ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴʟʏ ꜰɪʀᴇ ~ ᴛᴍɪ

Chapter 4 - The Silent Brothers

The thought of Jocelyn, as a young woman who had stopped an awful war, disappearing from the only world she had ever known...Allison was quite impressed with her resilience.

"To keep him from getting his hands on it," said Hodge. "She above all people would have known what would happen if Valentine had the Cup. And I imagine she didn't trust the Clave to hold on to it. Not after Valentine got it away from them in the first place."

"Jocelyn chose to trust herself," Allison observed. "That it would be safe to guard it herself."

Brother Jeremiah moved toward Clary and said, What is your choice, Clarissa?

Clary looked at Allison. "This would help me find my mother right?"

Allison considered the actualities for a moment. For Clary asking her, perhaps she finally realized Allison's position. Nevertheless, she tried a comforting smile, "Your memories are hidden for a reason. There's a high chance it was done because you know something. We just have to find it."

Clary sighed. "Okay. I'll do it."

Brother Jeremiah placed his long white hands on Clary's forehead. She gasped at seeing his face, bald with his eyes and mouthed stitched. But her eyes shut and were scrunched up as if she was replaying a dream.

Allison stood up finally, circling them.

"Stop." Jace's voice broke into the silence and Brother Jeremiah's hands dropped.

Hodge cut him a sharp look. "Jace, you—"

"Look at her hands," Jace replied, and was true. Her nails dugs into her palms deeply and were bleeding.

The block on her mind is a powerful one, the Silent Brother said. She has to come to the city of bones to stand before the Brotherhood.

"A block?" asked Jace. "You mean she's repressed her memories?".

"Perhaps..." Allison wondered, looking at Brother Jeremiah. "Warlocks can construct complex spells like the one used on Clary's, right?"

"A spell?" said Clary incredulously. "Who would have put a spell on me?"

"How?" Jace asked instead, though his words were not sharp but curious.

"Like a mirage, making her see what she's made to see," She looked at Brother Jeremiah to continue. But the Silent Brother said I am not the warlock specialist here, Investigator. Though my brotherhood will have far clearer answers.

Jace looked at his tutor. He was surprisingly pale. "Hodge, she shouldn't have to go if she doesn't—"

"It's all right." Clary took a deep breath. She appeared as if she wanted badly to lie down somewhere dark and rest. "I'll go. I want to know the truth. I want to know what's in my head."

Everyone was silent.

"I'll come," But she looked at Jace. "But not alone."

"Then we'd go together." Jace smiled.

Let's be on our way, Brother Jeremiah said. Hodge. Investigator.

Allison nodded her head in reply as the Silent one left.

Jace and Hodge exchanged a few words and Jace followed the Silent Brother along with an anxious Clary.

"We have to wait for them to return." Hodge sat behind his table again. "If we can learn something vital, it'd be worth it."

Allison didn't sit down. She was bobbing in her feet, her mind unsettled. "I wanted to ask something. I thought we could speak about Luke Garroway."

Hodge sighed. "I didn't know it was Lucian."