I had a double free this afternoon so I decided to come home and write the next chapter.

*Disclaimer: Look at my ID, says I'm CC. It's a fake? Busted.

A tall boy, not much older than myself, stood in front of me. He had blonde, wavy hair, dressed all in black. He was looking at me intently, leaning against the other door. I had my back flat against the door that leads into the bathroom, with look of absolute shock on my face. I was in a strange room, after a car crash with a boy I'd never seen before continuing to stare at me.

'Who are you?' I breathed, breaking the silence between us.

'The name's Jace Lightwood. I live here at the Institute with the rest of my family.' He pulled himself off of the door and went to pull the chair at the desk over to the bed and sat on it with his feet up on the bed.

'Clarissa Morgenstern. Clary.'

'Come sit on the bed and I'll explain everything, Clary.'

I slowly moved over to bed and sat on it with my legs crossed.

'By look on your face, I can tell that you have plenty questions. Shoot!'

'Where exactly are we? And what's the Institute?' I spilled out. I didn't think of what to ask, just said the first question that popped into my head.

'The institute is, as I said, the place where I live with my family. It is also a place for visiting Shadowhunters to stay when they're visiting L.A, which answers you question about where we are exactly. Next?' I was not shocked as to being on the west coast of America, surely me kidnappers would want me to be far away.

'Shadowhunters, my kidnappers mentioned that word. What is it?'

'It's a race of humans. We were created thousands of years when the first Shadowhunter mixed his blood with that of the Angel Raziel. We are all Shadowhunters here.'

'Right, I presume my kidnappers are one too?' He simply nodded. 'Well what do they want with me? I'm not a Shadowhunter. I'm not a warlock. I'm not any other supernatural thing that exists.'

'Guess again gorgeous. I mean it when I say we are all Shadowhunters.'

I stared at him with wide eyes. I couldn't believe what he was accusing me of being. From what I've seen so far, I do not want to be a part of this race or world. 'What? You're crazy, you know that?'

'That birthmark on your wrist, we all have one.' Jace informed me and showed me his inner right wrist.

I took a peek at the mark on my inner right wrist.

'I always thought it was just a simple birthmark. My parents told me nothing of it.'

'They'll be Shadowhunters too. Or at least one of them will be.'

'Don't say that!' I shouted at him. 'Sorry, it's just that my parents are as boring as I am. This is... overwhelming. So what de Sebastian and Valentine want with me?' As soon as I mentioned their names, Jace's head snapped up and stared at me. 'What?'

'Each birthmark is specific to a family, Clary.' Jace spoke as if I hadn't said a word. 'Yours is the Morgenstern, which means you are the descendent of a particular family with a history which sooner or later would cause someone in your family problems. Sebastian and Valentine's families have been known to be searching for someone to finish what was started. It's just unfortunate for you that you're the one that has been chosen to bear the burden of your ancestor's actions. How old are you, Clary?' he said looking into my eyes.

'Are you trying to flirt with me? I hardly think this is the time for that!'

He laughed at me. 'Believe me, if I was trying to flirt with you, you would know. Your age is important to the reason as to why you were taken.'

'I don't know. I completely lost track of time when I was taken. What's the day?'

'It's Monday.' He said with a grin.

'I'm starting to get impatient with you. The date?'

'It's the 2nd February 2011.' I stared at him in disbelief. I could feel my eyes stinging as the tears started to build up. I'd been missing for two years, two years of my life gone, wasted. All that time, my parents and Simon will have been worried sick wondering what happened to me. I wonder what happened to them. Could they cope? Are they still grieving my loss? All that time at school I lost. All those fun times I could've spent with Simon. I should have experienced what any teenager my age should experience; doing exams, falling in love, applying to university. My life has just become a mess.

A tear falls.

'Clary?' He sits up and shuffles his chair closer to me. 'What is it?'

'I was kidnapped over two years ago, when I was fifteen, now seventeen. I have lost two years of my life.' I was in utter disbelief. 'Tell me what this history is and what the hell those bastards want with me.'

'My tutor will be able to explain to you better than me. I have left some of my sister's clothes in the wardrobe. Change and come downstairs to the library. We will all wait for you there and explain everything to you.' I nodded. He smiled at me, and without really knowing him, I felt as though I could trust him. He got out of his chair and made his way out of the door.

I stayed put for a moment on the bed, not moving. I was finding difficulty in digesting what he had just told me. I was a Shadowhunter. A person with angel blood in their veins. My parents were too. So were my kidnappers and my new kidnappers, which for all I know could be just as worse as Sebastian and Valentine. I'm hoping Jace, as arrogant as he seemed, is not an anomaly. What I was even more afraid of, is what his tutor was going to tell me about my family's history.

