Author: Frosy
Beta: Miles333

A Hidden World

Chapter 16

The Sound

I put the phone down and ran my hands through my hair.

"Who was it?" Alec asked me and placed his plate of food on the table.

"Clary."

"Clary? Did something happen?"

I slowly raised my head to meet his eyes. He was looking back at me with curious eyes.

"She said she was ready." Clary who hasn't spoken a word all these days wants to talk now. She wants to learn the whole story.

She said she was ready but am I? I had never shared this story with anyone before except Alec. Alec then spread the words to the others. Later on was when I found out that he had shifted a small but important detail.

"For what?" he said and raised one eyebrow.

"Learn the truth."

"Do you want me to tell her?" Alec said ready to help me again.

"No, I will do it."

"You are not going to tell her everything, right?" He was worried that I might tell her the actual truth about my father. Honestly I didn't know about that.

Nobody knew the exact way my father died and the only ones that knew where in this kitchen, trying to eat under this heavy atmosphere.

"Alec, I really don't know but don't you think she should know? I mean not only her but everyone?"

"What if the Clave finds out?" worry filling his voice.

"I don't think that they will do anything. It was an accident." I said and looked away.

Alec tried to say something but Max came in.

He poured some coffee into his mug and sat down joining us. He looked exhausted. Since he came he is constantly going out at nights.

"You look terrible." Alec said to him, "everything alright?"

"What? Oh yeah everything it's ok." He said without looking at us.

Alec looked at me and then turned at Max.

"So what have you been up too?"

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't really tell us why you where away." Alec said and Max looked at us.

His eyes were blue as usual but there were deep purple circles underneath his eyes indicating that he wasn't getting much sleep.

"Well as you know I was away to search about what happened at the Moira Forest."

"We know that, but I am asking if you found something."

"Well not much at the forest, only that it's emptier than ever. I mean I didn't see a single bird and the locals refuse to go inside. Not after what happened."

"We knew that. I am surprised that the Clave was willing to go."

"They didn't exactly do that," I said to Alec, "they sent others to do their job as always."

"Jace," Max said to me, "don't forget all we, are the Clave."

"Whatever."

"And?" Alec said wanting to find out more about his trip but also save us from arguing again.

"I couldn't find anything. The only evidence that indicated that they were there was the broken stone. Everything else was in place."

"Except from the animals." I said to him.

"It was scary. You could feel the presence of death there and not having any living creature near it made it more dramatic. It was like demons were surrounding this place. I swear I even felt one at some point."

"In Idris? No way."

"I didn't say I saw any Alec, just that I think I sensed one."

"Yeah, but you are usually not wrong, when sensing them." I said as I paid more attention to them, interested where this was going.

"Because I have the ability of sensing doesn't mean that it is always trustable. Look what happened to Magnus. Even though he sensed him as alive, Simon is dead."

I stand up and put my plate away. I hadn't touch my food since Clary called.

"So not any real evidence." I said looking at the sink.

"No, Jace. I am sorry. I know that you want to find what happened with your mother but there is no way you can find her, at least not from the Moira Forest." I turned to face him.

"I am sure I will find something if I nicely ask Ragon."

"Don't you even think going after him. Look what he did to Dorothea. If you are lucky that's what he will do to you." Alec said alarmed.

"What about Clary? Has she seen anything that can help us?" Max said ignoring Alec. He knew that going after Ragon was the only left solution for me but even if he didn't want me to go, he understand my reasons.

"Nothing that can help us. I think the whole idea with Clary was wrong. Everything was a coincidence." I lied to him.

I didn't believe at all that it was a coincidence when we first met her and found out that she can dream. Not simple dreams, but visions. Visions that in my case could help me find my mother.

"She hasn't seen anything related with Ragon. And my guess is that she hasn't even seen the Moira Forest before. Maybe some random forest or something close to Moira Forest. Don't all forests look alike?" I had to lie if I wanted Clary out of this.

She didn't belong in our world and after what happened to her at Ragon's mansion, I didn't want to see her like that again, vulnerable and hurt.

