Sorry for the wait and any mistakes. I'll try to further edit when I get the chance.
Clary woke up the next day with sore muscles and a hoarse voice. It was nearly 6:00 a.m. The sheets and blankets had tangled around her body as if she were a caterpillar in a cocoon, and she definitely felt as cherished and beautiful as a butterfly. With a content sigh she lay back against the blankets, their material arms twisting against her naked torso, and a smile irked its way onto her face.
It only grew as Jace's arm clasped her tightly to his side. Turning her body to the side in order to look at him she was deemed breathless by his beauty. Light swarmed his face and outlined his rough jaw, fuzzy with the need to be shaved. The planes of his cheekbones were sharp and angular, the relaxed shape of his face erasing all lines of worry, a small smile on his plush lips.
She loved those lips.
She loved what they could do to her.
She loved what they said to her.
And right now, they were muttering, "You're staring at me."
Gold swarmed Clary's vision as his eyes opened and her grin split her face. "You're beautiful." She replied.
Jace mocked hurt as he propped himself on an elbow and shook out his hair, waves of light blurring with gold as if sparks were being ignited from the tips. His still groggy eyes peered up at her through his messy (and quite sexy) hair. "Men are not beautiful," he started. "A better adjective would be rugged, handsome, sexy…even smouldering would fit. You could pick one if you'd like?" he teased while shifting closer to her. The net of fabric that captured them on the bed shifted along with him and revealed his thin and muscled waist, as well as his sculpted chest. She placed a hand on the silky skin there and wondered, for another time, if she could pause this moment right here, and live in it.
She wanted to do this every morning.
"Is, all of the above, not an option?" she whispered and Jace's eyelashes fluttered as his gaze lowered dangerously to her own exposed skin. The blankets were tight around a strip of her chest, but fell off to the left side, dipping to reveal her stomach and overlapping right leg. She heard Jace murmur something before dipping his head and kissing her abdomen, making her wish they had time to repeat last night.
He kept kissing her as she felt time and space get blown into oblivion. She didn't want to move. She wanted time to stop. The ache for this to just continue, to happen forever was so large and overwhelming it felt impossible. She wanted this so bad. Why could she never get what she wanted?
"Jace…" she groaned out, as his kisses dipped a little lower.
"Jace." She said more forcefully, before they could get carried away and his head popped up before her eyes.
"You're so beautiful, Clary. Gorgeous." He smiled a little bit and Clary felt peace swim in her viens.
Why do all good things have to end?
"So are you." She replied.
He huffed and trailed a finger lazily down her stomach before stating, "I thought we'd gotten over this. Men are not beautifu-"
"Jace." She interrupted, feeling the need to get this off her chest. Feeling reality finally settle on her shoulders. Why, why, why? A yawning pit of dread opened in her stomach as she remembered.
Jonathan was out there, waiting to kill her and take over the world and she was sitting in a bed with a boy she'd just made love with.
Isn't that the definition of selfish?
"Jace, listen to me." She felt tears rise in her eyes. "Jace, whatever happens today-"
"Clary, stop." He interrupted.
"No," she cried. "No, Jace, I want you to know that whatever happens toda-ay" she hiccupped as the tears started to fall. "You are beautiful. Inside and out. I-I couldn't have asked for a more perfect night, for a more perfect time on this earth because I got to spend some of it with you." She watched his eyebrows narrow. "And whatever happens, I-I think-you and I-" he cut her rambling off with a kiss.
As he pulled away she saw him sigh sadly, their little peace broken. Because of her. "Clary, don't talk as if you're going to die," Let me say this! She wanted to shout at him. "Because I swear, as long as I'm alive, you will be too. As long as I love you…you're going to live. And I'll love you for a very very very long time." He sat up in the bed and stumbled as he disentangled himself from the covers.
No, no, no, let me say this! The scream stayed lodged in her throat.
"I need to get ready, and so do you. Magnus will send us off as soon as you're done getting dressed. He grabbed his underwear from where it hung on the doorknob of the bathroom and pulled them on. She watched, voiceless as she screamed in her head. No, let me say it! I love you! I love you!
His smile was full of hope as he chucked on his jeans and slung his shirt over his shoulder. "It ends today, Clariel." And then he was gone.
IloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyo-
She got off the bed and got dressed.
