"A date?" Clary asked, acting confused and curious while trying not squeal like a school girl.
"Yes, you and I are going to go on our first official date" Jace replied confidently with a smile.
Clary lightly bit her lip and fell into step beside him. She tried desperately to keep her now raging honest curiosity at bay and just follow his lead. But she just couldn't contain herself.
"Jace, where are we going?" she asked nonchalantly.
"It's a surprise" was all he said.
Clary nodded already lost in her thoughts. She thought of all the possible things they could be about to do. Would her take her to a diner for lunch? Or perhaps to a lake for a picnic? Maybe they would just stroll along the streets of Idris? There were so many possible scenarios.
She was so caught up in her musings that she didn't realise they had stopped walking until she felt a gentle tug on her wrist.
They stood at the edge of a forest. The dark depths of the greenery encased the fading line of a rocky dirt path that started from where she stood. The shadows seemed peaceful and inviting, with the chime of a bell bird singing harmoniously in the foliage it made it seem like an unfound paradise.
She turned to Jace and tipped her head to the side silently asking the reason for them being here.
He just smiled and slipped his hand into hers then gestured with his chin for her to walk into the forest.
They walked side by side along the narrow path and into the cool dampness of the forest interior. Hundreds of different greens smudged together, some standing out brightly under the mute yellow glow of small rays of sunlight that broke the canopy roof, others blended with the brown bark of the trees the hung from.
They walked for a while, neither of them talking, until a clearing slowly came into view. As they got closed Clary noticed several disfigured shapes that didn't seem like plants. Soon they reached the edge of the clearing and what was there made Clary gasp softly in awe. The disfigured shape where crumbling stone pillars and sculptures. There was more sunlight here so she could see everything better. She stood there admiring the old mouldy chuck of stone that were scattered around obviously the remnants of something much grander.
Absent-mindedly she followed Jace up a set of crumbling stairs and across the cracked plane of rock that covered the expanse of the area in a large square. When Jace then suddenly stopped she automatically looked where he was facing and froze, clapping a hand over her agape mouth.
There before them stood a mall round stone table with green moss filling the cracks and vines crawling up the cylinder pillar holding it up. Two grey benches lines each side, both in a similar condition to the table.
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she saw what sat on the table: Two clear glasses containing what looked like water, a silver bowl holding fruit and nuts, a block of chocolate half wrapped in foil, a platter with cut apple and a platter holding cheese sandwiches.
Jace waited anxiously for Clary to say something. He rung his hands together impatiently while Clary continued to gaze open mouthed at the ruins of the old mansion before them. Finally she looked up at him with a radiant smile to rival the sun and the stars. He stumbled slightly when she suddenly launched herself at him, hugging him fiercely.
She pulled back and looked up at his now relieved and smiling face before asking, "How in the world did you do this?"
"Oh no, a magician never reveals his secrets" he said with a wink.
They walked over and sat down across from each other on the cold benches. After a moment they began to pick at bits and pieces of each food. It was exactly like a first date right down to the awkward looks. Clary would look up at Jace only to catch him looking at her and they would both look away quickly.
"What is this place?" Clary asked quietly, afraid that if she talked to loud she would wake up and that this was all just a dream.
"It's the old Fell mansion ruins. The Fells were an original family if you will however there are hundreds of them now so they aren't really royalty or anything" he explained.
"How did you find it?" she asked enquiringly.
"Valentine brought me out here to train sometimes. It has a stable surface ground but it's exposed to the elements so it tested my endurance and adaptability" he shrugged.
Clary glance around and felt like she could almost see the old mansion standing tall with soft candle lights shining in the windows and Jace springing back and forth across fast and efficiently.
It wasn't long before the golden beams from the sun began to dim as the sun went down. Clary felt disappointed. She didn't want this to end. Slowly she got up, stretching her muscles as Jace came to stand beside her.
"What about the plate and things?" she asked when Jace began to walk away.
"Trust me it's all under control" he assured her.
She let it go and followed him out of the world away from reality and back into the now. They walked slowly back through Idris. The windows of all the houses glowed with orange light as people settled in for the night. It brought a small smile to Clary's face as she saw the young children playing by the TV or the mother cooking in the houses.
All too soon they arrived back at Amatis's little red house. Clary plastered a smile on her face to cover her sadness.
She turned to Jace, "I had a really good time today thank you."
"Really, I mean it wasn't to cliché or anything?" he asked uncertainly.
"It was perfect" Clary assured him quietly with a small smile.
"Alright well be ready in your gear early tomorrow morning. I'll be here to pick you up at nine" he told her.
Clary's smile grew tenfold and she couldn't help but bound lightly on the balls of her feet in excitement. Jace smiled at her, his eyes crinkling, making him look younger.
"Goodnight Jace" Clary said softly.
He bent down and gave her a quick kiss.
"Goodnight Clary" then he turned and left, disappearing into the blue shadows of the night.
After dodging Luke and her Mother, Clary had a light dinner before doing some sketches until she felt her eyes begin to droop. She used every last ounce of energy to climb the stairs and changed before jumping into bed. She was out before her head hit the pillow
Well sis what a nice surprise. Thought I might find you here. Father would be so proud.
Then there was pain, pain so intense she cried out begging him to make it stop.