independent. | Jace Wayland

chapter 14: tea boy.

<Y/n's Pov>

New York Institute, Upper East side Manhattan

Wednesday, 04:05 a.m

I was lying in the backseat, showered in broken glass, my hand seeping red and trickling down my forehead. Mamma's body is lying motionless on the dashboard, the windscreen is broken and her eyes are open. Her blue eyes still and glassy and looking at me.

I climbed into the front and took her necklace, a silver ring on a chain and clutched it to my chest. I pulled my body to the door and pulled as hard as my bloody hands allow and the car door opened.

I tumble out, yelling and cradling my bloody hands to my chest. Blood is pouring out my burning shoulder but I look up. Dad's body is sprawled a few meters in front of the steaming car, covered in glass and thick red, he had been thrown through the windscreen, his neck contorted too far to the right. Much too far right.

She screamed and screamed for her Mamma and Dad but they couldn't hear her- no one could.

I sat up, heaving for breath that felt heavy in my throat. I gasped and gasped, trying to get a grip on reality. I swung my feet over the bed and shuffled to the bathroom, avoiding the broken glass from the vase I threw a few hours ago.

I rinsed my face a few times and looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes had these dark marks beneath them, I needed to sleep. I should sleep but the memory of the nightmare sent my skin crawling so I decided to get in the shower instead.

I peeled off the t-shirt I was wearing and my eyes skimmed over the large silver mark curving over my shoulder in the mirror. I traced my hand on the thin line, marking the once torn skin and it sent a cold shiver through me.

When I got out of the shower, I put on some old clothes I found in the dresser in the room. I had no idea who's they were and opened the door that led into the cold hallway. It was lit softly and I trailed down to the kitchen.

It was deserted and clean, the opposite to the way it was earlier today and I opened the fridge. I scanned the contents: eggs, milk, boxes of unfinished take away food. No alcohol. I opened a cabinet beside the sink, come one come on, it's gotta be around here somewhere. There's got to be some.

"Looking for something?" The voice caught me off guard and my headshot to the doorway where a boy stood. He had brown hair that was slightly too long and fell in front of his face a little. I didn't recognise him from the limited people I had met in the institute. He was wearing a black t-shirt which showed off his thick dark marks, his runes, which trailed down his bare skin. He was in sweatpants, his feet were bare.

"No- nothing." I snapped, a little too defensive.

"You're Y/n right? Y/n Cartwright?" He moved from the doorway of the room to the kettle and put it on to boil, "What some tea?" I nodded and he took two mugs down from the shelf.

"Here I was thinking I was the only one awake. How do you know my name, strange tea boy?" I asked and even with his back to me I saw him chuckle by the way his shoulders shook.

"Oh right, sorry... didn't mean to be creepy. Just- you're the girl Valentines after and I was meant to go on the mission to get you with Izzy, Alec, Clary and Jace but I had to help Hodge."

He explained, pouring the hot water and turning to face me, I had slipped into one of the raised stools which sat and the counter separating us. "I'm Alfie." He extended his hand and I shook it.