Hello lovely ones!

I am back with another chapter for you all. I'm trying to get these chapters up as quickly as possible (whilst still being good quality) because I'm in year 11 so things are really hectic at school and I do have to focus a lot… so I want to give you lots of chapters whilst I can in case I need to take a short break!

Also, I'd like to say a huge thankyou to these two lovely reviewers Disney4ever, who has been reviewing consistently on this story before and after my big long break… thankyou so much for staying with me it means the world! Also to TrueGrimm who reviewed one every single chapter even when they didn't need to… that's amazing and thankyou.

Now onto the story!

Chapter 18: Numbing Memories

Clary stared at the ceiling of her bedroom in the Infirmary… she'd been stuck here for a good two days and cabin fever was already setting in. She just wanted to get up, move around and help the others solve the problems with her mother. She knew that it could simply be her mother had suffered some sort of brain injury and was no brain dead, with no chance of survival but she had to believe there was something else going on here, because that would mean there was a chance Jocelyn would make it… even though logically, her heart was only pumping because of the machines. She just wasn't prepared to think about the prospect of her mother being to… injured to not pull through, all Clary could tell herself was that everything would be okay even if she was lying to herself.

She desperately wanted to be of some use to everyone, help somehow and figure out what on earth was going on but there was a problem with that to. If she moved for too long, for example for a training session her legs would shake and her knees would buckle, sending her to the floor the now familiar needle sharp pain shooting through her head whispering the same sentence over and over again. So she was stuck in this room, staring at the Television displaying the latest episode of Supernatural, which only made her laugh now as she watched the demons and magical creatures enter the screen knowing that the story wasn't far off from true reality. She was just bored, and the boredom meant that she was left with her own thoughts which in turn allowed her to think of every possible situation that may occur. She just had to focus on good, positive thoughts and she'd make it through without any issues.

Another problem she had was, although everyone told her that they were searching for answers to help Jocelyn, she knew in her heart that a lot of what they were doing centred on her, and what was happening to her mind, the things she was hearing and the pain she felt. Clary was fully aware that she was the highest priority, which in brutal honesty made sense considering her mother's state, but that didn't stop the daughterly urges from screaming at her to tell them her mother came first… not that they would listen. Shadowhunters were trained to have no bias when it came to solving problems and investigating odd occurrences, something Clary was only just learning now. It was one of the last things that a Shadowhunter had to learn to do, and one of the hardest. If Clary was faced with her mother and Maryse both being held at knife point with no way to save them both, it was her duty as a Shadowhunter to save the most valuable or more important in the hierarchy person, which would be her mother. At present time, Clary wasn't sure if she would be able to make that decision, she'd past all her academic and physical Shadowhunter exams, but there was no exam to test the strength and will of your mind, but it was obvious Clary wasn't there yet. But then again, it was unlikely most Shadowhunters could follow that rule, she'd seen them break it time and time again especially during the war she'd fought on her first unplanned trip to Idris.

It was all too difficult to think about, she just wanted to sleep and rest and forget about absolutely everything in her life that was going wrong. But she knew as soon as her emerald eyes were hidden from sight and she fell into the depths of sleep, the nightmares would come.

-Impulses-

"Iz…" Alec started, his voice shaking slightly as he stood in the cold night at the front door of this stranger Carla, but Isabelle interrupted him sharply.

"Alec, we came here for a reason, we will do what we need to do. Be polite, be respectful, and be kind. Not too much to ask for is it boys?" She replied accusingly, mainly directing her last few words of advice to Jace. Isabelle pulled down on the plastic like handle to the door, letting out a spine chilling screech before pushing the wire door open. She tentatively stepped inside the house, still pitch dark but she smelt the faintest aroma of Jasmine floating throughout Carla's home. She waved quickly at the boys to signal them to come in as well, but she had no idea if they could still see her, luckily they seemed to follow her regardless and as soon as Jace had entered the small brick house the door slammed shut behind them. A few frightening seconds passed the house was brought to life with lights. Isabelle was shocked, there was certainly magic involved but Carla was a mundane, she must be living with some magical being, perhaps a warlock of some sort. She looked around and saw right in front of her was a staircase with a cupboard underneath reminding her of her favourite childhood book Harry Potter; she saw to her right there was a small kitchen with retro 70's style fittings that didn't seem to match the neighbourhood they were in. And to her left was the living room, just out of her view by the arch way that led them into it. She walked slowly, her boots clicking loudly against the hardwood floors before silencing as she entered the living room, and begun walking on the soft, wine coloured carpet.

