Chapter 7

Flashbacks, Dreams and Questions

(Clary's pov)

"So, umm, now what?" Simon asked.

I surveyed the area around me. All fifteen men were sprawled across the clearing. Some were laying in awkward angles, making me flinch. Others had many dents in their armor, mostly the helmet. And a few had blood spewing from their bodies at a rapid pace. Jace laid there flat on hid face, not moving a muscle.

One of the men at Max's feet groaned and tried to get up. Surprised, Max kicked him in the head. Causing him to be, once a again, a motionless body on the floor.

"Strip them of anything valuable," Luke commanded.

We followed his orders. Slowly, but surely we weaved our way through them. Taking anything of use: swords, shields, some even had bags of gold. Unfortunately, it was pretty gross. Having to reach into pockets of unconscious men, either bleeding or bent weirdly.

I heard a gagging sound come from behind me, while I was attempting to pry a sword with excellent craftsmanship, that I couldn't possibly leave.

Izzy was leaning over a man with a hand over her mouth. I took a closer look to find the man had a disgusting gash from his forehead to cheek. It had already been encrusted with dirt, making his face turn a disgustingly purplish blue color. I flinched, the blow was deep and was obviously already infected.

I went back to the man with the sword. I didn't know why I was so determined to get it out of his death grip- literally. I pulled and pulled until it finally came and I landed on my bottom from the force with an oof. I inspected it, it was definitely crafted from a master blacksmith. The hilt was blood red with intricate designs in silver.

The colors of Alicante.

The color of blood.

The color of rage.

The color of the queen.

flashback

"Mom?" A nine year old Clary asked. She peeped her head through her door. I saw a flash of silver.

"Clarissa," the queen said sternly. "You know better than to walk in without knocking."

"I'm sorry," Clary said quietly. "I was just looking for someone to talk to-" Clary's father had went into the woods a week ago and never came back. He was pronounced dead as of yesterday. Young Clary was looking for love, sympathy, something.

"Clarissa. If this is about your father, than you are weaker than I thought you to be. So he's gone. You must get over the fact, that. He's. Dead." Something glinted in her eyes, that the young Clary didn't recognize as evil.

The little girl fought back tears as she walked out the room. She was curious about that flash of silver she saw as she entered. She made a plan.

That evening, while everyone was at dinner, Clary snuck into her mothers bedroom. She was allowed to skip dinner because she was still unstable about her father gone.

Clary searched her room for that silver that captivated her earlier. She came across a box in the back of a closet. It was about five feet long and less than a foot across. When the lid was lifted, a sword was placed carefully inside.

Clary stared at it open mouthed. Wide green eyes stared back at her through the perfectly polished silver. The hilt was a blood red covered with silver designs. A shiver shot through her spine.

A loud band rang my ears. And a voice all too familiar yelled out. "What do you think you're doing?"

end flashback

The same green eyes stared back at me through the silver blade. It was like I was a child again, living with that demon of a mother. Having no one to talk to, no one to sympathize my poor child self. This sword reminded me of how helpless I was as a child. But I am no longer the same little girl, who wanted nothing but her father back.

I was Clary Fray of The Midnight Bandits.

I had no idea how this man gained possession of this sword, but I was taking it nonetheless. I glanced to my left at all mighty Jace Herondale's limp body.

"What do we do about him?"

"We might be able to get something out of him," Izzy suggested.

Luke agreed. "Bring him to the house."

(Queen's pov)

The sun was already setting, and Jace was not back yet.

I was pacing my room, thinking the worst possible. Was he captured? Is he dead? I did not want him dead. Such beauty should not go to waste.

I was reminded of when he first arrived. He was very interested in my daughter. Well- dead daughter. A laugh passed through me as I reached for my sword in the back of my closet.

I opened the velvet case to reveal that it was gone.

(Jace's pov)

Clary was trying to fight some kind of monster.

It was slightly blurry, so I couldn't see what the monster looked like. All I knew was that it was dark and towered over Clary. I knew it was Clary from her red hair.

Two more monsters showed up. Everything was silent, nothing made noise. Not even when the monsters opened their mouths to roar. Or when a body was thrown onto a table causing it to collapse. All I could do was watch helplessly as Clary fought at them with a silver sword that gleamed in the moonlight. Even though she tried to kill me, I couldn't help but feel the need to swoop in and be her knight in shining armor.

I watched as one of Clary's bandit friends get thrown across the room by one of the beast. A boy with dark black hair, who looked about my age, lay there motionless. Clary's mouth opened in what looked like a scream. A new wave of rage crossed over Clary as she charged the monsters.

She slashed and hacked. Each time making them open their mouths in a silent scream of rage. One managed to swipe Clary along the cheek with a claw. She screamed in pain and fell to the floor.

"Clary!" I tried to yell. But it was like my mouth was glued shut.

The three slowly walked up to her. Clary was clutching at her cheek. If it hurt that bad, it meant poison. I watched frantically, waiting for someone to swoop in and save her. No, it was only her and them. Clary raised her arm protectively over her face as one raised its arm to deliver the final blow.

