A/N: Hey guys! We are so so sorry for the absurdly late update! Life has been extremely busy, school is finally finished, we got full time jobs, (yay us!) and there's new males occupying most of our free time, lol. Time flies and here we are three months later. We really struggled with this chapter. We could have gone a couple different ways and after several rough drafts and lots of tequila, we decided to go with this version. Thanks for those who have stuck by us, reviewed, and added ED to their fave's and alerts.
We would like to thank Meg, one of the reviewers, for kicking our asses into gear! We hate when people don't update in a timely manner. So here you go Meg, this is for you. Enjoy!
As always, thanks to our beta for helping us through our hiatus and tequila consumption.
D/C: All rights are owned by both Cassie Clare and Steph Meyer. We just like to play with their characters and see what we can get them to do.
Clary POV
As soon as my mind processed what he was, the word escaped through my lips, signifying the truth. Part of me wanted him to deny it, to have him call me crazy, whatever it took to make it not my reality, but he didn't. I instinctively checked for puncture wounds, my hand franticly went all over my entire body searching for marks but none were found. His face dropped, almost as if he was ashamed. Seeing that he wasn't here to kill me, or transform me into one of the Night Children, I began to calm my nerves; desperately trying to figure out how I had ended up here. He was distracting me, just staring, if I hadn't seen him move earlier he could have passed for a statue. I didn't even know if I was still in Italy. Maybe I had ended up in another portal. I was mad at myself for being so irresponsible...first I was off running when the stupid ShiShi demon came out of nowhere, and…as soon as the thought crossed my mind I realized that I was beginning to remember, but only in short bursts. The flashes were all jumbled, but more memories were starting to come back. I saw him. He was there. Why was he there? I went towards the window, in hopes that I would recognize something, anything that could trigger a clearer memory. What happened to the ShiShi demon? I couldn't let that thing loose, causing havoc and chaos on the town. It was so frustrating. Still, all the images were of him, he had shouted something, interrupting my hunt. Maybe they were in league together, maybe this was the demon's plans all along. Shadowhunters were rare; there weren't too many young ones out there. I started to get the feeling it was time to get the heck out of there before something bad happened. I turned my gaze towards the door and then to the window, trying to figure out the fastest, safest way to leave the room without causing too big of a scene. I looked around to see if there were any weapons or even anything I could use as a make shift weapon, but nothing was close enough to make a difference.
Without thinking, my body lunged towards the door, praying that my Shadowhunter speed would not let me down. But he anticipated my move and since his speed was much faster, he made it to the door seconds before me. I stood there paralyzed, watching him block the exit, trying to strategize my next move. His beauty was mesmerizing and his sugary sweet scent was intoxicating, pulling me into his trance. My mind raced, I should be coming up with an alternate escape but the power he possessed had captured me, holding me hostage. He pinned me against the door, so that his body was hovering just inches in front of me, then he leaned in and inhaled deeply. I closed my eyes. My heart was pounding rapidly; it felt like my ribcage was going to burst open with every hammering beat. I felt dizzy and lightheaded, drunk on his alluring scent and vampire charm. His one hand caressed the length of my cheek tenderly and I shivered under the coolness of his skin. I couldn't stop myself from enjoying his touch, craving more. I sighed as I tilted my head to the side, willingly exposing my neck to him, knowing it was completely wrong but helpless to his desire. His growl shook through me, awakening me from my trance and allowing fear to wash over me.
"That's right little girl you should fear me." He said through gritted teeth.
I couldn't think of anything to say, my eyes were fixed on him. He took another deep breath and this time as he breathed in my scent he opened his mouth showcasing his glistening teeth. I swallowed hard. Before I could react, he whipped open the door and shoved me out, causing me to stumble into the hallway, dumbfounded. His voice echoed around me.
"Stay away and never come back, next time I won't be so nice."
