Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instrument series. Everything recognisable belongs to Cassandra Clare.
Can I just say wow, I don't know if you've read CoHF yet, and if you haven't, you're in for a roller-coaster of emotions and I can only say good luck. To everyone who has read the new book, I hope you are okay.
I wanted to say that I will not be introducing CoHF stuff in this fan fiction for a while, giving all of you time to read the book. I don't want to spoil anything.
Again, thanks so much for all your wonderful reviews, they are really inspiring and makes it easy to keep on writing.
The dream began with the sound of wings. Clary had never had such a dreadful feeling build up inside her stomach; it felt like someone had punched her a million times and felt her to die on the grounds. Except, she was not lying on the ground.
Clary stood on a large, sloping hill, her feet bare, and the grass tickling her toes. The sky was painted perfectly blue, with a pinkish line at the rim. She could see small, white clouds patched to the blueness of the sky like stickers. Unnatural.
The purity of the landscape sent yet another unnerving sensation through her spine.
Clary had never been here before, she had never seen something quite as beautiful as the green and blue shades forming around her.
There it was again. The loud flapping sound of wings.
It was not a bird's wings. This was something bigger. Something dangerous.
A demon that resembled a huge bird flew over Clary's head. It was an ugly, flying creature. With wide, leathery wings and a bony triangular head pointed towards the hill where Clary stood. As it came closer and closer Clary could see its mouth, full of rows upon rows of serrated shark teeth.
The demon's body angled towards Clary and she reached to grab her sword when she realised it was not there. She had no weapons at all. Defenceless.
Clary tried to force her body to run. But like in her last dream she found her legs stuck to the ground.
The demon came closer, but before it collided with her body, Clary saw another dark shaped winged creature fly next to the horrid looking demon. They all came fast, one after the other. All leathery skinned and thin. They let out a cry, it sounded like a mix between laughter and pleasure screams.
Clary felt the hair on her arms stand up from her skin and she wanted to scream as well.
The demons were so close Clary could see all their features clearly now. She wanted to close her eyes, but it was like an invisible force kept them open.
A red and orange colour started erupting in the demons mouths. It resembled the autumn leaves falling from the trees outside. Clary froze.
The blending colours of the winged demons came shooting towards Clary, it burned hot in her face and Clary realised soon what was happening. The dream had turned into a nightmare. The flames came flying at Clary's frozen body. She was unable to get away.
And just as the flames touched her skin, she awoke.
She could feel sweaty hair clinging to her forehead and her skin was burning hot. She opened her eyes and looked around the room, her eyes adjusting to the dim light in the room. Clary could detect a silhouette standing a few feet away when she spoke.
"Clary. Clary are you okay? You look horrible." a concerned voice rang in her ears.
First Clary thought of Maggie, her sweet ageless voice who always spoke in such careful manners.
No, this was not Maggie. This was someone else. Someone Clary didn't know.
The blond female Shadowhunter looked down at Clary with large eyes filled with concern. "Here." she handed Clary a cup of something hot, most likely tea, judging from the bitter smell "You should drink some. You might have a fever after being kept in that cold cell for so long." the voice told her as Clary put the cup aside without looking directly at the woman who spoke.
Clary didn't reply. She met the blue eyes of the woman and recognized her as the parabatai of Jocelyn Fairchild. Another Herondale.
Clary sighed and sent the woman a hateful glare. "You can leave." she told Celine and looked around the room. Clary was in the same room she had been in when the Inquisitor had taken her to the Silent City, or at least a replica of the room.
"Ok." Celine didn't protest and got up from the chair she had been sitting in. A disappointed look upon her face. "But I really think you should drink that tea. It is supposed to settles the stomach and concentrate your mind." the fair voice spoke in Clary's ears.
"I don't like tea." Clary said stubbornly with an irritated voice. She began to rise from the bed she was lying in. She couldn't remember being moved from the infirmary.
Celine nodded her head carefully before leaving the room with a small click as the door closed behind her.
Clary looked around the room; it was a small room with four-poster wooden bed in the centre of the room. There was a small square wardrobe and a red chair standing in the corner.
