Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments series. Everything recognisable belongs to Cassandra Clare.
Here's another chapter for you guys. I'm glad you all seemed to like the last one. Thank you for a bunch of amazing reviews.
And before I forget it again, to tmiobsessed, I wanted to tell you and everyone else that I read absolutely every review I get. It's kind of what keeps me going when I have no idea what to write. I love reading what you guys think. So thank you for all your wonderful reviews.
The cold wooden floor met Clary's body again. Her eyes were closed, but she knew she was back in her room, the demon's bone-chilling presence biting on her skin.
She forced her tears back and opened her eyelids. The black smoke around the demon circled Clary, freezing her back against the floor.
"Well, that was fun." The demon laughed unpleasantly before he brought Clary brutally back up on her feet, slamming her shoulder against the table carelessly.
"Now for your part of our deal." Moloch smiled manically.
"What?" Clary asked confused, her blood pumping hot through her whole body.
"Your memory." His voice was filled with deride, "Or have you already forgotten about that? You would've thought a Nephilim like yourself would be at least a bit more competent than the rest of that lot."
"No, no I remember." Clary's voice shook.
"What kind of memory do you want?" She tried to make her voice as strong as possible, like she'd not just learned her whole existence had been a lie and the people she trusted with her life didn't even care about her at all.
"Your happiest memory." Moloch replied, sneering.
"No." Clary whispered. "No, you said powerful, you can't change it like that." Clary answered desperately.
"Of course I can, I'm a demon. Now, your happiest memory or I'll take everything back."
Could he do that? Take back what he'd shown her? Clary didn't dare test the Greater Demon on his words. "Fine."
She began digging through her own mind, her happiest memory. At the moment she couldn't think of anything that had made her happy. Every thought was just a big twirl of messy memories.
She wanted to think of her father, make him disappear, forget she'd ever trusted him, but she couldn't. He was such a big part of her life, and forgetting the person who'd raised her, taught her everything she knew, defined her as a person, it was hard to forget.
A face appeared behind Clary's closed eyes. Sparkling hazel-gold eyes with a mischievous gleam hidden behind long eyelashes, a small, concealed smirk and a laughter that could take her breath away if she didn't mask her own emotions well. If someone asked her to describe a happy memory earlier, Clary would never in her wildest dreams describe Jace Herondale. But there he was, as bright and sensational as she'd ever seen him. He was about to speak a sentence, but Clary never got to hear what he had to say.
Stop! Don't think that. Think of-
Clary looked up at Moloch, who smiled satisfied. "Thank you little Nephilim, it was a pleasure dealing with you." He laughed, sending her taunting smile.
"Wait, but… but I didn't think of anything." Clary replied confused.
The Greater Demon laughed hauntingly before he disappeared. Leaving the smoke around Clary, slowly dying away.
She regretted it instantly; she wanted to know what he'd taken away, but at the same time she wanted to keep her new memories.
Clary sank silently down next to her bed, watching the cold smoke become fainter and fainter, until it had disappeared completely.
She didn't know how long she sat there, her legs pressed against her chest, arms wrapped comfortingly around her body, but in the silence of the room she felt her own heart beating in her ears.
She had not cried. Not shred one tear since the demon left her in her own haunting nightmare. She felt her emotions shut off, her feet grew colder and her fingers prickled irritatingly.
Her life had been a lie and now Clary couldn't even care enough to stand up. She felt dead inside, like she was only a ghost in her own room.
Clary pressed her lips together, moistening them with the tip of her tongue.
She had to get up. Forcing her legs to move, she leaned both her arm on the broken pieces of glass lying on the floor, pressing herself up.
She picked up one of the broken pieces. Staring into the glass, meeting her reflection.
Her red hair was messy, curls standing out in horrible ways, her face pale and flustered, but what stood out the most was a faint red scar. A scar so thin you would've though she'd been in a mundane accident like falling off a bike or stumbling over her own feet.
She looked closer, pressing her lips together. The younger Clary's voice started screaming in her head, pleading the older Shadowhunters to stop. The smell of burning flesh floated through the air. Scream. Loud. Horrible. Threatening to burst her eardrums from the inside. Clary slammed her fist against the table; a drained sob escaped her closed lips.
She had permitted the people who hurt her inside her head, put her trust and faith in them. Moloch was right, she'd let them play her like a marionette doll.
Exhaling quietly, she walked towards the bag she'd kept the false Mortal Cup in. She picked up a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt. Forcing the burning tears back became easier as she found herself dressing up in her finest fighting gear. She always felt safer in the black, comfortable leather.
