Hi guys!

Here's the next chapter. Hope you guys like it. Thanks to everyone who R/F/F. Btw, I'm taking a bit of creative license so at times the characters may be kinda OOC. Also I didn't have time to beta read this, so please forgive any stupid mistakes.

Love,

BookwormWRITINGwhiz

I DO NOT OWN TMI. ONLY THE PLOT.

Jace was fed up. The forest all around him was covered in snow which was still falling steadily and with every rustle of leaves his horse spooked. But he was determined to tough it out, at least until Isabelle started complaining. She was dressed in peasant clothes just like the rest of them but seemed to be handling the cold a lot better and her mare wasn't spooking.

When the wind died down a bit, Jace could hear her humming awfully off tune. He snorted and the cold air meant he could see his breath in front of him. "Hanging on all right, Prince-ling?" called Alec jokingly. Jace flipped him the bird.

They had been travelling for miles now. It was almost sunrise and they had set out from the castle an hour before midnight. Jace was a bit ashamed to say that he was very uncomfortable. He had never had to ride a horse for so long in these kinds of conditions. He felt a pang for the peasants who did.

His sword was in a scabbard across his back but beneath his cloak to prevent suspicion. Alec's bow was strung across his back too but the quiver was attached to the horse's saddle. Isabelle's whip was curled around her wrist. They were all armed but Jace hoped they wouldn't find any bandits right now. He was in no state to fight. At the front of the formation Alec was still vigilant but Izzy's head was drooping in sleep.

"Maybe we should stop for th-" his voice was cut off as a dagger impaled itself in the tree behind him. barely missing his head but pinning his cloak to the bark. Immediately, everyone was wide awake and scanning the woods.

Jace got off his horse to inspect the throwing dagger. There was a black star on the hilt.

"Its the Morgensterns!" he shouted, his voice slightly panicked. He wanted to find them but not like this, not when they were unprepared and tired and surrounded by dark woods.

Although this did seem to be their preferred hunting time. The dark was being bled from the sky by the sun and the only star still visible was the Morning Star. Very symbolic, Jace mused.

They were all facing different directions so when a figure dropped from the trees and held a dagger in front of Jace's throat no one noticed until it was too late. The figure was very small and thin and cloaked from head to toe in black. Her hair was hidden in a black wool cap and through the face mask only her eyes were visible.

Jace forced himself to take slow even breaths. He looked down at the knife and his eyes were drawn to the hilt again. A Black Star. Hellcat.

He spluttered slightly and Isabelle turned around. Her mouth opened in shock and her deep brown eyes widened. Jace saw another figure drop behind her. He was tall and lean and just like Hellcat there was no indicator to his identity other than his eyes which were cat like. Before he could warn her, the man had a yori-doshi at Izzy's neck.

She paled at the feel of the cold metal but didn't let out a sound. Alec turned around slowly, bow strung with an arrow and his blue eyes widened at the scene before him. Jace could see the glint of determination in his eyes.

"Let them go or else-" He started.

"Or else what? You're in no position to be making demands." Said an amused baritone.

As Jace watched, a young man with white-blonde hair walked into the clearing. Although he didn't have the cap on, he was wearing a face mask through which Jace could only see his amused pale green eyes.

"You're in the woods. Alone. Out-numbered-"

"We're even." retorted Alec.

The young man smiled, his teeth flashing like the underside of a sword. He let out a four note whistle and suddenly the woods were alive with bandits. One of them, a lanky young man walked up to Jace and changed positions with Hellcat. She walked away from Jace and he couldn't help but appreciate her cat like stealth. It also helped that the clothes she was wearing really highlighted her figure. She took her position next to the tall man and suddenly Jace fit together the pieces.

The Morgenstern Siblings.

"You see," said Hellcat, her voice melodic and even, "We're outlaws. We don't play even." She smiled a quick smile just like her brother but where his green eyes had shown amusement, her emerald eyes were hard and sharp. She didn't seem like someone who messed around.

Her brother gestured for Alec to put down his bow. Reluctantly, Alec placed his bow and arrow onto the snow laden ground and then dropped his quiver next to it. They both smiled at that. A tall woman with brown hair piled at the top of her head walked up behind Alec and placed her stiletto blade at his throat. From where he was standing Jace could see a pattern of herons on the blade.

"Where did you get that!?" he couldn't help but demand. The man standing behind him cut the blade deeper into his skin. He could feel a trickle of blood. The woman didn't move, she didn't answer.

Jace grew more agitated, "What do you people want with us? You're gonna kill us aren't you just like-"

"Just like you royals would've?" asked the brown haired woman in a steady, husky voice that was oddly soothing and very convincing. She seemed to be the kind of person who had a good reading voice.

Jace saw Alec and Isabelle flinch.

He stuttered, lost for words. "Well are you, then?" asked Izzy, her voice somehow still steady, "Kill us, I mean."

"No." said Hellcat, "At least not yet. I personally was all in favor of painting the throne room in your blood but I was overruled."

"You're a right piece of work, ya know, Biscuit?" said Izzy's captor.

She smirked at that. "Proud of it."

Jace felt very afraid suddenly. This would not end well.