Hey everybody. Who's read City of Heavenly Fire yet? It was an awesome ending (my personal opinion) to an amazing series (also my personal opinion) and hopefully we get to revisit our favourite Mortal Instruments characters in the Dark Artifices (this is somewhat speculative). Seriously, Cassandra Clare knows how to draw her readers in (me, anyway). Anyway it is my privilege to use her work but sadly all the rights belong to her, as they also do to Yoko Tomio (anyone heard anything about the Matsumoto-Inoue rumour?) Here is the next instalment of Idris Academy. Please enjoy it :)
Chapter Thirteen: The After In Happily Ever After
"It's-an exact lookalike of Simon" whispered Jace and Simon laughed.
"It's really me".
"Oh' said Jace, smiling, 'it's really you-wait WHAT?"
Sebastian came forward and said
"You should at least given us a call".
"I wanted to surprise you guys" said Simon, shoving his hands his pockets, still grinning. He turned to Clary and said
How have you been?"
Clary opened and shut her mouth, still a little in shock and said
"I'm-fine".
Sebastian looked at her and said
"Are you blushing?"
"Absolutely not" said Clary, all flustered. Jace hurriedly stepped in front of Clary and pushed Simon in the shoulder.
"Hey, I'm great too. Really great".
Simon leant closer gazing at him and said
"You are all beat up. Did something happen?"
Jace stared at him before saying
"Yeah, you're right' he laughed, 'I can't believe you noticed".
Sebastian gazed at him and said
"Anyone would notice-wait, are you blushing to? Did some strip-o-gram happen that I wasn't aware of?"
"Shut up', snarled Jace, 'anyway I have some news".
"About the strip-o-gram?" said Sebastian innocently.
"You are a sex-obsessed pervert' said Alec, speaking for the first time, 'I seriously wonder about the way your brain is wired".
"At least I am not in denial' said Sebastian, 'I bet you wonder about how other parts of me are wired as well".
"The thought torments me every day" retorted Alec and Simon looked at them with some curiosity, like they were a mystery that he was yet to solve.
"ANYWAY' said Jace, putting his arm around Clary, 'Clary and I are going out now".
Clary stared at him hurriedly, he hadn't actually asked her. He had just assumed it after he had been beaten up for her. She was fairly certain she would accept. But he would damn well ask first. Simon looked at them and Jace said
"You could say these wounds are proof of our love".
"You are being melodramatic again" she hissed and Alec said
"I agree".
Simon grinned at them and said
"Do you wanna go celebrate?"
"Yeah' said Sebastian, heading forward, 'it's like a Shadowhunter reunion".
"Probably with strippers" muttered Alec and Sebastian rolled his eyes and said
"Is that all you ever think about?"
Alec struggled to formulate a sentence that was sarcastic enough until Jace cut in and said
"Yeah, let's go".
He turned to Clary and said
"You stay here. Don't cut class".
"I wasn't going to" said Clary brittlely but Jace didn't notice the tone. If he did, he ignored it. Simon turned back to her and said
"It's good to see you, Clarissa".
Clary grinned back at him and he left after Sebastian and Alec. Jace turned to leave before turning back again. He pulled something out of his pocket, a piece of paper and said brusquely
"Here. Put this in your phone".
"Huh?" said Clary, unfolding her arms and he rolled his eyes, like she was stupid.
"It's my private number. It's for "our" personal use".
Clary gazed at it and muttered
"Brilliant. Now I feel like one of Sebastian's fantasy strippers".
"Come on' said Magnus, 'it was meant as a loving gesture".
Clary scoffed and said
"I have no doubt he meant it to be kind but he also did it...as if I was his territory that needed to be marked".
"That analogy was not needed' said Magnus, 'anyway what's your problem? He's totally into you".
Clary sat up on the bench and said
"That's not the problem. The problem is...he somehow needs to prove himself constantly to his mother-his friends-his classmates. He acts like I should be grateful and accepting that we are going out".
"So' said Magnus, 'why don't you tell him to buzz off? It's not like you can't. You could always punch him in the face".
Clary bit her lip, unconsciously twirling her hair around her finger and said slowly
"Because-I do like him. A lot. He is the first guy I have liked-in this way".
"He's the first guy to get himself beaten up for you' said Magnus contemplatively, 'then again-you've never needed a guy to protect you. You are also probably the first girl to beat him up".
"No' said Clary, 'his sister".
"His sister' said Magnus, 'I like her. I feel we'd get along".
"You think anyone with good fashion sense and plenty of cash to burn you can get along with".
"Alec fits that criteria' said Magnus, eying her, 'if I wasn't going out with someone else..."