I made it out of the apartment and down the street in lightening speed. I was relieved to see some familiar places, but I still needed to figure out what was going on in this town. First ShiShi demons, sexy vampires, even my friend Milo. How many more demons were roaming around? Maybe Italy was the breeding grounds for Downworlder's. I wished I had paid more attention to Luke and my mother when they talked about the last uproar. I just needed to find the key to unlock this mystery. When I felt far enough away, and sensed that the vampire hadn't followed me, I began to slow my pace and tried to blend in with the other mundies. Questions were running through my mind. I wondered who the vampire was. Why was I in his apartment? How long had I been there? One key element that slipped my mind until that very moment was the fact it was mid morning. Was he special like Simon? Could he be a Day Walker too? Why didn't he drink from me, especially since I practically gave him the all clear? How did he resist? I still could not believe how stupid I was for letting that vampire affect me the way he did. I could have been killed, and then how would my family have felt? Especially Simon. He would never forgive himself for going along with my plan. I thought about Jace, he was so strong; no Downworlder would ever get the upper hand on him. He was an excellent Shadowhunter, with all the right intuitions, where as I had failed horribly and this last time could have cost me my life. I didn't want to give up, I needed to find out what was happening in Italy, and I needed to do it fast. I was going to take my encounter with the vampire as a learning experience; I would need to be more careful and cautious of my surroundings. Maybe it would be better to travel in pairs. I could take Milo out with me when I was investigating. I made it back to the bakery before anyone was up and about for the day. I decided against telling Milo about the vampire. I didn't want him to go out looking for him, I didn't know what I would do if he got hurt because of me.
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Back in New York
Jace POV
"Geez Jace, would ya ease up! We're supposed to be training not starting a war," Alec whined as he rubbed his left shoulder. I really had hit him a little hard. I couldn't keep my emotions separate from my day to day activities. I hadn't taken into consideration the affect of Clary leaving me would have on my performance. It had been a month since I had talked to her, I missed hearing her voice. That night, at the Fiery Lizard played over and over in my mind. I knew her absence was my fault, parading that fairy whore around. All I had wanted was for Clary to know that I had moved on, so that she could do the same. I wanted her to be happy and I thought that what I had done was the best way to show her. We were doing so well, talking on the phone; however I missed seeing her smile. I thought if we could be around each other, maybe things could go back to some sort of normalcy. When I finally saw her after so long, the feelings I had tried so hard to bury resurfaced, causing me to act primal and possessive. I snapped. Jealously took over and I couldn't handle it. Everything seemed so unfair; we had found each other and things started making sense. I finally felt complete. I sighed, life was so unfair. I had to accept that she was my sister, and I was living my worst nightmare.
"Sorry Alec, I must have zoned out for a moment." I smiled at him, knowing that he would forgive me. "I think we've had enough, let's break for today and we can start back first thing tomorrow."
Alec nodded, while nursing his shoulder. "Yeah, you're right; I should probably ice this before it swells."
"Later." I yelled.
"Yeah, see ya later." Alec called out as he walked the opposite direction towards the institute.
I had lost track of time. I was supposed to meet the Informant in 20 minutes, I had to move quickly. I used my invisibility glamour to help me move swiftly and undetected towards Times Square, our very public meeting spot. He still didn't trust me, but I had to admit, if I were him and did the things he did, I would be wary of meeting any Shadowhunter, especially one with my reputation. I needed answers.
There was something in the way the bloodsucker said that Clary was at Jocelyn's farmhouse, that made me questions his credibility. Something didn't feel right, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was in danger. I was left with no option but to go to the farmhouse to look for myself. I was cautious and careful not to disturb her. I just wanted to see her face, make sure she was okay and then I would leave without a trace. When I got there, the place was stale and dust covered, looking more like no one had been there in years, let alone a few weeks. For some reason, Clary wanted to keep her whereabouts hidden. Why the secrets? I wondered. I thought about torturing Simon until he squealed like a pig, but I knew Clary would not be happy with me, I was in enough shit.
It was simple; I would find her using other resources, I was already going to hell for the thoughts that raced through my head about Clary and me; what did it matter if I used the very thing I hunted and destroyed to help track her down.
