"Clary, it's all connected." Jace's voice filled my ears when I walked through the Ops Center of the Institute. I had just woken up from my nap and showered— I was completely restless— I always was. I got dressed in the clothes Isabelle had left me on a chair in my room— a white cropped thermal tank top and black ripped jeans. At least she remembered what I did like from her closet. "The vamps want the Cup."
"Why?" Clary questioned while I came to a stop a few feet away from him because they had caught my attention. "It makes new Shadowhunters."
Alec's voice— made my blood boil. "Nobody wants Valentine forming an army loyal to himself."
"Plus, it controls demons." Isabelle added.
"They'll propose a trade." Jace said to her, leaning against the wall.'"Simon for the Cup."
"So, vampires will trade Simon for the Cup and Valentine will trade my mother for the Cup." Clary sighed heavily and put her hands in her hair. "Either way, I lose someone I love— what if I just toss it up in the air and let them fight it out among themselves?"
Alec scoffed immediately and narrowed his eyes. "So, this doesn't matter to you?"
"Yes, of course, it matters!" Clary cried out, standing up straight and looking at Jace. "Listen, when you saved my life— I put my trust in you, now, I need you to put your trust in me."
I take this as my cue and walked over to them while adjusting the hem of my tank top slightly— I needed to be part of them to earn my place here. I had to exert myself into anything and everything that had to do with Clary Fray to complete my mission. Even if it meant saving the mundane. "Wow, you are so dramatic."
"Dramatic?" Clary whirled to look at me, her eyes wild. "I'm dramatic?"
"Yes, you are." I placed my hands onto my hips. "You lost the mundie already?"
"He was kidnapped." Clary said stiffly.
"You ought to keep a closer eye on him— he seems very expendable." I clicked my tongue and then noticed Alec's stare burning into me. His face was blank— trying to conceal his real reaction, but his eyes were raking up my bare skin— observing my scars here and there. I didn't have many— but they were there. "What?"
Before Alec could speak, Isabelle beat him to it. "You wear it well— I'm glad they fit."
"Yeah— I would've been devastated if I had to wear another pair of Jace's pants." I ran a hand through my straightened hair— another perk of what Isabelle left in my room for me. I didn't know why she was doing all of this— maybe because she was hoping to befriend someone that was actually a woman and not screwable. But— I wasn't here to make friends.
"Oh yeah?" Jace crossed his arms. "Fine— next time you drench yourself in blood, I won't offer up my clean clothes for you to wear. You can walk around in a towel instead."
I scoffed instantly and narrowed my eyes at him. "I'm sure everyone would enjoy that."
Alec finally teared his eyes away from me and looked at Isabelle. "Couldn't you have given it a jacket or something?"
"It?" I repeated in disbelief and stepped closer to him, inclining my head upwards so I could look at him better. He was ridiculously tall— I would develop a permanent crick in my neck if I kept letting him snatch my attention. "Did you just call me an it?"
Alec looked down at me— unamused. "I did."
"I'll have you know, Chass—" I began immediately, pointing a finger up at him.
"Who the hell is Chass?" Alec retorted.
I stare. "That's not— that's not a name."
"Alright." Alec crossed his arms across his chest. "What the hell is a Chass?"
"It's short for Chasseur. It's French for huntsman." I stared at him blankly and crossed my arms over my chest like he did. "Silly me— of course you wouldn't know. I imagine a good education might be hard to come by these days for the impoverished—"
I watched in satisfaction as Alec's face twisted into an angry scowl. "Did you just call me poor?"
"I did." I mirrored his unamused expression.
"Ah." Alec composed himself but his jaw was set. "I understand— I imagine good manners are difficult to obtain for hooligans."
My jaw dropped. "A hooligan!"
"Guys!" Jace finally interjected between our squabble. Only when he came between the two of us was when I realized he, Isabelle and Clary where all watching us bicker in amusement. "That's enough—"
"I don't have time for this— I need a plan." Clary suddenly snapped back into reality and spun on her heel, storming further into the Ops Center. "Uh, look at all this stuff, these screens— I mean, can any of this help me find Simon? Where is he, anyway? Some kind of crypt in Transylvania?"
