Disclaimer: Since I think that Cassandra Clare would never make a character up as 'Valentina', I guess I'm not her….yet ;)
Huge, huge thanks to those who reviewed, added my story on story alert, favorite story, favorite author and/or author tracker. You guys rock my socks haha.
Chapter 24: Things are Never as they Seem
Clary's Point of View
The second I heard the shot, I was ready for the pain. With my eyes still closed and seconds passing by, I decided opened my eyes tentatively, wondering if somehow she possible missed.
I didn't feel any pain or sticky ruby blood but perhaps that was just the aftershock. Or maybe I'm already dead. When my eyes finally opened completely, Valentina's eyes were wider and rounder than any ball and her mouth was open in a big 'o'.
Confused, I looked over her body, not seeing anything wrong with her before glancing back at her head. Her forehead was bleeding profusely through a hole. She…she shot herself? I thought, not understanding. She fell to her knees, gasping and a beautiful girl with black hair and blue eyes stood behind her, a gun in hand, still pointed at Val.
Understanding settled in and I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't dead, I didn't die. And hopefully, we weren't going to die any time soon. Val turned around slightly, still on her knees, staring accusingly at the beautiful girl that stood behind her.
"I thought…I trusted you…my own daughter," she gasped as blood dribbled down her lip, betrayal lighting her eyes.
"You were never my mother. Never," she stated, her voice quieting at the end but still strong.
"I…I'm sorry, I hope you can forgive me," she whispered so quietly that I could barely even hear, despite the silence hanging in the room. And then she collapsed on the floor, dead.
The girl looked down at Valentina, nothing but disgusting in her face, but reading her eyes, I could tell that they held the tiniest amount of remorse and wishful thinking. Thinking that if she didn't do this, she wouldn't have to kill her. But what was done was done.
"Thank you…" I said, not knowing her name.
The girl smiled, relaxing all her features, making her look more stunning than ever. She cocked her head to the side, her eyes teasing. "You mean you don't recognize me?"
A crease appearing when I furrowed my eyebrows. "Should I?"
"Well, I thought her calling me daughter would be a giveaway." She said the word 'her' with hatred.
"Samara, nice to see you again," Jace nodded, a small smile on his lips, but his eyes were still tight, still tense, for what, I didn't know. But hell, I trusted her with my life, mainly due to the fact that she just did not five seconds ago.
That was enough for me. "Jace," she nodded back, her smile reappearing slightly. "I'm not going to kill you, don't worry."
"Glad that that is clear. Now, do you mind getting us out?" Jace asked her, but he glanced at me while he was talking.
I was just going to say to let me out first because the dizziness was coming back, and this time they were determined not to let go. I fought from its dark hold, but it was too much. I had endured enough for one day and the blackness swept over me like a blanket.
Jace's Point of View
I wanted to get out and hug Samara right then and there. She saved Clary, thank the Angel. I was so sure that she was going to be a goner and I was going to kill that asshole called a woman. But even thought Samara saved her, I was still wary.
I wasn't going to take a chance with Clary's life on the line. Glancing at her again, I realized that her head was lolling around. "Clary!" I shouted, worried all over again. The fear in me – fear I never felt before – had vanished. But it slowly started bubbling up again.
"Shit," Samara muttered and bent over and grabbed something out of her mom's pockets before fiddling around with it. Seconds later, the a few cells went back up and my metal cuffs came off. I scrambled towards Clary as fast as I could; I had to know if she was okay.
She still had a pulse, but it was weak and fragile. I reached into my pockets for my stele before I realized that I didn't have one. "Samara, get me a stele, now," I commanded. Her blood lost was probably what caused this. It was all over her arms, on some of her shirt and some red rivers still slid down the chair.
Samara handed me one and I carefully drew iratze on both of her arms but it barely healed. It must have had demon engravings. "Sama –" I started to ask, turning around to face her before stopping. Felix had his arms around her mouth and she was pressed against him. Upon seeing me, he started talking.
"Make one move, and she dies," he growled, with Samara clawing at her arms and making muffling noises. Now I was really confused – no one should be stronger than her, other than someone like her and Felix was a mundane.
I put my hands up, showing that I wasn't armed, dropping the stele down the sleeve of my shirt, hoping that he wouldn't notice. "Look, let's not do anything that we'll regret," I said, hoping to calm him down.
"Don't fucking tell me what to do, golden bitch!" he shouted. I blinked, taken aback by purely one thing. Out of all the horrible names I've been called – and there were a fair many – I was never called a golden bitch.
