Even though she was instructed to take it easy for a week, by the second day, Clary was already back at it in the training room. She would come earlier than anyone, even Jace who was always the first one training, so she would have a chance to change before anyone would notice. She felt like she was falling behind on her fighting skills, which she hated. However, even with a bad ankle, she was years ahead of her classmates.
After showering and redrawing the iratze hopefully for the last time, she made her way to the cafeteria and sat down with the people that had become her group of friends. Izzy and Jace had clearly been training from the sweat shinning on their foreheads. Alec was missing however. As an 8th year, Alec had field missions from time to time, and his absence made the others believe he was probably hunting demons somewhere in the world.
The day was slow, excruciatingly slow. All she could think about was convincing Jace she was okay to train with him again. It hadn't been a week, but her ankle wasn't hurting. Well, it wasn't hurting that much. It really got to her when she watched battle training again. Hodge had allowed her to work on some simple skills and conditioning, but it wasn't the same as actually fighting someone.
"Jace!" She half ran down the hallway when she spotted the blonde head. "I was thinking maybe we could start training again tomorrow. I'm feeling a ton better. I really am..."
"Fortnight is looking for you" he interrupted knowing that the other conversation could wait.
"What?" She shook her head.
"I just saw him speaking with Emberbeam" he looked down for half a second, "about you".
"Crap" Clary started walking away and Jace followed, "I need to leave". They made their way to a more secluded part of the building.
"Clary wait!" He called, but she wasn't stopping. "Clary!" He finally got a hold of her arm and pulled her back forcing her to stop. Luckily the hall was completely empty except for the pair. "Why is this a bad thing? Did you do something wrong..."
"No Jace" she barked back a little harsher than she should have, "I haven't done anything wrong. It's just...". She wasn't sure what she should say. It wasn't a topic she like discussing with anyone, not even Sebastian. "The investigation from the night... that night... is being reopened".
"Wait" he shook his head, "I though they had ruled everything out as an accident".
"They did" she sighed.
"Then why are they looking into it again?" he didn't understand why they wanted to talk to her.
"To make my life a living hell maybe?" Her forehead tightened into a frown, "I don't know, but I spent almost two years stuck in the council room with clave members questioning me again and again about that night.
A few students started making their way down the hall, so she began walking again, not knowing where she was going. Jace followed again afraid she would portal out again like Emberbeam said.
"What I don't understand is why they need?" He trailed behind her.
"Because they think I am not telling them the whole truth" she doesn't even turn back to talk to him
"But you did didn't you?" Now he understood why it's such a big deal
"Not really" she admitted for the first time. She couldn't believe she had said that out loud, but there was something about Jace that made her feel safe.
"How did you...?" He tried asking but just as they round a corner Clary's small body slammed into Fortnight's large one. That was it, there's no where to go from here.
"Ah" he said and Clary rolled her eyes, "Clarissa. I was just coming to find you".
"I told you I am not going to the council again" she spat back spitefully.
"Unfortunately you are required by law to present yourself in front of the council Ms. Morgenstern" they stared at each other for a few seconds waiting for Clary to answer. "The law is hard..."
"But it's the law" Clary finishes for consul, "I've heard the phrase enough for a lifetime". She took a deep breath before nodding and following Consul Fortnight out of the building.
Emberbeam stared at Jace sternly as he watched Clary walk away. He couldn't move, or say anything. If she wasn't telling the truth, the soul sword would have hurt her? Wouldn't it?
It had been over two years since she had been in the presence of the Clave. It felt different. She was older and wiser now, the room suddenly felt smaller and the questions simpler, but the situation was just as intimidating. She hoped maybe her family would be here, but just as before they were nowhere to be seen. She didn't blame them though. The Clave probably wouldn't let them in anyway.
"Clarissa Morgenstern" an older woman who hadn't been at the interrogations before stood out from the crowd as she spoke. Her hair was light to begin with, but clearly turning grey, and her eyes, a blue so deep it felt like she was staring into the deepest end of the sea. Inquisitor Stoneback. "Daughter of Valentine Morgenstern and Jocelyn Fairchild. 6th year at The Academy. In question for the Valentine Morgenstern case".
"Here we go" Clary said to herself. At least there wasn't the soul sword.
"How old are you Clarissa?" She started out with the obvious.
"16" she couldn't help but roll her eyes. She already knew these questions by heart. "My brother's name is Sebastian. I have a little sister named Valentina. I used to go to the New York Institute before transferring to The Academy, per your request, and yes, I was there that night as you all already know". She sighed annoyed as she looked at the woman's surprised expression. "Can we please get on with the real questions?"
"Could you please explain how you found yourself in that predicament the night that...?" Stoneback began after clearing her throat.
