DISCLAIMER: All characters are intellectual property of Cassandra Clare and her book The City of Ashes
Betrayal
Here I was, Simon, a mundane sitting around things and in place I never imagined existed. A few weeks ago, I didn't even think stuff like this was real. Fairies, Vampires, and Werewolves were all just myths and stories in books and on TV. But that all changed when Clary's mom was kidnapped because of her secret past.
I looked over at Clary feeling sorry for her. Clary's whole life had been turned upside down. Everything she thought was true about her life had been a lie concocted by her mom in an effort to keep Clary safe. Her mom had been a Shadowhunter and had run away trying to hide from her lunatic husband, Valentine, who had demented delusions of world domination.
Valentine eventually found Jocelyn and abducted her because she stole something Valentine needed, The Mortal Cup. It was a cup the Shadowhunter's needed to be able to make more Shadowhunter's. That's how Clary had met the Shadowhunters and him, Jace Wayland.
I hated Jace the first time I saw him. Clary and Jace had caught me hiding in Luke's bushes after searching for Clary for 3 days because she had disappeared from Java Jones. When I first saw Clary with Jace, I was furious thinking she had run off to shack up with him just totally blowing me off. But then she told me what happened, which I really didn't believe at first especially the Vampire and werewolf parts. But I trusted Clary, and decided to believe her.
At first I disliked Jace simple for his smart ass arrogant attitude and how he thought he was better than everybody. But the more time I was around Jace and Clary, the more I noticed Jace's feelings for Clary by the way he looked at her sometimes, making me jealous. I mean how was I suppose to compete with that. Anybody could see that Jace was a ladies man, he was handsome and looked like an angel and just happened to take an interest in my girl, Clary.
Then everything I wanted and hoped for was torn to shreds. I caught Clary and Jace kissing breaking my heart. There she was kissing Jace, somebody she had just met, but I had known her for years and not once did she show any interest for something besides being a friend. But then something miraculous happened, Jace and Clary found out they were siblings. I felt like God had given me a second chance and I didn't want to waste it. I immediately showed more of my feelings to Clary even being bold enough to actually kiss her and she kissed me back. I even called her my girlfriend in front of Luke which Clary didn't correct, filling me with so much joy.
It had been 2 weeks since that day we faced Valentine and it felt like old times. Just me and Clary hanging out together, with no Jace or Shadowhunters. For some reason Clary had avoided Jace and stopped going to the institute, but that was fine with me. I actually liked it that way. Unfortunately Valentine had popped back up drawing Clary back into the Shadowhunter world.
That's how we ended up here at the Fairy Queens court, Isabelle, Clary, me, and Jace. Jace wasn't really suppose to be here but he made a huge scene refusing to allow Clary to come here with anybody but him which pissed me off. Jace hadn't fooled me, even after finding out Clary was his sister, his feelings had not changed for her and he didn't do a good job hiding it. Magnus Bane eventually came up with a way to allow Jace to come.
We were all sitting on some cushions on the ground surrounded by food, drink, and dancing fairies. Jace was talking to the fairy Queen and as far as I could tell coming here was starting to look like a waste of time. The Queen, so far, hadn't given them any information or helped in any way. She just talked in these riddles which were hard to comprehend. I think Jace was starting to see it was a waste of time also. Getting tired of the Oueen's games, Jace told the Queen we were done here and stood up from the cushions the rest of us following Jace.
We all turned starting to head towards the door when the Fairy Queen stopped us.
"A moment." The Queen rose. "One of you must remain." I turned around as a feeling of panic gripped me. The Queen reached up and pointed to Clary intensifying the panic I was feeling.
"What do you mean?" Jace said anxiousness in his voice.
"Once our food or drink passes mortal lips, the mortal is ours. You know that, Shadowhunter."
Clary looking stunned blurted out, "But I didn't drink any of it!" She turned to Jace. "She's lying." Jace only replied, "Fairies don't lie." He turned back to the Queen.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken, Lady." Jace said
"Look to her fingers and tell me she didn't lick them clean."
