A/N - I meant to get this up way sooner but for some reason found myself otherwise occupied. Anyways, I won't keep you, here you go!
Disclaimer: you get it
When I reach the library Maryse, Brother Zachariah, and Consul Penhallow are all seated around a table I've never seen before.
So they did call the Clave. Valentine is sure to find me now; the Clave can't keep their mouth shut for two seconds.
I sit in the empty chair. "So, what are you going to do with me? Lock me up?"
"No," Consul Penhallow says, "we're going to let you stay here until you and Jace Herondale come to Idris with Max for his next testing. As long as you keep following the Silent Brothers rules I see no reason to send you off."
No reason at all, Brother Zachariah says. I wonder if the Clave knows about my weird rune-powers.
"Wait," I say. "Max's test is in Irdis? Since when do institute kids to tests in Idris?"
"Since you and Jace Herondale are the people training him; that's when we test kids in Idris," Consul Penhallow replies. "We're thinking of keeping him in Idris as a tutor."
I glance at Maryse. She doesn't look happy.
"Except I've one more condition to propose," Maryse says. "If my children are put into danger by her again—"
"There is no proof yet that Valentine was the one to plant the Forsaken," Consul Penhallow interrupts. "The Clave is looking into it. Until then I believe your proposal is invalid."
Maryse looks pissed.
"Keep training Max while Jace is in recovery," Consul Penhallow says to me as she stands. "I hope to not see you until two weeks are up."
I don't roll my eyes because I hope to not see her for two weeks either.
In the training room, Max looks stressed. I start him on the weights as Jace sits at the side, still recovering. We're supposed to move onto hand to hand training but Jace and I decide to let him sit and talk to us before we move on.
"Are you okay Max?" I ask.
He nods. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Don't lie to me, Max," Jace says.
Max looks down at the floor beneath him. "I don't know… it's my first test in Idris. My other tests have been with my parents."
The only reason they want Max in Idris is because they want Jace and I in Idris. I'm not sure if Jace knows about the Clave's plans and make a mental note to ask him about it later.
"We'll be right there with you, Max," I tell him. "We know you can do it."
"We know you will do it," Jace says.
Max smiles a little. "Thanks," says to the ground.
I stand and walk over to the mat and gesture Max over. "Alright, let's go."
Afterwards Jace and I end up in the kitchen alone again. I can tell he's trying to hide the fact that his side is still sore.
"Do you need a painless rune?" I ask, nodding to his side.
"No." He shifts in his chair and winces.
I get up and cross to his side of the table. He lifts his shirt as I pull the stele out of my pocket.
"You know why they want Max's test in Idris?"
I can't tell if he's wondering or asking if I want to know.
"I know," I say hesitantly, concentrating on the rune.
"They might make me stay too," he says.
The rune is done and there's nothing left to distract me. I look up at him. "I know."
"Alec doesn't know yet. Parabatai can't just be separated like that; we're supposed to fight together. But if the Clave wants me to stay I can't just – deny them."
I shrug. "You can if you want to. They wouldn't keep you from your parabtai."
"Are you sure? They're already taking you. All they did when my parents were killed was send me here."
"Sounds familiar."
He laughs once half-heartedly. "It's really not a coincidence that we met two years ago, is it? We're so similar. Except you don't let people control you, so why are you letting them now?"
I look him straight in the eye. "Because I've finally found something and I refuse to let go of it."
Jace smiles. "There she is." He gets up and kisses my forehead before leaving the kitchen.
I'm about to get up and leave the kitchen as well, but then the door opens and Isabelle comes walking in.
She stops when she sees me, as if she is unsure of what to say.
"Hi," I say first. My voice is smaller than I had hoped.
She just nods without smiling and goes about what she came in the kitchen to do.
I sigh.
But then she speaks. She doesn't look at me, but I'm just grateful that she's actually speaking to me. "Is it true that you're not coming back after Max's test?"
I watch her, because I figure that if she's not putting in the effort to look at me, I might as well look at her. "Yes," I answer.
"What are they going to do with you?" her voice is different than I've ever heard it. She sounds like a small child.
"Your guess is as good as mine," I tell her softly.
Finally she looks at me and her eyes are wet. "I'm so sorry, Clary."
When I take in my next breath it's shaky. I get up from the kitchen table and head over to Iz. On cue we both embrace each other. We're both crying.
"I'm sorry," Iz says again.
"I know, I am too," I reply.
She pulls away and wipes her eyes. "Why should you be sorry?"
"Because I'm putting you all in danger. Plus, I'm the reason Max's test is in Idris and the kid is freaking out. When have you ever heard of an institute kid having to do a test in Idris?"
Izzy's face falls. "Is that what they really call us? Institute kids?"
I laugh. "Sorry, Iz. But yeah, it's true."
One week is gone.
Jace was completely healed not two days after the incident and we've been working hard with Max ever since. We can both tell how exhausted he is, but he won't admit it, and I can't decide if it's a good thing or a bad thing.
The only thing important to him is that he's ready for his test in seven days, which is exactly what Jace and I didn't want to happen.
