Disclaimer: Still don't own anything, Cassandra Clare does.

City of Jewels

--- 5. The Soul Source ---

Clary could hear a second set of footsteps creeping toward the altar and she noticed Maryse's eyes light up as if she were happy to see someone, Clary couldn't make out what it was or who it was but suddenly the paces were silent and a figure was standing in the shadows.

"What do you want to do with the Mortal Cup?" A deep voice said in the distance.

"I think we should leave it here, it's not like anybody will find it hidden in this place." Maryse said softly.

"I'll inform the Penhallow's that the Cup is safe" The voice said as he slipped the hood off his head.

"Let's just hope they have got The Sword in safe keeping." Maryse said as she traced the cup with her pale fingers.

Clary could see the figure come in to view dressed in a black cape similar to what Maryse was wearing. It was a man that was familiar to her; another shock escaped Clary's mouth, it was Maryse's husband Robert Lightwood. Clary couldn't help but wonder why both of the Lightwood's were here. Why are they safe guarding The Mortal Instruments? She thought.

"The Clave is in recess, they're waiting on us." Robert said lightly.

"Very well then, we shall be on our way" Maryse said as she placed her hood back over her head.

Clary could hear their footsteps retrieving and her nerves settled; she cleared the glamour she was hiding behind and gazed around making sure no-one else saw her. She started looking around the cave; she didn't even know what she was looking for but the sudden curiosity washed over her mind and she wanted to explore. She caught a glimpse of a shadow slither past on the rock face, it startled her and then it disappeared. Her pulse started racing, and a cold chill crawled up her spine. She was alone; if it wasn't for the shimmering lights from the crystals she would've thought this place looked creepy. I wish Jace was here she thought.

She heard a high pitch tone shrieking behind her and she drew her stele out and twisted around. A tall figure stood before her and it almost looked somewhat like a human covered in a long black cape, although Clary could see right through the dark cloud of the demon, and its yellow eyes hiding in a shadow of the hood. It was the demon she had been talking to before in one silent move it slid across the room swiftly toward her.

Clary had all these questions piling up in her head but she couldn't get them out in a single sentence especially the way her nerves took a toll on her, instead she spat random questions at it. "What do you want from me?" Clary asked nervously and found her self pacing backwards.

The demon hovered in front of her, he was close enough to touch her and then it spoke.

"It is not what I want from you, it's what your father wants from you" the demon hissed.

Clary creased her eyebrows together then managed to choke, "You mean Valentine?" asked Clary "That's ridiculous, you're just as crazy as the rest of them" Clary said suddenly furious "Valentine is dead!" she finished.

"Yes that may be" the demon said and cocked its head to the side, "but not for long" hissed the demon and it created an evil grin on its face.

Clary didn't know what he meant by that but the way he said it made Clary shiver.

"Okay so, why am I here? And don't lie to me" Clary demanded.

"You are here for the Mortal Cup I presume" the demon hissed playfully.

Clary ignored it and wanted to know more "Who are you anyway?" Clary asked.

"I am Lucifix the sixth commander and we are The Soul Source" The demon shrieked.

"What the hell is The Soul Source?" Clary asked.

"That will be our circle" Lucifix shrieked and gestured around the room.

The room suddenly piled up with more of the black shadows and Clary couldn't help but stare. The awful sound of their pitch shrieking through the cave echoed and pierced Clary's ear drums, she covered her ears as hard as she could shutting her eyes as if by reflex. Clary took a second to recover, slowly she opened her eyes and realized that they had formed a circle around her and she was stuck in the middle. Clary could barely hear what they were saying; it was low with evil hissing it almost sounded like chanting. Clary started panting, she stared around the room and it looked like the room was spinning and dizziness washed over her mind, her eyes rolled back showing all whites and suddenly she was on the ground shaking out of control and then her eyes shut. White foam seeped out of the corners of her mouth and she could hear the chanting fade away and darkness fell. Moments later she was lying paralyzed on the ground like a stiff board as if she was lying asleep in a coffin, then suddenly her eyelids started twitching and her eyes came into view. Clary's eyes weren't the same color green that she once wore, but instead they were as black as night, like the demon itself.

She rose to her feet and perched her back like a cat would do to stretch. Then she inhaled a huge amount of air as if she hadn't smelt air for years, she created a grin on her face, almost as evil as her own fathers grin when he accomplished something. She gazed around the cave at the black shadows that hovered in a circle around her; one by one they bent over to worship her as if she were their new born leader. She made her way to the altar and rested her eyes on the cup; she traced her middle finger around the rim of the cup and smiled. "I have the Mortal cup now all I need is the sword and I shall begin my victory" Clary murmured.

Lucifix broke out of the circle and crawled to her feet. "Master, we know where to find the sword" Lucifix hissed.

"Well what are you waiting for you imbecile, go and get it" Clary demanded.

"But master, we cannot get past the wards" Lucifix shrieked.

