Hey guys! What's up? It was really cool reading about your favorite MI books! Personally, my favorite was City of Glass! I just loved the new component Clare adding by throwing Sebastian (a.k.a. Jonathon) into the story. It showed Jace's jealous side (which, you've got to admit, was just plain amazing) Plus, it had a lot of good fighting scenes! Anyway, on to the story!
P.S. This chapter is going to be one of the longest in the story so I hope you enjoy it!
P.S.S. In this story Jace was not raised my Valentine, his parents raised him as a normal shadow hunter until they died when he was ten while out hunting demons. When that happened, Jace was sent to live with the Lightwoods as their new adoptive son. Jace's parent were not in anyway involved in Valentines circle.
CHAPTER 6
I stood in Isabelle's shower, the water turned on as warm as it would go, burning my skip and turning it pink. My head was hurting and my eyes were squinted in concentration. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not remember where I'd seen Hodge before. He looked so familiar. Was it possible I'd seen him in Idris when I'd sneak out at night? That picture didn't really click though so I assumed it was wrong.
My head throbbed painfully and I scowled, trying my hardest not to think about anything.
I heard a knock at the bathroom door. "Hurry up, Hodge wants to talk to you today, not next week. And I'd like a hot shower." Isabelle's complaints were muffled by the door and the curtain around the shower but I did as told. Sighing, I turned off the water and stepped out into the steamy air, wrapping myself in a towel.
I pulled on the clothes Isabelle had given me, jeans that were too small for her and a rather large t-shirt, both looking absolutely ridiculous on my small frame.
Slowly, I opened the door of the bathroom, releasing all the steam, and shuffled into Isabelle's extremely messy bedroom. Clothes were strewn all across the floor, mixed with weapons. Isabelle was laying on her bed but looked up when I walked out.
"Jace and Alec are outside waiting to take you to Hodge." She said.
"Okay." After a bit of arguing and a lot of whining from Jace, we had agreed they'd guard from the outside while Isabelle kept me in check from the inside.
I walked to the door and opened it, closing it tightly behind me. Jace and Alec were sitting on the floor, leaning their backs against the wall opposite from Isabelle's room.
I folded my arms across my chest, raising my eye brows. "Well, you two sure know how to guard someone." I said sarcastically. Jace jumped up, grinning.
He tugged gently on the too-big sleeve of the shirt I was wearing, I flinched away from him. "Those clothes sure are flattering." He stated.
I rolled my eyes. "Isabelle doesn't have the best selection of clothes but, hey, I make it work." I said, ignoring his sarcastic tone.
"Don't say that too loudly," he warned, "Isabelle might flip out and attack you."
I opened my mouth to reply but I was cut off before I'd even started my sentence.
"Come on, Jace, Hodge is waiting for us." Alec reminded him, glancing at me.
Jace turned from me and started walking down the hall. Alec motioned from me to follow and I did, Alec trailing behind me. We walked for only a few moments when a strange looking cat blocked our way. Jace bent down, scratching it behind the ears. "Hey, Church." He said, smiling as the cat meowed.
"I never took you as a cat person." I said.
Jace looked up from petting Church. "This cat," he said, "is an exception." He straightened up, petting the cat once last time with his barefoot before stepping over him. The cat meowed and looked up at him knowingly. Jace sighed. "We don't need your help, we already know where Hodge is but come along if you want." And with that, he turned and strolled casually down the hall, chatting serenely to the . . . Cat . . . Walking beside him.
I turned around and stared at Alec, my eyes incredulous and questioning, wondering what kind of mad house I'd got myself stuck in. Alec shrugged, obviously amused.
I spun back around, wearily following after Jace, wondering if crazy shadow hunters were even real. I'd never seen one . . . At least until now.
Soon we made it to a set of double doors which Jace pushed open without a pause. Inside there were rows and rows of books. It was very impressive and I stared at them all in awe. I'd always enjoyed a good book. Chairs were set up around the room, big and plush, and a desk sat near an inviting fire place. At the desk was Hodge, watching us as we trudged into the library.
He looked a little odd, not as pulled together as he was before, if he ever was. He was slightly pale and had a light sheen of sweat on his brow, as if he'd been standing too close to the fire too long. I glanced at Jace, wondering if he noticed, too, then mentally slapped myself for caring what Jace noticed or didn't.
"Thank you for bringing her boys, you may go." Hodge said, sitting down in the chair behind the desk.
Jace's brow furrowed and he looked a little angry. "But why can't we stay? We brought her here, we deserve to know what she knows."
"You aren't yet legally an adult. If she has actual information, the Clave may not want it shared with those who aren't of age." Hodge said.
