Author's note & Disclaimer
Hi, so this is my first serious story, and that means that I intend to finish this and update regularly. I don't own the Mortal Instruments. the plot belongs to me. And I've always pictured Clary as a brunette, not a redhead, so I've made a few adjustments to the story(I'll have a few twists and turns so you won't be confused). I'm new to this site so I have no idea how to work this thing, ha-ha.
Everything Mortal Instruments related belongs to Cassandra Clare. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story belongs to the author. No copyright infringement is intended. Also, this story deals with rape, torture and violent scenes that may be triggering for some.
Prologue: Promise Made
"I'm in love with you," he said quietly.
"Augustus," I said.
"I am," he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you."
Clary looked up from her copy of The Fault in Our Stars and met a pair of luminous gold eyes, gleaming with amusement.
"What?" she demanded, folding the corner page of the book in a doggy-ear and then setting it down on the floor.
Jace smirked before proceeding to sit next to her on the carpeted floor of one of the rooms of the Institute, letting his eyes fall to the blue book, adorned with black and white clouds, where the title of the book and the author's name printed on the cover in crayon writing. "What's this?"
Clary tilted her head, studying her boyfriend, big emerald eyes assessing him. What on Earth was he up to?
He picked up the book, staring at down as if he was sizing it up. "Why are you reading this instead of doing something productive... like saving me from Izzy's macaroon massacre, eh?"
Shrugging indignantly, Clary nudged his shoulder softly with her own, letting a playful smile play on her lips. "I don't know, Jace. Izzy's cooking may just kill me and if I die young, at least I'll die smart. And I'd like to spend some time with my one true love, Augustus Waters." She smirked, tipping her head slightly skyward, the vague sunlight from the window filtered through and reflected off the gold flecks in her eyes. "Don't miss me too bad." Her tone was laced with tease and mockery — daring him to produce a sarcastic or a joking snide comeback.
Arching an eyebrow and taking pleasure of watching Clary's eye twitch in envy (she was never able to raise a single eyebrow), Jace flashed his signature crooked grin. "Is that so?" He wrapped his arm around her waist. "You need not worry, for my one true love will forever remain myself."
"Then," she began,"you needn't worry about rejection, Jace Herondale."
He smirked. "I think we've had this conversation before. But I will repeat what I had said before." He cleared his throat dramatically before cocking his head to the side. "I turn myself down occasionally just to keep it interesting." Clary scoffed and as her lips parted and a retort was about to fly out, Jace pressed his index finger on her lips, shushing her.
Jace said,"Before you tell me that I'm too full of myself, I have to remind you: the meek may one day inherit the planet. But for now it belongs to the conceited — like me. And until the conceited bequeath the Earth to the meek and humble, I will always be around, courting three beautiful people — me, myself, and I."
Clary shoved his hand away from her face and shook her head, laughing. "That's a very inspiring speech for all people of different nature — the humble, the conceited, the deceitful and the foolish. But you can't marry yourself. I don't think you can kiss yourself and I honestly believe that no one would want to see you in a white, poofy wedding dress, even the Minister."
"Why, aren't you just a bundle of sunshine," Jace pointed out, his words dripped with sarcasm. "And you also can't fully be with a fictional character. So I guess we're in the same boat."
"I guess we are," Clary said as she leaned into his arms. "So I'm stuck with you, then?"
"Yeah," Jace deadpanned. "I guess you are. But you love me."
Taking a single look at the cheeky grin on his face, she smiled as her arms slid around his neck. "I do. I do love you. Don't ever forget that."
"How can I? You're pretty memorable," Jace remarked before pressing his lips against hers. She kissed back, pulling him closer and running her fingers through his golden hair.
Suddenly, an ear-piercing scream made Clary jump in his arms. Jace soothed her quickly before helping her up.
"What's the hell is going on?" Jace growled as he pulled his stele out the pocket of his jeans and racing towards the source of the scream — the hall. He threw a glance at Clary. Their eyes were locked together — green against gold. A message had been transmitted: Be careful. And if it's another one of Isabelle's kitchen disasters, just scream and run back to the room.
Clary ran after Jace, gripping onto her worn-out copy of The Fault in Our Stars. She knew that the scream belonged to Isabelle, and Isabelle hardly screamed, so she presumed that it was another one of Isabelle's culinary felony.
Twisting around the various hallways and practically flying down the flights of stairs, Jace and Clary crossed the threshold and entered the hall of the Institute where they saw Isabelle wielding her deadly golden whip like a vice, aiming it at a silver-haired man. The man donned Mundane clothes which consisted of a white T-shirt, a trench coat and a pair of jeans. His eyes, as dark as oblivion, gleamed with hatred. It was Sebastian. As soon as he caught sight of Clary, his lips curled into a malicious sneer.
"Clarissa." Sebastian stalked towards her, arms spread. "How pleasant to see you."
Jace took a defensive stance in front of Clary, glowing seraph blades in hand. He was tense, just like the girl behind him, velvet red hair whipped against her forehead, making her green eyes seem illuminated. "You have no business here, Sebastian. Leave."
