Hey guys, here's the next chapter. I'm still sick so I figured, might as well get this one typed out real quick :3
Thanks to my newest followers, AnnieBea, Emily Filipa, Shankykadanielle, and Mssidd, for following and AnnieBea for favoriting, please remember to review in the future! I love hearing your comments! Even the bad ones ;)
To TaleOfTwoCities (Guest) Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, my summary is a bit cliché sounding, isn't it, lol, I should fix that… Oops x3 Look, I updated! Please make my day and review again!
Magnus: -throws glitter in Lilly's face-
Me: -splutters- what the hell, Maggie?
Magnus: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BITCH!
Me: But it's not my birthday anymore…
Magnus: I know, but I didn't get to tell you earlier…
Me: Okieeeee… I don't own anything here except for bits and pieces of the plot.
Magnus: NOW READ AND REVIEW BISHESSSSSS –throws glitter at all of y'all-
You heard the fabulous one.
Clary POV
Clary jumped out of Luke's pick up and heard the loud crunch of her combat boots hitting the gravel. She peered up at the building before her. It was large and daunting, and it was made of old, dilapidated brick, crumbling in some places. Clary thought back to what Simon had told her; it was a mental hospital, and nobody wanted to knock it down because it was a historical landmark. She couldn't see why anyone would want to keep this, even if it were a historical landmark, it was absolutely depressing.
The oddest thing, in Clary's opinion, about the building, was that in some places where you'd expect decaying brick to be, there was instead fresh and new looking bricks, as if someone had replaced the old with the new to keep the building from falling down. It was as if some bits of a glamour were peeled away to see what was real, what had once been.
"Probably the work of Valentine's men…" Luke said gruffly, answering her unsaid question. Clary nodded, her lips pursed in concentration.
"Yeah, most likely," she replied, "What now?"
"Now, we storm the castle." He said turning to her, she could tell he was trying for a joking smile, but it was coming out more as a grimace. Luke turned away from her to call out to the pack. He instructed them to load up on weapons and get into formation. Clary would come to find that "formation" meant everyone in an eerily wolfish circle around Luke and herself. They really were a pack of wolves and acted as such, maybe in a more polite way… maybe.
After everyone was in place, Luke turned once again to look at her. "You need to stay by me at all times. You will move when I move. There is no argument on this, if you step outside of this circle, we can't protect you. Do you understand?" His voice was hard and severe and his eyes pierced her to the depths of her soul.
"Yes, sir." She replied with a nod.
Luke's eyes filled with warmth once again and he smiled at her in a fatherly way, "That's my girl. Don't worry, we'll get through this, I promise." He told her as he squeezed her shoulder to his chest and kissed her head. After a moment's hesitation Clary wrapped her thin arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, squeezing her eyes shut. She realized she was remembering him. She was remembering his embrace, the way he felt, the way he smelled, how much she loved knowing that he would always be there for her. It was horrid. She released him and repeated in her mind over and over, 'we'll get through this. We'll get through this. We'll get through this.'
The pack began to move, and so did Luke and Clary. They shifted forward together slowly, moving together at a close pace, all of the members of the pack with weapons drawn. There were guns and even swords. Yes, swords.
"Luke." Clary said with gritted teeth.
"Yes?" He questioned.
"Give me a weapon." She told him sternly.
"No." He said, shaking his head.
"Luke, if you don't give me a weapon, I'll be defenseless if something bad does happen." She told him. He seemed to be arguing with himself, weighing the options in his head, before he finally gave up and reached behind him to retrieve two daggers.
"Here, be careful, just because they're small doesn't mean they're not deadly." He said, handing the hilts towards her. Clary took them gingerly in her palms, surprised at the weight; they were balanced and rested comfortably in her hands. She held each in ready attack position and was instantly reassured by them.
As they got closer to the building, people began to arrive to defend it. Before Clary knew what was happening, there was a screech from the upper left of the pack as one of the cubs got shot in the arm by a man with a deadly glint in his eyes. The pack roared into action, they moved forward steadily and faster, with Luke pulling Clary along with him. He begged her to keep her head low. She complied.
There were screams of pain going up into the twilight air. Clary whipped her head around to look, but she could see nothing except the occasional draw of a gun or the slash of metal on metal.
