Author: Frosy
Beta: Miles333

A Hidden World

Chapter 18

The inner eye

I always took my parents for granted. I had never imagined losing them and what that would mean to me. To learn that Jace had lost not one but both of his parents was... I couldn't find a word to describe it. I had no idea how he felt but I was sure close enough to understand. I had lost Simon. Simon who was practically family and it hurt. It hurt like hell.

I shouldn't make a promise like that but I made it and I meant it. I will help Jace find his mother. That's why I have this power, right? Why shouldn't I use it?

It will take me a while but I am determined to reach the end of it. I had Simon looking after me.

That night Jace and I talked. And I mean a lot. I think at some point we even forgot the possible demons outside but it was liberating.

He talked about his parents and his childhood and I talked about Simon. It was painful but it was the only way to overcome him. I wasn't forgetting Simon but the pain that his death caused me.

At the end we fall asleep beside each other, or maybe I did. But the next morning I woke up on my bed. He had placed me on my bed before he left. Beside was a piece of paper. I rubbed my eyes and read the note. It was from Jace with perfect handwriting.

Good morning. I hope you slept well. :)
I am sorry for leaving you like that but I have some things to do.
I have brought though Isabelle to replace me. Please forgive me for that.

PS: I will make up for that. Just wait for me.

Jace

I smiled at his words.

I wondered what he was up to and what exactly he meant by waiting for him.

Isabelle came through the door yelling.

"At last you woke up! It was about time!" Isabelle almost screamed.

I looked her with the smile still on my face. I hadn't realised it until she mentioned it and I blushed.

"Why are smiling?" she said and I hid the note but she tried to grabbed. I didn't have any chance with her being a shadowhunter so she grabbed and read it aloud.

"What does he mean by being sorry for me!" she yelled even more, "Oh, he better have a good reason when I see him because..." She murmured then to herself and I didn't quiet catch it.

"What time is it?" I asked her and took the note back.

"I think it's 10 and your mother called," she simple said, apparently a little annoyed from the note.

"My mother?" I said and threw over my covers, "when? Did you speak with her?" I asked as I got quickly to the phone trying to remember her number. I wanted so badly to speak to her...

"Relax, she will call back shortly. I told her you were in the bathroom."

I sighed, "Good. I would like to know when they are getting back."

The phone rang and I spent to answer it quickly. On my way there I tripped over my own foot and I got myself a nice bruise. I was sure in the next few hours it would be purple.

"Hello," I said catching my breath and swearing inside my head for my fall. If I fell like that I had no chance up to anybody. Not even myself.

"Clary, is that you? How are you?"

"Mom! I am so glad to hear you! When are you and dad coming back?" I turned my body towards the other side of the room to see what Isabelle was doing but she had left, giving me some privacy.

She laughed, "You missed us already? No, I am speaking to her now. Wait for your turn," she said to someone probably my dad.

"How is dad doing? Can I speak to him?"

"Clary, did something happen? You sound a little off today."

"No everything is fine," I lied to them, "I just missed you that's all. And since I am leaving for college this fall I..."

"Oh, honey we will be back soon. And don't worry we haven't forgotten the fact that you are leaving for college. We have planned to have some time with you only. Actually we have made... oh I won't say anything!" she turned at the end to my dad. Apparently they had something going on for me when they got back. I only hopped I was done with what I was supposed to do before they came back.

"Mom, why don't you let dad also on the phone."

"Ok, but I want to talk to you before we hang up... just oh just take it already!" she shouted to my dad, which was laughing when he got to the phone.

"Well I know how to get her mad, now don't I?"

"Hi dad. How are you? How is Paris?"

"Paris? It was fine but now we are in Spain. I thought I told you last time?"

"Oh, yeah I remember now. I just woke up and my mind isn't working yet." I laughed it off.

My mind trailed to the last time I spoke with them. It was before Simon disappeared. Then they had called a week ago when I was up in my room all day, not speaking to anyone. I remember Isabelle telling me that they had called and that they had sorted that out. I hadn't given any attention to it as far as how they handle it, but something had to do with Magnus' magic.

"Yeah, Isabelle told. She sounds nice. I didn't know you had made a new friend. I am sure Simon is jealous," he laughed and I didn't say anything. I didn't know what they had been told to about Simon so I left that sensitive subject out of the conversation.

"Yeah," I said my sadness almost visible in my voice. My eyes stunk and I had trouble keeping my tears in control. I wanted so bad to tell them about him but I couldn't. How could I possible explain to them what happened? And If I did would they believe me?

"Are you ok? You sound sad. Is everything ok with Simon?"

"Everything is fine dad. I just got up. You know how I am in the morning." I lied to him.

"Yeah, I know. So we have something to tell you. We are supposed... you know... to come back in a week from today but... we are actually going to stay a little more... just a few days. Something came up and I will have to do some business as well, as I am here and you know how your mother is about that... so..."

I let out my breath that I hadn't realise I was holding. I thought they would tell me that they are coming back early. Even though I missed them and I wanted them to come back, I couldn't risk them coming to a surrounded by demons home. I was relieved that they had chosen to stay a few more days.

"It's ok dad. Don't worry."

"We don't want you to feel like we have abandoned you Clary."

"Trust me dad, that's not the case."

"Ok, say hi from me to Simon and here speak with your mother or else she... oh what are you talking about?" my mother on the phone now, "Give it to me, Clary sweetheart, we are going to leave you now. Say hi to Simon from me as well and don't forget we love you."

"Yes, mom" I said trying to control my voice, "I will tell him and I love you too," she closed the phone.

I wiped the few tears that had managed to escape and headed downstairs.

