chapter twenty. . .
ugliness of disbelief
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VALENTINE MORGENSTERN WAS Malia's father and it was the last thing she had ever thought she'd ever be told. The most wanted man alive, the monster and the murderer was her blood, he was her history, and she hated everything about that. Malia had thought about all of who could've known about her parents that included Luke, Veronica and even Jocelyn. They all knew and kept it from her when did deserve the truth, everyone didn't and the excuse of thinking it was better for her couldn't be used. Malia knew something as big as that was due to be explained to her sooner than later.
Malia gripped onto the wheel of Simon's van as she had driven around trying to clear her head from the thoughts of the continuous secrets she couldn't deal with and nor did she want to have to deal with them. Her knuckles had turned white with how her grip continued to tighten as her thoughts were stuck on Valentine being the parental figure she once wished she had known more about. But now she wished she knew nothing of him.
She didn't know how to explain how she felt. Betrayed? Hurt? Lost? Confused? Malia found it impossible how she was supposed to explain how she felt, and she didn't know who she could talk to about it. Her head fell onto the wheel of the van as she allowed the tears to burn their way through to roll down her cheek. "Valentine's my father." She mumbled to herself. Malia believed that if she felt saying it, it may sound somewhat sane. "Valentine is my father. Valentine..." Her voice had trailed off as she sat up straight within the driver's seat of Simon's van she had taken for a drive to get some space. "Valentine..."
Malia had pondered, she had thought about when Michael had touched her hand and the coldness that radiated off of him that caused the whispers to pick up. Jace knew his father had been killed by Valentine, and for ten years he had believed that. For some reason it didn't add up. Why would Valentine need Michael for ten years? Why was Michael so important? "Valentine..." The voice rang in her ears before Malia had come to the realisation of her thoughts being cleared. The voices said Valentine when Michael had touched her, and the coldness came from the monster Valentine was.
Her thoughts had been interrupted by her phone ringing in the passenger seat beside her. Malia had gripped onto the her cell, seeing the caller ID of her best friend calling her. A sigh escaped her lips before she had chosen to answer the call and rest it against her ear. Clary was the only one who would listen to her and believe the voices in her head, and Malia wasn't so sure how she was supposed to explain what she heard to Jace. "Clary?"
"Malia--"
"Clary, listen to me." Malia told before Clary had the chance to mumbled onwards.
"No, Malia. Listen to me." For what Malia could tell the Fairchild was whispering into the phone. "It's Jace's father--"
Malia's head shook. "That's the thing, Clary. It's not Jace's father." She told and which had caught Clary off guard. "I don't think Michael is Michael Wayland. I think Valentine has disguised himself into a glamour to make him look like Jace's father. I've been thinking about. Why would Valentine hold Michael hostage for ten years? Why was Michael so important to him? It didn't add up until he touched me and I heard the voices, Clary. It is Valentine."
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CLARY BELIEVED THAT she was one step closer in finding her mother. When she and Luke had taken a look at Renwick finding that demons crawled the perimeter. The question how easy it was going to be to get to Jocelyn played but as they were one step closer they knew that they had to try. Malia knew she had to try as she had hope that Veronica was in there just the same.
Jace had noticed the girl's distance from him, he was confused and he wished he could ask her but she had other priorities. Malia wasn't entirely sure on how to tell Jace that his father wasn't his father but a glamour that Valentine Morgenstern hid underneath, she didn't want to break his heart just as he got his father back. She didn't know how to.
Malia's hands rested on her hips as she had changed out of the clothes she had been stuck in for quite some time, and now settled into a pair of black skin tight jeans that her heeled boots covered at the shin and where her black vest top was tugged in as she had a red cardigan on her back.
"We couldn't even count the demons." Clary exclaimed.
"Yeah, but we still gotta get Jocelyn out of there." Luke protested. He knew that demons were going to be able to stop him from getting the love of his life back.
"That would be a suicide mission." Ben warned.
"Doesn't have to be." Clary told as she knew how easy it could for them to be in and out of the building without demon attention. "I have the Cup. Demons have to obey me."