"Okay, okay, sorry," I muttered, hoping that he would at least listen to what I said before. What were we going to do? Somehow, impossible, Samara was overpowered. But how?
I locked eyes with her for a moment and understanding pasted through us. She wasn't actually helpless; she was just pretending to be to catch him off guard. I guess he didn't know about what she really was. I pretended to look scared and kept glancing at the door, as if I was going to make a break for it. Then, I starting running towards it with Felix screaming behind me, "Go through the door and she dies!"
But his attention was divided, which was all that Samara needed. She elbowed his gut, before whipping around so fast that it was a blur, and punching him square in the face, blood spurting from his nose as it slanted towards one side.
He still went at her, which I give him props for; he got a lot of nerve for a mundie, even if a guy. But Samara being what she is and at her element, he was no match. She held him back, her arms pressing on the insides of his forearms and squeezing her thumbs in.
He fell to the ground, unconscious. "Well then," Samara said smoothing out her shirt. "I'm glad I didn't have to shoot him."
"You were going to shot him?" I blanched, wondering why she would kill a mundie. Despite her being like Sebastian, she didn't seem the way that he was. Perhaps that was because of Valentine, I don't know, but I was glad that she wasn't like him. At least I hoped she wasn't.
She gave me a look, one that said: why in the world would I do that? "If I had to shoot him, it would be at his leg. What do you take me as?" Her eyes narrowed, showing almost all blue with just a little of the whites on the side.
"No, no, it's that Seb was…" I trailed off, not wanting to explain it, waving it away.
Understanding passed over her face. "No worries, I met him. Not the friendliest fish in the sea."
"Yeah," I said, before my thoughts when back to the problem I hadbefore Felix. "CLARY!" I shouted, wondering how I could forget, even if a guy was still following Val's footsteps.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine Jace. Let me just call my warlock…" she said, her fingers fumbling as she started to take her cell phone out.
"No, let me get Magnus," I said, knowing that he could probably do a better job. Then I realized how long I've been here and how Maryse and Robert didn't know where we were. Guilt just started to swarm in my stomach before the door burst open with a shower of blue sparks.
"Magnus is here," he announced. I rolled my eyes, knowing that he just had to have his grand entrance, but secretly, I was glad that he was here.
"Can you help Clary, she's bleeding a lot, she passed out and an iratze didn't help. I don't know what to do Magnus, please, save her. I can't lose her, I just can't." My voice that was pleading, loud and clear turned into barely audible whisper by the end of the sentence.
"That's why I came here for, Blondie. Now, step aside and give us some privacy." Magnus broke the cuffs around her hand with a snap of her hands and carried her to a cage, and blue sparks starting flying. No one said anything or moved and I clenched and unclenched my hands to keep myself calm, but it didn't work.
For some reason, I got the nagging suspicion that Clary didn't see what I mouthed at her, and she needed to know. I don't care if she doesn't want me, but she needs to know.
"Uh, not to be impatient or rude or anything, and since Izzy can't say this, can you please let us out?" Simon finally said, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"Oh, sorry, here," Samara said, clicking some buttons and setting them free. "Izzy, why did you keep that in your mouth?" Despite Samara talking, she seemed to be distracted.
"That guy gives me the creeps!" Izzy announced walking and stretching. "Angel, my back hurts."
"Izzy," Simon said, running towards her and enveloping her in a bear hug, "are you okay?" Surprising me, she didn't pull away from the hug, like she normally would have done. Instead, her arms came around his back and she buried her head in his neck.
I think Izzy finally found the one that she won't leave after a while. I looked away, giving them some privacy. But that didn't mean I still couldn't hear.
"Mhmm, I'm better now," she sighed contently. I peeked a little, to see Simon pull back a little.
"Who are you and what did you do to my Izzy?" Simon asked, grinning. Izzy smacked his arm, while mumbling something about 'my girl'. "That's my girl," Simon smiled. I couldn't help but think how Clary would be smiling right now, seeing how well their relationship is working out.
Izzy's Point of View
"Yeah, well, near deaths experiences change you."
Simon snorted, and rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Izzy, you fight demons 24/7. You have near death experiences all the time."
I smacked him again, a scowl planted on my face, but I was smiling underneath. "Way to kill the moment."
