"Look daylighter, I wouldn't speak, let alone come near you if I didn't think something was wrong, which I do. So to put it straight, there's something wrong with Clary, and only God knows what." Jace blurted out the moment he saw Simon. This worried both Simon and Jace, and Simon knew that Jace coming to him would only be at breaking point. Simon considered this for a while, Jace was right, simple as that, Clary had been on edge for the past week or so but they hadn't seen her for a couple days. He wanted to know what was up with her as much as Jace did.
"Have you tried calling?" Simon asked, not realizing how stupid his question was, of course he tried calling, he wasn't retarded. Now Jace probably thought Simon was completely idiotic and completely useless. Jace glared at him with a Do-You-Really-Think-I'm-That-Stupid look. Simon sighed at took defeat by pining his hands up. "Fine, I'll try calling her." Simon reassured him, Jace rolled his eyes and muttered something like "Finally, he can do something without messing up." Even though this comment was barely audible, Simon heard, with his super vampire hearing, and took, another, sharp intake.
Clary managed to give the shop assistant a small smile whilst she walked into the changing room, she sighed to herself, another top had been torn in another fight, she had to start wearing protection if every fight she had would end up with her top ripped. She had grabbed a couple of tops to try on, despite her disliking of shopping, and had turned to face the wall as she took her top off to try the new garments on, her soft red curls flowed onto her bare skin. Clary had debated with herself a number of times on whether to cut her hair or not since it kept getting in the way when she was fighting. She was interrupted from her thoughts as someone opened her curtain.
"Hey, anyone in here?" Clary knew that voice. Magnus.
The first thing Magnus noticed was the fiery red hair, he then knew instantly it was Clary. Then he noticed she only had a bra on and lastly he noticed her bruises on her back. The dark purple color was sprayed in splotches across her back. They looked as if they had been painted on harshly and gave the owner no mercy. Some bruises were more faded than other, some less purple back for yellow. It had looked like someone had used Clary's back as a punching bag. She quickly tugged on a top and whipped her pretty little head round and gave Magnus a smile.
"Hey Magnus, haven't seen you in a while? How's everything?" Clary smiled so sweetly that she could of fooled Shadowhunters, but not Magnus Bane. He completely ignored the questions and asked a few of his own.
"Where have you been and what, in heavens name, is on your back?" He quizzed.
"I've just been busy and what do you mean what's on my back?" She was answered by a look and her eyes shot down to the floor. "Oh, you mean that." She swallowed hard and did the only thing she could, wait for an answer.
"Stop lying Clarissa, I know you haven't been just busy. You are talking to the High Warlock of Brooklyn, I can tell when someone is lying." He warned, his eyes trying to despiser her. "I only lie to protect the ones I love, damn, I would lie to the depths of hell if it protected the people I love." She answered back, her eyes glassy, Magnus couldn't make out her emotions, it was like there was a hard shiny shell over them, like those plastic crates you can get to store away junk. He just stood there, stunned, and Clary stood there staring back, wide-eyed and still surprised about what she just said. Was it true? She has lied so much, what difference could it make to lie more? "Clary, you're hurt. I know you don't want to hear it, but it's true. All I'm asking is: who did it and why? Does Jace know?" Clary's eye immediately widened even more and quickly answered. "No." And then she turned back around and started to fold tops and put everything into her bag. She realized that Magnus was still there, glaring at her. That was when her phone rang. Simon.
"Hi Simon." Clary answered cheerfully.
"Clary? Are you okay?" He asked.
"'Course. Um, Si, it's really bad reception, let me just get out of here. Hang on a sec, hey Magnus you coming? I'm going to the Institute." She called over to Magnus who had taken interest in some kind of glittery shoes.
"Sure, why not." He answered, not taking his eyes of the shoes.
"Your with Magnus?" The familiar voice boomed down the line, Clary had forgotten about the phone call.
"Yeah, it's a long story. See you in a few." And she hung up, already thinking about what to say to the others.
"Look, she's coming." Simon said as he pulled the phone away from his ear. Jace nodded but then, being Jace, found a loophole. "But that doesn't mean she's fine or okay." Jace was right, again. He was right too much for Simon's liking, he was everything Simon wasn't, and he was everything Clary wanted. But Simon had to shake that out of his head, he was with Isabelle, and, wow, he was lucky. A girl like her with a girl like him, it only happened in books and movies, the really cliché girly ones. "And I'm guessing you want me too find out what. Lets get Izzy and Alec, we could tell them to look out for, you know, weirdness." Simon felt bad for talking about his best friend like this; he was always the one that Clary came to first. But now, who knows? They gathered everyone up and piled into the kitchen, Isabelle flicking through the latest glamour magazine, with Simon sitting next to her, of course, and Jace and Alex arguing over the best way to kill a demon. But was interrupted by a laugh so familiar, they knew it inside and out and upside down, it was Clary's.