"Actually, no— that was Camille's outfit, right?" Jace looked at Isabelle for clarification as he followed her. Slowly, Isabelle, Alec and I followed them. "They're locals."
Isabelle nodded in confirmation and sat down on the table instead of the chair. "They're at the Hotel DuMort, down in Gansevoort Street."
"And we came back here— why?" Clary immediately demanded without missing a beat. "We have to go there, let's go, now— come on."
"Wow, you guys must really have no sense of direction if you're letting her order you around." I remarked, leaning back against the table with my hands resting on the surface. "How long have you been a Shadowhunter— twenty four hours?"
"We're not taking orders from her." Alec snipped at me and then looked at Clary. "We need a Clave resolution for that— and we can't react without considering our options. Downworlders are slaves to their impulses— we're not."
"Alec, you can't just jump on all the Downworlders." Isabelle shot him a smile.
"Oh, that's right." Alec acknowledged blandly. "Seelies have their charms, apparently."
"Seelies?" Clary questioned.
"Like faeries— the Fair Folk." Jace seemed to be the one to always answer her. "Pixies, nixies, elves— anybody half-angel, half-demon. It's pretty much a catch-all term, and Izzy can tell you all about them— she's got a thing."
Isabelle was smiling as she shook her head at him. "We've all got our things, don't we?"
Clary huffed. "Okay, I can't listen to this—"
"You asked." I stared at her blankly.
"I don't care." Clary snipped at me and then started to back away. "What I care about is that Simon's been kidnapped by vampires."
The corner of my mouth quirked up just slightly. "I bet he's having fun."
Clary heaved out a frustrated sigh and turned on her heel, starting to walk towards the huge double doors leading out of the Institute and outside. "I guess I'll just take care of it myself."
"Oh yeah?" I pushed myself off the table and watched her walk. "What're you going to do against an entire clan of bloodsuckers? What, you think you can waltz right into their territory and they'll miraculously let your mundie go?"
Clary announced. "I'm not listening to this."
"Clary, you're going to get yourself killed!" Jace pushed himself off the table and called out after her— Isabelle and Alec didn't move right away.
Clary ignored and kept walking.
"Okay, okay!" I jogged after her and stopped right in front of her, not letting her go any further. "Tell you what— you get past me, and I'll let you leave."
Clary stared at me. "What?"
"If you can get past me— you can leave and deal with your problem." I placed my hands onto my sides. "Deal?"
Clary's angry expression intensified at my words— maybe because she knew she stood no chance against me— but, regardless she tried to move past me. I blocked her way with an amused expression and urged her on to try harder.
She obliged and threw her fist at me, but with one swift movement I caught it in the palm of my hand. I moved my leg behind hers and knocked her off her feet— then, went down with her and held her arm in a tight hold, my other arm folded and pressed against her neck. I stared at her with a small smirk and repeated Jace's words from earlier. "You''ll gonna get yourself killed."
"Then help me." Clary seethed through her teeth. "While we consider other options, my best friend is suffering— is that something Shadowhunters understand or am I just being a mundane?"
I stared at her blankly for a moment and then got off her. I walked over to Jace, Isabelle and Alec. "They made the first move— it's fair game now."
Clary pushed herself off the ground and followed me quickly back to the table, looking between us.
"She's right." Jace was in agreement with me almost immediately— it amused me how easily he agreed with me. He was making this so easy. "We're gonna take care of this ourselves, right now."
"You're agreeing with her?" Alec looked at Jace incredulously. "This is a bad idea."
"Have you got a better one?" Jace shot him a look. "Look, the vamps broke the Accords— they kidnapped a mundie, that's a big no-no. The Clave will give us a lecture and then they'll be glad we did it."
Isabelle shrugged lightly and nodded in agreement. "Hard to argue with that."
I leaned against my elbows and looked at Jace. "It's amazing how much you can downplay the Clave's wraith."
Alec barely glances at me. "You're not coming."
"What?" My head snapped towards him almost immediately. "Yes I am."
