Chapter 1 Taken to New York
"Just relax mom! I'll be fine. Jonathan will be with me and your only a fire-message away." Clary tried to sooth her distraught mother. Jocelyn-like any mother would-was freaking out about her children leaving. Clary was a little nervous herself if she was honest, this was her first trip out of Idris. Of course it wasn't completely alone, her brother Jonathan would be joiner her there, but this was as close to collage as Clary would get. The experience warranted a little nerves.
"I know,but this is a sad day for me. Both of my children are leaving at the same time. What am I supposed to do with all of this free time?"
"Enjoy your second honeymoon with Dad. We will be fine."
"I know. I love you,sweetie. Have fun." Jocelyn gave Clary one last hug.
"I love you too, mom." Clary breathed in her mothers scent, committing it to memory, before she stepped through the portal.
Portaling has always been a relaxing experience for Clary. The feeling of being free, the flying affect it had on her, the soothing wish of the air around her. The sudden abruptness of reaching land wasn't enjoyed by Clary, though, it always ruined the high of portaling.
The old church Clary landed in front of didn't look like any institute she had ever seen in the pictures, she worried she ended up in the wrong place, this place looked as if it had been vacant for years. Suddenly, the church shimmered and changed to a castle looking building, an institute.
Just inside the chapel was a group of people -all shadowhunters- chatter quietly. Clary could pick out the Lightwoods easily, even if she hadn't seen a picture of them before. They all had the dark hair and demanding air to them. Clary was so busy studying the other people around that she didn't notice her brother rushing toward her until she was in his bear hug.
"By the angel, Clary, what took you so long. I was so worried." Jonathan asked slightly breathless.
"I was left to care for our frantic mother, sorry if I didn't calm her in a timely manner." Clary let her voice drip with sarcasm, expressing her irritation at being treated like a child. They hadn't even gotten settled yet!
"Sorry," Jonathan backed away quickly. "But you know I'm not good with tears. And Dad told me to look after you, I take my assignments very seriously." Clary just rolled her eyes at her crazy brother. He always took everything their father said at face value,never sparing any detail, following instructions to a tee. It drove Clary crazy because he was ten times worse when he is given order regarding his baby sister.
"Anyway, Clary this is Mayrse Lightwood, she runs this institute." the oldest of all the shadowhunters stepped forward, giving Clary a firm hand shake and a polite "nice to meet you". Introductions went on in this fashion until Clary had met almost everyone. There were four other teens there for the demon course and the Lightwood children. Sebastian Verlac, Isabelle and Alec lightwood, Aline Penhallow, Helen Blackthorn, and Simon Lewis. All- accepting the Lightwoods- inexperienced but trained shadowhunters.
"Wait, has anyone seen Jace?" Mayrse asked suddenly, searching the room.
"Who's Jace?" Clary asked
"My recently adopted son, he promised to help with the course...the training room!" Mayrse exclaimed, making everyone jump. "Follow me, everyone. You have to meet your trainer."
Everyone took the stairs up to the training room, finding a shirtless Jace twirling a sword in the middle of the room. His back was to them, and with soundless approach shadowhunters posses it shocked everyone that he addressed them without anyone saying anything
"Finally, I started to get the feeling you forgot about me." Jace turned slowly, his perfectly sculpted body was bathed in gold light, making Clary flush and light pink, she had never seen a man that she wasn't related to shirtless. "I'm Jace, you can call me Mr. Herondale. I will be training all of you to fight a demon, and I don't hold back so be prepared."
Clary could only imagine the way his slim body would move in a fight, fast and sleek. she flushed deeper at the thought.
"One tip though, ladies, don't fall in love with me. It may be hard, as I am stunningly attractive, but I think you can mange." Jace winked and Clary giggled in spite herself. "That will be all." Jace turned and went back to training with his sword, effectively dismissing the group.
"Great speech Jace," Mayrse rolled her eyes at her son, she didn't really care for his cocky attitude. "Isabelle and Alec will show you all to your rooms." Everyone followed Isabelle and Alec to the room assigned to them.
Later that night, Clary was settled into her new room and relaxing with a drawling when her brother came in. Jonathan came and sat on the end of Clary's bed, laid out at the foot just like he used to do at home.