Magnus had the portal open and ready, the swirling blur light reflecting off everything in the dining room and making it seem like it was all underwater. Jace walked over and kissed her hand, then cheek, then finally her lips before pulling away with a grim look, the happiness from this morning lingering only in his eyes.
It was game time.
***LINEWBREAK
"Clary, this portal is going to take us just outside the Penhallow residence, we'll formulate the plan from then on. Got it?" She nodded mutely, looking deep in his eyes. "We're gonna save them, Clariel, okay? We'll all be fine." He sounded so sure, she was jealous. In a split second decision she pulled his mouth to hers, the kiss holding nothing of the fire from last night. This was reassurance, it was acceptance, it was teamwork and love and trust and belief in one another. He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her back with the same fire she had running through her veins. They pulled away. "When we get there we don't leave each other." he said. "I do this beside you, Clariel, and you do this beside me."
She nodded, the only thing she could do. Because she couldn't promise that. She was going to kill Jonathan any way she could.
Jace seemed to read her doubt. "Together?" he asked softly, caressing the back of her skull. She closed her weary eyes, done with the stress, tired of the worry, and leaned into the touch. "Together?!" he demanded, slightly shaking her. She opened her lids and smiled as real as she could.
"Together." She whispered and pulled away.
"You need to hurry-" Magnus suddenly shouted, a whooshing filling her ears. Clary was brought back into reality harshly, she hadn't even known the silence Jace brought until it was taken away. "The portal is closing fast, there must be some ward- quickly."
Jace looked back at her before he jumped through and they stared at each other, waiting for a goodbye. She didn't want to part from him, even for a second. "Jace…" she started. "I think I lo-"
"See you on the other side, Clariel." He interrupted and jumped through, sinking into the watery light before him. Clary moved to take his place but stopped when she felt a hand on her arm. This close to the portal the wind-whooshing sound was stronger and she had to lean close to Magnus to hear him.
"Clarissa," he shouted. "The bond your brother has on you, if he succeeds in getting your blood, there will be a period of time where he will be vulnerable to attacks. He and you will be equals, share the same lifeline, if you'd want to call it that."
"What?" she shouted back, the roaring now louder and the portal began to shrink.
"Kill you and you shall kill him!" he shouted, eyes wild. "I care for you Clarissa, but he must die- at any cost!"
She turned to the portal, after nodding vigorously, the words swirling like the space before her. She couldn't make sense of it. Kill me and he shall be killed. He shall be killed. He shall be killed.
"You have a 5 minute window, Clarissa, after the blood is bonded! Use it wisely!" and then he pushed her through.
***LINEBREAK
Clary landed in a heap on top of a hard and soft object. Jace. He groaned and gently shifted her off of him before leaning into a crouching position. She quickly followed suit.
She could kill Jonathan.
Even if they were bonded, she could kill him. By killing herself.
Did Magnus want her to commit suicide.
"Why'd you take so long?" Jace asked and the quiet of Alicante after the whirl of the portal roared in Clary's ears.
"Last minute tips." Was the only thing she could think of. Jace narrowed his brow but let it slide. He pulled her further into the shadow they were positioned in. Looking around Clary found theyh were on the far wall of the house neighbouring the Penhallow's. If she leaned around the corner she could just see the blue shingles on the roof.
"Okay, here's the plan," he began. "That forest over there," he pointed down a sloping hill to a large gathering of trees, "conveniently wraps around" Clary followed his finger as he pointed out the area, "until it reaches the edge of the Penhallow's. We're going to book it down the backyard of this house, make our way through the forest until we reach the Penhallow's, and then scale the siding until we reach the top windows. When you didn't show up right away I scanned the top room's windows and nobody appears to be in them. I think we'll be safe."
He looked down at her, expectant. She parted her lips in confusion. "And after that…?" she prompted.
"After that," he grinned with no humor. "We wing it."
That took her by surprise. She stumbled back a little bit and didn't have time to catch herself before she rolled onto her back. Since every backyard lead down to the ravine or forest they were all sloped and Clary continued to tumble head over heels down the grassy hill. She rolled and stumbled and rocks dug pinfully into her back or face, until she finally fetched up against a very small tree.
Wait, make that two small trees.
Or...
Looking up and groaning Clary was met with a face as grungy and dirty as hers probably was. She was deeper in the forest than she thought she was, still able to see blocks of the hill and houses through the leaves in the trees but other than that she was practically invisible. And so was this lady.