She sighed annoyed as the memories of the last night enfolded her mind, or was it longer ago? She didn't really know.
She still couldn't believe her father would risk so much to get her back, he had exposed himself to the Shadowhunter-world. He had made all doubt about Clary's words clear. Valentine Morgenstern was alive. And he was planning war.
There was a small knock on the door and someone opened it slowly. Clary looked towards the door, before looking down at herself. She was still wearing the ugly oversized, pink sweater and dark jeans as she had been before they took her to the Silent City. Now a bit bloodied and ripped, but still the same clothes.
"Clary." the voice had an uncertainty in it that made Clary smirk.
She didn't bother answering Jocelyn, who walked into the room with the light steps of a Shadowhunter.
"Clary I just wanted to talk to you." she called out to Clary, who picked up a book lying on the table.
When Clary didn't answer Jocelyn continued, "We've spoken to the Clave, and you are permitted to stay in the New York Institute under the observation of the New York Conclave."
Clary turned around with a small laughter playing on her lips, "How are you going to do that? What makes you think I will stay here? I can easily get-"
Clary was cut off by Jocelyn's voice, "I am sorry, but we had to perform a spell on you, it was the only way the Clave would accept our request. We got a warlock to perform a spell which will keep you within the Institute at all times and only when a specific mark is placed upon one of the Institutes residents they are allowed to take you outside. I wish there was another way, but-"
Clary looked at the woman in sheer hatred, "You did what?" she yelled at Jocelyn.
"I am really sorry Clary, it was the only way. Most of the Clave wanted you imprisoned." Jocelyn rushed to explain.
"Don't call me that." Clary snapped, anger rising inside her to the point where she no longer controlled herself. "I would rather be imprisoned than live with you and your Shadowhunters."
Clary could see the muscles in Jocelyn's jaw tense and wondered if she fought to keep herself calm just as much as Clary did.
"If there was anything I could do to make it better I would, but right now I don't have any other choices." Jocelyn said calmly.
"Of course." replied Clary with blazing eyes. "Of course you would." Clary brushed her own cheek and let her hand slip through her tangled hair.
"Just leave me alone." Clary replied angry after an awkward silence.
xxxx
"I can't believe they would do something like that. I mean, actually I can, but I would've hoped your grandmother could prevent it." said Isabelle in a tired voice as the four Shadowhunters sat carelessly in Jace's room.
"I mean, they never throw people out of the Academy. Everyone finishes their training at the Academy if they don't train at the local Institute, but come on, who wants to do that?" Izzy continued as the others sat silently doing their own things.
"Hey!" she raised her voice, "Are you even listening?"
"No, I think we all stopped listening after the first time you said you would not be as brilliant if you had to train here at the Institute. But really Izzy, I don't think it will do much of a difference. You will always be second." Jace replied nonchalant.
"Ha-ha, very funny Jace." Isabelle called out and got up from the chair she sat in.
"I mean it! We all know who's got the best techniques, and it's not the black-haired, vampire-dating Shadowhunter with a scary gold-whip." Jace said with a hint of his accent pressing thought his voice.
"You're just scared I will become better than you. And I am not dating a vampire." She replied with a huff.
"Fine, what do you call the bloodsucker if he is not-" Jace began, but was cut off by his parabatai sending him an irritated glare.
"Will you two quit it?" asked Alec, a book with Latin engravings on the cover open in his lap.
Both Isabelle and Jace looked at each other and Jace sent the raven-haired girl a smug smile before mouthing, 'still better' towards her. Isabelle replying with a pillow thrown hard through the air.
While the others spoke, Jonathan sat quietly on the four-poster bed of his friend, legs crossed and deep in thoughts.
xxxx
Clary pushed the bedroom door open. She had never been to an Institute, -at least if she didn't count the brief visit after falling through a roof- even though she'd read about them.
And whatever she had read in those many books in her private library, the New York Institute was nothing like she had imagined. It was beautiful.
The walls were made of dark wood and stretched high above her head. She saw the beautiful chandelier with large crystal-like lights covering it, illuminating the hall. All the doors around Clary confused her; they were very similar, all dark with the same silver doorknob.