"No, you're not." Alec argued and shot Jace a look when he opened his mouth to protest on my behalf. "She's a liability."
"A liability?" I scoffed and stood up straight, facing him. "I killed six Circle Members right before your eyes— you locked me up because you thought I was dangerous. I'm not a liability."
Alec stared down at me. "You can't be trusted."
"Right, because going against my parents and killing six of his best men to save your lives is not trustworthy enough." I stepped closer to him with my fists curled at my sides. "I mean— the fact that I'm even offering to help is saying enough. I don't even care about the mundie—"
"Alec, she's right." Isabelle— shockingly, jumped to my defense. "If anything, we could use all the help we could get."
"She hasn't given us a reason not to trust her." Jace aided immediately. "We would've probably been dead— or at least, injured if it weren't for her."
By the Angel.
Apparently— I was playing my part too well.
But not well enough— Alec was difficult. And just completely infuriating.
"What, are you two her spokesmen now?" Alec glared at both Isabelle and Jace. "Even if we went ahead, I don't see how we get out of here without having to explain where we're going— we need weapons, and we can't let anyone see us get them."
Jace was silent for a few moments and then looked up. "I know where to get what we need."
-
"Whose grave is it?" Alec questioned when we got out of the mundane's— Simon's, van and entered the churchyard.
"Mary Milligan, born— January 10th, 1802." Isabelle was looking at her phone. "Died, January 10th, 1878."
"Wait, what are we looking for?" Clary asked.
I slipped my hands into the pockets of the jacket Isabelle lent me. "Weapons— obviously."
"They're stashed here with Mrs. Milligan." Jace was walking beside me, gesturing with his hands.
Clary questions again. "Why are there Shadowhunter weapons in a churchyard?"
"Because all of the ancient religions recognized demons." Isabelle answered, looking up from her phone and taking a glance around the churchyard.
"Or at least they used to." Alec deadpanned. "They forgot about the threat because we've been here to protect them— typical mundane failure of imagination."
"Are you saying we did too good a job?" Isabelle stopped walking for a moment. "You just can't let up, can you?"
"You know what—" Jace interjected quickly. "Alec, why don't you go check out by the angel?"
Alec rolled his eyes and walked off.
"We couldn't gear up at the Institute, but— we know our ancestors left a cache around here someplace." Jace ran his hands through his hair. "We'll find it."
"I always wondered where my dad was buried— I used to wish he was still alive." Clary looked out at the headstones. Then, she looked back at Jace. "Be careful what you wish for."
I rolled my eyes and turned towards a headstone, distracting myself with finding Milligan's so that I didn't have the urge to cut off my ears. My mission would be difficult without my ears—
"Excellent— he's home." Isabelle smiled at the vibration of her phone. "I'm outta here."
"Who's home?" I questioned and immediately caught on when she gave me a guilty smile.
Clary and Jace's attention was caught too. "Wait, aren't you coming with us?"
"Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world, but I gotta find out how to get into the vampires' lair." Isabelle replied before she turned on her heel, flipping her hair and walking off the churchyard.
Now I was stuck with the golden boy, the red head and— the nuisance, who just so happened to be the most bothersome person I've ever met.
Great.
"That's the problem— you're not listening!" Alec's angry voice filled my ears from where I stood. He had pulled Jace aside and was speaking to him privately— or at least, as privately as he could. "Not to this or anything else I've said— what makes you think we can trust her? Clary is one thing— but, the heathen?"
Jace snorts. "Did you just call her a heathen?"
"She's Valentine's daughter— knowingly, and she was raised by him— who knows what she's really here for." Alec argued with him. "You barely know her—"
"I do know her— I grew up with her before I came to live with you and Izzy." Jace mentioned. "She was my best friend—"
Alec rebuked instantly. "Oh? Oh, well that's great. I bet she's the same person she was when she was ten years old— how many men did she kill at once at that age? Did she break her record since then?"
"Alec, she's a solider now— and if she turned on her own father, she probably has a good reason." Jace countered without missing a beat. "She hasn't given you a reason to really doubt her— and you've been after her since the beginning, trying to crack some case that doesn't exist."
What an idiot.