I could do nothing but stare with dread coursing thru me. I started wondering what the Queen would want from us in order to get Clary out of here that's if she would even allow her to leave. I looked to Clary as she admitted licking her fingers because a sprite had bitten her. This made me furious. The Fairy Queen tricked her. Clary started to panic and went over to the door, hoping the Queen would be wrong but she wasn't. It was like an invisible wall was blocking Clary from getting to the door. My heart sank and my panic turned to terror
"I suppose I should have expected a trick like that." Jace said furiously
Jace and the Fairy Queen went back and forth trying to get to the reason why the Queen did this, trying to get past her stupid riddles. I looked over to Clary who looked shocked and dismayed. My feeling of dread increased and I started to think I wasn't going to like what was going to happen. Jace, finally getting tired of the riddles, told the Queen. "I know I'm not going to leave my sister here."
The Queen smiled finally revealing what she wanted in order for Clary to be freed. "What if I told you she could be freed by a kiss?" My heart started to race, the uneasiness growing in my body.
"You want Jace to kiss you?" Clary said, bewildered. But I knew that wouldn't be it, it would have to do with somebody kissing Clary. Who that somebody was, was the question? Isabelle offered to kiss one of the fairies but the Queen dismissed her. So to get this over with I stepped forward.
"That hardly seems necessary," I said, "If a kiss is all…." I walked over to Clary who looked surprised. I took a quick glance towards Jace and was pleased to find a furious stare on his face. I took Clary by the elbows pulling her toward me. Clary put her hands on my waist. I looked in her face and was just about to bend down and kiss her when the Queen stopped me.
"No," said the Queen, "That is not what I want either." Disappointed I turned towards the Queen taking a step back from Clary. Isabelle was growing impatient so was Jace. Then Jace said something about not wanting to kiss me with a snarky tone to his voice. The feeling was mutual. I sure as hell didn't want to kiss Jace either but if it meant them leaving I think I would.
"Well, I'm not kissing the mundane," Jace said. "I'd rather stay down here and rot."
"Forever?" I questioned. "Forever's an awfully long time." Jace raised his eyebrows and replied back with one of his smart ass comments that only pissed me off.
"I knew it," he said. "You want to kiss me, don't you?" Jace and I continued arguing until the Fairy Queen finally interrupted us.
"While this is all very amusing," said the Queen with a devious tone, "the kiss that will free her. Is the kiss she most desires?"
It felt like I had been hit in the gut, knocking all the air out of my lungs. The color drained from my face due to being in shock. I realized immediately what the Queens words meant, that Clary desired a kiss other than mine. I felt betrayal and hurt creeping into my heart.
"Why are you doing this?" Jace demanded. The Queen just laughed and answered with another riddle but the way she was looking between Jace and Clary already told me what she wanted. She wanted Jace and Clary to kiss. I started to feel queasy in my stomach. Surely Clary didn't desire Jace's kiss over mine. I knew she started to like him after they first met but I thought her feelings had changed after she found out he was her brother. Trying to stop what was going to happen, I stepped forward and said, "That's ridiculous, they're brother and sister."
"Desire is not always lessened by disgust. Nor can it be bestowed, like a favor, to those most deserving of it. If she doesn't desire his kiss, she won't be free." The Queen said shrugging. I turned around furious that the queen was making Clary do this. I looked at Clary who stood there horrified, "You don't have to do this, Clary, it's a trick – "
"Not a trick." Said Jace. "A test." I couldn't see how Jace kissing Clary was a test but I shut my mouth and walked back to where I was standing, rage boiling inside me. Jace stepped towards Clary bringing them only inches apart. He looked down into Clary's eyes and just the look in his eyes made me sick. I could see his feelings for her written all over his face and it was disgusting. Jace putting his hand on Clary's shoulders leaned down and kissed her, fury raged thru my veins. What happened next though shattered me, Clary brought her arms up placing them around Jace's neck, giving into to his kiss.
It didn't surprise me that Jace would have no problem kissing Clary but for Clary to kiss back giving herself over to his kiss, pained me. I never felt such anguish and hurt before not even when I caught her and Jace kissing in the hall at the Institute. Then Clary didn't know my feelings and we weren't together but now things were different.
