Disclaimer- I own nothing but the plot
Well, I'm not dead and I'm posting again. Three cheers for me! Anyway, here's the next chapter, just gives some insight and lays the ground for later chapters.
Clary strode up on deck, her hips swaying with the rocking of the ship. She was thinking quietly to herself as she stood up on the upper deck, hands resting against the railing as she studied her crew laid out before her. They were all working, of course and that gave her the perfect opportunity to study them. There was Izzy, moving between the crew and giving orders. She was tall, beautiful, and ready to spring into action like a viper. She was Clary's only friend, a life of piracy was a hard one and while there was always a chance of being stabbed in the back by those you trusted with a dagger, Clary put faith into Izzy. Maybe it was that they had grown up together, or the fact that while Izzy had ample amount of chances to take that dagger and plunge it between Clary's shoulders she never did. Izzy had always stood at her side and helped her take down any and all who stood in the way of the little redhead.
Next to her was Alec. He was quieter, more thoughtful, and perhaps more dangerous because of it. He was quick with a blade but ever quicker with words. Clary had seen him act diplomatically around others and work through things Izzy had no idea of how to fix. He was a good addition to the crew and while Clary was sad that he had been chosen as a runner, even though he was built for it, his mind would have done better at her side for when things needed to be talked through. He stood tall like his younger sister, with blue eyes that pierced deep in one's soul and hair as dark as night. He was well-built and worked to keep it that way.
Simon Lewis, he was something all together different than the other two, yet he seemed almost as important. He was quiet like Alec but quick to act without thinking like Clary's beloved hot-headed brother Jonathan. His dark hair and dark eyes were enough for may to swoon and beg to be held in his spindly arms. He would make a good runner, if not the best. He had this innocence ingrained in him that Clary couldn't quite believe he was able to show being a sailor and now being one who had become a pirate.
Clary let her gaze drift from those faces who were new and those who were old to Jace. Jace Herondale. The man who had done so much to her in so little time, Clary's hands clenched the railing tightly as she watched him intently, her green eyes cold and scrutinizing. The tall man with gold eyes and gold hair. Clary knew when she saw him last night something was going to happen, something more than a drunken hazy filled night of pleasure. She had pushed the feeling away and let her urges take over and now she was sorely regretting it. Something she rarely did. For some reason, she hadn't wanted to leave him that morning; something about him begged for her attention. He was smart, anyone could tell by the way he moved with a sense of grace and skill. He was powerful, the muscles that were not concealed by his shirt atoned to that. There was also something about him that Clary couldn't quite put her finger on but it made her curious and she couldn't afford to be curious about a simple crew hand, and one of the newest to boot.
"Everything alright, Clary?" Sebastian asked as she stood beside his little sister, his gaze full of worry with a hint of adoration that all brothers seemed to carry. Clary nodded, looking up at her brother. He always seemed to worry about her and while it warmed what little of heart Clary had left, it also aggravated her to an extent she was unable to put into words.
"Of course, Seb. Just thinking that is all. I think we should continue on this route, head off Bane's ship. He and I have a matter to discuss and if I know Bane, like I know I do, he will be heading this way and I plan to intercept him." Clary said, drumming her fingers against the railing, her eyes zeroing in on a crew member. "Why is Santiago still on this ship?" She asked sharply looking at the Hispanic man who turned to throw her a filthy smile that sent suppressed shivers down her spine.
"I don't understand. Why do you question Santiago? He has been with us since the beginning, has something happened?" He questioned, slight anger creeping into his usually soft and warm voice.
"Nothing. Just," she paused for a second as she continued to stare down at the man who gave her yet another smile. "keep an eye on him, for me. I have a feeling. Like there is something brewing on the edge, the edge of a storm I am unsure I want to plunge deep into." Clary closed her eyes for a brief moment before a happy voice broke through her cloud of dark, swirling thoughts. A small smile crossed her face before she turned around to face the owner of he voice. Max. She knelt down and he walked into her open embrace. She had never been able to say no to Max and she never could. The little boy held so much power unwillingly over the infamous and ruthless pirate Captain.
Jace watched the small smile flash across Clary's previously hardened face before she turned to take the boy in an embrace. A feeling tugged deep in Jace and he forced it away for not the first time since he laid eyes on the girl who became a captain. He gave himself a small shake before turning his attention back down to the knots he was tying. For now he would turn his attention away from the redhead who strode into his life and messed with his mind in ways he did not believe possible.