Chapter Three: The Mysterious Jace

Clary awoke soaked in sweat and she felt a pulse pushing on her head. She didn't feel good. Jonathan's body was still haunting her everytime she closed her eyes. She wished she was dead.

"Oh, your awake," a male voice said. Clary's eyes opened quicker than a flash and she screamed (though it came out like a breathless squeak).

"Oh my. Oh my goodness!" A mousy looking man- not much older than boyhood- was beside her bed.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, Miss. I'm Simon, Simon Lewis. I'm a servant for anyone in the house who needs help. What's your name? We will be working together often as you are Izzy's servant, so I might as well meet you now."

"Clary," she breathed.

"That's pretty," Simon replied. "You know Clary, you are lucky I'm here in this room and not Jace. If Jace was here, he'd be checking out your whole body."

She became aware of a breeze blowing across her chest. "Oh my Goodness! Get out! Simon! Out, out out!" Simon's gaze flickered down, below her face and Clary shrieked. "Oh my goodness! Simon!" She threw a pillow at him and when she blinked again, the man was gone.

Clary's torso was wrapped in white bandages, but, she noticed, no dress was on her. Her legs were in loose, brown pants and her hair, brushed and pulled back. Why was she in a room with bandages on her back? Wasn't she supposed to be working in the fields, or in the courtyard having all the leftover skin whipped off her back? What was so different about these people? And who was Jace?

"Miss Fairchild! You're awake!" a smooth and soothing voice exclaimed. An oldish women came waltzing into the room, bandages and ointments pouring from her hands.

"Let me help you," Clary exclaimed and jumped out of bed, grabbing over half of the items in the woman's hands.

"Oh, thank ya, darling. I ran into Simon in the hall, and he recalled something about Clary, awake, and sore body parts? I don't understand that boy. Really, I don't."

"So what's this for?"

"Miss Fairchild," The women cried. "I would hope you know! This is for your back of course. My name's Amatis and I am the maid. You will meet Magnus, Jordan and Maia later."

"Wait- That's for... me?" Clary asked, mystified. The woman- Amatis- dropped all the stuff on the table beside Clary's bed and Clary followed.

"Of course, Miss Fairchild. Who else?" Why was everyone taking care of her? She didn't understand. It was probably Robert sucking up to her again. She certainly didn't need that though.

"Well, I refuse to let you do any more for me."

"Miss Fairchild- Can I can you Clary? I heard Simon call you that. Clary, of course you are going to let me. I don't see why you wouldn't. I'm only trying to help you and follow my master's orders," Amatis said.

Aha! Clary wanted to shout out. So he did want to suck up to me.

"Well I won't let you. It's my body, my back and I shall do what pleases me... Oh, just so you know... because I didn't mention it? Getting stuff all over my back because of a suck-up boss? Yeah, not what please me. I can deal with my own problems without my suck-up boss's help."

""If you won't do this the easy way, we'll have to do it the hard way. Don't make me call Mr. Jace. Well, I wouldn't get him. You're entirely too nice for him, Clary. I'd call Mr. Alec."

"Bring it on, old lady. I won't let you do anything to me though." Amatis just frowned and scurried out of the room.

Clary sighed and plopped down on her bed. Why did her bosses always have to try something with her? Why couldn't they just leave her alone?

Amatis came scurrying back into the room with a man. He had black hair, blue eyes, and resembled Robert in several ways. He was frowning. Clary jumped up and ran to the wall.

"You can't make me do this, Amatis. I won't. If you get me on that bed, I will scream." Amatis just looked at the man and the man's frown deepened. He walked slowly towards her.

"Clarissa-" A violent shudder coursed through Clary's body.

"Clary. My name is Clary. Don't ever call me Clarissa or I will kill you," she growled.

"Well then... Clary, we don't mean you any harm. In fact, we want to help you. Your back had been ripped in several spots and we want to help them heal. Won't you let us help?"

"Well of course my back has been ripped, smart alec. I was whipped! What else would you expect rips in a slave's back to be! From paper cuts?!"

Amatis smiled, slightly. "Well, you got one thing right. The master's name is Alec. Alec Lightwood."

"Lightwood," Clary repeated and turned back to the man- aka Alec. "Of course! You are Robert's son! That makes so much more sense why I have the want to hurt you!" she shrieked and lunged towards him, her nails stretched out and ready to scratch.

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Jace was coming in from the stables (it turns out the carriage driver, Magnus, was also a slave. Who knew about him?!), when he heard a shriek. It had come from Clarissa's room. He knew s=he had been banned from the room, but it sounded important. Should he break the rule? Oh, who was he kidding, of course he should! He broke into a run and threw the door open. What he saw as not what he was expecting.

Clarissa was lying on top of Alec, her nails outstretched and she raked them across his arms. Her torso was wrapped in only white bandages but her back had very clearly bled through. Amatis was trying to grab Clarissa and get her off Alec.

"Woah, woah, woah there! What is going on?" Jace cried.