She must've been in the residential wings of the Institute. It was supposed to be around two hundred bedrooms in the residential wings, open to Shadowhunters who wish to take up residence there, or like Clary, were forced to live there.
She walked down a set of stairs, surprised by how light she felt, nothing like when she had been kept in the cell at the Silent City. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she heard voices speak inside a room with a door set ajar.
The voices grew silent and suddenly the door banged open startling Clary to the point where she almost lost balance. A roughly built Shadowhunter in black gear rose before her and she could see on his face that he too had been surprised by the encounter.
"Morgenstern." His voice was clear, but it held a bitter undertone. The man seemed familiar, but Clary didn't know from where.
The man opened his mouth to speak when yet another Shadowhunter came inside dressed in the same gear as the man before Clary. The black gear looked like some sort of guardian gear; black jacket zipped up to the collar with the insignia for the Clave formed by four back-to-back C's standing for: the Clave, Council, Covenant and Consul printed over the heart.
"Ah, Clarissa just the girl we were looking for." said the man with a cold voice.
Clary looked at him; he had a thin body and his dark hair was slicked backwards. He had a light accent and from what Clary could analyse, he did neither look nor sound American.
She sent the man a venoms glare as he grabbed her upper arm. The larger Shadowhunter led the way through the door, while the foreign Shadowhunter held his grip firmly as he dragged Clary with him.
Clary began to struggle against the grip, but stopped when they came inside the room. It was a fairly small room with only a table placed in the middle. Jocelyn Fairchild, Lucian Graymark, both Herondales and Maryse Lightwood sat around the table. There were also other Shadowhunters there, but Clary had never seen them before.
"Please take a seat Clarissa." said Luke in a friendly voice.
Clary made no move towards any of the unoccupied chairs, and the European Shadowhunter pushed Clary hard, forcing her towards the nearest chair.
"Balogh." Jocelyn was on her feet and stared angry at the Hungarian Shadowhunter. "Let her go." she commanded and soon Clary was free from the Shadowhunter's tight grip.
"Clary if you could please take a seat." Surprise hit Clary when Jocelyn called her by her nickname, again, a mixture of anger and hurt followed as Clary looked at her.
"I think I'll pass." she told her and remained standing.
It was an awkward silence in the room before Maryse Lightwood raised her voice and looked directly into Clary's green eyes. They were so much like her mother and brother's bottle green eyes.
"We have some important information for you Clarissa." Maryse said.
"I don't really think I'll care." Clary replied pushing her hair into a high ponytail.
"I think you will care about this." One of the unfamiliar Shadowhunters told her with a smug smile on her lips.
"You have understood what we've informed you about our methods of keeping you safe inside the Institute, am I right?" Maryse asked.
"Safe?" Clary replied sarcastically, "I wouldn't call forcing me into this prison safe."
Maryse ignored her and continued, "You will be able to walk freely inside the Institute, with the exception of the training room and weapons room. We will have guards from the Clave positioned around the Institute at all times and if you should.." she stopped mid-sentence, searching for the right words, "try something they will not hesitate to restrain you. Is that clear?"
Clary smirked at her choice of words, try something, it sounded like a better way of saying "If you try to kill one of our residents we will kill you back."
"Perfectly." Clary replied irate and was about to leave when Maryse continued, "You may ask to be accompanied by one of the permanent householders, including myself and my husband Robert," she pointed towards the roughly built Shadowhunter she had almost walked right into earlier. "To leave the Institute grounds, but you are not able, due to the spell performed by the High Warlock of Brooklyn, to leave without permission."
Clary had already heard this, and again it brought her temper up. "How are you going to keep my father form turning up here?" Clary asked with a self-satisfied smile tugging at the corners of her lips. The reactions around the table was pleasing, they all seemed shocked with Clary's words for a moment.
"He won't." Another Shadowhunter told her, glowering darkly at the redheaded girl. "But it's not like we'll tell you how."
"Hmm." Clary smiled falsely in the man's direction and leaned against the chair next to her.
