I'm so sorry about not updating for so long. A big, big shame on me. Blame it on the school. It drives me crazy each and every day of my life.
But, it's almost over, so I promise I will update more frequently from now on. Thank all of you guys who still stick with me :)
I hope you'll like the chapter :)
"I feel like I've been transported into 'Dungeons and Dragons'." the mundane, whose name has already slipped my mind, mumbles in astonishment while his eyes wander between me and Jamie. I don't care too much, I love to be in centre of attention, but I have a feeling Jamie will knock him down if he doesn't stop drooling over her. "So, they are, like, half-angels?"
"Yes." Clary nods, but I can recognize when there is something else she wants to add. But, sometimes they act so rudely that I think the other half is demonic.
I turn my face away from her to hide my grin. She is so easy to tease. I'd say too easy.
The mundane's face lightens up like someone has turned on a match in his head.
"And you are one of them?" he asks her in excitement.
"My Mum is." Clary says bitterly, as if it's a shame to be a Shadowhunter. By the Angel, what a fool. It's the best thing ever. But, then her expression becomes sad and I restrain myself from insulting her back. "Or was."
Nobody says anything for few moments. I know how the loss of a family member feels. I still remember the day I saw my father getting killed. I could never forget it. But, I have the Lightwoods. Who does Clary have? If this guy, Luke, has really sent her away, she has practically no one. Except for this mundane who is her best friend. It's the only reason we have let him stay and find out about us. For Clary's sake.
"How long have you been here?" Clary interrupts the silence at last, her eyes still on her friend. "Does Luke know you're here?"
"No." the mundane shakes his head. "I've come here this afternoon. I was worried about you, so I wanted to ask him if he knew what happened to you. But, he's not here."
"Simon, ..." when Clary speaks, I finally remember. It is 'Simon'.
"Shh." Jamie suddenly hisses at them, cutting Clary off, her eyes fixed on the door down the corridor.
I prick my ears, leaning my left hand of the hilt of my blade and taking a witchlight out of my pocket with my right. The sai are already in Jamie's hands as she makes few steps forward. I follow her, my steps as soundless as her own, but behind me is a chaos. Clary's and Simon's steps are like two unsynchronized drums. They don't even know how to walk, if not soundlessly, at least quietly. If the intruders in the other room are of our world, we have exactly five seconds before we are discovered.
But, nobody comes out of the room, not even when Jamie passes next to them and light that comes from it falls on her just for a second. She leans on the wall, her face right across mine. She nods at me and I do the same and then the eavesdropping starts.
"Feel free to look around." a voice speaks, but even though his words should count as a kind invitation, the sarcasm in man's voice erases every possibility of that.
"That's Luke." Clary whispers behind my back. Alright, that's the guy who has the answers. If it comes to the battle, that one needs to be captured alive. Let's hear who his chat-partners are.
"Your friendly offer is very much appreciated, Graymark." the other man replies. This seems to be a grand competition in sarcasm. Too bad Jamie and I can't join in. We'd kick their buts just like that.
"You're obviously mistaking friendliness with a wish to get rid of you two as soon as possible, Pangborn." the first voice speaks again. The name 'Pangborn' means nothing to me, but there is still some useful information in that sentence. So, there are three persons in that room.
"You've completely lost your sense of humour, Lucian." the third voice joins the conversation. I look at Jamie. She raises three fingers while holding one of the sai between thumb and forefinger. So, we are facing, or we are going to face three fully grown-up men. Reconsidering the idea of capturing Luke, or Lucian, as he is obviously known to the other men, is absolutely necessary. We could never get through three of them, especially not with two weak spots behind my back.
"I suppose Valentine sent you?" Luke asks coldly, so I get back to listening.
"He did." the second voice, Pangborn, says. "He thought you ... "
Suddenly, the door of the room closes completely, cutting off Pangborn's voice. But, it doesn't matter. We have our ways to continue to eavesdrop. At least Jamie and I do.
I raise my stele and draw a square on the wall. On the other side of the door, Jamie does the same. When the square in front of me becomes clear like a glass, I see the three men in the other room.
The sight shocks me, making me hold my breath. I know two of them.
But, I have no time to think about it. Suddenly I feel pain in my foot. It catches me so off guard that I almost drop the stele.
"What the hell?" I turn around to find Clary and looking at me apologetically, but with a shade of fear in her features. I'm not sure if it's because of me or because of the men. By the Angel, hasn't she realized by now that we mean no harm to her?
"I'm sorry." she mumbles. "I had to see he was OK."
I roll my eyes as an answer. I'm more interested in the conversation in the other room, so I go back to eavesdropping.
"I don't know anything." the man with glasses, Luke, says. "I can't help you."
"You own many books, Lucian." the man named Pangborn says ironically. He is one of them that I know. "You must know something."
"I know a good book of French literature from nineteenth century, if that's what's you're looking for." Luke handles him a thick book.