"That's what Valentine wants." Michael spoke up causing Malia's eyes to shift to him, wondering how he had managed to keep up the act for so long. "He knows you'll do anything to save your mother. He wants you to take out the Cup and use it."
"And if I do?"
"He'll take it." Michael replied. "And he'll kill us, too."
Malia chuckled. "Oh, let him try."
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MALIA LURKED WITHIN the darkness with her approach to Renwick with Clary by her side. As she glanced over her shoulder at Clary she held out the mug she had picked on her way back from her drive to clear her head. They had a plan and they hoped it was going to work to fool Valentine into believing that he had the Mortal Cup. Malia knew that the less who knew about the plan the less likely chance that Valentine as going to find out about it.
"Here." Malia handed over the World's Best Dad mug towards Clary who immediately drew the glamour rune onto the side of the mug. "This better work."
"It will." Clary comforted before she looked back up at Malia. "So, we're sisters?" Malia chuckled as her eyes flickered towards the four men making their bold approach towards the front doors of the Renwick. "I can't believe Valentine's your father."
"That makes two of us." Malia replied just as she caught the distraction that Jace, Ben, Luke and Valentine were creating causing her to gesture for the Fairchild to follow after her. "Come on, let's go." Malia had been quick on the wedge of her boots as she jogged up the steps whilst she pulled out her seraph blade just incase she had an unexpected encounter as their wonder deepened into he Renwick.
The Renwick was abandoned, covered in graffiti the teens had sprayed along the walls after breaking in to the site. Malia had made sure that her and Clary kept close together as they were quick on their feet to finding Jocelyn, and it meant looking in each rooms they had passed before reaching the end of the corridor. The Banshee slowed to a stop as Clary had taken a look into yet another room that she had passed before noticing that Malia's eyes were fixated on the green moulded doors at the end of the corridor. "Malia?" Clary called for her attention.
But as Clary studied Malia she had noticed how it seemed that Malia's eyes spun like a wheel as their glistened within the darkness of the abandoned Renwick. She was confused. "This way." Malia had been listening to the harsh whispers as she jogged ahead of Clary who had been quick to follow. They had to get in and out of the Renwick with Jocelyn for them to be able to get out of there safely.
As Malia shoved on the doors of the last room along the corridor, and stepping into a room filled with cobwebs and dust that suffocated her as she stepped into the room that begun to carry a smell. Malia's eyes flickered around the room immediately in sight of Veronica as Clary had dropped her seraph blade in the shock of sight of her mother floating in midair from the potion she had drunk.
As Clary had jogged down the stairs to reunite with her mother who slept, Malia's eyes had settled on the pool of blood beside the mirror. Her brows her furrowed in confusion as she begun her way to the crimson blood that puddled on the floor and she questioned if there was a body with it. Her approach was slow as she was filled with concern but her breath had hitched in her throat unable to hear Clary's call for her sister who finally turned around the mirror.
Malia's eyes widened as she felt the tears begun to stream down her cheek before her mouth swung open and a scream erupted from her lips. The scream that was deafening, haunting and carried the news that death caused it. With that scream it had caused Jace and Michael to pick up the pace on getting to Malia and Clary as he had recognised that wail that echoed through the Renwick.
Malia's mouth fell close as her throat her dried before she crouched down beside Veronica, the brunette with her throat slashed and which had caused the puddle of blood behind the mirror. "V-Veronica?" Malia's voice croaked just as doors had slammed causing her attention to fall onto Jace and Michael slamming the doors. "W-Where's Luke and Ben?" Malia asked as she pushed herself away from the sight of Veronica's corpse.
"We left them fighting Blackwell." Jace informed. "Ben's helping out Luke." Malia's head shook as she took a step forward. "Luke told us to leave him, Malia." He explained before drawing a rune with the use of his stele to lock the doors.
Clary had taken a sprint forward just as demons banged against the door. Jace had been quick to grab the Fairchild by her waist before she had done something stupid that could put her life at risk. "No! What are you doing? Get back!" Jace demanded.
"Jace, We cannot shut Luke and Jace out!" Clary exclaimed. "They have to make it inside."
"No, Clary, there is not enough time!"