Jace's eyes blazed. He obviously didn't like being treated as a kid. "I'll be eighteen in a few months, an adult in both the mundane and Shadow hunter world, I don't see what difference it makes."
"You'll be legal." Hodge says.
Jace's jaw flexes and he glances at me. For a moment I wonder if he is embarrassed to be treated like a child in front of me but, no, that's not right. He's looking at me like he's searching for something. He's looking at me like he's looking for another argument to stay.
His eyes suddenly lighten and his eyes meet mine for a moment. He smiles quickly then looks back to Hodge, straight faced again. "What if she fights? You'll need someone here to help you fight." Jace said.
Hodge rolled his eyes. "I'm fairly sure my years of training greatly exceed hers."
Jace folded his arms over his chest and made a big show and looking me up and down, like he was sizing me up. He then turned toward Hodge and did the same thing.
Finally, Hodge lost his patience. "Out! Now!" He yelled, pointing menacingly at the door. On the way out, Jace turned around. "Alec is legally adult, he can stay then, right?" Hodge marched over to thee door and dramatically slammed it in Jace's pissed off face.
"He seems easy to live with." I said sarcastically.
Hodge looked at me a little oddly. I guess he wasn't expecting the prisoner to have a personality . . . Or humor.
"He has a horrible attitude and appetite but at least he cleans up after himself." Hodge said, walking over to the desk.
Once he's sat, a large, black Raven swooped down and landed neatly on his shoulder. Startled, I jumped a little and stared at the bird. Strange, I thought, Father has a bird just like that.
Hodge wrote a short note and held it up to the bird who took it in his sleek, black beak quickly, spreading his wings and flying up to the highest point in the ceiling before . . . Flying through the roof. Not exactly through the roof but through a portal on the roof.
"So, you said your name was Clarissa Morgenstern, did you not?" Hodge said as an attempt to distract me from the portal.
I looked back at him, holding my head high. "Yes, that's right." I truthfully didn't care what they thought, but it'd be nice not to be marked as the second crazy shadow hunter in history, Jace being the first.
Hodge nodded. "I see. And why, Ms. Morgenstern, why you in New York?" Yup, there's that nice, soothing, scared-animal, crazy person voice.
My eyes narrowed a fraction but Hodge caught the move and he looked suddenly nervous, like he'd seen it done before. I knew that I got the habit from my father, it was something he did when he was annoyed or upset. Or being questioned.
"I was in New York, Mr. Hodge, because there is a ridiculous amount of demons here. You might want to actually train your shadow hunters to kill a demon every now and then, instead of getting in the way of someone else's hunt." I said to him coldly.
Hodge looked worried, an expression I was quickly becoming accustomed to, and was about to say something, but before he could, a large portal opened up beside him and out stepped . . . Valentine.
I gasped quietly and stare as my father stepped into the room, pale hair combed neatly and black eye narrowed already.
"Thank you for the letter, Hodge." Valentine said, glancing at me.
"You have to hold up your side of the deal. You have to lift the curse." Hodge said in a pleading tone. The man looked desperate.
I could tell Valentine was suppressing an eye roll. "Of course."
Valentine turned quickly and shoved his hand into Hodge's chest. Actually into it. The sight it so gruesome that I stand quickly and run to the opposite wall, standing with my back to the wall. Black liquid seeps from his skin and through his crisp suit. His face is a mask of pure pain and his mouth is gaping open but his scream is silent.
Valentine rips his hands from Hodge and stands back, taking a handkerchief out of his chest pocket, wiping his hand. Hodge looks amazed but a little doubtful. He glances at Valentine. "That's it? It's gone?" He whispers.
Valentine gestures toward the window. "See for yourself but you shouldn't need to. I am a man of my word."
Hodge looked a little more hopeful and he thanked Valentine before running out the door on the wall I was cowering again, still completely freaked out about what I'd just witnessed.
When the door shut, Valentine turned and glared at me sharply, he looked so frightening in the moment that I couldn't want anything more than to be as far away from this monster as possible.
"Clarissa." He spat out my name as if disgusted by it. I shiver and realize that I am more scared now than I've ever been.
I don't answer him, I only stare at him with wide eyes. He just reached into another human being. What more was he capable of? What more could he do that I haven't witnessed?
What was he willing to do to me?
"What were you thinking?" He growls at me, taking a step toward me menacingly.
He's waiting for an answer. Finally I find my voice. "I didn't think it'd be a big deal. I thought you'd want me to find out what they think about you and what you've been doing, if they even believe your alive." I say.
"I know what they say, Clarissa. I'm Valentine, your father, I know it all." He reminds me, voice tight and hard.
