Author's notes : I don't know what I would do without her, the one and only lusifergirl45 (best beta ever)! I am so grateful to have you working with me !
I created a blog, to post pictures of some objects, clothes, buildings present in the chapters, I highly suggest that you give it look, there is one article for each chapter. I think it can help you the readers to have a better experience , a better vision. It's here : fanfic-illustration . blogspot . fr (without the spaces lol), you can find the link on my profil.
Chapter 4 : Broken glass
The common room was enormous, with four crystal chandeliers, each hanging over a long dining table with eight smaller tables smattered around the room. The room was full of Shadowhunters, most of them eating, talking and laughing while sitting at the long wooden dining tables. Clary followed Izzy to a small dining table that was placed in the center of the room. Clary felt herself become shy when she saw the Shadowhunters around the room look up and watch her sit down with Izzy. There were five people already eating. Clary immediately recognizes Luke and Maryse, Izzy and her take place at the table.
"Clary, I present you my father, Robert Lightwood." Izzy said pointing to a muscular middle aged man. "And this is my older brother Alec, my younger brother Max and I believe you've already met my mom." Izzy declared. She looked pleased with herself, and Clary wondered if she was the resident tour guide for new Shadowhunters.
The brothers smile at Clary, and welcome her to the institute. Izzy takes the bowl of salad and put some on Clary's plate as well as her own. She repeats the action with the bowl of mash potatoes and then with the plate piled high with fried fish. Clary looks at Izzy pointedly.
"Ask her." She nudges Izzy, who nodded in response.
"Mom, Clary told me she never saw any downworlders." Izzy started, putting a small amount of the potatoes in her mouth before continuing to speak. "How is that possible if she has the sight like all Shadowhunters ?" Izzy asked with an innocent face.
"I can answer to that…" Luke stammers. Clary's green eyes flashed up to meet Luke's face and she felt her heart contract in pain. More Secrets. "When Clary was a baby, Jocelyn asked a some high, powerful warlocks to cast spells on her that would block her powers both of sight and her natural Shadowhunter abilities. Jocelyn was just trying to protect her." Luke replied. It was clear to Clary that Luke felt guilty because he wasn't even speaking to Clary directly, let alone looking at her. He was looking through Izzy, his eyes glazed over and his face paled.
"What!?" Clary screeched. "Are you kidding me? Why the hell would mom even do that? None of this is making sense. And don't you dare tell me it was to protect me, especially if you can't tell me who or what it's protecting me from. Look around! There are so many Shadowhunters and I am sure NONE of them lived a lie their entire life or had their powers blocked! So please, dear Luke, tell me exactly, WHY?" Clary had started shouting without even noticing, but she didn't care. She was surprised, how had she had so much anger built up in her small body? But what could you expect after all the lies and revelations recently.
She was fuming and didn't notice part of her glass start to crack, the lines spider webbing from the point where her mind had caused the crack. In fact, everyone in the room was noticing their cups were doing the same thing. Clary's mind was blocked, but what nobody realized was that the power inside of her could not be contained. It was leaking through the cracks and with her anger at its highest point, she had started scratching a design into the table mindlessly. The quiet dining room erupted suddenly with screams and sounds of popping glass as all the plates, cups, and bowls exploded. Luke and Maryse looked over at Clary, surprised to see an unfamiliar rune scratched into the table and Clary's fingernails ripped and bloody.
Each and every Shadowhunter of the room was watching Clary, but she didn't care. All she wanted, all she needed was an answer from Luke.
"It's alright, we will have the staff clean up the glass! If everyone could retire to their bedrooms, we will alert you all to when a snack is available and the dining room is clean!" Maryse announced.
"Clary, I know you're angry but I can't give you an answer. Not yet." Luke responded apologetically. Clary was furious hearing that. If Luke was so sorry, he'd just fucking tell me! She thinks. Clary storms out of the room and even though Izzy stands up to follow her, she doesn't. Clary hears Maryse tell Izzy that it is probably better to leave her alone for some time.
Clary walks angrily in the corridor looking for her room, but every door looks the same to her. Lost in her thoughts, she bumps into a wall. No, she realized, a person. A really muscular person.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Clary said, embarrassed looking at her feet.
" Well, you should be!" the man answered starring at the top of her head. Clary's anger flared back up.
"Who do you think you-" Clary stopped when she saw his face. He was so beautiful, as if he was sculpted by Michelangelo himself, she thought. When he saw her face, it troubled him. He was such a beauty, she seemed unreal.
"No, no, forgive me, it was my mistake. Though I am glad I made it because I met you." he says with a playful smile. As an answer, Clary blushes and can't help as a giggle escapes. She looks at him and tries to memorize every details she can, to draw him better later. He was wearing a long coat that looked like something her mother would have called a "sherwani". It looked like it was silk, thick but glossy and though it was black, there was a red embroidery that looked exquisite, and expensive. He wore a pair of black leather pants and black leather shoes with the embellished top. Maybe he's going to a fancy party, Clary thought.
