Hey, guys. I hope this chapter is a little bit more timely in nature. As a bonus, I'll have you know it's 25% longer. Now get your minds back out of the gutter.

As always, this chapter is unbeta'd and written mostly in the wee hours of the morning and edited by an equally sleep deprived person.

Also, part of the delay in getting this up is that I've also been working on a new TMI fanfic. It's a lot more ... playful than this story is currently, so I've been working on it when I need a break from writing a story mostly set in Hell. I won't be posting the new story till I'm done with this one, but I hope to have the first several chapters edited and ready to go when I start posting. And, without further adieu, here's the next chapter.

Concealing Half Truths

The next thing Clary was aware of was someone shaking her. As she regained consciousness, there was an aching stiffness in the entire left side of her body. Her face was pressed against something cold and hard and jagged. She pushed herself up on her forearms as a wave of dizziness took over, causing her surroundings to momentarily blur. She was overwhelmed with a putrid smell and thought for a moment that she was about to lose her lunch.

Finally, her eyes focused, and she realized she already had lost her lunch. The green contents were splattered on the new rug in front of her. She looked up to find Eona standing next to her, a bemused look on her face.

"I'm guessing the Kale shake tasted as revolting as it smelled?"

Clary placed a shaking hand to the side of her face, her fingers applying pressure to her temple. "Yes, but it smells even worse partly digested." She sat up, pulling her feet away from the mess and looking around for something to clean it up.

"Oh. Of course. I'll take care of that." With a wave of Eona's hand and a flash of blue-green sparks, the remnants of Clary's shake disappeared.

"Where did it go?" Clary asked.

"Down the 'toilet.'" Eona referred to a large hole in the ground that happened to have a witchlight and a roll of toilet paper beside it. Where the hole ended, no one knew. Hell didn't exactly have all the comforts of home like indoor plumbing.

Clary sat in silence, running over her conversation with Lilith … and over her realization. Could it be? Could she really be … pregnant? A shiver ran through her body, one of both fear and elation—pregnant with Jace's baby while she was stuck in Hell.

Jace's baby. Clary would be lying to herself if she said she'd never thought about that possibility—you know, much, much further in the future. Not now. Not here. She'd known that in their haste they hadn't used protection. It wasn't like either of them had planned it, as cliché as that sounded. If it hadn't been for her Rune, it wouldn't have happened at all. And her Rune was exactly why Jonathan couldn't know. If he found out, he might eventually ask how, and Clary would be honor-bound to tell him, thanks to the Loyalty rune. If she was pregnant, how long could she keep it a secret?

"—heard a word I've said, have you?"

Clary had been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't heard what Eona was saying. She now looked up at the warlock expectantly and found a matching expression on the taller woman's face. "Did you ask me something?"

Eona sighed. "I asked you a few somethings. For instance, how was your visit with Lilith? Would you like to take a shower? And shall I permanently take kale off the menu?"

Clary was thankful for Eona's presence. Without her, there would be no one to stop her endless cycle of wallowing in self-pity and probably-pointless scheming. Eventually, she was bound to go crazy. "Horrible, God yes, and I may never trust anything green ever again." She forced a smile hoping it was convincing.

"Do you want to talk about it on the way to the showers?"

"No." Clary didn't want to talk to anyone about anything outside of the relative safety of her room. Even here she didn't know who could be listening. In the meantime, she would keep her thoughts to herself. "I want to talk about why it's been three days and you've just now told me there was a shower."

Eona chuckled. It was an easy sound, genuine—as far as Clary could tell. "I wanted to wait till the excitement of your arrival died down and Jonathan had a chance to restore order in the ranks. The showers are located in a common area, meaning Jonathan's Shadowhunters will be there." Eona stopped and turned to Clary, her face suddenly going serious. "Jonathan wants to protect you, Clary. I can't say that I know his reasons why, but he does want to keep you safe. I'm not only here to order your clothes and food, I've also been tasked with keeping you from harm."

Clary nodded. She could see herself trusting the warlock. It was something in the way she talked about keeping her safe, that she meant harm from anything … or anyone. She'd already promised to do what she could to protect her even from Lilith and Jonathan's plans, and more and more she was starting to believe her. Clary still had questions, though. Questions that—depending on the answers—could get them both in a lot of trouble.