"Clary!" Luke yelled. The looming figure of a burly looking man with a sword was standing in front of her. If she'd had a moment to respond she would've slashed at his stomach, but before she could even make a move, a mass of scary girl-power hurled itself at the man, knocking him to the ground with a loud thump. It was Gretel, desperately fighting against the man. Clary wanted to go help, but she was grabbed up by someone and carried quickly up to the building. She fought and screamed, kicking desperately.
"Clary! Clary, stop! It's me!" Yelled a gruff voice that Clary recognized as Alaric's.
"What are you doing? Gretel! She needs help!" Clary shrieked.
"Don't worry, Luke is helping. He told me to get you to the building. He wants us to wait right here for him." Alaric said as he set her down on the front steps of the building.
Clary surveyed the battleground ahead of her before her eyes came to rest on Gretel still battling with the man, Luke right by her side. He was swinging a large sword around and almost got the man, but right at that moment, he jabbed Gretel hard through the stomach. There was a wail as Gretel fell to the ground in a clump. Luke yelled out in anger and brought his sword down callously against the atrocious man and he fell instantly to the side of them. Luke fell to his knees and tried to stop the blood that was spewing from the gigantic hole in Gretel's abdomen, but there was no use. She was already long gone.
Clary felt the hot stream of tears coming down her cheeks as she sobbed for the woman she'd only once. She ran to the side of the steps and retched into the bushes, leaving her throat sore and burning.
Luke ran up to the steps where Alaric stood, holding Clary's hair back and away from her face. His eyes were sullen, but he was running on pure adrenaline at this point.
"We have to go in now." He said gingerly to Clary. She straightened herself, knowing that she did not deserve gentleness when all those that were dying or going to die that night on the battlefield were dying for her. She nodded her head and set her face. She was ready.
"Alaric, I need you to stay here, I need you to fight."
Alaric shook his head, his eyes showing loyalty and honesty. "No, I need to be with you. Now that Gretel is dead I am your second. A second is always by the side of their first and that is what I intend to do."
"Alaric, a second also always listens to their first, and as your leader I am asking- no, telling- you to stay here and fight with the others. Your skills in battle are needed and they need their second right now."
After a moment, Alaric nodded reluctantly, "Yes, sir."
With that he dissolved into the crowd.
Luke held Clary's wrist loosely in his hand and started forward into the building, pulling the large double doors open with his free hand, his sword was stored on his back. The inside was not as grimy and dirty as Clary would have expected, instead it was furnished and carpeted as if it was a grand manor or something. Valentine was obviously one for cleanliness and grandeur.
They turned into a room, Luke's sword drawn ahead of him once again. The room was cold and dark and all around the walls were various weapons. Clary walked cautiously towards one and picked it up from its place on the wall, but as soon as she did, it fell apart in her grip. She picked up two other weapons only to find the same result with each.
"Why have fake weapons?" She asked Luke quietly.
"To throw your enemies off." Luke stated with a frown.
They moved on and up through the building to the next floor and to another room. In this room they found a struggling red headed woman in chains. As soon as they entered the room she looked up with fear in her eyes. When she realized who had entered, relief flooded her features tenfold.
"Clary?" She breathed.
"Mom," Clary choked out, tears already threatening to fall, "You're alive."
LINEBREAK
Alec POV
Alec didn't know what to do with himself. Not only had Jace gone missing, so had Clary, and it was all his fault. Alec didn't want anything more at that moment than for everyone to be home and safe and for him to be snuggled comfortably in the side of Magnus for the evening.
He and Magnus had been sending texts back and forth for the past few weeks and were getting closer and closer to each other. Alec had never really known what it felt like to have your feelings for someone returned. He'd always been the one loving and not getting loved back. He'd grown used to it, but it was rather an empty feeling. Magnus, on the other hand, actually had feelings for Alec, and he expressed them regularly. It was amazing for Alec. He had never been so in touch with the fact that he was gay before, and when he was with Magnus he didn't feel repulsed with himself and for once didn't worry about judgment from the other party.
