Wild Fire
Everyone knows, that if you play with fire… you get burnt. And yet it always seems that our most powerful temptations seem to burn us in the end. No matter what we do or where we do it.
Half my life was lived in secrets and hiding, and now, the other is full of surprises and changes. Everything is different and the cold reality of it all is simply the hardest and the most enduring in which some must live. Love, hate, power, truth, and deceit rule out many lives for many years and unless you can be one to help fight it off or choose your own destiny, life will always be something to work and practice at.
For a large part of humanity is based on life and death, the other is how you live your experiences and the times and places you do things for people. At this point, I find myself very close to the breaking point.
Sighing, I turned my head as I watched solemnly down the halls of the institute yet again. It was a regular occurrence. Weather it be the fact that so many people and places seem to do more bad then good, or the fact that when I thought my life would become easier, it ended up turning on me.
Looking forward, my eyes naturally searched for something more as I looked to see the front door push open. Instinctively, my hands went to my stele, for even if it failed me as a weapon, it gave me strong reassurance and a calming sense of power.
Stalking forward, I peered closer as I saw the rain pouring from outside. Grey clouds over head stained the skies shades of light and dark as I sighed and shook my head. It had been weeks, and yet I still found it difficult to rid myself of old habits.
"Clarissa Morgenstern I presume?" a cold voice asked from behind me as I whipped around vigorously, eyes blazing and my heart racing just as fast as the stallions on the racetracks. The nerves up and down my body were radiating like the sun and my very anxiety was nearing the pass of self control.
"Fairchild, Clary Fairchild." I corrected her, sizing her up considerably as I watched a small smirk pass her features.
She was striking, only a few inches taller then I was, but appearance wise all the different. With a small petite body and measurements to compliment her size. Flawless skin and short blond hair covered her head as her dark brown roots complimented her skin tone and defined beauty. With hair covering half her face, straight and pointed, her electric blue eyes stood out against her smoky makeup as I cautiously wondered how on earth she managed to keep herself dry.
How many times people had told me I was beautiful or pretty was surprising, but under her stare, she made me feel inferior, much like Isabelle's beauty but in a different sense.
"I am in search for your mother, Jocelyn Fairchild… might you tell me where I am able to find her?" she grinned slightly as I looked down the hall, curious as to find another person to help me in this situation.
"No." I stated coldly as she simply nodded her head and continued to stare me down intensly.
"Clary?" I heard Jace's ringing voice as I turned to face him, only to see his eyes adverted towards the new girls'. In a way, they looked very much alike. Both striking with the same golden blond hair and intimidating eyes, the same slight tan.
In an instant I turned back to the girl to look to her skin once again. This time, something all together took me off guard. Unrecognizable runes' covered her skin in intricate patterns, marking and shapes I had never seen before.
"Who's this?" he asked, snaking an arm around my shoulders as I turned to him before looking back to the mysterious girl before me.
After discovering Jace wasn't my brother or blood related, the biggest shock was to find him gone. And after just getting him back safe and sound, it was a wonder I hadn't confessed my feelings long before then. Though it was twisted and wrong, there wasn't just any connection between us, something had changed.
Now, every time we touched, it was like an electric shock, every time we kissed it felt as if he held and kissed me it was like it was the first and last time he would ever do so. Never had I felt the same about anyone, and I didn't want it to change anytime soon.
"I don't know. She just stopped in." I sighed as the girl's amused expression returned.
"How rude of me." she grinned. "My name is Fawn Aeron Merikh."
"Merikh?" Jace scoffed in arrogance at the sound of the name. I had to admit, it sounded different, but it was nothing compared to those I had heard before.
With a slight bow of her head, as if she understood his temptation of amusement towards her name, she responded in a cool and calm tone. "Yes Shadowhunter, it means death, slaughter." she smiled as I felt Jace tense behind me.
"What is your business being here? You are dressed for battle and your runes are not ones that can be identified, at this point, you are in possession of the Institute." he stated in another manor, his voice more serious then before. "You step onto our land as one from another, by law, without permission, I'm afraid I'm going to have to keep you here."
"You really believe that I will willingly stay?" she asked, a slight hint of a hidden emotion laced within her voice. One not so clearly recognized.
"We have our ways." Jace countered, pushing me behind him as he took out a small yet powerful dagger.
"You think you can threaten me Jace Herondale?" she asked arrogantly as Jace tensed once again, her very presence unnerving.
"That's not my name." he stated sharply as the girl before him cocked her head to the side and gave him a confused glance.
"Why it is you people insist on taking a name that is not your own confuses me to no end. But very well." she sighed before adding. "Should you believe that I will stay, no, should you believe that you can keep me here you are living an illusion. Unless you take me to see Jocelyn Fairchild, I must leave you."
"How about you make us a deal?" I looked up to Jace again as his past tone returned all to quickly for my liking. I was actually quite set on her leaving now without seeing my mother.
"I do not make deals with your kind." she grinned as I stepped out from behind Jace.
"Surely a lovely girl such as yourself would bend to help out a fellow Shadowhunter all the same?" his old charm returned as I inwardly remembered the last time he had used his charm on the Fairy Queen, it ended up with us kissing. And should it happen once again, I was hoping it to be a little more private.
