If you're still following this, please give me your thoughts! Thanks!
The next morning, Jace let himself wander around the Adaire manor. It reminded him of his childhood, living in the Wayland Manor, believing he was Jace Wayland. Now he knew was Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern. But really, Jace wasn't sure who he was. Most of the time, he convinced himself that it didn't matter. But the more he thought about it, the more it weighed on him that he was Valentine's flesh and blood. The Morgenstern family ring weighed like a ball and chain on Jace's neck. Jace slipped the chain off his neck so he could look at the ring. He dangled the ring in front of his face. He couldn't shake the chilling similarities between himself and Valentine. Both were hot-headed, arrogant, cynical, violent, ruthless. They both poisoned and destroyed everything they touched. Jace thought of Clary, and suddenly found himself missing her.
"You're not like him, you know."
Jace snapped out of his thoughts. He found himself standing in the living room in front of the blazing fireplace. Imogen walked over to the fireplace and sat behind Jace.
"Who?" Jace asked, not turning around to face Imogen.
"Him," Imogen said, nodding toward the ring hanging off the chain in Jace's hand, even though Jace couldn't see her. "Valentine."
"Yeah? And how do you know that?"
"I just know."
"Alright, then!" Jace exclaimed with false excitement. "I'm not like Valentine. What a relief! Thank you, Imogen, for your words of wisdom."
"Stop that, Jace."
"You don't know him like I know him. And you don't know me."
Imogen rolled her eyes. "Stop being so cynical. Tell me, what makes you so much like Valentine?"
Jace finally turned around. "I don't want to talk about this."
"We need to talk," Imogen insisted.
"But, baby," Jace pleaded, putting on an exaggerated puppy-dog face, "I don't want to break up."
Imogen stood up and slapped her palm into Jace's forehead. "Stop it!"
"What the hell?" Jace demanded angrily. "What's your problem?"
"My problem? What's my problem?" Imogen cried. "Well, I don't know. Let me see. You dragged me to Idris to take on Valentine, your own father. I need to know if I can trust you."
"If you don't trust me, why did you agree to come with me?"
"You're not quite the type to take 'no' for an answer."
Jace smirked. "You're right." He grabbed Imogen around the waist and kissed her. Imogen shoved him away.
"What the hell, Jace?" Imogen shouted at him.
"What? We agreed that I don't take 'no' for an answer." Jace moved toward Imogen again. But this time, Imogen was ready. She met Jace's advance with a kick in the side causing Jace to stumble sideways. He regained his balance and lunged at Imogen, tackling her to the floor. Once he had her pinned, his hand went immediately to her throat.
"You were right not to trust me," Jace growled at her.
"Then do it," Imogen taunted. "Kill me."
Jace's blood boiled. If it wasn't blood flowing through his veins, it would have been anger. He could feel himself about to burst. His every sense was alive and on fire. For a moment, he let the inner demons surface. Jace was a born killer, and he knew it. Time ticked by painfully. But Jace couldn't tighten his hand around the girl's throat.
"I trust you with my life," Imogen said softly. "But I can't trust you to not be...you. I can't trust you to not shut me out. You can't shut me out, Jace, not if you want to beat Valentine."
Jace sat on the sofa with his head in his hands. The flames in the fireplace continued to blaze. Imogen stood leaning against the mantle, arms crossed over her chest.
"I'm sorry," Jace muttered.
"Forget it," Imogen replied.
"No, Imogen-"
"I said forget it. I know, I get it, you have evil daddy problems."
Jace chortled. "Evil daddy problems? Did you really just say that?"
Imogen laughed at herself. "I guess I've been around you too much."
"Nonsense. I'm so lovable, there's no such thing as too much of me. So, what's our plan of attack?"
"I'm not even sure where to begin."
"Drogheda?"
"Did the Lightwoods tell you about that?"
Jace nodded.
Imogen sighed and sat down next to Jace. "When Valentine and the Circle came into power, the Adaires remained firm in their opposition. Valentine and his Circle raided the manor. Quite a few of my family was killed in the raid. After that, most of my relatives fled Alicante despite my father's attempts to keep us all together. Valentine knew exactly where to find us, so we were no longer safe in Alicante. But my father employed a warlock to spell the manor so that we could rebuild it beneath the guise of ruins. We hid in plain sight for years. Even after Valentine and the Circle were defeated, and Valentine was supposedly dead, we kept hearing news of my relatives disappearing and their bodies later turning up in various places. We knew Valentine wasn't dead. So my father sent my brother, Gavin, my brother's wife, Maura, myself, and James to Ireland. Eventually, Valentine found my father. Then he found us. James and I came back from the market and found Gavin and Maura dead, both stabbed to death. Then Valentine ambushed us. I used the ring to portal James and myself back to Alicante, but Valentine grabbed onto James, so he was taken with us. During the fight, I hit my head somewhere. I later woke up in Valentine's dungeon. He told me he'd killed James.
