DISCLAIMER: I do not own TMI or any of its characters except for the fictional ones created for this fan fiction story.
From the hallway Clary could hear her mother speaking to Luke in a hushed tone. Simon sat in the armchair with his game boy on his stomach as he slept. I didn't think vampires slept thought Clary. Minutes later both Jocelyn and Luke emerged from the spare bedroom down the hall. Her mother was shrugging on a leather jacket much like her own. At her hip peaked the hilt of a seraph blade and a few daggers with stars carved into the metal. Jocelyn met her eyes and for a few seconds Clary had forgotten about the nightmare that had become her life. She'd thought she would never see her mother again and that she would be forced to live a life of running, hiding and fighting all alone. The moment she saw her mom standing in the living room with her arms wide open she forgot about the evil and thought about the good. Her mother standing there like an angle ready to tear her out of the eye of the storm. But it was all about to change again.
"How are you feeling Clary?" she asked as she knotted her hair into the familiar chop sticks.
"I'm fine I guess," she lied. She wasn't fine. She was glad her mother was home safe and sound but in the same note she was furious and hurt that her mother would keep this life from her. "Why didn't you tell me mom?" Knowing what her daughter was asking about she didn't meet her gaze. Finally she looked at her.
"I tried. The day I wanted to talk to you, you ran away with Simon to the café and I thought I'd have more time."
"You had 16 years to tell me mom. Why now? Why not then? I've been living a lie and you've let me. You lied about it all. My father, my bloodline, who I was supposed to be…"
"Clary, you are who you're supposed to be. And it isn't that simple. Your father would have turned you into a monster. I wouldn't let him. Not after a second chance at…" She stopped abruptly her eyes now distant. She looked at Luke and Luke finished for her.
"There are some things you don't understand clary. In due time you will know it all. Just give her some time, it isn't easy for her to-"
"Easy for her?" Now Clary was yelling. "Easy for her? I've been attacked on multiple occasions by things I didn't know existed, introduced to a father I thought was dead, and shown a world of people who are like me and different from me at the same time. Not to mention the whole 'my best friend's a vampire' situation." Simon, who had woken up due to all the yelling, grabbed Clary by the wrist and pulled her out the front door.
"Clary," he started "you really shouldn't blow up on your mom that way. That's what happened the day we went to Java Jones and she was taken. You don't know how lucky you are to have a mom that still loves and cares for you." Now they were sitting on the front porch like they've done many times before. The look in Simon's eyes reminded her of her own hurt and the unfortunate events that had occurred in Simon's life as well. After being turned his mother kicked him out of the house believing he was the demon who killed her son. Banished from his home with no place to go, Simon had more of a reason to be upset about all of this than Clary. She felt terrible about making him feel bad about his own life by complaining so much about her own."Let's go for a walk", she said holding out her hand already on her feet. Simon looped her arm into his and marched down the walkway with his best friend.
Taly and Jonathan had been walking for hours before realizing they had been walking in circles. "We're lost," she exclaimed for the hundredth time. "Admit it Jonathan, you don't know where we're going." Jonathan looked at her, his eyes two dark endless tunnels. "I'm not lost. I just don't want to return home yet." She sighed and flopped onto the ground and started ripping out pieces of dried grass levitating them and letting them fall. He turned to her confused by her actions. "What are you doing?' he asked agitated. "I'm sitting", she answered motioning to the ground. "It's what people do when they're tired of walking or lost. They sit." Jonathan glared at her and walked to where she sat.
"Get up, let's go."
"Nope."
"Vitaly, now."
"No." He grabbed her by her hoodie and dragged her behind him. He was lean but strong. "Let me go you filthy urchin." She kicked and scratched his arm while he dragged and finally gave up when she realized she would have to hurt him for him to let go. So she let him drag her a few more feet, stumbling behind him, before he dropped her cloak.
"Look what we have here" he said, a hint of amusement in his words. Taly looked over his shoulder dusting her pants and cloak off. "Valentine's favorite daughter, my sister." He looked back at Taly and saw the hurt look in her eyes instantly cancelled out by anger and felt satisfied he wasn't the only one feeling that way. Taly felt her heart contract with pure jealousy. She was Valentine's daughter. She was the one who followed him faithfully. And now she was the one walking towards the redhead and geek boy.