Isabelle had arranged with Jace to meet them back at their place with my things. I was staying with them. Jace didn't want me to stay here unprotected. I didn't argue because I was sure the next time demons came I wouldn't be lucky as yesterday having Jace.

Jace. Thinking of him made my heart warmer.

So I gathered some clothes and my sketchbook along with my pencils. I was going to need them; having visions wasn't controllable and I only knew so far that you can have them during sleep. Isabelle though told me that like Dorothea, some see visions while they are awake. You just have to let them in. Easy to say, difficult to do.

During sleep your mind has its guards down. It's relaxed and easy to manipulate. That's why visions come then. If only I could do it while awake. I had a long way to go to reach that; besides that was just my theory. In reality it may not happen like that.

Isabelle drove us back at her place and she told me that Jace was going to be home later this afternoon. I was so eager to see him.

"So what do you want to do?" Isabelle said as soon as she showed me my room. It was next to hers. "Oh, and Jace's room is across from yours in case you're wondering," she said catching me looking the others doors along the hallway.

"I wasn't..."

"Hey Isabelle!" Alec yelled from behind her, "Do you know where Magnus is? I have been calling him all day and I can't reach him."

"I am sure he will show up. Where is Max? I haven't seen him since yesterday."

"Oh, he is downstairs in the library."

"So Clary," she started as we left Alec, "do you want to know more about your visions?" I nodded, "then Max is your man."

We entered the library to find Max sitting on one of the armchairs reading a book.

"Hey Max, I was wondering if you could tell Clary about the visions she has. I thought you may help her a little." Isabelle said to him.

He looked up from his book putting it aside, "Well Clary you must know that I have no experience at all. Everything I know comes from books and other people's experiences but I am willing to share that information with you if you want to." He patted the chair next to him and I joined him, "So what do you want to know?"

"Well..." I hesitated, so many questions. "How can I control it?" he laughed.

"I was afraid you were going to ask that question." That moment the door bell rang and Isabelle went to open it. "I am afraid I have no idea. I am afraid that you have to learn that by yourself. There isn't a trick for it. Each person has their one way of controlling it or even causing it."

"You mean I can cause a vision as well?" That was good news.

"Only the powerful ones. I haven't encountered in my life someone who can cause them but I have heard." I definitely wasn't powerful.

"I knew someone and she was very powerful." Magnus said as he entered the room with Isabelle behind him, "She could cause visions if she wanted to."

He sat on the couch trying to get something out of his pocket. Max got up and grabbed another book from the shelf and fumbled with the pages.

"A powerful lady and very aggressive I might add, but she managed to do her thing every time," he took out of his pocket something that looked like a medallion but when he caught me watching he quickly putted away, "Shudowhunters" he kept saying, "came from all over the world to see her." That medallion looked familiar.

"Where is she now?" I asked him.

"Oh, dead. I guess she didn't see her time coming." My heart sank. I had hoped that I could see her, ask her about me but then I thought Dorothea and I was better off.

"Did you meet her?" I turned to Max.

"Me? No. I was very small then. It might be before I was even born." He said and turned to his book. "Look, this might help you," he said and gave me the book.

"Find your inner eye?" I asked him as I read the chapter's title.

"Back then it was called 'the inner eye'. If you think of it, seeing visions is like having a third eye."

"A spare eye that could see the future." Magnus said along.

"What's about?" I asked him and turned a few pages to find some pictures with really scary eyes. Some had blood drooling all around.

"Well it's the basic staff about your em... thing," Max hesitated, "anyway read it. It might help you. It's better from knowing nothing." He smiled apologetically to me.

I spend the next hours reading. There weren't much that could help me just historical facts and pictures, lots of them. There were women that had white eyeballs and in their hands was a cup with some kind of liquid. I read to find out what that was.

The liquid was a mixture of some flowers that the names of it I haven't heard before. They sometimes used it to cause visions. I would say hallucinations though cause many of the effects resembled those of having drugs in your system.

According to this paragraph, many women that had tried this had even died from a wrong dose. Others would suffer by nightmares as long as the effects lasted. Most of the time the women had to be restrained in a room, alone with no interruptions until they came out sane as before drinking the liquid.

The liquid at first sounded hopeful but not after this. Besides it said 'this method should only be used in time of need' meaning only at very special occasions. The name of the liquid was victus nightmare.

I heard a noise from behind and I almost jumped in the air. I looked behind me to find Jace having that crooked smile on his face, enjoying the fact that he sacred me.

"You gave me the creeps," I told him and he came and sat next to me taking the book out of my hands.

"What are you reading?" he said and took a look of the page I was reading. His smile left his face.

"Is this possible?" I asked him afraid of myself for asking such a question.

"The victus nightmare?" he asked, "You know it's Latin. It means the living nightmare." I swallowed. I didn't like the name.

"It says that it can cause visions." I said secretly hoping that he would tell me that it was nothing to worry about and I should use it. Because if my visions weren't going anywhere; I was seriously thinking of using it.

"Clary I would never ask you to do this. Besides this was years ago and I haven't heard of being used this before so... just forget it ok?" he said and closed the book. "So are you ready?" he asked as he got up and left the book on the couch.

"For what?" and he gave me his hand. I grabbed it and got up.

"I said I was going to make it up to you, didn't I?" he said, placing a smile on his face and making my heart beat fast.

"Where are we going?" I asked him and I couldn't stop smiling.

"Surprise."

I hoped you liked it! Next chapter will be shortly finished, I am hoping I can sent it to me Beta tonight so I can have it up on Tuesday. It's my birthday on Tuesday so my present to you is that next chapter! But you can give me an early present by reviewing! :)