"I am not a fairy, Jace… I cannot be tempted and swayed by charm." she smirked as Jace's grin returned.
"Ah, but would you do it for the sake of your name? For once you leave here, I guarantee that every Shadowhunter in the land will know who you are and what you look like off by heart." he grinned as the smile faded slightly from her face, leaving an expressionless mask.
"Take me to see Jocelyn Fairchild, and perhaps we might find an agreement." she countered as Jace nodded his head before motioning for her to follow close behind.
After leading her up to the study, Jace hastily knocked on the door as the muffled voices halted all together. After agonizing moments, they pulled the door open to reveal Robert, Luke and my mum surrounding the dimply lit fire in high backed chairs. Maryse shooed us inside and shut the door behind as my mother stood from her chair and watched in all her glory.
"Clary, what is the meaning of this?" she asked, her eyes full on confusion and Luke, my new found father stood up beside her, shadowing her slightly smaller frame.
Stepping aside, I watched Fawn step forward and my mother and Luke's eyes went directly towards her.
Standing tall and proud, she looked between the two as if she considered them equals before speaking. "Mi scuso Lucian Greymark e Jocelyn Fairchild venuta a voi in questo momento. Ma il caos sta scoppiando sotto e sono afriad che ho un favore importante e chiedo a nome del mio anziani." Mum's face remained mutual as she watched the girl with immense interest, Luke, on the other hand, stood and watched her as something different glinted within his eyes.
"What does she want?" I whispered to Jace as he leant down to respond.
"She wants a favour of your mother and Luke. What… I don't know yet." he whispered back as I nodded my head in understanding.
"Step forward." Luke demanded as silence filled the room for mere seconds. Obediently, Fawn took several steps forward until she was about four to five feet away from them.
"Amatis Herondale… do you know of her?" he asked as I tried to keep my face neutral. Amatis had taken me in to safe keeping for a while when Luke had not been able to. I hadn't seen or heard of her since.
"Yes Lucian. You have pour memory if you do not remember my days as your niece once upon a time." the room went silent as Luke's eyes widened at the very mention of the fact.
"You couldn't be." he retorted at once, the disbelief clear in his face.
"I'm not anymore. That was long ago and it in the past. Mi chiedere che, per motivi di altri, ci dica dove il libro di fuoco selvaggio è così possiamo trovare e ripristinare ciò che è rotto." when Luke and my mum simply stood and stared at the girl, she tried once again.
"Mi permetto di voi, di vostri fratelli e la sorella di armi. Per motivi del Raptor. Per il nostro futuro." pulling up the sleeve of her battle wear, she put forth what looked the tattoo of a rune based dragon with wings on her left forearm.
With a slight gasp, Luke looked to my mother immediately as Jace stepped forward and brought the girl back forcefully, all while I stood out of place unsure of their actions. "Jocelyn I swear I never knew she was a Reaper. I'm sorry. I would have dealt with her another way had I known."
"That is quite alright Jace. But you have to release her." mum stated in a calm and collected manor as Jace turned to her and starred as if she were crazy.
"What… Jocelyn I-" but he was cut off before he could say another word.
"You can't kill a Reaper Jace. Besides, if anything… we want one on our side. You heard what she asked of. Things seem fine."
"Fine? She's a Reaper. I don't know your definition of fine, but mine isn't this." he hissed with much venom, gesturing to the girl before me as he spat the words outwards. In no way did I appreciate the way he spoke to my mother, but he wouldn't have done so had it not been for the fact that something was wrong.
"Perhaps you should take Clary for a walk and explain Jace. We'll watch the girl for now." her voice was, yet again, calm as Luke watched with weary eyes, Jace let go forcefully and turned to face me, grabbing a hold of my hand and storming out of the room.
Once we reached the kitchen, he stopped and let go. Running his hands through his hair, he clenched his eyes closed and sighed outwardly. "Jace…" I wondered aloud as he leant onto the counter and shook his head.
"Look Clary, your still fairly new to this. There are things, people, demons, terms that you have yet to learn about. And the Reapers should have been your first lesson." he sighed once again when suddenly Isabelle and Alec stepped into the room.
"So the new girls a Reaper? Interesting…" Isabelle tossed the idea back and forth as he pulled out a chair and sat at the table, Alec remained silent.
"The Reaper's are group of selected Shadowhunters. They're different from us. They, like you, can make runes whenever they please. With the beauty of a thousand fairies and the power and skill of ten Shadowhunters packed into one." he paused as I tried to process it. "They're outlaws Clary, living hidden from the Clave."
"Surprisingly, the Clave's about the only group that doesn't know about them." Isabella added as Jace turned and glared at her.
"They have a book, the Book of Wild Fire that holds their secrets, and a couple of years ago it was taken. Now, they search, kill, and torture those who they fully believe possess it. There aren't many left, but their ten times more deadly and hard to find let alone catch as Valentine was. And I have no doubt they'll be ten times more difficult to defeat." he stated seriously, his eyes blazing with a hidden emotion as he sat and starred me down.