He had too much faith in me.
Alec shook his head. "Jace-"
"Look, Alec— you can trust her, or not. I don't care, that's not my business." Jace dropped his arms to his sides. "But, if you don't trust me—"
"Guys!" Clary's obnoxious voice echoed across the churchyard. "I think I found it— Mary Milligan!"
I walked over to her and pretended like I hadn't heard Jace and Alec's conversation. "Why're you just staring at it? Open it up—"
"We've got it—" Jace jogged past me and grabbed the end of the stone while Alec grabbed the other said. They pulled it off with escape and Jace pulled out his stele, tracing over the angelic rune. "Abracadabra."
Clary looked up at Jace with an odd look on her face. "Wait, you people actually say that?"
"No— we don't." I helped Jace pop open the case of weapons, my eyes lighting up with delight at the blades stashed in. "Jackpot."
"Whoa!" Clary's eyes went wide as ever as she looked into the case. "Where's Mrs. Milligan?"
I immediately grabbed a stunning dagger, twirling it between my fingers and admiring it. Within seconds, Alec was at my side and towering over me. "Don't touch that."
"My, my, Chass." I paid no mind to him, my eyes glued to the dullness of the blade. "Worry not, I won't think to stab you with it until it's sharpened— don't be afraid."
"Don't call me that, it's not my name." Alec was tense, his jaw clenched as he glowered down at me. I locked eyes with him and smiled— I liked making him angry. It was only fair he felt the anger I felt with him.
"Alec— lay off her for a minute, alright?" Jace didnt look at him when he interrupted, pulling out a seraph blade. "Do you see what you need in here?"
Alec took a step back and teared his eyes away from me after a few moments. He looked into the case and remained tense. "No, there's no bow here. I need one— and I have to rune some arrows."
"Unfortunate." I turned to Jace. "I need my kindjals— at the very least. You all confiscated all of my knives and I work best with those."
"But— that's back at the Institute." Jace looked at me as he pushed the seraph blade into his belt. "How are you going to get back in?"
I shrugged. "I'm stealthy."
"Like hell." Alec interjected without missing a beat. "I'm coming with you."
"What?" My head snapped towards him, my teeth clenched together. "No."
"You think I'm going to just let you waltz into the Institute unsupervised? That's funny— I'm not letting you out of my sight." Alec looked at Jace. "I'll take her through the back— they won't bother us."
"Alright, good— go." Jace blankly nodded and looked back at the case for more weapons. "I can finish up here."
"Hey." Alec caught his arm and looked at him sincerely, lowering his voice. "I understand what we need to do. And I trust you, parabatai— but, don't ever doubt me. No matter what I said."
Oh, so they were parabatai.
Great.
"It's already forgotten." Jace broke out into a smile and caught his hand into a handshake. "I'll see you two at dawn."
Alec nodded once. "At dawn."
-
"I don't need a babysitter." I quietly snipped at Alec when we walked into the Institute through the back. "Especially not you."
Alec opened up the weapons vault, his voice low. "A rogue criminal expects not to have any type of supervision—"
"A rogue criminal?" I gaped at him and stammered, running my hands through my hair. "Do you even hear yourself?"
Alec ignored me and took out a handful of arrows and his bow. He took out a good amount of my blades, setting them down on the table. When he turned to face me, I caught the small quirk of his lips— like he thought this was funny.
"You're insufferable." I shook my head and grabbed out the dagger I had brought with me, picking up one of my kindjals. I pressed the kindjal's tip against the surface of the table and ran the cutting edge of the dagger against the kindjal in quick, swift movements.
Alec watched me for a moment before he slipped off his jacket, picked up his stele and began to rune his arrows. He looked extremely focused— holding his arrows delicately and running the tip of the stele against them slowly. I watched him for a few moments.
"Alec— didn't know you were here." A man I didn't recognize walked over to us, one hand in the pocket of his hoodie and the other holding a mug of tea. He looked at me and recognized me almost immediately. "Miss Morgenstern."
He clenched his jaw when the Circle rune on the base of his neck sizzled just slightly. A former Circle Member.
