So this story gets shoved to the back of my mind a lot, but here is the long awaited chapter!
"And so the hippopotamus told the snake-"
"Jace, stop. I honestly couldn't care less about a talking hippopotamus" I say through laboured breath as a bead of sweat trickles down my face.
"But the hippo-"
"Remind me where we are again!" I cut him off, adjusting the jacket around my waist.
"Pennsylvania"
"So not far then?"
"Only 197 miles"
I stop abruptly.
"You cannot be serious"
"About as serious as the threat of cannibalistic ducks"
"So you're joking, right?"
He stops in the middle of the field just to turn to face me with his astounded expression.
"I am very, very serious"
"Oh."
"And we're not walking all the way, that'd take more than three days. We're hitchhiking!" He announces, pointing the winding road below us.
"Why on earth would anyone want to offer two Shadowhunters a ride?"
"Because of my stunning looks, of course!"
I roll my eyes. It's been one whole day and one night of Jace already and he's beginning to annoy me. We have a plan. A stupid, reckless plan that will almost certainly end badly, but it is a plan nonetheless. It was so ridiculous that the even the Clave rejected it, so we took off by ourselves-with the cup of course. Although I'm not handing it over that easily, it's staying in the card for as long as humanly possible. Alec, Izzy, Simon, Maia and Jordon have all agreed to take a less direct route to New York. They've gathered all the Downworlders who will listen and are taking them with them. Then they'll-
"CAR!" Jace shouts, knocking me out of my reverie. He flags it down wildly, but the car merely keeps going. He curses and plops down on the side of the road in defeat.
"Why? In all my years no one has ever rejected these angelic looks!" He mutters to himself. A few minutes later, I spot a van coming our way but decide to flag it down myself. I wave at the driver friendly and flash him a smile. He slows down.
"Whatcha doing out here?" He asks in a gruff voice.
"Can me and my friend have a ride in the back?" I ask, indicating the bed of the truck. Jace perks up out of his rant and stands up, greeting the driver.
"I don't accept Herondales" He says coldly. I raise an eyebrow.
"And would you deny a Morgenstern if they asked?" I ask, cocking my head to the side.
"Morgenstern's don't ask, they take."
"Oh? I'm asking"
The man's eyes widen and he looks flustered.
"I don't know who you think you are, but you ain't no Morgenstern missy. Claiming that name is practically blasphemy"
I shrug.
"Look, mate, we need a ride to New York. It's pretty urgent actually" Jace intervenes, holding up his wrist band showing the numbers counting up. 30:31…32…33 "We have 42 hours until everybody we love dies, no need to pressure you."
"Oh ho." The man chuckles. "You get in then, before your precious time runs out" He tosses his head to the back and Jace thanks him before clambering into the truck bed. He gives me his hand and I take it as he helps me up onto the truck. Once I'm in, Jace raps on the truck's window to tell him to drive.
I jerk awake as the van jerks to a halt. Jace shoots me a pointed look, puts his hands to his lips and lies down, gesturing for me to do the same.
"What?" I whisper, face pressed to the cool metal of the truck.
"We're going through a checkpoint, our glamour runes should hide us, but prepare for a fight."
My hand goes to the sword at my belt as the driver begins a familiar conversation with the guard at the checkpoint.
"Long day, huh? Found anything interesting?"
"No, this job is so dull! You're lucky you know, Reggie, you were at least promoted to driver, here we are stuck on patrol looking for nothing. I mean, come on, those retched Morgenstern's have an iron fist control of everything. I'd worship anyone who rebels against him, but the angel only knows how hard that'd be. He has eyes and ears everywhere!" The guard complains.
"Well, I hate to break the mood, but I have an important package to deliver."
"But there's nothing in the truck, Reg"
The driver makes a patting sound of the seat, which assume is him patting a package on the seat.
"Not all deliveries are the size of the empire state building"
"Alright, now get out of my sight."
The truck starts up again and we return to our cuddled, sitting position.
"You kids are brave, no-one hitches a lift to New York City unless they have a death wish. I know you're both Shadowhunters, so any business you have there will not go unmissed."
"We can only hope"
Two hours later the truck stops on a long road coming into a town called Bellville.
"This is as far as I am willing to take you kiddos" Reggie announces. I hop down off the truck and Jace soon follows, smoothly landing.
"I know he's a Herondale" He indicates to Jace. "But you, who are you?"
"Clarissa Adele Morgenstern" I tell him before whisking Jace away. The driver stares at us, dumbfounded.
"Take care, princess!" He calls out after us as he drives away.
"Princess?" I ask, disgruntled. Jace scoffs.
"You know, that's actually pretty accurate. If Valentine is king and Jonathon his dark prince…"
"Dark prince? Sounds like you have a crush" I tease him.
"I do have a crush" He smirks, facing me before planting a kiss on my lips, but pulls back before we can get carried away. "Right, places to be, people to see, demons to kill…."
"What was the plan again?" I ask Jace as we become disconcertingly close to New York. We've had to weave through a series of complex backstreets of Jersey City already. It's getting dark and we need a place to stay, but it doesn't look like we can find anywhere. I feel like Mary seeking for the inn with Joseph, although hopefully I haven't been bestowed the gift the messiah. That would be awkward, and yes I am still eligible for the virgin title as I have not slept with Jace, as tempting as it may be…
"We hand ourselves over to Valentine. Can you feel the rune still?" He asks. I nod, I created a rune that would connect me with Izzy. It is similar to the Parabatai rune, but it links our minds so that I can relay information to her and her to me. Jace obviously shares his with Alec.
"So we keep them posted and they keep us posted." Jace continues "Our task is to find the chinks in Valentine's armour and give the rebels, that the gang will collect together, a way to fight them and hopefully win. It's a shame that it has come to this, but it's common knowledge that each Institute is falling anyway. This will be our last stand."