"Um… I-, I'm Clary" she stuttered. How could she not? She felt so small next to him. She looked at him expecting him to say his name but when he did not, she asked "And you are?". He looked at her as if he wanted to check if she was joking.
"Wait, you don't know who I am?" he replied curious and intrigued. Clary wondered if it was the beginning of a cheezy pick up line, but saw the cogs turn behind his eyes, as if his brain was just another machine. She had watched an anime series like that one time.
"No, this is the first time I've seen you." she pressed. Clary then supposed that he was maybe working here and that's why he expected her to recognize him. He stared at her a few seconds, like he was trying to understand something.
"Well Clary, hmm…you can call me Chris." he told her smiling. "Tell me, what brings you here?" he asked interested. Clary didn't really know what to answer to that, if she told him the truth, he might run away. Her story was a complicated one and she was sure that had the roles been reversed, she'd have run.
Instead, she simply responded "I am going stay here, to learn more things." She shrugged. Two men wearing a uniform came in their direction, but Chris made them stop simply by waving his hand.
"It was nice meeting Clary, I will surely find a way to see again." he said cockily, "But right now I am afraid duty calls." he said exasperated. She noticed disappointment as he looked at his Rolex and then back at the two men. Clary couldn't help but smile stupidly at him, not finding the right words to make a correct sentence.
"Okay." was the only thing she could mutter out. Chris followed the two men and at the last minute he turned around to wink at Clary. She'd never blushed that hard in her entire life.
A little while later, Clary finally found her room. Happy to at least find her bedroom, she sprawled out on her bed. She hadn't realized how tired she was, but knew she needed sleep soon. She allowed herself to plunge into the darkness of sleep.
Clary woke up screaming. Izzy stood up from the sofa and sat next to her.
"Nightmare?" Izzy asked, wide awake.
"Yeah… about my mom's accident. I wish I could feel nothing, it just hurts so much." Clary answered quietly. She was a little surprised that she could talk so easily about how she felt to Izzy. Simon was the only one she confided in.
"I am sorry to hear that. This kind of pain only heals with time but I can ask our healer to make you some potion to help you sleep." Izzy told her sweetly
"Yeah, thanks Izzy." Clary said to her new friend.
"You know, I was shocked too. When Luke said your powers had been blocked. After you left, Luke said he was going to contact all the warlocks that cast the spell on you to try and get them to take it off and he thinks they'll come tomorrow. I know it's not my business and all, but I feel like it's not Luke's fault. He wasn't even in New York yet, Mom said. You shouldn't be too hard with him." Clary recalled that she went berserk on him, and felt guilt filling her body.
"I know, I feel awful about it now, I'll talk to him at the first occasion. I probably should apologize to Maryse about the dishes as well. What time is it by the way? I am kinda of hungry." Clary spoke while her stomach was growling.
"You ate nothing at lunch so I am not surprised. Its 7:55 pm. Actually, the melody should play in any minute, so come on let's go to the common room" Izzy said standing up. "Wait, I want to change first." Clary said as she started to take her boots off. She had fallen asleep fully clothed. Opening her wardrobe, Clary takes the first comfortable things she sees: black leggings, a gray over-sized sweatshirt and her favorite fuzzy black bear paw slippers, a gift from her best friend.
Izzy laughed when she saw them and Clary gave her a friendly threatening glare, despite not caring about what others thought of her style. Izzy leaves the room to give her some privacy, because they only met a few hours ago and she felt like Clary wasn't completely comfortable with her body. Clary joined her five minutes later, with a messy bun. Izzy told her she looked like an artist with this hairstyle, Clary ran to the room and came back with her sketchbook and a pencil, Izzy looked at her oddly and laughed.
Clary and Izzy sat in one of the small dining tables and ate french fries with lasagna. Clary noticed that something was carved in some part of the wooden table.
"What does that say?" she inquired, pointing the table.
"Facilis descensus averni. It means the descent to hell is easy, then here" she said pointing to another sentence "Si vis pacem, para bellum it means if you want peace, prepare for the war. This is Amor vincit omnia, meaning love conquers all. And then oderint dum metuant, which means let them hate so long as they fear. And -" Clary interrupted Izzy "hell, war, conquer, fear."
"Why couldn't they just carve some unicorns?" Clary said with sarcasm. Izzy rolls her eyes and eats her food than she notices on her Clary's watch that it's almost 9pm. She also noticed how dirty and old it was and made a mental note to buy the girl a new one.
"Clary hurry up, we have to go somewhere, I've got a small surprise." Izzy said excitedly.