"Hodge," Alec stammered immediately and dropped his arrows on the table, resting back against the table to look as casual as ever— while I didn't made a move to hide what I was doing. "Yeah, no, I, uh—"
Ah— Hodge Starkweather. I did know him— I knew a good share of knowledge about the Circle and about his punishment.
I swiped the blades together and looked at Alec, my voice low and my bottom lip jutted out in thought. "Subtle."
Alec shot me a glare and Hodge put his hands up in surrender. "Don't tell me— I don't wanna have to report you."
"It's just that, you know, Clary is—" Alec rubbed the neck of his neck nervously, stammering like an idiot— it was an amusing sight.
"That girl is Valentine's— the monster's daughter." Hodge clutched his neck when the rune's burning intensified so he corrected himself. Then he glanced at me. "There must be some reason why the roaches are coming out of the woodwork again, right?"
Did he just—
I dropped the dagger onto the table and grabbed hold of my kindjal, walking around it and towards him. "I'm sorry, are you insinuating something? Because I'll—"
"Leave us, Hodge." Alec immediately grabbed onto my forearm and tugged me back. "You don't want to get on her bad side— she's very fierce."
"Right— my apologies." Hodge took a step back. "I'll leave you to it."
Alec's gaze was on me. "Thank you, Hodge."
"You remind me of me, Alec— a loyal friend standing in the shadow of the chosen one." Hodge placed his free hand on Alec's shoulder— now that Alec was standing up, I could see he was taller than him too. "Don't make the same mistakes I did— look where it got me."
Then, Hodge turned on his heel and left us.
My jaw was clenched as I watched him walk off. "He better watch it, or this rogue criminal will find something other than a vampire's throat to cut."
Alec tugged on my arm so I faced him and looked down at me— slightly bending as he lowered his voice. His whisper was angry and aggressive. "Get a grip."
"What— bold now that golden boy isn't here to put you in line?" I scoffed humorlessly, dropping my kindjal on the table. "You know, it all makes sense now— Jace whistles and you roll over."
Alec scoffed right back at me, shaking his head. "Are you always this mouthy or is this a new development since you've been here?"
"I usually have a lot to say when it comes to intolerable people— I like to make their tribulation known." I ripped my arm from his grasp and walked back around the table. "We're wasting time, you nuisance—"
Alec shot me a dirty look— one I gladly returned, while we geared up to meet Isabelle at the DuMort.
-
"Izzy, I got your text." Alec said from beside me when we walked up the stairs to where Isabelle was. "Where are we exactly?"
"It's an old meatpacker's service entrance— if we go back there, we come up into the basement of the Hotel DuMort." Isabelle smiled proudly, her eyes slightly wide at the fact that I was with Alec. "Perfect, right? We distract the vamps, Clary and Jace have time to find Simon."
Alec nodded once in acknowledgment. "Okay."
"Okay?" Isabelle's jaw dropped just lightly, placing her hands on her sides. "It was hard work interrogating Meliorn to get this intel."
"Great job, Iz." I offered when Alec shot her a look. "You have faerie dust on your dress."
Isabelle guiltily smiled and reached her hand to the top of her dress, dusting the glittery dust off.
Alec stalked over to the ladder, swinging his bow back. He checked the sturdiness of the ladder with a frown. "I hate being the distraction."
"I can't believe there's something we actually agree on, but— so do I." I grabbed onto the sides of the ladder and climbed up while he held the sides just in case. "This isn't exciting at all."
"Nonsense— being the distraction is fun." Isabelle came up last and walked over to a door. "This must be the way."
When she swung open the door— tons of vampires snapped their heads towards us and hissed loudly. Isabelle quickly moved to slam the door shut while Alec and I's backs slammed against the metal door to help keep the door shut. The vampires were throwing themselves against the door and trying to force it open, and our combined strength was no match for theirs.
I grunted when I felt another hard push against the door. My head snapped up towards Alec. "Any day now—"
"Yeah, if you hold the door still, it might be a lot easier." Alec seethed at me through his teeth, steadying his stele against the door and attempted to draw the lock rune onto it— but, it didn't attach. "It's not taking it."