Her body was so small and delicate that you thought that if she fell she might break into million pieces. Her spirit though wasn't at all delicate. Like her hair she was furious when she wanted.

She wasn't physically strong for this world but mentally she was perfect, although I kept questioning about that since Simon died.

It was killing me to see her like this. Sitting on her bed staring outside. Sometimes she would look at me to break the line, with sorrowful eyes. I would then grab the opportunity and try to speak to her, to calm her down but she refused to speak.

I stopped visiting her. It may looked like I didn't care but that wasn't true. I care very much about her but it was filling me with more guilt. It was my fault that Simon died.

And that was another reason for me to find Ragon.

"Maybe." Max said sceptical.

"I think we shouldn't be counting on Clary. I know Isabelle does and Magnus even though they don't admit it," said Alec, "we should make our moves based on what we know."

"Yeah. We have to focus. Many shadowhunters are missing and we have to find out what is going on." Max and both I and Alec agreed.

When Isabelle heard that Clary called me, she went crazy. She wanted to come and see her. I nicely tried to explain to her that she asked me not her. She putted for a while and she went into being annoying for the rest of the evening.

I couldn't blame her. She liked Clary and she was her first friend. Being raised with boys didn't replace the girl company, and now she was happy she found someone that it's related to our world. Having humans too close to us was a mistake that they would likely pay.

Of course we are obligated to protect them, but that didn't stop accidents.

I walked the final steps and stopped in front of her door. I took a deep breath and rang the bell.

She opened the door and looked me with those sad green eyes melting my insides.

"Thank you for coming." She said and I followed her inside.

We sat at the living room looking each other without speaking. I just stared at her not knowing how to begin.

"How are you?" I asked her.

"I am fine." She answered without emotion in her voice.

"Are you, Clary?"

She shot me a sad look and nodded.

"Jace I want you to tell me what's going on."

"Well I think it's not necessary anymore."

"What are talking about?"her empty voice said.

"Well apparently your visions have nothing to do with us so there is no use in telling you."

"What!" she said surprised and I saw a glimpse of the real Clary.

"Well the whole thing is complicated and..." I continue to lie to her. It was the only way to keep her save.

She might have this ability but it was useless for now. She couldn't control it and even if she wanted she didn't know. Because deep inside her she didn't believe quiet yet.

I knew that feeling, when my father first told me that I was a shadowhunter. I didn't believe him of course but then I saw my first demon and believed. Maybe that's what she needs now, or not.

I would never put her through this.

"But... it's because I haven't seen anything yet, right?" she stand up and started passing, "You think I suck."

"You have to..." I started but a loud noise made me freeze.

I stood there still and looking to nowhere in particular but me ears were in alert.

Like the few shadowhunters, I was born with an extra ability that made my hearing extra strong.

I couldn't hear sounds that are far away like the vampires but more like a bat if that was close enough to describing it.

I could hear their sounds. Each demon had a different sound. Sometimes the sound would be strong and make my ears bleed. Well that never happened but I am sure if it was a bit louder it would have happened.

The sound that was coming in wasn't that strong but it had its strong vibes now and then.

"It's a tough one." I said.

"What? Why are you standing like a statue and starring the wall? Did you do any drinks? Because if you have..."

I turned at her. "Are the runes still on?" I asked my heart starting to beat a little faster as the seconds passed.

This wasn't a coincidence after all, as I wanted everyone to believe. There was a demon here and I was sure it was coming for Clary. Again. I couldn't imagine what they wanted her.

"The runes? Jace are you ok?" she said and came up to me and placed her hand on my cheek.

"Clary," I said and looked into her green eyes. I could see worry in them. She was worried for me. Suddenly that made me happy. "There is a demon here. I need to know if the runes are still up."

I could hear the sound closer meaning the demon was moving towards the house. We had seconds before it burst inside.

She took a few steps back and looked at the windows.

"Do they still work?"

I grabbed her hand and lead her upstairs.

"Where are you taking me?" Clary said and tried to pull away.

I didn't leave her hand and the moment we reached the upstairs floor, the door flew open like the wind and the sound stopped.