Clary pushed her door open, walking silently out of her large room. She moved fast, blending in with the darkness of the halls. The bag tossed carelessly over her shoulder.
"Miss Morgenstern." A voice called out for her at the end of the hall, surprise shining in his vibrating voice.
"Yes." Clary replied, forcing her voice to keep as steady as she could possibly get without breaking her calm.
"Excuse me for asking, but what are you doing out of bed so late?" the mundane servant asked carefully.
"Only doing some errands." Clary replied, tucking her stele closer down in her pocket.
"May I ask the same of you?" Clary snapped, sending the boy a vexed gaze.
"I..I was only.." He stuttered, obviously taken aback by Clary's sudden hostility. "I was just running some errands miss." Clary laughed hauntingly, the memories of what she'd seen a few minutes ago hanging in the front of her eyelids, keeping her emotions cold and mournfully.
"You think you're being funny? I really don't have time for entertainment right now." Clary felt her eyes began to water again, and pressed her palms painfully together, keeping the droplets of water away.
"No, I am sorry. I didn't mean to insult you miss." He replied.
"Good, now if you didn't notice I'm in a hurry. Move." Clary snapped.
"I am afraid I can't do that." He said, he sounded scared, like he really was afraid. He, like everyone else, didn't want to talk back to her. It didn't really surprise her, her bad temper was widely recognised as not to toy with.
"Excuse me?" Clary's voice rose, sounding intimidating to the poor mundane boy.
"I've been ordered to not let anyone out of the manor." He answered cautiously.
"And why is that?" Clary questioned, her rage growing steadily.
"I cannot tell much miss, but something involving demon activity inside the manor." In the same second he finished his sentence, Clary grabbed him by the collar, shoving unmercifully against the wall.
"I have had a really shitty day okay? I don't care who ordered you to do what, all I want to do is finish my goddamn task, and if you stand in my way, you won't be there tomorrow to tell people I left. Do I make myself clear?" Clary whispered warningly.
"I understand, but Mr. Morgenstern-"Clary felt loath burn inside her as he mentioned her father. "Now, what's your name?" Clary stopped his sentence.
The boy willingly pressed his body closer to the wall, keeping as much distance between the two of them as humanly possible.
"J-Jack." He whimpered.
"Well, Jack. If you don't let me go without telling anyone, I will instead tell my father that I found you sneaking into the kitchen to steal some food. Do you want that? Because I think we both know what will happen to you if you were to get caught stealing." Clary told him, trying to keep her voice as monstrous as she could get, hating every word she spoke.
"No..No, please don't!" he whispered pleadingly.
"Just turn your back and pretend like the last ten minutes didn't happen, and you are free to go." Clary answered, her voice keeping the hateful tone.
Jack nodded heedfully, giving Clary the ability to let go of his collar. "Thank you Jack." Clary said after giving the boy a small smile.
She had just threatened the innocent boy's life, never in her whole existence had Clary purposely endangered the life of an innocent. She hurried down the corridor before the servant changed his mind. She really didn't want to test her own temper more than she'd already done.
Clary ran, her feet lightly touching the floor as she moved down the halls. She needed enough space to open a portal. She went down the beautiful staircases sliding around the room in green and gold. Inside the first room she knew was big enough. Praying it was no one inside the room; she opened the door and sneaked inside. The room was empty.
Clary drew her stele, kneeling in the middle of the room; she began forming the delicate lines of the portal rune. Her eyes started watering again; she recognised the room as one of the old training rooms, one she'd spent many hours practising with her father.
The room was dark and cold, revealing her tears as icy salt water on her burning cheeks. So much for not crying. Clary felt the unfamiliar stinging of burning eyes. She never cried. She hated it. But the reality of what was happening, her running away from her only home, leaving her father, leaving Maggie, the Circle, the manor, leaving her perfect life, everything felt like it was coming crashing down on her. Trapping her in a bubble of harsh reality. Forcing her to recognise the lies she'd been fed her whole life.
Clary managed to stand up after the rune was painted. Clary saw the bright lights of the portal form in front of her eyes, causing her swollen eyes to burn even stronger. As she watched the portal, she heard the flicker of a door open and closing.
She turned around abruptly. Nausea rolled through her as she saw who she was facing. The servant boy had apparently not kept his promise, because before her stood three lower circle members, weapons drawn and ready to fight her.