"Whats up, buttercup?" Jonathan joked with his sister, missing her smile.
"Nothing much, brother bear. It's just so weird not having mom here to help me. She was always my voice." Clary had been feeling homesick since Isabelle dropped her off at her room. She missed her mother and father, they had always been there to help her get over her shyness.
"I know,but at least I'm here. I can help you make friends, I already made friends with Jace." Jonathan announced proudly. Clary flushed at the mention of the god of a trainer.
"He didn't seem all that friendly," Clary observed. "He seemed a little self absorbed."
"Naw, J is cool. He's confident and as a confident person I can respect it." Clary coughed "conceded" into her hand.
"Hey, I am not conceded. Having healthy self respect is something completely different." Jonathan reasoned.
"Whatever you say," Clary rolled her eyes.
A knock came at that door, halting conversation between Jonathan and Clary. Jace came into the room a second later, not waiting to be granted entrance. 'Speak of the devil,' Clary thought.
"We're all in the library, a sort of getting-to-know-you thing. Mom wanted me to get you guys." Jace gave no pleasantries, just got to the point. One anyone else Clary would have found the quality rude, but Jace made it work. Almost if you should expect it from him.
"We'll be there in a second." Jonathan said. Jace nodded then disappeared.
"Well, we can continue this later. Let's go." They left to the library, laughing and joking the whole way.
The library was ironically loud. The teenagers all talking over each other, relaxed and having fun.
"Okay," Isabelle yelled, quieting the room. "I say it's time for a game of 'never have I ever'." Everyone but Clary gave an approving shout
"there won't be any alcohol," Isabelle pouted. "But we can use shot glasses full of grape juice."
Each person was given 10 shot glasses full of grape juice, to make it easy to see the results as Isabelle put it.
"I'll start," Jonathan volunteered. "Never have I ever...had a crush on my friends mom."
Jace, Simon , and -surprisingly- Isabelle took a shot. Everyone looked at Isabelle as if she were crazy.
"What? I had a slight crush n my friend Jenifer's mom. She was so awesome, and she made the best cookies. I loved anyone that made awesome cookies when I was young." Isabelle explained
"My turn," Jace tried to change the subject, he felt weird that he and Isabelle had the crush as kids.
"Never have I ever...well there is not much that I haven't done. I've never done a nerd...or a redhead."
"Am I able to count myself in this one?" Clary asked. In certain view points she has done both in her bedroom alone.
"Ew, too much info sis." Jonathan complained.
"I dyed my hair red once, would that count?" Aline asked.
Jace considered this for a few seconds. "Yes, Clary you can count yourself on both descriptions and no, Aline it has to be a natural red." Jace figured that everyone has done a bottle red, so natural would lower the number of drinkers. Clary, Helen, and Jonathan all drank. Jace looked at Helen in surprise, he always though she was pitching for the other team.
"My shadow studies tutor was a ginger, he wasn't much older than me and we just fell into bed together." Helen shrugged.
"My turn," Simon declared. "never have I ever-"
"Done anything ever." Jace interrupted with a smirk. Simon just glared back and continued on like he was never interrupted.
"Never have I ever kissed a man." All the girls excepting Clary drank.
"I'm still a lip virgin. Kinda pathetic for a sixteen-year-old, but I cant really help that." Clary shrugged, Jace smirked , and Jonathan eyed him suspiciously. He liked Jace but he would not let him anywhere near his sister.
"I think it's Isabelle's turn." Clary said.
The game continued in the same slightly awkward but all around funny way. It was all fun...until Isabelle changed the game.
"We are going to play the fun version of truth or dare. It's called who dares, wins."
"What's the difference?" Simon questioned.
"There is no truth option, only dares and the person with the most dares completed at the end gets whatever they want."
"Well, I'm out. I guess I'll just keep score." Aline said. Helen also backed out, saying she didn't like how unsafe this game made her feel.
"Let's get this game started off right, everyone must drink till comfortably buzzed." Isabelle pulled out a bottle of vodka, putting some in all ten of the shot glasses in front of each player.
"Bottoms up," Isabelle cheered. Clary drank all ten in quick succession, getting more than comfortably buzzed. The rest of the night was seen in darkness.