Hey guys !

Here's chapter 16. Sorry for the wait. I'm working on this stupid block^^ and I'm on holidays so I'll try to update more I promise.

Love ya all!

Lilly

Chapter Sixteen: Fail until you surrender

Marcus Garvey Park was unusually quiet, Jace noticed. There was no one but him and he didn't hear the traditional shouts and cries from neither Malcolm X Boulevard nor Madison Avenue. He was gently nestled on his bench with the trees surrounding him, hovering over him, casting long shadows of black leaves and branches over his back and arms. Jace allowed himself to relax which he had not done since he had put Clary in a plane for Idris two weeks ago. This was the longest he hadn't spoken to her in years. Even when they were just dating and he was in the middle of an op, there was always a time when he needed to hear her voice as if it were literally giving him strength.

He inhaled deeply, absentmindedly turning the USB key over in his hands, thinking about his next move. Reyna had left moments ago, and he had seen in the arch of her shoulders than the fact that she didn't possess Victoria anymore had lifted the heavy burden she had carry for the past twenty years. When she left, something told him that they would never see each other again.

Jace had a feeling that if Jules had sent Reyna all the way to Harlem it was because she didn't want him to give the key back just yet. Something at the office was wrong. Jace could tell. Jules usually followed protocol to the letter but not with this. What was going on?

He wasn't really sure what he was supposed to do with Victoria.

I have something that he wants, he thought. The only thing that could lure him out of hiding.

A smile perked up his lips. It was going to be easy. Lure him out and kill him. Jace froze. Should he kill him or bring him to the authorities? His first instinct was to end his life: less paperwork, less chances that Valentine would escape his custody and that way Jace could make sure he would never ever threaten Clary again. A nagging thought ran through his head. Could he do it?

A noise snapped him out of thoughts. He cocked his ear and heard it again. Like someone stepping on twigs. It seemed to come from the rose bushes. Without a sound, he stood up, his golden eyes peering at the green foliage. The ruffling stopped. He looked up at the long branches of a tree just above his head. The leaves weren't moving. No wind. Someone was there. He instinctively took out his knife. The sound of a rock hitting the iron gate of the park momentarily caught his attention. He frowned, and turned his head back to the bushes. A silhouette jump out, startling him, and run out of the park. Taken aback –mainly because she was a girl, and was not what he was expecting– Jace lost precious seconds before running after her.

She was short, with brown hair, a dress and high heels but she was fast. She raced down the deserted street, getting rid of her shoes without stopping. A cab was driving up the street and she launched herself in front of it. It nearly hit her but stopped. The driver shouted abruptly as she made her way inside the yellow vehicle. Jace sped up, he was almost there.

She seemed to shout an address and the driver sighed, before he slowly restarted his engine. Jace shouted at him but he didn't seem to hear. He was about to kick a streetlamp in frustration when he saw the mysterious woman taking her glasses off. Their eyes met and he could see fear, shyness and sorrow.

Jace's breath caught in his throat. She wasn't mysterious at all and it didn't matter what color were her eyes because he would know them anywhere.

She was his Clary.

xXx

Jonathan was pacing through the room like a caged lion. He needed to get out. Valentine had stormed off in the morning, leaving behind him a note commanding him to stay inside. Two weeks and he hadn't set foot outside. Two weeks that Jonathan had been stuck in the apartment alone with his thoughts of Jace and Clary –mostly Clary– and he couldn't take it any longer.

He despised himself for being so genuinely worried for her but he couldn't help it. He sighed, resting his head on the wall next to the window. He took a deep breath just as the doorbell rang. He crossed the living room in a few long steps and slammed the door open.

"Do you honestly believed you could keep me in here for–" The rest of his sentence was lost in his throat as his eyes lowered on the small frail frame of the intruder. Clary was looking up at him. He stretched his neck, looked left then right before his eyes settled back on the girl. He frowned. Her hair was brown and her eyes were blue. He quickly deduced that she was hiding from someone. A chill ran down his spine, she was probably hiding from him.

"I came here alone," Clary said and although it was tinted with fear, it seemed to sing to Jonathan. "Jace doesn't know I'm here." Jonathan flinched at the mention of his name but kept his face cool and his eyes on Clary's child-like features.

"And why is that?" He asked leaning against the door frame.

"Can I come in?" She asked and, without waiting for the answer she pushed past him into the apartment. He followed her inside, checking once again the hallways to make sure this wasn't a trap.

"He's not here," he heard Clary say and he spun around. "I told you, I came here alone."

"It doesn't mean that I shouldn't check," Jonathan smiled. "Reasonable precaution you would agree. Why aren't you wearing any shoes?"

Clary set her glasses and hotel keys on the kitchen counter. "Jace doesn't even know I'm in New York."

"How come? I thought the two of you were madly in love." He laughed in derision and sat down on the leather couch.