"Taly?" questioned Clary as she came to a halt. Behind Taly, Jonathans silhouette slowly showed itself through the trees. It came closer and closer until he was completely visible. Clary had never seen such a stunning boy in her life, next to Jace that is. His platinum white hair slightly fell into his eyes, eyes that looked like pieces of coal. Aside from his flushed cheeks, his skin was just as pale as his hair but you could somehow distinguish the difference between the two. He had a sharp jaw line and defined cheekbones. His lips were a pale pink and now shaped into a half smile. She could see his muscles through his sleeves and noticed right away how tall he was. Jace was slightly shorter than him and a little thicker, but they looked similar in the way they stood. This boy was arrogant and knew he had more than just looks going for him. But what. Clary felt an instant tinge of nausea as the boy winked at her. It felt wrong. Something was off about the him but she didn't know what. And in the same sense, she felt drawn to him. Not in a sexual, romantic way. But it was still there. Finally someone spoke breaking her concentration.
"What are two weaklings like you doing walking around at this time?" Taly asked looking them both up and down resting her eyes on Simon. "Oh right, the vampire boy. I guess you're kind of safe around him h'm?" she stated. Clary tightened her grip on Simon's arm. She looked up at him and noticed his jaw was clenched and he stared straight at the boy. Taly gave a short laugh. "Oh Clary, are you scared? I see how tightly you cling onto your friend." She taunted. "You know, he can't help you. No one can." Both Taly and Jonathan lunged toward Clary and Simon grabbing them by the wrists and pinning them down to the ground. As soon as Jonathan's hands touched Clary she felt an immense pain shoot through her arm. A burning sensation flowed through her veins and she gasped for air as he held her tightly against the gravel. She was sure he'd broke her arm but then remembered what a broken bone felt like. She'd broken her wrist as a child when she fell out of Simon's tree house and this pain was different. Her blood stung the insides and made her weak. It all happened so quickly she had forgotten about Simon and looked up to see Taly had also trapped him. She felt a hot breath, smooth and poisones, in her ear that spoke ever so softly.
"Nice to meet you Clarissa, my name is Jonathan."
"So, I send you out for one daughter and you bring back two?" Valentine walked back and forth in the holding cell he was using to keep Clary and Simon captive. Clary had been stripped of her stele and weapons and Simon had thick chains and shackles on his hands and feet. Behind him Clary could see the two shadows of the ones who had kidnapped her. Taly had her hood drawn and stood motionless with her head bowed. Jonathan stood next to her in his gear head bowed as well. They treated Valentine as if he were their king, their master. But to Clary he was a monster. A monster who created monsters.
"You've done well my children. You've done very well. Now go, you've got work to do." Both his children slightly bowed and turned away. Clary watched them until they vanished into the darkness and their footsteps were no longer audible. She forced her vision to see what her surroundings consisted of but it was of no use. When Valentine turned his back she scooted back towards Simon.
"Simon, can you see anything in the room?" She whispered. Simon scoffed at her ridiculous question and lifted his cuffed hand to point towards a dark corner of the room.
"Way ahead of you. Your weapons are over there in that corner on top of a table. I think those are the keys to my shackles too." His chains rattled as he moved his hands back in forth motioning to each object as he spoke about them. Once again, Clary hated that Simon had been sucked into this whole mess, plucked out of a perfectly normal life. It was in no way a perfect life, but it was perfectly normal. They went to school, did homework, argued with their parents about their whereabouts and hated everything about their perfectly normal life. Clary would give it all up if it meant her life would return to being boring and normal. Unfortunately that wasnt the case. It was after she had snapped out of her thought process that she realized Valentine had been staring at her the entire time. He walked over to the cell and bent down to make eye contact with her.
"Where's your mother?" He asked in the most wicked tone she's ever heard. Feeling uncomfortable she shifted towards Simon never taking her eyes off Valentine. Again he asked her, "my dear child, where's your mother?" This time she noticed his voice had softened but it was still far from nurturing.
"I'm not your child, and I don't know" she answered, keeping it short and sweet. Valentine watched them both for a while and then moved slowly over to table where her weapons sat. One by one he examined her weapons. He came across the sword Clary found locked away in her mother's chest at the foot of her bed. After Jocelyn was taken she broke every lock in Jocelyn's room looking for clues. Along with the sword she found a canvas painting of Jace's ring, a small leather journal with foreign language written inside and the small box with the engravings "JC" on it. Realizing now that the clues matched up, Clary scooted even closer to Simon.
"Simon, what's he doing? I can't see him." When Simon didn't respond she looked towards him to see why. He was focused on something beyond the four walls of the chamber. Two voices he recognized spoke of tracks in the dirt, someone not answering the phone, and far away screaming.
"I hear Alec and Magnus," he whispered back.
"What? How?"
"I don't know. But its definitely their voices." Just then there was a knock on the door.
"You may enter." In response to Valentine's permission the door to the cell cracked open and a boy with black hair and pale skin entered the room.
"The warlock and shadowhunter are being followed as ordered sir. But I must admit, they're getting quite close to figuring it out." Valentine looked at Clary with humor in his eyes.