"You'd consider him. I know' said Clary, 'you've pointed that out-several times".
"Ah' said Camille, 'torn between two lovers. A story of passion and a love triangle".
"Don't keep appearing like this' said Magnus hardly, 'we have been over this before. And did anyone ever tell you, you could make great movie trailers. Especially in the young adult section. In the space of exactly two sentences, my gentle suggestion that Alec is an ideal type has been turned into pure fantastical love".
Camille didn't appear to hear him, instead saying
"A man I once loved..was part of the mafia".
"Let me guess' he muttered, 'you were torn between Marlon Brando and Al Pacino".
Camille completely ignored him and said
"He was dangerous, selfish, egocentric and childish. Yet when it came to love, he was the most serious person around. I could have lived quite happily with a man like that. But then, a different man appeared. Stoic, watchful, almost scared of the life he had chosen. And he and I..well it was very different to the other man. But both of them brought me a different type of happiness. But they both killed each other in a duel, so I couldn't find that long searched for dream".
She wandered off and Magnus rolled his eyes, a little shell-shocked.
"Don't worry' said Clary, comfortingly, 'Alec and the other guy aren't going to have a fatal duel".
"It could have been about you' said Magnus, 'you and Simon had a spark once. Do you think that it could reignite? Is that what this sudden aversion to Jace is?"
"Don't be ridiculous' said Clary, 'it's just Simon-wouldn't push me into a relationship. So, fine. I am comparing him to Jace. I wish Jace could see that by forcing me to accept everything he does, it is lessening my desire to be with him".
"Yes' said Magnus, 'but then again Simon waited billions of years before pursuing a relationship. And we still don't know the outcome of it. Did he and Isabelle get together?"
Clary shrugged and said
"Jace didn't tell me anything".
"Well, well' said Magnus, 'I wonder if he came back to pursue you".
"What the hell?" said Clary, staring at her living room. Or what she could see. It was full of expensive furniture; couches, lamps, televisions, cushions, all looking like that were out of Buckingham Palace. Which meant the bill probably racked up to around the $10million dollar mark. As she gazed around the room, her mouth opened, she caught sight of her family playing a game of Cluedo.
"I think Reverend Green did it' said Luke, his voice lowering, 'at midday, in the garden with a jade hair pin".
Both Jonathan and Jocelyn stared at him in disgust and Jonathan said
"Reverend Green was destroyed by your table months ago. And the jade hair pin has already been eliminated. Seriously Dad, stay with the program".
"Um' said Clary, 'excuse me". She tried to push past a hall stand and ended up sidling along it to get to her family.
"He still exists in the game' said Luke, 'the game isn't psychic. It's not like it knows Rev Green was murdered".
"By your table" said Jonathan, emphasising the problem.
"HELLO?" said Clary, trying to get passed a gold Turkish lamp and Jocelyn said
"Oh hello, Clary, darling. Fancy a game?"
"That took you long enough' said Clary in disgust, 'by any chance was these sent by..."
"Jace" they all chorused and Clary pulled a face.
"Seriously. What's that moron thinking?"
"What do you mean moron?' said Luke, 'you should be grateful".
"Yeah, we can finally throw out Luke's table" said Jonathan and Luke shot him a be careful don't diss my table look.
"Why should I be grateful?' hissed Clary, 'we can't even live a normal life like this".
They all stared at her dolefully and suddenly her phone started ringing. She pulled it out of her pocket angrily and saw Jace's name had come up. She screwed up her face and answered the phone.
"I'm at the Pandemonium' said Jace, 'come over straight away".
"Don't be so full of yourself' she said, 'and what were you thinking sending all of this stuff over here?"
"Oh' he smirked, 'did it arrive?"
"You idiot' she said, 'do you know how small our place is?"
"Stop complaining' he said, 'come over now".
He hung up before she could yell at him and she swore at her phone.
"That moron" she hissed and turned back to her family.
"The furniture goes" she said and Luke said
"Can't we sell it and split the proceeds".
"The furniture GOES" she said again.
Clary was ushered up to the private end of the Pandemonium, where the four Shadowhunters were hanging out. She gazed around, Sebastian was making out, Alec was looking uncomfortable, Jace was
"You are LATE" he said.
"Oh sorry' she said, 'I had to squeeze past the rest of the furniture you inconveniently dumped in my house".
One of the girls sitting next to Jace said
"This is your girlfriend? No way".
Her tone was laughing and condescending as she sipped her champagne. Jace laughed and said
"Well yeah. This is my girlfriend".
Clary opened her mouth before the other one said
"No way. Why are you with this scrawny girl?"
