkerish, she imagined that whoever walked in would pretty much me in the same situated Clary and her friends were in now.
"Sorry," Clary smiled politely, "Let me 'properly,' introduce ourselves. I'm Clary, the blonde one is Jace, the fashionista is Isabelle, the black haired on is Alec and the sparkly one is Magnus. Your turn!"
The boys looked at each other and then introduced themselves one by one.
"Matthew,"
"Mark,"
"Luke,"
"John,"
"Wow," Jace whispered to Clary "SUPER religious family."
"So," began the boy who introduced himself as John "Just wondering what your doing here?"
"Well," Alec said, "The clave noted us that there was mysterious activity in an abandoned institute, so we're kind of wondering the same thing."
"Abandoned? We've been living here our whole lives," said Mark.
"Um, ever heard of a duster?" asked Isabelle, referring to the coating of dust on the light fixtures and picture frames.
"ISABELLE! Be polite!" said Clary.
"No really, this place smells like an old boot," added Magnus.
Ignoring their comments Mark continued on, "The reason we're so confused is…"
Mark looked down at his boots.
"We thought we were the only ones left."