Hey guys! Sorry it's taken two weeks (more?) for this chapter. School. You know what it's like… Anyway, this is definitely the longest chapter I've written, and I'd just like to thank LuminousFishy for reviewing (and everyone else of course!) because it really lifts me up. Enjoy!
Guiltily, Clary looked away. Her shoes were looking good. Actually they weren't. Her dirty white Sketchers were probably in need of a replacement. But anything better than Isabelle's venomous but worried look- a killer combination. "I might have accidentally made him undyingly devoted to me." How many times this evening had she faced a room of stunned silence? An exact number would be- too many. Clary dragged her gaze up from her shoes to meet everyone's eyes. Hodge was pretty much invisible for all the attention everyone was paying to him. Jace looked amused. Isabelle looked slightly disgusted. "Oh no." Clary hurried to explain. "Not romantically or anything. Just-well- his will is kind of... more pliable now." Isabelle let out a shriek of laughter. "That's hilarious!" She said, gasping for air. "What can you make him do?" Clary shrugged. She wasn't really sure, but she wasn't about to admit to not knowing what her own rune did. "I reckon you should make him clean up for us." Jace put in. "I really don't want to." Clary hesitated. Should she really be taking advantage of Alec like this? Then she remembered how hostile he had been. "Sure." She smirked. "Alec," she began sweetly, turning to face him, "can you clean up for us?" Alec's expression didn't change. "Okay." He said, as if Jace had just asked him if he wanted to go hunting, or if Isabelle had let him know she was going out. He turned and picked up most of the plates, carrying them to the kitchen. Clary could hear the sounds of them being rinsed and stacked into the dishwasher. She started to worry. How long would it be before the rune wore off? What if it was permanent? A sharp ringing interrupted her thoughts. The Institute's phone, if she had to guess. "Would someone get that? Jace?" Jace grumbled something under his breath, but heaved himself up from the table and went to answer it.
Clary could hear a muffled conversation- well, Jace's low tones and an unclear squeaking from the other end of the phone. "Yeah, Maryse… but no one will care about a stupid gathering… okay, maybe." He put down the phone and turned to them as slowly as he could. "Was that Mum?" Isabelle asked inquisitively. Jace sighed. "Yeah. And there's some stupid Shadowhunter gathering that she completely forgot about it, and being in Idris, she can't go. So she then decides it would be a good idea to send us in her place." Isabelle brightened, as if taking energy from Alec, who had visibly slumped down further in his seat. "A party?" she said, more making a statement than asking a question. The glow in her eyes was visible from across the kitchen, where Clary was sitting. Jace and Alec groaned in unison. Hodge apparently decided that now was a good time to leave. "I'm going to the greenhouse if you want me." He announced. Everyone ignored him. Then Jace spoke words that jolted Clary in surprise. "It's tonight." As Isabelle squealed excitedly, she looked over at Clary. "I'm dressing you up, Clary. No arguments." Her tone indeed, was very firm. So firm that Clary didn't even bother protesting as Isabelle pulled her up from her seat and dragged her to some unknown location. As she glanced back at Jace and Alec, her mood soured even more. Jace was smirking widely, and as per usual, Alec was in a sullen haze. As Jace caught sight of her looking, his smile grew even wider (if that was possible). Clary pointedly looked away, and forward to wherever Isabelle was going.
She threw open the door to a messy room. No- to say it was messy would be an understatement. It was positively chaotic. Clothes were strewn everywhere, and the vanity was cluttered with pots, sticks and tubes of makeup. The walls glittered with sponged on gold paint over the black. "Wow." That was all Clary had to say. "Thank you." Isabelle replied. "Now," she continued, picking her way over the piles of clothes and to a walk in closet. She disappeared into it, and her voice echoed out from a seemingly endless space. "What do you like to wear?" Isabelle's head popped back out to check out her outfit. "Actually, never mind." A couple of seconds later, she materialized with several dresses held up so that the ends didn't drag on the floor. It was then Clary realized how serious she was about 'dressing her up'. "Uh, Isabelle, do you actually think I'm going to fit into anything of yours?" She simply ignored her, laying the dresses out on the bed. They were beautiful dresses- on Isabelle. Clary knew she wouldn't have figure to suit most of them. "We don't have very long, so you'd better start trying them on now." She instructed, shoving Clary into the bathroom with a selection.
"Isabelle, this is the ninth dress I've tried on." She grumbled, stumbling out of the bathroom. "And none have fit me." Isabelle seemed to have a talent for ignoring things she didn't want to hear. She just continued readying her pots of makeup. "Isabelle?" She turned around, going to her closet and pulling out yet another dress. "This is the last one, I promise. If it doesn't fit, we can try something
else." Clary sighed in defeat. "Okay. I guess." She took the dress from her as she held it out, the taffeta-like material soft under her hands, and went into the bathroom. Slipping the dress over her head, she turned to look in the full-length mirror. And did a double take. The image there- well, it couldn't be plain old Clary Fray. The girl in the mirror had on a beautiful dark grey dress, floor length with a halter neck, belted at the waist. It set of her coloring perfectly, bringing out the green if her eyes and the fire in her hair. But she moved when Clary did, smiled when Clary did, so she had to be her. "Clary?" Isabelle's voice came from outside the bathroom door. "Coming!" She replied. She swept open the door, and when Isabelle saw her, she gasped. "That's perfect!"