My eyes are opened as far as they will go and I see him take another step closer to me. He's closing in on me.
"Your brother told me that you wanted to go with these shadow hunters." Valentine said, taking another step closer to me. My mind is buzzing, thinking of an escape route. I remember the door to my right that Hodge had escaped through. It'll be my only chance.
"I don't want to be with them." I say and the second it's out of my mouth I realize it's a lie. A big, fat lie, staring my father right in the face.
He takes another step closer to me. I resist scooting closer to my escape, if I do that, Valentine will know what I'm thinking, he'll be prepared to block me.
Valentine ignores my lame lie. "Is it perhaps, because of this boy? This Jace character?"
"Jace?" I say, my mouth suddenly dry. I don't understand why though. I've only just met him and in that time, all I've done is bicker with him.
Valentine raises an eye brow. "Have a struck a nerve? Jonathon told me that you and this boy were . . . Flirting." He says the last word like it's a completely foreign concept to him.
"Of course you haven't struck a nerve." I say, trying to sound calm.
"DO NOT LIE TO ME, CLARISSA!" Valentine shouts, lashing out with his hand. He catches me on the arm, his nails digging into my skin and scratching me. I yelp and make a run for it. I feel Valentine behind me and I open the door without hesitation, dashing half way down the hall before realizing Valentine was no longer behind me.
I look back. He was standing in the doorway of the library, glaring at me like I was a normally well-behaved puppy that he'd just found chewing on his favorite pair of shoes. "Even you're not stupid enough to go running through an institute full of shadow hunters." I say.
He doesn't answer me for a moment, just watched me. "This is a mistake, Clarissa. You will come to greatly regret this. And I will get you back. You'll be mine again." He threatened.
"No I won't, Valentine." It's the first time I'd ever called him anything but Father to his face. "I will do everything I possibly can to stay away from you." I said. I feel blood dripping down my arm from where he scratched me. I feel a million little bumps and bruises resurfacing, as if they happened just a few seconds ago, as if they were still there. All of them punishments from this man who calls himself my Father. How could I have stayed with him all these year, content to being pushed around, to be under his thumb? I feel tears surfacing to my eyes, ready to spill over. Years of abuse floating up to the surface. It's over-whelming.
The tears don't go unnoticed by Valentine. "You are already going weak being with these people. You will never last without me." He turns and walks into the room, and into the portal, disappearing.
I wait another minute after he's gone until I let everything really come crashing down, the way I last my father, the way he threatened me, the blood dripping down my arm, the horrible look of pain on Hodge's face that is forever etched into my mind.
And when I let everything come crashing down, I crash right along with it.
I feel the sudden need to be as far away as possible from that horrible room, terrified Valentine will pop back out. I spin around as fast as I can and sprint down the hallway, having no idea where I'm going but not caring, just want to put as much distance between much and the library as I can.
I run so fast my hair flies out behind me, and my legs ache, and my heart races, and my eyes water even more. But I don't care. All there is now is my body and getting it away from Valentine. Away from everything he threatens to do.
But something blocks me.
I run right into something solid and warm and comforting. I stumble back, tears still streaming down my face.
"Whoa, Clary, we have to stop meeting like this." Jace jokes. I look up into his tawny amber eyes, so full of jokes and happiness. All of that suddenly disappears and he's filled with concern and worry and, if I'm seeing right, panic. He looks like he wants to high tail it out of here, get as far away from the crying teenage girl as possible.
But Jace is strong and brave. And he doesn't do that.
"Clary . . ." He says, taking a step forward.
I reach up and hastily wipe a few tears away but wince. I've used the arm with the gash. Jace notices the blood than.
His face turns stony. Scary calm. "Where the hell is Hodge, and why isn't he looking after you?" He asks himself more than me, I think. His voice is just as hard as his face.
A sob suddenly escapes me and a fresh wave of tears falls over my cheeks. "Hodge . . . Hic . . . Ran." I say between sobs. "Valentine came by . . . Hic . . . Portal."
Jace's eyes widen a fraction before he takes a step toward me, reaching out with his arms. He pulls me against him hard, cradling the back of my neck gently and wrapping his other arm around my waist. This doesn't feel like the other times he's held me. It's not flirty or rough or playful. This is serious and full and comforting. This is the real Jace.
And he doesn't even care my arm is dripping blood all over him.
Phew, that was a LONG chapter! It took me forever to write but I hope it was worth it, you guys totally deserve it! I thought it was time for something big to finally happen and I just hope you aren't disappointed. Please review and tell me what you think, let's try to get at least ten reviews this chapter! It'd make me update faster!
P.S. What was your favorite scene in City of Bones? Tell me in your review and I'll tell you mine next update!