Okay, so because you all asked nicely, I will add another chapter but the same principles apply here: don't expect daily updates. It just so happens I had nothing to do today since I woke up early today (what a sin for the summer) due to a weird groaning noise coming from my attic that freaked me out and continues to do so as I type this. It might just be the wind, but who knows? I'm too chicken-shit scared to do anything about it. Moving on, another principle applies here: you read it, you review it. I feed off feedback and you, the readers, get to POSSIBLY influence a story set in motion as it's been written. How awesome is that? "With great power comes great responsibility." So enough said, let's get to the story!
"I'd rather die a slow and painful death than talk to that bitch witch again," Jace had spat in protest. But that was before Alec punched Jace square in the face, rendering him unconscious. Now, Jace was sprawled on the Institute Library's tile floor oozing some blackish liquid from his nose.
"Fantastic," Izzy threw her hands up in anguish. "Fan-freakin'-tastic!" She whipped around and proceeded to storm out of the Library, Alec hot on her heels.
"Izzy!" Clary heard Alec shout from a distance. "Where are you going?"
"To my room! I left something there…"
Once the voices disappeared, Clary got down on her hands and knees and crawled as close as her body allowed her to Jace. She stopped just inches away from his feet, too scared to get any closer. She was mad at herself for experiencing a wave of nausea that hit her as her eyes fell on the creature that was once the boy she loved so much.
He still is, a small voice whispered inside her head. Isn't it shallow of you to assume that just because he isn't gorgeous, he isn't Jace anymore? You're no better than he once was if you think that once beauty is lost, all is lost.
"But he isn't human," Clary whispered back, yearning laced in her voice.
"I am," the creature before her rasped, coughing up some of the black fluid that trailed out of his nostrils. Clary couldn't hold back the scream that came out of her mouth and felt ashamed once it did. Jace winced, but did nothing to stop her. Instead, he waited for her to stop herself before speaking again.
"Clary, I'm sorry for not telling you before," he mumbled. "I just thought I had a fever or something for a day, but then it came back today worse than ever and the hallucinations…" He winced. "Well, they were always there. Little flickers of shadow that played on the periphery of my vision, but whenever I turned to face them, they would disappear.
"I thought I was going mad, to be honest," Jace's mouth twitched into an attempt of a smile and dropped. "And when you stormed off away from me, I felt like my blood was swapped for fire and I was burning from the inside out. Every nerve ending in my body was going haywire, but all I could think about was you. Clary, it's not your fault–it's mine. I'm sorry for hiding this from you, I just didn't piece that witch with what was happening to me and I guess I overlooked it. Please"–he moved to sit up and winced, but managed–"forgive me. Out all of that's happened, I'm not surprised all I can think about is you before anything else."
"You're forgiven," Clary whispered hoarsely. She hesitated at first, but then opened up her arms and pulled Jace into a tight embrace, not letting go even if he smelled like a rotting corpse and was still oozing that disgusting blackish liquid.
"Clary!"
But it was too late. The blackish liquid that was oozing out of Jace got onto Clary, and the moment it touched her flesh, she screamed. The fluid attached itself to her skin and began to eat right through it, tearing her flesh apart faster than a flesh-eating virus. Try as she might, Clary couldn't tear herself away from Jace; wherever her skin touched his, they were attached. To her horror, she saw the look of realization cross Jace's face and together, they sobbed.
"Alec!" Izzy cried in hysteria. "What are we going to do?"
But Alec didn't answer; he withdrew his seraph blade and took a step forward, a grimace on his face. The longer he stared, trying to calculate where Jace ended and Clary started, the more attached they became until all that was in front of him was a pale and purplish blob with two heads attached to it–a redheaded female and a bald indistinct male.
"You will do nothing," a voice boomed from behind them. Clary, Jace, Alec and Izzy turned their heads at the same time to see a tall figure standing in the doorway, a much smaller figure at his feet. Hidden by the shadows, no one was able to put a face to the voice except for Alec. He recognized the second the person spoke.
