Hello readers!
So recently I have been starting a workshop in story writing and as a result I have become significantly attentive to my writing. You have no idea how much I cringed when I went over my past chapters. Anyway, I hope this continuation will be better and I'll gain more readers. (Those who do read this fanfic, thanks ;)
I also wanted to sumerise what has happened so far.
(After CoHF) The gang meets Kali, a angelic/demonic hybrid and the daughter of the god of greed who escaped her concealed life in Syvion (pronounced S-I-v-ee-y-o-n-a). Magnus finds out her identity and suggests she stays at the Institute for safety. Jace wants to propose to Clary but some problems arise. Meanwhile, a new wolf joins the pack. His name is Daniel and he as a history with Bat.
Clary POV
The strong aroma of coffee eased my groggy morning feeling. I could hear silent snores from the corridors and dawn was about to break. I had woken up early because I couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a walk.
(I've only been to New York once and didn't really see much so I'm going out on a whim here)
The air nipped at my fingers the minute I stepped out. The grass was frozen with light dew, shinning in the sun. My breath drifted in visible mist as I blew on my fingers, covered by fingerless gloves. The cool air and peaceful atmosphere gave me time to think. I thought of the past. I remembered meeting Jace, Izzy and Alec; what would have happened if Simon and I hadn't gone to Pandemonium that day? I thought of the Mortal Cup, Hodge's herbal tea, Valentine rising from the portal, his salt white hair wavering in his graceful stride. I remembered the Seelie Queen, her eternal beauty and wise, wicked ways. Sebastian; his dark look and sharp face, his ambition and failure. Then Jace. His arrogant, hidden personality. The greenhouse, my body pressed against his. The struggle we went through to protect the Clave, Edom, the engagement ring...
The depressing memory of the fight we had conquered all the good things I was thinking of. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," I said thinking back to the bleak memory.
An array of books towered on every shelf holding bundles of information. I surveyed them, looking for titles that caught my eye.
"Brontë? I'm more of a Dickens person," said Jace deeply as he traced my outreached arm slowly. I turned towards him, almost gasping at the distance. He was so close he could have squished me against the shelf.
"Why are you here? You know every single author and every single book they've written. I bet you can memorise every tense in Greek," I replied looking up into his golden eyes.
"Well yes actually but I am trying to conduct an experiment," he replied suspiciously.
"Which is?"
"What would happen if I took you by the hand and told you just how much you mean to me?" he said my hand, he planted a light kiss on it, not once taking his eyes off mine.
"I would be grateful but curious of your sudden romantic gesture," I replied with suspicion.
"What surprise could you possibly feel? Clary, you complete me. I feel as if I could conquer the world with one hand, as long as your holding the other," he said lightly lacing my fingers with his. "From the way your hair flicks when you walk, your carefree laugh, your brave heart..." His eyes bore into mine now. I didn't even realise I was holding in a breath till I spoke.
"Jace..." I said out of speechless surprise.
"Clary, I was empty, lost before you came. I was cold but you melted my protection. You broke the barrier Valentine helped me build and you saved me. Everyone I met before, I didn't want them, I didn't desire them like I wanted you, like I desire you. I love you and I never want you to forget that." If I wasn't breathing before, I was now. My breaths were so big I thought my lungs would explode. Jace's cool fingers slid up to my neck, his thumb gently brushing my pounding pulse.
"I never will, 'cause I love you too," I replied barely keeping my voice steady. He smiled a slick half smile, showing off his chipped incisor.
"You know, when I looked at the stars some nights ago, I thought of every reason I loved you and matched them to each star. It was great... till I ran out of stars," he smiled.
"Awww, that's so cute. You know the guy who made that line is a genius," I mocked carrying my load of books to a table.
"Thank you, it's nice to know that my work is appreciated," replied Jace in a smug tone. I rolled my eyes excessively as I opened one of the random books I had picked. 'Jane Eyre'. "Not this again," I inwardly groaned.
"I have proof you know," whispered Jace's sudden voice in my ear. I jumped at his swift movement. It was still impossible to think Jace (even for a shadow hunter (with extra angel blood))could move that fast.
"And that would be?" I asked as I regained a steadier heartbeat. Jace chuckled in a low, cheerful voice. He was so close behind me I could feel his long breaths on my ear. "Your hair," he whispered, tucking it gently behind my back, exposing my neck completely.
"Your skin." His finger gently stroked my pulse down to my collar bone. Slowly, his lips brushed my ear before moving down to my neck, planting butterfly kisses on every inch of skin he could get too.
"Your everything," he breathed against my skin. It was like my heart didn't produce blood. With every loud heart beat, my electric currents increased, sending me into near overload.
Y.. you cheated. My everything shouldn't c...count," I managed to say, stumbling over my words like a complete klutz.
"Oh really, I think you'll allow it," he replied drawing away from his seducing.
"Oh really? And what makes you think I'll allow it?" I asked with stability.
"I can bribe you," he said in a deep tone.
"And how do you plan to do that?" I challenged. Swiftly, he spun me around and lifted me into his arms in one quick move. His lips grazed mine before he kissed me with tamed passion. I wasn't so tame. I snaked my hands around his neck, automatically curling his hair with my fingers. I deepened the kiss, turning it from a romantic gesture to intimate action.
Jace lifted me onto the table. I couldn't get enough of him. I was running my hands over his toned arms, hard chest, enjoying the fact he was wavering against my body. He broke away from the kiss moving to my neck, gently nipping at my skin covering my rapid pulse. I pulled at his belt loop, sliding my hands over his jeans when I felt something, something hard. Jace was too 'occupied' to notice but I reached into his pocket and felt a soft, velvet lump , like a box. I pulled it out and froze.
