«——— CHAPTER TWO———»
MISSING YOUR OTHER HALF
Mayla struggled to fight the shivering to change out of her wet clothes. With numb hands that couldn't feel the softness of the fabric, she almost fumbled the simple long sleeve.
In a room full of men and monsters, she didn't care who watched. Who howled and cheered as she put on fresh garments. She was too cold, too tired, and too dizzy from the crisp ocean water to spare them any thought.
Once she put on the sweater and jeans she was pulled out of the cage and shoved in Jace's direction.
He was untied and changed into a shirt. "Jace!" Without much thought, she ran over and hugged him. He muscles ached but she still squeezed. He was like a steady rock keeping her standing on the rough waves under her feet. She held him tight, her hands craving for something real.
Maybe Jace and May weren't always close. Maybe the only thing they had in common for a long time was that they had Clary and Alec in their lives but here... on a ship where there wasn't much chance of getting off, they were the only people that felt safe. Like their feet wouldn't be swept out form under them. Just for a second.
The only people they knew they could trust.
He was so warm compared to her. She appreciated it more than she'd admit. He was breathing, standing... there wasn't much more she could ask for right now.
"Did he hurt you?" He asked.
"Tossed around a little but I'll be fine."
"What happened? How did they get you here?"
May blinked roughly, trying to clear her thoughts for a second. "Uhm... I reported to a mission command for this case. I left the group at Magnus's and then..." She tried clearing her thoughts, trying to put the pieces together. "I was jumped."
She remembers an alley, an attack from behind and a hard knock to her skull. Hefty arms carrying her off...
Jace looked over his shoulder at the men waiting for them at the doorway. His hand on her arm tightened when they approached impatiently.
"Let's go." The man reached over, grabbing Jace's arm, pulling him away from her. She reached her hand out but she was grabbed by the collar of her shirt and ripped away.
"Wait! Wait!" She called out with a rip in her throat. "Please wait!"
She was towed down a hallway, her bare feet slipping on the metal as she tried to pull him off. It was useless when the creature gallons had dug not her muscle, his grip being inhumanly tight. She had to give into the trip around the shipping boat.
The internal layout of the ship was a metal maze with bridges, heavy doors, and hollow halls. Nothing she could understand or decipher to get her way through.
He pulled her onto a bridge and led her up a ladder and to the main floor where she could finally the natural light from a window.
She basked in it, taking in the realized of it even from a distance... even if the sunlight disintegrated touch her skin.
A hard nudge in her spine had her moving again before they stopped at an open door.
There were large windows inside that showed a view of New York City. The city soaked in the sun not too far from where the boat seemed to be floating undetected.
She could see the shoreline. It wasn't too far. She could make it.
She was desperate enough.
She stopped to look at the view, not walking into the observation deck. She was shoved again, hard, stumbling into the room roughly. With a growl of frustration, she spun around, ready to start a fight when the metal door shut in her face with a thunderous slam.
"Piece of shit!" She seethed, slamming her hard fist on the door. She let out a fuming scream... her anger brought her fist down the door mercilessly, trying to open it.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Someone clicked their tongue disapprovingly, making her jump.
She wasn't alone.
In the corner, look out at the view himself was a man. He was tall, lanky-- his clothes hung on him like a scarecrow that lacked his stuffing. He held a mug in his hand slim, veiny hand.
A man with nothing spectacular other than his hair. Bright silver hair that if Mayla wasn't on verge of hypothermia and her vision was fuzzy she would have sworn... shimmered like a brand new coin.
He turned away from the window and it shimmered once again, reflecting the bright lights above him. She wasn't seeing things. She saw it as what it was.
A warlock mark.
The man had a long face and eyes she feels like she needed to shrink down, away from him. His face had a familiarity to it... like she has met this man before. Like she knew him.
"You're here." His tone was admiring and loving. It made Mayla's stomach churn sickly.
He took a step closer to May, his hands reaching to cup her face and she backed up, right into the door.
He stopped in his tracks, a hurt look flooding his pale, sharp features. A long nose and sharp eyes as dark as coal looked her over, his hands reaching out but never really touching her. His intimidation lacked in strength but rather in height.
He was tall. Towering over her in a way that made it feel like he had the higher ground. Deep in inside, her stomach churned.
Something about him seemed familiar. Something about the way he spoke, the way he seemed to be approaching her as if he knew her.
He took her in for all that she was, a euphoric sigh of relief. "You... my little warrior, look what you've become."
Chills burned her skin. Hairs stood up at the back of her neck. She knew that voice. The voice that spoke behind the blinding light. The man with the rubber gloves and painful needles.