"Magnus!" Alec broke into a sprint and collapsed into the wizard. He held him in his arms for a second longer before breaking the embrace and took a step back. "You came," he breathed.
"You sound like you doubted I would show up for you," Magnus cooed, his hand now cupping his lover's cheek affectionately. "Of course I would come, Alec."
Magnus dropped his hand despite the lost-puppy-now-found look in Alec's eyes and cleared his throat. "Now," he bellowed, the bass in his voice echoing throughout the Library. "Time to address the matter at hand, Miss Clair Voyant."
He shoved the little person in front of him, catching her off-guard and causing her hood to fall back, revealing her face. Despite the warts on her face, she had potential to be beautiful with her delicate looks and wide eyes with shocking pink irises that matched her bob cut hair. She looked to be no more than twelve, but there was an air about her that set Clary on edge.
"Miss Clair Voyant?" Izzy snorted. She reached for her bracelet and lashed her whip out so it uncoiled just inches away from the tiny witch's face. Miss Voyant, however, wore an impassive expression with just a hint of boredom on her face. "What is she doing here?"
"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Magnus jeered, nudging her forward.
The witch gave Magnus a dirty look and cleared her throat before speaking. "I'm the one who cast the spell on the boy," she said in a high reedy voice. "As he very well deserved it for the way he was acting."
"He didn't deserve it," Izzy hissed, the electrum whip coiling on the ground like a live serpent. "He did nothing that deserved such a severe punishment and you know that."
"Do I?" Miss Voyant tittered, clearly amused. "And what else do I know? That you like to go on foolish dalliances with others outside your kind as well as your taboo brother? That regardless of the fact that your friend over there"–she gestured with a wave to Jace–"thought his love was his sister, regarded her in a way that one would regard someone outside of bloodline? You all disgust me in the ways you break the rules and get away with it, so yes, I do think you deserve what you got."
Clary felt her cheeks flare up and wanted to wipe that smirk off that tiny witch's face, despite the situation.
"So why were you hitting on me at the party, then?" Jace asked, a devilish smile threatening to wash over his features. "I mean, it's one thing to hate us for being the epitome of taboo, but another to want to join in on all the fun."
"Fun?" The witch looked horrified. "Fun? I only wanted to get close enough to lay the spell on you, stupid little boy."
"Oh, so that's your excuse," Jace sneered. "For a second, I thought you just wanted to get close enough to touch me. I would've accepted that as well."
"Don't flatter yourself," the witch crinkled her nose. "You already have enough bad blood for lusting after your almost sister."
"She's not my sister!" Jace spat. But when the witch gave Jace a Cheshire cat smile, he suddenly went very still and blood began to pour out of his mouth.
"Stop!" Clary shrieked, desperately wanting to break free of the mold she was in. Even though she wanted to be close enough to help Jace, being attached to him while he was dying wasn't useful in the slightest and sent fear down her spine–if it was still just hers.
"I wouldn't try and tell me what to do," the witch said coldly. "He's tested my patience as it is and as you can see, I have very little to spare. You want out of this situation, listen to what I have to say, but if you ever try to defy me, you will wish you had never had the ability to in the first place."
When no one uttered a single word, the witch smiled, pleased with herself. She let her eyelids droop and raised her hands high above her head and chanted:
"The one you all thought was dead,
The one who sent images of fear and pain to your head,
Now has another man in his stead,
A much greater, powerful one born to lead."
The temperature in the room suddenly got colder and it took Clary a moment to realize that a gust of wind from the outside had poured into the room, blowing out all the candles in its way. The Library was left hollow, devoid of all its familiar warmth and comfort. Suddenly, the air above the witch's splayed out hands began to shimmer, a holographic image began to appear. It was indistinct at first, but then the face began more distinct; high cheekbones, angular jaw line and finally, two piercing cold eyes that stared back with unadulterated malice.
It took a second or two after the image was well developed before anyone reacted. Izzy collapsed to her knees and Alec went to her aid; Magnus swore under his breath and Clary cried out, but Jace was the only one who was brave enough to utter his name: "Sebastian."