"We have to secure the room." Malia's eyes flickered towards Michael, her jaw clenching with anger of the one person who had always been a mother to her. "We don't even know if Luke and Ben are still..."
"Alive?" Malia questioned as she knew she couldn't lose anyone else. "Veronica is dead!" She exclaimed as she gestured towards the cold body behind her. "Okay. I am not leaving Luke and out there to die for nothing!"
"I can't wake her up." Clary informed as she glanced over her shoulder at her mother behind her, still in a slumber."
"Luke wants you two and Jocelyn out of here." Michael told as Malia walked over to Clary's side to pull her away from jace. "That's all he cares about. Pull yourself together."
"Clary, if you don't help us, no one survives." Jace said to her hoping that would calm her mind. "Do you understand? We will get her home. Look at me! We will find a way to wake her up. Do you believe me?"
Before Clary had replied Michael had given them a warning. "Get ready."
They had all tried their best with drawing runes all over the Renwick to keep the demons out. But it was only time before they could've broken free. Malia had tried her best to keep her eyes to drifting to Veronica's body that had been covered by Jace knowing that it would be the last thing that the Banshee would want to see of the only mother figure in her life.
"Clary, now!" Jace called for the Fairchild who pushed herself away from the window the demons beat against. "We can't wait any longer." He told.
Clary had pulled the cup from her bag with a glance at Malia who nodded for her to go ahead with the plan the two of them had. The brunette slowly begun her approach whilst listening to the screeching of the demons and she did worry if they'd get in, but in order to out Valentine they had to use the fake Mortal Cup. "Demons, I command you! Find Valentine!" Clary ordered as she held up the Mortal Cup to use its power, but yet the demons continued to surround the room and bang harder on the doors and windows. "Demons, find Valentine!" She ordered once again but demons had started to break their way through.
Michael held out his hand for the Mortal Cup. "Let me try."
Malia pursed her lips as Michael took the Cup from Clary's hands with a heavy breath. Never had Valentine thought it'd be so easy to get hold of the Cup and as he looked back at the three, Jace questioned why his father hadn't been quick to use it. "Come on!" Jace instructed.
Jace's eyes widened as Michael begun to cut through the rune on his wrist and which helped break the glamour that he had. "No!" Jace's head shook in disbelief as Michael fell to his knees with a groan before he had turned to his true form. Valentine. Jace knew he couldn't have is guard done for a second as he lifted his seraph blade back up prepared to fight against the Morgenstern. "Valentine."
"Demons..." Valentine called as his grip tightened on the cup. "attack my enemies!" He ordered. "I command you!"
"Knock it off, guys!" Clary ordered before the demons had calmed with trying to break through into the room.
Malia clicked her tongue as she stood beside Clary. "You're not the only one who knows who to cast a glamor." She remarked before Clary had pulled out the Mortal Cup from her bag. "Dad." Valentine pondered what he held in his hands before he noticed the World's Best Dad mug in his hold before smashing it to the floor.
Clary's attention turned to Jace. "Should we let the demons take care of this? Or...?"
"No." Jace protested as he glared at Valentine who had done the worse thing possible. Pretend to be Jace's father. "Send them away. He's mine."
Clary nodded. "Demons be gone." She ordered and it caused them to vanish.
"You pretended to be my father."
"I wasn't pretended, Jace." Valentine defended.
"You murdered him." Jace exclaimed. The one thing he hated was how easy he had fallen for the lie. "You're a liar!" He had stepped forward to hold the blade to Valentine's throat.
"I am your father."
"Who the hell does he think he is?" Malia mumbled underneath her breath as Clary glanced at her. "Darth Vader?
"I always have been." Valentine explained as he remembered nurturing Jace. "The face that you saw as Michael Wayland was mine. Then and now. It was a powerful glamour. I want you to know me as I am. To know the truth about me...and you."
Malia's head shook. "Jace, don't listen to him." She told as she took a step forward closer to the pair. "He's my father and Clary's. We know that for a fact."