"So for the next year, I served under Valentine, doing whatever he wanted me to do. I had no say in the matter. I did terrible, unforgivable things. Then one day, another slave helped me take Valentine's stele while he was sleeping. She undid the Rune that bound me to the city. We went into Valentine's study to find a portal, but he caught us. He killed the other girl. He was furious so he threw his stele at me. I picked up something to shield myself and it ended up being a portal. And then I ended up in New York. After that, you know the rest."
Jace nodded, taking it all in. "Well, the Lightwoods are meeting with the Clave. If we can break into the meeting, we can find out whether the Clave knows anything. Then we can decide where to go from there."
"Sounds good," Imogen agreed.
"The Lightwoods got here this morning. Knowing Maryse, she's probably wants to talk to the Inquisitor. And knowing the Clave, they'll want this resolved quickly so they can ship the Lightwoods back to the Institute as soon as possible. I'll bet that the Clave meets tonight."
"Then tonight, it is."
High Inquisitor Miles Donovan sighed as he took his seat across the coffee table from the Lightwoods. He fold his arms across his chest as he began to speak. "So, Maryse, what did you want to speak to me about that was so urgent."
Maryse took a deep breath to keep herself from frowning at the Inquisitor's annoyed tone. "First of all, Jace Wayland is somewhere in Idris."
"What?" the Inquisitor exclaimed. "I thought you said you had him under control."
"I did, but-"
"What is so difficult about keeping your eye on a single boy?" the Inquisitor demanded. "As soon as we find him, Maryse, I am relieving you of custody of Jonathan Morgenstern. We will be keeping him here."
"That won't be necessary," Maryse replied.
"Oh, but it is!" the Inquisitor retorted. "You're too soft with him, Maryse. We will use whatever means necessary to keep him in line."
"He's just a boy!" Maryse argued.
"He's Valentine's son!" the Inquisitor shouted back, springing to his feet.
Maryse took a moment to compose herself. When she was slightly calmer, she continued. "Jace is not alone. There is a girl with him, Imogen Adaire."
"I thought she was dead along with the rest of her family."
"It seems that Valentine spared her," Robert chimed in, "but this girl has been made into Valentine's slave."
"Explain," Inquisitor Donovan demanded curtly, lowering himself back into his seat.
"She has silencing and binding Runes on the back of her neck. The Runes bind her in allegiance to another Shadowhunter. Imogen, herself, confirmed that Valentine was the one who put those Marks on her."
"And this girl is with Jonathan?"
Robert and Maryse nodded.
"Well, isn't that just peachy?" Inquisitor Donovan spat. "The Valentine's son is running loose in Idris with Valentine's lackey. God knows what they're doing, what they're planning."
"It's not like that," Maryse explained.
"That's enough!" the Inquisitor shouted. "I will have the Clave convene tonight at eight o'clock. The Clave will decide what to do about Jonathan and the Adaire girl." Before Maryse could get another word out, the Inquisitor stomped out of the room.
"What's wrong?" Clary demanded. Suddenly a scream came from within the hut. Magnus swore. Then another scream was heard.
Clary started running toward the hut.
"Clary, no!" Magnus shouted after her.
A second later, the hut was replaced by a ball of fire. The explosion threw Clary off her feet and crashing to the ground. She hit her head on impact and all went dark.
Valentine leaned back in his chair. Before him on the desk was a large bowl of water. On the other side of the desk stood Magnus Bane with his long, spindly fingers dipped into the water. Magnus stared intently into the bowl of water. The surface of the water shimmered. Valentine leaned forward and peered into the bowl.
"Hmm," he mused. "That's the Clave's guest house."
"Yes," Magnus muttered.
"I will have the Clave convene tonight at eight o'clock. The Clave will decide what to do about Jonathan and the Adaire girl," said the Inquisitor's voice distantly.
Valentine smiled. The image on the surface of the water focused on the concerned expression of a young man with dark hair and blue eyes. Valentine glanced up at Magnus.
"You don't have to worry," Valentine reassured. "Continue cooperating with me, and your precious Alec won't be harmed."
Magnus nodded stiffly.
"Also, Magnus, thank you for bringing my daughter," Valentine said, nodding toward an unconscious Clary laying on the couch. "You're quite clever."
Magnus nodded again.
Suddenly, the door of Valentine's study opened and a young man with blonde hair shuffled in. His blue eyes were dull and tired.
"You wanted to see me, Master," the young man mumbled.
"Yes, clean yourself up. Everything will go as we discussed," Valentine announced. "The Clave meets tonight."