"Moment, what moment?" Simon asked. I laughed, loving how he acted so oblivious sometimes just to make me laugh, and for not only wanting me for my body, like most guys who try seducing me. He actually cared to make me happy and didn't just want to get in my pants.
"You were suppose to agree with me, stupid," I retorted, leaning my head against Simon's.
I could see Jace peeking at us, as if he wanted to look away but couldn't. Jealously flashed in his eyes. He was probably thinking sometime like how Clary would never do that with me, or something of that sort. He's so stupid if he thought that Clary didn't like him back. They're going to have to work this out themselves, even if I wanted to help.
"And if I did?" Simon asked, leaning a bit closer.
"Then I would have told you that I love you," I breathed, hesitating a split second, speculating if I should have said what I said or 'you will find out'. I'm glad that I said it though. Simon wasn't the one I pictured – hell, I never really pictured anyone staying with me. But, if I close my eyes see myself ten years into the future, I see Simon standing right beside me.
"And I would have said I love you too," Simon whispered before his lips touched mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing myself closer to him and his hands went to the sides of my waist. Simon tasted bittersweet; it had a metallic taste because of the blood but there was something still sweet in it, like liquid moonlight.
This time, I broke away from Simon, instead of him usually breaking it. I guess when you don't have to breathe, you didn't have a problem kissing but Si knew I didn't like breaking away first so he usually did. But I guess he forgot this time, but I can't blame him. I nearly forgot myself.
Smiling, Simon's forehead touched mine again and his arms completely encircled my waist, pulling me against him. "Do you know how long I was waiting for you to say that?" Simon asked, his dark eyes searching mine.
I was at a loss for words but my arms around his neck tightened a bit. "What do you mean?" I finally asked.
"If I said I loved you first, I had a feeling you would run away," Simon answered simply, shrugging.
I leaned back a little, but still in his arms. "That's not – okay, fine, that's true. You know me too well," I admitted. As long as we were saying stuff, might as well get everything out now.
"Thought so," Simon mumbled his lips brushing against mine, teasing. I just pressed my lips against his again when Magnus's voice reached my ears.
"Okay, Clary's fine; the demon symbols on the knife just made it hard to heal her and not possible to fix with an iratze but she's still unconscious from the blood loss. I suggest we get out of her as soon as we can." He paused when no one said anything or moved. "That means now."
We all sprang into action, and I could see Jace insisting that he should carry Clary. Of course, Jace got what he wanted. "Why's he carrying her?" Simon hissed, jerking a thumb in Jace's direction.
"Can't you tell?" I asked, astonished. Even a blind man could tell how much Jace loved Clary.
Simon pursed his lips, squinting at Jace. "I don't like this," he stated after a while.
I sighed. "Look, I know that Jace hurt Clary – remember how pissed I was at him?" Simon nodded. "Well, I realized that even though he was with Selena, that he still liked Clary. He was just trying to push his feelings for her down."
"Why?" asked Simon, befuddled.
"I don't know, but I have a feeling that it has to do with him thinking that he wasn't good enough or that he was not giving her everything she needs. Something stupid like that."
"Oh, great. For a guy who's pretty good in everything, he sucks at relationships. Didn't he realize how much Clary loved him?"
"Well, that's why he's over that. I think that this finally taught him that that wasn't true. I mean, if he didn't do it, he still would have doubts and he would have done it sooner or later," I said logically. "So, just be glad that he's over it."
"Let's just keep our fingers crossed for them," Simon said, putting his hand on my waist. I smiled at him and wrapped my arm around his waist too, leaning against him.
Jace's Point of View
She was so small in my arms, but she fit perfectly, like we were a puzzle made for each other. I didn't care that her blood was staining my shirt, I was just glad that I could hold her in my arms like this, maybe for the last time.
Who knew if Clary still wanted me? I can't believe I was stupid to throw that away, not even thinking about her. I had thought that I was doing it for her, but in reality, it was for me, to ease my stupid guilt. Never will I be that selfish again.
I looked at her peaceful face, smiling. At least she was safe now. If she was shot…I don't know what I would have done. I probably would have killed myself if they still came in time to recues us. It would have been my fault that she died. If I hadn't broken up with her, we never would have gone to that club, never would have met them and we would have been safe, watching a movie or having dinner.
Instead, she had a near death experience. How nice. I was broken out of my thoughts when she nuzzled her face deeper into my chest. I was just about to smile again when Samara stopped walking. She muttered something to someone and a tall figure came in my line of vision.
