A/N: As usual, thank you all for the reviews. (I hope you don't find this constant repetition boring) Special thank yous to TheaterofTragedy and LittleBells who have to constantly listen to my rantings
and also to those who have stayed with me since the beginning of this fic.
Lola: Yes, I wrote that little paragraph in bold and thank you for your reviews. I would love to e-mail you answers.. except well, you didn't attach an e-mail add to your review. ..
Your Gaurdian Angel: Thank you =)
hoolaHOOLA: Stupid of me for making Clary stupid. I'm glad you still find it enjoyable. Oh, and please have a look at the edited version of Chapter 9, provided you haven't.
TooLazyToSignIn: Yup, here's an update before New Years. =)
This is important, please don't skip it. Now, look at the recap and if you think it isn't what you have read in Chapter 9, please go back to the previous chapter and re-read the last three hundred words or so. It's Right at the ending. About forty of you were unlucky enough to have read the rather unbelievable version of Chapter9. And I'm really really sorry. As for the rest of you,, what are you waiting for.. Read on!
Recap: "Let's give each other some time to sort out our feelings. I really...want you to think this over,"
He gives me a brief nod, "Yes, lets," Turning around, he heads for his bedroom.
I didn't know then that that will be the last I will see of him for a long long time to come....Because if I do.... Maybe,just maybe, I will find room in my heart to forgive him...
Kiss of Winter-Chapter 10
"Who are you?" I ask, scanning the six feet three figure from top to toe, taking in the black hair falling loosely around a broad intelligent jaw, the straight nose, the little knowing smirk playing on the intruder's lips and the pair of midnight blue wings. I've awoken a couple of minutes ago to find him propped up against the wall at the far end of the room.
"Hello, Clary. Been a while since I last saw you. But I'm hurt you don't remember me at all," He approaches me and extends his arm for a handshake. "Sebastian. Jace's Shadow,"
"I don't know you, " I state defiantly
"You did. Once upon a time." He lets his arm fall to his sides when he realizes I have no intention of taking it. "Listen, Clary, I'm not here for a session of frolicking with you. Jace is in deep trouble. Thought you might want to know that, "
A tsunami of emotion comes rushing over me at the mere mention of his name. I hate it that he has got that kind of control over me. And I hate myself for it. "Why ever?" I hear my voice crack the slightest.
"His life is at stake. Aline gave us adequate information on Valentine's whereabouts a couple of days ago. Jace is regrouping all Shadows and other volunteers who are willing to give him all the support required in his quest to jump in on Valentine… kind of like a surprise attack. It was going to work out just fine… could possibly have been a success even.. " He trails of, a little hesitant to continue.
"But?" I push.
He smiles, "Yes, there is always a but isn't it.. Rumors are Valentine has learned of the attack. How, I don't know.. And also that he has prepared his own troop. His army.. We call them the dark ones. Angels who have gone over the bad side. "
"So, Jace's plan will have to come to a halt? Doesn't sound like he's' in deep trouble' to me. There're always more chances in the future." Now that my bitchy couch 'friend', Aline is around to feed us with information. I didn't say that, of course.
"Should come to a halt. But Jace wants it done and over with as soon as possible. Says that it's been too long and that time is running out for him." Leaning in a little, Sebastian lowers his voice to a hushed whisper, "Valentine's powers grow with each passing day and it's going to endanger earthkind. He wants to eliminate them. And then rule Earth. Make it his.. You have heard about the prophecy?.."
"Valentine did mention something about it. But I'm not too sure,"
An expression, one I can only name as dark amusement flits across his features. "Only the child of Light can undo the evil in that of the Dark. And hence the Angels, our brethren name it The Battle between Light and Dark. It has been on the cards for nearly a century now. But Valentine is strong. And well, he's as slippery as an eel. Hard to catch him unaware"
"How is Jace the child of Light?"
"Jace is True Blood. The child of two Angel parents. The only one we have had for a century.' He pauses to allow me to process the little nugget of information head before continuing, 'The rest of us are Made,"
I gasp. I've known all along that Valentine has been keeping a lot from me, making sure that I know as little as possible. Scratch that. Making sure that all his followers know as little as possible. Easier to mess with our minds that way I supposed.
"Made as in made ?"
He lets out a rich laugh, "No, we are not made in…factories if that's what you mean. They pump angel blood into us. We were human once too"
I furrow my brows. "Wait, Sebastian, you said something about.. Jace running out of time to do it?Why?"
He gasps, eyes widening in sincere surprise, "You… don't know?"
I scowl in irritation, "No I don't. No one ever bothered telling me anything."