"We are," Clary stated, her cheeks flushing lightly. He bit down his lips. "He's the most important thing in my life." Jonathan's eyes seemed to darken sensibly, causing Clary to back up until her back hit the wall facing him. "That's why I'm here."

"Please, do enlighten me," Jonathan said, gesturing the seat in front of him.

She shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you. I– I want to negotiate."

"Negotiate?" Jonathan repeated, chuckling. "Negotiate what? What could you possibly have that me and my father would want?"

"Me," she whispered and he froze. "I'm not talking about your dad of course I– mean I– you said–" She took a deep breath and her shoulders humped in defeat. "I just want my friends and my family safe. I know that this is my fault and I'm ready to pay the price for my mistakes."

"You think meeting me was a mistake?"

"I –at first I didn't, but obviously it was," she said and staring in his cold dark eyes she continued. "Some of my baby sister's friends were killed because of you! She will probably be scarred for life, my friends are million miles away and my husband has tried to ship me off so he could protect me from you and from your father." She took a step forward. "I have tried." She seemed to be talking to herself. She kneeled next to Jonathan and took his hands in hers. "I'll do anything. If you want me to stay with you I will."

"In exchange for your family's safety?"

"Yes," Clary nodded. "If you promise me you won't hurt my friends, my family or Jace, I'll stay with you."

"Forever?"

Clary swallowed. "Until I die."

Jonathan took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Her skin was so soft, softer that he had dreamt of. When he opened them again she was still looking at him.

"Father would never agree," he whispered.

"Then you'll have to convince him."

"He'll think you'd be a threat," Jonathan argued.

"A threat? Me?" Clary allowed herself to laugh. He rearrange a lock of dyed brown hair behind her ear.

"How did you find me?" He asked.

"I overheard Alec and Jace talking about where you could be," Clary began. "I searched every one of those places."

Jonathan nodded. "I like you hair better in red."

"The color will come off after I washed it," Clary said. "So?"

"Okay," Jonathan decided. "You against the safety of everyone you love."

"Even Jace?" Clary asked. She had to be sure.

"Even Jace," Jonathan said. "Should we seal the deal with a kiss?"

Clary bit her lip, avoiding his gaze. She blushed deeply and nodded slightly. He bent down and scooped her face, crushing his mouth against hers. She wasn't in it but he couldn't blame her. He didn't mind, she would have time to learn to love him. The feeling of her soft lips under his was exhilarating and empowering. She was the one who broke the kiss but she kept his head into her hands.

"Why do you want me so badly Jonathan? I don't understand, what do I have that others don't?" She whispered.

He took her hand and pressed it on his chest, against his heart. "You're the only one who seems to be able to make it beat. I love you Clarissa and as long as you're with me, I swear nothing will happen to your family."

xXx

Valentine smiled as Jace made his way into through the crowd of Vol de nuit, a nice little bar next to Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village.

"Jace!" He greeted him. "I must admit I was surprised to hear from you."

"I was surprised you answered," Jace said, returning Valentine's smile. They ordered drinks and found a quiet table, hidden in a corner.

"So, how's life in hiding?" Valentine asked.

"I'm not hiding," Jace answered.

"Of course you're not," Valentine answered. "Because that would be quite cowardly of you Jace Herondale and we both know that you're anything but a coward, aren't you?"

"Not the way you are that's for sure," Jace said with a smile, taking a sip of his whiskey.

Valentine didn't answer; he simply folded his hands on the table. "Well, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, shall we talk?" he asked.

"Oh I've got so much more small talk to do," Jace pouted. "Guess who I've ran into today? Reyna Branwell. It's amazing, isn't it? You two knew each other, didn't you? What a small world we live in!"

"You saw Reyna?" Valentine said, and Jace saw a crack in his composure. "Good for you."

"Oh yeah, she told me a fascinating story, about you, Jonathan and Victoria," Jace continued.

"How is she?" Valentine asked, playing along. "Last time I saw her she was on the brink of insanity."

"Much better now, no thanks to you. But it must be hard, right? Getting tricked twice by the same people?" Jace laughed. "Your talent has been overly exaggerated if you want my opinion."

"Reyna loved me, she adulated me."

"She did," Jace agreed. "Until you locked her up in a room for nine months. Now she just wants pay back."

"I did it to protect my son," Valentine said through gritted teeth.

"Honestly I think you should have let her get rid of him," Jace continued and his smile faded. "She would have saved a lot of people. But let's talk about Victoria." He took a USB key out of his pocket and put it on the table.

"Where did you get that?" Valentine spat, his eyes on the small device.

"Oh, Reyna gave it to me. A virus that can open any door, break any code. I have to say, there's a kind of elegance to it."

"What do you want?"

"What I've always wanted: your head on a platter."

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Lilly