Disclaimer: I own nothing related to TMI - all Cassandra Clare
Jace In Exile
Chapter 5
Jace walked through the crowded street until he came to an abandoned side street on the left. He wasn't sure he was headed in the right direction anymore. He stopped to check his bearings and realized he must have dropped his cell phone during the altercation with Raphael.
"Are you freaking kidding me? I'm in the middle of Brooklyn, late at night without my cell phone, and no weapons," Jace muttered to himself.
He looked behind him and he couldn't see Brother Zachariah, but he knew he was there under heavy glamour. "Brother Zachariah do you have a cell phone hidden in that bed sheet getup of yours?"
Brother Zachariah kept his glamour but addressed Jace through his mind. "Mr. Wayland – Silent Brothers do not carry cell phones. We believe in the old ways of fire messages, but you are forbidden to use that form of communication."
"Some help you are Brother Z," Jace started walking in the direction of Simon's apartment. Maybe he could crash there until morning; warn Simon about Raphael, play a little Halo, and organize his thoughts.
First what was he going to do about Raphael? He's such a pain in the ass, always carrying a chip on his shoulder, like little man syndrome or something. He did have a lot of followers and power. I wonder what his story is? He was turned pretty young and seems to despise Shadowhunters more than other Downworlders. Whatever Raphael's past was, if Jace didn't get to Simon before Raphael did, Clary might not forgive him, ever.
Jace finally reached Simon's street. He looked up and saw the apartment light was on. Hopefully Simon was home and not playing with his band at some stupid gig. At least Simon could play his bass, Jace had heard him once and realized Simon was the only one in the band that actually had skills.
Jace took the stairs two at a time and slipped on the last step. Damn not having marks completely sucks. He's not graceful or quick on his feet without them. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, can't dwell on the crappy stuff right now.
He banged on the door, "Simon are you in there? Open up – it's Jace." He could hear someone walking toward the door.
The door opened and Jordan Kyle, Simon's roommate, was on the other side, "How's it hanging dude? Simon isn't home but you can come in and play some Halo with me bro."
Jace walked in the apartment and counted to five before he closed the door. He didn't want to slam the door on Brother Z. The Silent Brother saved his life tonight, so he owed him at least some courtesy.
Jordan landed on the couch and passed Jace a bag of chips. "So bro - what happened today at the sentencing? No one has called Simon all day. He got worried because Clary wasn't answering her cell, so he took off about an hour ago to track her down. I guess you showing up here is a good sign, right?"
Jace was amazed that Jordan didn't see through Brother Zachariah's glamour. He was a werewolf after all. It was weird glamour – like more potent for Downworlder's or something, Raphael and his gang didn't see him either until he dropped the glamour. He shook off the thought and started eating chips.
"The verdict was life altering. I'm sentenced to complete the Reversal of Ascension ritual, " Jace said with a chip in his mouth. Crumbs were falling all over his black t-shirt. Was he ever this messy? What the hell was going on with him?
Jordan paused the game and turned to face Jace, "What does that mean dude? Speak English not Angel."
"Basically, they strip me of my Shadowhunter marks. I live life as a mundane," Jace finally spoke his fate out loud.
Damn this day has sucked he thought. I didn't even get to plead my case in the Great Hall. It was like Imogen Herondale had it in for him. I know her son Stephen Herondale was killed when he was in the Circle with Valentine, but what was this lady's problem. She knew Jace wasn't Valentine's real son. Everyone knew he was Jace Wayland now. He even saved her life during the ship battle, but she didn't even acknowledge it.
Jordan finally spoke, "A mundane…what the hell? Can they even do this reversal thingy? How do they remove your marks? I thought they were like tattoos dude, you know permanent?"
"I don't know specifics, as far as I know it's only been performed once before. Supposedly happened a long, long time ago when the Shadowhunter asked to leave the fold. All I know is the Silent Brothers perform the ceremony, and even they are being really cautious. They gave me a week to get myself setup." Jace said, his voice faltering on the last part.
It just hit him how scared he was about this whole life-changing situation. What the hell was he going to do as a mundane? He didn't even know how to get a job, make money; live on his own. He only had seven days to figure all of this out.
Would Clary even be interested in him now? She'd be all Warrior Princess training as a Shadowhunter by day, and by night loving a worthless, jobless, poor mundane. Another thought Jace pushed back into his subconscious.
"Jordan, you have a job right?" Jace asked curiously.
"Yep, I'm a courier. I deliver packages all over the city. It's kind of fun because I get to meet all these interesting people working in high-rises and I'm outside on my own schedule. Why do you ask?"
"If I'm going be a mundane, I'm going to have to live like one, make money like one. I need a job."
"I can ask if the place where I work is hiring? The pay isn't awesome but it gets me what I need bro. I'm just a simpleton, not an Angel Boy like you," Jordan said jokingly.
"That would be cool…oh and Jordan remember not an Angel Boy much longer." Jace stopped stuffing his face with chips and grabbed a controller.
"So where is Simon? I really need to talk to him tonight." Jace said scanning the apartment. There might be room for one more for a little while he thought. He could crash on the couch.