Slowly, I rose off the bed and stumbled over to the wardrobe to find a white shirt and a pair of jeans folded up for me to wear. A pair of trainers was with them. I changed into them only to find that they were about 2 or 3 sizes too big for me, so I looked like an elf in someone's clothes. This sister of his must be a pretty tall girl.

Once I was dressed and brushed my hair, I cracked my door open and peeked out into the hallway. It was pretty regular and plain. I stepped into it. It was lined with many more doors. How was I supposed to know which one was the library?

'Hello.' A voice next to me came. I jumped and saw a little boy with glasses holding a comic book.

'People have got to stop popping out of nowhere. Is it just a power you guys have or are you all really sneaky?' I asked the kid.

'Um... No, we can't do that. I'm Max! Who are you?' He seemed like he was just a little boy who had no plans to keep me hostage or do anything bad.

'I'm Clary. I was just talking to Jace and-'

'He's my brother!' I smiled at him.

'That's nice,' I said. 'He told me to meet him and his tutor in the library. Do you know where that is?'

He nodded at me. 'Hodge, he's everyone's tutor here, not just Jace's. Follow me; I'll take you to the library.' He started to walk down the hall really eagerly.

'Thank you,' I replied to him and stuck closely behind him as he led me toward the staircase and to a door. He opened it up wide and ran in. I only followed slowly and cautiously.

The room was gigantic. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. All of the walls towered above me, filled to the brim with books. For a small girl like me, I couldn't imagine myself attempting to get one of the books at the top. It was about 12 feet up! Rows came off the walls; they were just as tall and also full of book. There was a musty smell to the room. It smelt like, well, a library.

I continued through the library until I reached the end of the row I was standing in. I heard voices. One belonged to Max.

'I brought her here! Jace wasn't exactly helpful not even telling her where the library is! I deserve to stay here, Isabelle!'

'That's not fair! She was a bit distraught from what I had already told her. I don't think she was even paying attention to me towards the end of the conservation. It doesn't matter anyway; she'll have found her way in the end.' This voice belonged to Jace.

The next voice to come belonged a girl, Isabelle. 'God! I feel like the bloody mother in this situation. Max, we're discussing important stuff that doesn't involve a nine year old kid. Now beat it!'

I heard max sigh and he ran past me and out of the room.

'Bit harsh Is.' Jace said. All she replied with was 'Shut up.'

Silence remained for moment before Jace's head popped around the corner to see me staring into mid-space with one hand on the books next to me. I startled when he appeared. This sneakiness is starting to become ridiculous. 'You going to stand there all day or are you going to come and talk?' And with that his head disappeared as we went back to his family. I composed myself, took a deep breath and went around the corner to find Jace standing among 3 other people. He was sat on the long sofa.

Isabelle, the only other girl in the room, stood next to the sofa with her arms folded. She had long black hair and was as about the height of Jace. She wore a tight black dress with black boots appearing through a slit in the dress. She was very pretty.

A boy sat in an armchair with his feet up on the armrest. He too was very good looking with his black hair and black clothes similar to Jace's. He sat with a smirk on his face as he assessed me. He appeared to be the oldest of the sibling. With him, Isabelle and Max all with dark hair, it's a wonder how Jace ended up with blonde hair.

The final member was an elderly man wearing a tweed suit with a bow-tie and grey hair. He looked to be in his fifties and the glasses made him look knowledgeable. I would guess that this is Hodge, and will be able to tell me all I need to know about why I was kidnapped.

All three of them were staring and me intently, probably wondering the same thing as me, why her? Jace however, was just sitting in his chair not really taking notice of my presence. I walked forward until I was only a few feet away from them.

'So this is the famous Clary Morgenstern? I bet you're a little bit pissed at Will and Tessa hey?' the boy sat in the armchair asked me.

'Who?' I asked.

'That's my idiot of a brother Alec. Never listen to what he says, half the time it's a load of crap.'

'Whatever man, I can tell this chick is just going to cause us a lot of trouble.'

Isabelle walked over to Alec and smacked him over the back of his head. 'This is Isabelle, my sister, and Hodge, our tutor. He'll have all the information you want to know.'

'So, Clary, ready to hear about your past?'

I gulped.

Bit of a longer chapter today, for my lovely readers. Next chapter will be up Sunday or Monday for you lot.

Remember to review and tell you friends. ALL reviews will get a reply.

Preview

'What Will and Tessa did made it impossible for Shadowhunters to be able to (will be revealed in the next chapter).' Hodge explained to me.

'But that's a good thing right?' I asked him.

'Well yes it is, unless you're part of a family that wishes not the follow the Clave's rules. Then you would do whatever it takes to break that curse, wouldn't you?'

'That's where you come in.' Alec said.