"Yeah. It's a bit too long though..." She spun around, digging through her closet once again. She brang out a pair of white strappy heels- at least four inches. "There's no way I'm wearing those torture devices." Clary stated, backing away, but tripping on the hem of her too long dress. Isabelle advanced towards her. "Yes, you are. But first," she dropped the heels to the side "make up time!" With that, Isabelle grabbed Clary's shoulders firmly and guided her towards the vanity. "Remind me why I'm doing this?" She sighed. "Because you're going to look amazing." Said Isabelle firmly.
Half an hour and a million tubes later, Clary had had enough. Which is exactly what she said. "I'm done anyway. Take a look." Huffed Isabelle. She had transformed her again. The make up made her eyes look dark and mysterious, her face older and not so Raggedy Anne like. "Thanks, Isabelle. It looks really good."
"No worries. Call me Izzy, really." Suddenly, she shrieked. "Look at the time! I have to get ready." Isabelle- Izzy- ran off into the bathroom. Faintly, Clary could hear sprays and slamming cupboards. The door opened quietly, and Clary spun around. It was Alec. She gulped. It was so weird, not having him throw her sullen looks and snide comments now. "Are you guys almost finished?" He asked, his eyes bright and expectant. "Uh, not quite. We'll be down in a few." Alec just nodded and turned around, shutting the door behind him and heading downstairs. Clary leaned her head against the wall. What had she done? Alec wasn't acting anything like himself. It was plain creepy. Isabelle came out of the bathroom noisily. She looked beautiful, long, dark hair flowing down her back, and a red strapless ball gown that slowly faded to black.
"Ready?" Clary asked, slipping her concealed stele into her belt. "Sure." Isabelle replied. As the elevator doors opened, Clary could see Alec and Jace standing there, all dressed up in wedding-like finery. Jace was dressed in all black- except for a golden tie. It played off his coloring perfectly, making him look like one of the angels straight from Shadowhunter textbooks- or maybe a fallen one. Jace's gaze met hers, and he smirked slowly. "Ok, that's enough you two." Said Alec loudly, stepping in between them. Clary could see Jace and Izzy frowning. It was obviously highly disconcerting to have Alec acting like this- actually friendly and somewhat protective- towards a stranger. "Alright." Isabelle murmured. "Alright." She cleared her throat. "Let's get going."
Several times in the limo- because apparently Isabelle and Jace would take nothing less than the best- Clary's eyes snagged on Jace's, and then she would quickly tear them away. It looked like Jace was finding the whole sufficiently amusing- he couldn't stop smirking. "We're here!" Isabelle's voice broke into Clary's thoughts. She looked out the tinted window and sucked in a breath. The hall was decorated dozens of candleholders, within them dazzling runes or bright witch light. "Maryse forgot to mention that it was the annual Accords ball." Jace muttered under his breath. "I thought that was in Idris." Clary said in wonder. "Each Accords year, for the people who can't make it to Idris, they host a ball in one major city." Jace explained, almost nicely. "By the way... your necklace is caught on top of your head. You look like... well I don't know." Forget about him being nice.
"Here." He stepped closer as she started to reach up, and began to untangle the necklace from her upswept hair. Clary looked up at him, watching as he worked to free Isabelle's necklace. Suddenly, she felt her hair swish down around her shoulders. "Sorry. But you look better that way anyway." She just looked up at him startled. Jace took a step closer and— "Are you guys coming?" Alec called out. Clary room a step back quickly and almost tripped on the hem of her dress. "S-sure." She stuttered, and then stumbled after Alec.
The inside of the hall was just as magnificent as the outside. The blazing lights cleared Clary's head immediately. What had she been thinking? Had she actually wanted to kiss Jace? The confusion with that thought was back again. "Would you like to dance, Miss Fairchild?" A smooth voice asked, startling her. She turned and saw a boy of about seventeen. Dark hair, striking against pale skin with a tall, broad figure. . Recognition flared up within her, but she didn't know where it was from. How could she know this stranger? It wasn't as if she went to Idris that often, and she had met few other Shadowhunters. "How do you know me?" The question bubbled up and out of her lips before she could stop it. But however rude it seemed, she did want to know. "Wouldn't you like to know?" With that he winked at her. "At least tell me your name." Clay said impatiently. "I'll tell you of you dance with me." She sighed. After a nod of assent, he led her out onto the dance floor. As they spun around the room in a traditional waltz, Clary caught sight of Jace, clenching and his jaw and fists. What had gotten him all riled up? All thoughts of Jace flew from her mind once again though as a loud voice yelled. "Stop right there!" Clary looked around, confused, and saw the Consul pointing at the dark haired stranger she was dancing with. "Well, well, well. It seems the siblings have been reunited." He said as he drew closer. "What are you talking about?" Clary asked, pleased that her voice was steady and strong- but there would be a much more appropriate time to dwell on that later. The Consul ignored her. He was fairly intimidating, with a stocky body and a scowl that harshly twisted his features. "Jonathan Morgenstern. What a pleasure to meet you."