I am so, so sorry! I said five days, and it's been what – two weeks? I was misinformed of the dates! I was on holiday for a week and a bit, and then I had rowing camp for five days so I didn't get a spare moment to update! But the chapter is thankfully here now, and I apologise for the huge wait. The updating will probably slow down even more now that the holidays are ending here in Australia, so each chapter will be about two weeks apart, a month MAXIMUM. For all you reading City of Angels and Demons, please check out the latest chapter because there is an important message. On with the story – more at the bottom!
CHAPTER 5 - CLARY POV
After Jace's phone call, I was sprawled over my teal green-blue comforter to mull things over. What I knew about Jace's family:
- Amatis was Jace's adoptive mother
- Amatis had a brother
So, I knew a depressingly small amount. I was curious to see what Amatis's brother was like, not to mention his partner. Since it was nearly midday, I had two hours to prepare myself before Jace was coming to pick me up.
I walked out of my turquoise bedroom and down the creaky oak staircase in the middle of the hallway, adjusting my baby blue and white striped sleep shorts and plain, cherry red camisole so that I was vaguely presentable for the rest of my 'family' for all intents and purposes to see me in.
Magnus was standing at the counter, already glittered up and ready to go at the ungodly hour of 12am. His tight leather pants had a galaxy pattern on them; nebulae, stars and planets. His silver tank top covered with black fishnet showed off the tanned skin of his neck, shoulders and arms and the navy blue tattoo of a rearing seahorse on his left bicep - the symbol of his clan, Atlantis.
"Hello my darling. And how are you this fine morning?" Maggie's cheerful voice asked. He turned towards me, his cat-like eyes glinting in the midday sunlight.
"I'm great Maggie. I was just wondering—" I began sheepishly.
Magnus sighed dramatically, shaking his head theatrically. "I knew there was a catch! You couldn't just speak to me out of the goodness of your heart..." he feigned sadness and pouted convincingly enough - for someone who didn't know him like I did.
I rolled my eyes at Magnus's usual antics. "All I wanted was permission to be Jace's 'date' to a lunch thing with his adoptive mother, aunt and uncle." Magnus cocked his head slightly, his ebony hair still pin strait thanks to the powerful hair gel he used, pondering the sincerity of the request. I had been caught using a date as an excuse to get out of the house before. After a moment, he swung towards the staircase and bellowed, "HELEN!" in the general direction of her distant bedroom. I hastily clapped a hand over Magnus's mouth to stop him making any more noise.
"Are you trying to wake up the whole household?!" I whisper-yelled. Magnus furrowed his brow delicately and gave me a sly smile.
"Just Helen, but we all know she sleeps like the dead anyway. Sometimes I think her walls are sound proof."
A creak sounded from the staircase, alerting us to Helen's presence. She yawned and raised a light blonde brow. "You called?"
"Dearest Helen, I need an opinion. Clarissa here is going on a date with... A boy." Magnus whispered the last two words with wide eyes.
Helen laughed, tossing her pin strait honey blonde hair back, revealing her ever so slightly pointed ears. "Finally! I was beginning to think she was barking up the other tree, if you know what I mean." she said with a sly wink, briefly concealing the turquoise iris of her right eye. "But yes, by all means, go. Have fun and get Ella and Izzy to help you prepare, and be good. I will... Alert... Camille to this change of plan, and if you hear screaming you will know that she got the message."
I smiled at Helen's sense of humour, used to it after years of putting up with it. "Thank you, it means a lot!" To Jace especially, I mentally added. I gave Maggie a peck on the cheek and Hels a bear hug around her slim, narrow waist before taking the stairs two at a time to go and find Ella and Izzy.
JACE POV – 1:45pm
Why was I so nervous?
My hands were covered with a cold sweat, my knuckles whitened from the death grip that I held the black leather steering wheel of my Porsche in. Grey concrete pathways and neatly trimmed viridian hedges lining the street blurred at the edges of my vision, all of my focus on the single lane road ahead of me. I had just entered Brooklyn, Clary's address sitting on my lap, sliding slightly down my leg because of the insistent bouncing action that my knee was doing. I stopped the erratic, jerky movements of my right leg long enough to safely turn into Clary's gravel driveway and not unnecessarily mow her lawn with my car. I looked up at the looming house, lights on and looking intimidating. On any other day it would probably be friendly and welcoming, but Aline's dad had threatened to castrate me if I didn't treat her well, so the fact that I didn't know what to expect with Clary's parents made the experience twice as daunting.