Carla sat in her chocolate recliner staring at the TV in front of her that displayed the mundane news on it, flicking every few seconds to a news reporter standing outside some crime scene or charity event. She saw a young blonde women standing in the rain out the front of a small house sitting in a beautiful tree-filled street. All Isabelle caught was "match-made in heaven" and then her eyes caught sight of a large, glass tower in the background, only just making it into the camera frame. She sucked in a breath, realising where the women was. This wasn't a mundane news report at all; those were the Towers of Alicante, that blonde women talking joyfully into the microphone was in Idris, the Shadowhunter's home city. She looked completely confused for a second wondering how it could possibly be that a reporter mundane or not was reporting in Idris, on a mundane's television. The other thing that made her brain bend was the fact that there was no television in Idris. Especially no broadcasting or Shadowhunter television because of the risk for interception, if the mundane's got hold of anything they'd created, all the secrecy for all the centuries would have been for nothing. It was a safety precaution, but it seemed someone was defying that precaution and very openly at that. She couldn't tear her eyes from the screen as two figures walked up from the house to the camera hand in hand and that's when her mind went dizzy.

A young man with a muscular build and light scars coating his skin walked up to the camera holding the hand of a pale, petite young girl with dark coloured hair, the opposite to the man's golden curls. Isabelle couldn't believe what she was seeing; neither of the boys seemed to have noticed anything. But the people on the television, where Jace and Aline, smiling and holding hands occasionally looking in each other's eyes lovingly. It didn't make sense; Jace looked far older than he was now, like an adult who'd settled down with a beautiful young girl, Aline in a house in Idris. And then she lost all ability to breathe as two children ran up and held onto the adults legs. She heard the interviewer say "Are you proud of Mummy and Daddy?" and both the children nodded vigorously, Jace picking the younger girl up in his arms to sit on his shoulders.

Then the screen flickered slightly and faded to black. "Curious isn't it?" She heard a stony voice, breaking the silence in the room. Jace was leaning against the archway where they entered and Alec stood awkwardly at his side, not really knowing what to do with himself. Isabelle stepped back slightly, away from the television and stared at the woman sitting in the plush chair in front of her. The woman was unbelievable young, considering Isabelle was expecting someone at least in her fifties, but Carla looked no older than 25. Her thin brown hair sat messily around her head, curling at the bottom into a bit of a frizz that sat just on her shoulders, she looked at them staring each one directly in the eyes and then smiled brightly, but there was something about it that left an unsettled feeling in the pit of Isabelle's stomach. Her teeth were beautifully white, Carla would have been a woman Isabelle would have been jealous of when she was younger, but staring at her now she was only confused. Maryse had warned them that Carla wasn't an easy woman to negotiate with and had a long history of being rather difficult, but how could such a young women have a long history of anything. Isabelle was getting tired of the riddles and confusion associated with this place and this women, it was driving her crazy and made her feel slightly sick, she just wanted to go home.

"You know, it's rather rude to ignore people Ms. Lightwood, you'd best be advised to answer someone when you are spoken to" Carla asked with a clipped tone, her hazel green eyes hardening as she stared at the trio of Shadowhunters. More riddles to ponder Isabelle thought, how'd she know my name? She'd stopped caring about all this nonsense; she wanted to be in and out of here as soon as possible.

"I apologize Carla, I didn't realise. It is curious… how can that be?" Isabelle asked carefully choosing her words. Carla's looks didn't deceive Isabelle, she might look young and beautiful but she'd been warned about her.

"Well it's the future my dear" Carla stared at the Lightwoods with an expression of superiority that Isabelle was sure she was savouring. Jace and Alec's heads whipped to look at Isabelle with a bit of a shocked look on their faces, clearly she was right and they hadn't noticed the television. Isabelle opened her mouth to explain but was cut off.

"Oh no Ms. Lightwood, what you see is for your own eyes only" Clara looked at her intently, seriousness deep within her voice as she watched Isabelle's eyes widen slightly.

