Chapter 5
It grew darker as Jace walked down the boulevard. He had this weird feeling he was being followed. He turned around to look over his shoulder. Nothing was there. I must be imagining things he thought. Jace reached the corner where his adopted father Robert Lightwood had his restaurant "The Institute". The dinner crowd had died down there was only few people inside when he entered. Maryse was wiping tables.
"Jace," She said looking up "good you're here. I need you to help Alec with dishes, please."
"Sure." he said looking out the window. A black sedan speed off into the distance, he thought it was odd but soon shrugged it off. Jace entered the back of the kitchen. He took off his jacket then put on an apron. Alec looked up from the sink as Jace approached.
"Hey," Alec said.
"Maryse said for me to help you."
"Good I could use the help. It's been a madhouse." Alec snorted.
"Why didn't they call me I could've helped out?"
"Well they didn't really need to. I mean we were pretty well staffed for a change."
Jace sighed then started on washing the dishes. Alec rinsed then sanitized them before placing them on the rack to let them air dry. It took at least an hour to finish the dishes. If Jace hadn't shown up when he did it would have taken Alec all night to finish. The two boys dried their hands.
"So, Isabelle says you have a new girlfriend." Alec said.
"She's not my girlfriend not yet anyway." Jace replied.
"Not your girlfriend so then meeting her in central park wasn't date?"
"Uh no. Not really." Jace said nervously. "I mean I just met her. Besides I just got out of relationship."
"And that's never stopped you before."
"Yea I know, but Clary's different. She not like the others."
"Well then I guess your just going have to sweep her off her feet." Alec smiled.
"How do you suppose I do that?" Jace asked.
"Ask dad if can use the yacht." Alec said taking off his apron then headed upstairs.
Jace leaned on the hand-washing sink. He thought about what Alec said then Robert Lightwood walked into the back room. He looked at Jace as he headed to the sink to get fresh water.
"You alright Jace?" Robert asked.
"Um yea," Jace said.
"Are you sure?"
"No, dad can I ask you something?"
"Sure." Robert said.
"Maybe I use the yacht?"
Robert looked at Jace curiously. "I don't know Jace, why?"
"I wanted to impress this girl I like." Jace said combing his fingers through his hair.
"Really," Robert replied, "tell you what Jace. You give me a day and a time. I'll let you use, but not with out me on board."
"Yes sir," Jace agreed as Robert went back into the kitchen. Jace left the backroom and headed for his room.
As Jace walked up the stairs, he heard voices coming from the living room. He entered the room to find his siblings. Max was curled up at the far end of the couch reading his favorite comic book. Isabelle was sitting on the other end reading her latest edition of teen vogue. Her long legs stretched out on the couch. Alec was sitting in an armchair with one of his long legs slung over the side. He was flipping channels on the T.V.
"Did you ask him?" Alec asked as though he could sense Jace's presence.
"Yea I did." Jace answered.
"Ask who what?" Isabelle asked looking up from her magazine.
"Ask dad if Jace could use the yacht."
"He said no right. I mean considering what happened the last time." She said.
"Well sort of."
"What do mean sort of?" Alec asked adjusting his position in the chair.
"He kinda said he wants to be on the boat with me."
Isabelle laughed, "I don't blame him."
"Shut up Isabelle." Jace snorted.
"So basically he is going as a chaperone. Doesn't surprise me." Alec said.
"Yea I guess because he doesn't trust me." Jace replied sinking into a chair.
"Hey going out to sea was your idea." Alec reminded.
"Yea it was your idea to take them on the yacht in the first place."
"At least we scored with those chicks we took with us." Alec smiled.
Isabelle rolled her eyes then got up from the couch. "Come on Max, time for bed."
Max scooted off the couch and followed Isabelle taking his comic book with. He held it close to his chest as if to guard it. Alec sat on the couch close to where Jace was sitting.
"So are you going to take her then get some?" Alec grinned.
"No, I want to take things slow with this one and not rush things."
"I see. Well I'm off to bed got to help dad with the order tomorrow. Good night Jace."
Jace sat in the living room for a while before heading off to bed. His room was clean just the way he liked it. A desk stood in the far corner of his room. A stack of textbooks and notebooks sat neatly on top. A laptop also sat on the desk. Movie posters of his favorite science fiction posters hung on the walls. Shelves on the wall held action figures of various Star Wars and Star Trek movies. His bed stood up against the wall, He usually had his bed made, but for some reason he forgot to make it.
Jace sat down on the bed, removed his shoes and socks. He striped his T-shirt off throwing it in a laundry basket next to his nightstand. Surprisingly Jace was very well built for a seventeen year old. Working out everyday had paid off because it was not hard to see why girls found him irresistible. A tattoo of a dragon reaching for the moon and a sun sat on his right bicep. He never really remembered what the sufficient of it was for. All he knew was it meant he was part of something. Alec had one on his too and so did his adopted father Robert. Jace lay on his back thinking about how he could sweep Clary off her feet. Perhaps he would speak the language of love to her.
In an elevator of a luxury apartment building stood a average height man. His pale beige skin gleamed in the light. The doors opened to a long elegant corridor. Paintings of various artists hung on the walls. The young man started down the corridor walking at a quick pace. He opened the double doors at the end of hall. Inside standing by a large window that stretched the length of the wall was a woman.
The woman was in an elegant evening dress. She had a half filled wine glass in her right hand and left was wrapped around her torso. Her red lipstick stained the rim of the glass. The light from the moon shined on her blonde hair making it look silver. Around her neck was a necklace. It had a small roundish red looking crystal hanging off it. Her reflection in the mirror look ghostly as if floating outside of the window.
"Raphael," the woman said, "you must have a good reason to interrupt my evening." not looking at him.
"I'm very sorry, Camille. I just thought you ought to know the Morgenstern twins are back in town, " he said.
"There weren't due back in town until the fall." Camille said turning away from window. Her heels clanked on the floor as she walked.
"My sources tell me they have come back early."
"Well there must be a good reason. Any news on finding that journal?" Camille asked.
"No, I'm afraid not my lady."
"Find it. That journal is the only key we have into finding the dragons lair."
"Yes my lady and what of the twins."
"Find the that journal. As for the twins kill them if they get in your way." she said coldly.
Raphael nodded then left the room. Killing the Morgenstern twins wasn't going to be easy. He had seen how they fought and knew that it would be impossible for they were quick, strong and ruthless. Raphael entered the elevator pressed the button back downstairs.
Jace paced his room nervously as he dialed Clary's cell phone. He had never been so nervous before in asking a girl on date. His hands shook. What was going on with him Jace thought to himself. When Clary answered her phone, Jace's heart pounded in his chest. His breathing became heavy. The sound of her voice was like an angel. Jace could listen to it all day and night. He swallowed hard.
"Clary, it's Jace." He said.
"Hi Jace, what's up?"
"Umm, I was wondering if you wanted to go out on Friday?" Jace stuttered nervously.
"I love to." She said.
"Really, I mean great I'll pick you up at 7."
"Ok, I'll see at 7." Clary said.
When he hung up the phone he flopped on his bed. Sighed with relief. Now all he had to do was tell his father Robert Lightwood. He smiled at the thought of having Clary alone well somewhat alone.