He was watching Izzy nervously flit about the hotel asking nearly each and every one of the residents if they'd even seen Clary. She had called various people, friends and friends of friends, for any information they might have, and by the end of the day Alec was absolutely sick of it. He left after that, calling that he'd be back later. Without waiting for a response, he was out of the building and calling for a cab.
Alec told the cabbie the address of Magnus's home and shot Magnus a text asking if he could go there. Magnus responded almost immediately with an "of course."
He arrived 15 minutes later, bouncing up the steps to the buzzer of the building.
He called, "Magnus, it's Alec. Let me in, please."
A moment later the door clicked and Magnus announced, "It's open!"
Alec waltzed up the steps and to Magnus's apartment, where the door was opened and Magnus stood in it with opened arms. Alec stepped into them and breathed a sigh of relief, nuzzling his face into the crook of Magnus's neck. "What's wrong, darling?" Magnus whispered into Alec's hair.
"Lots of things are happening all too quickly for me to process." Alec whispered back.
"Let's go inside and talk about it, okay?" Magnus said. He pulled him into the living room by the hand and Alec distantly noticed that the room had been rearranged once again from the last time he'd been there. The couch was now in the center of the room in all of its plushy splendor. There were books stacked in tall columns against the walls of the room; on top of one lay Chairman Meow, his eyes slit in comfort. Magnus sat on the couch, his back resting against one arm and his legs splayed out in the direction of the other, and urged Alec sit between his legs. Alec obliged without question and leaned back against him, resting his head against the topmost part of Magnus's chest.
"Alright, now what is happening that is overloading my poor Alexander?" Magnus asked.
Alec sighed. He picked up Magnus's hand from where it had been resting on his chest and started playing with his fingers. "Jace is missing, and Clary went missing soon afterwards." Alec could feel Magnus start underneath him and Alec couldn't help the twinge of jealousy from arising at the fact that he knew Magnus was only reacting to the news of Clary.
"Is anyone looking for her?" Magnus queried.
"Yes, Izzy is, like a mad dog. For both of them, actually. We know who took Jace, but Clary just kind of vanished… and it's my fault." Alec said as he stared at his toes. At some point he'd managed to kick off his shoes and he simply hadn't noticed it, until now that is.
"How could it ever be your fault?" Magnus asked softly, prodding carefully as not to frighten Alec off.
"I… might have said some things that were… unfair to Clary." Alec replied, dipping his head even further. Magnus, not allowing this for even a moment, placed his pointer finger under Alec's chin and lifted it to look at him.
"What did you say, Alec?" He asked, a bit more sternly this time.
"I-I told her that her mother wasn't likely to be alive anymore…" He said averting his eyes, he heard Magnus gasp softly and grip him a bit harder. "I was angry, I had just found out what happened to Jace and I was upset that he didn't tell me their plan, and I know it was completely uncalled for but I was just so mad, and I wasn't thinking straight. I know I shouldn't have said what I said, at least I know now." Alec babbled, trying desperately to explain why he did what he did. Alec knew that Magnus was soft with Clary, thinking of her like a little sister, Alec didn't want Magnus to leave him for this.
"Alec… I…" He seemed to gather his thoughts for a moment before sighing and trying again, "I will not scold you like a parent, that isn't my place. As long as you know that you should never have said such a thing, I can't say anything about it." Alec looked up at his face, searching him for an expression, something to clue him in on his thoughts, and he found it.
"You're disappointed with me." Alec stated.
Magnus leaned forward the few centimeters between them to kiss Alec softly on the lips. He pulled away after a moment and smiled softly at him, "Yes, I'm disappointed, but I get it. You are not the only one who has said something inappropriate in the heat of anger, I'm afraid."
Alec nodded slowly, understanding fully what he said and leaned forward to kiss the man once again. This kiss was not slow and steady, but strong and passionate. Alec needed this, desperately so, he needed to forget all of the pain of the past few weeks, hours even, and what better way to do that than to get wrapped up in his boyfriend for a couple of hours?
He honestly couldn't find a better excuse.
LINEBREAK
Clary POV
Clary ran full speed to the side of the bed where her mother lay, still struggling desperately against the chains. The small girl nearly tackled her mother in a tight hug that Jocelyn could only return by nuzzling her chin against the girl's back. At this point they were both in tears. Even Luke's eyes were glistening with the unshed drops of water.
