"There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after." – J.R.R. Tolkien
Chapter 6
The rest of the time they spent in Taki's was uneventful. They ate their food and kept their eyes and ears out for anything else, observing all who came and left the diner.
Not entirely sure of what to do until the evening Clary suggested walking around the city and visiting the key Downworlder locations Amatis had mentioned, to familiarise themselves with the area.
"We should also find the Pandemonium Club ahead of tonight," Jace added.
"How many times do we have to go over this, Jace?" Alec asked exasperatedly. "We're not going there tonight. Amatis will let us know where we're demon hunting tonight. We can go to Pandemonium tomorrow night, if Amatis thinks it's a good idea."
Jace scowled but said, "Fine, oh fearless leader."
Alec flushed a dark red, he did not enjoy being mocked by his parabatai. It was one thing for them to argue, somewhat playfully, but it was another for Jace to mock his authority.
"If we're going there tomorrow night Clary and I are going to need to find clothes that will cover our Marks and not look out of place," Isabelle commented. "I didn't bring anything suitable for a nightclub."
"Look, we'll sort everything out to do with Pandemonium tomorrow, after we've spoken to Amatis," Alec said firmly.
"Where should we head first?" Jonathan asked.
"Well, seeing none of us know the city at all Jon, that should be a pretty easy decision," Clary said dryly.
"Yeah, what we need is a guided tour for Shadowhunters visiting New York," Isabelle said lightly. "It would be great, 'Step right this way, young Nephilim. Right here we have a nest of sleeping vampires, and to the right, a den of werewolves. Next stop, Central Park.'"
Clary giggled and Jonathan and Alec both grinned.
Jace looked thoughtful. "That's quite a nice idea, Iz. All Institutes should have someone dedicated to running tours of their city, for Downworlders and Shadowhunters alike. Think how much money they would make," he said, feigning seriousness.
"And then, once they've spelled everything out for all Downworlders, they can sell all our secrets to them, for a relatively low price," Clary added, as if it too was a fantastic idea.
"You both know that's not what I meant at all, I just wished there was someone to show us around," Isabelle said crossly. "Now, someone pick where we're going first or I'm going shopping."
"We'll head for the Chinatown, the old precinct," Alec decided quickly, wanting to nip Isabelle's thoughts of shopping in the bud. "It's the farthest downtown I think, we can work our way back to the heart of the city from there."
They went from scouting out the area around the old precinct in Chinatown, to the streets around the Hotel Dumort, to Central Park.
About half way along their walk from Chinatown to the Hotel Dumort Alec had said, "Hey, we just walked past the Marble Cemetery."
"Oh really?" Jace said with interest. "Should we go back and check it out?"
"The Silent Brothers give me the creeps," Isabelle said with a shudder.
"Is there an entrance in the cemetery?" Jonathan asked with interest. "I thought we weren't really supposed to know the entrances to the Silent City, unless of course we're told because we need to go there for some emergency."
"The Silent City is definitely a place you don't want to visit," Isabelle agreed. "We only know because we heard Mom and Dad talking about it one time. They don't know we know, but we've all held onto the information, just in case it comes in handy."
"Because visiting the Silent City is on your to do list," Clary said dryly. "I just don't understand why mutilating their features and the work they do go hand in hand. It's just creepy."
"Having never been a Silent Brother, or sat down to chat with one, I couldn't say for sure either," Jace said in an offhand manner. "If I do, I'll make sure to ask them for you."
Clary grinned at him and said, "Thanks," surprising him. He'd been expecting a glare or a retort. He liked that he couldn't always pick her reactions. It made trying to get a reaction all the more enjoyable.
Once they'd found Turtle Pond they walked around Central Park, enjoying the late afternoon of the August day. It wasn't terribly hot and the city was packed with mundanes enjoying their summer vacations.
"I think I'll give Amatis a call," Alec decided, after they'd walked around Times Square and had seen the Empire State Building. "See whether we should come back to the Institute to eat dinner, or just find somewhere to eat in the city, and where she wants us to start off on our demon hunting."
Alec stepped aside, and spoke with Amatis on his cell for a couple of minutes and then returned to them to report that they were to grab dinner where they liked. She had also given Alec the name of a few spots to hang where there was regular demon activity. They all had their Sensors on them, as well as weapons and witchlight. They were to patrol for a few hours and then return to the Institute.
"Did your new girlfriend suggest anywhere else to eat in this city?" Isabelle asked hopefully. "I don't think I want to go back to Taki's."
"Let's just find a good looking pizza place," Clary suggested. "It's New York, most people probably won't think twice about the way we look. They'll just assume we're goths, or going to some dress up party."
"Pizza sounds good," Jace agreed, flashing Clary a smile. "Any other objections?"
No teenage boy had ever refused pizza before, and Jon and Alec weren't about to be the first, and Isabelle was happy with the idea, so pizza it was.
They ate at a place called Joe's Pizza, eating and talking until the sun started to go down and they could head out to deal with any demon presence they could find.