"Angels are different.. from humans. They are immortals, yes. Hence, there is no such thing as death for them." He pauses for a moment. I notice he uses the term 'they' when he talks about angels-his race, as if he, isn't one of them. "But they experience something… else. Once a century old, they enter hibernation mode. It's alright I guess, except that when they awaken, they have no recollections of their past."
Jace."How long?" Fear and anguish is straining my voice to breaking point. Stringing a complete and coherent sentence feels impossible
"How long? The hibernation, you mean. It depends on the individual. Some take a couple of years. Others have been known to take twenty to fifty years.. Oh wait, you mean, how long before Jace goes into hibernation mode." He places a finger on his chin as though deep in thoughts. There's something about him that screams danger, but I can't quite place my finger on it. " I'd say another three months or so.."
A lump rockets up my throat and grows reinforcements as the realization sinks in. I can't talk. I can't breathe. The world seems to have halted and I skid through its stillness,frightened and I finally look up, I see a glint of something in his eyes. Amusement. My gut instinct is telling me that something is amiss.
"If Jace goes into hibernation mode, Valentine will to . So why is it that Jace is the only one who is out of time?"
"Valentine is an archangel now. He will have to hibernate eventually. But he's strong enough to put it of for a little while. Whereas Jace, well, Jace can't. He will succumb to Sleep and forthat period of time, hell will reign when Valentine takes over,"
"We need to get to Jace before he does something stupid," I grab Sebastian's arms and march him outside. To hell with anything else. I have to get so Jace as soon as possible and talk him out of it. "There's still three months. Tell me this has got nothing to do with raging testosterone"
He rolls his eyes at me and crosses his arms across his chest. I can't help thinking that that's the most girlish thing I have ever seen. " If it has, you would most likely be in his bed,"
"Whatever. C'mon. Can you be a little quicker?" I wave at him from the wrought-iron gate. He comes to my side in one swift motion and gives me a not-so-gentle push. "What was that for?" I look at him with a look of disbelief on my face.
He smiles, far too sweetly to be real. And that's when I finally realize what's amiss. "Your wings…." I gasp in surprise. "They have disappeared!" If I was a five-year-old kid I would have thought that this was an incredible magic trick. But I'm seventeen. I have seen more magic than silly old tricks. The word 'magic' no longer co-exist with 'tricks'. " Who are you?"
"I'm… me." He smirks. A gleeful expression etched onto his handsome features.
"You are not Sebastian. Who. Are. You?"
"Watch "
The color of his skin lightens into a pale creamy white. He seems to be shrinking in size. In fact, with his now almond shaped eyes , silky long black hair, and pretty little body curves he reminds me of a she. " And now I see recognition in your eyes, Clarissa. Took you long enough to realize. I'm so hurt" The she-thing coos, twirling a lock of her hair in her fingers. Aline.
"What are you? A-a shape-shifter?" I ask, trying to hide my anxiety and…fear. Fear of this being before me. All this while, I have never bothered knowing what she is. And now, I regret it deeply
"No," She furrows her eyebrows, "Of course not. I'm something better.." She throws me a devilish grin "A succubus,"
" Succubus. You are a… demon? So is this your true form or are you actually a dry crackly thousand-year-old witch with papery skin and a hooked nose?"
" That's very funny, Clarissa. But you won't be so… light-hearted soon," She tries to hide a satisfied smile but it still shows anyway.
"Yea? Why not.. So, a succubus huh? That makes you a major slut, Aline,"
She scowls " We live our lives surrounded by beautiful men. They worship us. They treasure our beauty. And that, is more than what you humans can ever hope for,"
"You use your allure and charm to seduce men and in the process, lead them to eternal damnation. You draw energy from your lovers to sustain your beauty. You feed on their soul. They sure did love you to their deaths."
" My beauty is for eternal. Whereas, yours fades. You will eventually grow old. And that's when Jace will realize that I'm better."
Having this talk with her is making me feel so nauseous I have this sudden urge to throw up. " You were doing it on Jace too… Was that why.."
She smirks in delight, "No, Angels are immune to our charm. Only mortals, like your kind are not,"
"You are lying, " My voice sounds strangely stiff.
"Nope," She says, happily leaning against the gate, spreading her palms up to catch the falling snow "He allowed me to feed on him,"
"He wouldn't do such a thing."
"Well, he did. It's part of our agreement as well."
"You can feed on others. Why does it have to be Jace in particular?"
"Because," She hesitates for a second, "Because.. all this while I have lived on Angel's Breathe"
"Valentine was your source?" I half expect her to ignore my questions and walk away with her dark head held high up.