My jaw clenched and I pushed myself off the door. I snagged his blade from his belt and used his bent leg as a boost to reach the pipes above us. I swiped the blade through swiftly, cutting off a large rod and landing on the ground, putting it in the door handle and a pipe connected to the wall beside it. "How long do you think we have to distract them for?"
"Ten more minutes." Isabelle backed away from the door, opening her palm flat as her bracelet slithered down her wrist and transformed into her whip.
"Ten minutes?" Alec pulled an arrow out of his quiver. "Are you kidding? We're liquid lunch in five."
"You may be." I pulled out my kindjals and flipped the blades in my hands. "I won't."
Alec opened his mouth to say something but the rod snapped in half with one last push, multiple vampires crowding the room.
Then, it was chaos.
Vampires were coming at us from all sides and we fought them. Alec shot his arrows precisely and Isabelle was striking her whip expertly. I slashed, stabbed and slit whatever pale throat that came near me.
The more that came, the more we killed.
This was fun.
Isabelle, Alec and I moved through the empty halls of the DuMort and towards Clary's shrieks. Jace was shouting at her to grab the seraph blade from the ground while he was grunting, trying to fight off two vampires at once with no weapons.
The moment we stormed into the room they were in, the vampire holding Clary swung her around and exposed her neck— a warning that if we made a move to hurt him, he would kill her.
"Okay." Alec cracked a smile— a small laugh bubbled from his lips in amusement. He aimed his arrow at the wall instead and let go. Chunks of the wall fell onto the ground and sunlight peered into the room, turning that vampire into nothing.
I stared at him for a few moments and then blinked, looking at Jace— who was still fighting off two vampires. I gripped my kindjals tightly and quickly moved over, stabbing one of them in the back. The other one forgot about Jace when he saw his friend get disintegrated and lunged for me, but I simply placed my blade before my face angled towards him and watched as he vanished when he came in contact with it.
The corner of my mouth quirked up in victory, flipping my kindjal into the air and catching in my hand again. "Did you find the mundie?"
Before Jace or Clary could reply to my question, the mundane's— Simon's, shout of panic echoed across the empty hall.
I turned down the hall and headed towards the shout. Isabelle, Clary, Jace and Alec followed my lead— their weapons out and ready.
The vampire was holding a blade to Simon's neck— Raphael Santiago I realized, a resident of Hotel DuMort and Camille's right hand. I'd done my research about the clans and packs in New York— I couldn't come here without knowing who was creeping in the shadows.
"Simon!" Clary gasped and tried to rush past me but Jace quickly grabbed her and pulled her back. He shook his head at her and Raphael hissed at us all.
"So, it's true." Raphael seemed to recognize me immediately, and if it were possible— his pale face went another level. "Zee Morgenstern-"
"Yes— it is I, the villainous and despicable prodigy of Valentine Morgenstern." I deadpanned and used my blade to gesture to myself nonchalantly. "Pleasure."
Raphael stiffened. "We thought it was a joke."
"Right, you thought I didn't exist— only a myth, a fabrication— you can't believe you're seeing me in the flesh, whatever your next words may be— I understand I probably already have a reputation." I sigh dramatically and took a step closer. "One that I must live up too, so— if you hand over the mundie now, I'll consider making your death quick and painless."
"I've had more than enough of your friend for one day." Raphael hissed lightly and pressed the blade farther against Simon's neck— who clinched. "I'd love to cut his throat."
I smile. "I'd love to cut yours."
"Put your weapons away!" Raphael shouted and pressed the tip into Simon's skin. "Don't give me a reason— I said put it away!"
I stared at him for a few moments and then gave in, slipping my kindjals back into my thigh sheaths while Isabelle, Alec, Clary and Jace put their weapons away as well.
"Simon, are you all right?" Clary asked almost immediately, worry present in her tone.
"I wouldn't say all right—" Simon began.
"Stop talking!" Raphael shouted again and gestured behind him. "Now— if you would all just follow me."