I opened my eyes, panting and sweating. I had never seen such monsters. Did the dream mean anything? Is it predicting the future?

"Glad you finally decided to join the party," a bored voice said.

(Third person pov)

Jace's head snapped up at the sound of a person. After that horrific dream, he was longing for an actual voice. The girl in front of him had striking blue eyes, black hair that reached her waist and was dressed in all black. She was beautiful.

"Where am I?" Jace tried to stand, but was restricted from doing so. He was tied to a chair, his hands behind his back. Izzy rolled her eyes at his attempt to break free.

Clary walked in to check on Izzy and Jace. Her heart fluttered for some odd reason when she saw him- awake, confused, handsome. Wait what?

Jace was tied up and in desperate need of some water and information. "Will some one please tell me what is going on?"

Izzy twirled her hair around her finger. "Well, when you were unconscious we brought you here. Apparently, your valuable," she said in a lazy manner. "I don't see what's so great about being royal. There's no freedom."

I guess this girl likes to speak what she thinks, Jace thought. "Who are you? And where is here?"

Clary decided to step in and talk, since Izzy wasn't being of any use. "That's Izzy. Welcome to our home. And if I told you where we are, I would have to kill you."

Jace looked towards his left, to see that Clary had silently walked slightly into the room and was leaning against the door frame. Izzy didn't look back, but stood up from her chair. "Finally. He's all yours Clary."

Izzy walked out of the room, she desperately needed to do something else. Luke had put her in charge of watching Jace- much to her disliking.

"So are you planning on answering any of my questions?" Jace asked sarcastically. All though he probably shouldn't, since these people could kill him if they wanted to.

"Hold your horses," Clary rolled her eyes. She slowly walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water, just to make Jace mad. She knew he was impatient and dehydrated. Jace couldn't help but stare at her beauty. The way she walked, even though I realized it was unusually slow. And the way her skin glowed in the sunlight.

Jace had never thought this way before of a girl. Girls would usually throw themselves at him without him even trying. But Clary was different. My heart wrenched at the memory of my dream. He remembered every moment of it. Of course, Jace thought, the one time I actually remember a dream, it's about monsters trying to kill a girl I like.

Clary walked back into the room to find Jace staring into space. When he noticed her, he looked longingly at the water in my hands. "Want some?" He nodded. "Well, first your going to cooperate and then- DANG IT MAX!"

Jace was shocked by her sudden outburst. And Max knowing that he'd been caught, walked shamefully out of his hiding spot.

A boy about 13 or 14 came out from a corner in the back of the room. Jace hadn't even seen him there. "Uh, hi Clary!" He offered.

Clary rolled her green eyes. She pointed at the boy, "It's rude to eavesdrop."

"It's rude to point." He took a seat beside Clary. He sized Jace up. "So you're Jace Herondale... bet I could take you."

Jeez are all these people so cocky and rude? Jace thought.

Clary stared straight into his gold eyes, she was getting lost in the mesmerizing color. Jace voice snapped her out of her reverie. "I know I'm amazing to look at, but we have better things to talk about- well nothing better than me- Like untying me? ."

"Questions first, then we'll see. What were you and 14 other men searching for? And be truthful, Max here doesn't like liars." To prove her point, Max pulled out a dagger and pretended to not be interested.

Jace swallowed. "We were looking for the people that returned the queens gold back to the village. Meaning you."

Clary looked shocked. Jace smirked. "Yes. We knew it was you," he said dismissively.

"But things took the wrong turn," Max said, his voice getting angrier. How dare these people try and take us prisioner? He rose from his seat. "And now your life is up to us. So if I were you, I would keep that smirk off your face."

"Now, Max. It's best to keep our anger in check," Luke said appearing in the door with Jocelyn.

"But- he- they- URG!" Max seemed to be having some sort of fit.

"What do we do about him now?" Jocelyn asked.

"I say we kill him," Alec said, peeping his head through the kitchen. The girl from earlier, Izzy, and a boy showed up also. Jeez, how many people live here? Jace thought.

"I'm right here!" Jace yelled. I would be nice that I didn't have to listen to the conversation of my death. "I say we let me go and I'll leave you alone."

"How do we know your not a backstabbing liar?" Clary asked accusingly.

Jocelyn was shocked. Clary never acted so rude! "Clarissa!" she scolded. Everyone glared at her.

She had just said Clary's real name.

"Wait what? Is that your real name? Clarissa Morgenstern?" Jace asked, remembering the day the queen told him about her lost daughter. All the pieces made sense. They didn't answer his question and that was answer enough.

A silent conversation passed through the group.

"Jace Herondale," Luke said. "You are sentenced to death."

MUWAHAHA! Aren't cliffhangers the best?

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Wow. I'm getting better at making my chapters a little longer.

I decided to start naming my chapters. I've ever done that before, so sorry if they're terrible.