"Very well, thank you Sebastian." The boy, Sebastian, looked at Clary as well mimicking Valentines look.
"My pleasure, sir," and he walked out shutting the door behind him.
"Now Clarissa, I will ask you once more; where is your mother?" Clary, now feeling a bit more nervous, brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.
"I don't know," she said almost in a whisper. He turned his back to them and grinned over his shoulder.
"Well, your dear friends will pay the price for that."
"I can't find them anywhere Luke," exclaimed Jocelyn as she rushed in the front door. "They started walking down that way," she said pointing out the window.
"Are you sure?" asked Luke phone ready in hand. Jocelyn sighed heavily.
"Yes, I'm sure. I looked out the window and saw them go that way towards the forest. They couldn't have gotten that far in the five minutes they weren't visible. Something's happened i know it. Clary only ignores my call when she's upset." They hurried out the door and into Luke's rusty truck.
After what seemed like a long ride, they arrived at the Institute. Though he was reluctant Luke followed Jocelyn through the massive front doors of the building. His heart ached knowing he would never truly belong in an Institute the way he meant to. But he would put his feelings aside now to help find Clary.
"Hodge?" Jocelyn's voice rang and bounced off of the high walls and carried through out the building. She wasted no time and quickly moved from room to room calling out familiar names like Hodge, Isabelle, and Alec. After a few empty rooms she reached one which was occupied. On the pillow lay a heap of golden hair. She swiftly moved to the bedside and brushed the hair off of the boy's ear.
"Jace, Jace wake up." Jace stirred and turned around to face Jocelyn a surprised look on his face. He jumped and rolled off the side of the bed opposite of Jocelyn. When he regained balance she'd noticed he had readied himself with a blade. His stance and the look in his eye reminded her of someone she'd wished to forget. Her husband, Valentine. Both Jocelyn and Luke watched him warily analyzing his every move.
"Jace, have you seen Clary?" His eyes widened in understanding and without thinking started throwing his gear on. "Jace, have you seen her?" she asked again. He looked up at the woman who was supposed to be his mother. The woman who supposedly gave birth to both him and Clary. The woman who abandoned him.
"I don't look like you. I don't look like Valentine. Why?" Jocelyn took a step back and put her head in her hand resting her other hand on her hip.
"Jace.." And a light from outside quickly caught their eyes. They rushed at once to the window and saw the light coming from between the trees of the forest in the distance. But this wasn't any ordinary light. It was the light if a seraph blade. Jace's parabatai mark began to throb and in an instant he knew Alec was in trouble. Without further hesitation he flung himself over his bed and pushed passed Luke, running down the hall. He heard extra pairs of footsteps close behind him and turned to see both Jocelyn and Luke right behind him.
"Its Alec, he's in trouble. I can feel it." Again his rune throbbed and he grabbed at it while looking for a taxi. Seeing Luke's truck there he gave him a look. Luke nodded and ran over to the driver's side. Jace jumped into the bed of the truck and Jocelyn slid into the passenger's side. He drove as fast as he could back to his house and as soon as he came to a stop Jace was jumping out and running toward the trees.
"Magnus! Help!" Hurdling toward Alec were huge leech like creatures with wings and spider legs snapping their fanged teeth at him. His blade flared and instantly hurried itself into the cheat of the beast coming towards Alec's head. Next to him fought Magnus. From his hands flew balls of fire that transformed into snakes which ate their way through the demons skin and explode inside taking the chunk of meat with it.
"What do you think I'm doing?" Black sizzling blood poured from each gaping hole in the leeches. Some fell onto Alec's eye and he cried out in pain, but kept fighting. One by one the flying demons started dropping to the ground motionless before sizzling away or bursting to flames. The light of the sword shone through the darkness casting light over top of the trees. Under a giant tree was an old tomb. On the tomb there were letter engraved but were mostly smooth away by weather and age. Alec looked around and saw no way of coming out alive. Though they had killed most of the demons, they kept coming.
"Its like they're coming through a portal!" yelled Alec. Then he had an idea. "Magnus! A portal! Make a portal like the one at the institute!" He saw the slight nod Magnus gave him and proceeded to fight the demons attacking them. Suddenly he saw what looked like a silver crescent cut the air. Right before his eyes his parabatai appeared slashing and stabbing the grotesque creatures. Two others fought along side of Jace whirling and dodging the sharp teeth left and right. Alec couldn't make them out until he caught a glimpse of red hair.
"Looks like I've made it in the nick of time," Jace yelled to Alec. Of course, Jace would be the one to find humor in the situation. Magnus opened and held the portal on the wall of the tomb.
"Get in! Now!" All including Magnus jumped through the swirling hole holding hands careful not to be separated. Jocelyn jumped first, and the portal took her exactly where she wanted to be. With Clary.