I swung my door open, closing it gently after I had leapt out. I walked on the even stone of the winding pathway leading to the front door under my feet, raising my hand to knock when the heavy door swung open, seemingly all by itself.
To my surprise, Ella was the culprit of the door's opening act, and she stood in the doorway in pink striped pyjama pants and a grey tank top. She smiled and yawned at me, waving a hand sleepily in the direction of what looked like the living room.
"Come on in. Clary is nearly ready." she took in my dress shirt with the top buttons undone and light blue jeans briefly before yelling up the stairs for Clary to 'get her skinny ass down here'. A minute later, Isabelle walked gracefully down the oak staircase, followed by Clary in all of her glory.
"May I present, Clarissa Fairchild." Izzy proclaimed dramatically, sweeping her hand towards Clary dramatically.
Clary wore a turquoise chiffon knee-length one shoulder dress that brought out the green of her eyes, creamy skin and garnet-coloured hair. She had silver zircon earrings in her ears – I always wondered why girls did that; didn't it hurt? – and a silver zircon heart necklace hanging around her elegant throat. Her shoes were high, silver shimmering stilettos and her purse was a silver clutch to match them that Aline had always asked for when we went shopping. I had always declined or diverted her attention when she did.
Clary had a slight flush on her cheeks, pale blue eye shadow bringing out the green and the flecks of gold in her eyes and mascara making her lashes – looking thicker and darker than usual –stand out. Izzy had done well, that's for sure. My jaw threatened to drop, but I held it in check as Clary completed her graceful descent of the stairs in the death traps that most girls called shoes. I resumed my usual expressionless façade, skimming my eyes over Clary's head and towards the striking blonde woman standing behind her.
The mysterious blonde had white blonde curls much like Ella's dancing down to her collarbones, and luminous green eyes very similar to Clary's own bordered by long blonde lashes and thin, pale eyebrows. She wore loose grey pyjama pants and a slim fitting violet short sleeved tee shirt. She exuded a powerful aura, commanding and controlling, and seemed to be the kind of person that drew all the eyes in the room like a light attracts a moth. She looked to be in her late twenties but her eyes were those of someone who was old before their time - a look familiar to me, because of Cecily.
My attention returned to Clary as she nervously stepped further from the stairs and closer towards me. She was just as nervous as I was, and I was glad; it made me feel normal, and that I wasn't alone.
The blonde lady sauntered over to me, looking curious. "Hello, you must be Jace. My name is Camille Belcourt, and for all intents and purposes, I am Clary, Ella and Isabelle's older sister." All intents and purposes? Were the girls adopted, like me and Alec? They must have been, because they didn't seem related.
"And I am Magnus the Magnificent, and I shall be addressed as such." A sparkly, clearly gay young man said. He, much like Camille, looked to be in his early twenties, and had strange gold and green eyes. I nodded at them both, shaking Magnus the Magnificent's outstretched hand and smiling tightly at Camille.
"Yes, I'm Jace. Nice to meet you."
"Just nice? I must say—"
Clary gave Magnus a light shove and interrupted him in a quiet voice directed at me.
"Ignore him, he hasn't had any alcohol yet today, so he is still rather intolerable. Should we go, or...?" she trailed off, looking uncomfortable. I nodded almost imperceptibly, and Clary started to follow me out the door. She waved at her large family, and I smiled politely at them as the door closed gently behind us.
As soon as the door closed behind us, I turned to Clary. "You okay? You seem tense." she waved me off with a seemingly carefree smile, and looked around the quiet neighbourhood, confused.
"Where's your car?" she asked. I smirked and beckoned, walking to my black Porsche Carrera. Clary followed me, her heels clicking sharply on the hard ground, alerting me to her presence. It reminded me of the time I had put a small bell around Church's neck because he had eaten a small pigeon and Amatis wanted to put a stop to the 'end of innocent lives'. Clary ran her fingertips along the smooth onyx coloured metal passenger side door, rightfully admiring my car. "It reminds me of Izzy's Lamborghini." was all she said before leaping into the car and relaxing into the plush dark leather seats with a sigh.