Edward POV
Four hours. She had been unconscious for four hours. Not long enough for me to be extremely alarmed, but still long enough that I was starting to become concerned. She had barely moved while she slept, lying on her back with her arms tucked under the blankets, looking more like a contented child having an afternoon nap rather than a brave girl that had just faced down a demon with barely the blink of an eye. She was a mystery to me. The more I watched over her, the more I found myself wanting to know more about her. I replayed the entire scene in the forest in my mind countless times, and each time I realized that there was far more to her than I had first thought. She wasn't just an innocent girl out for a morning jog. The leap into the air that she executed when she threw her blade at the creature hadn't just been any kind of jump. It had been skilled. Flawless even. Perhaps even professional. There had been no surprise anywhere on her features when she had spotted the demon; it was almost as if she had been prepared for such an occurrence. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Who was this girl? I wished desperately for Carlisle and the expertise that he would surely bring to this situation, but I was determined not to involve him. I had been a burden on my family for far too long since Bella's death. I knew that this was something that I needed to see through to the end on my own. This girl was part of the mystery of what was going on around here, I could feel it.
It had been pitifully easy to get her back to my apartment unnoticed. I had carried her in my arms, trying to be extra careful not to bruise her anymore than she already was. Running her back to my home hadn't been a problem at all; she was light as a feather, even lighter than Bella had been. My only concern had been carrying her into my building. The locals might be trusting souls, but with everything that had been happening in the city the last few weeks, no one could have blamed them if they were suspicious about me carrying an unconscious female into my apartment. Fortunately, there was no one in the street when I sped by, and since there had been no knocks on my door from the polizia, I had to assume that none of the neighbours had spotted us from the windows either. Trusting souls or not, it was no secret that none of these humans were above peeping out the windows to ensure that they kept up to date on all events happening in the area. Normally, it amused me to observe their antics, but today it was a niggling worry in the back of my mind.
Pacing to the window, I ran through several different scenarios in my head of what I was going to tell her when she awoke. She would no doubt have questions about me, and I was determined to get answers about her. If she was anything like other humans, she would want a little give and take, which meant that I would have to decide how much I could trust her, and if trusting her would be enough for me to share my secrets with her. Turning from the window, I continued to study her. So far, keeping my distance from her hadn't been an issue since I had fed earlier that day, yet I continued to be cautious to ensure her safety. She was in the room with a dangerous predator after all.
Just as I had made the decision to wake her and make sure she didn't have a concussion, she began to stir. A soft moan escaped her lips, and she brought a hand up to brush at the hair on her forehead. I quickly backed away from the window, letting the curtains fall back into place and plunging the room into darkness. I retreated into the corner of the room, not wanting to startle her. With another moan, she slowly blinked her eyes open. I held myself extremely still, giving her time to adjust to her surroundings. She sat up cautiously, grimacing and pinching the bridge of her nose. She must have been in incredible pain, and disoriented on top of that. Indecision plagued me, show myself or let her discover me on her own? The last thing I wanted to do was frighten her, so I kept still, giving her more time to shake off the haze of sleep. I knew the moment that she spotted me; her entire body froze, each limb locking silently into place, her startling green eyes going wide with surprise and then terror. After several minutes of us staring at each other, she seemed to relax and I noticed that she was even beginning to smile at me. Smile? At a stranger? Did this girl have no sense at all? First she chases after an unknown creature that clearly wanted to harm her, and now she smiles at a stranger she wakes up to find staring at her? Her actions were inconceivable; I couldn't help but return her smile with one of my own. My face seemed to protest the action; it had been months since I'd had any reason to smile at all. Unfortunately, her senselessness seemed to be contagious and I let my mouth widen, flashing my razor sharp teeth for a split second before realizing what I'd done. A second was all it took.
I heard her sharp intake of breath, watched the smile fall from her face. "Vampire," she whispered, her voice sounding like drums in my ear. Vampire? Had she just said vampire? She couldn't have. I had spent years upon years walking among humans and only a very few had ever begun to suspect what I was. Even then, it took months before those thoughts started to surface. How could she have guessed in a matter of minutes? It was impossible.
"Fuck me," I breathed, too quiet and fast for her ears to hear. This day was getting more ridiculous by the second. I stared hard at her trying to pry into her thoughts and find out how she could have known what I was. Silence. I couldn't hear any of her thoughts at all. What was happening? Was there something wrong with me? Bella was the only human whose thoughts I hadn't been able to hear. Now this girl comes along and it was the same thing all over again. I shook my head, watching her run her hands over herself, seemingly checking for wounds or ha, bite marks from me. It was unbelievable. To my amazement, once she had completed her inventory of herself, she got up from the bed and wandered over to the window to gaze outside. It was though she had deemed me harmless. Harmless! Did she know what a vampire actually was? Perhaps she needed reminding.