The two continued walking down the tunnel, Clary with a witchlight in her hand and Eona with a small orb of light floating above her outstretched palm. The lights bounced off of the damp caverns and were swallowed completely by the cold darkness of alcoves and passageways that twisted every which way. In the distance, Clary heard the murmur of voices and what sounded like fighting. If she stretched her senses she could just make out the tell-tale sound of seraph blades clashing. The adamas rung out like crystal when struck, although the sound was nothing like the clink of crystal glasses at a fancy dinner party. It wasn't fragile, but strong—the vibrating ring of something ancient. But hearing that sound—here—didn't make sense. How could the dark Shadowhunters call on the name of an angel to light their blades? They hadn't at the ceremony, and Clary couldn't understand why they would continue to use the blades without their power. Had Jonathan found some way to animate them with demon energy?

Clary picked up her pace, eager to find the answers. Eona used her longer strides to stay ahead of the smaller girl, matching her pace.

"You know, you don't smell that bad, and the reason I didn't tell you about the showers when you arrived was the fact that you were unconscious."

Clary stopped in her tracks and placed her hands on her hips. "I know what you're doing."

Eona, for her part, acted dumbfounded. "I don't know what you mean."

"Yes you do. You're trying to cheer me up. There's no way anyone can be that upbeat in … well Hell."

Eona shrugged her shoulders, her face twisting up in a goofy smirk as if to say, 'you caught me.' "Sorry. I didn't mean to put on a show. I can just tell that something's bothering you." Eona leveled her gaze at Clary as the redhead raised an eyebrow. "And I know you're not ready to talk about whatever that is … yet. So, in the meantime I was trying to lighten the mood."

Clary's hands fell to her sides and her shoulders slumped with an exhale. "I'm sorry, Eona." Clary was wound up too tightly—a ball of nerves with a flurry of thoughts buzzing around in her head. Eona didn't deserve her attitude, especially when she was just trying to help Clary in her own way.

"I forgive you. You're allowed to get snippy. It's a human trait that I've heard is common among the women especially." Eona was, once again, trying to lighten the mood.

Clary blanched at the warlock's statement. Was she really talking about women and their periods? Of all the things to say, why did she have to say that?

"I'm doing it again, aren't I?" Eona took in Clary's strange response. "All right. You should know that the Shadowhunters might call you … Queen." She seemed reluctant to say the last part. "Or mistress," she added hesitantly.

Clary turned fully toward her with an incredulous look on her face. "What?"

"Well, Jonathan is very … strict and proper with them. He wants them to respect him, and by extension you. However, because of their overwhelmingly demonic nature they mainly act like petulant youth. They are constantly bickering amongst each other. Their arguments result in fights and often casualties. Which is why I am here with you now and you are never to go near the common areas without me or Jonathan. It is dangerous. They are dangerous."

Clary was stunned, but she guessed it made sense. Even Jonathan had said that the Shadowhunters were difficult to control, though he was less than forthcoming with details. They were demons without the Mortal Sword to control them. They didn't have someone like Valentine to raise them from birth to be obedient, and even Jonathan had rebelled against his—their—father. He needed her ability with Runes to help control them before they destroyed themselves. If he wanted to win, he needed numbers. He needed obedient, little soldiers. Her only question now was whether her ability with Runes would trump Lilith's plans. Maybe there was an angle there to explore. She'd have to think on that later, though. The voices and sounds of fighting were getting closer.

Clary clutched the clean clothes draped over her shoulder. "And there are no other showers? None?"

"Well, there's a bath in Jonathan's private quarters. I could bring up some hot water, but I—"

"No, that's alright." Clary didn't really want to take a bath in Jonathan's private quarters. And yet, some part of her thought that sounded like a good idea simply for the fact that she knew it would please him. She tried to choke down that thought as the Rune over her chest flared with heat. Please don't let the bond get stronger. Please don't let it get stronger.

Just then, an ache that started in her back wrapped around her midsection, clenching painfully. She clutched her stomach and fought to stay upright.

A hand grasped her shoulder. "Maybe you should have eaten first."

As quickly as the pain came, it was gone. "No. I'm fine. Let's just make this quick."

Dim witchlight illuminated the large mouth of an opening ahead. Clary imagined that the room beyond must be very large by the way the voices seemed to echo—some seeming close and others far away.

Eona grabbed Clary's wrist, gently pulling the girl behind her taller frame as they entered the expansive cavern.

From behind Eona, Clary could see that the room was large, probably half the length and breadth of a football stadium with a floor that sloped steeply downhill at the entrance. A path to the right looked to have been cut into the rocky wall. The path wound halfway around the room at a much gentler slope before finally reaching the ground. The problem was that the path only allowed for a person to walk single-file. Clary would be on display the whole way to the showers which looked to be located on the back right side of the large room.

