"Clary, I'm really worried." I had my arms crossed, "He hasn't replied to my texts, or calls, or anything-"
Clary places a hand on my shoulder, "I'm sure he's fine, Zee."
"This isn't like Jace, Clary." I snipped back at her, sighing deeply, "What if something could've happened?"
Clary looked between me, "He's fine."
"And how would you know?" I shot back at her.
Clary was confused but she points behind me, "Because he's right there."
When I turn, I see Jace's back turned towards us, stood in front of the elevator, waiting for it to open.
"Jace!" I ran over to him, "What the hell is wrong with you? I've been worried sick-"
Jace doesn't reply, nor does he move.
"Jace?" Worry burns through my lungs as I placed a hand on his shoulder, "Jace, are you okay?"
Jace suddenly flinches, his eyes wide, looking around quickly, his eyes landing on me as he faced me, confused, "Zee-"
"Jace?" I repeated his name, confused as well, "I've been texting you since Izzy and I got back from the club- I've been so worried, where have you been?"
Jace breathes heavily, "I have no idea."
-
"The last thing I remember, I was- I was fighting Jonathan in the club, but- but, then he must've knocked me out, but it was-" Jace was stuttering with every word as him and I sat on the bench in front of Jace's bed.
"Jace." I stopped him, placing a hand on his knee, "Jonathan isn't the Owl."
"Izzy slashed him with her whip." I told him before he could reply, "The electrum he didn't burn."
Jace swallows, folding his hands, his elbows on his knees, "But- then the nightmares I've been having-"
"They're not signs." I moved my hand to his back, "Jonathan is dead- really."
"Then that's good." Jace began, then got up and walked forward, "Yeah, that's good."
"Jace, what is going on with you?" I burst, looking at my boyfriend, "Is it bringing you back? Is this my fault?-"
"No." Jace shook his head, "I'm- I'm fine."
"No, you're not!" I raise my voice unintentionally, standing up, "Look, we need to tell the others."
Jace faces me and shook his head, "No-"
"We need to get you some help." I turned for his bedroom door, beginning to walk for it, "And if you don't tell them, I will-"
"Zee!" Jace grabbed my hands, pulling me back over to the bench and seating me down, crouching in front of me, "Listen, you need to swear to me that you haven't told anyone else about this."
"I can't." I shot back at him, "Because I'm going to go tell all of our friends."
Jace denied, "No, you're not."
"Yes, I am." I stubbornly got up, "You're not changing my mind, Jace-"
"Of course you're not going to listen to me." Jace pulled me back down, "Because you just live to torture me, don't you?"
"Not everything is about you, Jace." I scoff lightly, then exhale deeply, "With an exception of this."
"Possibly, but- you have to admit that the majority of things are." Jace reasoned, "Zee, you can't tell anyone."
I huff, "Jace!"
"Zee, we've been through this." Jace squeezes my hands, "You compelled the one wish from Raziel, to the Clave, that's the worst offense possible-"
"And I don't care if they throw me in the Gard!" I let go of his hands and got up, "I am not going to lose you again."
Jace got up and grabbed my arms, forcing me to stay still, "And I am not going to lose you."
My expression softened, "Jace."
Jace made it clear, "I promise you, I'm fine."
I replied back quick, "Then why don't you remember where you've been all night?"
"I'm just tired." Jace exhales deeply, "I haven't slept in days."
I roll my eyes, frustrated with him, "Do you honestly believe that's all this is?"
Jace stares at me for a moment, then grabs my face and presses his lips into mine for a few moments, as I melted into the kiss right away.
"I just need to get some rest." Jace assures me when he pulls away, caressing my cheek, "Now that I know Jonathan is dead- I finally can."
-
"No, Young, I can't move back home." Simon's voice came through the line as I walked through the Institute, slipping on my jacket, "The last time I tried that, Raphael had to encanto my mom."
"Oh yeah-" I recalled, grabbing my phone, "The rat-snack incident."
"Look, I just need a place of my own." Simon began to rant, "I don't want to have to explain why I have a fridge full of blood or how I never eat or how the Seelie Queen installed this deflector shield on my forehead."
"Well, I could talk to Alec." I offered, "See if you could move in here."
"Right, 'cause I'm sure he wants to turn the Institute into an Airbnb for Downworlders." Simon remarks playfully, "Don't worry about it, Zee, I've got a lot of places to look at."
"Oh yeah?" I wanted to laugh, "That are affordable for a vampire without a day job?"
"Hey, I still have my Bar Mitzvah money." Simon points out, "Besides I rose from the dead- I can find an apartment."
I snicker, "Sure you can."
