Chapter 7

The bookstore was dark as the three figures entered. They immediately started tearing apart the store. Going threw shelf after shelf. Books fell on the floor. They were told to look for any hidden chambers within the bookshelves. You would think these people would show a little respect for books.

"Are you sure its here, Kyle?" asked Helen.

"It has to be here. That geezer said it was here." Kyle replied.

"Can we just find it and get out of here?" said Meliorn.

Unknown to these intruders a silent alarm had sounded. Police sirens sounded in the distance. The threesome quickly exited out the store leaving it a mess. They ran into the alley, climbed over a chain link fence until they were two blocks away from the store.

"What now?" Kyle asked.

"We tell Raphael." Meliorn said.

"Tell him what that we didn't find it?" Helen replied, " He won't very happy."

"I know but what can we do. The old man was wrong."

"Unless someone already fund it." Helen proclaimed.

"Maybe. The question is who." Kyle said.

The threesome looked at each other trying to come up with a plan. They knew Raphael would be furious. They had to think of something fast or Hodge wouldn't see the light of day again.

Clary sat on the couch talking to her brothers about what had happened. She couldn't figure out why someone would just throw books on the floor like that. What were they looking for she thought? Clary felt bad for Luke because the bookstore was everything to him. She spent many days in that bookstore helping out.

"Clary, its no big deal." Sebastian said.

"No big deal?" Clary replied.

"Calm down Lil sis. It's not like they took his life savings. The store can be fixed. Stop worrying about it." Jonathan said putting his hand over Clary's.

Clary shook her head, then said "My life was perfect until I found that stupid Journal."

Jonathan and Sebastian exchanged glances. They knew of a journal their mother kept when they were kids. They also knew their mother hide the journal many years ago when their father Valentine was killed. It had been years since Jocelyn written in the journal as far as the family was concern the journal had been lost.

"What journal are you talking about, Clary?" Sebastian asked curiously.

"Umm, it was a journal I found in the storage room the other day. I was sorting out books with Simon." she looked at Jonathan then to Sebastian then back. "Why what's going on? Is there something I should know?"

"Where's the journal now?" Jonathan asked.

"It's in my room under my bed. Why?"

"Clary do you have any idea what would happen if that journal got into the wrong hands?"

"No" Clary's heart began to pound in her chest. Even the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She didn't understand exactly why the journal was so important and why if it got into the wrong hands had anything to do with it.

"It could destroy our family at least what's left of it."

"It will also mean the end of the order as we speak." Sebastian included.

"The order? What's the order?" Clary asked.

"The order is an organization that protects the dragons lair." Jonathan said slowly. "It has been our families duty to protect it from those who would use it to control the dragon. It could destroy time as we know it."

"Wait dragons don't exist." Clary said.

"How do you know? Have you ever seen a dragon?" Sebastian asked looking at Clary.

"No." She replied.

"Then how do know their not real."

"Because their a myth." Clary said. "Have you seen a dragon?"

"Yes." Sebastian and Jonathan said together.

"How do you think we got these?" Jonathan said rolling up his right sleeve. A tattoo of a dragon lay on his arm near his shoulder. It looked like it had been burned in place rather than inked. It was black like charcoal. Clary gasped at the sight of it. She didn't know what to say. She had seen the very same image of the dragon. It was on the metal box where she found the journal. She had discover the dragon when she clean it one day. The star and moon where above the dragon which looked like the dragon was trying reach them. It was also in the picture of her family. In the picture of the family portrait was a painting of a dragon holding a sword by the hilt with the blade downwards and an hourglass in the other hand. Clary felt sick to her stomach none of this made any sense. She couldn't believe she was hearing this. It wasn't true she thought.

"You're lying." Clary whispered. "It's not true."

"Clary."

"No, Jonathan." She said getting up from the couch and ran to her room.

"Clary, wait,"

"Let her go Jonathan." Sebastian said to his brother.

"She doesn't believe us." He said.

"What did you expect?" Sebastian asked his brother as he got up from his chair and walked to the refrigerator. He grabbed two beers then handed one to his brother. "Relax, Jon. She'll come around."