"Wow, no pressure."
Jace hugs me to his side.
"You'll be fine" He comforts me, but I can tell that he does not fully believe it himself. Neither do I, after would he told me about his childhood when we were at the institute.
"Mmm"
I soon get so exhausted that I nearly collapse; Jace valiantly scoops me up and continues on until we reach an alley where he settles down for the night with me still nestled in his lap.
Light floods across the alley and my eyes protest at the sudden glare. My head snaps up to see a small girl wrapped in a shawl looking at us.
"You look like you need somewhere to stay" She announces.
"Erm…" I reply, unsure.
"Come on in, it's fine, we don't bite, well maybe Dru might…" She rambles and notices us still looking shocked on the floor.
"Well come in!" She urges. I glance and Jace who shrugs, so I get off him and follow the girl.
"By the way, my name is Emma Carstairs." She introduces herself, leading us through a corridor into a wide hall, seemingly like a gym. In the middle there are people wrapped in blankets, huddled by a fire in the middle.
"Who are your new friends?" A kind looking man asks.
"I don't know!" She replies honestly. "But I found them huddled in the alley outside"
"Well, I'm Andrew Blackthorn."
"Shadowhunters?" Jace asks. I have also noticed the black marks lining his skin.
"Shadowhunters, Downworlders and Mundanes alike here in this room. As you may have guessed, we are in hiding."
"Why don't you go to an Institute?"
His eyes flash darkly.
"Our home Institute of Los Angeles was destroyed by Jonathon. He flushed us out, but luckily we managed to escape. We've been in hiding here for roughly a year now."
"Why here? It's hardly safest" I ask, incredulous.
"It is where are our help is needed most. We're holding out for a rebellion"
"Why are you telling us strangers, who could be Valentine's men?" Jace inquires.
"I know friends when I see them. You do not have the mark of Valentine's soldiers. But, it would be nice for you two to introduce yourselves"
Jace shares a look with me.
"Before I tell you, I want you to know that we are working against Valentine and are working towards a rebellion, but…my name is Jonathon Christopher Herondale"
The man's eyebrows raise considerably.
"And you?" He asks me, incredulous.
"Erm…Clarissa. Clarissa Adele Morgenstern" I indentify myself for the second time that day.
His eyebrows nearly shoot out of his head.
"Well, one can only assume that you are friends, otherwise I'm afraid we would not be standing here. And you" He points to me. "Would certainly not be here, at least not without Jonathon by your side"
I shudder.
"I hate them. I lived with my mother Jocelyn Fray/Fairchild as a mundane in Salt Lake City. I've hardly had the upbringing of a Morgenstern."
He nods in understanding.
"You say you are staging a rebellion. I am willing to fight by your side at your call."
"Thank you, look out for a group of recruiting Shadowhunters then. They should stopping by sometime" Jace answers.
"I hope so"
A whistle echoes around the walls of the hall, successfully waking every sleeping person up. The adults hush the little ones as the whistle starts up again. It has a melancholic tune, giving a haunting atmosphere to the room.
"Clarissa!" it calls and I stumble up out of my position in Jace's arms on the floor.
"Jonathon" I whisper and start forward but Jace catches my arm.
"No"
"Don't make me hunt you out! Oh yes, I know you're here somewhere with that Herondale boy" Jonathon spits, loud voice echoing through the hall. The room turn to look at me pointedly.
"Don't worry. I'll go-"
"No!" Emma and Jace both protest.
"Come on Jace, we'll go to him anyway and Emma, your families' safety is far more important. Is there another exit I can use?" I ask Andrew. He nods and hurriedly leads me and Jace down another corridor. He gestures to the heavy metal door at the end.
"This will take you out to a cellar, go up the steps and you'll emerge in an abandoned house. Come out of there, and he won't suspect we're here"
"Thank you"
"No, thank you" He corrects before shoving me and Jace through the door. It is as he described it and I follow his direction until I reach the door leading out of the derelict house. Jace catches my arm before I can open it though and twirls me around in his arms, capturing my mouths with his. He presses me back against the door as I reach up and wind my hands in his hair- " I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY" Jonathon calls and Jace reluctantly lets go of me, only to pull me into a tight hug.
"We'll make it through, I promise"
I take a deep breath and open the door out onto the street. As I step through the cold night air whips around me, it's cruel tendril's snaking around me body, although I cannot be certain whether it is the cold air or the boy at the end of the alley that sends the shiver rippling through my body. His dark eyes focus on my own green ones, smirking as he no doubt senses my fear and trepidation.
"Welcome back, sister" I notice that his hair is no longer black, the white washed colour suits him more… Jonathon comes striding up to us and Jace instinctively pushes be behind him.
"Oh I wouldn't bother. She's my family, we lay claim to her- not you"
"She doesn't belong to anyone!" Jace seethes, throwing a deadly punch at Jonathon, who merely ducks and knocks Jace to his knees with one inhumanely strong blow. Jonathon kicks him down to the ground and stamps on his arm, the sound of bones crunching makes my toes curl as Jace cries out. Jonathon merely smiles back at me cruelly. I don't recall him moving, but he's suddenly behind me, hugging me as if I really was his sister. Confused, I struggled out of his grip.
"Ah ah" He reprimands. "Stop struggling"
Of course, this only fuels my flight more and I wiggle relentlessly. Jonathon's cold hands come up to my neck, moving my hair away. I kick out, missing his knees, but instead I manage to stamp on his foot. He hisses and as quick as a flash I feel a sharp prick at my neck and the small pressure as a needle injects into my skin.
"Sleep tight sister" He murmurs into my ear as my eyelids grow heavy and, despite my attempts to stay awake, I find myself tumbling into the unknown. Again.