I can't be entirely sure from this distance, but I think it is 'Madame Bovary' by Gustave Flaubert. Jamie loves that book. When I asked her why she loved it, she said it was because it reminded her how happy she was that she wasn't a mundane. According to her, mundanes have boring lives, so it's no wonder Emma Bovary searched for excitements. If she hadn't died of poison, Jamie claimed, she would have died of boredom. When I asked her why mundanes didn't die of boredom every day then, she said to thank the progress of technology for that. At least they don't interfere in our business anymore, she said, like they have any bloody idea how to deal with a vampire or a warlock.
"I remember my mother made me read that crap once." Pangborn throws the book on the floor carelessly. I hear Jamie's sudden gasp, making me grin. I don't like to see books treated with disrespect either, but Jamie's protectiveness over them makes her seem like a worried mother. We all tease her that she would sooner save her books than us if the Institute set on fire.
"We are not interested in literature, Graymark." the other man snarls. "The location of the Mortal Cup is a different story."
"You're not suggesting I know where it is, are you, Blackwell?" Luke's voice becomes cold. "I guessed Jocelyn would tell you by now."
"She is still not willing to talk." Pangborn grumbles. "Valentine is quite disappointed, you know. He looked forward to their reunion."
"I suppose she didn't share his feelings." Luke replies dryly.
"Don't tell me you're jealous, Graymark." both of men smirk maliciously.
"I have no reason to be." Luke says indifferently. That doesn't stop his chat partners from further mocking.
"Has dear Jocelyn found out how you feel about her?" Pangborn asks ironically.
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call her 'dear'." Luke continues in the same tone. "I don't care about her. I won't interfere in Valentine's plans for her, if that's what's he is worried about."
"I'm sure he will appreciate your generous offer." Pangborn says. "And what about the girl? Her daughter?"
"What about her?" Luke raises his eyebrows, trying to remain indifferent, but it's obvious he is caught off guard.
"Valentine is looking for her." Blackwell mumbles. I glance at Clary, who stares at the men as if she is enchanted. I notice her hands are shaking and she can barely swallow. At least she is smart enough to be afraid. If one's on Valentine's 'WANTED' list, there are definitely enough reasons to be afraid.
"I assume she is dead, otherwise she would have shown up by now." Luke says without any emotion in his voice. "Even if she's alive, she poses no threat to Valentine. She doesn't know anything about Shadow world."
Blackwell and Pangborn exchange glances and then grin at Luke again.
"You're not trying to protect the girl, are you, Lucian?" Pangborn makes few steps forward and stands directly in front of Luke.
"I've told you already, I have no intentions of interfering in Valentine's plans." Luke spits in annoyance. "If you find her, good for you. If you don't, I couldn't care less. She means nothing to me."
I hear a sob behind my back. I turn around and see Clary's green eyes filled with tears. This must have been really hard for her to listen to. It was about her family, her loved ones who betrayed her. Her eyes meet mine and I turn around again.
I can't comfort her now. I say to myself, ignoring the sudden wave of compassion. We must find out as much as we can. Any word could be crucial for finding her mother or even the Mortal Cup. I can't be distracted right now. Besides, the mundane can do the job.
"I see you've realized that being in Valentine's way can end up really bad for you." Pangborn grins.
"I'm not stupid." Luke rolls his eyes. "I plan to leave the town for a while, so he can be absolutely sure I will not stand in his way."
"Wise decision." Blackwell nods, but then smirks. "But, maybe we should stop you and take you with us. Just in case."
Luke's eyes shine dangerously.
"You can try."
Pangborn and Blackwell laugh in union as it was an excellent joke. Luke's eyes stay narrowed, but he seems certain they are no threat to him. He points at the door, obviously wanting to send them on their way. That means we are in serious shit.
"Jace!" Jamie calls my name silently and waves her hand toward herself.
I lower my stele, so the 'window' to the other room disappears and then turn around to look at Clary and Simon.
"Go and hide somewhere." I whisper to them, putting both my stele and my witchlight in my pockets. "We'll handle this."
Clary is still frozen, but Simon nods at me. I nod back and then roll over the floor and stop next to Jamie. We lean as close to the wall behind our backs as possible when the door open and the men come out of the room. Luckily, the door opens by pushing from inside the room, so we're hidden from their eyes.
Hoping Clary and Simon are hidden somewhere safe, I hold my breath until the steps of three men can't be heard anymore. When I hear the sound of door closing, I let myself to take a deep breath.
"Do you know who they are?"
I can hear in Jamie's voice that she has recognized them from somewhere. I know them for one and one thing only.
"They murdered my father." I whisper.
She turns around to look at me. Her eyes watch me carefully, with a bit of sympathy in them, but also with understanding. And then, all of a sudden, she hugs me.
I'm taken aback by this sudden move of hers. Jamie is not much of a hug-person. But, still, I let her body lean into mine, enjoying its comforting warmness. I need it and she knows it. She knew it even before me. I let myself take a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of her skin. If the circumstances were different, I could almost say I am happy.