"Your right. I keep forgetting she was just baby when dad died." Jonathan said taking a swig from his beer.

Simon was packing his backpack with his D&D stuff. It was Saturday night his game night with his friends Eric, Matt, and Kirk. They played D&D every Saturday for the past year. It became their guy thing. He left his apartment then walked toward Matt's house. His mother had kissed him on the cheek before he left telling him to be careful.

"Hey Simon" Matt greeted Simon when he opened the door.

"Hey Matt,"

"Are you ok, man?" Matt asked as Simon entered the house.

"Yeah why?" Simon replied puzzled.

"I don't know. You seem a little upset. Your sure you're all right."

"I'm fine. Let's just play." Simon snorted.

"All right, all right don't get hostile."

Simon headed for the living. Matt followed behind. The game started as soon as Eric and Kirk arrived. They played for hours eating pizza and snacks that Matt's mother had made for them. She always made the best guacamole ever. Simon loved it so much Matt's mother would make extra. Before long the boys were goofing off and having fun. When things started getting a little out of hand Matt's mother came out to stop it.

"All right boys that's enough." She said.

"Yes mom," Matt replied.

"Hey did you hear about Luke's bookstore?" Eric suddenly asked.

"No, what happen?" Kirk asked in reply.

"Clary said someone broke in and tore the place apart." Simon answered.

"Did they take anything?" Kirk asked.

"No," Simon said looking to his friends. "She said the register was untouched. It just looked like they were looking for something."

"How does she know that?" Asked Matt.

"Luke told her probably." Eric said.

"Actually she got home from her date just after the police arrived." Simon stated.

"Wait her date?" Kirk said looking at Simon with a curious smile.

"Yeah," Simon bowed his head. "With some guy she met a couple weeks ago."

"Some guy? Sounds like someone's jealous." Eric said.

"I'm not jealous." Simon relied.

"The way you said it states otherwise." Replied Matt.

Simon slumped down in the couch. His friends were right he was a little jealous of this new guy in Clary's life. It was hard for Simon to see her with someone else besides him. He hoped that it was just a summer fling and that it would be over once school started in the fall. Then everything would be back to the way it was.

Raphael paced in front of the abandoned hotel waiting for them to return with the journal. His head shot up when he saw three figures walk toward him. A grin crept on his face in delight. Raphael rubbed his hands together finally he thought, but his grin quickly turn a frown when he saw their faces.

"Well," Raphael replied, "where is it."

"It wasn't there." Meliorn said.

"What do you mean it wasn't there?" He turned to Meliorn his eyes narrowed.

"We searched the entire bookstore, Raphael. We think someone else may have found it." Kyle said.

"This changes things. Well then I guess we need to find out whom that person is." Raphael stated stroking his goatee. "The three of you keep looking for that journal. Report back to me when you have news of who might have it. Now go."

"What about Camille? She won't be happy." Meliorn said.

"Let me deal with Camille you just do I told you to do." He commanded.

The trio left the hotel. Searching for the journal was going to be harder then they thought. There were millions of people in New York and many of them had journals. They had to come up with a plan.

Clary lay on her bed thinking about the events that had happened in past few weeks. Nothing that had been going on made any sense to her. Luke had said her mother was coming in and out of her coma. He didn't know when she would come out completely. There was one good thing that happen which made her smile every time she thought about it, Her date with Jace. She couldn't wait for the next one. then her phone rang. She answered.

"Would you like to take a stroll with me in central park on Sunday?" He asked her.

"Sure I love to."

"We'll have a picnic for two."

"Sounds romantic." She giggled.

Clary couldn't wait for Sunday to arrive. Just thinking about it made her stomach jump. She felt calm and relaxed when she was with Jace. It was like world stopped moving. Time didn't matter either it was like it stood still. Whenever he called her heart would jump in her chest. What was it about him that made her feel this way? She wondered to herself.

