Hey guys! I am sorry it has taken me so long to update my stories. I have had a lot going on lately, but everything finally settled down. Thank you for the support and reviews!
When Jace and the others reached Green-Wood Cemetery, there was nothing but darkness. The eerie darkness that lays over the city right before dawn. There were no voices. No lights.
There was nothing.
Jace held himself back at the entrance as Alec and Isabelle moved forward passing gravestones and statues in search of Ridley. Roslyn followed behind them with her back turned, walking backward with her witchlight in one hand and a ready seraph blade in the other. Jace fell in after Roslyn and they made their way further into the heart of the cemetery. Then he heard it. Whimpering. He lifted his seraph blade causing a bright glow to fall over the area around him, his eyes searching every inch.
That is when he saw her.
Her booted foot hanging out into the visible area from behind a statue of a woman and her two children. She was moving slightly. Blood covered the dry grass underneath her. As Jace moved closer, he could see that the side of her throat had been sliced open and there was a deep cut along her exposed midriff. Her long blonde hair was matted with mud and sweat, her face streaked with black tears and blood. "Ridley!" He ran to her side, kneeling nervously as he searched for where he could put his hands without hurting her.
Her eyes stared up at him blankly. They were dark and empty, tears filling the from the pain. Her lips quivered as she tried to produce words. "Jace," she tried to push more out, "my leg." The pain took her over. Everything around her began to spin, her eyes growing heavy with the sudden dizziness. She could no longer hold herself together. Her body felt like it was ripping apart and she clenched her fists to fight it. She was falling into the darkness that had been closing in on her, her arms reaching for Jace whom she could no longer see.
"My dear, open your eyes."
Ridley's eyes fluttered open softly. She blinked a few times to adjust to the brightness of the room around her. The gold walls shimmered as the sunlight threw itself through the large windows onto them. She was in a large, luxurious bed with deep red satin sheets that had wrapped themselves around her naked body. In the distance, she could see a wisp of black around moving toward her. Her vision still too blurry to make out who it belonged to.
Her eyes focused in on the woman. Lilith.
"You shouldn't have fought me, my sweet child."
Ridley pushed herself up against the headboard, her eyes slanting into a glare. "I am not your child."
Lilith moved to the bed, seating herself on the edge. "Ridley, don't you want to know who you are? You didn't let me explain anything at the cemetery and you must feel pretty stupid for fighting me alone. Not that your little boyfriend and his friends could have helped you."
"You knew he would come for me."
"And I knew you would try to fight me and your brother," Lilith added.
Ridley could feel a wetness running down her neck and instinctively she moved her hand to it. Blood. She knew it was blood.
Lilith reached for her hand. "Sweetheart, you shouldn't touch that."
Her eyes shifted to Lilith. "This is a dream." She looked around at the room she barely noticed before. There was nothing familiar about it. "This is damn dream. They came for me, they found me. I remember."
Lilith stared at her and nodded. "Yes, he came for you. But you need to know that he will never love you completely. He has mixed blood too."
Ridley's back straightened. "Mixed blood?"
"Yes, dear. Think about his golden eyes. They won't mesh with your black eyes, dear. You have demon blood. You have to realize he will never love you like Jonathan and I do," Lilith explained. Her gaze had softened as if she was trying to protect Ridley, not hurt her.
Ridley shook her head. "I don't understand. Why won't our blood mix?" And that is when it dawned on her. His golden eyes, my black ones.
Lilith stood from the bed, smoothing her long black gown as she looked down at Ridley. "Child, he has the blood of an angel."
Ridley's eyes fluttered open softly the same way they did in her dream. Although this time when she woke, she was no longer in the gold room. Sterile white walls surrounded her now, making her feel safe. She knew she was in the Institute's infirmary. She knew she was home. Now all she wanted was Jace.
But all she saw was dark hair coming toward her again. She closed her eyes thinking that maybe she was still dreaming, but nothing happened. Her eyes focused in on the person coming closer and she finally made out who it was. It was Isabelle.
"You're awake!" Isabelle sat down next to her bed in a plain metal chair with a warm washcloth in her hand. "Let me clean you up a little before Jace comes back," she said as she lightly ran the cloth over Ridley's face.
