The Fray Sisters (Book 1)

The Truth

Jace filled Alec and Isabelle in, as we all sat down to eat. Isabelle said "Well, I think it's kind of romantic," Simon piped up "What is?" she said "That whole business about their mother being married to Valentine," I said, "You think it's romantic she married a sociopath that tried to kill tons of people?" she ignored me "So now he's back from the dead and he's come looking for her. Maybe he wants to get back together."

Alec said "I kind of doubt he sent a Ravener demon to her house because he wants to 'get back together," Jace said "It wouldn't be my move, First the candy and flowers, then the apology letters, then the ravenous demon hordes. In that order." I couldn't help but giggle as Isabelle said "He might have sent her candy and flowers, We don't know." I said "But did he send the correct flowers? See now that's the key." She said, "Your right, it would have to be her favorite flowers." Hodge said, "Isabelle, this is the man who rained down destruction on Idris the like of which it had never seen, who set Shadowhunter against Downworlder and made the streets of the Glass City run with blood." Isabelle argued, "That's sort of hot, that evil thing." I said, "Yeah but a girl has to have some standards."

Simon said, "So why does Valentine want this Cup so bad, and why does he think their mom has it?" Clary said, "You said it was so he could make an army, You mean because you can use the Cup to make Shadowhunters?" Hodge said "Yes." Simon said "So Valentine could just walk up to any guy on the street and make a Shadowhunter out of him? Just with the Cup? Would it work on me?" Hodge said "Possibly, But most likely, you're too old. The Cup works on children. An adult would either be unaffected by the process entirely or killed outright." Isabelle said "A child army," Jace said "Only for a few years, Kids grow fast. It wouldn't be too long before they were a force to contend with." Simon said "I don't know, Turning a bunch of kids into warriors... I've heard of worse stuff happening. I don't see the big deal about keeping the Cup away from him."

Hodge said "Leaving out that he would inevitably use this army to launch an attack on the Clave, the reason that only a few humans are selected to be turned into Nephilim is that most would never survive the transition. It takes special strength and resilience. Before they can be turned, they must be extensively tested... but Valentine would never bother with that. He would use the Cup on any child he could capture, and cull out the twenty percent who survived to be his army." Alec look horrified "How do you know he'd do that?" Hodge said "Because, when he was in the Circle, that was his plan. He said it was the only way to build the kind of force that was needed to defend our world." Isabelle looked sick "But that's murder, He was talking about killing children." Hodge said, "He said that we had made the world safe for humans for a thousand years, and now was their time to repay us with their sacrifice."

I said, "This guy gets worse and worse the longer we talk." Jace said "Their children? That goes against everything we're supposed to be about. Protecting the helpless, safeguarding humanity..." Hodge pushed his plate away "Valentine was insane, Brilliant, but insane. He cared about nothing but killing demons and Downworlders. Nothing but making the world pure. He would have sacrificed his own son for the cause and could not understand how anyone else would not." Alec said, "He had a son?" Hodge said "I was speaking figuratively, When his land burned, when his home was destroyed, it was assumed that he had burned himself and the Cup to ashes rather than relinquish either to the Clave. His bones were found in the ashes, along with the bones of his wife." Clary said, "But our mother lived, She didn't die in that fire." Hodge said "And neither, it seems now, did Valentine, The Clave will not be pleased to have been fooled. But more importantly, they will want to secure the Cup. And more importantly than that, they will want to make sure Valentine does not."

Jace said, "It seems to me that the first thing we'd better do is find their mother, find her, find the Cup, get it before Valentine does." Hodge said, "Absolutely not." Jace said, "Then what do we do?" Hodge said, "Nothing, All this is best left to skilled, experienced Shadowhunters." Jace protested "I am skilled, I am experienced." Hodge used a parental tone "I know that you are, but you're still a child, or nearly one." Jace said, "I am not a child." Alec agreed with Hodge "Hodge is right, Valentine is dangerous. I know you're a good Shadowhunter. You're probably the best our age. But Valentine's one of the best there ever was. It took a huge battle to bring him down." I laid my head on Isabelle's shoulder as she said "And he didn't exactly stay down, Apparently." Jace said "But we're here, We're here and because of the Accords, nobody else is. If we don't do something..." Hodge said "We are going to do something, I'll send the Clave a message tonight. They could have a force of Nephilim here by tomorrow if they wanted. They'll take care of this. You have done more than enough."

Jace said, "I don't like it." Alec said, "You don't have to like it, You just have to shut up and not do anything stupid." Clary said "But what about my mother? She can't wait for some representative from the Clave to show up. Valentine has her right now... Pangborn and Blackwell said so... and he could be..." I buried my face in Isabelle's shoulder letting the tears silently fall as I thought her being hurt. Isabelle wrapped her arms around me and Alec rubbed my back as Simon said "Hurting her, Except, Clary, they also said she was unconscious and that Valentine wasn't happy about it. He seems to be waiting for her to wake up." Isabelle muttered "I'd stay unconscious if I were her," Clary ignored her "But that could be any time, I thought the Clave was pledged to protect people. Shouldn't there be Shadowhunters here right now? Shouldn't they already be searching for her?" Alec snapped at her "That would be easier if we had the slightest idea where to look."

Jace said "But we do," I said "You do? Where?" Jace touched his fingers to her temple and said "Here. Everything we need to know is locked up in you and your sister's heads, under those pretty red curls and long black locks." Clary said, "I don't think..." Simon said "So what are you going to do? Cut their heads open to get at it?" Jace said "Not at all. The Silent Brothers can help them retrieve their memories." Isabelle protested "You hate the Silent Brothers," Jace said "I don't hate them, I'm afraid of them. It's not the same thing." Clary said "I thought you said they were librarians," Jace agreed "They are librarians." Simon whistled "Those must be some killer late fees." Hodge interrupted "The Silent Brothers are archivists, but that is not all they are, In order to strengthen their minds, they have chosen to take upon themselves some of the most powerful runes ever created. The power of these runes is so great that the use of them... Well, it warps and twists their physical forms. They are not warriors in the sense that other Shadowhunters are warriors. Their powers are of the mind, not the body."

Clary said, "They can read minds?" Hodge said "Among other things. They are among the most feared of all demon hunters." Simon said "I don't know, it doesn't sound so bad to me. I'd rather have someone mess around inside my head than chop it off." Jace said "Then you're a bigger idiot than you look," Isabelle agreed with Jace while ignoring Simon "Jace is right, The Silent Brothers are creepy." Hodge said, "They are very powerful, They walk in darkness and do not speak, but they can crack open a man's mind the way you might crack open a walnut... and leave him screaming alone in the dark if that is what they desire."