Hey, this is my story I hope you like it and the idea of it! Everyone will be included from the books and please do tell me what you think of the first chapter.


Chapter 1: The letter

Clary and her mother, Jocelyn, enjoyed sitting in the park drawing the sight in front of them. It was one of the many things that Clary had in common with her mother, as well as her red hair and green eyes. She didn't believe she was as beautiful as her mother though but she was only ten turning eleven next week.

"Will you let me see your sketch?" Her mother asked with a small smile. Clary didn't like to show anyone her work, but she showed her mother.

She watched as her mom's smile grew even bigger on her face, Clary had decided to draw the children playing in the park even though they kept on moving.

"Very good." Jocelyn said nodding her head in approval.

"Can I see yours?" Clary asked putting her sketch book down on the bench next to her.

Normally, Clary didn't have to ask her mom she would allow Clary to watch as her fingers work they magic. Today Clary decided to draw alongside her mom. She turned her sketch book over and she had drawn the same scene as what Clary had sketched but the children were in different positions.

"It's so good." Clary said smiling.

"Come on, let's go find Luke before we go home for lunch." They had been out all morning in the park.

"Can we go to Java Jones?" Clary usually went to Java Jones with her friend Simon but he was away on holiday in Florida at the moment, she wouldn't see him till next week.

"Sure." Clary put her sketch book in her bag and looked up to see Luke was on his way over with an ice cream in his hand. Luke was Clary's mom's friend and was the closest thing Clary had to a father. He had brown hair and then blue eyes that always looked so warm to Clary, she loved having Luke around.

"I found an ice-cream van on the way back from the toilets and they had your favourite." He passed the ice-cream to Clary (it was strawberry) as she slung her bag across her shoulder. Her mom and Luke begun to talk as Clary walked beside them licking her ice cream quickly before it melted.

Clary watched her mom talk to Luke, the way her eyes sparkled and the way she always smiled, she wished that they would get married. She pictured herself as the bridesmaid, walking down the aisle with her mother and Luke on the other end, her father. It seemed like a happy picture but Clary didn't believe they would ever get married.

Java Jones came into sight and Clary could already smell the coffee before she even entered the building. The little bell chimed as they opened the door and everyone turned to look at them with acknowledging nods and smiles. One of Simon's friends Eric was sat in the corner with his mom and he seemed to be tapping his fingers to a beat to whatever song Simon's band had created.

"You grab a table and I'll order." Luke said to Jocelyn "Clary do you want your usual?"

She loved how Luke always knew what she liked and what she didn't like, she replied "Yes please."

"I wonder if Simon's sent you a postcard." Clary's mom said smiling.

"He said he would. He said he would take lot's of pictures to show me." Clary replied turning her head to watch Luke tell the waitress our orders.

"Are you sure you just want Simon to come over for your birthday?" Her mom asked and Clary nodded her head. Simon was the closest friend she had, then all the family she had was Jocelyn and Luke.

"Maybe we could go to the ranch then." She suggested. The ranch was a place Luke had brought and he usually took Clary and Simon too.

"Yeah, I could have a party and get Simon's band to play for us." Clary said laughing at the picture she had in mind.

"What's their name this time?" Her mom asked scrunching her nose. Their band was always changing their name, they could never agree with each other and it got on Clary's nerves.

"I'm not sure, it was zoom last week." She shock her head.

"Zoom?" Jocelyn questioned and then she and Clary laughed.

"Yeah Eric was reading a comic book then he just come up with it." Clary knew it wouldn't last and she thought the name wasn't very good.

"Perhaps the band needs a girl touch." Her mom raised an eyebrow suggesting Clary but Clary shock her head.

Luke came back other carrying a tray with their drinks on, he handed Clary her coffee and then Jocelyn her iced tea. The waitress behind them then handed Clary her chips and macaroni cheese, her mom's jacket potato and Luke's all day breakfast which came with a tea. They eat in silence as they listened to the sound of coffee being made.


When they got home Clary ran straight to her room hiding her sketch book in her usual space and then she quickly changed into more comfortable clothes. It had gotten so hot outside that they decided to spend a cool day indoors just watching movies. Clary's room was quite small but it was the perfect size for her, it had gotten messy over the past week and she knew she had to tidy it up before her mom could see.

Clary was on her way to the kitchen where Jocelyn and Luke were but she stopped suddenly listening in to their whispers.