I swiftly followed suit, sliding into the smooth leather driving seat next to her, resting my elbow on the plastic, the familiar steering wheel settling against my palms. I flipped the ignition, smiling in satisfaction as the engine, which purred like a kitten, growled to life. Looking out for traffic, I drove through the city until I reached the Upper East Side, where Amatis' "house" - more like palace - was.
The familiar neatly mowed lawns filled my sight, the gardener, Aloysius Starkweather, tending to and pruning the already perfect red, blue, orange, pink and yellow rose bushes until they finally satisfied him. The smooth, white marble outer walls were polished until they shone, the tall glass windows of the Graymark household shimmering in the early afternoon beams of sunlight after being cleaned by Jem Carstairs, our faithful window cleaner. I swerved into my designated parking space, Aloysius, Jem and Amatis's cars parked in their respective spaces next to the Porsche. The elegant weeping willow tree loomed above my car, keeping it in constant shade and gently brushing against the hood of the car in stronger winds. Clary slipped out of the Porsche as I did, gawking at the shimmering enormity that was my home, the once intriguing flashy car long forgotten. I smiled at her obvious awe, leading her towards the expensive mahogany door to the threshold, which was a dark contrast to the pale walls and transparent windows. The door opened eerily silently, the lock clicking back into place as I gently closed it behind me. I padded softly through the plush beige carpets lining the floor of the foyer, expensive paintings hanging on the alabaster walls to my right, the mahogany spiral staircase twisting towards the upper floors on my left. Church, the cat, was curled up on the amber velvet armchair next to the door, his blue-grey fur rising and falling with every purred breath as he slept peacefully. The cat had started to nap a lot more frequently after he realised that hunting wasn't for him, what with the bell and all. He wasn't exactly… stealthy.
I made a beeline for the spacious kitchen that I knew lay ahead, Clary right behind me, momentarily distracted by the old house's grandeur. It was filled with artworks of all shapes and sizes, Shakespearian quotes, William Morris hard porcelain, otherwise known as China, decorative plates hanging on the walls, elaborate chandeliers hanging at regular intervals in all of the hallways and rooms apart from the bathroom. My favourite piece in the whole house was a large abstract painting the hung above a plush red loveseat which was seemingly abstract up close but when you stood back from it you could see that it was a painting of a boy with golden eyes. Amatis had bought it because she said that it had reminded her of me, and for years I couldn't work out why, until I was walking past and happened to glance at it and finally put the pieces together.
Multiple voices rang out from the kitchen; two unfamiliar, the third identifiable as Amatis's. Clary suddenly looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her, and I sent her way what I hoped to be a reassuring smile, probably distorted in my own nervous state. What would Amatis's brother and his partner think of me and Clary? Would Amatis approve of Clary at all? I pushed away my doubts and took Clary's hand in mine, squeezing it. She squeezed back. I then dragged her into the room, and possibly, her doom. (AN: haha. That rhymed! Total accident, I tell you!)
In the very centre of the room stood three towering figures; Amatis in a steely grey floor-length one-shouldered dress, who I supposed was Lucian in a midnight blue suit, and a statuesque red-haired woman in a violet dress who looked awfully familiar.
CLARY POV
The kitchen was huge, as was the rest of the household. Most of the artwork, I had noticed, had been signed JF. I loved this house – I could go on for hours about it, but then at that point, something else caught my eye.
Jace.
He seemed so at home here, like he belonged among the eloquent citizens of New York City who usually resided in houses like this. He seemed comforted by the tasteful artwork and old fashioned chandeliers, more at home than he was anywhere else. His eyes lit up the moment we entered the threshold, and his mood seemed to clear. Well, until we reached the kitchen.
The kitchen was enormous, with stainless steel everywhere – the fridge, freezer, stove, microwave, sink – and everything else was marble or wood; the floors and counters different shades of marble, the cupboards and pantry either mahogany or rosewood. But what really piqued my interest were the three figures conversing in there. A tall, middle-aged woman with bright blue eyes and brown hair with the slightest hints of grey running through it, brought out slightly by the elegant satin steely dress she wore. Next to her was a tall man with greying hair and bright blue eyes, much like the woman next to him. He wore a midnight blue suit with a white dress shirt peeking out from underneath. What can I say, I'm observational.