She didn't know she knew. What in her mind told her this information but it was clear as day, the answer in her mind. The warlock that took the ashes of hell and graced it with the blood of Archangel Raguel.
He was the one that brought the prophecy to life. The madman thought he could control the uncontrollable. And he was stepping closer to her.
"You godly being..." he awed. "Look so much like your mother." He reached out and touched her hair. The fiery red locks. "It's putrid." He spat.
She swatted his hand away, brushing her strands from her face. "Don't touch me!"
He tipped his head, squinting at her. "Do you know who I am?"
Her breath caught in her throat, her stomach sick.
"You're my father."
A sick smile curled don't his lips, his head falling back as he laughed. "yes! Yes! I am!" He cooed, trying to take another step forward. "You remember..."
She ducked past him before he could touch her, keeping an arms-length between them. She had nothing in her hands... no weapon... no magic as she was far too weak. Nothing she can do to the man that caused her all of this pain.
"No, no!" SHe snapped. "I remember a man that hurt me, tortured me... twisted my memories."
"I made you the being you are." He argued, pointing a finger at her. With his arms out in front of him, taking in the redhead slouched in her stance. "I made Exodia..."
May had made her way to the other side of the room, now standing near the control panel, her back to the windows. She could now see the second door onto the deck... one that led right outside.
Beside her, his mug filled with scolding coffee sat. She moved swiftly. She grabbed the mug, throwing it at him. He screamed in pain... the coffee blinding him.
She vaulted over a chair and ran out the door, into the warm bright sun. She came to a stop, the need to bask in the sun was overwhelming as she took just a second to take it in.
"Hey! Stop!"
Mayla picked up her feet once more, running down the dock, seeing the army of men coming out behind her. She lundged over a railing, getting to the main deck.
She saw the way... she saw the dive and the waves she would have to fight.
She prepared herself. She was ready to jump when her father stopped her with a wave of his hand. "No!"
Her body went rigid like stone, tearing her muscles with blades. She was suspended above the water... just inches from the shimmering forcefield she didn't see. Hues of purple shimmering as a dome around the boat. She almost dove into that.
Her body jolted back by an invisible force that threw to the ground with a loud thud. Her back slammed flat onto the metal floor.
Mayla heaved for air, clawing at her lungs. She writhed on the ground, with wretched gasps for air.
She let out a writhing cry, her hand on her chest.
Her father stood over her watching her struggle... the mighty Lazarus walked over and looked down at her, his hands on his hips.
"You should've listened to your father." He nodded for the doors. "Take her back to her cage."
Two heavy hands grabbed her, pulling her to her feet. As she tried blinking away the stars she was fighting them off. A pathetic attempt of getting away from him.
«—————»
Back at the New York Institute things were hectic, desperate as the new control over the Clave questioned every single person involved in the disappearance of Mayla Stonehart and Jace Wayland. Aldertree was stonecold, every one of his questions tainted with an accusive tone that told the group Aldertree didn't believe a single thing they said.
It only took three minutes after the final interrogation for the alarm to blare through the entire building, red lights flashing in the Heart of the Insitute and a display on every screen showing two pictures...
"Who sounded the alarm?" Alec asked, walking back in from an argument he just had with Magnus.
Clary ran in crashing to a halt when she saw the hologram in the center of the room.
Pictures of Mayla and Jace flashed on the screen side by side, in red letters it read.
WANTED
DEAD OR ALIVE
"What's going on?" Izzy asked.
"Oh, no."
"Aldertree said he wanted to rescue May and Jace," Clary said to the Lightwoods.
He walked into the room. "Actually, Clary, I said I wanted to find them. And you gave me the clue I needed to do just that."
"What did you tell him?" Alec asked darkly.
"Alec, I--"
"Is this everyone?" Aldertree asked, turning to the crowd that was starting to form. They whispered and chattered. "Fantastic. First up, all Downworlders are forbidden from entering the Institute without my prior approval. For those still present, good day."
Eye landed on Luke, who stood in the crowd, his arm around Jocelyn. "I'm not leaving Jocelyn. Besides, my badge gives access to resources that you don't have. I can help you find Jace."
"That's generous of you, but I'm going to have to insist."
For a second moment, he sated him down, testing the Shadowhunter but instead spoke to Jocelyn "Call me when you can,"
"You too... Simon. Simon, right?" Aldertree asked him.
"It's almost dawn. I don't have anywhere to go."
"Hey," he shrugged "you're a smart guy. I'm sure you'll figure something out."
"Simon, come on." Luke offered, taking the boy with him.
The boy turned to Clary subtly and whispered something about how he'll be okay. He then followed after Luke, sparing Clary one last worried glance before being escorted out.