She shakes her head, "No. The ones who are lower in Valentine's celestial hierarchy." She shrugs. So like Valentine to have his own hierarchy. " But when I… spurned Valentine, I no longer have access to.. well, it. I can't live without it. It has become a drug to me. An addiction. Yet, going up to some random celestial being and asking to feed on them is also out of the question, considering the fact that they are not susceptible to my allure. That is how Jace came into the picture. "
"Why are you telling me this? You are helping him clear his name?" I furrow my brows, "And Sebastian too. What was that all about ? "
Her glossy lips curl the slightest into a barely visible devilish smile. "Firstly, it was Jace's idea to fill you in on what he thinks you should know. I volunteered to tutor you. Isn't that awfully sweet of-"
"So when you told me that Jace was in trouble… that was a lie?" I cut her. My throat seems to have gone tight. I can feel the red-hot anger coursing through my veins, surging in ever-increasing waves.
"The ambush was cancelled a while ago. And, he didn't say I couldn't spice up the story a little."
"You have one fucked-up mind, Aline. I'm not going to listen to you talk anymore. I can always ask Jace if I need to know anything and now I'm going back inside-," A shudder works its way down my spine when I realize that something cold, hard and… invisible seems to be blocking my way. I'm out of the protection field. That much I know.
" Patience, young one," Hearing her use that term of endearment on me makes me wonder as to exactly how old she really is. " I'm not quite done with giving you answers. My task will be incomplete otherwise. I borrowed Sebastian because you wouldn't listen to me if it had been me. Do you remember your question on why I was helping Jace clear his name?" She doesn't wait for me to answer but instead, continues to talk "Well, I figured that that will be my final parting gift to you." She makes a gesture towards the blue skies. "He's here,"
"Let me inside," I say through gritted teeth, remembering the slight push earlier. "Jace's not going to forgive you if he knows you've gotten me in this situation."
"He doesn't need to know," The succubus replies, tapping her foot gently on the snow with arms crossed. "Besides, from what I heard, you have done it before. It won't be a surprise if he finds out that you have done it again what with your rebellious nature. And, it's not my say to get you inside.. I can't deactivate the protection field,"
"I know you can pull me inside. All you've to do is just extend an arm."
I can see the ArchAngel in my peripheral vision now. He's approaching us/me, moving at a speed I didn't know is possible, even for a celestial being. Another couple of seconds is all I have.
"Aline… please," I press my palms against the cool surface of the glass-like barrier. The flare of anger in me is dying away, leaving nothing behind but plain hopelessness.
She hesitates but eventually raises her arms,"Fuck, Clarissa, I have this planned out so nicely and you have got to spoil it. With you out of the picture, Jace and I -" Her fingers are already wrapped around my wrist but she freezes midway and then does the last thing I expect her to do. She screams-one that slices through the air, thick with desperation and raw with denial.
The last thing I see before a pair of strong arms wrap around my torso and lift me high up into the midnight blue sky is the sharp talons of Valentine's minion- a dark angel slicing across Aline's chest, spraying ichor across the iron-wrought gate.
Protection fields are never meant for low-ranked demons. She's as susceptible to attacks as you.
"She doesn't know,"I whisper, to no one in particular.
Oh, that little succubus knows that. Valentine does not take kindly to betrayals. But she's willing to risk it all for that boy.
"Liar" I 'm in a state of denial. All this while, I have thought Aline to be the selfish, cowardly sort. And now, to know that... that she has forfeited her life to aid Jace, I realize that there is more to her than meets the eye.
Why do mortals always say things they don't really mean?
Luke once told me that there are two types of people. Survivors, the ones who live by the rules of the game and the victors,the ones who play by their own rules.I was confused then and had pointed out accusingly that only survivors can be victors. He said nothing but had instead given me an infuriating yet oddly warm smile that lit his eyes from the inside out. I understand his words now. Aline had chosen the path she wanted to take. She isn't a survivor, but she is a victor.
I lift my head and stare right into a pair of icy-cold sky blue eyes. Raziel's.
He meets my gaze and snickers. Welcome home, Clary.
There's another group of people that Luke has failed to acknowledge. The ones who are victors and yet survive the deadly game of life and death.
All is not lost. Not quite yet.
Because I'm still in the game..
And this is just the beginning...
A/N: I promise things will be much more interesting in the following chapter. I will be filling you in on Jace and Clary's past then. I'm not sure if you enjoyed this chapter, its after all 'Jace-free' and there are a whole lot of information fed to you people at one go.I hope you did nonetheless. =)
Constructive criticism is more than welcomed and please review. Thanks.
Love,
Emiri
P.S. Cheers to a new year!