What really drew my attention was the third woman; statuesque, pale, red-haired. She almost looked like...
Jocelyn.
JACE POV
"Oh, hello, Jace," Amatis says as she notices me. "And who is this young beauty?" She asked, looking over Clary's attire, her face unreadable. I just hope that, judging from the compliment, she approves of her – for my sake and Clary's.
Clary stepped forwards nervously and held out her hand to Amatis. "Hello, you must be Jace's mother. I'm Clarissa Fairchild." She says with a polite smile. After a moment, Amatis takes her hand and shakes it lightly, smiling back at Clary.
"I'm Jace's adopted mother, actually. It's a pleasure to meet you, Clarissa." Amatis glanced at me sideways, her cold blue eyes boring into me, as if saying, I approve. Amatis waved the two of us further into the room, practically dragging Clary towards Amatis's brother and his partner. I'm incredibly surprised that Clary doesn't fall in those heels, though the look on her face tells me she is just as surprised as I am. "Why, how strange! Clarissa, you look almost exactly like Jocelyn!" Amatis announced enthusiastically. Clary turned towards the red haired woman, when a look of recognition briefly danced across her features and was hastily hidden from prying eyes while she smiled politely as she took Jocelyn's outstretched hand almost daintily.
CLARY POV
I don't think I can touch her, I thought. I carefully schooled my features into a deceptively blank mask as I awkwardly took Jocelyn's hand. She seemed to recognise me also, copying my action of hiding her emotions from view. I was quickly introduced to Lucian Graymark - the man who stole my mother from my father. A memory of my parents' fight briefly flitted to the front of my mind before I hastily pushed it into the mental safe I had locked and labelled "DANGER" at the back of my mind. From my recollection, Lucian was a Eulysae, and that also made Amatis a Eulysae. God, this place was crawling with them! First Cecily, now these two. I wasn't sure about Sebastian - he seemed human enough, and completely confused when Cecily went psycho on us. But who knows?
And what on Earth was Jace doing surrounded by Eulysae?
Amatis was going on about how the house was built, and how old it was, and how it came into her possession, with Lucian and Jace listening, intrigued. Jocelyn looked as uncomfortable as I felt, and I eventually excused myself to go and get some fresh air, briefly catching Jace's concerned look directed at me. I walked along the perimeter of the large house for a few minutes before I felt, rather than saw, a presence nearby. I turned around to see the person and was not surprised to see Jocelyn.
"Clary! I can explain—"
"Explain what?!" I growled. "That you left me and father - and the kingdom - because of a charming Eulysae and a blind hope of finding Jonathan? Anyway, I've found Jonathan, so that was all for practically nothing. I am pretty sure that he is the one we're looking for." Jocelyn paused.
"What's his name?"
"Jonathan Morgenstern."
Jocelyn's eyes flew wide in panic. "What? No! Clary, don't go near—"
"Is everything alright here?" a concerned Amatis asked. "I could hear the voices from the main house. Not words, just voices," she added hastily at Jocelyn and I's identical looks of alarm.
"Yes, everything's fine." Jocelyn stated calmly, smoothing down her dress and stepping towards me. She fished a small, white square of paper out of the black leather purse she held, opening my palm gently and putting the paper there before curling my fingers around it.
"Call me. Please. Just once, if you like. We can arrange meeting place and time, then I'll explain everything. I promise." she sounded so desperate, and something she'd never been before - scared. I flicked my gaze between each of her jade green eyes before nodding my head at her almost imperceptibly and stalking in those damn heels back towards the house.
EULYSAE FEMALE POV
I crept away through the undergrowth, undetected by all of the Calypsaï and Eulysae in the household. Thorns raked through my hair, whipping me in the face and scratching my bare arms. The weeping willow tree had smacked my ass multiple times while I played spy, and I was pissy as hell now, but I knew I couldn't take it out on my partner unless I wanted serious consequences. I yanked my cell phone out of my bra and dialled my partner in crime's number before bringing the light metal object to my ear.
"Partner." I spoke into the phone, striding quickly through the undergrowth in an effort to be out of ear shot to all people and things listening in on the conversation I was having at the moment.
