The Ivory Weapons: Hidden Soldier (Clace)

Chapter 29 The Plans Unfold

"Since when do you think it's smart to wear heels, when we knew we'd be climbing a mountain." Jace mocked Izzy, his tone full of astonishment. Alec glanced at his sister, who was currently braiding her dark hair, so similar to his own. She made a face at Jace, continuing to trap her hair in the braid before finishing it by restraining it with a hair tie.

"It goes with my nails, see?" She replied casually sticking up one finger to show him.

Jace snorted. "Yeah, I see alright."

Alec snickered at their squabble, focusing on the rock beneath all their feet. All three of them, including Izzy with her ridiculous footwear, managed to scale the mountain effortlessly.

They reached a cliff point, where the sun casted an ominous orange gloom over the mountain side, and the village below. Alec wondered if this place was real, or if it was just made up. One thing Alec had always wanted to know was, how did Sebastian manage to see the world, while being kept captive by his father. Valentine didn't seem to be the type to just let his prodigy wonder off alone, so what kind of allies did Sebastian have?

"Jace. Alec."

He turned to look at his sister, watching her facial features turn into those of a terrified person, something he rarely ever saw her show. She was staring at something on the ground, following her gaze, before he saw what she was horrified by, he made wagers in his mind, betting that it was a snake or some reptile.

The amusing thoughts vanished from his mind as he saw blood, oozing out of the rock wall.

Alec, just barely being able to tear his gaze from the sight of the blood, he glanced up at Jace, seeing his golden eyes set into a mode of anxiety and fear.

Jace's completion, normally tan and perfect, had gone to a startling white in the matter of seconds, an assumption raining over their heads. He watched as Jace shook, almost uncontrollably, as he stepped towards the blood, still scarlet red, and flowing.

"It's fresh." Jace gulped, his voice straining over the two words, which barely came out, making him repeat himself. "It's fresh, and it isn't her. It's not Clary."

Jace, must of taken it upon himself to acknowledge what everyone was thinking. Clary, gone without a trace, and Sebastian, her crazy brother with a blood lust to counter every carnivorous animal in the world.

It wasn't hard to piece the two together, but even Alec, who never particularly like the red head, hoped that it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Jace-" Isabelle started, but her voice seemed to catch in her throat. She turned away from the fear and feelings, putting her warrior mask back on. A specialty of Isabelle's that Alec had always admired.

Unlike himself, Isabelle was able to hide her true emotions, and forget them on the battle field. Whenever he was troubled, Alec couldn't even hit the target, ending up losing his arrows in a desperate attempt to blow off some steam.

But Isabelle was determined, something he ought to try. He didn't come here to miss his target.

He came here to end it.

"It's great to see you all here." A voice sliced through the grief, all three of them now tense and anxious. "However the circumstances may be, seeing as they are so dreadful, I'm glad to see all of your goodie two-shoes faces."

Alec looked around, searching desperately to find the little bastard. He became frustrated, as did Izzy and Jace, when not a single sign of life was present.  The orange gloom that was cast over the area was replaced by dark clouds, the ones that are associated with storms. As if it were part of some big entrance, lighting struck the mountain top, probably eight feet above them. The mountain, however seemed not to be effected at all by the strike, but calmly stood strong, leading Alec to believe it was but a visual effect meant to scare them.