Chapter 7-The Falcon's Ghost
"Clarissa. Focus. Now, again."
Clary was bent double with her hands on her knees, her chest heaving.
"But, I...don't...understand...why," she protested her words punctuated by gasps for air.
"Because if Jace Wayland caught up to you right now, he'd have you pig-tied in no time at all. It's only sheer dumb luck and his apparently appalling sense of timing that has protected you thus far, " Veil said his lips curving into a condescending sneer.
"It's hog-tied, freak of nature, people say hog-tied," she said rolling her eyes.
"Language amongst mundanes changes so fast, it is a fool's errand to keep up with it," he said narrowing his eyes. "Now, please, Clarissa focus on actually hitting the target this time."
Clary straightened her spine and clenched her teeth. She'd hit his fucking target alright. With a growl of exertion she lunged forward and swung the sword Veil had mysteriously produced at the target. It had been three agonizing weeks with Veil, but she had to admit, he was better company than the street rats running wild between the buildings at night. She no longer felt as though she was running from something, but rather that together they were working towards an end. But she still could not say what that end was. Veil switched the locations of their training daily. One day they'd snuck into an abandoned traveling carnival, today they were thirty nine stories up in the abandoned floor of a condemned skyscraper. Glass windows let in brilliant sunlight that retracted and bounced off of any object that came into its contact. It would have been quite beautiful if the light would stop getting in her eyes when she tried to aim. When she had asked Veil why they were traveling into such diverse places he had merely smirked with his annoying all knowing twinkling eyes and snapped, "Because it's much harder to hit a moving target."
At some point, a girl had to stop asking questions and start demanding answers. Clary was at that point. Ironically, a sword was not the only mysteriously procured item that Veil had in his repertoire. He had also produced for her some battle clothing that made her feel like she could put Catwoman to shame. It was all black shimmering fabric, that seemed one part clear night sky and one part full of stars, but it was brilliant because it was so effective. The warrior's outfit moved with her and never against her. She could not believe how freeing it was when she actually began to fight.
Three weeks of training, fighting and learning to think like the enemy, and Clary was not one step closer to finding out Veil's story. He never spoke of the past, rarely of the future. But, she had grown to trust him in a way that she had never been able to trust anyone before. He was not like Jace at all. His confidence came from a different place. But, the work he put her through kept Jace at the very fringes of her mind, but even Veil could not evict Jace entirely from her thoughts. A week ago she had thought she would not be able to look Jace in the eye if she saw him again. And even though, she knew it didn't make any sense, there was a part of her that was afraid she wouldn't ever have see him again. How would she survive?
A resounding thud and the piercing sound of steel meeting metal, and she was jolted from her thoughts as Veil's own sword like gunmetal lightning brushed against hers.
"If I were an enemy, you would be dead, Clarissa." Veil said as though he were bored.
"No, I really was listening that time," she said in frustration.
"No, you were thinking about the enemy, not thinking like him. I cannot guard you at all times, you know," Veil said.
"Look, I'm not asking you to guard me. I don't believe that really works out well for anybody involved," Clary said biting back her sarcasm and rage.
"Which brings us to a fascinating question, what exactly do you believe Clary?"
"I believe..." Clary's voice faltered. She didn't know anymore. There was a time she would have said without hesitation, I believe in Love, Angels, God. But did she really believe in those things anymore?
"Start with what you don't believe. It helps," Veil said sagely.
"I don't believe in guardian angels." she said finally after some thought.
Veil lifted a brow. "How surprising, even after Jace was reported to have spoken with the angel Raziel after his triumphant return? You don't believe in them?"
Clary bit her lip guiltily. She knew better than anyone even Jace about the existence of angels.
"Guardian angels. I don't think angels protect you." she said averting her eyes.
"Then why do they exist?" Veil said picking up the sword.
"Look, if angels are all about guarding humans, then where was Luke's when they dragged him out in the courtyard and tortured him and killed him? Kinda fell asleep on the job, don't you think?" Clary said a burst of the still raw emotion graveling her voice.
"Hmm, isn't that more a question then of what are angels guarding you from?" Veil said for the first time a flicker of emotion passing through his eyes. She thought it might have been pity.