Clary's jaw dropped open as she saw Jack standing near them, waiting patiently by the door, his eyes downcast not to meet her furious look.
Clary's battle instincts kicked in, analysing possible escape options.
"What are you doing here?" Clary asked loudly, undetectably whipping her tearstained cheeks.
"We're only taking care of a problem Miss Morgenstern."
Clary laughed, a horrid sound escaping her dry lips. "Me." It wasn't a question, she understood perfectly what, or rather who the problem was.
"Well, that's one way to put it. We are only here to make sure you don't do anything you'll regret." The largest and brawniest of the lot answered.
"In that case, I can assure you I'm not." Clary answered angry.
"We've been ordered not to let anyone leave the manor." another man repeated the servant's words.
"So I've heard, but you all know me, I usually won't take no for an answer." Clary replied, surprised by how calm she sounded, seeing as her heart beat uncontrollably under her ribcage.
Clary eyed the situation; the portal was open wide and ready for her to jump through it. If she just turned around, they might not be fast enough to catch her, but the plan could have an awfully unpredictable outcome.
"Now, why don't you just come with us Morgenstern, we'll take you to Valentine and sort this whole thing out." The man standing in the middle said.
"Sort what out?" Clary asked a bit too sharply, causing all four to eye her with suspicion.
"I don't know, orders form Valentine himself." The man replied.
"Well, I am incredibly guilt-ridden by turning down your offer, but I think I have no other choice than pass." Clary answered sarcastically.
She backed away silently, one small step after the other. At first it seemed to work, but suddenly, before Clary managed to even blink, the man in the middle stood before Clary. Reaching out, he grabbed Clary's loose hair and jerked her head painfully back.
"What the fuck!" Clary yelled, kicking out and aiming for his knees.
"We told you not to leave!" The largest man said. "Valentine's orders."
"I heard you!" Clary answered heatedly, her hair tangled in the man's grip.
Clary reached inside her pocket, forcefully getting one of her daggers out of the inner pocket of her gear jacket.
She slammed the sharp silver blade against the man's inner tight. Red blood soaked his gear as he fell backwards, letting go of Clary's loose curls.
"The hell is wrong with you?" he yelled as Clary threw the knife at him, purposely missing with millimetres.
Rage filled her eyes, her green eyes turning a shade darker. "I said earlier. I'm not in the mood for fun!" Clary scream manically. She felt the tears press behind her eyes again, turning the normally white sclera blood-red.
She didn't wait for the two other shocked Shadowhunters to start fighting her as well. She jumped through the portal with all the powers she had left in her body.
She didn't know what to think of, where to go. She had to come up with something on the spot, while inside the portal's cold flames.
xxxx
She landed on the hard ground. Being unable to stand, she fell from the portal's opening and landed hard on the cold autumn ground. Wet leaves covered the ground and small dirty rocks scraped against her pale skin.
Clary closed her eyes, making a pained face as she tried to move her bruised head.
The mud covering her face stung in the small cuts she'd managed to get as her face got crushed against the ground.
Even though she wanted to lie down on the ground, lay there and pretend her problems would disappear if she gave it time. She knew it wasn't an option. Her father's men were probably informing him of her escape at this very moment.
xxxx
"Are you telling me she went even when you told her not to do so?" The man's raging voice asked.
"Yes sir, she tried to bribe the servant boy into letting her go. Hadn't he told us of it, we would've never found her." The Shadowhunter told his leader.
"And still, you managed to lose her?" Valentine asked; his voice too calm to fit the situation.
"Well, you've trained her well sir. She fought like-" Valentine stood up, sending the man a hateful glare.
"I HAVE TRAINED HER WELL?" His voice was cold and full of rage.
"I-" the Nephilim began.
"No, I will not hear one more word from you pathetic, brain-dead idiot!" Valentine pointed his sword at the man's chest.
"Please Valentine, if you would just listen." One of the two other men said his voice rough and shaking.
Valentine exhaled shortly revealing a vile look in his eyes.
"And why would I do that?"
"We tried everything-" the man's eyes widened, his jaw dropped several centimetres as he watch his leader push his sword through his friend's chest. The sharp point of the blade poking out of his back.
"Obviously everything was not good enough." Valentine replied coldly as he pushed the dead man off his sword, letting him fall brutally to the floor.
xxxx
Clary walked desperately down the dark street. Cobblestones touched her boots as she walked, the cold air freezing her fingers blue.
