I'm so sorry it's been so long you guys, I've been busy with softball and getting ready to go out of country soon. Anyway, I feel horribly guilty about everything and I'm writing now so don't be too mad.

Song for this chapter:

Check Yes Juliet by We the Kings

CHAPTER 10

We raced along the dirt road, our feet silent as we ran. Jace was in front, running gracefully. When I watched him, I could see a lion, hunting it's prey with a lethal intensity. The thought made me heart flutter and my stomach feel light.

"Where did you say it was?" Jace whispered. The streets of Idris were deserted, as they had been the other night. The only light was the stars and moon and the occasional witch light lamp.

"Just on the outskirts of the town. Toward the north. They live in a large tan house." I explained again. I had never been there before but Taylor had told me about it millions of times.

"I think I know where that is." I heard Isabelle say from behind me. "Mother and I went here this past year - trying to get information on you, Clary - and I'm pretty sure we went by that house."

Jace nodded and started falling back beside me. "You lead, then. I have only been around Valentine's Manor house."

"Why didn't you check out the rest of the city?" I questioned. It was odd, Jace seemed to be the kind of person that would want to map out the city, know where everything was.

His heart stopping gold eyes slid over to meet mine. "I had to keep an eye on you." He told me.

"In other words, he refused to let anyone else take his post unless he need food, and a lot of times he even refused to leave for that. He went for days on end sometimes watching you and Valentine and your demon of a brother Jonathon."

I raised my eye brows and looked at Jace questioningly.

He shrugged. "You think these amateurs would've been able to step in if Valentine attacked you or something? I had to be their to protect you." He said smoothly.

I laughed. Jace's ears perked at the sounds and his eyes found mine again. I felt over whelmed by the emotion in his eyes, the relief of having me back, the sorrow of having lost me for so long, the anger at Valentine, and something else I couldn't name, something that made my heart beat a little faster and my breathing hitch.

"Snap out of it you two. I don't care it you haven't seen each other in a year, I'm not going to get my ass caught because you were busy making lovey eyes at each other." Isabelle said, sounding exasperated.

I felt my cheeks flame and I snapped my head forward again. Jace chuckled next to me but said nothing.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

JPOV

We were creeping along the side of the tan house, the one belonging to Clary's friend, Taylor. Clary was in the middle of our little line, with me taking out the back. I hated having Clary here still. So near Valentine. I shuddered inwardly knowing that at any second he could pop up and take her back.

I sighed softly. Clary turned around to look at me questioningly but I just shook my head. Idris had become a place of sadness and distress, instead of happiness and beauty. I thought of all the times I had day dreamed of one day bringing Clary here, showing her the streets and the mountains, imagining her waking up every morning extra early just to paint the sun rise. That dream was dead now, thanks to Valentine. He had made Idris into a place of nightmares for her.

"I don't know what window is hers." Clary whispered to us. I scowled behind their backs. I didn't like this plan, not at all. I just wanted to get Clary back to New York where I could keep her safe. But she refused to go without this girl. I had watched them interacting everyday and I had never seen a very good companionship between them but Clary insisted that this girl had been her only friend. I had offered to come back and get the girl after she was back in New York but she hadn't been happy with that, she wanted to be there. Stubborn little devil, she was.

But wasn't that one of the reason I loved her?

"We'll have to go through the house, I think." Isabelle said. She held out her hand and Clary and I both stopped, crouching down. Isabelle turned back to us and we did this sort of huddle thing.

"Why don't I just do an invisibility rune and go through the house and check the rooms?" I asked impatiently. I had gotten ridiculously good at that rune this past year . . .

Clary's eyes widened. "You don't think it will look suspicious having a bunch of doors seemingly opening on their own?" She questioned.

I raised my eye brows. "And it won't look suspicious having three teenage shadow hunters running through the house, one of them the prisoner daughter of Valentine?" I asked her right back. Her brows furrowed and I regretted talking so sharply at her.

"Jace is right, besides, if anything goes wrong, Clary, me and you can rush in and help him out." Isabelle supported me.

Clary bit her lip and her eyes flicked to me, looking nervous.

"Hey," I said, careful to keep my voice gentle, "I've been through things like this before. I'm not helpless Clary, I'm dangerous and these people know it. I'm going to go in there, get your friend out, and we're going to get away before Valentine or Taylor's parents even know, okay?"

Her lips thinned a bit and it looked like she was about to argue but she held back, nodding instead.

"Alright." I said, standing up. Clary jumped up quickly and suddenly through her arms around my waist, burying her face in my chest. I felt my pulse speed in response and I looked down at her.

"Don't get caught." She ordered, finally releasing me.

"Me? Jace Wayland, get caught?" I scoffed. "Like that's going to happen."

