Hey Readers – any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated. This is my first FanFiction piece and I need the feedback so I can improve. Be honest but please be gentle…. Thanks for reading and send me any ideas you have about what Jace can do as a mundane for money. I have some ideas but they seem to come from a leading man's real life.
Disclaimer: I own nothing in relation to The Mortal Instruments. Every idea is from Cassandra Clare's head.
Jace In Exile
Chapter 2
Clary could hear Jace's voice in her head, she was remembering their first afternoon together after finding out they weren't sister and brother. They packed a picnic lunch and decided to spend the afternoon in Central Park. The sky was clear blue without a cloud in sight, birds were chirping, children were playing Frisbee, and people were walking their dogs. It was a perfect afternoon and Jace exposed more raw feelings to Clary in that day than she ever expected.
"I wasn't the person he thought I was, he still saw me as a young boy, a helpless child, someone he was molding into a weapon. I idolized him because he was all I had ever known for a parent. The last thing I ever wanted to do was disappoint him." Jace explained. Clary was resting her head on Jace's arm; they were lying on a blanket, enjoying a day in the park. She felt so comfortable with him, like she'd known him her entire life. But it's rare for two people to experience this many life-threatening events in such a short period of time or even in a lifetime.
Jace adjusted his body so he was leaning on his elbow looking down into Clary's eyes. She still couldn't get over how beautiful he was, golden sun-kissed hair, Adonis like check bones, and the endearing chip in his tooth that showed only when he smiled. His eyes penetrated her soul when he looked at her now. "Valentine underestimated me, thinking I would side with him in this battle he's created. I agree the Clave is corrupt, but to wipe out the entire race of Shadowhunters to clear out the corruption and start again is absolutely absurd. Clary you know me, sometimes better than I know myself. Would I go dark to lead Valentine's army of sycophants and demons? You know that I'm a Shadowhunter to the core, and honor is the character trait I hold in the highest regard. Plus I would never want to disappoint… you."
Clary reached up and cupped Jace's face in her hand. "You are the most honorable person I've ever known. I know I put you through twenty questions about my father and your relationship with him, but I do believe you. I've never doubted you. I just needed to make sure you weren't doubting yourself."
Jace reached down and brushed his lips against Clary's, and then the kiss deepened, his hands were in her hair and his chest pressed against the side of her body. When he kissed her like this her blood sang and she felt a zing shoot through her heart. She knew this feeling was precious and something most don't experience in a lifetime. He had her soul, mind, heart, body – all of her being believed and loved Jace Wayland regardless of the man who raised him or the doubt others had in him.
They finally broke apart and Jace laid his head back on the blanket and closed his eyes. "I will never leave you Clary, never intentionally. You are a part of me, and now that we know the truth, that we are not siblings, I can't imagine life without you by my side. I love you Clary, every piece of me loves you, only you." He said those words Clary thought she would never hear from a boy let alone one that looked like Jace, loved like Jace, and had passion for protecting the greater good.
"Clary come back to us. Come on Clary open your eyes," she heard her mother's voice on the verge of hysteria. Clary felt strange arms around her and someone was wiping her face with a cool cloth. Her eyes fluttered open and there was a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. This was a bad dream she thought to herself. Jace is still here. He's just away right now. She knew she was lying to herself but it was the only thing keeping her from slipping into a coma-like state. Her mouth was dry and she wasn't sure if she still had a voice. She cleared her throat and a whisper came out "Where is he? Did the Clave just make Jace a mundane? What's happening to him?"
Alec answered her in a gentle voice. He was the person holding her and attempting to stand her up. "Jace was sent to the Silent City with Brother Zachariah to reverse his ascension. The process is lengthy and requires the use of the Mortal Sword to complete. Only one other Shadowhunter has been through the ceremony but he desired the change. The Silent Brothers don't know if the same procedure will work on an unwilling Shadowhunter, especially one as strong as Jace."