And by showers, she meant crude structures made from 2x4s, tarps, and large metal barrels. The tarps were blue, so they would provide some privacy at least.

Clary took a deep breath before she stepped out from behind Eona. She decided that she would keep her eyes planted firmly on the dimly-lit path before her. Like a narrow, winding road cut into the side of a cliff, looking down was something you just didn't do. One waver, one misstep, and she would fall off the edge. She doubted any of the Shadowhunters would bother to save their Queen. They'd probably just laugh and snicker as they stood over her broken body.

Clary's pulse accelerated as the room went eerily quiet. Whispers erupted around her.

"Is that her?"

"A new recruit."

"I'm way prettier than her. I don't understand what he sees in her."

"Our mistress," someone snickered.

For this once, she cursed her Shadowhunter hearing. The whispering rose to louder voices that soon became shouts.

"My Queen." One laughed. That was followed by a loud thwack and a, "What was that for?"

"Master's here," a gruff voice responded.

"I wasn't going to do anything."

From behind her, Clary saw a flare of blue-green light reflect off the rough walls. She wondered if Eona was trying to send a subtle threat to the Shadowhunters. Either way, she felt safer with her here. Even though Clary had never seen her fight, she didn't doubt that the warlock was formidable. Jonathan wouldn't have trusted her to protect me if she wasn't. The thought felt foreign to her, as if it wasn't her own. It left a sour taste on her tongue. She shook the thought away—she was doing that a lot lately—and continued down her walk of shame.

Once the path ended at the roughhewn floor, Clary was forced to raise her head and get her bearings. She looked up to find the black gazes of Jonathan's dark Shadowhunters staring back at her. Clary couldn't help but think of the lifeless eyes of Lilith's experiments gone wrong. Human babies poisoned with demon blood. Only the Shadowhunter's eyes were more like Jonathans—calculating, chaotic, and devoid of any warmth. Some held unlit seraph blades, clutched casually at their sides. The angelic blades looked wrong in their hands—dead.

Many of the dark Shadowhunters leered at her. Others looked at her with blank expressions, as if she were nothing—a speck of dust hanging in the air. A few—mainly the women Clary noticed—looked at her with outright hostility.

She wanted nothing more than at turn and march back up the narrow path and back to her room, but she knew to show fear would mean to show weakness, and Clary was done being weak. Instead, she straightened her back and held her chin high even though her jaw was clenched in anxiety. She forced herself to look at the Shadowhunter's faces, each and every one. She couldn't back down from their silent challenge.

As she met their gazes, they began to move aside, clearing a path for her toward the showers. The last face Clary's gaze fell on was a familiar one. The sight caused her to flinch and break her step mid-stride. Amatis. The woman who, although somewhat reluctantly, opened her home to Clary. Who had helped heal her when she was sick and hallucinating from the waters of Lake Lyn. The woman who had managed to forgive her for every lie and broken promise. Luke's sister. Luke, who was more a father to her than Valentine or any other man could ever hope to be.

Clary's heart stuttered, its beat faltering, aching. A sly grin stretched across the woman's face who used to be Amatis. Clary had to repeat that over and over in her mind. She's not Amatis anymore. She's a stranger. The fact that her eyes, once the same shade of blue as Luke's, were now black made it easier for Clary to tell herself that the woman before her was not the Amatis she knew.

A gentle hand on the center of her back made her nearly jump out of her skin. Eona was urging her on. Clary took a step toward the woman who wore Amatis's face and then another. At the last moment, the dark-eyed Amatis moved out of Clary's path, the curl of a devilish smirk making her lined face look more sinister than ever.

When Clary finally made it through the throng of Shadowhunters, it was as if the air was easier to breathe. She quickly climbed the small embankment toward the showers, hopping over the small ditch where the runoff flowed.

The showers could be considered crude at best. They were rigged up similar to a camp shower where the water suspended above the stall could be warmed by the sun. Though there was no sun here, she hoped that Eona would lend a hand to warm the water. The blue tarps were strapped around wooden frames. A flap opened at the bottom. Clary gripped her clothes and the witchlight in her hand as she hesitantly entered the stall. She willed the light to illuminate the dark enclosure and was relieved to find it empty besides her.

"You're not going anywhere, right?" she called to Eona.

"I wouldn't dare."

"Good." Clary carefully draped her clean clothes over the top of a wooden beam, careful to keep them away from the shower head. "You're going to heat up the water, right?"