A small dark red box covered in soft velvet bristles was positioned in my palm. A 'H' in gold cursive surrounded by runes of love, protection and engagement surrounded it. Jace had stopped, looked at me in confusion, looked at the box and stepped back as I stared at it. I looked up at him as he stepped away. I had never (not even when we fought Lilith or he had the heavenly fire in him)seen him nervous. He was still, watching me with attentive, gold eyes. I was just as shocked. Years of mundane life and cheesy romances didn't have to make me think twice about the reason I held an engament ring.
"Jace, who does this belong to?" I asked in a shaky tone.
" My dad. He gave it to Amatis when they got married." His voice was factual, emotionless but tense. I still stared at it, taking note of intricate detail of the 'H' . I traced the opening of the box. I dared opened it, my excitement making me shake so slightly. In a miniature, beige pillow sat a ring so beautiful I gasped. It was made of thin, gold vines. The vines came in and out of a green emerald carved into the rune of love.
"It's yours," Jace commented, snapping me out of my trance.
" M...mine? Jace, I couldn't! It's way to precious," I stammered.
"Just like you are to me. Clary, when I first saw you in Pandemonium, I knew immediately you were special but I didn't know why. I'm sorry it took so much time for me to realised you weren't just important to the Clave, you were important to me. I never stopped thinking about you even after you left with Simon. I thought it would wear off but it grew every minute I spent with you. I was afraid. I thought you would see me as venurable and you would break my heart. Then we were told we were brother and sister and I was crushed but pleased. I wanted you to be something different but I wanted you close . Even then I never stopped loving you. I didn't care about morals and everyone else. I only cared about having you, all of you. And even though it took a couple of years ,I realise now you're were my missing piece. You make me breathe, survive, live. You push me to my breaking point in everything you do and say; I realise now I need you by my side in everything I do," he said, his forehead now pressed against mine. He hadn't blinked once and the passion his eyes held made me feel weak for a response . Taking the box from my hand, he took the ring out and slipped it on my finger. I couldn't even breath. I felt so warm.
" This may not exactly be binding, I mean, it's just some twisted metal stuck to a rock," he chuckled as he stroked the ring. "But it is a symbol. My love for you is eternal and will never end."
I knew I had to respond but I was speechless. Jace had just proposed . If I said yes, we would be married, bounded, forever and I doubted death would even separate us. I had been looking at the ring for so long I had counted the vines, the shape of the rune, the length it was on my finger.
"Clary ?" Jace asked with hesitation.
"Jace, I don't know what to say. It's perfect. I love you so much," I managed to croak. Jace smiled cheerfully, all signs of nervousness gone. He hugged me tightly, kissing me with joyfully but over his shoulder, I regarded my ring. Of course I wanted to marry Jace, I couldn't think of anything better... But what if it doesn't work out?"
"What?" Jace asked looking at me. I didn't realise I had spoken out loud I decided to confront my thoughts.
"Nearly half of all marriages end in separation or divorce," I replied in a hushed voice.
"So?" He asked in a dead tone.
"It didn't exactly work for Maryse and her husband and I'm sure they were close," I said getting nervous myself.
" Clary what's your point?" Jace asked in a intense tone, not seductive or passionate, serious and dangerous.
" Jace, I don't want to lose you, ever. I want this commitment but I'm scarred. I don't want us to drift apart."
" Yeah but our love can conquer that," said Jace taking my hand and squeezing it.
"But what if it doesn't," I said letting my hand fall from his. " If we broke away from each other it would be complete. We would never feel the same for each other no matter how much we tried and I can't stand that happening." I looked up hoping he could see my point. I couldn't have been more discouraged. His jaw was set. His hand looked clenched in his pockets and his eyes held so much hurt and disbelief.
"And you don't believe my feelings for you can overcome that?"'
" Jace, I do it's just..."
"You don't want to be with me." It must have been agonising for him to say it. His face still faced mine but his eyes looked down as he said it.
"Of course I'm not," I replied taking a stepper closer to him.
" But you're not accepting it either." His eyes burned me as if I literally stood in a fire.
" Jace, you don't understand; I need to think." But I had lost him. He had become the cold, emotionless Jace now. No feeling, no passion in his eyes; just frozen gold. He looked calm but I could tell something was trapped inside of him.
"Jace please don't do this. I just need to think, I mean, we're still so young and what would my mum say, Alec and the rest..."
" I understand. No need to explain," he said in monotone before gracefully walking away with tense strides.
That was before Magnus had rung the bell.
I didn't even realise where I was going till I tripped over a brick. I felt my foot immediately pop painfully making me suck in a shocked breath. As I tried to sit up, I realised I had wondered into the old sugar factory. It was partially ruined and debris dotted different areas. I struggled to reach my stele (in my boot) cause the bleak atmosphere and eerie vibe made my alarm bells wail.
" Why so quick to leave," asked a voice behind me. It sounded gruff and daunting. I looked up to see it was a man (about 26 maybe) wearing rugged clothes and a perverted grin.
" Stay way from me," I warned.
" What about us. We don't bite," said another male voice, appearing from behind a pile of debris. Behind him were two other guys, also looking rough and intimidating. I reached for my stele again but the one closest kicked my hand, causing my stele to roll away. I looked back at him after groaning in pain. The one closest had dark blond hair, greasy and thin and a thick moustache.
" Now, what have we got this time?" He asked stroking my hair.