ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴʟʏ ꜰɪʀᴇ ~ ᴛᴍɪ

Chapter 9 - Meeting Long Awaited

Jace Wayland. Jace Morgenstern. Jace Lightwood.

Wayland name accused him as an imposter.

Morgenstern name branded him as a traitor.

Lightwood name was out of bounds, now. 

Maryse had been clear of it. He could somehow recall the look on her face when she told him to leave. She was not even subtle about it. He never would've imagined she was the same woman when he was eleven who had stayed with him till he had slept. Well, he didn't know she was a member of the Circle of Raziel. Maybe he didn't know her very well.

His hands still shook inside his pockets when he entered Hunter's Moon.

A rush of murmurs swept through the bar on the heels of his arrival. He pretended to notice nothing, hooking a bar stool towards himself with a booted foot and settling onto it with elbows on the bar. He ordered a shot of single malt.

The bartender placed the drink before him. He downed half the content in a single swig. It burned down his throat. He welcomed it.

"I take it," he said, leaning his elbows into the bar, "that you don't serve Silver Bullet here. Too many bad associations?"

The bartender just looked at him and shook his head in disgust. He walked to the other end of the bar and busied himself polishing glasses. Jace smiled, knowing he had a good start.

"I'll be damned if you could hold your liquor," a voice, a familiar one, commented behind him.

Instead of murmurs that had welcomed Jace, utter silence covered the room as Allison Graymark entered.

Jace blinked once. 

She was in her Investigator Gear, the adamas shone within the linings of the fabrics. Her brown hair was unbound, brushing her collarbone. She looked more threatening than ever. Hunting knives were strapped down her sides, and her satisfied smile assured him she was enjoying the terrified reactions from the Downworlders. 

Allison took the stool to his right and faced him. Then gave him a disappointed sigh. 

His anger spiked up. "Surprised you showed your face here, considering you slept through the entire fight." Hodge had given her a sleeping draught before he handed Jace and the Mortal Cup to Valentine. Magnus, who had arrived to heal Alec, couldn't help Allison. The Silent Brothers had to take her in. And none of them heard from her. Jace had almost asked Maryse before everything that happened. Now, here she was. Awake and brimming with spite. He didn't fail to notice the tiredness in her eyes though. 

Jace noticed the anger that flashed through her dark blue eyes. She controlled it, as she always did. Her mask never came off, which was built with cool indifference and the classic know-it-all act. Sometimes, he envied her. Sometimes, he didn't. She glanced towards the bartender, "Something strong, Pete," Jace tried to hide his surprise. So, she has been here before.

"I have no incline towards returning to New York," Allison started, right as a glass of brandy arrived. "Duty calls. I answer."

"What is your sworn duty? Getting drunk in this shit-hole?"

A werewolf with a thick scar that disfigured half his face, probably due to silver, seemed to have enough. "You really think you're pretty funny."