We reluctantly obeyed as he forced the five of us down a narrow hall. He kept shouting and urging us farther down the hall, closer and closer to an entrance that led to the roof. When Isabelle's heel hit the back of the small staircase, Raphael's growl echoed through the air. "Open that door right now or I'll kill him right here."
"Listen to him!" Jace snapped his head back towards Isabelle, who quickly opened the door. Sunlight peered in the hallway and Raphael quickly hid behind Simon, keeping the blade inches from his neck.
"Get out!" Raphael demanded with a hiss and when Clary began to protest, he raised his voice. "Get out now!"
Isabelle obliged and got out onto the roof. Clary fought Jace's push when he shoved her out into the roof and Isabelle made sure she stayed outside. Alec stood on the top step, halfway outside— hesitating. Jace was a step ahead of me— his feet also cemented and not obeying Raphael. I was on the third step— the closest to Raphael and Simon, my hand hovering over my dagger.
"Last chance." I gripped the dagger discreetly and held it tight, my eyes zoning in on his blade. "Hand him over now— or I'm going to kill you."
"Shut up!" Raphael bellowed at me loudly.
That did it.
I lifted the dagger and swung it forwards, the blade hitting the one in Raphael's hand and against Simon's neck with a sharp force. Raphael yelped and let go of Simon, backing up quickly to avoid my dagger touching his skin so that he didn't disintegrate into nothing. I reached my arm out and grabbed Simon by his shirt, pulling him outside and then slamming the door shut with Alec and Jace.
"Simon!" Clary cried and ran into his arms.
Simon welcomed her into a tight hug and looked at me with wide eyes of appreciation. "I don't know how to thank you—"
"Don't." I looked at the door with a sour look. "Damn it, that was a nice dagger—"
"You did a great job." Jace was smiling at me— he seemed happy to have proven his point to Alec.
I shrugged lightly.
"Shouldn't we get the hell out of here?" Simon asked, his breathing still trembling. "They're right downstairs."
"So?" I looked at him, squinting my eyes from the sun. "Let them come after us."
Simon's eyes widen. "What?"
"They'll just turn into a bunch of fried eggs out here." Jace fixed his glove. "I thought you said you watch movies."
"Oh, my God— it's over. It's actually over." Clary placed her hands onto Simon's shoulder and stole his attention away again. "I was so afraid I would lose you— you're actually here, and you're okay—"
I rolled my eyes. It was far from over.
This was only the beginning.
Alec and Jace had moved onto the higher part of the roof, conversing between themselves. It wasn't hard to know they were arguing about me again— Alec's body was tense and he looked angry at his parabatai, while Jace looked exasperated and exhausted trying to prove to Alec I was on their side.
I wasn't.
I wonder how he'll react when I betray them.
I wonder what he'll think when he realizes I was never really on their side— I never went against my parents, I was loyal to the Circle. That his attempts to rekindle our friendship— to get his best friend back were half-witted because I tricked, played, and manipulated all of them and they all fell for it— except Alec.
I wonder how foolish he will feel.
I wondered how they would all feel.
authors note:
i love this book so much already, I LOVED WRITING THIS CHAPTER SO MUCH
i have adapted too many personalities from all the books I've read in the course of this year so if you notice any referencessss that's where that's from
also, I'd like to mention right here that this is slow burn !!! like please keep that in mind and don't get mad at me when i don't give this zalec moments from the tv show— PLEASE TRUST THE PROCESS I KNOW EXACTLY HOW EVERYTHINGS GONNA HAPPEN AND ITS PERFECT AND SO WORTH IT PLEASE BEAR WITH ME I WANNA MAKE THIS BOOK DIFFERENT
but— okay, zee being a loyal solider to her parents— DONT WORRY THO, SHE DOESNT WANT DOWNWORLDERS DEAD, HER PARENTS JUST HAVENT LET HER IN ON THE FULL PLAN AND ARE USING HER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THEY'RE TERRIBLE, I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE, DONT HATE HER
but sksksk zee and alec going back and forth. i just— omg. i have no words i just love it
and jace having faith in her >>> they're still the best brotp idc she will warm up to him and izzy
don't know about clary tho lmfao— ANYWAYS
vote and comment loadsss