"I'll call you later." Simon told me, as I said my goodbyes, the phone call ending.
I put my phone in my back pocket, walking towards Alec's office, knocking on the opened door as I pulled my hair out of my ponytail, shaking it out as the strains fell to their usual places, "I got your alert, another Owl attack?"
"No." Alec folds his hands, "Blood unit hit downtown, most likely a rogue vampire."
I stepped into his office, "Okay-"
Alec looks back at his tablet, "I want you on this with Jace."
I clear my throat, "How about Izzy- or Clary?"
Alec sits up, folding his hands on his lap as he looked at me, "Well, why not Jace?"
"He's exhausted." I placed my palms flat on his desk, looking at him, "He's been hunting the Owl 24-7, he hasn't slept and has been using his stamina rune like the drug."
Alec stares at me, "Are you sure this is about sleep?"
I blink, "What?"
"When you and Jace were at Lake Lyn, my parabatai rune disappeared." Alec brought it up again, "There's a reason for that- what was it?"
I fought every fiber in my body not to tell him.
"I told you." I lied, "I don't know."
"Look I know how much you care about Jace, how much you would do to protect him, and I appreciate that-" Alec got up and stood in front of me directly, "But- if there is something wrong with Jace, something serious you'd tell me about it, right?"
"Izzy and I can handle a rogue vamp." My eyes lingered with his as I turned and walked out of the room.
-
"That vampire left behind a lot of blood, but not many clues." I stated the obvious as Isabelle and I stepped onto the sidewalk, glamoured.
"Maybe we'll find something out here." Isabelle walked down the sidewalk with me, "Hey, are you sure Jace is okay?"
I sigh deeply at having to lie again, "He's tired."
"I've seen Jace tired before." Isabelle points out, "He's never missed a mission."
"I think everything he's been through lately is just catching up to him." I notice the blood on the ground, "He needs rest, is all."
Isabelle's phone buzzes as I thank the Angel that this saved me from being questioned more, turning the conversation to her, "Who keeps calling you?"
Isabelle declines the call and puts her phone away, "Someone who can't take a hint."
I began to smile at her, "A mundane?"
Isabelle sighs deeply, "I gave him my number to get him off my back."
"You wouldn't have given him your number in the first place if you weren't at least a little interested!" I reasoned, putting my hair behind my ears, "I smell love in the air."
Isabelle shot me a look, "Shadowhunters don't date mundanes."
I only smiled, "So?"
Isabelle then noticed something on the ground, "So much for thinking our vampire only came here for blood bags."
I stopped behind her when she picked up the blood stained cloth, "Is that part of his lab jacket?"
I looked around, "If a vampire drained a mundane, you'd think we'd find a body."
"No tracking signal." Isabelle sighs deeply after activating her tracking rune, "Body or not, our mundane must be dead."
-
"No point tracking." Isabelle exhales deeply after I had activated my tracking rune once more, holding the blood stained cloth, "Our mundane's dead."
"I thought I'd try one more time, in case he's being held over water." I shrugged lightly, "By the way, you sure you're okay, being in this neighborhood full of vampires?"
"I can handle it." Isabelle assures me, "Yin-Fen dealers know the dirt- if we play our cards right, we might be able to get a lead on this delinquent blood sucker."
"So, that mundane you're avoiding-" I brought the topic back up to keep the conversation going, "Is it because you're still hung up on Raphael?"
Isabelle avoided the conversation, "Let's just drop it."
"Remember who you're talking to- a female." I point out, looking around, "Not Alec or Jace."
"All the guys I've been with- sex was always a big part of it." Isabelle gave in, "With Raphael it was about everything but that- he made me feel like I wanted so much more."
I exhale deeply, "So, why end it then?"
"We thought we couldn't be together without being tempted by our old habits." Isabelle admits, "But- Raphael and I, there's something about us that just- fits."
"Izzy, your instincts are always spot on." I shot her a look, "If you and Raphael fit-"
I froze in my spot, suddenly getting a lead.
Isabelle stopped and looked at me, "What's wrong?"
"I just got a tracking hit on our missing mundane." I looked at her with wide eyes, "He's not dead."
Isabelle exhales deeply, as we were already rushing towards the hit, "Not yet."
-
[ jace's pov ]
I grunted, pulling off my necklace, staring at the chain, then looking over at the water that night.
I slowly pushed my necklace into my front pocket, bearing a woman's voice behind me, "You were supposed to take care of the girl, why isn't it done?"
"Sorry, what girl?" I faced her, confused on who she even was, "Who are you?"
She realizes something, a key word snapping the switch on and off, "Sleep."