"Amatis suggested we try Downtown Manhattan, and then Hunts Point," Alec told them.
They headed in the general direction of Downtown Manhattan, talking from time to time, but mainly focusing on keeping an eye on their surroundings.
They were near Columbus Park when Isabelle's ruby pendant started to pulse. She put her fingers to the necklace that doubled as her Sensor, and looked at Jace who nodded. All of their Sensors had activated, sensing demonic activity.
The area was dark, quiet, and poorly lit.
Clary, Jace, Alec and Jonathan each drew a seraph blade from their weapons belts, Isabelle uncurled her whip.
"Head toward the park," Jace said in a low voice, instinctively sensing they'd find what they were hunting there.
"Over there," Clary hissed. "I'm pretty sure that stray dog is a Hellhound, it's far too big to be a real dog."
"What the hell is one of those doing around here?" Alec muttered. "What in the name of the Angel could they be tracking?"
"Let's hope there's only one," Isabelle said grimly.
"I can see two more," Jonathan said. "Look, over there, near that tree."
Jace thought quickly and then said, "We shouldn't all go for the one on its own. I don't want us to have our backs to the other two at any point. Alec, Isabelle and I will take the two near the tree. Jon and Clary, take the lone one. You can back us up once you deal with it."
They all agreed, even Alec, who didn't think twice about letting Jace to take charge of the situation. Jace was the best Shadowhunter of their generation, in fighting ability and in strategising.
Clary and Jace approached their designated Hellhound, pleased that Jace had split them up the way he had. He was use to fighting with his siblings, and she was use to Jonathan.
"I'll come from the right, you take the left," Clary said, quietly naming her seraph blade Cassiel.
As they drew close the Hellhound looked up at them, snarling ferociously.
Jonathan made a sudden charge at it, trying to catch it off guard, but it moved quickly away, lunging at Clary, who twirled to face it and lashed out at it with her seraph blade.
Jace, Isabelle and Alec had already dispatched with one of their Hellhounds, Isabelle delivering an unexpected and quick deathblow with her whip. The hound disappeared, back to its own dimension.
The remaining hound was very angry, but couldn't decide which Shadowhunter to charge at first. Alec let an arrow fly, hitting the side of the hound, only making it angrier still.
Jace was about to attack when he heard a feminine voice cry out from a little way across the park – Clary. He turned around quickly to see what was going on. The Hellhound had cornered Clary and Jonathan was on the ground.
Jace cursed and said, "You two stay here!" and ran flat out across the park.
As he ran he watched as Clary tried to manoeuvre so that she could get at the hound with her blade, but it swiped at her, hitting her hard in the side. Jace was almost level with it.
Just as he was about to drive his seraph blade into the Hellhound it lashed out with its mace like tail and hit Jace in the forearm, making a big gash.
Jace ignored the pain, moved to the left and plunged his seraph blade into the hound, delivering a death blow and it ceased to exist and returned to its dimension.
Jace rushed to where Clary was standing, holding her side.
"Is Jon okay? Are you okay?" Clary asked anxiously.
"I'm fine, it's just a scratch," Jace said. "Isabelle and Alec will check on Jon. Are you alright?"
"Nothing an iratze won't fix," Clary said with a weak smile. "Oh good, Jon is up, Isabelle and Alec are with him."
Isabelle was helping Jon to stand, and Alec was watching on, keeping one eye on Clary and Jace, and the other on Isabelle and Jonathan. Jonathan appeared to have merely been knocked out, hitting his head on something after being flung by the Hellhound.
"Here," Jace said, grabbing his stele and drawing an iratze on her. "You should be healed before you know it."
Steles were the tool used by Shadowhunters to Mark runes to their skin, they never went anywhere without them. An iratze was a healing rune, and a very useful one.
"Jace, you have blood pouring down your arm, stop fussing about me and let me put an iratze on you," Clary protested.
"Fine," Jace allowed.
Clary grabbed her own stele and Jace was soon Marked with a healing rune.
"Thanks," he said in a low voice.
"Thank you," Clary replied softly. "I'm sorry you got hurt because of me. I don't know what happened, Jon and I just suddenly lost control. That Hellhound seemed determined to end us."
Their eyes met and locked and they shared an intense few seconds before Isabelle interrupted.
"Everything alright here?" she asked. "Jon's fine, in case you care. Just feeling like an idiot, which is fair enough. He did manage to get himself knocked out."
Jonathan appeared, looking sheepish. Alec was with him, but he was scowling darkly.
"Everyone going to be alright?" he asked brusquely. "Yes? Good. I think we should head straight back to the Institute. Three of you were injured, and we need to speak with Amatis about those Hellhounds. We all know they're dispatched to hunt something, and we don't know what that was. Let's get moving."
They were a sombre and quiet group as they made their way back to the Institute, no one really talking.
Jace and Clary were both lost in thought, Jonathan was annoyed that he'd allowed his sister to fall into danger the way he had, Alec was fuming, and Isabelle was left with no one to talk to.