"What's the deal… wouldn't she be in alliance with us if she's a Shadowhunter?" I asked as Isabelle and Alec both scoffed at the idea. Smirking and shaking their heads as they stood and took the few needed steps to close the distance between us.
"Their assassins Clary. And I know for a fact that in mundane language as much as ours, the word assassins isn't a good one." Alec smirked as Jace gave him a warning glance.
"Their secret agents, for Lucifer as well as the Angels. They're just too good… they can't get caught." Isabelle added as she walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Opening it before taking a long drink and setting it back down on the counter.
"So what's wrong with her again?" I asked for a final clarification as Alec simply rolled his eyes and Isabelle scoffed. Jace shooting them both looks before turning back to me.
"They can't be trusted Clary. Their strong, powerful, smart, and reckless and even if that girl, Fawn, seems different, she's not. Their all the same. Every last one of them." he hissed the last part under his breath.
"Jace, what does that have to do with us?" I asked when suddenly, mum, Luke, the Lightwoods and Fawn all walked into the kitchen.
"Ah, I thought I'd find you here." mum mused as she looked between Jace and I and the hold he had on me.
"Yes, well as it stands… the book of Wild Fire is not among us and until that can be changed, Fawn will stay here. It is much to far to travel back and forth and until we can find a better place to keep her, this is our newest solution. You will train and study all the same, nothing is to change. Is that clear?" mum asked sceptically, starring purposefully at Jace rather then the others.
"Are you sure?" Jace asked suddenly, his voice begging mum to tell him other then the facts he already knew.
"Yes Jace. Now, we have some unattained business to take care of, and I believe you should all be working on your private studies." she clipped hoarsely before walking from the kitchen, Luke, Maryse, and Robert quickly following behind her.
Looking around, I turned to see Jace glaring hard at Fawn as she merely starred back with an overpowering sense of boredom. "It is impolite to stare." she stated after many minutes of silence.
I had to say, she hasn't said anything to make me dislike her in anyway, not that I appreciated her bluntness with my mother but it seemed it was how her kind was raised.
"You wouldn't know. You haven't any feelings to be offended with." Jace spat back viciously.
"All the same, it is rather rude." she countered as Jace's glare only intensified.
"On other account, Isabelle Lightwood, I hear you possess the finest whip in the land, they also say your abilities with it are putstanding. Perhaps you might show me sometime. Your strategy is one talked about through the land." she smiled as Isabelle grinned and held her head higher than before. I had to admit, Fawn's beauty countered Izzy's, but she seemed satisfied.
"And Alec, your name is known throughout the land also, for your bravery, courage, and cunning ability to use your intelligence to your advantage. High class to say the least." she mused as Alec expression changed to one similar to Isabelle's.
"And Clarissa and Jace, you needn't need another look, from what I hear you two are some of the best. It's an honour to meet such Shadowhunter's your age capable of so much. Intriguing." her compliment brought a smile to my face as Jace simply scowled more at her words.
"Guys, don't fall for it. She just saying that to get to us." Jace warned as Alec, Izzy and I all turned to him at the same time.
"How do you know?" Isabelle asked as Jace's eyes turned to Fawn.
"Because, Reapers are known for their lying skills. Come on, who do you know would really tell you such things?" he asked with a scoff when Alec and Isabelle's faces changed immediately. Even I felt a little bruised from that blow.
"Their true Jace, you just don't like the idea of having someone better then you. At least the Reaper knows how to pay a compliment." Isabelle spat as she stepped forward beside Fawn. "My name's Isabelle, that's my brother Alec and you know those two. You can hang out with me, I like you already." she smiled, walking from the kitchen with Alec and Fawn straggling behind.
"Jace, Clary, I'm sure you'd be welcome to join us." she offered with a slight smile.
"No thanks. I don't tend to keep company with the likes of you." he snarled back.
"I'd love to." I replied reverently, ignoring the look of utter shock as Fawn offered a smile and began to walk out of the room behind the others.
Before I could leave, Jace had pulled me back and grabbed both my arms. "Clary… are you really going to let this girl come between us?" he asked accusingly.
"No, but you're the one driving this, this stake between us. Even Alec and Isabelle appreciate the compliments she gave them." after pausing for a few seconds, I couldn't help but feel like his glare was burning holes through me. "Look Jace, everyone here is going through a hard time, I think… that maybe you should try and show some gratitude to everyone, I mean they've stuck by us all the way. I just don't see why it's so hard for you."
"Clary, it's either me or her, you can't have both." he warned.
"I'm not choosing between you or her. I'm not choosing anyone. I just think that it might be good for everybody to be around someone who knows how to flatter people. It's what they need."
"Clary..." he paused as I turned on him again.
"Look Jace, I don't know if you realize this, but even if she was adopted, which looks most likely, she is technically related to you. In some sence." I reasoned, taking one last look at his glaring face as I turned and walked from the room.
Slightly offended he would accuse me of such, but also pleased I had found it in me to stand for what was right.
Or at least what seemed right.
This is my first Mortal Instruments fanfiction, so your output would be greatly appretiated!