My head drops, as I slowly lift it back up, staring at her, my expression straight.
"I told you to take care of the mundane captured by the Shadowhunters." She said, "What broke you free of my order?"
"Zee." I told her, staring directly at her, "You may be strong, but my love for her is stronger."
"So- she's the reason that I can only control you when you sleep." She realizes, sighing deeply, "I knew Zee was dear to you, why do you think I've been torturing you with dreams of you and Jonathan killing her?"
"But, clearly I underestimated the power of your love." She thought out loud, "Where is she?"
I tried so hard not to speak, but I couldn't stop myself, "On assignment."
"Good." She inched closer to me, "Your love for me will be stronger, complete your mission. I'll take care of Zee."
-
[ zee's pov ]
"Tracking signal's on fire." Isabelle stopped mid step, "The mundane must be close."
I exhale deeply as I got to the bottom floor, examining the room, "That might not be a good thing."
Moments after Isabelle and I searched the place, the mundane inched out of a dark corner, "Looking for something?"
I pulled out my kindjals, "We know you're thirsty and we're not here to hurt you."
Isabelle pulled out her whip, "Where's the vampire who killed you?"
"We don't want to kill you." I pushed, "Just take us to your sire."
"Not a chance." The man snarled and launched himself towards us, as we grunted and fought him off as much as he could as he viciously attacked us.
Isabelle tried her best, except he threw her to the ground within seconds.
I swung at him, missing with his fast movements as he turned my back towards him, my neck ready for him to bite into, a gasp leaving my lips.
"Zee!" Isabelle got up and wrapped her whip around his neck, "I can't hold him much longer!"
"I got it-" I elbowed him, stabbing both kindjals throw him as he disintegrated into nothingness.
Isabelle proudly smiled at me, "Nicely done."
Then, we heard screaming coming from the roof; loud screaming.
"Upstairs-" Isabelle instructs as we rush up the steps, all the way to the highest floor, trying to push through the door, except it was jammed.
The screams were more clearer and louder now, as Isabelle looked at me with wide eyes, "It's Raphael."
Isabelle and I both kicked the door down, rushing out to see the sun rising, and a chained Raphael on the ground in nothing but boxers.
"Raphael!" Isabelle ran over to him, as I pulled out my stele and broke the chains, "Get him out of the sun!"
We pulled him over to the shade, holding him up as he screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Isabelle was worried, "What happened?"
"I tried to get a lead on the vampire I tried to take her down on my own." Raphael tried to catch his breath, hissing as well, "But- she got the upper hand."
I quickly ask, "Who is she?"
Raphael confesses, breathing heavily, "I don't know."
-
"What's happening?" I walked toward Alec and Magnus with Clary, meeting them halfway.
Magnus admits, "We are not sure."
"How long has the system been down?" Alec questions as we hopped down the steps.
"Less than two minutes." Underhill replied.
Lindsay was at his side, "Hopefully, it was just a glitch."
But, with the looks that the three of us exchanged, we knew it wasn't just a glitch.
Alec, Magnus, Clary and I head down the to sub cells right away, our eyes landing on a limp Morgan in her cell.
"No-" Alec immediately said as we rushed into the cell, Magnus using his magic to see what was wrong with her.
As Alec checks her pulse, Morgan suddenly suits up and gasps, making me jump back, "What's going on?"
Magnus was confused as ever, "She's free of all demonic possession."
Morgan looked around frantically, "Where am I?"
"Hey, you're okay." Alec assured her, "You're okay."
-
I knocked on Jace's door a little while later, running a hand through my waves as I stepped inside, "Jace?"
"You missed the alert." I closed the door behind me, not having looked at him yet, "I know I'm getting annoying by now, but- I was just checking in to see if you were okay."
I looked up at him finally, to his expression filled with distress, tears in his eyes, holding his necklace between his hands, seated up on his bed.
"Oh, my God." I gasped, rushing over to him, sitting in front of him, "Jace, what's going on?"
Jace remained quiet, a tear falling from his eye as he stared into mine.
"Hey, please-" I grabbed his hands and held them both in mine, "Please- talk to me."
"I was walking back from- from the Jade Wolf, and I don't know how I got here." Jace's voice was shaking from crying, a red tint in his eyes.
My face twists in concern, worry and confusion, "It happened again?"
Jace sniffled quietly, his voice breaking as he leaned into me for comfort, "Zee, I think- I'm- I think- I'm losing my mind."
authors note:
such a caring girlfriend, hands DOWN
random jace gif but it's ok, he always looks good
i cannot stress enough how great they are
but, my heart literally cries out for jace
go read redamancy !!!
and omfg thank you for 11k !!!
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