"Demanding are we?" Clary could hear the sarcastic tone in the warlock's voice. "Of course, Clary. Master would be most upset to hear his Mistress had to take a cold shower. I'd be sure to be flogged."

Clary recoiled. Eona was well meaning, but she had a knack for saying the worst thing imaginable. Maybe it had something to do with being raised by the Fey. Clary was sure that the way the Seelie Queen had cut at her with a knife with every word was intentional, but maybe something about the barbs were an innate ability, something Eona had learned to do without even realizing she was doing it. "Do me a favor and never call me Mistress again."

"Yes … Clary."

The shower was much better than she thought it would be. Eona heated the water to the perfect temperature, and Clary's muscles were more than thankful for the warmth. The soap was verbena and the shampoo a floral mixture that wasn't unpleasant. Once she had toweled off and dressed, she emerged with the towel wrapped around her damp hair.

Eona has to stifle a laugh at Clary's appearance. "Are you trying to make yourself look taller, or do you just like the turban look?"

Clary glared at her. "There isn't exactly a hairdryer here, and the humidity will make my hair a huge frizz ball. Trust me when I say the turban is an improvement," she snapped.

Eona managed to keep Clary busy with conversation on the way back to her room. She had barely even registered the gazes of the Shadowhunters on her as she made her way back to the mouth of the large cavern.

Clary settled into her overstuffed chair and began to brush through the tangled mess of her hair, wincing every time come across a knot.

"So, are you going to tell me what's really bothering you now?" Eona was standing over the girl with her arms crossed over her chest, waiting.

Clary hissed and immediately shushed her, looking toward the doorway with wary eyes. Reaching up, Clary yanked on the warlock's forearm, pulling her down till she was sitting on the edge of the bed, their heads bent toward each other.

"I'm late," Clary blurted and immediately flushed. She hadn't even planned on telling her about her possible pregnancy, and now it was out there, hanging in the space between them. Clary took in Eona's confused expression. "You, too?" She sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know what, forget it."

"No. No! I want to know."

"Well I'm not going to explain human anatomy to you."

"Then don't. Just tell me what's wrong. I thought this was about something Lilith had said. I know she came to see you, and then I found you unconscious in your own vomit. Unless that is a normal part of your human anatomy, then something obviously upset you." Eona's temper flared. Her voice began to rise to a near shout.

"Shhh. Yes. You're right, okay. Just be quiet." Clary took a few breaths and leveled her gaze at Eona, who was now waiting patiently. "I already told you that Lilith wants Jonathan and I to …" Clary couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. "Well, apparently she wanted to get to work on that immediately. She asked about my period. I told her it was due to start in a week. She went all snake eyes and crazy swirly on me, talking about a new generation of Shadowhunters made to dominate and I … I freaked out. I have three weeks until she expects me to perform." Clary shuddered.

"So, three weeks," Eona mused. "Three weeks is good. Three weeks will give us time to think of something." Eona looked determined and … optimistic.

And Clary was about to kill all of that optimism with her next words. "The only problem is that I lied. My period isn't due in a week. I'm late, Eona." Clary's voice wavered and her eyes went glossy with tears. "I think I may be—"

"—pregnant," Eona finished for her. There was fear in her eyes as she looked at Clary, but there was also something else Clary couldn't put her finger on. The two women stayed that way for a long moment, both staring at each other.

Clary's chin started to quiver. "I don't know what to do. I can't tell anyone. I don't even know if I should have told you. I just know that I can't have a child here. I—I won't bring a child into this …"

"Shhh," Eona whispered as she reached for the smaller girl. Clary went willingly into her arms, crying on her shoulder for the second time in just two days. "It's okay. It will be—"

"Clarissa, is something wrong?" The voice that echoed from the doorway caused the women to rip apart. Eona bolted up from the bed and turned to face Jonathan. Clary pressed herself into the chair, turning to hide her face as she quickly swiped at her tears.

"Sir, I was just … I—" Eona sputtered.

"Leave us." Jonathan made a dismissive gesture, and like an obedient pet, Eona hurried out of the room leaving Clary alone with her brother.

"How much did you hear?" Clary's voice shook. She turned her head away from him. She didn't want to look into his cold, dark eyes and see the void of emotion there. She hated how he could sound so concerned, could fake a smile or a laugh so easily—but his eyes were always the giveaway.

"Enough."

Clary let out a bitter laugh. "Thanks for elaborating." She heard the springs in her mattress groan as he sat down in the place Eona had been just a few moments ago.

"I heard enough to know that you don't want to bring our child into this world, and I don't blame you."

