CITY OF _

Written by: Charlotte McCarthy and Sonia Gill

Clary's POV

It seems like only yesterday when Jace and I were on our first date...now I'm in a mental institution and Jace has been kidnapped by Valentine! You don't know how painful it is just sitting here while Jace is possibly being tortured or like everybody is saying, dead.

"Hi Clary, how are you today?" Asks Dr. Lightwood.

I looked up from my reader digest magazine. "Oh I...I guess I could be better."

"Well that's what you're here for, to get better, right?"

"Uhh, sure I suppose."

"Sadly, my daughter Isabelle has been transferred here, so guess what? You have a new roommate!"

"Gee Whiz! I'm so excited!",Yeah right.

"Here she is now!"

Just then a girl with long, black hair and striking blue eyes walked in.

Jace's POV

"Hello...Jace." Valentine said in a cool voice.

I just glared at the menace who was keeping me away from my one and only love.

"Well I suppose I owe you an explanation now don't I? You will get one when you tell me where Clary is."

"Do you think I'm as cold hearted as you, to tell the person who destroyed everything good in my life, where my Clary is?"

"I hoped you would say that."

And in that same moment the greater demon of fear, Agramon, came and unleashed its terrifying wrath on me!

It's suddenly dark. I think I can see something...a candle. I reach out for it and as soon as my fingers touched the wick, where the flame should be, was alight in my hand. I use it to find a way out and I trip over something soft, too large to be a pillow but too small to be anything else. I shine my flame at it, taking a closer look. I realize that it's the shape of a human, probably a woman. I rip off the sheet that's covering it, with the sudden panic that's stricken me. Oh God no! It's Clary my love, my life, my everything. Her head is smashed in cracked and fragile, like it will crumble to pieces any minute. Her body is bloody and torn. I look around the room for some reason to believe that this isn't her but I only come across more sheets hiding people I probably know and love. I feel the resentment but the will to find out if anyone else I cherish is lost takes over. I rip off the first sheet to find Alec, my best friend almost my brother. I tear off all of the other sheets and find the tortured shells of my friends and the people I consider my family warped underneath.

Maybe I'm going insane but I think I hear a familiar laugh, evil and terrifying. It's the sound of my father, I mean the man who once played the position of father for me. He turned me stone cold and obnoxious when he 'died'. Always so abusive I don't know how I ever could have looked up to him and saw a man. Now I just see a demon in the shell of a human, the man who gave Clary and I our angelic powers. He gave his own son the blood of demons and turned him into a vicious monster whom myself and Clary had to bring down and kill before he killed anyone else. I still remember the look Isabelle had on her face when she said Max, hers and Alec's little brother was murdered.

Clary's POV

She reminds me a bit of Isabelle, my shadow hunter friend. But she couldn't possibly be her. Or could she? I thought Jace's capture had only affected me this seriously but, like always, I could be wrong. There are bags under her eyes and absolutely not a dash of make-up, not even a revealing piece of clothing on her body. Most surprising of all is the lack of high-heel shoes. She is wearing a light brown long-sleeve shirt and black jeans. And well worn sneakers. Isabelle never wore anything worn down like that.

"Isabelle?"

"yeah, hi Clary." She muttered.

"What on earth happened to you?"

"Same thing as you. Jace died..."

"STOP SAYING THAT! Everyone is saying Jace is dead. But he's not, you of all people should know." I yell.

"Clary..."

"No, He is alive I know it I just know it. I would have felt it inside if he died so he must be alive!" I tried to get out of my bed. The next thing I knew my world went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~time passing~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Clary?" a familiar voice asks.

I blink a few times before I realize its doctor lightwood. I don't know why but I was expecting to see Jace's golden eyes staring right into my emerald ones, but my expectations were destroyed.

"What happened to me?"

"The nurse got a little worried when you started screaming at Isabelle so she gave you a drug that made you go unconscious, and we took Isabelle to another room."

"Oh." I didn't realize I might've scared the other people here. I was just so overwhelmed with emotions about Jace and of anger and despair. "She didn't have to do that. No matter how angry I am at her I would never hurt her, she's like a sister to me."

"Well Clary I am very happy to hear that but I would very much appreciate it if you were to not talk to her like that even if you are ill."

"I'm not ill Dr. Lightwood. I am just extremely upset that my boyfriend was taken by my father and I'm sick of people telling me that he's dead." I really am tired of this.

In a way I sort of envy sleeping beauty. She slept a deep slumber letting all of her problems disappear, only to be woken up by the kiss of a handsome prince. Later living happily ever after. Sigh. If only...