"This had better be important." Was the only reply that came from the guy on the other end. I expected as much, though – we weren't really friends.
"It is, don't worry. Thanks for the heads up about the lunch thing, by the way. How did you find out?"
"A large amount of sleuthing and nearly getting caught. Clary's family really ought to sound proof their walls – you can hear every word said and be undetected yourself. It's ridiculously easy, and Jace shouldn't leave his phone lying around for all to see." I sighed – this wasn't the first time he'd done something like this, and last time the Boss had blamed me for it all. Thank god he hadn't gotten caught this time.
"Anyway, I have news on Clary and Jocelyn – they're very well acquainted; either related or close friends. Jace doesn't suspect a thing, and nor does anyone else. The Bosses were having a massive brawl about them the other day – screeching and pulling hair. It was downright hilarious, but we both know who won." I tried to change the subject quickly, just in case my partner got angry about my small amount of information about Clary and Jocelyn.
"Yep, we do. Oh, by the way, none of the others can find out about this, okay? A bunch of them are already suspicious." I knew who he was talking about – they hadn't half made it obvious, according to the other Boss.
"No, really? I didn't notice. Talk to you later, bye." I always resorted to sarcasm when these conversations got too long for my liking. Otherwise I would say something I would later seriously regret.
"Bye." He hung up, clearly just as bored as I was at the conversation. I sighed gratefully, glad to get on with my night and regain some sleep.
I snapped the phone shut and shoved into my bra cup, hitching up the long skirt I wore, fleeing the Graymark household and venturing into the night, the only evidence that I'd been there the snapped twigs and silky material that I had left behind too fast for me to notice my mistake.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thoughts? Although, I can tell you right now, the 'Eulysae Female' is NOT Cecily. So her and the Eulysae Male are a bit of a puzzle. If you guess right, I will PM you about it, but I will not write on here who did guess right because that's too spoilery. ;) But don't worry, every single little loose end will be thoroughly explained by the end of the story, so you'll just have to wait and see!
Thank you especially to last chapter's reviewers, favouriters and followers:
-GirlWithASoul for the review
-Destiny. Angel07 for the review
-angelangel31 for the review, follow and favourite
-mortalinstrumentsgurl1 for reviewing EVERY. SINGLE. CHAPTER!
-silver. tongued. serpent for the follow
-My 2 guys for the follow and the favourite
-ByTheAngelIsThatWillHerondal e for the follow
-Labels15 for the follow
Thank you all very much for the support, and I hope you didn't get too annoyed with the wait. Please review, favourite or add to alerts/subscriptions (follow) and hopefully I will have the next chapter out soon.
Until next time,
-Physalie00
LINKS (also on my profile):
CLARY'S DRESS:
. /search?hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&biw=320&bih=416&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=sky+blue+knee+length+ruffle+dress&oq=sky+blue+knee+length+ruffle+dress&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.3...60749.74132.0.74.3.1704.3-2j7-1.3.0...0.0...1ac.1.a6qjEXQNyGY#i=0
CLARY'S NECKLACE:
. /search?hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&biw=320&bih=356&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=silver+zircon+necklace&btnG=#i=16
CLARY'S EARRINGS:
. /search?hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&biw=320&bih=416&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=silver+zircon+earrings&oq=silver+zircon+earrings&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.3...77764.109459.0.109..3167.2-2j1j2j1j1.7.0...0.0...1ac. #i=8
CLARY'S SHOES:
. /search?hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&biw=320&bih=416&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=silver+transparent+stilettoes&oq=silver+transparent+stilettoes&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.3...74110.87076.0.87..1784.2-1j5-1j1.3.0...0.0...1ac.1.1tgn8XLo23o#i=2
CLARY'S CLUTCH:
. /search?hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&biw=320&bih=416&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=silver+clutch&oq=silver+clutch&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.3..0l4j0i5.66140.72273.0.73..2058.3-2j0j2.4.0...0.0...1ac. #i=4
JOCELYN'S DRESS:
. /search?hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&biw=320&bih=416&tbm=isch&oq=purple+dress+&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.3..0l5.48736.57731.0.58..3270.3-1j1j3j1.6.0...0.0...1ac.1.3EtTQ3p4t3A&q=purple%20dress#i=12