Clapping his hands, Alsdertree grabbed the room's attention once again. "Now, let's get to it. I've reviewed your statements, along with the reports of your unsanctioned missions. And I can come to no other conclusion that Jace Wayland is a traitor to the Clave."
"Jace is not a traitor," Alec said to the man.
"Point of fact. Clary said Jace called to warn you about Valentine's trap, which got me thinking... Jace had multiple chances to kill Valentine, but he chose to let him leave. Mayla conveniently disappeared shortly before this supposed trap, knowing exactly where you were all were heading. Now, Valentine, Jace, Mayla, and the Cup are missing. Do the math."
Cameron took a step forward. "And you think Mayla of all people would rat them out?"
"She hasn't known them for long."
"And yet she cares about them more than she does herself."
Aldertree shrugged his hands behind his back. "Would you like to consider that maybe you are blinded by the Parabatai bond you share with Ms. Stonehart?"
Cameron shook his head, taking a step forward. Lydia interjected, pulling the boy back before he said something that could have him put under suspicion himself.
"There is no way we're gonna help you hunt them," Clary said.
"And I'd never ask you to. You and your friends are prohibited from any further involvement for the hunt for Jace Wayland."
"What?" Izzy asked.
"The rest of you, back to work. I'm lifting the lockdown on the Institute, except for Clary and Jocelyn."
The crowd shuffled away with mutters under their noses about the gossip.
"Given your relationship to Valentine, Jace, and Mayla, I wanna keep a close eye on you."
Cameron shook his head and turned for the door but Aldertree, unfortunately, spoke up again. "I would watch the temper of yours, Mr. Karlyle. I don't need a reason to send you back to Chicago, where you rightfully should be."
Cameron stopped, turning to look at the man that blatantly threatened to send him home.
Aldertree smiled, striding his way out the door.
"This is ridiculous!" Clary snapped.
"Clary--" Jocelyn grabbed her arm.
"No! We cannot just sit around." She dropped to a whisper. "Okay, they're going to kill Jace. He's your son. And Mayla! She's family."
"I know you think you understand this world, but you don't."
"Dismissed!" Aldertree announced, turning on his heels.
The Lightwoods shared a look before they followed after the man. "You can't do this."
"See, that's the thing about being the boss. I can and I did."
"Then revoke the dead-or-alive order. They are one of us."
"Challenging the authority of the head of the Institute is grounds for severe punishment, including de-runing." Aldertree said in a tone that left Izzy with chills. Reminding her that maybe, when Lydia was in charge that sword no longer dangled over her head, but now someone else could make the blade drop.
He walked away, a whole collection of glares following his every step. Cameron shook his head, placing his hands on his hips. "This is bullshit."
"Cameron!" Jocelyn scolded.
"What? Are you saying this is fair? You raised Mayla as your own. She told me stories, never has anyone respected someone the way she does you despite the way you treated her and you're going to stand there and let them hunt her down like she some criminal?"
Jocelyn looked away, not meeting the boy's eye.
"She sees you as a mother, you know? Everything that she's done for you, for your daughter, she did because she loves you. And you are going to stand there and do nothing?"
He turned away from the dismissive woman, digging the heels on his palms into his eyes. "Unbelievable."
"You don't understand--" Jocelyn started.
He spun around. "Really? I don't understand!?"
"Back off," Clary demanded, stepping up to Cameron. He didn't.
"Mayla is out there. Valentine has her. You do comprehend that, right?" He asked them.
Alec and Izzy spared the other a look before walking over to see what he going on about.
"The man that wanted her dead. He tried to kill her when she was just a baby and he now has her. How long do you think she has, huh? You care about her when she's protecting your daughter but the second she out there, alone--" He choked on his words...
He ran his hand over his face. He tried to speak again. "You don't seem to care too much now." He took another step closer, getting too close for Clary's liking.
"I said, 'back off.'"
Cameron huffed, looking down at the two redheads. Maybe he had anger deep down he never knew he had until he met the source of it. The two people who took her from him-- kept her away. All so she could protect a self-destructive girl who only now seemed to care about Mayla.
He knew he needed to back off. He knew Mayla wouldn't want him attacking them right now. He shook his head, looking to the others. "This is bullshit!" He stormed out with his fists at his sides. A boy with a short fuse has his parabatai out there somewhere.
Clary threw her hands to her sides. "What the hell was that?"
Izzy crossed her arms over her chest. It seemed like Alec was not the only one freaking out. "His other half is missing..." She said.
Izzy looked past Alec, who stood at a main operating table, subtly doing his best to compose himself. "It can make you crazy."