Jace feeling Clary wrap her arms around his neck moved his hands to Clary's waist pulling her tight up against his body. This caused a spark and suddenly their kissing went from gentle to very passionate and deep. I wanted to throw up. I kept having this overwhelming urge to run up to them and rip them apart but I resisted not knowing what the Seelie Queen would do. They were still kissing each other like there was nobody there besides them. Jace was holding Clary so tight, I thought they were going to crush into each other becoming one. I started wondering if they were going to have sex right there in front of everyone, the way they were carrying on.
All I could do was stand there staring at them with this furious glare on my face. The way Clary was kissing him back only deepened the anger and betrayal I was feeling. She definitely didn't kiss me back like that when I kissed her in the kitchen. I started to wonder if the only reason Clary was giving me a chance was to distract her from her feelings for Jace. I quickly pushed the thought aside not wanting it to be true but knowing it probably was.
Finally Jace snapped out of whatever passion him and Clary were sharing, coming to his senses. Noticing again where they were at Jace grabbed Clary's arms and removed them from his neck breaking their kiss. For a few moments they stared at each other, seeing the look that passed between them and the look on Clary's face cracked my heart in two.
Clary suddenly looked at me and I just looked the other way with disgust and anger on my face. I couldn't look at her my heart filled with so much betrayal and anger. I didn't know if I ever could look at Clary the same or if things would be the same between Clary and me.
Jace turned to the Queen saying, "Was that good enough? Did that please you?" The Queen laughed and replied that she was quite pleased. Isabelle turned to Clary and asked if she was able to leave now. Clary walked towards the door. The invisible wall that had blocked her way earlier was gone which didn't surprise me after the kiss Jace and Clary shared. Clary looked back at me again. I looked away refusing to acknowledge Clary's look of sympathy and guilt.
"We should go," Clary said. "Before it's too late."
"It's already too late," I mumbled loud enough so Clary could hear it.
Clary and Isabelle were already out the door with Jace and me trailing a little bit behind them. I was walking behind Jace and I couldn't stop staring at the back of his head. My anger, frustration, and dislike for Jace had reached a boiling point and I couldn't take it anymore. Without thinking I popped off at Jace.
"You do realize Clary is your sister. Don't you?" I said with anger in my voice. Jace without stopping or even looking at me said,
"What goes on between Clary and me is none of your business and it would be wise for you to let it be." Jace threatened. His words increasing my anger. I couldn't let it go.
"You know she will never allow herself to be with you, no matter how she feels about you. " I stated. "She would know how other people would look at your relationship, with disgust, especially her mom and she wouldn't do anything that would hurt her." I kept on trying to inflict as much pain as I could on Jace. "Also for your information anything that affects Clary is my business since she is my girlfriend now." I must have hit a nerve in Jace with that because he abruptly stopped almost causing me to run into him. He turned looking at me with hate and anger glaring from his eyes.
"Oh really, didn't seem like that was the case back there at the Queen's court." Jace said mockingly making me grit my teeth. "You're just mad because Clary desired my kiss over yours." His words slapping me across the face, I just kept staring at him to angry to speak. Jace went on.
"Surely, you must have figured out, who she really wants. Whatever feelings she has been entertaining from you, is to distract her from her feelings for me. Every time you kiss her she will be thinking of me. All the time you two are together, I'm the one who will be on her mind and who she wishes she was with. So Clary and me may never be together but at least I won't be with somebody who wishes I was somebody else." Jace said with venom in his voice.
His words punched me in the gut making my anger feel like it was about to explode. What made it worse was I knew Jace was right. I had thought the same thing while they were kissing back in the Seelie court. Jace and I just stood there looking at each other, both with hatred on our faces. Jace's eyes were taunting me, daring me to try something. All I felt like doing was punching Jace across his handsome face but I resisted that urge knowing Jace could kick my butt any day of the week.
Jace seeing that I wasn't about to say or do anything else, gave me this snarky grin then turned and walked away exiting the Fairy court. I stood there for a few moments trying to bring all the emotions that raged inside me under control. I decided that I was going to leave not being able to be around Jace and definitely not Clary after what happened. I went thru the secret entrance to the Seelie court. When I exited it, I noticed nobody was paying attention so I quietly went the opposite direction they were, my feelings in tatters. As I walked away, with my head hanging down I said to myself, "I bet Clary doesn't even notice I'm gone."