The Other Wayland

Reunions

When I woke up it was still dark outside the small window and my head felt awful. I sat up and the world spun viciously around me. Once the room had stopped moving around me, noise suddenly filled my ears. It was angry and loud and it made my head thud painfully. It almost felt as if I had a hangover but ten times worse, which I didn't understand. I slipped out from the covers someone must have put over me while I slept and stood for a minute while I regained my balance. I walked over to the door and knocked to get the guards' attention. There was no reply so I tried the door. It swung open with ease, revealing an empty corridor. Confused, I made my way to the large room where he first introduced me to his followers. There were people there but not Valentine so I went to the room where we trained. There were hushed voices coming from the other side of the door.

"I heard voices, can I come in?" I asked quietly. Valentine waved me in. As soon as I walked into the room, the second person's eyes locked on to me and the moment I saw those golden eyes, I felt better. "Jace."

"Beth." He stood up and pulled me into a tight hug. "Thank the Angels. We've been so worried. I'm never letting you out of my sight again. Every time I do something bad happens. Are you alright?"

"I am okay." I hugged him back. "What about everyone else? Is Joe coping alright?"

"The best he can, I suppose." He shrugged. "He's a mess." I nodded and let Jace go. I knew that would be the answer but I just hoped that he would be fine. I just wanted him to be okay so I wouldn't feel so awful.

"What are you doing here?" I asked looking over at Valentine then at Jace again. "Also what happened? I'm sorry but your face is a mess Jace."

"Thanks, Beth. I really appreciate that." Jace said, his infamous sarcasm rearing its head. "And it's from that stupid bird."

"I told you that I was getting your brother," Valentine said as if I was stupid.

"Yes well, I didn't think that would involve him getting mauled by a crazy bird who, to be honest, I didn't know existed so if I could get some clarification that would be great." I retorted allowing my words to drip with sarcasm.  

"There's no need for that tone Elizabeth." Valentine shot a look at me. "As for both your questions I think can wait for a more suitable time. You really should be more polite. This sarcasm really doesn't suit you." 

"Why can't you just tell me what is going on?" I asked frustrated. "You are training me night and day. I have done everything you ask of me and yet you tell me nothing! Don't I deserve some answers?"

"In due course Elizabeth." He dismissed me. "You should return to your room."

"You mean my cell!" I scoffed. "I am not leaving until you tell me what I want to know!"

"Do not make demands of me girl!" Valentine commanded with violence twinkling in his black eyes. "You should be grateful for what I have already told you!" 

"Which is nothing!" I cried. "I just want to understand why you wanted me back so badly if you don't trust me enough to tell me your plans!"

"You already know that although I don't think you want your precious brother to know about that reason do you?" He asked raising an eyebrow. I shook my head. "Exactly, now how about I leave you and Jace alone to get reacquainted?" I nodded. "Good girl." I nodded again as my head begins spinning again. 

"Beth, are you alright? You've gone pale." He said, I shake my head as an answer but only slightly as my head was pounding again. "Here, sit down." He helped me to a chair.

"Hum, I was wondering if this would happen. I shall bring you some tea to help with these effects." Valentine said thoughtfully. 

"What did you do to me?" I asked pained. 

"Nothing much, I simply gave you something to help you sleep. You seem however to have reacted badly to it." He said curiously. "I have never seen anything like this. You are a curious case though with what you are." 

"Just make it stop, I don't care about any of that!" I shouted clutching my head, the pain was getting worse and almost swallowing me. 

"How could you do that to her?" Jace asked furiously. "Look at what you've done to her!" 

"It will pass, in the meantime, I shall go fetch that tea." He said and left. I was not in enough pain to miss the familiar noise of a lock slipping into place.  

"Oh, Beth what has he done to you?" Jace asked turning his attention on to me.

"Not anything horrific. I missed you, Bro!" I said sadly.  

"How could you just leave like that Beth?" He snapped, his mood souring immeadiately. 

"What?" I asked shocked. "I didn't leave."

"Yes, you do. You had a choice and you chose to leave with him." He said angrily.

"He was going to kill Joe. I couldn't let that happen." I said simply unable to say anything else to justify it. "What if it was Clary in that situation or Alec or Izzy? What would you have done? Just sat there and watched as he beat them to death?"

"Because what you've done is so much better than that!" He shot back. "Joe has been falling apart since the moment you disappeared. He doesn't leave your room and he talks to you as if you're there."

"Do you think I've been doing any better? I miss him every moment of my day Jace! I hate that it was my fault that he got hurt, I hate that he is still hurting because of me!" I let out almost in tears. 

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah of course you do. You have put us all through hell the past few weeks. You are trying to say it was worth because Joe's alive?" He laughed harshly. "Yeah right! What about everyone else? Clary, Izzy, Alec, Magnus?"

"I know. I should have tried harder to stop him but at that moment all I could see was Joe and him hurting Joe!" I said. "I wasn't thinking about anything else. I just wanted him to stop! Joe didn't deserve that."

"And he deserves not knowing if you are alive or not?" He asked me harshly.

"That's not what I'm saying!" I shouted. I was frustrated and overwhelmed. I needed to think. He wasn't letting me think. It was all too much. "I have been through so much these past few weeks. I just want to get back to New York. I just want to see Joe and have Magnus tell me all about his latest discovery in magical healing. I want to laugh and gossip with Izzy. I want to go on hunts with you again. I want it all again and I have been trying to make that happen but it's like I've been thrown back in time and I'm that scared little girl again. I am so powerless here. There is nothing I can do to leave. So I just have to cope the best I can and continue to survive until he lets me go."

"He won't let you go Elizabeth. Not now he has you back and especially not now he is slowly molding you to be the perfect daughter again." Jace spat as if the words burnt him.

"Like I said I just have to survive a little bit longer," I repeated knowing that I couldn't say too much without risking my plan. "You'll learn to survive too."