𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓲 𝓵𝓲𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾?| 𝓪𝓵𝓮𝓬 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝔀𝓸𝓸𝓭

Chapter Twenty-One

(i am aware that i'm a horrible person. i did try post yesterday but i didn't get the chapter done in time, which is SO annoying bc i had a really exciting announcement to make bc it was national book day...anywho x. said announcement is that this is gonna be a series!!  there are three more books coming (book two "the craving theory" is centred around izzy, book three "antagonise" which is centred around jace and book four "match made in hell" which is a prequel to the series) and i'll start posting book two straight after i finish this one. thank you to @nochoaveragebiscuit for ur continued support and love. go check out "peccatorum" it's insane!!! anywho, sotc is wires by the neighbourhood. happy reading <3)

Tap, tap, tap.

Ness tapped her foot on the floor of the interrogation room.

They'd had her sat in here for over an hour now, in this scummy white room, with grimy walls, two brown plastic chairs and a linoleum floor. and nobody had bothered to come in and actually interrogate her yet, so she'd just sat there.

Tapping her foot.

The door swung open, and Ness struggled to withhold from rolling her eyes.

The Clave really thought they were the shit, yet they couldn't even clean the walls? 

Sounds fruity to me thought Ness.

A cross looking bald man wearing a suit that was far too tight for him, and a tie in an angry shade of orange, entered the room, and shut the door loudly behind him.

Everything about this guy is loud. 

He dusted his suit off and sat down, folding his pudgy hands in front of him and nodding at her.

"I'm going to start recording now" he announced, and Ness flinched at the volume of his voice. "I'm Bartholemew Brown, officer for the Clave. State your name, age, and date of birth."

Ness ignored him.

"Did you have eggs for breakfast this morning?"

"I- yes, how did you know?"

She pointed at a spot on her jumper.

"I'd wipe that off if I were you" she advised, and Brown turned beetroot red with embarrassment, and began to furiously scrub at his jacket.

Ness watched him, eyebrows raised in amusement. After a moment of scrubbing, Brown composed himself, and sat up straight. He didn't speak, just reset the recording.

"I have started recording now" he stated. "I am Bartholemew Brown, officer of the clave. State your name, age, and date of birth."

"Venus Lilliane Birch, seventeen, 12th June 1991."

"Do you know why you're here, Ms. Birch?"

'I have absolutely no clue" she shrugged, and he pressed his lips together.

"You have been accused of deception of the Clave. Do you confirm or deny this accusation?"

"Deny. I've done nothing" she replied stubbornly.

"Where were you on the 17th of April 2004?" he asked, leaning forward.

"I can't remember. My best friend Mason died that month, so it's a bit of a blur."

"That was the date of Mason Hillary's funeral" Brown said, and Ness shrugged, completely unfazed.

"Well then, I was there."

Brown leaned forward, an ugly grin spreading over his face at the thought that he'd finally gotten something out of her.

"Your name isn't in the guest book" he grinned. "How do you explain that."

"I probably wasn't bothered to write it in?"

Brown shook his head, unconvinced.

"But the name P. Morningstar was" he said. "Does that name mean anything to you?"

Ness shook her head.

"I've never met a P. Morningstar" she shrugged. "I'm sorry, I can't help you with that sir."

Brown scoffed, a nasty expression on his face.

"By the Angel, you are your father's daughter!"

Ness laughed out loud. 

"I've never even met my father!" she said. "He's mundane."

Brown's face went cold.

"You're lying to me" he said slowly. "You can't lie."

"I'm not lying" Ness protested. "I don't know who the hell my father is. You think I'd be here if I did? In this grimy, gross office? I can tell you I wouldn't!" 

Ness had had enough.

"I'm not your little plaything to bring in and question just because you feel like it! I have done nothing and even if I did, you have absolutely no proof!" she finished defiantly.

"What about the twenty-three people you killed?" he asked.

Ness froze.

The only person she had told was.

"Magnus?" she asked, he voice shaking. Brown shook his head

"No, Magnus Bane didn't tell us."

"Then who...?"

"Jace Herondale did."

"Jace?!" Alec said in disbelief. "No. Jace is my parabatai. It can't have been him."

"I'm just repeating to you what the guy told me" Ness replied softly.

"He wouldn't do that" said Alec decisively. Ness just shrugged, leaning her blonde head on his shoulder.

"Okay" she whispered.

They stayed there for a moment, just there, together, and despite her surroundings, Ness felt happy, and safe. She loved feeling Alec beside her and inhaling his familiar smell of cigarette smoke and Dior cologne.

It wouldn't last if course.

"Ahem" Brown cleared his throat.

Ness lifted her head from his shoulder, but ran her hand down his arm and laced her fingers through his. The message was unspoken, but clear.

I need you right now. 

"We've run some tests, on your fingerprints," said Brown. Ness raised her eyebrows.

"Pretty sure that breaches my data protection, considering you didn't tell me" she hit back, her face hard.

"No matter. We found something much worse than we thought we would" he replied, glancing warily at Ness.

"And what would that be" interrupted Alec smoothly. Brown's expression was grave.

"She's been lying to you, Lightwood. Spying."

"Are you crazy? Why would she lie?"

"Alec-"

"What?"

"The girl's a Morningstar."