'Don't. You don't know. You weren't there. Don't go off on your holier than thou soapbox and act like you know for one second what that's like" Clary threw the sword she was holding like a javelin and pierced the target as she stomped away from him terrified he might see the tears unbidden and hot swelling in her eyes.
"Humans don't need protection from death, Clarissa. It's defeat they need the protection from. Death is just a transformation." Veil called after her, then he paused and added, "Congratulations. You hit the target that time."
Jace Wayland was doing recon on the roof of a building on the corner 7800 block in the kind of heat that shimmered tangible and smoky in the afternoon air. The Clave thought that he was avoiding Clary. That he wasn't trying to find her. They didn't know how wrong they were. His body hummed with its desire to see her. What did one do with eyes that ached for sights unseen? How long before every red-headed girl on the street stopped mocking him with thoughts of Clary? It had all happened too fast. He had thought that if the Clave heard her out, they could fix it. They would forgive Clary because of her services against Valentine.
But as the threat of Valentine waned, so too had the patience of the people it had once held enthralled. Everyday, Valentine's voice in his head faded like a yellowed photograph in his memory. He could hardly hear it anymore pushing him further and further away from his friends and family.
A flicker of copper caught his eye from the reflection in the windows of a nearby building. He jerked his head in its direction as a familiar alarm spread through his chest. It looked like a falcon's feather, just kissed by sunlight, soaring up and out. He imagined the bird, unnamed but free as its glossy wings undulated.
"you taught it to love you"
Jace blinked to clear his head and a thrill of pulsing excitement shot through his abdomen, the copper wasn't a bird. It wasn't feathers. It was the long glistening tresses of the woman his heart ached to see. Clary. She had been so close to him. This whole time, he could have seen her if he'd known to look in that direction. Clary. So close. So close. Clary. His mind was jumbling the thoughts. He looked around his terrain and tried to determine the best route. There was no time for stealth. He looked down at the street far below and between them. He'd jumped worse lengths he thought with a grin. It was the glass that was a problem. His carefully trained eye sought out any other ways he could penetrate the building and she smiled slightly when he saw a window half cracked, not much room, but enough to wiggle it open if he stood on the ledge. He watched her for a moment. What had she been thinking coming up to an abandoned building on her own?
He'd just have to ask her. He made the jump gracefully but even he had to admit that thirty nine stories was a long way up for such a little ledge. He opened the window quickly and climbed in. He got his bearings, making no sound as he inspected the room the smaller window had opened into. At one time, it must have been a private office's bathroom. Perfect.
It took exactly two minutes and 22 seconds for Jace to reach the room that Clary was inside. He held his breath for the entire time. For some reason, he couldn't shake the thought of that falcon with its twisted neck and unblinking jeweled eyes, looking at him betrayed and limp in his hands. Had he buried the falcon? Had it been so long ago?
With as much authority as he could summon in his voice, he kicked open the office door and walked through it. He had pulled out his stele just in case, but he managed to say calmly, "Clarissa Fray, I've been ordered by the Clave to return you to the premises for further questioning and holding unto a time when they deem fit."
She had been standing with her back to the door but she was so close he could see her every breath pushing the tight black shirt in and out. Her spine was regal, her hair tumbling down her back. She turned with the pristine grace of a Queen and Jace knew somehow instinctively that this was not his Clary. This regal lady was not the same woman he'd last seen months ago. She was breath-taking as she looked up at him with eyes that glistened with a fierceness he'd never seen before.
"Clary?" he said uncertainly unable to take his eyes off of her.
He could hear Valetine's incendiary laughter crackling in his head. The falcon's amber fluid eyes, Clary's piercing angry ones.
"you taught it to love you"
A/N: So, hey everybody, I'm back to posting some chapters. I've been waiting for the build-up between Jace and Clary to be perfect before I put them together in the same room. Now, let's see what happens : )
And I can't help it, I love my own creations too. I LOVE writing Veil, so I hope you like him as a character.
And finally, don't forget to keep checking out Center of the Sun (she's a much more prolific writer than I am, obviously) and thanks sooo much for the reviews. Those of you who reviewed while I was typing this chapter really inspired and encouraged me. I'm so grateful to all those who like the idea of this story 3
Please keep letting me know how you like the story. OH, I lied...one more thing...I write a LOT over at my tumblr- .com
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Now seriously, everyone have a great week!