"Yes, that's true. That's a fact." Valentine nodded as his eyes flickered towards Malia's. "I am the father, Malia, yours too, Clary. And Jace's." Malia's brows furrowed as she questioned how true that could be. "Think about it, Malia." Valentine told the teen who stood in confusion with the information. "Why are the two of you so drawn together? You are meant to be. Blood calls to blood, no?"
Valentine had shrugged a shock Jace away from him in order to open up a Portal within the mirror that Veronica's body laid behind. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked at his three children. "My dear family...together at last. A lost mother, found. A brother and sisters, finally united. I'm sorry about Veronica and Tatia, Malia." Jace let out a frustrated scream as he stormed towards Valentine to press his seraph blade to his throat. "You won't kill me. You won't kill me. I said that you were weak, and I meant it. What's wrong, Jace? Can't kill the man who raised you, hmm?"
Malia scoffed as she spun her blade within her grasp. "I'd be happy to."
But Valentine had been quick as he grabbed hold of Jace's arm to pull the blade to his throat, knowing that Malia couldn't make a move on him if Jace was blocking her way. "Go ahead, Malia. Two for one. We can even fight back, huh? No? Come with me, son. You know that you love me. Your sisters are welcome to join us. And bring your mother along. I'd say Veronica but..."
"She was your own sister." Malia said in disbelief but it seemed as Valentine had no remorse and as Jace had been thrown into Malia who caught him with ease, the Morgenstern had slipped through the Portal just the doors had swung open.
Luke Graymark and immediately ran towards Jocelyn as Ben sprinted towards Clary being in relief that she was okay. The boy had healed himself from the cuts of the blade before he hugged onto the redhead who held him back just as tight. "Y-You're okay."
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DUE TO THE smudge of her mascara due to the tears that streamed down her cheek, Malia had wiped off her makeup and changed her clothes to something much more comfortable. Since arriving back to the Institute, handing the Mortal Cup to Lydia Branwell, the teen was still trying digest the fact that Veronica was dead. Whenever she blinked she just saw the image of the mother figure within her life laying on the ground with her throat slit, laying in her own blood.
But at least Clary got back Jocelyn.
Malia sniffled as she rested against her headboard of her bed whilst wrapped in a comforting blanket. She didn't know what to do or how to function after the sight. The brunette preferred to have been left alone as she tried to digest what had happened, but it just didn't seem to sink in as it couldn't be true. Never did she have a feeling that someone she knew was going to die.
The door to her room within the Institute had opened. She just listened. Malia didn't bother to look up at who entered her room as she heard the footsteps drawing close to her. "Malia?" The teen's vision was blurred from the tears welling up in her eyes but she was able to see Jace standing in front of her with the same hurt of the truth of his father. He had fallen for Malia, he kissed her to show her how he felt and now they were related all of a sudden. "Can we talk?"
Malia cleared her throat as her head shook. "N-Not right now, Jace."
Jace sighed. "I just..." His voice trailed off as Malia watched him avoid eye contact with her. "How'd you know?" He asked. "That he was Valentine?"
Malia sniffled as she shrugged. "He touched my hand. H-He was cold. And I heard the voices. It was like death ringed around him." She explained. "I slowly put it together. I asked myself the reason why Valentine would keep Michael around and why he was so important to him. It didn't add up. I'm sorry."
"You should have told me."
Malia raised her brows. "Would you have believed me?" She questioned before her head tilted to the side. "You thought you were back with your father...I didn't think you would believe me."
Jace sighed as his eyes flutter close. "There's something wrong with me."
Malia frowned. "No, Jace. You wanted to believe me. And trust me, I would have, too." She comforted as she rested a hand on his knee.
"No." Jace's voiced hardened. "I'm weak. He was right about that. I should have killed him."
"He's your father, Jace."
"Yours too, Malia." Jace retorted causing the teen's face to soften. The blonde had pushed himself back to his feet from where he had settled in the sit on Malia's bed. "You would have done it."
Malia knew how much pain Valentine caused a lot of people and she never doubted that Jace was incapable of being weak, especially what she had seen of him. But she couldn't comfort him, especially when she couldn't comfort herself.
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Author's note:
I've literally been trying so hard to finish editing this book because I want to work on another story of mine and just so that I don't have a lot of books on my plate.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!