"Alec what does this mean? Could Jace die from the reversal? He is Nephilium and his blood is of the Angel. The change would make him dead inside, if he's not already. What are we going to do? We have to help him, get to him, don't let them do this to him!" said Clary. She was biting her lip as hard as she could. The pain was the only distraction keeping her sane.
"We can't interfere with the Silent Brother's ceremony Clary. They have direct orders from the Clave. He won't die, he's the strongest person I know, and that was before he fell in love with you. He won't give up if he knows you still exist in this world. I don't know what the reversal will do to him emotionally, but he won't take it in stride," Alec said and he sat her cautiously on the nearest bench.
They were still in the Hall of Accords but the crowd of people from earlier was gone. Clary looks from Alec to Izzy and then to her mother who had lines of worry all over her face. "Clary I love you more than anything in this world, but I'm worried you will try to follow Jace. You need to give him space, find your own way in the shadow world. This is all new to you and I'm sure the Clave has you under watchful eyes. You need to build trust with the Clave. They already are leery of you because you are Valentine's daughter. I'm sorry you are in this predicament, but these are the cards I dealt you" Jocelyn said with dismay. "The best way to move past this horrible situation is to work on yourself first. You can't help Jace if you are falling apart at the seams too. And Jace told you to move on, not to follow him."
Clary couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You want me to just forget about him? That's not happening. I love him. We are destined to be together. Mom you have no idea how we feel about each other. We are part of each other now, and losing Jace is like losing an arm. Mom I know you don't really like Jace so your logic is sound, but Alec he's your parabatai. I thought you would be the first one planning to stop this ceremony!"
Alec hung his head and slumped his shoulders in defeat. Izzy spoke up "Clary's right. Jace is also our brother. Alec we are Lightwoods, and we don't go down without a fight. We are not out of this fight! We will not give up on him. Jace needs us more now than ever. Clary may be the only mundane any of us have really befriended. She knows how to live in the mundane world, we don't and Jace certainly doesn't need to be alone, not now."
Suddenly, Clary realized their venue wasn't the best place to discuss breaking up the reversal of ascension ceremony. Her mother mention she was under watchful eyes, did her mother know something she didn't? Jocelyn wasn't part of the shadow world any longer; in fact they had to get special permission for her to attend the hearing today in Idris. Clary wanted to leave and get away from the awful feeling this place gave her. She stood up and marched out of the hall with the others following closely behind. She drew a stele from her pocket and opened a portal right outside the Great Hall. Her mother's mouth was agape, but the others just grasped hands and went through the portal. They trusted Clary completely, knowing she had a plan forming in her mind to rescue her true love and their brother.
The portal took them to the front of Magnus' building. Alec immediately ushered the group inside and up the stairs to Magnus' apartment. The Head Warlock of New York was dressed in sparkly bell-bottom jeans, a tie-dyed T-shirt, and bright red platform boots. His outfits always made Clary smile. He was not smiling back at her now, nor was he happy to see any of them except his boyfriend Alec. "Why are you here biscuit? I will not interfere with Clave business no matter of how much I like you and love Alec. The law is hard, but it is the law."
Clary looked around the apartment and felt like she stepped into a living room out of the 1970's. Magnus was lounging on a large comfy couch made of green velour with peace sign pillows, and multiple lava lamps lighting the room. There were beanbag chairs of various colors in front of the couch. Izzy sat in a fuchsia hot pink fuzzy one and Clary landed in the pleather blue one next to her. Jocelyn stood with arms crossed in front of her looking out of place among the group.
Clary exhaled, "I needed to portal us to a place away from watchful eyes." She glanced at in her mom's direction and continued. "We have to formulate a plan to rescue Jace from the Silent City before they reverse his ascension. Magnus' was the only place I know with wards in place to keep prying eyes and ear out. You don't have to help us but maybe you can share your knowledge of the other Shadowhunter who went through the reversal ceremony. You know so much about Shadowhunters, and you owe me for placing a block in my mind in the first place. I realize my mother asked you to do it, " Clary threw a frustrated glare at her mother "but I'm hoping you can share why the Shadowhunter wanted to have his marks removed and what the outcome of the ceremony was, did he survive?"