Sebastian threw his head back, and cackled nefariously. He sneered. "No business, you say?" He took a step forward, towards Jace, but his eyes remained focused on Clary. "My sister is here, is she not? And I'm sure that she is my business."
"I am of no concern to you," Clary said, her voice laced with venom.
Black eyes, void of emotion or a single shred of humanity, Sebastian snarled. "Unfortunately for you, dear, Clarissa, you are my business and you will come with me, whether it is of your own volition or not."
The Lightwoods present — Isabelle and Alec — gripped their weapons, a gleaming whip and a sword, respectively, with a death grip, bracing themselves for Sebastian's impending attack. Both siblings knew that the platinum blonde-haired man was more demon than human — the black in his eyes matched the sense of death of the rotting corpse and his eyes alone were enough evidence that he was a devil's spawn.
"You aren't taking Clary." Jace's hands shook with anger, amber eyes blazing, like molten gold. Behind him, Clary abandoned her book on the floor, her hands now armed with a dagger. She gripped the hilt tightly, trying to mask the fear in her eyes.
Sebastian's expression darkened. "That's not your choice, Shadowhunter. In fact, Clary doesn't have a choice. She has to come with me." Seeing the New York Institute Shadowhunters's eyes harden, he added with mock glee,"But don't you Nephilim fret. She will be returned to you, after we... fix her."
"Tyrant!" Jace shouted. "You can't take her, much less fix her. We won't allow that so get that message through that thick skull of yours!"
Isabelle cracked her whip, launching it at Sebastian. The whip cackled in the air, but as soon as it was of his reach, Sebastian enclosed his fingers around the sharp metal, uncaring to the blood that dripped from his hand to the floor. He smirked and pulled at the whip, throwing Isabelle off balance and sent her flying. She was in the air for an instant, the she slammed into the wall before crashing to the ground with a resounding thud. She stayed on the ground, eyes rolled to the back of her head.
"Izzy!" Alec was outraged. How dare he, Sebastian, enter his home, uninvited, threaten his family and then violently drive his sister off the edge of unconsciousness. How dare he! With a murderous battle cry, he launched himself at the devil's spawn, ready to beat him to a bloody pulp. But his plan, unfortunately, backfired. Sebastian's hands rested on his shoulders momentarily, the with a beastly surge of strength, he threw the raven-haired boy across the room. When Alec's body collided with the hard surface of the wall, he cursed as he felt his vision darken, black spots dancing in front of his eyes. He tried but in vain to stand up and fight but his head lolled to the side and he blacked out.
Jace took a defensive stance, keeping an eye on Clary and another on Sebastian. He was determined to protect her no matter what, even if it cost his life. He gripped the seraph blades and murmured their respective names, then they illuminated a soft glow. He eyed Sebastian with great caution.
Clary's life and sanity is counting on you, he thought, don't fuck this up.
Sebastian scowled at Jace and decided to initiate the fight. He charged straight ahead, black eyes gleamed with wild force and thirst for battle. Jace steped aside and thrust his blade at Sebastian's side, hoping to wound him. The blow did hurt him, just enough to draw some blood and in his case, black blood — demon's ichor.
"Run, Clary, run! Get out of the Institute!" Jace urged Clary. Her green eyes flashed. She looked like she has something to say, like she was about to put forward a coherent argument in her favour of staying and fighting with him but upon seeing Jace's solomn and grave expression, she decided against it. She looked her gaze with his — even though it was for an instant, a message was transmitted: Be careful. I love you. I'll find you.
Clary spun on her heel and ran towards the grand Renaissance doors, only to feel the hilt of a seraph blade collide with the back of her head. She crumpled to her knees and collapsed on the floor. The last thing she heard was Jace's despaired yells and Sebastian's evil laughter.
To proclaim that Jace was furious would be a major understatement. In fact, he was livid. As he watched Clary fall to her knees and Sebastian throw a stolen seraph blade onto the floor, he only saw red. He was worried about Clary and he loathed himself.
How could you be so careless? You let that monster harm Clary.
Jace tried to move but he stood rooted on the spot. Sebastian carried Clary bridal style and shot one last smirk at him before disappearing into thin air.
No. No. No.
This was not happening.
Jace couldn't believe he'd let Sebastian take Clary. As soon as Sebastian left the Institute, Jace snapped out of his paralysis. He wanted to act on instinct — to find Clary and hunt down Sebastian. But he decided against it as it would be impulsive and he had no idea where they were. He would need help tracking down their whereabouts. He spared a thought for his parabatai and his foster sister, who were both injured and unconscious. He sighed.
Something gleamed in the light and caught Jace's eye. He stalked towards it and gingerly picked it up. It was Clary's battered copy of The Fault in Our Stars. Clary had dropped it in a hurry to get her weapons so the book had been lying flat down on the ground. He read the first line of the page and it made his heart clench.
Love is keeping the promise anyway.
He loved her.
I love you. I'll find you.
He promised he would find and rescue her. And that was a promise he intended to keep.
End Note:
SO? SO? SO?
Pretty okay for an amature like me haha.
Okay I know I suck.
I'll update soon, so rate and review! I want to know what you think!
-Vivien
xoxo