Jace's expression changed and the other one laughed as well.
"She has absolutely no sex appeal. Why are you going out?".
Clary raised an eyebrow, you couldn't look sexy in a school uniform. And if this girl didn't shut up, she'd know what it was like to be thrown down several flights of stairs.
"It's none of your business' she said haughtily, 'you worn out hags".
This was a slight exaggeration but they were older.
"HUH?" they both said angrily but Jace burst out laughing.
"Well said, Clary' he turned to the other two and said, 'it's none of your business".
"Oh yeah" said one of them but they just got up and swanned passed Clary. They weren't game to mess with Jace Wayland. She raised an eyebrow when they had left and he shrugged.
"They are friends of my mother's. Not really worth my time but.."
"But you decided to have some fun whilst I wasn't there".
"Don't be stupid' said Jace, ' I didn't mean..."
"Of course not" she hissed and turned around again. Then she turned back and said
"Can you take the furniture back? I can't move for fear of being squashed by a million dollar piece of art".
She stormed off, angry that she was jealous and angry that Jace suddenly had all these expectations that he wanted her to fill and angry that he just assumed things about her. On the way out she crashed into someone and she pulled away.
"Sorry' she said, before realising it was Simon, 'oh. Hi".
"Hi' he said, not as flustered as she was, 'how have you been?"
"Fine. You know".
He smiled and said
"Yeah I do".
They were silent as they stood in the middle of the stairs that led from the private wing to the rest of the Pandemonium. Music was thumping, the walls vibrating and moving as people danced to the punk metal.
"So' shouted Simon, 'you and Jace? I never would have guessed it".
"Really?' she said loudly, 'how about you and Isabelle? How did it go in France?"
He was silent and said
"Hey, come here".
"What?" said Clary but he was already pulling her into an alcove, out of sight and much more quiet.
"Sorry' he said, 'it was too noisy".
"That's fine' said Clary, 'so how did you and Is.."
"Let's not talk about it" said Simon.
"Oh' said Clary, 'are you.."
"It's fine' said Simon, 'it's not what you think".
"Sorry?' said Clary confused, 'it's not what I think?".
He shrugged but didn't elaborate. They stood there in awkward silence before he said
"Jace is a good guy".
"I never said he wasn't".
"But you have reservations".
"No' said Clary slowly, 'just..."
"Fear. A desire to be accepted yet loved for your true self. Mixed feelings about how he acts".
Clary stared at him, he had expressed her feelings perfectly. He saw her expression and laughed
"Clary. Come on. We are friends, aren't we? I can tell that you want this relationship to work but at the same time...it's very different".
"Yeah?" said Clary.
"Yeah" said Simon and he went to say something else but Clary's phone was ringing. Jace's number came up and she went to press END.
"Don't' said Simon, 'listen to what he has to say. He does genuinely care about you, Clary. He just can't show it".
Clary sighed and her finger moved to ANSWER.
"Yes?" she said stiffly and Jace said in a relieved tone.
"Good, I thought you would ignore me".
"Mmmm" she said.
"Anyway' he said, 'I've moved all the furniture from your house to my house. There was some trouble getting your-father to part with a couch but it's all sorted now. When you want it, tell me".
"I don't think we shall ever want it" she said under her breath".
"What?" said Jace and she said
"Thank you. For listening".
He was silent before saying
"I do-want to make us work".
She didn't say anything and he said
"I do-like you, Clary. I like you a lot".
"I lo-thanks" she said and there was another long silence. Then he said
"Also if anything strange happens, gimme me a call, okay?"
"If anything strange happens?" she said, confused.
"Just do it...please do it' he corrected himself, 'it's important".
"Ok-ay" she said and he said
"Okay. Bye Clary. See you tomorrow".
She hung up and Simon said
"Do you want me to take you home?"
She sighed and said tiredly
"Yes-please".
He grinned and said
"Good. Now we have more time to discuss those hag girls. How much of an age gap does there have to be until you can call them a hag and they feel insulted?"
Jace put down the phone and turned around. He was in the Pandemonium office, having needed a place for privacy. He sighed, his chest feeling constricted and tired. Then he turned around.
"Alright' he said, 'now what do you want?"
Imogen stared up at him, her eyes narrowed and said
"Answer my question. Is this relationship just a fling?"
Jace laughed, a hacking laugh and said
"And if it isn't?"
Imogen gave him a withering stare and said
"I won't let anything destroy this company. Not you. Not your sister. Not the stock market. And by god not some lowly commoner who has no self control, a violent temper and absolutely no connections whatsoever. I will DESTROY HER".