"Isabelle-"Alec started but a vicious retort flew from Clara's mouth, "Did you completely disregard what I said young one? It was not for your eyes or ears! Nosiness will get you killed Alec Lightwood" Clara spat at him harshly. Alec and Jace sunk back into the wall, their shoulders hunched, Clara's outburst clearly had put them both in their place. All Isabelle could think was, if that was the future, what had happened to Clary?

"You're wondering about the youngest Fairchild are you not?" Clara directed her attention back onto Isabelle and immediately Isabelle knew she was talking about Clary, lying ill in her bed back at the Institute.

"My dear you can change your future if you play your cards right. Much to a lot of ignorant people's dismay, nothing is set in stone" Carla drawled lazily to Isabelle as if this was common knowledge to everyone, how a mundane knew this however was a complete mystery, as was everything involved with this place. Isabelle simply nodded in reply with a small, polite smile and slowly walked a bit closer to Carla, whose petite figure seemed to sink into the couch, her face covered in light shadows by the dim light that sent warm rays across the living room.

"Carla, we've come to ask for your help" Isabelle said very cautiously, she really had no idea how Carla would react or what she would do.

"Oh I know dearest" Carla smiled slightly to herself, not a nice, welcoming smile but more of a menacing and tired smile that whipped across her face and then was hidden all in an instant, "I know everything that you're wondering and everything you need to know" Carla said quietly, her eyes meeting Isabelle's.

"If you know why we are here then please help us" Alec murmured from the corner, stepping forward to stand behind Isabelle so only Jace was left standing in the shadows, not taking part in the whole affair, and Isabelle didn't blame him one bit. She heard Carla scoff, "Because, you come her under the name of the Institute, now why would I help a society that despises my very being? Hmm?" Carla posed the question that Isabelle could not answer, she knew Carla was right but they needed her help, whatever she knew, they needed it and if Maryse had given them her name, she wasn't just a nobody. She was something.

They were in a tough position and for a while there was complete silence, everyone standing in the living room standing uneasily whilst Carla sat staring at her black television. She sighed slightly as if the whole situation was to tiring for her, but rather than lying back in her recliner, she stood up and slowly began to walk towards Isabelle, and as soon as she did so Jace walked lighting quickly to face her. Carla only came up to Jace's shoulders, and she had to look up at him but rather than seeming submissive she stared at him with defiant eyes.

"Got something to say?" she asked him with a threatening tone, taunting him, begging him to do something that she could retaliate at. Jace just stared at her, his golden eyes searching her face for some kind of reasoning to tell him why she knew everything she said she did, but he found nothing in her cold expression, only stubbornness, she wasn't going to talk and even if she did there was no real way of knowing if what she was saying was credible or what they were looking for.

"Sit" she instructed before walking back to her seat and sitting down in her previous position, the three Shadowhunter's reluctantly moved and all sat on a small sofa that sat against the other wall of the living room. None of them were relaxed, they all sat with straight postures on the very edge of the sofa, Isabelle noticed Jace and Alec's hands sitting beside their legs, close to their blades which she knew all to well was more than just a coincidence.

"Carla our friend-" Isabelle tried to begin her explanation which she'd carefully rehearsed in her room multiple times before they had left but she was cut off by Carla within a matter of seconds.

"Clarissa Fairchild. You want to know why she hears these voices yes? And the pain in her head? You want answers" The young woman shot in bluntly, her eyes locking on Jace, "Especially you Jonathen Herondale, and that is your name deny it all you will. You want to know why your wife is so seemingly sick, alongside her mother yes." Carla's intense gaze continued to bore through Jace which Isabelle could tell was making her adoptive brother extremely uncomfortable, this woman created an extremely unsettling atmosphere in the living room and made Isabelle want to run out to breathe fresh, no-riddled air. Hey eyes flickered down to the grown quickly and she spoke quietly, almost like she suddenly felt vulnerable.

"First your other questions. No lights in the street because I'm the only one here, it's a distraction for unwanted visitors, people don't like deserted streets, secondly no numbers or words because again I don't want people finding me… only those with true intentions deserve my service but also, I don't read or see. Thirdly I can see the past, present and future children, and that is why I know everything about you" Clara was silent for a moment, before her eyes glided back up to Isabelle who felt even more confused then before, she couldn't see? Was she blind? Then how did she know where they were standing…

"Yes Isabelle Lightwood I am blind. I know what's happening now because I saw it all yesterday" The hazel-eyed mundane sat quietly in her recliner. Her eyes turned to Alec.