"Aye," her voice held a slang that slurred her words and made them hard to understand, and she looked substantially older than Clary, with a messy bun in a nestle atop her head featuring the most infinitesimal amount of grey hairs. Her hands were raw and an angry red, which Clarissa supposed should have been a sign, but her uniform was what gave her away. The clothes she wore were that of the Morgenstern Manor servants. Instantly Clary reared back. The woman scrunched her thick brows. "The name's Elise," Elise sounded almost offended by her withdraw. "Capin' " she cried, turning her head in the direction Clary assumed Capin was. "We got ourslves a hunta' "
Elise turned back to Clary just as Clarissa felt a presence at her back. Elise's muddy eyes grew wide. "Two hunta's " she whispered. Reluctantly Clary stood up and looked behind her, meeting the gaze of an apprehensive Jace.
"Who are you?" he asked but Elise just gazed at him with a smug smile. That was until a man broke through the trees and onto the scene, and swallowed Elise's attention whole.
"Jack!" she cried and ran over. "Jack, this one fell from tha slope...but she hasn't told me nothin'. Hasn't said nothin' at all-" of course Jace thought that was the opportune time to intrude.
"Double negative." he stated. "You mean to say she hasn't said anything. Her not saying nothing means she has said something, which would be a lie." Elise glared at him over her shoulder as Jack stared at Clary. "And I detest liars" His gaze switched to Jace when he talked, that was until Elise chimed in.
"That one's steadily gettin' on ma nerves."
Jace came and wrapped a reassuring arm around Clary's waist, "Who are you? You don't look like shadowhunters?" he asked. Clary realized then that the arm wasn't reassuring, but protective, slowly nudging her back. A shot of feeling warmed her heart.
Elise snorted and Jack's face remained remotely stoic. "We are not shadowhunters." he said, voice just as cold as his expression. Clary faintly recognized his face, or rather his features. She'd probably seen him in the stables when she was younger. He looked around Clary's age, and the servants grew working at the manor. The younger boys tended the horses she rode. Usually she watched the servants mill about, Jonathan was always immersed in the military field. Clary had never associated with the soldiers in her life, but the servants...
Why didn't Jack or Elise recognize her too?
"In fact," he continued. "We're here to kill shadowhunters." Elise turned and slapped his arm while Jace snorted.
"Same here," he got out before Elise started speaking in a rush.
"Capin' I don't think we should trust these people, they're hunta's, we never trust a hunta-" another voice silenced her as it cut her off. Mundane's really needed to learn the little thing called patience.
"Captain," it was a familiar voice, one that Clary'd heard countless times. Sebastian, sir, would you like any help in the stables today? Sebastian, sir, do you need me to wash these for you? Clarissa, Miss Clarissa, you've left your sketchbook behind again, Miss...the same exact voice. "Jack?...Captain?" a girl in stature much like Clary's own walked from the trees and Clarissa felt her eyes widen with unshed tears at the sight of Sebastian's little maid. Bruises ran across her neck, her shoulders, her back. Cuts and scars and little markings. She looked so worn, more worn than Clary had ever seen her before.
Clary had always secretly respected Carla, for she knew Sebastian and Jonathan had never acted pleasant toward her. Carla's eyes widened at the sight of Clary and with an intake of breath she whispered something Clary hadn't heard in what felt like forever. "Miss Clarissa..."
Clary smiled weakly and held out her arms, knowing that Carla needed affection right now and these mundane's had not given her any. With a gasp Carla came running into her arms, a few tears running down her cheeks. When Sebastian destroyed both the room he and Clary sheared, as well as Clary's skin, Carla would come clean and heal her, which she greatly appreciated when she was hurt so much she could hardly move. Countless times Clary would weep in the little maids arms, because she was there, and over time, an infinitesimal bond grew between the two. Even that much of a bond seemed large in times like these. "He killed my brother, Clarissa. He's dead, Miss Morgenstern." Carla whispered.
Clary reared back and pulled Carla from her form. She had never knew Carla had a brother, nor did she have the experience to empathize the loss of a sibling bond, so she just gave Carla a sympathetic look and moved to another subject. Any subject, to get over the awkwardness of this one.
"Carla, why haven't you used an iratze," she said and Carla stiffened. She was one of the only shadowhunter maids, she needed to be if she had to deal with Jonathan and Sebastian's constant abuse. Whenever she was hit she borrowed a stele and quickly healed herself so she could work. "I can give you one." Carla pulled away instantly, fear and sadness in her chocolate-y eyes. Clary realized her mistake too late.