While I was still inwardly ranting to myself, she suddenly turned from the window and sprinted towards the door. Had I not been watching her so intently, she may have caught me off guard and made it out of the room, so fast did she move. I barely made it to the door before her, blocking her path of escape. Her scent slammed into me, pulling me involuntarily towards her. She was so intoxicating that I momentarily forgot myself, grabbing her and spinning her so that I pinned her against the door. I leaned into her neck and inhaled, letting the freshness of her scent surround me. My body took on a life of its own and before I knew it, my hand was caressing her cheek. She let out a barely audible sigh, closed her eyes and tilted her neck, offering me easy access. The need grew in me, and I realized it wasn't only a need to feed. I wanted to caress, explore, and possess her. She was brave yet innocent, smart yet stunningly naïve. The desire to have more of her was overwhelming, maybe I could just—with a growl I cut myself off, pushing away from her. I couldn't believe where my thoughts were headed. I had never acted like this before, not even when I first met Bella, and was overcome with thirst. Her eyes, glazed over from desire, lust I didn't know which, sprang open and I watched the fear return. I detested myself even more than I thought possible.
"That's right little girl, you should fear me." I spat out through gritted teeth.
She was as still as a statue, a deer caught in the headlights. Her scent assaulted my senses again, this time causing me to bare my teeth. I spun her away from me and whipped open the door all in one quick movement. I was being unnecessarily rough, but I didn't care, I had to get her away from me before something happened that I couldn't take back. In one quick shove I had her out in the hall, stumbling over her feet as they tangled up in themselves. She looked up at me, dumbfounded, her green eyes searching mine.
"Stay away, never come back. Next time I won't be so nice." I put everything I had into the warning, my expression fierce and blank. She had to know that I was dangerous. It worked; she turned and sprinted from the apartment, red curls flying out behind her as she fled. I listened as the front door opened and slammed shut again, signaling her departure. I closed my eyes, sighed, and tried to tell myself that my behavior had been acceptable, it really was the right thing to do. The best thing I could have done for her, I was saving her life. Anyone that was too deeply involved with me always suffered the consequences. Whatever part she played in the mystery that was clouding Italy, had to be insignificant. How much could she possibly be involved? I repeated the thoughts over and over to myself, trying to make myself believe the lies. I wasn't having much success; my gut still told me that she was more tangled up in the mess than I wanted to admit. I had to resist the urge to chase the girl down and demand to know what she knew and who she was.
Aggravated with myself and the entire situation, I childishly stomped around the room, my booming footsteps shaking the walls and reverberating out into the street. I could hear several concerned thoughts about earthquakes and locations of fault lines from the locals below from the racket I was making. More than one cos'e questa cosa's! and several non lo so's! floated through my mind, but I couldn't seem to put a stop to my rant. I was acting recklessly and I knew it, but on I continued all through the apartment. I was breaking rules and I didn't care. Never before had I purposely called so much attention to myself. I was sticking my tongue out at fate, saying na na na na at the bad hand of cards it had dealt me over the past few months. After all that had happened, I was entitled to a little foolishness.
I lost track of how long I kept up my temper tantrum, it wasn't until I caught a glance of my reflection in a picture hanging on the living room wall that I was able to stop. My tongue actually was hanging out of my mouth, and not in a I'm-a-scary-vampire kind of way. It was more of a I'm-the-vampire-that's-lost-his-mind kind of way, my hair was sticking up in haphazard directions, which wasn't unusual for me, but paired with the crazed look in my eye, it definitely wasn't helping the situation. What had that girl done to me? I was acting like a 3 year old child rather than the fearsome immortal vampire that I was.
It was the icing on the cake. Since I had chosen that moment to turn into a stark raving mad lunatic, there was only one more reckless thing left for me to do. Raking a hand across my face, I sighed loudly. Despite my procrastination, it was time to face the Volturi.
