By the Angel

Chapter 55

"Well then take me home, " I practically purr in his ear.

Before Jace can respond Alec is tapping on Jace's shoulder, "stop trying to eat Clary's earlobe we need to get out of here now. Don't turn around, Izzy and Magnus went to get the car, walk towards the back exit, I'll explain on the way home."

Silently all three of us maneuver through the crowds, hoping the mass amounts of sweating bodies jumping up and down work as camouflage. I wish I could say I hadn't the slightest idea about why we are suddenly being ushered out as if our life depends on it.

I do know why and our lives almost certainly depend on it. Johnathan made his move and I guess now Valentine is making his.
Couldn't even let me have twenty-four hours could you dear old dad?

I just wanted a day, a damn day but that was naive. He probably watched my every move, every step, every laugh, every damn breath I took trying to free myself of my this weight on my shoulders, he saw everything I'm sure.

Jace squeezes my hand as we walk out the door and the guilt washes over me like a virus spreading through my soul, I've gotten him into this, I've gotten all of them into this. If I were smart I would leave Jace, all of them, so they could be safe but Jace would never let me leave in order to protect him and could I really ever leave him?
No, I don't think I could, not even with the risks, as long as he still wants me I'm his.

I can feel the eyes on my back as we make that long walk towards the cars, I try to step back and shield Jace with my body but he sees what I'm doing and quickly spins me in front of him, "You're not using yourself as a human shield." He growls low in my ear.

"You're doing the same thing!" Is what I want to shout but instead, I quicken my pace in silence. It takes maybe two minutes total to get safely inside Alec's truck... well safer but it feels so much longer than that.

Alec turns the key as the engine roars to life, Izzy's charger comes alive behind us and within seconds, with Simon in her passenger seat.
"Care to fill us in now?" Jace says it as a loud pop sounds off and a bullet breaks through the door, it all happens so fast. Alec is flying down the street and I'm pinned by a heavyweight. "Jace!" I panic, "are you hit?"

"No baby, I'm not he says wrapping himself around me like a barrier. The realization hits me, he threw himself on me to protect me.
I'm touched, truly I am, a gun went off and his only instinct is to protect me, I feel so much love for him at this moment but I'm also so so incredibly pissed.

"So you can use your body to protect me but I can't do the same?"

" It's different, " he says tightening his grip on me.

"How so?"

A ghost of a smile appears on his lips," I'll think of an answer for that later but for now I'm your shield. I know you don't need my protection so don't go off on that but if he wants to hurt you he has to come through me, " Jace says resolutely.

I want to argue but now is not exactly the best time, "care to fill us in?" I ask instead even though I know the answer.

"Let's just say... I now see why your brother took you to fucking Alaska. Not that I'm defending the psycho but... Alicante called to warn us, Valentine knows everything. Valentine has had a wiretap on him for years so when he called Jace... Valentine knows everything, " Alec repeats, " I counted at least four of his guys, we're lucky he didn't try to shoot up the club, too many witnesses I guess, like shooting at us from the parking lot would be any better. Never a dull moment with you Clary."

"I'm so sorry, " I say holding back tears, I know this is all my fault.

"Easy red, " Alec says with a wave of his hand, " not an accusation, it's not your fault you were born into an insane family. The family may begin in blood but it sure as hell doesn't end there, we protect our own, if Valentine wants you he can come through me too."

"And me, " Magnus says from the passenger seat with a look of determination is his cat-like eyes.

Jace squeezes my hand as he looks into my eyes, "he will not lay one finger on your beautiful head. I promise you with everything I have, hell I promise on us, I won't let anything happen to you."

"Why us?" I ask suddenly.

"Because there isn't anything I believe in
more, " he says softly as if it was the most normal thing to ever fall his lips.

I smile up at him as I kiss his cheek, "me too."

*****

Alec is pacing back and forth in the living room so much it's starting to make me dizzy. So far an hour has gone by and there has been no sign of Valentine. I wish it was good news but I know him, he knows my plans to join Legends of the fall and he will never stop until he has my head or my loyalty. He will get neither.

"Alec you're giving me whip lash, sit down please." Izzy says exasperated to witch Alec complies, plopping down by Magnus.

"I just don't know what to do," Alec says looking as exhausted as I feel. That makes two of us. "We can't go to the cops," he continues, "we can't go to the source without being fatally outnumbered, if he was able to get a dime on Alicante we are seriously screwed."

"Well gee, angry buttercup, a little low on hope aren't we?" Magnus teases but with a serious tone.

"Magnus is right, we can't give up, that's what Valentine wants. It's probably why he hasn't tried to break in, for now, his point has been made. Right now hope is all that I have to hang on to and I'm not letting go of that lifeline. I will end this, I will end him." I say meaning every word.

"Do you think you could kill your father? Just like that?" Alec asks quietly. Not trying to be condescending, just genuinely worried I wouldn't be able to go through with it. It's a fair question but I wouldn't even hesitate. Magnus and Jace simply nod their head as I say, "just like that, trust me the things he did to me... to..." I catch myself before I include my brother. This isn't really a pro-Johnathan crowd, "I'm good."

Alec nods, surprisingly taking me for my word, "alright but we still need to figure out what we're going to do." Before he can finish there's a knock on the door. Jace gets up off the couch to greet the visitor that's hopefully not an assassin. "Look through the peephole!" Alec yells after him.

"No shit, angry buttercup," Jace teases, to which Alec flips him off.

"Boys behave." Izzy says her eyes trained on the door. My eyes are trained on the same target, whoever is on the other side of that door isn't here to bake cookies and sing showtunes. I'm already practically inching off the couch as Jace peeks through, his body immediately tenses as he steps back. His eyes find mine as he mouths one word, one that splits my emotions in two, right down the middle. My chest rises and falls steady but my heart sinks.

They will assume he's here to hurt me but he's not, if he wanted to hurt me he would have done it in Alaska, if he wanted to hurt any of them he would have done so before my capture. He's here to help me, I believe it right down to my core. Why else would he take the chance? Unless he wants to build your trust, turn you over to the mad dad himself.

"Johnathan," Jace says motioning for Alec to back him up. I can see the look in his eyes and I know what it means. I have to stop him, I have to make him see but I doubt anything I say will ever convince him that my brother is worth a second chance. Here goes nothing.

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Published 8/10/19