She didn't understand why she'd landed there. It was so ordinary, with clothing stores, book shops and cafés around every corner. Clary saw a few yellow taxis parked on the side of the roads, and there were still a few highly intoxicated teenagers wandering the streets.
After walking a few blocks more, she caught sight of an old motel. Low standard and if she was lucky there would be no visitors.
Clary brushed the dirt off of her scraped knees and elbows and pulled out the silver stele from her inner pocket.
The motel looked worse on the inside than it had done on the outside. Blood red wallpaper and what looked like a broken chandelier hanging from the low roof. Clary closed the door behind her and walked further inside the room.
"Morning sweetheart, how can I help you?" a male voice called out to her from behind a desk.
"It's night." Clary pointed out irritated, giving the man a doubtful look.
Clary pointed the stele over the back of her hand, drawing the rune for persuasion. A tiny tingling sensation ran through Clary, heat from the rune warming her body for a few seconds.
"OK then, but I would guess you're not here to tell me the time, so what do you need?" he tried asking again, giving Clary another irritated look.
"A room."
"Let's see." The man started scrolling through a book, pointing his pen down every line.
"Please, you don't have to pretend. I'm not stupid." Clary muttered quietly.
"What?" he asked, looking up from the blank papers.
"You're not out of rooms, I'm not stupid." She replied, leaning over the desk to point at his papers.
"Okay, can you pay?" the man ignored her.
"Excuse me? Yes." Clary rolled her eyes, knowing she would have to come up with a way to give the guy him money later. Because honestly, she had nothing.
"Well then, good. Here's your key, room 25, second floor."
Clary took the key, giving him a small smile. "Thanks, I'll only be staying a few days." Clary told him, spinning the key around her finger.
"That'll be 30." He answered.
"Thirty?" Clary asked confused back.
"Dollars. Money, you're not staying here for free." He laughed.
"Of course, but.. eh you see, I don't have any money right now." Clary saw the man's eyes grow smaller, "but you'll get your money tomorrow before I leave. Promise." Clary felt her rune spark, sending him the calming feeling of trust.
"Yeah sure. Whatever fits you sweetie." He waved his hand carelessly, letting her go.
Clary bit her lower lip cautiously; it had all been too easy. Yes sure she'd faced a small obstacle while escaping the manor, but three untrained outer members of the circle was nothing. She had fought greater demons a million times more powerful that a Shadowhunter.
If only Clary knew at that moment how right she was.
xxxx
Jace paced back and forth, back and forth. His head spun from all the thinking he'd been doing the last couple of hours.
"Mom, they can't seriously think that will work?" Isabelle asked, pushing her legs closer to her body.
"Of course it will work. Magnus Bane knows what he's doing, and he said he's done it before." Maryse Lightwood informed the people sitting restlessly in the room.
It had been a few days, almost a week since the fight between Valentine's men and the Clave. Jace's shoulder had healed fine, but his mother still fussed around trying to make him miss any possible assignments the Clave might have for the young Shadowhunters.
"Yeah, once!" Isabelle exclaimed, waving her hands dramatically, as to make sure everyone in the room heard and saw her.
"How do you know that? How do you even know what he's doing?" Robert sighed, giving his daughter a disapproving look.
"Because, I know how to carry a conversation." Isabelle said.
Jace rolled his eyes visibly, sending Izzy a look begging her to stop talking. They needed to hear what would be done with the situation, and if Izzy kept throwing her parents stupid comments, it would definitely minimalize that possibility.
"We help him once, tracking Clary. That's how we know." Jace mumbled as he stopped walking.
It was a long pause; no one said anything, not before Luke looked up from his lap, meeting the golden eyes who had spoken last.
"You used a compass to find Clary last time? That's good news; at least we know there's a chance we might find her." He closed his fingers harder around Jocelyn's. "That means we might find her." He repeated in a whisper.
Jocelyn nodded, giving her husband a painstaking, small smile.
xxxx
Clary woke up abruptly. In total darkness she couldn't see anything. The night had gone on in silence, nothing abnormal had happened yet.
The moon hung low in the night sky, the waning crescent letting little, almost no light inside the motel room.
She pushed the quilt off her and sat up. A shape stood in the dark room. Female, if she wasn't mistaken.
Clary closed her fingers around the knife she'd kept close to her body as she slept. The woman came a few steps closer and in a sudden burst of light, Clary saw her auburn hair revealing her identity.
"Maggie." Clary whispered.
Maggie smiled, putting down a witchlight she'd held in her hand. "Clary."