My thoughts are interrupted by a loud banging on the door and I realize Dr. Lightwood had left while I was day dreaming. I reach to open the door and I'm a second to late. Isabelle storms in with panic written all over her face.

"Isabelle! Are you okay?" I almost scream taken over by worry and forget my earlier peace.

"No Clary actually I'm not."

Jace's POV

"Stop, Agramon." Valentine commands in a deep voice. "We don't want you to die of fear now do we, Jace?"

"Shut up Valentine. I know you want me dead, but you'd do to me what you did to that angel in the basement of our old house, if you could. Wouldn't you?" I say spitting in his face when I'm finished.

"I would indeed enjoy seeing that but I have much more important things on my mind right now, like how I'm going to lure Clary here." He must have noticed the slight change of my expression because his eyes brighten and his thin lips curl up at the tips creating a very menacing look to him. "Possibly show her a video of you suffering intently and make her come for vengeance." I hide my emotions this time, trying not to give him exactly what he wants.

"Maybe even get her mother again and her new boyfriend too, then start picking at her friends until she comes to retrieve them." this time thinking of not just Clary but Isabelle, Alec even Simon. With all of the things Valentine would do to them it becomes difficult to hide the pain of them being tortured by this monster.

"Why do you want her?" "It should be clear enough Jace."

"You want to use her for her power."

"Of course I do. What kind of father would I be if I wasn't proud of my daughter?"

"Either way, you would still be a terrible father, I would know."

Now it's his turn to give me a stare that puts shivers down my spine. He looks hard and statue-like with a very angular face and piercing eyes that match his white-blonde hair. But with more shadow, like a shade lives deep within the soul of his muscular body. Well, only if he has a soul.

He leaves the room placing a silence rune on me and tightening the chains on my hands and feet, when I realize the cot in the far corner of the room. I can see a person or maybe creature stirring and hope to angel Raziel that the figure is dead or at least not being tortured. Then I hear a slight moan and then my name soon after. I know who it is and I don't like it. But why would he be here I thought Valentine only captured me, but I guess I was wrong.

Simon.

I want to reply but I can't because of that stupid rune, so I just nod a hope he saw the slight movement. Apparently he does and then asks if I can talk so of course I just shake my head and wish I had my stele do us an unlock rune Clary showed me. Clary. If I'm going to try and escape I have to focus and thinking of Clary won't help.

Clary's POV

"What's the matter?" I question Isabelle

"You were right." She mutters.

"What? Right about what?"

"Jace"

"What about Jace?"

"HE'S ALIVE CLARY!"

"How do you know? Is he okay? Where is he?" I can hear the worry and hope seeping out of my voice.

"I had a vision. Physically he is okay but not for long, and all I know of his location is that he's in a dark cave with a very evil tinge to it, probably because of Valentine and his demons. Oh and umm..."

"Umm what?"

"Simon's with him."

"No." now more than just worry crawl out of my throat but also pain and loss and vengeance. I could feel tears threatening to spill from my tear ducts.

"I'm sorry Clary."

"Don't be it's not like it's your fault. I'm just happy you told me." But happy isn't the word I want, more like I'm just terribly sad and overwhelmed that you told me this. "I just want to know why Valentine took two of the people I love most."

"Clary," Isabelle looked at me with a sad apologetic look, as if she had just read my thoughts.

I suddenly felt anger coursing through my body; I was tired of people feeling bad for me. "What, Isabelle?" I said harsher than intended. Isabelle shrunk back like a little child that had just been hit. I felt a pang of guilt that quickly disappeared. Isabelle now looked at me with harsh, icy blue eyes. I held her gaze with my deep green orbs, until I finally tore my gaze away. When I looked back at her again her eyes were stormy as if she was thinking deeply about something.

"What are you thinking about Isabelle?" I asked, my voice soft.

"They are people I love too." Her eyes are locked to the floor while a small tear slides down her cheek. I looked at her as realization dawned upon me; I have been acting like it's only me who is in deep pain about the kidnappings of our friends.

"Isabelle..."

"No, it's ok Clary I understand-

"No, it's not ok," I interrupted. "I shouldn't be mad at you when Jace and Simon are out there getting tortured, I should be thinking of ways to get Jace and Simon back," I felt desperation creeping up inside of me. "We shouldn't be in here while my best friend and my boyfriend are going to die!" I almost yelled.

"Okay let's go see Luke and Jocelyn and figure out a plan."

"Good idea, but before we do can you please tell me why you can suddenly see people in other places of the world."

"What you said the other day got me thinking so I snuck out of the institute last night to give Magnus a visit."