Well, at least I got four reviews… okay well, four more please before the next chapter. Thnx

Chapter 9

Clary watched as Jonathan dragged Jace down to the dungeons. She followed slowly behind them, realizing too late that Valentine was standing next to her. He clasped her on the back.

"Good Job, Clarissa." He said, sounding sincere. Clary looked up at him and nodded once in acknowledgement. They reached Jace's cell together, where Jonathan was now stringing him up by the arms. Clary wanted to look away… she really wanted to look away but she knew Valentine was scrutinizing every move she made, waiting for some kind of emotion of betrayal. So she kept her face blank and when Jace made eye contact with her she just stared him down. Valentine pulled her into her side. "Careful Jonathan." He said. "Remember he could die in that position." Jonathan stopped and turned to look at his father.

"I was just preparing him." He said. Valentine ignored his son.

"Welcome Jace," He said. "I apologize for these circumstances, truly I am, but you see jace, you and your little gang are causing quite a disturbance in my city-"

"Last I checked," Jace spat, "Alicante wasn't your city." It was Clary's expectation that Valentine would slap him, but he didn't. Instead, he studied him with a cool gaze.

"I don't want to kill you," He continued as if Jace had never spoken. "In fact, I don't plan on killing you. You will join us Jace, whether the easy way or hard way I don't care." In response Jace spit at his feet. Valentine nodded. "I see." He turned to leave but grabbed Clary's arm so she'd look at him. "Break him." He walked up the steps. "Teach her all you know Jonathan." Clary's blood went cold. She-he…Jonathan smiled quite evilly and opened a large chest at the end of the room, unlocking it with a small key from around his neck. Clary walked over slowly.

"Jon… Don't make me do this." He pressed the whip into her hand.

"This is all apart of the promotion Clarissa." He sneered. "I thought about letting Jace go, just to get you in trouble with Father. Then I realized, you'd be in more pain if he was caught.

"I can't-"

"This is a test. I'd do it if I were you." He stepped back. "Start with 5. Don't. Be. Weak." Clary walked over to Jace, who hung loosely on chains. He didn't say anything, probably knowing it couldn't be stopped. Clary poised the whip over her head and put as much force as she could muster into the throw. This was going to drain her physically and mentally.

Clary was done after an hour. Jonathan had taught her many techniques, which included slicing up Jace's face as slowly as physically possible. She thought she was going to be sick. Jace had been unconscious for nearly ten minutes. Jonathan told her to keep going but instead she threw the whip at him.

"I'm done." She said. "he's never going to give in."

"I know. Father knows. We just want him to break a little bit. You're the way to break him." Jonathan clapped her on the back like Valentine had done earlier. "Go get a shower. You reek." Clary could barely contain her anger.

"This was a waste of time!" She hissed. Jonathan shrugged.

"I was teaching you how to torture. Maybe tomorrow I'll le you handle the knife." Clary's eyes narrowed "Remember we can give him that pretty little rune on your wrist Clary. We can also strengthen yours." Clary didn't budge.

"You're not threatening me anymore." She snapped. He bent down to her height.

"I'll do whatever the hell I want, Princess." He gripped both of her arms. She didn't struggle. She just continued to glare. Jace groaned and Jonathan let go of her. Immediately, Clary's hand came up and struck his face. Jonathan's head snapped to the side and stared there for a moment. Jace was watching them with squinted eyes. "Why you little-" Clary spit him in the face and stormed out the barred door. Jonathan stood, frozen for only a second before rushing after her. Clary's foot barely grazed the second step before his hands gripped her around the stomach and swung her up, kicking and screaming, only to throw her onto the ground. His hands gripped her wrists and his leg pressed down on her knees restricting movement.

"Watch who you piss off Clarissa." He spat. Clary struggled from under him but he was too heavy for her. He was too close for her liking. "Maybe I should teach you a thing or too about respecting your superiors-"

"Jonathan!" He groaned and rolled his eyes at Valentine. "Get off of your sister." He ordered.

"Father she-"

"I don't care. Get. Off. Now." Jonathan shoved his way back onto his feet and turned to face his father. Valentine walked down the steps and gripped Jonathan's arm pulling him to him and whispered ferociously into his ear. Jonathan nodded once and stormed upstairs.

"Father I-" Clary started to explain.

"Let Jace down, would you?" Clary swallowed her voice and went to do as he had instructed. She tried her best to be gentle but Jace ended up collapsing hard on the floor anyway. He groaned.

"Did you have fun Jace?" Valentine sneered. "Clarissa's got quite an arm, doesn't she?" Clary stared straight ahead, like a robot almost, with her arms behind her back and her feet spread slightly apart. "Jonathan's trained her himself. To think of what she'd be like if her mother hadn't hid her from this world." Jace didn't move. "Clarissa, help him." She walked briskly and pulled him up so that he was sitting, ignoring the grunts of pain emitting from his mouth. She stepped back.

"Y-you're a s-sick bastard." Jace said, trying to put as much force as he could into his words.

"In what way Jonathan?" Valentine asked, going back to Jace's real name.

"W-whatever you f-fucking did t-to Clary. Y-you're h-hurting innocent p-people." Valentine smiled.

"You mean what I'm about to do to you?" Clary tensed. "I need information and you're going to give it to me. Normally, I'd have you tortured senseless but there isn't much time." Valentine pulled out his steele and knelt down in front of Jace. "Clarissa, hold his arm down." She did as she was told. "This will hurt. A lot." Jace bit back a scream as the steele started drawing on his skin. Normally, runes didn't hurt. He'd been used to that slight pain all his life. But this… When Valentine was over, the pain didn't go away. It only intensified. He couldn't hold in the next cry and fell back onto the floor, writhing. Clary had let go of his arm. A hand was pressed to his forehead.

"The fever is starting." Someone said.

"Good. We'll come back down in a few hours."

"We?"

"Yes, he'll need you Clarissa. Unless of course, you don't want anything to do with him now."