"In my opinion I think throwing a knife over distance, fast, in the heart would be the best way to kill a demon, because if the strength or speed doesn't kill it the sharpness would." Clary said, leaning on the door stand, her loose red curls like a lion's mane. Before she could even say something again, Jace was hugging her, ready to kiss her, and when he did, she returned the favor, smiling between kisses. And Clary felt a strange safe feeling, like she was secure and nothing could get to her, like when a newborn cub is protected by it's mother. Once they had finished, she leaned on Jace, using his shoulder as a pillow. She next hugged Simon, he breathed the scent of him, he smelt of books, and Clary secretly loved books, no one would normally see her as someone who adores books, but she was a secret book addict. It was like a crack addiction but with words. "I need to talk to you, privately later." She whispered into his ear, so no one else could hear, and he just nodded silently. Next she went to Izzy then Alec, and then walked back to Jace and he put his arm around her waist and tugged her close.
"So, where have you been in the past couple days?" Jace asked, with his other arm on his hip.
"Mundane stuff," She waved the subject off, she saw that Magnus was staring at her, with one eyebrow raised. "It'd bore you to hell and back." Everyone laughed, expect for Simon who mocked hurt and faked whimpered, "You did mundane stuff without me, you wound me Fray." Clary laughed, rocking her head back, curls flying everywhere. "Trust me, it would bore even you." Magnus decided to pipe up then, narrowing his cat like eyes. "And what would you be doing that constructed such boredom, even Simon would repel." That made the edges of Clary's mouth perk up, she would now have to tell the truth, they were expecting a quick answer that made sense, and even the best lie-r would have trouble thinking of a realistic situation. Clary looked at Magnus, then at Simon. "Samuel Blackdale." These were the only two words that could change Simon's mood completely, sort of like bi-polar. His normal expression fell and a sickened, horror expression took its place. He started shaking his head, vigorously. "No, no, no, no, no, no." He said. Clary rolled his eyes, at his Simon-like response. And she turned to Magnus. "I told you it would bore him." She smiled in victory, Simon still looking disgust, Jace stepped in. "Who's Samuel Blackdale?" Was he a threat to Jace or not, was he going to hurt his Clary? He took a glance over to Simon, who was white as a bone. Before Clary could respond, Simon answered for her. "He's a back stabbing bastard and only deserves to rot in hell. And I have no clue why Clarissa is talking to him." Simon spat, with venom hard in his voice. Clary stepped away form Jace and towards Simon. "Why did you ever talk to him then? Huh?" Her eyes big and innocent like, but her voice was the opposite.
This entertained Izzy, and she found great humor in the best friends talking like this, and couldn't help but say laugh. This made everyone stare at her as if she was an ugly, green alien that came form Planet Crazy Town. But Simon just shook he head this time, slowly, like he was disapproving something. "We are not having this discussion now and defiantly not now." And he eyed the others. Although Clary was finding Simon a bit annoying at the moment, but he was right, she couldn't have this argument now. She nodded and grabbed Simon's arm and started to drag him off. "What, what the hell are you doing?" He shouted. Clary let her eyes bore into his and tipped her head to one side. "You said, we aren't going to have this conversation here, so we are going somewhere else. Come on, sooner rather than later." Simon grunted in agreement and sighed sharply, letting his cheeks inflate as he breathed out. Wow, this was going to be a long conversation.
"Why are you talking to Samuel?" Simon started, hands on his hips, narrowing his eyes at her, she just stood back, mimicking him. "Interesting question, I would love to enlighten you, but I can't. I need to ask you a question, though, does he have any family?" Simon just stood there, acting like she didn't say that, ignoring her question, this resulted in her slamming her hand down hard on the Java Jones table. "Damn, Si. This is important, just answer the question!" She shouted. Still, Simon ignored her, he stared at her, finding this intriguing. He had never seen her like this, desperate for an answer. "Fine, if you don't tell me, I guess I'll have to go see him." She said curtly, getting up, not bothering to finish the black coffee. "Stop. Wait. None, he was no family. Just. Just don't do anything stupid. Okay?" Simon instantly regretted what he had just done. But to see that huge grin on Clary's face, it was worth it; she hadn't smiled like that since she was thirteen. "Promise. Thanks so much Lewis. You're the best." Yes, it was worth it. Absolutely. Clary skipped back and sat down, and started chatting as if that the argument that just happened; didn't. And Simon felt the familiarity of her endless babbling. Soon enough they decided to walk back to the Institute, to see what was happening tonight.