"Silent one. Tell me this… situation you find your loved ones in. The future may have changed since I last checked it, and I'm to exhausted to check again"

Alec looked bewildered, normally it was Isabelle or Jace but it was all up to Alec, and Isabelle felt nerves pump through her, her brother was never… the best with words. But what he said next surprised her.

"Jocelyn Fairchild, a family friend was attacked outside of Jace Lightwood and Clarissa Lightwood's reception. She has been unconscious since then, suffered a brain injury that has left her 'brain dead', so machines at the moment are in fact keeping her alive, however the occurrence seems too odd to turn the machines off. Clarissa was then informed of her mother's condition when she was out and fainted from the news which we also think has something suspicious about it, since then she has had bouts of unexplainable pain where she says she hears voices" Alec was stern and focused as her recounted the past days events to Carla, with little to no emotion.

"Familiar. And what do these voices say to her?" Carla replied curiously.

"Those you cannot kill, you must paralyse" Alec informed her quickly and calmly. Alec seemed to be a pro at this… very different from his usual stumbling over words and remembering key information Isabelle thought. The raven-haired girl sat on the couch awaiting Carla's response, and she had to wait for a good few minutes.

"I would listen to the voices" Carla replied dryly before rising and walking to the door, the Shadowhunters didn't move completely confused.

"Come here" Carla called to them and they hurriedly met her out the entrance of the house that was clearly being offered to them as an exit. They all stared at Carla.

"I've given you what you need, go fix the problem, because you all wouldn't like the future I see should things stay the way they are" Carla ushered the trio out of the door, as Alec and Jace trudged back down the yellow path, Carla gripped onto Isabelle's arm and whispered, "What I say is for you only. Should you fail to help the Fairchild's, Clarissa will die within a matter of weeks and you will be welcoming Aline into the family" She then released Isabelle, who with shock running through her run up to the boys. With only one thought in her mind.

Clary was dying.

-Impulses-

."They've sought out the filthy mundane, Carla, with the future filled eyes" a quiet, croaky voice shot into the darkness, searching for a reply from it's superior.

"No matter, as you said, she is a mundane who has simply be given the sight of future by the High Warlock of New York. Nothing special. Carla has shocked Isabelle into realising Clarissa's situation… her mother is more of a decoy. Everything is going according to plan. When it's time, we strike and bring the Fairchild's down" a booming, harsh voice replied to the surrounding black and echoed throughout the space that seemed never ending.

-Impulses-

She could feel herself growing weaker and weaker, she worried about whether or not she would ever move again… when could she see her Clary, her Luke again? It was painful to just lie here with no ability to move, to see, to do anything but listen to her own paranoid voices and feel the dull thudding of her heart. It didn't feel like her own, it was to steady. She knew that humans, Shadowhunters and anything in between have a steady heartbeat but it picks up and slows downs every now and then, that's the way the heart worked but hers, no matter how scared she became her heart stayed at a constant thud that never changed. Her breathing was similar, breathe in, and breathe out and nothing more. She didn't feel like she was her own person, she felt like she was being completely controlled by something or someone else. Her eyes opened against her will and as she expected, needle sharp pain shot through her head, making her feel dizzy as she stared at the darkness wondering what was happening to her. All she remembered was walking into her daughter's reception and dancing with Luke for a few songs. And then she went to the bathroom, washed her hands and black. She didn't know what had happened, but she woke up (did she even wake up? Was this a dream?) in this black hell of a space. She wanted it all to end. She felt paralysed and she wanted it to all be over. Now.

Her mind drifted to a memory of Valentine, it was to fuzzy for her to remember properly, but she remembering the quick sting in her harm, his soothing voice telling her she could never be hurt again, her body burning slightly and then numbing to nothing. She remembered staring at him with fearful eyes and him smiling at her, strapped down to a table in a medical style room which was no doubt in her previous house in Idris. Why was she remembering this.

It was as if the memory wanted to be recalled, for one reason or another, and Jocelyn didn't like it.

Hello!

How was it? Did you like it? I hope so… I found this chapter soooo hard to write! I have no idea why… so I hope you all still liked it :)

Review Review Review and tell me what you think!

Xx

Green-doves