Ridley smiled and pain tore through her body. Her throat, although almost healed, was still sore and tight where she remember Jonathan's blade had cut her. "Where is he?"
"Sleeping," Isabelle replied. "We all took turns watching over you. He will be down soon, but I bet he can already sense that you are awake."
"What do you mean?"
Isabelle giggled lightly. "That boy loves you. He has been a mess. I am sure his heart can tell."
Jace wandered down the long corridor in search of Ridley. Behind him the chatter of people in the hall lingered and music played softly. He pulled at his dress gear with nervousness and worry. Where is she?
He had made it to her room, rapping on the door loudly. No answer.
Something is wrong.
Swiftly, he pulled out his stele and unlocked it. He slid inside the dark gold room quietly, his eyes searching for her. They moved to the bed and that is when he saw her. A dark haired woman leaning over a muted Ridley.
Ridley's eyes shot to him, but the woman didn't seem to notice. She was raising her hands and chanting in a language he thought was Latin, but it was too quiet to make out. He could see the slight brown color being drained from Ridley's eyes turning the as black as night.
Jace barged forward from the shadows, ready seraph blade in hand. "Stop!" His voice was strong and sure. "Leave her be!"
The woman brought her hands down and raised her head to look at him. "Jace Lightwood. The angel boy. How nice of you to join us."
Some color began to return to Ridley's eyes and she stared at him. Her mouth moved, but nothing could be heard. She just kept mouthing the words "get out" to him.
He noticed a new rune drawn on her hand and shifted his gaze back to the woman. "Who are you?!"
The woman chuckled lightly. "I am her mother." She moved closer to him and extended her hand. "I am Lilith, but I go by many names."
Lilith. A greater demon. He pushed her hand away and turned to move closer to Ridley. "But you are a demon. You can't draw runes."
"No, but I can."
A man's voice rang through the room. Jace watched Lilith slink away from him and toward the voice causing him to turn around to face the man on the opposite side of the bed. His eyes focused on Ridley who was squirming on the bed in an attempt to break free.
"Do you not know who I am, boy?" The man brought his hand to Ridley's face causing Jace to break his gaze.
He looked at the man. His white hair and harsh features made Jace realize quickly exactly who he was. "Valentine," his voice was light as if cautious. "But what do you want with her? Just let her go."
Valentine let out a bounding laugh. "Not a chance. Today is your wedding day and I want to make sure she fully realizes the gifts I gave her."
Jace's eyes slanted into a questioning glare. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, my dear little angel boy. You do not know what your pretty bride is?" Lilith's voice was thick with sarcasm.
His eyes glanced down at Ridley as he mouthed three quick words. I love you.
"We always thought that her and Jonathan would be the ones who would find each other and connect due to their blood," Lilith said with a cool tone. She moved behind Valentine, snaking an arm down his chest.
He smiled and continued, "Maybe what they say about opposites attracting is true. Because you two couldn't be more different."
Jace looked up at them. "What are you talking about?"
Lilith let out a deep laugh, more like a loud cackle. "Dear boy, she has my blood running through her veins."
Jace shot up in his bed, eyes wide open. Sweat matted his hair and soaked his clothes. It was just a dream, he thought as he swung himself up and out of bed.
He made his way down to the infirmary through the long empty hallway almost in a daze. When he reached the door, all of the changed. His eyes widened at the site before him. He blinked multiple times as if to wake up from another dream. But there she was and she was awake. He moved closer, his smile growing wide on his face. "You're awake?"
Ridley's eyes met his. "I am," she said with smile.
He rushed to her side, wrapping her up in his arms. She winced beneath him in pain. "I am sorry, I got too excited." He released her slowly, scooping up her hands in his. "Ridley..."
She looked up at him, meeting his soft gaze with another soft smile. "I am okay, Jace."
"I know that," he said as his eyes followed Isabelle out of the room. They were alone now. He could tell her. He didn't care about the dream, he knew what he felt. And he was going to tell her. Right now.
"What is it?" A look of worry shot through her brown eyes.
He held her hands tighter and took a deep breath. "I love you."
