The Morning Star (TMI City of Lost Souls AU)

Chapter 8 - Angelic Indulgences

Clary had never felt quite this bad, with the exception of demon poison of course. And then the hallucinations from Lake Lyn when she and Luke had attempted to portal to the City of Glass. So really she was probably being overdramatic, but her head was pounding and her stomach lurched every time Jace moved.

"You're right." Clary breathed out, almost as a laugh.

"Oh yeah? That's a feeling you should get used to, but what exactly am I right about in this case?"

"I do hate you for that." His smirk wavered and he rolled his eyes before planting a kiss on her temple.

"Let's fix you up. Iratzes aren't recommended for hangovers, but they do the trick." He smiles and they walked up to his room. Well really he walked and half-dragged her up each step. Once there, she sat on the edge of his bed with her head buried in her hands. She heard water running in the bathroom for a while until a pair of hands grasped her shoulders. She looked up and saw Jace kneeling so his golden eyes were level with hers. He had a smile on his face that was a mix of pity and amusement, as if he were trying not to laugh.

"If you laugh at me Jace, I will personally kill you."

"You're so cute when you try to intimidate me." She met his dazzling smile with a glare before letting him lead her to the bathroom. He took her dress off and kissed her on the shoulder, his lips lingering a little. He hooked his finger under her bathing suit strap, slowly pulling it down until she swatted his hand away.

"I can bathe myself, thank you very much."

"But where's the fun in that?" He groaned in complaint but let her go. "But first, let me at least draw an iratze for you." She nodded and he pulled out his stele, dragging it against the skin of her neck. Even before he was finished, she could feel the relief in her head and closed her eyes to relax into it. She waltzed into the bathroom, pulling off her bathing suit and went to remove her ring but stopped. The ring. She lost it before and she didn't want it in Sebastian's hands again. Thinking better of it, she kept it on and stepped into the bathtub which was now full of magnificently warm water, pinning her long red curls up in a loose bun. The water and the power of the rune seemed to melt any pain in her body and she let herself become consumed in their healing powers. Right when she had fully relaxed, she heard a shatter of glass in the living room. She shot up and all but sprinted out of the tub, grabbing a towel to wrap around her body as she barreled down the staircase, stopping on the last step. Jace was standing there in the living room, no one else, only a shattered vase at his feet.

"Jace? What happened, are you alright?" He turned to look at her and she knew he could read the expression of anxiety on her face.

"Um, yeah. I'm fine," He looked down at the broken glass quizzically on the floor and back up at her, "I honestly don't remember doing that. I felt a sharp pain on my chest, and now I'm here. I don't remember that even happening." He had a look of such disbelief plain on his face staring at the remnants, no attempt to even conceal it.

"Your arm is bleeding, come here." She walked over to him and grabbed his hand, pulling it to her to examine the crimson cut on his arm. She ran her finger gently over it when he pulled away.

"It's fine, really. I don't need a rune or anything." He looked at the hurt in her eyes and pulled her into his arms.

"You promise you're okay?"

"Of course I'm okay, are you okay? You happen to have forgotten to put on clothes." He smirked devilishly as his eyes raked down her towel-covered body.

"I was worried when I heard the vase shatter and I was in the bath so I grabbed the first thing I could find." Rolling her eyes, she turned to head back upstairs when his hand caught hers and pulled her back.

"Now don't be hasty, I wasn't necessarily complaining." One hand held on to hers while the other pulled the pin out of her hair and let it fall to her shoulders. He ran his fingers through the curls and brushed it over her shoulder, planting soft kisses on her shoulder and collarbone. Feeling his touch sent sparks through her, her hands finding their way up his chest and to his shoulders. She let her head lean back and eyes close as his mouth made its way up her neck, to her cheek and jaw. "You're welcome to make this your usual attire if you like."

She could feel his lips move against her cheek as he spoke and, with a smile, she pulled his mouth to hers. Their lips crashed together and she felt his hands move to her waist, gripping the towel tightly before lifting her up and setting her down on the kitchen table behind her where she was eye level with him. Her hands were holding her towel now but they ached to be touching him, mapping his body with her fingers. He seemed to want the same because he moved his hands to clasp hers, pulling them away from her body. Their kiss deepened and she could feel herself losing it as his fingers traced lines on her shoulder blades. Her hands found their way around his body, dragging her nails down his back. She could feel a deep growl in his throat and felt a glimmer of sinister enjoyment, but wasn't prepared for what she got in return. His hands found her thighs and moved forward and up her towel, his fingers resting just below her hips making her shudder. She tried to say something, something to stop him but she couldn't get the words out. He pushed her back until he was lying on the table and began kissing his way down her chest and stomach over the towel, but his hands remained underneath, his touch unraveling her.

"Jace, Jace- Sto-" She tried to tell him to stop, they didn't know when Sebastian would be back. They weren't exactly hidden and she was on top of the kitchen table. She didn't think her brother would be too fond of that. Although she didn't get the words out, Jace seemed to follow her thought because he stopped, laying his face against her stomach with a groan. He stood up straight and pulled Clary back into a sitting position, breathing heavy. They both looked flush and she could still see the desire burning in his golden eyes. She was immensely grateful Jace had read her mind even when she couldn't speak, because shortly after, the portal door shimmered and Sebastian walked through. He raised his eyebrow taking in the scene before him.

"If you're going to defile my sister, I'd prefer you didn't do it where I eat," he said with a lazy expression. Jace looked amused, and even a little embarrassed as he stepped back and helped her down from the table. "Clarissa, you have an entire room of clothes, if you're not going to wear any of them at least give me a warning." She opened her mouth to make a snarky remark, but she didn't say anything. Almost as if her body willed her not to. Sebastian didn't look unhappy necessarily, but there was a certain apprehension in his posture as he walked towards them. He was wearing something different than he had on the night before, with a long black coat on. She could see something gleaming underneath, and cocked her head to get a better look at it. Noting her interest, Sebastian pulled it out of his jacket. "It's adamas, what the demon towers of Alicante and seraph blades are made out of. The-" He paused and looked at Jace as if calculating his next thought, "merchant I got it from gave me a harder time than I expected. But it is ours now nonetheless." With a tight smile, he nodded at the two of them, "As you were," and headed up the stairs.

When he was out of sight, Clary looked at Jace curiously, "Adamas? What would he need that for?" Jace's face could have hidden his uneasiness to an untrained eye, but Clary knew him well and she knew there was something he wasn't telling her. She just stared at him until he broke, his answer more than she bargained for.

"To create the Infernal Cup."