"Oh for hells sake, do I have to do everything myself" Clary suddenly furious. "I'll be back by midnight, try not to lose the cup while I'm gone" Clary finished.

"Yes master" Lucifix said as he bowed.

Clary made her way through the narrow walls of the cave, it was like walking through a labyrinth, the light from the crystals were fading as she disappeared farther into the cave. Clary pulled out her rune and held it out in front of her, the faint light glowing out of her hands made the cave light up once again. It was a long walk to get to where she wanted to go, she thought that creating a portal would've been more efficient but then The Clave would've known and she didn't have time for any interruptions. Suddenly she came to a halt and there was nowhere to go, just the wall of the cave standing right in front of her. She wondered if this was a glamour hiding a door. She tested it peeling the glamour off one by one carving layers of rock out of the way, instead of a door she noticed a ray of light coming from above of her head and a ladder appeared out of the wall leading up to it. She reached up for the ladder and climbed her way out of it. She realized she was peeping out of a man hole, and The Hall of Accords right in front of her, how convenient she thought. Clary saw an old woman walking by and she hid behind a pillar. She didn't have much time to waste she had to find the sword before midnight so she could begin the ceremony.

She arrived at the Penhallow's house and she created her evil grin once again. The familiar indigo blue house stood out like a sharp nail although it was only noticeable to her because of her artistic eyes. She lifted the heavy door knocker and in one silent move it slammed against the door making it echo through to the other side, a few seconds later the door opened. Clary saw a small woman standing before her; she could tell that she had to be an Asian the way her eyes slit at each corner and the beautiful red and gold kimono she was wearing gave it away. She looked like someone she had seen before, her eyes were somewhat familiar, and then Aline Penhallow's image came to mind, this must be Aline's mother she thought.

"Can I help you?" the lady said in a soft voice with an accent.

"Yes I certainly hope so, I was wondering if Aline Penhallow was home" Clary asked politely.

"And who are you?" The woman asked curiously.

"Fray—Clarissa Fray" she said as she held out her hand in front of her. The woman ignored the gesture and Clary threw her hand back to her side.

"I don't think we have met" The woman said in a dry tone.

"Jocelyn Fr—Fairchild is my mother and I am a friend of Alines" Clary finished although Aline was not a friend of hers; she used it as an excuse to get into the house.

The woman looked bemused, Clary found herself fidgeting with her duffel bag, and she guessed that the woman knew she was lying.

"Oh right you look just like Jocelyn," The woman smiled and then said "—unfortunately Aline isn't here at the moment, in fact she'll be staying at the New York Institute for a few weeks" the woman said.

"Oh" Clary was surprised she didn't see that one coming.

"Surely Alexander must have told you" she said

"Yes I must've forgotten" Clary replied, her expression looked a bit disappointed. She couldn't help but feel a little envious that Aline Penhallow will be living under the same roof as Jace, but she wasn't worried, Jace isn't her type Aline once told her.

"You look terrible," The woman said as she scanned Clary's clothes, "why don't you come in for a cup of tea?" The woman beckoned for her to go inside with a smile on her face.

Clary gazed down at her clothes, they were filthy and ripped to shreds and she did look terrible then she smiled "Thanks" Clary managed to say.

Mrs. Penhallow took Clary's jacket and hung it up on the peg next to the door, Clary stared around the room with her new dark eyes, she was seeking the sword; after all it was hidden in this place for safe keeping. She followed Mrs. Penhallow to the kitchen. Clary watched her prepare a plate of refreshments; she placed it on the table with biscuits and sandwiches laid out on a fancy silver dish with a tea pot sitting in the middle of it. Although Clary hadn't eaten in days she wasn't hungry for anything, she had a new appetite, an appetite for revenge and victory was all that was on her mind. Clary broke out of her reverie. Mrs. Penhallow poured tea into a cup and placed it in front of Clary and one for herself as she settled into a chair.

"So what brings you to Idris? Besides the fact that you were looking for my daughter" Mrs. Penhallow asked.

Clary was taken off guard, she hadn't thought this right through, she couldn't say what she really was doing here in the Glass City but she had to think of something, and fast.

"I—I was looking for my mother's old manor where she grew up; and I wanted to know her history." Clary lied while sipping on her tea.

"Did your mother never tell you her history?" Mrs. Penhallow asked while she nibbled on a sandwich.

"Yeah I just wanted to see for myself I guess" Clary finished.

"You should eat something" Mrs. Penhallow stated while handing her the silver dish. Clary took a piece of bread and forced it down her throat just to shut the woman up.

"So why were you looking for Aline?" Mrs. Penhallow asked curiously.

"Um—I was going to invite her to—my housewarming" Clary said as if she were trying real hard to think of a stupid reason to why she wanted to see Aline.