But, now, with the murderers of my father being so close, the only thing I can think about is revenge. I want to hunt them down and run my blades into their hearts.
"Do you want to go after them?" Jamie whispers in my ear, even though there is no more danger of anyone hearing us. Of course, sees through me as if I'm made of glass. She knows what that would mean to me, to finally have justice for my father.
But, following my wishes would put us in enormous danger. I'm not worried about myself too much, but this would endanger not only Jamie, but Clary and Simon too. I shouldn't be so selfish. I have the right to endanger my own life, but not the lives of others.
"They were in the Circle." she says when I don't answer, moving away from me, so she can look me in the eyes.
That takes my mind off revenge for couple of seconds.
"How do you know that?" I ask in wonder. I mean, I know they have mentioned that they worked for Valentine, but there is no proof they have been part of that bad void group fifteen years ago.
"I'd annoyed Hodge until he agreed to tell me more about the Circle." she says calmly, as if it's no big deal. I know how persuasive and annoying Jamie can be when she sets her mind on something, so this doesn't surprise me. "He told me some of the names and these guys were among them."
"So, if Valentine is alive and he is gathering the former Circle members ... " I start.
"That means the Circle is being reformed." Jamie finishes, finally admitting that Valentine being alive isn't as impossible as she thought. "And he is also looking for the Mortal Cup. But, I have no idea why he thinks that Clary's Mum has it."
"We have to talk to Hodge." I say, knowing we momentarily lack information about said group. He should know all about it and help us explain what's going on and create a plan against Valentine. Of course, the Clave has to be informed as soon as possible. "We have to get back to the Institute."
Jamie watches me seriously for few more seconds.
"Are you sure?" she asks out loud, although I already knew what she was going to ask.
"Yes." I nod.
Suddenly, I hear steps again. Both Jamie and I grab our weapons, thinking the Circle members have returned, but we are facing Clary and Simon.
"So, what do we do now?" Simon asks, his eyes looking at me as if he thinks I'm leading the group.
But, I ignore him completely, more interested in the red-haired girl next to him. Clary still seems too shaken to speak. She stares at her palms as if she hopes there will be some explanation of how everything she knew about her life has suddenly crumbled written on them.
"Clary." I touch her forearm gently and the touch snaps her out of her thoughts. She looks at me, her eyes lifeless and full of tears. She is not even a shadow of a girl who jumped through that Portal.
"He said he didn't care." she whispers, barely keeping it all together. "How could he say that?"
"Don't waste any more tears on him." I say, trying to calm her down. "It's not worth it."
"But, I've known him my entire life!" tears start to stream uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"I know it hurts." I have to do for Clary the same thing Jamie did for me. I pull her closer and hug her, trying to let her know she is not left all alone in this world. "But, you have to stay strong, Clary. For your mother."
She doesn't stop trembling completely, but her sobs become quieter. I breathe in and out three times and I can feel her chest rising and falling in the same rhythm against mine. She is calming down. Slowly, I release her from my arms and raise her chin to look her in the eyes.
"That's good." I give her a small smile, wanting her to feel better.
"So ... " she sniffs and rubs her eyes before looking at me again. "What are we going to do now?"
"We're going back to the Institute." I say, gesturing to her to head for the door. "We'll deal with this there."
She nods and does as I asked. I watch as she moves to the next room. I glance at Simon, who is watching me with fury in his eyes.
That's right, I forgot. but, I don't feel victorious about the fact I could now mock Simon endlessly. You're in love with her, but she has no clue. And you think she likes me. But, don't worry, I have the same problem. At least my girl has no boy in her life that she could like.
"C'mon, mundane, we don't have all day." I roll my eyes for the show, but my heart is not really in it. Too many bad things have happened since we arrived. It's time that we leave this place.
Simon opens his mouth as if he wants to protest, but then decides against and follows Clary. I feel relieved, since I'm in no mood for an argument. I turn around again to look at Jamie, intending to thank her for comfort, but she's already bypassing me without a single word.
"Jamie." I grab her hand. She makes as if to rouse and continue walking without a single glance, but then she changes her mind and looks at me.
"Thank you." I look her directly in the eyes, wanting to show her how lucky I consider myself to be to have her by my side.
She glances at the floor and then her eyes fix on mine again.
"I guess that's what people do when somebody they care for is hurt." she says quietly, but then gives me a small smile. "Any time, Jace."
I return the smile and let go of her hand. She nods at me and then follows Clary and Simon, leaving me alone for a moment in the corridor with my own thoughts.
Is it possible? I wish I was right, but at the same time the possibility of being wrong keeps me from imagining too much. Jamie does not show jealousy. And she would never be jealous of Clary, not for any reason. It's just my wish. But, what if she didn't look at the floor? What if she looked at our hands? And what if she liked the feeling?
I can't think of this right now. There are much more important things than my love life. We have to find the Mortal Cup and Clary's Mum and stop Valentine. Jamie would never let herself be distracted by her own thoughts. And if she wouldn't, neither will I.