"You're one of 'em!" Elise roared. Her red hands became redder fists, her mismatched teeth were clenched tight by her constricting jaw, and she started to make her way over to Carla. "Why you little, meddlin' bitc-" Jack caught Elise up by the waist and tugged her away before she could get any closer to Carla, but he himself had hurt in his eyes, and Clary knew there had been something...substantial...between the maid and himself.
"We should kill her', all of 'em, actually," she heard Elise whisper frantically. "We can't trust a hunta, and all of 'em are hunta's Capin'" she cried. She spared only one glance in their direction. In a lower voice she urgently pressed, "And the girl there, Carla said she was a Clarissa. A Morgenstern Clarissa." Clary could easily tell what she was thinking.
With Carla huddled in a stunned and self-depreciating sadness by Clary's side, and a protective Jace in an constant offensive stance- she slapped his arm so he'd stop doing that- they looked like their own group. And two groups of different nature's joining never really worked out.
"No,' Jack said, considering they called him Captain, Clary decided he was the leader of the group. His gaze turned to Jace. "What did you mean when you said, 'same here'"
Jace smiled humorlessly, he was acting a lot like himself, Clary noticed. "I mean, Clarissa here, by the way darling," Jace glanced at her. "your hair is covered in mud, and you still look attractive," Clary pulled a strand before her eyes. Realization lit her brain, that was how Elise and Jack didn't recognize her... her hair had been disguised, and she was really only recognized by the fiery strands. At least from those that didn't see her day to day. "anyways, Clarissa is being tracked by her psychotic brother, whom wants to kill both of us and my family, drain little Clary of her angelic powers and then, ultimately, decimate the entire world." he grinned wildly. "We plan on killing him, to stop that."
Jack smiled lightly. "And why should we trust you..." he countered.
Carla spoke up this time, "Because you've got no other choice."
No hesitation proceeded the comment before Jack nodded and stepped closer. "Okay," he said. "We'll make a plan. I've got almost 50 soldiers, an attack took down most of our offense, but its enough to make a dent. You two," he pointed at Clary and Jace," we'll need every piece of extra info you've got on this house, entrances, floor plans, defense on the enemy's part. And Carl-a," his voice broke and betrayed his betrayal, and for what Clary saw, it ran deep. "You can't lie to me ever again." he said and she nodded vigorously. Jack grit his teeth and winced. "Just-don't-I...we need a scout." Jack's face was somber. "I...I can't tell you to do it, I don't have it in me to order someone I-" he cut himself off. "...saved to a possible death, Carla..." he turned his face away from her wide brown eyes.
Those eyes looked only determined, and Clary felt proud, so proud, when she said clearly, "I'll do it."
"Great," he said almost reluctantly, maybe even with regret. A nod of his head and the tone passed. "You'll stay under the cover of the forest before you climb up to the top floor." His attention returned to Jace and Clary. 'Last night we searched the top rooms, nobody was staying there, we should be good. When Carla goes in, we head around the sides, and wait for her signal." Jack handed Carla a piece of mirror. "Flash this when you're sure it's clear." he said. "Clarissa and...ah...what did you say your name was...?"
"Jace, but you can call her,"he nodded at me. "Clary."
"Great, Jace and Clary will head up first, and wait for Carla's signal. As soon as we see them climb up I'll go 'round to the front door with my men and start the offensive attack." He clasped his hands together.
"Sebastian," Clary blurted suddenly. "He'll be somewhere in there, Jonathan wouldn't allow him to leave, but Jonathan himself might be somewhere else. Like the woods. Or another house." Clary would have to say the former option sounded most likely. She felt the looming prospect of something big. Something was supposed to happen tonight. Something was going to happen tonight. "You should send some men to search for him out here." she gestured to the surrounding shrubbery.
"Of course," Jack stated and placed his fingers in his mouth to trill out a whistle. Within a few moments, two men came running from the between the same trees Carla and Jack emerged from.
"Captain," they saluted in harmony.
"Josh, Marcus,' Jack saluted back. "I need you to send 15 men into the woods. Scour the area for Jonathan Morgenstern. If you come up positive, send the fastest runner back. Elise," Clary blatantly realized she was quiet this whole time. "You're going to stay here as our checkpoint."
Jack turned as the Josh and Marcus ran off. He clasped Carla on the shoulder and looked through the leaves into the houses above. "It's go time."