At that, Clary turned to find a strange look on Sebastian's face. She knew when she looked at him she should see Jonathan, but she had known that face as Sebastian's first. And right now, Sebastian's face looked sad. Clary dared to look into his eyes and saw a flicker of the same emotion there—or, if not the same, something similar. Disappointment? Frustration?

At her perplexed look, Jonathan continued. "This," he spread his arms wide and glanced around at the room, "is never where I intended us to be." He smiled. "In fact, we'd be in our apartment right now if someone hadn't blown it up."

Clary had to bite her lip to stop the smile that tugged at her lips. What the hell was wrong with her?

He reached a hand toward her, stopping momentarily when she flinched away. Then gently, his calloused hand cradled her face. And when Clary closed her eyes, she could imagine Jace, his rough Shadowhunter fingers gently stroking her skin, leaving a trail of heat in the wake of his touch. She leaned into him, wanting to feel his warmth but feeling only coldness instead.

Her eyes fluttered open to see black eyes and angled features just inches from her face. Jonathan's cool breath caused gooseflesh to spring up over all of her exposed flesh. She backed away, running her hands up and down her arms to chase away the coldness before it settled in her chest.

Clary saw the smug expression on his face and mentally cursed herself for her slip. She had to keep her head in the game, and that meant not letting her thoughts wander when she was around her brother.

"I see your Rune has healed," Jonathan said, his eyes focusing on the place on Clary's chest where he knew the Rune to be. If he somehow had x-ray vision, I might as well kill myself now.

Clary followed his gaze to her left breast. Her damp hair had turned the thin, rose-colored fabric almost shear. She could clearly see the sweeping black lines of the Rune peeking out above her bra. Clary hastily pulled the towel over the Mark.

Jonathan tutted. "Now, now. There's no reason to be shy. Not only was I the one who placed that Rune on your flesh, but I also happen to remember the silky lingerie you liked to prance around in for Jace."

Clary glared back at him. "That was not lingerie."

Jonathan merely shrugged. He enjoyed getting her flustered. That's when the fire came out. When the gold in her irises sparked and her fiery hair stirred in the wind. When her cheeks grew flushed. And when he was especially lucky, he could follow the flush down her neck and to her chest, wondering where it might end. "I could get you more if you'd like," he half-teased, half-hoped.

"No, that won't be necessary." Composure, Clary, she reminded herself. "It's so cold here that I imagine I'll be wearing my thermal underwear to bed."

"Quite fashionable, I'm sure." And just like that, the moment was gone. "Now, have you made any progress with my Runes?"

She glared at him in return. "You mean between your dear mother's visit, my full-on Exorcist puking, your Shadowhunter hazing, and my shower with an audience? No, sorry. I haven't had the time."

"Then you've seen how … feral they can be first-hand. You understand why the Runes are necessary."

This was strange. Her brother was actually trying to reason with her rather than just barking orders. It was … odd. "Yes." She sighed, rubbing small circles over her temples. "I see why you need them, but it's not that simple. I can't just sit down and make new Runes. Most of the time they just come to me. It's not something I can really control."

"Just tell me what you need, and I'll make sure you have it."

"I need time, Jonathan." A wave of pain clenched her torso, she let out a gust of air as if she had been punched in the stomach. Again, it was over just as quickly as it had begun, but this time it left a dull ache, a familiar dull ache.

Clary's sudden change in demeanor wasn't lost on Jonathan. "Are you ill? I heard that you had—"

"I'm fine. It's all part of being a woman, brother, something you wouldn't understand." She couldn't help the bitter tone that marked her words. Still, she wasn't angry with him, she just knew what was happening.

"But Lilith said a week—"

"It's called PMS for a reason." You idiot, she added silently. "Pre-menstrual syndrome, it starts before your period."

"Oh, well …" He cleared his throat, rising hastily from the bed. "I'll just … uh, leave you to it." He bolted from the room like a typical male when a woman started talking about her 'feminine issues.'

"And I'm hungry," she yelled after him. "Have Eona get me something to eat." She smiled to herself despite the pain. "And some tampons!"

So, there's still some question as to what's going on with Clary. She's either about to start her period or having a very early miscarriage. I hope all you Sebastian/Clary shippers liked the addition of those scenes in this chapter. I hadn't intended to include him till the next chapter, but I think it works out better this way. So, do you guys think that the bond between Clary and Sebastian is growing? Do you think that's the result of the Rune or something else?

Well, you should be happy to know that I'm almost half-way done with the next chapter! That doesn't necessarily mean that I'll get it up any faster ... but maybe.

(: