I'm gonna keep this short so you can get to the story. Thank you so much to those who reviewed and favorited/followed. Even if they're simple things like "can't wait for the next chapter :)" or anything like that, I appreciate them so much more than you imagine. They encourage me to keep writing. Now, on to the latest chapter!

For the second time in the last hour, I'm confused, offended, and at a loss for words. First, Alec calls me some bastard's kid, and now I think this man, Jace, wants me dead. The unfairness of this situation infuriates me, and my temper flares.

"What the hell did I do to deserve any of this?" I burst out. My eyes look at Alec first, then settle on Jace. He seems shocked at my outburst. Good, because I'm not done yet. "I was injured in a bus accident, now it sounds like some guy wants me dead, and no one in this room is stepping up to defend me when these two assholes show up and attack me!" Without thinking, I punch the person closest to me in the stomach, who happens to be Alec, and run to the opposite side of the room.
I can't escape, but I just need to get some space between me and these people. I don't know who I can trust anymore. Magnus hasn't exactly done anything wrong, but other than his glittery hairstyle and magic tricks, he hasn't done anything to win me over either. Now he's at Alec's side, rubbing his back soothingly while his boyfriend is doubled over in pain. I must have punched him harder than I realized.
Serves him right, I think with a smirk on my face. If only I could've done that to Jace. At least Alec didn't allude to wanting me dead. Name calling, I can forgive, but an indirect death threat is absolutely not ok. I don't know who this Jace guy thinks he is, but I refuse to be unfairly treated. Lucky for him, someone speaks before I have a chance to act on my thoughts.
"We've been trying for years to find her, Jace." My "mother" pleads. "There's no guarantee that we'll suddenly find Clary. Even if Sebastian is found, he might not have her with him." She gives him a desperate and worried expression. "He's smarter than that, unfortunately." She sighs, defeated.
"That incestuous spawn of Satan has Clary, and I refuse to go any longer without her!" Jace shouts. That outburst earns a shocked look from everyone. He throws a dirty look in my direction. "I don't know how you people can look at that and not want to throw up. That's his offspring. Even worse, the product of angel- and demon-human hybrids. Does anyone have even the slightest idea of what that results in?" He angrily looks to the people around him, eyebrows raised in question. When no one steps up with a response, he gives a sardonic grin. "Didn't think so."
There's slight muttering from the people who are now grouped together, but I can't even begin to focus on what they might be saying. Incestuous? Angel and demon hybrids? All of the wary looks they gave me. I don't know exactly how this pertains to me, but now I don't think I want to know. This is too much information. Too much to process. Why did I come up here in the first place? The sunlight pouring in through the large glass panels is suddenly too bright. The leaves and petals of the plants too colorful. My vision becomes spotty and then cuts out entirely. The last thing I'm aware of is my body crashing to the floor.

I open my eyes and am blinded by the pure white snow around me. On me. I'm in an open field and laying in a few inches of fresh snow. The flakes quickly pile on top of me. I stand up and brush the powder off. I'm wearing the clothes I had worn on the last day of school before the holiday break. Jeans and a navy jacket, now flecked with white snowflakes. I glance around, looking for any signs of life.
There. A long stretch of road leading toward town. I put my hands inside my jacket pockets and head toward the road. The snow is light and not too deep, so walking through it shouldn't be very difficult. My sneakers scuff the frozen grass underneath the thin layer of powder.
As I near the side of the roadway, I don't notice my legs sinking deeper into the snow until it's knee-high and I can no longer move. While I busy myself with trying to dig my way out, my ears don't catch at first the screeching of a large vehicle's brakes. It's not until I see a flash of yellow in my peripheral vision that I look up.
I have just enough time to recognize my school bus skidding along a patch of ice before it rolls down a hill into another field and crashes sideways into a fallen tree.
The snow is falling harder and my legs are buried again. I can't seem to dig myself out fast enough. Desperately, I shove piles of snow away from me. I need to help them. Through the howling wind of the snowstorm, I can hear students screaming and the crackling of a fire. Everything in my vision is cloaked in white except for my school bus which is a bonfire of red, orange, and yellow flames. My legs refuse to move. I can't save anyone. I have no choice but to stand here and watch as my bus burns.
From the rear of the bus, I see someone emerge. Two someones actually. The bus driver and... me? He's carrying me. I recognize his white hair and my strawberry blonde head hanging limp in his arms. He rests my body in the snow a safe distance away from the burning vehicle. I can't see what he does next. It looks like he's drawing something on me, but I'm too far away to distinguish what.
He gets up after finishing marking my skin. Without a second glance at my body or the bus he crashed, the man takes a few steps and seemingly vanishes.
I try to make my way toward the wreckage, and this time, the snow gives way to my movements. I rush to the other side of the road, but everything is silent. There's no one to save anymore. Rather than attempt to go inside the bus, I walk toward where my body was laid. There on my wrist and chest are two vaguely familiar symbols.

I wake to an uncomfortably warm pulsing sensation on my upper chest. Opening my eyes, I notice multiple people talking over my body. Everyone except for Jace. Their frantic chorus of voices doesn't help my new headache. I give a small whimper of pain from both the headache and the discomfort of the brand on my chest.
My hand comes up to gently soothe the agitated area. The instant I feel the raised flesh, a message flashes across my mind.

He's coming

How about that ending? Sound familiar? ;) Yeah, so I pretty much wrote this entire chapter in one night and it's almost 2 am. I promised two weeks, and I don't break promises. Hope you guys liked this one! I'm trying to push things along so that this story gets more interesting, but I guess background info is important too. Whatever. As always, reviews are VERY much appreciated. Let me know how much you liked (or didn't like) this chapter and what's going through your head after reading it. I gotta get some sleep now. Shadows, out!

~.~Desiderium~.~