"I'm so sorry mum," Clary was all choked up. She felt as if her airway was closing in on itself, "I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner, you must've been miserable."
"It's okay, darling. Do not blame yourself. I'm sorry I didn't prepare you for a situation like this." She told her shaking her head.
"Yeah, we'll be having a talk about that as soon as we get out of here." Clary stated, "But first we need to get you out of here. Luke?" She called.
Luke looked at the shackles that covered her mother's wrists. "Alright, Clary get out of the way." She did as asked quickly. "Jocelyn, I need you to lean as far as you can away from that shackle." Luke's voice was instantly softer when he spoke to her mother. Luke pulled his sword from behind his back and raised it in a high and mighty gesture, and with one expert swing, he brought it down upon the chain and it fell away with a clang. They then repeated the process on the other chain.
Getting Jocelyn up from the bed was difficult in its own right. After having unbuckled Jocelyn's ankles from the straps at the bottom of the bed, no doubt once used on a struggling patient at old hospital, Luke and Clary attempted to help Jocelyn to stand. The first few attempts ended with Jocelyn sitting back down on the bed with a flump, until finally they were able to get her to stand, albeit a bit wobbly, with her leaning heavily on Luke.
"Alright, we've got to go. We've only got to find Jace before we can leave and then we have to get out of this place." Luke said, gruffly.
"Wait! Jonathan, we have to find Jonathan! I've left him once but I will never him again." Jocelyn said suddenly, straightening a bit.
"Jonathan?" It was Clary who spoke this time. "But… Jonathan is dead, mum…" Clary replied.
Jocelyn looked over to Clary, tears once again in her eyes, "No, he's not, darling, Valentine made everyone think that, but he wasn't."
"Alright, I can find no other choice than to split up… Clary, you need to be stealthy, go find Jace, get him back, we'll find Jonathan and then we will find each other. Keep your daggers at hand at all times and don't stop for anything, don't even stop to fight. You only fight to defend yourself. Just run, do you hear me? Run." Luke told her, looking at her sternly. There was fear in both his and her mother's eyes but they all knew this was the only way they could all get out of there alive.
Clary nodded once and then turned to fly through the hallways. In no time at all she couldn't see her two parental figures. Instead of opening the doors, Clary opted to peer through the keyholes and listen intently for any sounds inside. Once she was sure there were no signs of life in each room, she moved on.
As Clary rounded one corner, she saw a man with fair hair talking to another man with short, spiked, dark hair. They were speaking harshly to each other but it was clear to see that the fair haired man was the one in charge. Clary hid quietly, forcing herself to calm her erratic breaths. Finally the two of them walked off to another unknown hallway, Clary waited until she heard their voices fade completely before allowing herself to go into the hallway.
After another round of Clary checking rooms in the hallway, she reached the last door in the line. She peered through the keyhole and her heart skipped a beat.
Flinging the door open she saw the man she'd been looking for. There he was, standing with clean scrubbed blonde hair, licking the collar of his white t-shirt. He wore white jeans and was barefoot. Clary could see small tendrils of his tattoos peeking out from under the sleeves of his shirt, reaching to go down his arms. Clary had never been more reminded of an angel than she was in that moment.
He turned to look at her, clearly startled by the sudden noise, and she couldn't stop herself from breathing out the single name that made her world go 'round.
"Jace."
And Tadaaaaaa, Omigosh, I wrote all of that it one sitting… THIS IS A FIRST, AND IT WASN'T PLANNED, I JUST GOT PISSED OFF AT MY DAD AND WANTED TO WRITE! BOOYAH!
Am I the only one who just constantly has a thesaurus tab open? Cuz it's like always there… it's always interesting to randomly look up and try and figure out why I wanted other ways to say a certain word.
Anyways, I have another challenge for this chapter: I challenge you to come up with a new shadowhunter surname! Remember, all shadowhunter surnames are double worded, for example. Herondale; Heron-Dale, Fairchild; Fair-Child, Lightwood; Light-Wood. Make 'em awesome!
Alrighty, love you guys! Please review!
Lilly :3