"Oh that's thoughtful of you, I'll bet you she would love to go" Mrs. Penhallow said kindly. Clary just smiled back at her and took another sip of her tea she found herself getting a bit frustrated at pretending to make small talk to the unbelievably annoying woman.

"Right, you must want to go and freshen up," Mrs. Penhallow reminded herself "I'll go fetch you some of Aline's clothes, you look the same size as her" Mrs. Penhallow finished.

Clary watched her disappear up the stairs, this was Clary's opportunity to go looking for the sword; she threw what was left of her sandwich on to the table and darted toward the hallway. It was just like the Institute back in New York although a bit more fancier, but it was still easier to get around as if it were her own house. She found a staircase winding down to what could be a cellar or basement. The stairs were pitch-black and by the looks of things it was a perfect place to hide something away especially something as sacred as the Mortal Sword. She pulled out her rune making the witch light gloom out of her hands and she pointed it toward her. Clary made her way gingerly down toward the end of the staircase winding around and around until she came to a halt. Clary noticed the room was in fact a wine cellar, and on the floor next to the staircase was a silver bolt. She removed the rug that was covering part of it and noticed that the wooden floor had a faint line framed like a square so she knew it had to be some kind of door. She took her stele out of her duffel bag and traced the bolt with an unlocking rune Jace had taught her. A slight click and the bolt broke off, and then she opened the trap door slowly making a light creaky noise. There was something shimmering at the bottom Clary couldn't make out what it was. There was a ladder leading down to it so she climbed down toward the unknown object. Clary was star struck her eyes widened with astonishment as she saw a dark black velvet cloth wrapped around an object which had a faint glint streaming through the gap of the cloth, she unraveled the cloth and she realized the object was a scabbard with a dragon designed on top of it, she smiled slyly and slid the sword out of its sheath. It was The Mortal Sword. "Finders keepers, loser's weepers" She murmured.

She heard a noise coming from upstairs and she slipped the sword back into its sheath and stuffed it in her duffel bag, it stuck out like a sore thumb so she squashed it in and made room for it making her duffel bag heavier than what it was. She ran up the staircase and made her way toward the kitchen forgetting which way she came from. Mrs. Penhallow appeared right behind her and startled her. "What are you doing down here?" She asked.

Clary hugged her duffel bag closer to her and thought of something quick "I was looking for the bathroom and I got lost" Clary said nervously.

"Here you go" the woman said as she handed some fresh clothes to Clary, "and the bathroom is that way" Mrs. Penhallow said pointing in the opposite direction.

Clary washed her face and changed into Aline's clothes, she shrugged on black jeans and a white blouse hugging her waist perfectly. She brushed her flaming red curls and tied it back into a ponytail, she felt refreshed already. Dark circles became visible under her eyes showing signs of sleep deprivation. She gazed in to the mirror curiously and black eyes stared back at her and she creased her eyebrows together, this was the first time she had noticed her eyes weren't the same color green. She moved closer toward the mirror and she saw right through her soul or what she thought was her soul, and then she seen an image stain the mirror. An instant jolt pierced through Clary's body, Valentine's image was staring back at her with a sly grin on his face and then suddenly the image of his grin forced the mirror to crack, and it fell making a loud crash as it shattered to the floor. She cut herself on the basin where bits of glass had scattered all over it as she tried to catch herself from falling. She mumbled something incoherently as she stared at her wounded hands; blood seeped out the creases of her palms and shards of glass stuck in between.

Clary was startled by the knock at the door. "Is everything all right in there?" Mrs. Penhallow asked behind the door.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a minute!" Clary yelled.

Clary made sure not to stain the blouse with her blood, but it was dripping out like a tap, she plucked out the loose shards of glass from her palms and reached for her duffel bag staining the inside of it while she rummaged for her stele, she traced a healing rune on both hands and the blood slowly faded to a scar.

Clary couldn't take it anymore she had to get out of there; she looked for an escape route and found one out the window. She noticed a fire escape leading down the side of the house. It was a long way to the bottom but she didn't care.

She disappeared out the window climbing down the ladder and landed gracefully in a rose bush. It was the blue hour just after twilight and she hurried along the streets of Idris toward The Hall of Accords.

There were no adults lurking around the city so she knew she wouldn't get caught, just the old people and children making their way home. Clary made sure to hide in the shadows just in case because she didn't want to draw any attention to herself.

She could hear faint murmurs inside the walls of the hall and she remembered that The Clave must be in session. Clary heard a person creep up behind her and she froze at the ring of her name.

"Clary is that you?" A familiar voice said behind her.

A/N:

"What the hell are your parents up to Iz?" Jace asks.

"sound of crickets*

"Clary...? Isabelle...?" Jace asks and whips his head around.

"They're not here Jace, they've gone to the bathroom," Author says.

"Fine, but this is all your fault you know!" Jace growled.

"Whatever, I didn't hold a gun to your head." Author says.

"No...you wrote this fucking script, same thing!" Jace muttered.