As they entered the Institute Isabelle said shortly, "Seeing as none of you apparently feel like talking, I'll go and speak to Amatis and let her know what happened."
"I'll come with you, Isabelle," Jace announced. "Clary, you should take a shower, you're covered in blood."
"So are you," Clary retorted.
"I wear it so much better though," Jace shot back, gold eyes glinting.
"Enough, Jace and Isabelle just go and see Amatis," Alec ordered. "I'll join you in a minute. I need to head up to my room first."
Jace and Isabelle headed for the library and Alec accompanied the Morgenstern siblings to their rooms.
"Well, I'm going to take a shower," Jonathan said. "I didn't exactly do much, except look like an idiot tonight, but hot water, clean clothes and a long sleep sound good."
Clary couldn't help nodding in agreement.
Jonathan stepped into his room and Clary was just about to step into her's when Alec said, "Can I have a word, Clary?"
"Sure, what is it?" Clary asked curiously.
"When we return to Alicante, I think it would be best if you didn't spend much more time with Jace. I will also be requesting that the Academy does not send you out on any mission he goes on," Alec said, his voice taught and serious.
"Oh really?" Clary questioned incredulously. "And who do you think gave you the right to interfere in my life, or Jace's, for that matter?"
"I'm his parabatai," Alec said coolly. "For some reason he's decided to take an interest in you and he's become distracted and that's not safe for him. What happened this evening was because of you. Jace has never been injured because he was too focused on saving someone else who couldn't hold their own. And he left Isabelle and me to save you, and we could have been injured as a result too. I don't know what game he's playing, spending time with you, but you're no good for him."
"Jace is fine, I'm fine, and for the record, it was actually Jonathan's fault that I was put in a position where I couldn't defend myself," Clary said hotly, not quite believing that she was trying to pin the blame on her own brother.
"I don't care," Alec said brusquely.
"Do you want to know what I think?" Clary said, growing angrier by the second. "I think you're jealous. I know Jace's reputation, he doesn't try to get the attention of other girls, but now he's interested in me, and that kills you. You've never had to share him with anyone other than your siblings, and you don't like that at all. You may be his parabatai, but you don't get a say over everything in his life. You know what, you're acting like some crazy, jealous boyfriend!"
Alec went very white, and reeled back almost as though she'd slapped him.
Clary gasped, shocked at how much her temper had caused her to say, and even more shocked as she realised the truth behind her words. The accuracy of her accusation were what had made Alec go white and she suddenly knew she'd hit too close to home.
"If you ever, ever, tell anyone a word of this conversation, you'll regret it," Alec hissed, his eyes narrowed in fury. "Are we clear?"
"I don't respond to being threatened, Alec," Clary said calmly and firmly, though she did not really feel calm in the slightest.
Alec looked as though he couldn't decide what to do with her, and then turned on his heel and stalked off, presumably to join his siblings in the library.
Clary let out a shaky sigh and then tried the door of Jonathan's room, wanting to find out how much he'd heard. The door was locked though, and she pressed her ear to it, and could hear the shower running, so presumably the sound of the water had prevented him from hearing her fight with Alec.
Clary entered her own room and headed straight for the bathroom. She surveyed herself in the mirror. The neat ponytail she'd had at the beginning of the day was ruined. The Gear she was wearing was covered with blood, a mixture of her own and Jace's. Her shirt had great tears in it from the Hellhound's clawed paws. She looked like a mess. She quickly discarded her clothes and stepped into a hot shower, trying to relax under the heat of the water.
Once out of the shower Clary grabbed the first bit of soft clothing she could find in her overnight bag, pulled it on, and fell into her bed into an exhausted sleep.
A little while later there was a light tap on her door, but she was so deeply asleep that she didn't hear it.
When there was no response, it opened quietly, revealing Jace, who, after speaking with Amatis, had returned to his room, showered, and dressed in fresh clothes.
He had been intending to check on Clary before going to bed and see that she was okay, and he was a little bit sorry to find her asleep.
He looked at her sleeping form. She was very small and she looked very young and tired, her red hair damp and curling from her shower. He reached over, as if to smooth her hair, but pulled back, deciding against it. It felt too familiar, too emotionally involved, and he didn't do that. But something about her made him want to.
He sighed and ran a hand through his golden hair. He had no idea what had come over him, but he knew that it related to her, and he also knew that at some point he was going to have to face it. He just didn't know how yet. There was nothing to be done about it then, so he slipped quietly out of her room and headed for his own, knowing that trying to sleep was his best option.
AN: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) I know it's taken a few chapters to get to some more exciting stuff, but things are definitely going to be more fast paced from here. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed, I appreciate it so much and it's great to be sharing this with you :)
By the way, there are a whole bunch of things I really don't like about the COB movie, but I chose to add the Portal to the New York Institute library, like the movie universe did. It just works well for me in this universe.
Also, a favourite character is about to make an appearance in the next chapter :) (Feel free to guess who!)
Please review, it's really great to hear what you guys think :) Plus, I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have, or have any suggestions!
If you review, you get a bonus preview of Chapter 7 :)