"Like I said I think he went to Luke's to find Clary. He hadn't heard from anyone today, not even Isabelle, so he was worried. I told him to leave because he was driving me crazy with the worrying. I said, "Chill dude, meditate or something you're freaking me out." So he took off."
Jace heard someone putting a key in the door.
Simon walked in looking frustrated. "Geez, I can't get a hold of anyone to find out what went down at the sentencing, when I could've just got the info from the horse's mouth at my house."
"Are you calling me a horse dude? I'm much more attractive than a horse, maybe a stallion?" Jace said with a grin on his face that slipped into seriousness.
"Look I will fill you in on the sentencing later, we have bigger things to deal with. Did you run into Raphael tonight?" Jace asked.
"No – should I have seen that piece of crap when I was out? It's not like we are friends or anything. Why?" Simon didn't like where this conversation was going. Raphael was Simon's sire but he didn't particular love him like a father, in fact he loathed Raphael.
Jace started to talk really fast, so unlike him, more like Clary, "My sentencing is stripping my marks. I have seven days to get things in order to live as a mundane. Can't carry any Angel blades or a stele. Raphael ran into me in the city. He saw the scars on my neck," Jace looked over to make sure Jordan was playing his game again and not really listening to them talk.
Simon's eyes grew the size of saucers and he swore under his breath. "Ok…so you think he's put two and two together?"
"Yep, I'm not 100% positive, but he went from threatening to turn me into a vampire, to paying the "Daylighter" a visit, if Bro… hadn't been there," Jace mumbled the last part.
"Look we need to have a plan. I don't want Raphael getting to you, and I definitely don't want him to find me. I can only imagine what he would do to me if he does figure out the…well you know." Jace realized Jordan was playing the game but listening in on their conversation at the same time.
"Jace making plans, I always thought you were the kill first, ask questions later type." Simon said sarcastically.
"I don't know what or who I am right now Lewis. Let's just figure something out so Raphael doesn't kill you and Clary doesn't kill me."
"Wow – Wayland you know Clary thinks you walk on water. What the hell happened today at the sentencing?" Simon waited for Jace to tell him the details.
After Jace recapped the afternoon, including the hateful things he said to Clary, and the events of the evening, Simon whistled through his teeth. "Damn the Clave is tough. They really stick to the whole saying about the Law being hard and all."
"I guess so, but there were a lot of shocked faces in the Great Hall. The sentence was the harshest the Silent Brothers have seen the Clave serve to a Shadowhunter, let alone an underage Shadowhunter," Jace forgot he wasn't eighteen yet…wheels started turning but Raphael was the priority.
Jordan broke the silence, "Well Jace you should stay here with us for a while. You can sleep on the couch and I'll get an extra key made tomorrow. " He was putting a reminder in his phone and kept talking, "Plus if I can get you on at the courier place than you can help pay for rent. We could use a little more grocery money around this joint too."
Simon nodded he was okay with Jace crashing with them for a little while, but said "Where will Brother Zachariah sleep?"
Jordan's face was all squished up in confusion, "Who's Brother Zachariah?"
Jace exchanged looks with Simon and shook his head no. How could Simon see Brother Z but the other Downworlders were oblivious? Just weird.
"Oh Brother Zachariah is Jace's stuffed animal he sleeps with, Shadowhunter kids don't get teddy bears for when they are scared of the dark they get stuffed Silent Brothers," Simon said.
Jordan burst out laughing, "Damn Jace, Simon is busting your balls. A freaking stuffed animal, a Shadowhunter scared of the dark, I've heard it all now. I'm going to bed; have to work early. Later." Jordan left the room.
"So Jace, Clary knows you're here right? Does she know you have Brother Zachariah with you? Why do you have Brother Zachariah with you?" Simon looked at Brother Zachariah and acknowledged him with a head nod.
"No, she doesn't know I'm here or anything about the run in with Raphael. I haven't talked to her or seen her since the verdict. She may still be in Idris." A little part of Jace hoped she was still in Idris. She would be safer there than in the city right now with Raphael on the hunt for her best friend.
"She doesn't know the Silent Brothers gave me seven days to get my crap together. Brother Zachariah is part of the rules from the Silent Brothers, until they can perform the Reversal of Ascension ceremony. He's supposed to keep me in line, make sure I don't use seraph blades, a stele…all that," Jace was looking at Brother Zachariah with gratefulness, "I'm lucky he was with me tonight when we ran into Raphael, he saved my butt."
Simon was looking at Jace with new eyes. Did Jace just thank someone? Jace as a mundane – Simon couldn't fathom it. "Let's call Clary and fill her in. I'm pretty sure they are in town now. I saw Jocelyn getting out of Luke's truck."
AN - Jace's job search is going to be interesting and funny! I know I'm jumping around and pulling parts from all the books, i.e., Imogen Herondale is alive. I just wanted Jace to find out he was a Herondale a little differently than how the books rolled it out. Love to hear your feedback! Hope you enjoy this chapter. :)