Again, apologies for the shorter chapter.
I'm thinking of starting a new fic- Infernal Devices this time. I've already roughed out a plan and a summary:
Jessamine and Tessa are 2 very different girls, but they both want out of the lives they were given. Neither are mundanes, neither have living parents, and neither have anywhere else to go when they turn up at the Institute. Tessa would do almost anything to not be a Shadowhunter, and Jessamine only wants to fit into a higher class. Can they accept what they are before it's too late?
Could you tell me whether or not you would be interested in reading it please?
As twilight was settling over the city, Clary decided to try and find her way back. She started to remember landmarks she hadn't taken much notice of before. The tree hunched over like an old man. The little hump of grass that she tripped over when she'd come this way before- and once again when she found it on her way back. Waiting for her at the house was Valentine, who was quite unhappy with her. Clary felt awful. Her embarrassment at being caught eavesdropping would have been nothing compared to her dad's worry and anger over her.
"Finished your tantrum now?" he asked. "Really, I expect more of you, Clarissa."
She drooped. "I am very sorry, Father. I promise, I won't do it again."
"And I'm very sure you won't. Because you will be receiving your punishment tomorrow morning at breakfast."
Clary trudged off to her room. How much would she have to do to convince her father that she was on his side?
She considered begging off breakfast, but decided that she wouldn't be a coward like that.
Her father was waiting at the dining table, looking grim. "Where's Jonathan?" She asked.
"He is doing business in Alicante. I told you that. Now," he stated. "That is where I want you to go and collect for me these items." He handed her a list of about fifteen things. Clary made sure to keep her expression neutral, but inside she was screaming. She didn't doubt that these things were important, but that didn't mean she wanted to wander around Alicante all day and come home exhausted.
Clary sighed. Ten silver throwing knives was penned in her father's neat, swirling writing. Luckily, the Clave was in session, so there were only teenagers milling around. No one who could possibly recognize her. She headed to the weapons shop and purchased the items, lying without hesitation about a particularly tricky werewolf she had been assigned to. Of course, the mutt had broken the Accords and killed a mundane.
"Clary?" A familiar voice startled her. She struggled to place it as she turned around.
A boy of about seventeen or eighteen was standing in front of her. He had blue eyes the color of bottle glass, pale skin and a mop of messy black hair.
"How do you know my name?" she demanded. The shopkeeper didn't even glance up. He must be used to strange Shadowhunters from all over the place recognizing each other. However, Clary wasn't.
"Quit playing games, Clary." He hissed. "It isn't funny. Everyone's been worried sick about you, disappearing like that. And then I find you here. Just visiting Idris, are you?" He finished his rant, and his pale skin took on a flush. Now the shopkeeper glanced up in interest.
"Maybe we should go outside." Clary whispered, despite being extremely confused and disorientated.
They walked outside and Clary faced him, her heart thrumming in her chest. "I'll ask you again, Shadowhunter." She snarled, not bothering to keep her voice down. "How do you know my name?"
He took on the astonished look that the servant had. "Do you really not know who I am?" Clary shook her head, even though she knew that somehow, she did. But she had been confused over the past few days. She couldn't trust anyone except her family anymore. Deciding that this was all a hoax, she launched at him with one of the spare daggers she kept in her belt. He stumbled back quickly, Shadowhunter training obviously keeping him from falling over backwards. He reached for his knives as well, and drew a short dagger. Clary lunged at him again, achieving a short slash against his arm, cutting through his shirt but not breaking the skin. Damn it! Every attack she threw at him, he parried, fending her off well. Clary could feel her muscles straining, singing, and she narrowed her eyes at the Shadowhunter. Everyone had a weakness. This time he went on attack, and she seized his arm to knock the dagger out of his hand. "Clary, please don't do this. Jace and Izzy are so worried." She stopped short, the names giving her twin flares of pain. The next thing she knew, she was on her back staring up at the open sky. A stinging, burning pain started at her throat. Never had she been in this position before, completely immobilized and waiting on her death. He was restraining her arms and legs, tracing swirling patterns with what she assumed was the knife. She squeezed her eyes shut and allowed herself a second of bewilderment, and then opened them. His heavy weight was almost crushing her, but she had to think of something before this murderous Shadowhunter killed her. His face seemed open and vulnerable- she would have never imagined that he would be the one to end her. There was a tiny stop to the stinging. A hesitation- maybe she did have a chance.
That was it. The last thought galvanized her- she pushed upwards as hard as she could with her arms and legs, knocking him off. Next she reached for another weapon, but she was all out. She threw a punch at him and hit her mark- it landed on the right side of his jaw.
"I'm going. I promise you, I would never hurt you, Clary. No matter how jealous of what you had with Jace."
"What did you just say?"
"Just try to break through whatever is wrong with you. Try, Clary. Don't let whoever is doing this get the better of you."
With that he turned and ran, much like she had ran the day before, up the street and disappeared around the corner.
She wanted to give chase and ask what he meant, but points of pain kept penetrating her head. She dropped to the floor, head in her hands, and tried to be strong.