"Is Clary alright?" Aden asked, his deep blue eyes wide with worry.
"She's better now, no thanks to you," I told him, not holding back any angry I had at him for hurting her. His arms were outstretched, as if he wanted me to give him Clary. Yeah, right, I scoffed mentally. I ignored his hands and kept walking.
"Jace," Aden said, keeping pace with my long stride. "I can expl–"
I shot him a look, which made him shut up on the spot. "You might want to explain when all of us are here to listen." His face was pleading but he stiffly nodded his head and walked back in the front, with Samara. Thank the Angel for that.
When we reached the Institute, the first person I saw was Maryse, and she was frantically pacing around and when she noticed us, she jumped before hugging all of us. Or well, tried to hug me, anyway.
After all the hugging was over, she took a step back and her eyes were stern. "Where were you guys! Do you have any idea how worried I was?" she asked, looking mad. "And Alec, you didn't tell me that you were going after them! I thought that they had kidnapped you too!" We all hung out heads; none of us daring to look at her in the eye as we mumbled apologizes.
"What happened to Clary?" she asked after she was done yelling..
"She's okay now, she just needs to rest. I'm going to put her in a room," I said, walking away. The door was slightly ajar, so I just put my back against it to open it all the way. I set her down on the white sheets and tucked her in. After a moment of hesitation, I gave a light kiss to her forehead before leaving, with one last glance.
Closing the door softly behind me, I went to the library, assuming that they were there. And I was right; as I opened the doors, I saw everyone seated or standing. "What happened?" Maryse asked, but no one answered. She seems frustrated, like this wasn't the first time she was asking.
"Mom, don't you think that Clary deserves here during the explanation?"
"Very well," she agreed after a moment of thought. "Let's have dinner and then we'll see from there."
By the time we all sat down and had food in our plates, the silence was yet to be broken. We all ate our food awkwardly, able to hear the scraping of utensils on plates. "Well," said Maryse once she was done. "I'm going to call Robert and tell him that you guys turned up. And Jocelyn." With that, she got up and left.
"Where's Robert?" Samara asked and for the first time I wondered what Maryse said about her being here.
"He's in Idris doing some business. Anyways, didn't Maryse notice you?" I asked, curiosity unable to be contained. I wasn't going to talk to Aden or Sel – I was still blazing from their betrayal. But Samara, despite her once trying to kidnap me saved Clary's life, shooting her own mother. So, I wasn't about to get annoyed at her.
"Well, while you were taking Clary to a bed, I was telling Maryse that I was one of the people in that place," she answered slowly, judging my reaction.
"So you guy didn't tell her about…" I asked, looking between Samara, Selena and Aden. Samara shook her head, her appearance different since the last few time I've saw her. This time she had black hair and blue eyes.
"Do you change your appearance every day?" I finally asked. Every time I saw her, something was different. The first time her hair was blonde, then brown and when she kidnapped us, it was black. And this time her eyes were a blue.
Luckily, she didn't take it to offense, or if she did, she covered it up with her tinkling laugh. "No, I did it so you wouldn't recognize me all those times at the club. This is my true appearance though."
My eyebrows skyrocketed. "But…you don't look like your mother at all!"
"That's what she said too. I apparently take after my father."
"Apparently?" Izzy asked, her fork hovering near her mouth.
"I never met him." No one pushed her on the details since she seemed like she didn't want to talk about it. I guess she didn't have a good life; she had demon blood, her mother was evil and a dad that left. Not exactly a picture perfect family.
"Oh…so how come you're all nice and not like Sebastian?"
She smiled again, but it was barely there. "Jonathan, he took after his father. I didn't take after my mother though, much to her disappointment. Despite the demon blood, I'm still a human being."
"I didn't mean any offense; it's just that he's so…so…" I trailed off, not about how to explain how he is without hurting her feelings as well.
"That he's an evil bastard?" I looked at her, wondering how she would know that. "I met him a couple of times, when Valentine visited my mom. Didn't want him out of his sight for reasons known."
"Well, I'm glad that you aren't like him," I smiled. Samara seems like a genuinely good person, despite her mother's influence. And since she saved Clary – which gave Samara a bunch of points – and the fact that Aden betrayed her gave me more hope that she might take me back.
"Aren't we all?" I don't know if she meant that jokingly or seriously. But she was right – if she wasn't good, than who knows where'd we be right now. Dead, probably.