I've been denied to go out demons hunting three times this past week by the silent brothers and I've been trying to keep my promise of not going against them, but it's been pretty difficult.
This, right now, is the third time. It worries me every single time. I've known Alec and Izzy for forever, and Jace is… Jace. How could I not be worried when they're going out hunting demons that may be possibly working for Valentine?
I've managed to keep myself calm the past two times, but this time I wait across from the elevator instead of lying awake in my room, my ears straining to hear the sounds of the elevator, my brain fighting the fog of sleep to avoid nightmares.
Just last night I woke up shaking and cold just before Jace flung himself into my room.
I started as the door flew open.
"Clary?" he asked. "Are you okay?"
I couldn't make sense of anything as my nightmare started to fade from my memory. I just nodded.
"Are you sure? You were yelling for me…"
Part of the dream flickered in my memory; Jace had been in trouble. "I'm okay." My voice cracked and I swallowed hard to get rid of the lump.
He nodded. "Okay…" and then turned in the doorway to leave but I stopped him.
"Jace?" I asked.
He stopped and turned to look at me.
"Will you stay?"
He quietly shut the door and crawled under the covers beside me; pulling me against him until I fell back asleep.
Now I'm worried I won't be able to sleep without him there. I'd never slept so soundly in my entire life. So I'm stuck watching the elevator, waiting for them to come back.
"Clary?"
I look down the hall to see Max coming down the hall from out of his room and fix my face so I don't look as tired as I feel.
"What are you doing up, Max?" I ask as he pads down the hall towards me.
He shrugs. "I can't sleep." When he reaches me, he sits against the wall beside me. "…I've been kind of nervous lately."
I laugh a little. "Kind-of nervous is different than can't-sleep nervous," I tell him. "Don't worry about it, Max. I know you'll be great."
"Yeah," is all he replies with.
I look away from him and stare at the elevator.
"Why are you sitting here?"
The question catches me off guard. "Uh, I can't sleep either."
"Why are you sitting here?" he asks again.
I sigh. "Do you ever worry about them when they go out?"
"They know what they're doing. If my parents aren't worried, then I'm not worried."
Max thought he was the family's worst shadow-hunter two weeks ago. Either I'm blind or the kid just went through a huge growth spurt because he's not four like the last time I saw him. He's nine years old; not a kid anymore, not naïve as one might be. He's almost as tall as I am. He's not hiding behind his siblings anymore. He's Max Lightwood.
"You're gonna do great out there, Max."
He shrugs it off. "I'm sorry you can't go out with them, Clary. I know you want to."
I smile at him. "Thanks, Max."
He stands. "I'm gonna try to go to sleep now… you should too."
"Good-night, Max."
I watch as he walks back down the hall and his bedroom door closes behind him.
My head falls against the wall behind me. My eyes suddenly feel heavy and I close them. Just resting my eyes, I tell myself.
An odd creaking sound wakes me. I'm not sure what time it is, but I haven't gotten nearly enough sleep. I don't open my eyes in hopes that I'll just fall back asleep.
More creaking and sliding, but it seems distant as my brain tries to pull me back into sleep.
"Clary?" I hear Jace's voice.
"She must've stayed up," Alec's voice says.
"Who's taking her?" Izzy asks.
I feel two familiar arms pick me up and I let my head fall on Jace's chest. I don't remember my head hitting the pillow.
I wake up with my body tucked against Jace's back. My clock reads as six am and I'm sure that no one will be awake yet, but I know I won't be able to get back to sleep.
I quietly slip out of my room and into the institute hallways. It's almost eerily quiet before I hear the sounds of Alec snoring in his room. I look out the window at the end of the hall and find the sky already a bright blue. The air looks crisp and fresh and all I want to do is go hunt demons in this beautiful weather.
I may not be able to kick demon ass, but that doesn't mean I can't step outside and enjoy the weather. It's almost been an entire week since I've been outside.
Without waking Jace, I sneak into my room and slip on shoes before heading out the Institute.
I'm not going to leave the Institute grounds, of course, that would be going against the promise I made to the Silent Brothers. Instead of going down the elevator, I head towards the sanctuary; the only room in the institute a werewolf or vampire could enter. The door leading out of the sanctuary goes to a small garden at the back of the institute. There's even a little bench.
I open the door to let myself outside, but the sky isn't the same cool blue day I saw from the window. I'm not even sure what it is. I'll I can see is grey smoke and I feel like I'm choking on it.
Suddenly I realize that it was a bad idea to leave without something other than a stele.
This is demon mist.
I turn to go back inside the institute but the smoke is too heavy for me to find the door. I want to scream as the smoke continues to choke me but I can't inhale enough air to get the sounds out.
Something I don't see pushes me hard into the ground. I feel something slice across my torso in the process and I finally manage to scream.
Just before the world goes black.
A/N - *runs for cover* I'm sorry! I promise you won't have to wait long for the next chapter! Let me know what you thought of this chapter by reviewing and maybe it will come more quickly ;)