"You listen here, if you think I for one second will accept this absurd punishment, you are all wrong. You fear I will maim or kill your Clave members, first of all if that doesn't say something about your bravery, I don't know, and second you are right. I don't care about Shadowhunters. I don't follow your Covenant and Accords, so please if this is some sort of test, you can just fail me right now, because you are right, I won't hesitate to kill one of yours." Clary breathed heavier after finishing, her fever was still high and it had begun draining her strength.
"This is not a test in any sort of way Clarissa. This is just a second chance." Robert Lightwood replied.
Clary cast Jocelyn a short glance, seeing her shocked expression. She seemed hurt by Clary's words and for a moment it confused Clary, but she pushed the thoughts away.
"A second chance? Shadowhunters don't give second chances." Clary shot back at him frustrated.
"Would you rather we strip you of your Marks?" Balogh asked harshly in his Hungarian accent.
"I'd like to see you try." Clary replied and pushed away from the chair before Maryse replied shortly, "You won't try to kill the people living here." she spoke calmly and with a small unreadable smile dancing on her lips.
Clary looked at her with burning eyes, "What?"
"You might have drops of demon blood in your veins Clarissa, but the Angel Raziel's blood is still dominant and I believe you are not all that evil." the calmness of her voice made Clary gaze darkly at the woman. What was she talking about?
"You may leave." Maryse finished and picked up a pencil lying on the table in front of her.
Clary stared at the woman in disbelief, but when she did not speak up again and neither did anyone else, Clary left.
xxxx
Clary splashed a handful of water onto her face. Her fever had gotten worse after leaving the meeting and she tried to ease the pain by cooling her forehead down. It didn't work.
"Damn it. I don't deserve this." Clary muttered irritated as she turned the sink off and walked carelessly out of the room's en suit. Her fingers connected with the chain of the fairy ring around her neck and she played with the cold metal. It had not flared up with heat since she had entered the Silent City, and Clary had started wondering if something had broken it.
She rubbed her temples lightly, before walking to the door and opening it silently.
Maryse Lightwood hadn't lied; the Institute was full of Shadowhunters in black gear.
Clary's stomach ached as well as her head, pushing her headache to grow worse; it was like a hammer tried to punch through her skull. She hadn't eaten in a long time, actually she couldn't remember the last time she had a proper meal.
Clary found her way down the hall, walking past the tense Shadowhunters eyeing her every move, around a corner and pushed the door open. She had been informed that this was the kitchen.
The kitchen was considerably large and well-put together, but Clary had no idea where to find anything.
"No John, I have already told you a million times, I am not dating a vampire!" A girly voice rang from the other side of the room, and Clary saw the same black haired girl who had forced Clary back to the Institute, and her own brother, Jonathan Fairchild.
"I'm not the one saying it. Jace is the one you should be screaming at, not me." Jonathan replied with a boyish grin.
"Hey." another voice rang from a smaller room next to them, "Don't tell her that, I'm the one who's got to train with her for another year."
Clary walked further into the Kitchen, pretending not to see them as she opened a door to one of the cabinets.
Clary realised they had seen her. They all fell silent and Clary could hear low murmurs passing between the friends.
"If you are looking for the refrigerator, it's in there." the blond Herondale boy told her, pointing his finger at the room he had just left.
"I wasn't." Clary replied, pulling down a plate.
They stared at her for a long time, before Clary turned around and met the dark green eyes of Jonathan. "Is something wrong?" she asked harshly as she noticed how they all stared at her.
"No." The girl replied. "I guess I've not introduced myself properly." she continued and walked towards Clary with determined steps. "I'm Isabelle Lightwood." she held out her hand for Clary to shake, but Clary just frowned and stared back at the girl.
She heard the girl whisper an awkward "Okey," and pulling her hand back.
"Yeah, and I guess our meeting wasn't the greatest either, hhu Ariel. I'm Jace Herondale, sorry about stabbing you in the neck." Jace said from the other end of the room, not bothering walking over to Clary.
"Oh, and sending you through a falling building. Not my proudest moment." He added with a swooning smirk.