"You knew this day was coming, Jocelyn." Luke had a serious tone to his whisper that made Clary understand that it was something important. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop but it felt like they were keeping a secret from her.

"I can't send here there!" Her mom hissed in a whisper. Send me where? Clary thought, she knew it was about her because that was why they were whispering.

"You can't hide her from herself forever!" Luke shouted quietly, they hardly ever argued and when they did it was over something stupid like the remote control.

"I can!" Joeclyn shouted this time and it made Clary jump knocking down a photo that was on the table. She closed her eyes for a second before walking round the corner into the kitchen where her mom and Luke were watching her, fear in their eyes.

In Jocelyn's hand Clary could see a letter but it hadn't been opened, she couldn't see what was written on the envelope but it must have been a big deal.

"What's going on?" Clary asked looking between Jocelyn and Luke tears threatening to escape her eyes.

"Nothing, sweetie, just go back to your room then were talk later." Her mom used her light delicate voice like Clary was a little kid. She wasn't that young anymore, she was turning eleven next week.

"What's in the envelope?" She asked, Clary wasn't going to give in until they told her what this was about. It was about her and she had the right to know.

"Nothing, it's just a silly bill." Clary frowned, she hated being lied to and she specially hated when her mother lied to her.

"Joeclyn, you have to let her make the decision." Luke said putting a hand on Jocelyn's shoulder. Clary took a step forward her hand reaching for the letter, the reason why she was being lied to and the reason why her mother looked so afraid.

"I've spent all these years hiding her from that life." Her mom said shaking her head, tears running down her face. Clary had never seen her mom like this before and she didn't want to see her like this ever again.

"You knew you couldn't hide her forever, you know it's for the best." Luke was trying to persuade her as well as comfort her. Clary was confused to what could be so bad about a letter and what she had been hidden from but she knew it was something her mother feared.

"Please, mom." Clary whispered taking another step forward. Luke took the letter from Jocelyn's hands since she had loosened the grip she held but she took no movements to handing it to Clary. She stood there watching, the fear in her eyes, as Luke passed the letter over to Clary giving her an encouraging smile.

Clary held the letter in her hands seeing that it was addressed to their apartment in swirly black writing. With shaking hands Clary slowly opened the letter avoiding the way her mother and Luke watched her.

Dear Clarissa Adele Fray

We are proud to announce that you have been given the opportunity

to train at Alicante Academy the fine school for Shadowhunters.

The school year shall begin on the 1st September and we expect

all students to require the items listed bellow.

Signed Imogen Herondale.

(headteacher)

Clary read the letter over and over again, taking in all the words that she had never heard of before and words that confused her. She had gotten into a school that she never signed up for or knew anything about. Clary kept wondering what a 'shadowhunter' was but was to nervous to even ask Luke or her mom. Instead she decided to turn over the page to see what she needed for the school (if she was going and she wasn't sure whether she was or not)

Uniform:

All students must be wearing shadowhunter gear with the school logo

which may be found at Blackthorn's.

Weapon:

All students must require one weapon of their choice, but must be handed in

by the parents before the year begins.

Books:

First year students require the books of Shadowhunter codex, demonology,

the gray book, Alicante history, A study of downworlders, the

Clave and the Convenant, and teachers shall provide you with any other books

needed. You can purchase these from any bookstores.

Equipment:

All students must have a fully equiped pencil-case, a stele, a sensor and a witchlight.

She rubbed her eyes not quite believing what she was reading but every time she re-read the letter it said the same thing, nothing had changed. It didn't make any sense though, if it wasn't for Luke's and her mom's faces Clary would have thought it was a joke. Clearly it wasn't. If this was all true then why was Clary being sent to this school? A school that considered of you having a weapon of your choice and a book about demons? What kind of school was that?

"Perhaps we should sit down." Luke said gesturing to the living room. Slowly they all started to move in silence, the fear still in Clary's mom's eyes and then the confusion on Clary's face. Clary sat down on the sofa as Luke and her mom sat on the other. For a moment they sat in silence letting Clary take in the words more but really she just wanted the answers to her questions.

"Jocelyn, I think it's better if you told her." Luke said pursing his lips in a line. Jocelyn didn't look like she could respond, her eyes were on Clary with sadness, fear and worry.

"Mom?" Clary choked and then rubbed the tears from her eyes. The letter was in her hands still but it now felt like a ton of bricks.

