A/N: Before I get into the chapter, I just want to say that I have NOT read City of Fallen Angels or City of Lost Souls. For the most part, I do know what happens though. Just wanted to make that clear, so things will not comply with what happens in those books. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.
Broken
Alec:
I had never seen Clary so broken. I had seen her happy, angry, miserable, desperate, sad, but never broken, lifeless, gone.
Magnus and I had come back from our vacation a few days ago, as soon as Isabelle told me that Jace was missing we were on the next flight out. We had rushed to the Institute and demanded an explanation, but there was none. No trace. No markings. No blood. Nothing. It was like Jace had vanished into thin air, never to be seen or heard of again, I pushed that thought away viciously and went back to studying Clary.
Clary was currently trying to track Jace with one of his jackets, but it wasn't working. Earlier, she had tried to run away, after him. Mom had caught her. Clary even called Luke telling him to be ready in werewolf form. Clary was determined, she would defiantly walk straight through hell to rescue a loved one. I had admired that about her, most people would get scared and shy away, but not Clary she would go to the deepest hole in the ocean, the largest volcano in Hawaii, and jump right in.
I felt like I needed to talk to her, because I knew, out of everyone in the room, I knew what it felt like to lose the one you love. Whether it be a lover or a best friend or a parabatai. Even a combination of the three. I knew.
It was hard to know, those situations resulted in a perfectly broken heart. Those situations all because of one person. The person that happened to just fall off the side of the world.
No, Alec, stop. We have done everything we can; alerted the Clave, Magnus is using every ancient tracking spell; the werewolves are somewhere sniffing around New York trying to get Jace's scent from anywhere.
Jace will be back. He'll find his way back and we will just be all one big family again. Jace will make it through this. Wherever he is.
I hated to be left in the dark. I hated going into a battle blind. I liked the path laid out before me like the golden brick road, shinning up at me and all I had to do was follow.
But with Jace, that never happened.
Later that day, I pretended to take a nap. For myself, not anyone else's. I tried to think of Magnus. I tried to think of his spiky colored hair, his sparkily body, his hypnotic eyes but no every time I would think of Magnus somehow I would see Jace, Jace being murdered, Jace being tortured, Jace never... returning. Again, I pushed those thoughts away.
Someone knocked on the door, well banged on the door then barged right in. It was Clary. In her whole shadowhunter gear. Crap.
"Alec, I am going to get Jace back." She said harshly.
"Clary, just stop a moment and breath you need to relax," I started when she didn't do that I continued, "Listen I have a Clave meeting in the morning. Magnus is using tracking spells. Even the werewolves of yours are going around New York."
"No one is finding anything, look, I am going to find Jace. You can come or you can stay."
Oh, the temptation.
Jace and I were parabatai. More than brothers. I would be lying if I said I wouldn't do anything in the world to get my best friend back. But the Clave, the rules... we would be in so much trouble.
"Alec, this is Jace. Your best friend, your brother, your parabatai. Sometimes you have to break the rules. Screw everyone else, the rules, everything, and lets go get Jace back." I stared at her, she would not give up. She would never give up until Jace was in her arms, alive.
"I need an answer, Alec."
"I'll do it." I nodded. "Let me get changed."
"Thank you." To my surprise, Clary hugged me, "Isabelle! He said yes."
Isabelle suddenly ran in the room and embraced me as well, I rolled my eyes. Women.
The two girls left me to get changed and I text Magnus a simple, we're going after him, and we were off through the multiple hallways.
Clary:
To keep myself from crying, I thought of Jace, but I would strategically stay clear of all of the times he has almost died. Jace's smile, Jace's eyes, Jace's hair, Jace's lips, Jace's lips on mine, Jace's strong body...
A tweet, tweet woke me from my Jace concentration. I looked around, curious for the sound, and saw Max; as a robin, perched on a doorknob.
Max looked back at me with a confused glint in his eye, his head cocked to the side slightly.
"Max, we are going to save Jace would you like to come?" I asked, even though it sounded more like a demand than a question.
The bird tweeted again and flew over on my shoulder, when it landed Max quickly turned into a black ferret. His tail coming up around my other shoulder like a backwards scarf.
"Good boy." I whispered patting his head lightly.
Isabelle was nodding, "Yes, obviously he doesn't want to go down the 'screaming and kicking while you pull him by his feet' rode."
"We've been down it, and it is not pretty." I said. "Now come on."