Clary glared dangerously back at him before Jonathan asked carefully. "Clarissa, or Clary, have you been wearing those clothes for four days?"
The pink sweater was dirty and smeared in blood, and the dark blue jeans she had put on in the infirmary a few days earlier were ripped on the knees.
Without thinking, Clary found herself answering her brother, "Yeah, I guess I have." she replied with a shrug, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her own appearance. She wasn't used to other people on her age being in her presence, and on one had ever stared at her with the same analysing gazes the three teenagers had.
Shortly after replying, Clary regretted it.
It wasn't as if they couldn't guess the answer themselves, but it thought of admitting it was worse, she didn't want to interact with the Shadowhunters, and now she had engaged in a conversation.
"You know, you could borrow something of mine." Isabelle told Clary with a careless shrug.
"You're not exactly my size, but I guess I've probably got something." she explained and tried to give Clary an encouraging smile, which was not returned.
"Whatever." said Clary irritated and put the plate down on the bench before following the raven-haired girl out of the kitchen, her stomach still burning with hunger.
xxxx
"Let me see, I've mostly got black." Isabelle called out from the other side of the room as she dug through her wardrobe for something small that could fit Clary's short, slim body.
Clary looked at the other Shadowhunter girl and saw she had about the same amount of faint white scars on her body as Clary. Her skin was pale and with her long coal-black hair it made the rune-scars stand out even more fiercely.
"I think this can fit you." Isabelle shouted loudly as she threw Clary a black tank top and a pair of blue jeans. The jeans looked like they would curl a little bit in the legs, but other than that it looked somewhat okay.
Clary walked into the girl's bathroom and slipped the top over her head. It fitted. As predicted, the jeans were a bit too big, but Clary made it work.
When she came outside again Isabelle had put on a pair of black high heels and walked towards the door. "Great, you can thank me later." she smiled and opened her bedroom door.
Her heels made a loud clicking noise as she walked and Clary couldn't understand how someone who was already so tall would want to go around making themselves that much taller. It couldn't be beneficial when it came to fighting, or walking for that matter.
"There's food in the kitchen if you want some." Isabelle told Clary as she walked back towards where they had left Jace and Jonathan.
"You don't say." Clary replied sarcastically and followed the girl with irritated steps.
"I meant Alec, my brother, he ordered food from Taki's while you were changing and the food is in the kitchen if you want some." Isabelle explained and opened the door to the kitchen.
The smell that hit Clary when she walked in was fantastic, it might've been because of the lack of food she had consumed the past four days, but it made Clary's stomach roar.
Jonathan tried to give his sister a short smile, which again wasn't returned. "Are you hungry?" he asked carefully as he sat down on the kitchen counter. "There's plenty of food if you want some."
Clary shrugged and took the plate of food that was handed to her. She remained standing as she ate slowly, not daring to eat any faster, in case her body couldn't handle it.
She heard the four Shadowhunters speak casually with each other and tried to block them out as her headache grew every time one of them spoke louder than usual.
"So, what did Iwan say after you explained the whole Academy thing?" Alec asked his parabatai.
"Nothing, he's really.. I don't know, upset I guess." Jace replied.
"Mhm, Max took it fairly well actually. I don't think he likes me that much. He obviously likes you better." Isabelle stated as she stuffed her mouth with the take-away food.
"Can't blame him, he's got to have someone to look up to you know, and while you keep wearing those high heeled boots of yours, you're not going to beat me." Jace mocked the tall girl.
"Oh just wait and see Herondale, you have no idea what a dangerous weapon seven inches of sharp footwear can do to a person." Isabelle smirked.
Clary grew tired of their silly, childish conversations and walked out of the room with a barely detectable sigh, leaving the four Shadowhunters looking after her with bemused expressions.
"She is a little bit weird, don't you think?" Jace asked after the last piece of red hair had vanished around the corner.
That's it for now, I think I gave you a pretty long chapter. Thanks for keeping up with me and I really hope you take the time to review the chapter, it really means a lot to me.
See all of you soon with another chapter.