Sunday arrived without haste, Clary waited nervously in the living room. She pulled on the hem of her skirt when a knock at the door made her jump. Sebastian answered the door. Clary hoped it was Jace but it was only the UPS man delivering a package for one of her brothers. Clary sat back on the couch and sighed. Jace had said he be there at eleven for Clary it seemed like eleven would never get here. The time on her cell phone said 10:58. It was the longest two minutes she ever encountered.

"Relax Clary he'll be here." Sebastian said.

"Sorry I'm just a little nervous."

"Why? You were just on a date with him on Friday." he said.

"I know." She said looking at her phone again. One minute left it said. Butterflies started to form in her stomach. Then another knock came at then door. Clary jumped again.

"Wow your jumpy today." Sebastian remarked getting up from the couch. He answered the door. "Ah, just in time. Clary someone is here for you." He smiled.

Clary gasped, "Jace." She darted to the door. Jace was standing in the doorway. The sight of him made Clary smile from ear to ear. He had a small cooler slung over his shoulder and a blanket underneath his arm. He wore black jeans and a white shirt that was buttoned almost to the top.

"Hi Clary, are you ready?" Jace asked smiling showing his perfectly white teeth.

"Well?" Sebastian said.

"Umm,"

"Go get out here." He said pushing her genteelly out the door.

It was a beautiful day for a walk in Central Park. Jace and Clary walked side by side with their hands entwined. The park was filled with people enjoying themselves on this beautiful Sunday morning. Jace finally picked a spot under a tree. He laid a blanket on the soft grass then they sat down. Jace set the cooler down on the blanket then took out the contents of the cooler. There were two of each container one for each.

"Wow, this is quite a lunch. I was excepting sandwiches and chips." Clary said.

Jace laughed, "I thought you would like to have a nice lunch verses a plain old lunch."

"Well this is very impressive Jace."

"Thank you." He said.

"Did you make all this?" Clary asked.

"Some of it. The sandwiches I made but the salad, desert and the cheese balls were made by my mom."

"Ok, well can we eat I'm starving."

"Of course. Here try some cheese balls. Their really good." Jace opened the container popping one in mouth then holding it out for Clary. She took one.

"Mmmm, these are good. What kind of cheese are they made from?"

"I think goat cheese. I'm not really sure."

Clary smiled. They ate their lunch talking and laughing together. When they were finished Jace lied down on his back and Clary did the same. She closed her eyes and rested her hands on her stomach. She was enjoying the warmth of the sun when her phone rang.

"Hello," she answered.

"Hey Clary, its Simon."

"Hey Simon, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to do something later."

"Oh, I can't Simon. Jace is taking me to the movies then he is going to show me his favorite spot in New York." She apologized.

"I see. " Simon said with a little anger in his voice. "Tell me something Clary what does this Jace guy have that I don't?"

"Simon, are you jealous of Jace?"

"No, maybe. Doesn't matter? I mean lately you've been blowing me off for him. Like Friday I asked if you wanted to go hang out at the club, but you couldn't because you had a date with what's his name."

"Jace, his name is Jace. Look Simon I'm sorry. I'll make up to I promise."

"Yeah right whatever. Have fun with your new boyfriend." He said before hanging up.

"Simon?"

"Who was that?" Jace asked Clary sitting on his elbows.

"My friend Simon. He wanted to know if I wanted to hang out later." Clary replied.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him I already had plans with you."

Jace smiled then lifted himself up in a sitting position. "It didn't sound like he took it very well."

Clary shook her head. She felt bad that she had been ignoring her best friend. She had been spending a lot more time with Jace. The summer had not started out the way Clary thought it would. Instead things were beginning to turn upside down. Jace stared at her curiously.

"Are you ok Clary?" Jace asked putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine Jace. It's just that Simon and I have been the best of friends since Kindergarten."

"You know if you want to spend time with your friend that's fine with me. I mean we could invite him to come with us. I don't mind." Jace suggested.

"You mean that."

"Yeah, I don't want come between you and your best friend."

"That really sweet of you Jace." Clary smiled.

Jace smiled for all he wanted was to make Clary happy. Even if it meant he had to share her with Simon.