"Just get her off me!" Alec cried as Amatis cried "Help me Mr. Jace!"

Jace jumped right into the fight and ripped Clarissa off of his brother. Her nails had left raked marks streaked down Alec's arms and he screamed and paled in turn.

"You can't touch me," Clarissa screamed. "Get off me! I won't let you do anything to me!" I was almost like when she had passed out, Jace thought. Except this time she's awake and sane... well maybe not sane, but she was clearly alive and awake.

"Calm down, Clarissa!" Jace screamed above all the screaming in the room.

"Don't call me Clarissa!" she wailed even louder. "Don't call me anything! I want to be dead! I never wanted to be a slave! Get off me and let my back bleed out! Please! Get off me!"

Jace hugged her body even tighter to him when the girl- not Clarissa apparently- kicked and punched him even harder. "Well, whatever your name is, girl, you have to calm down! You can't keep doing this or we'll sell you again!"

"Do it!" the girl screamed. "Sell me! I've been to over fifteen plantations in three years! So sell me, I dare you. It'll only make the count sixteen instead of seventeen!"

"EVERYBODY STOP RIGHT NOW!"Amatis's voice said, over all the screaming. The room went silent and the girl in Jace's arms-still.

"Alec, are you all right?" Alec only whimpered. His blood was on the floor, under where he laid. "Oh my god, girl. What have you done?"

"I am getting out. Let them whip me, I deserve to die," she snarled.

"Shut up Clary, and get on the bed. All they wanted to do was help your back," Simon exclaimed. Clary? Is that what she calls herself? What a pretty name- wait. Am I seriously complimenting the girl who ripped everything off my brother's arms?

Wait, Simon?! When was he in the room?

"Well I refuse to let them!"Clary snarled to Simon. She tried to move out of Jace's arms, but he only tightened his hold on her.

"Get Alec on the bed and treat his wounds, Amatis," Jace ordered. "Treat him, me and Simon will change Clariss- uh Clary's bandages in the guest room next to us." Clary stiffened in his arms. Jace and Simon walked out of the room and into the next.

"No. No one is going to do anything to my back, especially a man such as you."

"Aw, come on Clare. I won't hurt you." Jace smiled at the girl in his arms and expected her to swoon and fall for him, but Clary only scowled.

"You won't touch my body. Ever. Even if I was healed. That's why I got sold at the last house, and it won't happen here." It happened at the other house? Jace wondered. Poor girl. She can't be any older then fifteen!

"Well, we're going to change them, whether you approve or not," he replied and dropped her on the bed, on her stomach.

"Come on, Clare bear," Simon said. Clary sighed when he said that, as if she was content. "We're only trying to help."

"Fine," she said and clenched her eyes closed, and lifted her arms. Simon and Jace just looked at each other, before Jace began to take off the bandages.

"Don't do what I think you will, Jace," Simon warned and Jace only smirked.

"She's the one giving herself up to me."

"Jace!"

"Oh fine," he sighed. He kept unraveling the bandages and ignored the want that needed him to draw closer to her. As he got more unwrapped, he felt his face begin to flush. Her body became more exposed, starting with her pale, stomach what had the ribs showing through to the curve of her small breasts. His body began to be harder and harder to control.

Her back on the other hand. It was purple and swollen, the red whip streaks swollen and pus flowed out of it. "Simon, we need that ointment really badly."

Simon passed Jace the ointment and when Jace's hand touched Clary's back, she drew in her breath. Was it pain, or the sparks that flew through his hand, Jace wondered. Clary's face said pain, but the sparks that kept bursting from his fingertips said otherwise. When he finished, the rewrapped her torso.

"Thank you, I guess, Simon. And Jace?" He nodded. "Well you aren't so bad. Are you Robert's too?"

"He is," Simon replied for Jace. Jace clenched his jaw. "Don't attack him though."

"You are? But, you look nothing like him."

"I'm... adopted," Jace said. Clary wrinkled her nose. She looked adorable.

"Oh. Okay, well ge tout. I need time to myself," she said. Simon looked ready to protest, but Clary interrupted him. "Seriously, Simon. I'm fine. I need time to... heal. That's right. Time to heal."

"If you're sure," Jace replied and winked. Clary could only blush.

"Out, everybody out. Don't make me throw a pillow at your faces [Simon]." And right before Clary slammed the door in the men's faces, Jace swore he saw a timid smile on her face.

"She throws pillows like a bear, dude!" Simon whined. Jace could only snort.

"You do realize you're whining about a thrown pillow? Especially from a girl. You're being a baby. Now, go... you know clean something."

Simon turned and began mumbling something in a tone that sounded exceedingly rude.

Clary's door flew open and Jace whipped around, expecting to see the beautiful, short girl standing in the doorway. Instead, a pink pillow flew at his face and knocked him into the wall, before her tripped and fell, his head hitting the wall.

Gosh, Simon wasn't kidding, Jace thought. That girl has an arm.