After that, I excused myself and kept myself planted on the chair in the corner of my room. I was going to be there when she woke up. And she was going to listen to what I had to say, whether she liked it or not.
After a few minutes, it looked like she was mumbling in her sleep, but she still looked peaceful, so it wasn't a nightmare. Still, I couldn't help but wonder what she was muttering. And to who.
Clary's Point of View
I opened my eyes, and before me was paradise. I took in the lush green grass, a crystal clear blue lake that sparkled in the sunlight and the never ending cool breeze that washed over me. I looked down, and I was wearing an emerald green off the shoulder top with white shorts, something I normally wouldn't wear.
I was mystified; I don't remember ever changing. I tried to think back to what I was wearing last, but my brain hurt every time I tried. Finally, I gave up and plopped on the grass, running my hands through it. It was as soft as a pillow and silky beneath my fingers.
I laid down on the grass, getting in a comfortable position when a masculine voice whispered near me. "Mind if I join you?" Regardless of the fact that it was pretty warm, I shivered.
"Sure," I answered, not looking at the person who spoke. They settled down next to me and I felt his gaze like it was burning holes through me. Sighing, I closed my eyes, still refusing to look at who the voice belonged to.
"Why won't you look at me?" the velvety voice asked. Even when he first started speaking, I felt my head turning. I don't know who I was expecting. Maybe Aden, but for some reason, I didn't think it was him. And I was right.
My bottle green eyes met with golden ones.
"Jace?" I asked, wondering what he was doing in my dream, refusing to let myself answer. I knew what the answer was going to be, and I didn't want to face the truth of it. I don't know why I couldn't get over him, even with another guy in my life. I should be angry at him, but I wasn't.
"No, it's Bob," he answered, rolling his eyes in humor.
"What are you doing in my dream?" I demanded.
"I don't know, this is your dream after all."Damn, why did he always win in everything?
"Touché," I sighed, gazing at the baby blue sky above me. I spotted a bunny, a dragon and some words. Squinting my eyes, I tried to read it but I couldn't. I just say the word I before they vanished with the wind. For some reason, it trigged something like a long ago memory in my brain, like someone had said the same words to me, but I just couldn't read it.
Frustrated, I tore up some of the grass in my hand, before letting them go in the wind, watching them going out of sight, dancing. "Why are we so high up?" Jace finally asked me, looking at me, his face closer than I expected. The grass tickled my bare cheek before I looked at the view again.
"I like the view," I answered simply.
"Yeah, it's pretty." He paused. "But not as pretty as you."
I raised both of my eyebrows, as if asking him: really? There was no way I was prettier than this scenery; it was magnificent. "Clary… why are you so blind to thinks that are right in front of your face" he asked, shaking his head and taking my hand, rubbing soothing circles into it. Something told me that he just wasn't talking about me being pretty anymore. Like he was trying to convey a deeper meaning with those words.
"Jace…" I started, not knowing what to say.
Jace, I thought, sitting up in bed. And that's when I really woke up. I felt the burning white hot pain on my arms as I used them to prop myself up. The soft pillow and sheets that weren't nearly as soft as the lush green grass so I knew that was just my imagination. "Yes?" answered someone in the room and it nearly made me scream.
That's when my eyes focused on the blonde boy sitting on the chair in the corner. And that's when I realized that I said his name out loud. Thinking fast so he won't suspect anything, I said the first thing on my mind. "What are you doing here?"
Jace pursed his lips, the happy aura coming off him at the paradise gone without a trace. "I wanted to talk to you."
Well, not really a cliffy…but I left you at a suspenseful part…for a week…yeah, I'm going on vacation tomorrow and I'm not coming back until a week, and then I have to write the next chapter…so, don't expect an update until a while. Sorry guys, but not internet at Dominican Republic and no computer..so, yeah. But at least Clary is alive :) I've done a sad ending and bittersweet ones so…be happy lol.
Oh, right, so secret word is: vacation. And goal: 189. And thanks a whole lot for going two over last time! Review, per favore (which means please in Italian)
Your review loving fanfic writer,
~Icyfirelove3
P.S. Check out the stories I beta for! All of Bookninja15's stories (too many to list out but a lot of MI ones), Skyecelade99's Parallel Hearts, CoolxNerd's You Should Have Stayed and MollyGM's City of Bones Jace POV! All are great, so check them out!
P.S.S. I kept it up…this is my last time doing it *tear tear* but yay for vacation. Oh, if you haven't already, check out my new songfic one-shot called This Time.