Looking around every corner to make sure we didn't get caught, we rode down the elevator and out the front door of the Institute. Again I did not take the car, as much as I missed driving, I knew Robert and Maryse would know we were missing and there was no place for cars where we were going.
To which I hoped Isabelle and Alec, particularly Alec, did not ask.
But, of course, they did.
"Clary, where are we going? Do you know where to start our search?" Alec asked.
"I had a place in mind." I said, leading the way still down the dark streets, my face forward.
"What is that place?"
"I was thinking," I took a deep breath and pushed my words out quickly, "the seelie court."
"The seelie court?" Alec's voice did an odd rise and fall in anger.
"Yes, well the faerie queen to be specific."
"But why?" Alec demanded. Isabelle had stayed quiet.
I flinched, "The faerie queen offered me a favor once. Maybe she would-"
"So you are going on a chance?"
"She promised, Alec." I finally stopped and turned to face him, his blue eyes had gone navy with rage, "Fairies don't lie."
"But they aren't human! Do you expect them to be kind to you?"
"No, I-"
"Faerie always ask favors of humans, but they have to do a favor for them in response. Do you know how-"
"Alec," Isabelle interrupted speaking for the first time, "I agree with Clary."
Alec whirled on her, "What?"
"This might be our only way to find Jace, given that the tracking runes are not working." She said, contained excitement evident on her lovely face.
"But, Izzy, do you know how dangerous this-"
His sister interrupted him again, "Yes, we know how dangerous this is. Come on, Clary." She pulled on my arm and started to walk towards the entrance.
"Isabelle! Clary!" Alec ran after us.
"Alec, I don't want to hear it! You can come or you can go home."
Alec mumbled something along the lines of trouble and horrible, horrible trouble but followed us nevertheless.
Meliron, Isabelle's former boyfriend, met us at the entrance, the pond, to the faerie court. He led the way into the pond without a word of greeting. Then, soaking and shivering, we entered the Seelie Court. I instantly grimaced when I entered the court; no fond memories were held here.
"My queen," Meliron bowed low before the familiar cunning Fair Folk, "I have brought you the Nephilim you have asked for."
The faerie queen looked right at me and immediately bowed, along with Isabelle and Alec.
"Clarissa Morgensten, I thought I would not be seeing you again." The Queen sneered.
"My queen," I tried to be polite and proper, "I mean no disrespect, but I thought I would never be coming again."
"I am not offended by your arrival, Clarissa. I know you are missing someone." She started to walk down from her throne.
For the first time, I saw her. Her hair was white, not from age though, her glistening locks stopped abruptly at her jawline. Her eyes were green, cloudy green, the color of moss. She was in a beautiful purple dress, the kind that you would see our ancestors wearing from the nineteenth century. The Queen was stunning.
"How would you know that? Do you spy on us?" I asked, trying to stop my staring.
Her eyes sparkled, "Perhaps."
Alec spoke next, "My queen, we come before you humble and desperate. But it is true, we have... lost one of our own." I was surprised at how formal Alec could get.
"Nephilim, why would you ever think I would help you?" The queen asked, laughing lightly. The court laughing with her.
"My queen," I returned her attention to me, "you promised me a favor once; if I gave you a favor in response."
"I did."
"Is that still avaliable?"
The Queen walked towards me, closer, and closer still. Until she was an arms length away. I noticed idly that she and I were the same height.
The Faerie Queen slid her hand over my forearm, where the Hidden Rune lay; her palm laying over the Rune, her fingers bent up; fingernails over my skin. I had to hold in a gasp. Her touch was cold. Icy, like she had been running her hands under cold water and then let them lay on ice.
"You have become professional with your gift." It was a statement not a question.
If only, "
No, not perfect, my queen."
The Queen's hand left my forearm to touch Max on my shoulder, he flinched from the cold of her. "A Metamorphosi, so powerful, what you do with that power whether it be for the good or evil is up to you." Her hand left Max's head to touch my shoulder, tracing a star shape faintly. Then, she removed her hand and sat back down on her throne.
I noticed with annoyance that she had deliberately ignored my favor request question.
Alec had noticed too, "Look, we have come to ask if Clary can still ask a favor of you going to answer our question or not?"
"Alec, easy." Isabelle warned him.
"Your sister is smart to warn you, Alexander. I assure you, that I have not forgotten about the favor. I simply am thinking."
"And avoiding the question." Alec muttered. The Queen didn't seem to hear him, as she was know staring at the ground. A wistful expression on her face which landed on her crossed fingers, elbows perched on her throne.