I made my way to the bedroom that was serving as my makeshift office, and hurriedly gathered up the newspaper articles, pictures and stolen police reports and all other pertinent information that I had managed to collect on the disappearances to bring with me as evidence to support my cause. It was wise not to seem unprepared when I presented myself to Aro and his followers. Though I had yet to meet him in person, his reputation was far reaching in the vampire world. Carlisle had spoken of him on many occasions, and I was not unaware of the way he conducted his business or showed his displeasure. Reports of the torturous acts he had his henchmen, Felix, Demetri, Alec, and Jane carry out for him were infamous among our people. With them the rules were simple, follow the rules of the Volturi and you would never have trouble. If you broke the rules and they found out about it, the entire game changed and a visit from them was inevitable.
When I had everything I needed, I left the apartment, locking the door behind me. I knew exactly where the Volturi's underground location was, but rather than using my super speed, I chose a more leisurely pace. There was some lingering chaos in the city, compliments of my earlier antics, and I was treated to more than one curious look as I passed by. Walking at a human pace gave me a chance to mingle with the crowds and listen to their thoughts. There was no helpful information about the missing teenagers; most were occupied with excited re-telling of the events from earlier.
It didn't take me long at all to reach the alley that housed the hole that would drop me into what the Volturi called home. I sped down the alley and deftly lifted the grate and slipped unseen into the hole. It was a short drop and I was on the ground again, sheathed in darkness. The tunnel before me spoke loudly of the Volturi's wealth and privilege. They considered themselves at the top of the hierarchy, and the décor was no exception. Heavy wood and brass doors were adorned in gold, the air stale and cold. At the end of the hall was a ridiculous reception desk, a dark-skinned, professionally dressed human female standing guard behind it. Her eyes widened when she spotted me.
"May I help you with something?" she asked, her glance darting behind me as if she expected to see someone else pop out of the darkness and surprise her.
"You may. I require an audience with Aro," I answered, my tone leaving no room for argument. The fact that she was in residence at all spoke of her senselessness. A human serving vampires? She was clearly dim-witted. They would only make a meal of her when they grew bored of her services. I couldn't even summon pity for her.
"Aro? I don't believe he was expecting you, Mr--?" she raised her eyebrows in inquiry of my name.
"Cullen. Edward Cullen." I replied curtly. Her eyes were saucers now. Poker clearly wasn't her game, as she wasn't able to keep the fact that she had heard my name before a secret. She wasn't given time to answer, unbeknownst to her, a door had opened down the hall and in seconds we were going to have company.
I grinned at her, causing her to blush, and then simply turned and walked a few feet to greet the other vampires waiting for me.
Felix and Demetri were standing sentry in the hall, their expressions smug. Neither bothered speaking to me, they silently lead the way through the tunnel, Felix occasionally hunching to fit his large frame under lower parts of the ceiling. His size reminded me of Emmett, causing me to smile to myself. Emmett would love to go head to head with him, just for the sport of it.
At the end of the hall we came to a large ivory door with gold knockers. After a swift knock, Demetri pushed the door open and allowed me to enter before him. I spared a quick walk through their thoughts and decided that entering first would not cause me any harm.
Aro was the first thing I saw in the large ceremonial room. Although it was my first meeting with him and he wasn't alone, I didn't need an introduction to know who he was. He stood in the dead center of the room, his long black cloak covering him from head to toe.
A smile broke across his face and he lifted his arms out from his sides.
"Welcome Edward. We've been expecting you."
A/N: Review and let us know what you think. Encouragement is much appreciated. We don't want to make any promises we can't keep, so hopefully it won't take us this long to update with the next chapter! Again, thanks for stopping by.
On a side note, not sure how if everyone is as obsessed with The Mortal Instruments as we are, but Cassie had a huge book signing on Saturday August 22 in NYC and announced that she will be adding another book to the series, and it's going to be Simon's story! It won't be out until 2012 and we can't wait we're so excited! If you haven't had a chance to meet her in person, she is an amazingly awesome, down to earth person. Definitely, if you have the opportunity, go and see her, totally worth the wait in line.
Well we are off to have some fun with the boys. See ya next time!
Ari and B
xo
**Note from Brooke**
I just wanted to send an extra special super fantastic shout out to Ari as today is her Birthday! She's spectacular and I'm so happy we got our butts into gear in time for us to post this on such a super day! I'm sure she'd love some reviews as a birthday present…just saying lol. Have a great one Ari, save room for the birthday margaritas later tonight—love ya lots bitch!
--B xoxo
