Scales In The Ruined

No Worse Ways To Be Introduced

At the Institute, Clary followed Jace to the training platform as they left Simon in the hands of the youngest Lightwood.

"Who is that guy?" Clary glanced at the shadowhunter as they walked up the stairs.

He pointed to the man. "That's Hodge Starkweather, our weapons trainer. And, more important for us, a former Circle member." Jace explained more after seeing the look of uneasiness on the red-head. "After the uprising, Hodge repented and he was sent to live and work here to make amends. But he's forbidden to ever leave the Institute."

Hodge was training with a young woman, who was nowhere near his skill level. But seeing as he was the weapons trainer, it's something that he got used to. The sparring match only lasted for about a minute more before he sliced the woman's staff. She looked at him with disbelief, which he responded with a shrug.

Taking this as her que, the shadowhunter walked away from Hodge, causing him to throw on his sweatshirt. However, he stopped in his tracks when he saw who was watching. "Kas?" Not expecting her to be there.

"Uh, I'm Clary." She made a mental note at that name, seeing that was the second time someone called her that. "Uh, my mother is Jocelyn Fray. She used to be a...shadowhunter." The last word sounded forced.

The puzzle prices finally seemed to fall into place for the older man. Suddenly realizing why Kassidy Bane looked so familiar, but he sadly had to focus on the girl that stood in front of him and not on the warlock. "Well, she was Jocelyn Fairchild when I knew her. And she was one of my best friends."

"She's been kidnapped... by someone named Valentine and his men." Clary told him.

Jace explained further. "By the Circle, Hodge."

"But that's impossible." He shook his head in denial. "Valentine's dead and the Circle died with hi-" Hodge choked, suddenly in pain.

Clary looked between the two. "What's happening?"

"I swore a vow never to speak of what we did." Hodge rubbed the rune on his neck. "This is the Clave's way of making sure I keep that vow."

"We can't torture him, Jace. Is there anyone else we can ask?" The new girl asked, not conformable with the idea of inflicting pain onto someone.

The trainer shook his head. "If the Circle really is back... and they've taken Jocelyn... Our leader... our leader of the Circle was Valentine Morgenstern." He winced when the rune started to sear. "We thought he wanted to protect humans, like all Shadowhunters. But we never realized the lengths which Valentine was willing to go... the people he was willing to sacrifice." The circle on his neck began sizzling. "Most of humanity would die if we carried out Valentine's plan."

Clary didn't understand why she needed this backstory to help her mom. "But I... I still don't understand. How does my mother relate to any of this?"

Hodge, not wanting to ruin Clary's outlook on her mom, laid it down as gently as he could. "Jocelyn was a member of the Circle as well."

Clary felt like she was going to puke. "No. I can't believe it. My mother, she-"

"The important thing is," He cut her off. "that Jocelyn left the Circle. And so none of this even matters, because Valentine died in a fire years ago." As he said the monster's name, the burning became worse.

"Hodge. Hodge." She called out to him. "I'm sorry, but we can't ask you to do this."

"Clary, we don't have a choice." Jace spoke up. "You understand that, Hodge, right?"

Hodge grimaced from the pain. "Jace, is right. Valentine nearly destroyed the Shadow World and humanity along with it. If he'd gotten the Cup..."

"Wait a minute. My mother told me she hid something from someone. If it's this Cup..." The last word dying on Clary's lips.