In her moment of hesitation, I reached into my pocket and pulled out two rings. One on a chain, which I let hung around my neck. The other I slid onto my left ring finger. I felt Jace radiating through the rings, he was with me even if he was a thousand miles away.
"I have decided." The Queen announced standing back up and patting down her dress with precision.
"What is your decision?" I asked.
"I have decided my favor for you, what is yours for me?"
"Tell me where Jace is." My favor came out rushed and demanding.
"I suspected that. As of a few moments ago, he seated across from Jonathan Morgensten in a house along the dark parts of Alicante."
The three of us exclaimed a gasp, all for different reasons.
"Is he hurt? Is Jonathan... is he hurting Jace?" I asked desperately.
The Queen shook her head, "Clarissa, I have promised you one favor. I will not answer your questions."
"He is with Jonathan? But that makes no sense, Sebas-Jonathan he is dead right? Jace killed him." Alec asked, confusion etched over his face.
"Apparently not, young Nephilim."
"But how-" Alec shook his head, trying helplessly to put the puzzle together in his head.
"Enough." The Queen cut him off, her voice final, "Clarissa, I think you should remember that now you are the one avoiding the favor."
I flinched, fearing what she might offer, "What is the favor you need me to do?"
The Queen paused, looking me over; testing my determination and strength with her eyes. "I want you to join them."
No one spoke for a long time. We all were seizing up her words. Realizing my fate. Max curled deeper into my shoulder.
"Join them?" Isabelle asked.
"Yes, I would like Clarissa Morgensten to join her brother and her lover." She was only looking at me.
"No, Clary this is way to dangerous." Alec started.
"I'm afraid, that she doesn't have a choice. I have given Clarissa a favor now she must return it." The Queen raised her eyebrows, testing me still.
"I'll do it." I said, barely audible to my ears.
"Clary, you don't have to-" Alec said.
" She doesn't have a choice." Isabelle walked over and hugged me tightly. I was still to shocked to move my arms around her. "Be safe and please, bring my brother back." She whispered desperately in my ear. I could only nod.
Alec hugged me next, embracing tightly like it would be our last hug. I didn't know if he was right or not.
When he pulled away, I looked at the pair of them. What could I say? That I liked getting to know them? That I had come to like, maybe even love, both of them as a sister and brother? But no. No words were uttered. Only eye contact, but they still seemed to get it.
After all, we were warriors and were prepared to live short lives. I only wished that I could hug Mom and Luke and Simon. To tell them I'm sorry and that I loved them. But that would never happen.
I turned back to the Queen. "I'm ready."
The Queen smiled slowly, evilly, "Fantastic." She whispered, stepping forward again her hand extended towards mine. Slowly I rose both of my hands, one going to rest over the ring around my neck, the other holding onto hers.
Suddenly the hand that held mine was pulling me and I was flying. Every tree, every plant, every body of water was flying past at a dizzying rate but I felt amazing. Strong. Powerful. I felt like I could conquer the world as long as the hand in mine held.
However, as soon as it started, it ended. I was at the bottom of the food chain in a matter of a second. And the hand left. I was standing outside of a fence beyond was a beautiful brick red house that had white pillars and wonderful flowers I had never seen before.
"Be careful, Clarissa Morgensten." I jumped at the quiet voice beside me. It was the Queen.
Mildly surprised by this I nodded, "I will."
"Stay true to your favor." And she was gone. Vanished into thin air.
I stared after her for a long minute, searching where she once stood as if she were a magician that was about to reappear with a triumphant yell. That didn't happen.
When I looked into the open door, I saw Jonathan standing with a smile. He was different than his Sebastian days. His hair now blond, bleached unlike Jace's golden. The familiar happy smile was now a sinister evil smirk. His black eyes shown with a hidden emotion behind mask I knew to well.
"Come sister." He made a hand motion and the black fence disappeared. I walked forward towards him. "What brings you here?" He asked when I reached the porch.
"I have decided to join you." I was surprised to find my voice not shaky or afraid.
"Then you will abide by the rules." Jonathan's horrible smile returned.
"And if I don't?"
Jonathan pointed behind me, I looked behind to see hundreds of demons screaming and thrashing against an invisible wall. He said nothing.
"I see."
"You should come in. Make yourself at home. " He placed a hand on the small of my back and I resisted the urge to vomit or flinch away because behind the door was the person I had been searching for. Jace. And he didn't look happy.
A/N: Ahh! So short! I'm sorry! Thanks for reading!