Clary jumped out of the bed, running for the window as fast as she could. Maggie beat her to the open window, forcing Clary to stop.
"Why did you decide to leave us so unexpectedly dear?" Maggie asked her voice as sweet as sugar.
"How did you find me?" Clary asked, ignoring her mother-figure's question.
"It was a simple task." Maggie smiled, she reached for Clary, or rather her necklace. The fairy ring.
"We used a tracking spell. Connected the rings. They are really good at finding each other." Maggie explained.
How could she be so stupid? She should've taken the ring off as soon as she left the manor.
"Now, I think I asked you a question Clarissa." She said, her orange eyes burning holes in Clary's green eyes.
A sting of betrayal glowed inside Clary, she could feel the how iron burn the young Clary's skin. She could swear she smelled the burnt flesh.
"I don't have to answer to you." Clary spat in the woman's direction.
"No." Maggie sighed, "You don't, but I would rather have you tell me than forcing you to come back with me."
"I'm not coming back." Clary whispered.
"Why?"
"Because I can't trust you anymore." The sentence slipped from Clary's lips before she could even think it through. "I never could."
"But Clary dear, what have we done to you that would make you think that?" The way Maggie spoke made Clary doubt her own words, she had such a calming voice Clary believed she could stop wars with only her words.
Clary couldn't tell her what she'd seen. Saying it out loud would make everything her reality. She could still go back. Her father would make her forget, but she could live happy for a little longer. She could take the horrible truth away, make the pain stop.
She touched the thin scar on her cheek, shaking her head lightly.
"Stop lying, you know what you did." Clary answered.
"Clary dear-" "NO!" Clary yelled, "Don't!" Clary wanted to run away, she wanted to get the hell out of the motel. She had to do something. She could take down Maggie if it came to it. She could never go back to Valentine and the Circle. She would rather end up in the Silent City with a death penalty hanging over her head.
"Did father send you?" Clary asked.
"Yes. He thought it would be best if I came and brought you back home." Maggie explained, her voice strong and manipulative.
"Bring me home?" Clary spat angry. "No, I think you are misreading this situation, I don't have a home anymore Maggie. You took that away from me." Clary whispered tired.
"Clary, I assume you are talking about what happened when you were younger" Clary laughed, Maggie had confirmed it. Everything had been true. The demon was speaking the truth. What had he said? Because little Nephilim, what I am about to show you will destroy you more than any fake memory I could come up with would.
He was certainly right.
"Tell my father he will burn in hell before I come back to him." Clary whispered tired.
Both women in the room turned around to face the motel room's door. At least twenty Nephilim, fully dressed in fighting gear, all marked with the same four C's over the heart. The Clave.
xxxx
"What the fuck is taking so long?" Isabelle muttered angry.
Jace shrugged irritated, "I dunno."
"You don't know?" Jonathan asked restlessly.
"Nope, and I don't know any more now than I did five minutes ago." Jace replied.
"But they should tell you something! Go ask Alec again!" Isabelle raised her voice.
The three teenagers had been left alone when Alec had told the older Shadowhunters they had to come. They had obviously found something, but none of them were informed of what.
"He can't tell me, not yet." Jace answered.
A door closed behind them, the black haired boy gave them a nervous look. "Yeah I can."
"What?" Both Izzy and Jon asked in sync.
"You won't like it." Alec bit his lip.
"I think we'll manage." Jace replied, pushing his parabatai to tell them.
"The Clave found her before we did."
xxxx
An agonizing feeling swept through Clary like someone tore her in half.
Maggie swam before her eyes, her eyes couldn't focus right. "Wh.." Clary tried to speak.
Within seconds the room was filling with Shadowhunters. Maggie was gone.
She felt her knees meet the floor. The pain never left her.
Clary saw something sticking out of her flank. An arrow stuck out right under the left side of her ribs. Clary whimpered. She couldn't stand. The pain grew more unbearable every second.
"You know what to do!" Someone yelled. "Don't waste any time, we don't know how much of it we have!"
Clary felt someone lift her up. The arrow was moved sloppily to the side, making Clary sick to her stomach. The pain grew into darkness and before they could even leave the motel, Clary feel unconscious.
Sorry for ending the chapter like this, but it worked well with this chapter's title and if I continued, I probably wouldn't be able to stop.
I think you guys are going to like the next three chapters. I feel like that's when the story will begin for real. Haha, if you know what I mean... If not, it begins with a C and ends with lace.