Clary looked up, as she had been for days, searching for food. She squinted against the harsh sun, as it was much too bright for her eyes to look straight at. But she saw a shadow. A very peculiar shadow indeed, as it looked like a tree. But then she realized, there was no possible way it was a tree, for she was in the middle of the desert. But as Clary approached, and touched the trunk, she found that it truly was a fruit tree. With bright, crisp red apples.
She had heard of this place, she remembered. In one of the many, many books Clary had read, she knew of this magical orchard in the middle of the desert, guarded by spirits who had come across it in the past.
The forbidden garden.
Filled with forbidden fruit. The beautiful, crisp apples, the bright, juicy oranges. Mangoes, bananas, pineapples. Everything she could ever dream of in a feast of fruits.
This was it, Clary realized. This was her ticket out of starvation.
She went for the apples first, as those were her favorite. She had always loved when her mother had brought them home, the sweet flavor an explosion on her taste buds.
Clary reached for the fruit, she knew she shouldn't, but she had to. She had to eat. She was much too short to reach it on her own, but she tried anyway. Finally, her fingers grasped it and she pulled, but gasped as she felt a burning sensation in her fingers.
"I wouldn't have done that, had I been you." An unfamiliar voice drawled. She whirled to find a very handsome man standing before her. He had the build of a gladiator, all muscles and sharp angles. High cheekbones, very blonde hair and overall beautiful.
"I know it's forbidden, but I must eat. I hadn't in days, and I was beginning to starve. I am willing to take a risk." Clary replied, as she didn't know who he was.
In fact, it was near impossible for her to know the strange man who seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"I am telling you, you mustn't eat that fruit. And if you do, there will be consequences." He pronounced.
"And what shall anyone ever do to stop me? Not a soul should learn of what happens now, so long as you tell no one." She answered, as she then took a bite of the fruit.
There was an explosion of flavor on her tongue, and her hunger was quenched. She was thankful, as she wouldn't have to eat much in the next few days.
But that feeling of thankfulness quickly changed to guilt. Clary turned to the man, ready to apologize, but he was already standing there with his arms crossed.
"I told you there would be consequences." Then something strange happened. His eyes went from beautiful gold to a hideous, demonic black. His mouth opened slightly.
I, Jace Herondale, of the genie clan, with the power of the gods, hereby curse you from this time forward. You must promise me your firstborn child. Then, and only then, is when the curse will be lifted. Most anything you eat will taste of the forbidden fruit, yet it will have turned bitter. With this, I leave you, and I expect the child delivered alive and healthy. And it must be your kin.
He snapped his fingers, and suddenly, she wasn't in the desert anymore. She was in a large room, with walls of stone, and a floor of wood.
"Wait!" Clary cried, as she had always wanted to be a mother. This would forever haunt her. "Wait, please!" She sobbed, but he was already gone. He would be gone for quite some time, before she realized it, as all she could do was sob and scream.
The only thing Clary knew for sure, as she pounded on the hard, stone walls, was that she had made a terrible mistake.