Clary smiled and shook her head. "Whatever. Go, be reckless, maybe break a few windows. You know, just to get the attention of everyone in the house. Maybe if we're lucky they'll throw a couple seraph blades at you."

I grinned. "If we're lucky." I agreed and, before she could say anything else, I pulled out my stele and drew the quick rune on the underside of my arm, gritting my teeth against the familiar burn.

I knew the rune had worked when Clary's eyes became unfocused and seemed to look through me. The corners of her mouth fell and she turned her gaze to Isabelle.

Isabelle smiled reassuringly at her. "He'll be fine Clary, this is his life."

I shook my head at Isabelle's lie. This wasn't my life anymore. My life was that little red headed shadow hunter I love.

Now wasn't the time to think about that though. I ran up to the front door and carefully checked the door. It was unlocked. Idiot people.

I crept in silently and closed the door behind me with just a faint click. The house was like any other, couches, family pictures, chairs. I looked at one picture of the family and saw a teenage girl in the picture. She had long, shining blonde hair and cold brown eyes. Her cheeks were thin, as if she were sucking them in, and her lips pursed. One eye brow was raised and she was staring at the camera tiredly. That was definitely Taylor. I'd seen her many times before with that exact look but I had expected her to at least try to smile for a picture.

I crept down the hall way and made my way up the stairs, being careful not to step on any squeaky steps. I looked at the first door on the right and immediately knew this one Taylor's. I doubted her parents would paint their door pink.

I didn't bother knocking, I just opened the door and closed it carefully behind me. Taylor laid in bed, her eyes closed, looking much nicer and very innocent asleep. Her hair was a halo over her pillow and her chest was lifting and falling delicately. I cocked my head. A year ago, before a met Clary, I would have been more than interested in this girl, her looks would have drawn me in immediately, but now I hardly bothered looking. Clary filled my eyes, my thoughts, everything.

I bit my lip and tried to think of how to do this. I was thinking about just waking her up and explained but she would just freak out and call to her dad. Guess we only had one other option.

I took out my stele and crept over to her bed, kneeling down and lifting one long sleeve of her night gown. I drew a sleeping rune quickly. Yeah, I know, she's already asleep but the rune made her stay asleep for five hours, more than enough time to get her, and Clary, out of here.

When the rune was done, I folded back the blankets of her bed and lifted her up into my arms.

I went out of the door quickly and turned to go back down the stairs but a door down the hall banged open. I whirled around, Taylor still in my arms.

Standing at the other end of the hall was a man that must've been Taylor's father. He was huge, at least twice my size, and had graying blonde hair. His eyes, somehow, were locked on me.

I scanned his skin quickly and finally saw a revealing rune which lets you see even the invisible.

His top lip lifted in an almost animal like way. "Jace, right?" He snarled.

I grinned. "Am I really that popular?" I pondered.

Taylor's dad rolled his eyes. "I'm not here for your BS, Jace. I want my daughter back and if you don't give her to me, you're going to die."

I raised an eye brow. "Since you know my name, you must've heard that I don't take to well to threats." I said.

Taylor's dad scoffed. "I don't know how anyone think you could possibly be Valentine's son." I saw his face pale when he realized what he'd just said.

I raised my eye brows and hid my shock at his words. "I don't know how anyone thought Valentine could be my dad, he's not nearly good looking enough." I replied.

The man shook his head aggressively. "Give me Taylor." He ordered.

I shrugged and took a step back. "I don't do well with rules either." I said. I started sprinting down the stairs, trying not to let Taylor's head bobble too much. I kicked open their front door and heard Taylor's dad barreling down behind me. I ran down the porch, skidding when I landed on the wet grass. I turned the corner to the side of the house and saw Isabelle and Clary still kneeling where I'd left them.

"Run." I told them, and continued on my way with Taylor.

"What did you do to her?" Clary asked when she caught up. Her little legs were moving extremely fast.

"I just put a sleeping rune on her." I said back. I looked behind me and saw Taylor's dad racing toward us.

"The forest." I said, turning toward the trees. Clary and Isabelle followed behind me.

I pushed my burning legs to move faster, take longer strides. Taylor's hair was blowing around and bothering me but I didn't stop.

Finally, we reached edge of the forest and I heard Taylor dad's outraged yell. "Valentine will find you all! He'll kill all of you and I will get my daughter back!" He declared.

Yay! Done with the chapter! Wow guys, I'm so sorry again it took me so long to update. But, I have some more bad news. This Saturday I'm going out of country and won't have access to the internet so I won't be updating again for a while, again, I'm soo sorry! Hope you enjoyed the chapter though, Read and Review for me, Thanks! : )

~Booky