"Are you sure your ready?" She asked weakly.

"I'm sure." Clary confirmed with a nod of her head.

"Positive?" Her mothers eyes widened.

"100%" Jocelyn nodded her head and then looked down at her hands. Clary could feel her hands sweating and wiped them on her jeans.

"It might be easier if you, Clary, ask Jocelyn questions." Luke suggested then gave an encouraging nod to Clary.

"Okay... what is a shadowhunter?" That seemed like the most obvious question to Clary but seemed like the worst question to her mother.

"Its...Its...a...uh...Luke?" Clary wished Luke would tell her as he seemed the only one capable of speaking about it.

"Alright, a shadowhunter is a race of humans born with angelic blood." Luke said watching Clary carefully. The words shocked Clary, she never really believed in angels before but now she knew that their was angels out there.

"Do they fight?" She asked, with all the weapons and everything they must be a war going on or something.

"Yes, shadowhunters have a goal of ending the plague of demons on earth. A goal that can never be accomplished." Luke gave a small smile as if it was casual talk and wasn't that much of a big deal.

"Why?" Clary blurted out before she could even think what would have been a better question to ask.

"Demons don't die easily and can end up reforming again." The word 'demon' sent shivers down Clary's spine, it was like all those horror movies about demon movies she would watch were now true.

"Are you a shadowhunter?" She asked thinking that was the best next question to ask. They was obviously a lot more detail but maybe it was best to understand what was going on at the moment.

"I was but were talk about me another day." Clary quickly looked Luke up and down he looked completely normal but if he wasn't a shadowhunter anymore then what was he?

"Mom?" Clary asked turning to her mother and again she looked completely normal. Clary had always thought that angels were supposed to have beauty even though her mom was still beautiful.

"Yes, I am and so are you." Her mom said finding her voice but Clary's mouth fell open. Clary wasn't a human... she was a shadowhunter? It seemed all to strange for Clary and she could picture herself waking up at any moment. She didn't, this was really happening.

"I'm a shadowhunter?" She questioned to herself as well as Luke and her mom. They nodded their heads watching her carefully, watching how she would take the news.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I was trying to protect you." Her mom said watching Clary's reactions.

"From what? Demons?" It didn't make sense, the whole shadowhunter things didn't make sense and the reasons to why her mother hid her didn't make sense.

"Yes, I didn't want you to be apart of that world it was dangerous and I couldn't stand the thought of you not coming home one day." Luke gave Jocelyn a questioning look but Clary didn't see the tears were blurring her eyes.

She got up from the sofa and gave her mom a hug, "Its alright mom, I promise I'll be fine."

"Your going to go then?" Her mom asked hurt filling her voice. Clary didn't want to leave her mother but she wanted to find out about who she was, she wanted to find herself in their world.

"Yeah, I'm going to be the worst student out of the lot but I want to go to the school my mom and Luke went." Both Jocelyn and Luke smiled but Clary was also nervous, she would be the outside one the one that didn't fit in.

"Alright, I'll support your decision at least I know you won't be facing actual demons for a few years." Her mom smiled and then wiped her tears and Clary's tears away.

"Luke?" Clary asked, her mom had pulled her onto her lap and now was hugging her tight to her chest. Clary still knew that something was still scaring her mom but she didn't want to pressure her into telling her.

"Would you teach me everything I need to know?" The image of Clary turning up at Alicante Academy only know what 'shadowhunter' meant seemed funny but it would look bad to everyone else at the school.

"Of course, but the question is: how are we going to get your school supplies?" Clary bit her lip not knowing, she didn't have a clue where Alicante was and where the shops were to get them. She didn't think they would sell them online and it was obvious Luke and her mom couldn't go get them.

Jocelyn closed her eyes, "I'll have to go talk to Maryse about taking Clary to Alicante she must have children going to Alicante Academy."

"Last time I heard was that she had two sons, a recently adopted son and a daughter." Luke said and Clary couldn't help but wonder about these people, wonder about these classmates and maybe her friends.

"I'll have to go pay a visit tomorrow it's been a while since I last saw her." She didn't sound to happy about seeing Maryse which made Clary wonder what she had against her.


I hope you liked the first chapter, the next one will be the one she will meet Maryse and Izzy as well as shopping for her school supplied and finding out more about the shadowhunter world. It will be a few chapters before she even gets to the school but I hope you like it. Please do review!