"I followed my dad because I didn't want to be home" she interrupted not wanting to here the end of the question, "I didn't know what he was going to do, I just followed him". She sucked on her teeth before saying "as you already know" a little lower.
"Why didn't you want to be home that night?" She continued with her questions.
"My parents had been fighting again" Clary nodded as if it were nothing, "and I thought that my dad was leaving, so I followed him".
"But he wasn't leaving?" Stoneback raised her eyebrow.
"No..." Clary shook her head trying not to remember as she had done for the past couple of years, "he was tracking something"
"Did you see what he was tracking before...?" Clary knew how that question ended, and the didn't want to hear it.
"Look" Clary shook her head standing up and throwing her hands in the air, "you already have all these answers. Everything I told you back then is still the same. Nothing has changed".
"I am sure that's true" Stoneback tried keeping her voice calm, "but this is protocol Clarissa, there's new evidence..."
"Evidence?" Clary couldn't believe it, "what more evidence could you need? I saw it all. It was just a night mission that turned into a catastrophe. What more is there to say?".
"We need you to..." Fortnight wanted to help, but Clary had had enough.
"No!" She held her hand up cautiously towards Fortnight, "if you want to keep looking into a dead end, be my guest, but don't bring me into this. All the answers I have are in that file". She started walking towards the door, "if you need anything don't bother calling".
"Did you see him die?" the Inquisitor spoke again just as Clary was about to step out of the room, which made her suddenly stop. "One more question Ms. Morgenstern. Did you see him die?"
The last time she had been asked the question, she was in the presence of the mortal sword. All the memories came flooding back. The tingling that turned into pain from the presence of the sword. She wanted to say yes, she did see him, but that wasn't the whole truth. She had heard how painful the soul sword was if she lied, but she had to do it. So she said yes, and to her surprise it was bearable. The stories she had heard described a pain so horrible that culprits would rather die than lie. Erasing the thought from her mind she confidently managed to answer "Yes" before continuing to make her way out.
She wasn't going to run away. They would just find her and make her go back to The Academy anyway, so instead she found an empty hall, the Clave knew about her powers since the accident, but she didn't like using them in front of people, and portaled to Morgenstern Manor on the outskirts of Alicante.
The manor had been her home for almost 12 years, but she hadn't been there since they moved in with Luke in New York. The house was a little dustier but basically the same as she made her way down the intricate hallways she knew by heart. This was her home, but it had never felt so unfamiliar and uncomfortable. It wasn't home anymore.
She walked into her old room realizing how much stuff she had left behind. Not that she missed it. The clothes wouldn't fit, and it all felt so juvenile to her now. She traced her hand over the old sketches and paintings that covered most of the walls. She hadn't sketched or painted since that night. Her mother always got her new pens and brushes, but it just didn't feel the same. The only thing she took with her was a photo of her, her brother, and her dad when she was about 7 years old.
It didn't take long before it was time to go, not because she had curfew or anything, but because being there felt exhausting. Just as she was ready to get out of there, the front door opened. She quickly slid into the pantry as two mysterious men walked into the kitchen.
"Do you really think ...?" One of them said.
"I'm not sure" she recognized Fortnight's voice almost immediately, "but it sure as hell seems like it".
"How can someone just come back from the dead?" The other one leaned against the counter.
"The guy gave his daughter angelic powers" Fortnight reasoned, "who knows what else he could do?"'
"True" the other Shadowhunters began walking, but Fortnight stopped him.
"Hey" he warned, "we do not speak a word of this. For all we know he's dead and this is just a false lead". Clary gasped slightly, and Fortnight shifted his gaze towards the pantry. She cursed at herself for that amateur move. Fortunately, he didn't think much of the soft gasp. "Let's go. There's probably nothing here" Fortnight commanded before leading the way out.
Jace was a nervous day for the rest of the day. Even during training, which was undoubtedly his favorite period. He felt so ashamed of his performance that instead of staying for the next class, he just went to see if Clary was back. It wasn't like him to be worried about some girl, but this was different.
He knocked a few times, but when he didn't hear an answer he just walked in since the door wasn't locked. Clary had been inside for almost an hour now, but she couldn't stop pacing back and forth from her bed to Izzy's. There was just too much on her mind.
"How'd it go?" Jace interrupted her and she jumped a little surprised.
"It's been worse" she sighed.
"Did they use the soul sword?" He worried.
"No" she shook her head, "but I did yell at the Inquisitor and walk out".
"How did you lie in front of the soul sword?" He had been meaning to ask her this all day. It had been killing him.
"Can we not talk about this here?" she whispered as if someone was spying on them. The dinner bell went off and they both stared at each other. He wanted to give her space, but he didn't want to leave her alone either.
"Come on" he held up his hand, "I know somewhere we can be alone".
She grabbed his hand after hesitating a little before he pulled her out of the room.