City of Heavenly Fire

Chapter 4

Jocelyn

Jocelyn fitted her house key into the lock. Her head was pounding, she really just wanted an asprin amd to lie down on the bed watching reruns.

She walked into the kitchen and reached into the top shelf where she kept all the medicine. She grabbed the asprin bottle and twisted the lid off. It was empty. Jocelyn sighed and opened the bin. She dropped her hand forward when a note struck her eye. Jocelyn leaned forward and picked the note out of the bin. She smoothed out the note as best as she could, and read it.

I am coming, with something bigger and more powerful then any of you can imagine.
I am coming, I am going to start a war.
Watch out Clarissa.

S

Jocelyn felt herself pale. Why wouldn't Clary tell her about this? Why couldn't she trust in her own mother? Jocelyn pushed aside progressing headache and shoved the note into her jeans pocket. She felt tears well up around her eyes.
She needed to have a little chat with someone.

Magnus

Magnus padded around his apartment trying to keep himself busy and his mind off Alec. His apartment was an absolute mess,  and that was something he would usually never happen. It brought back memories of when the inquisitor had forced Jace to stay here. He was a compulsive cleaner and Magnus hated it when things were messy, but right now he didn't care. 

He set himself down on the couch reorganising the magazines. He was starting to worry himself, he still couldn't believe Alec had done. He closed his eyes and rekaxed his hands from ruffling through the pages. He needed to calm down. He felt tears welling up in his eyes. He bit down on his lip and blinked several times to keep the tears away. A picture of Alec stood on a shelf hanging on the wall. He looked over at it and shook his head, he got up and walked sternly over to the photo. He looked at it for a few moments studying it. He grabbed it from the shelf with his two hands and wiped a finger across the frame, as if he were actually touching his face.

Suddenly he snapped the frame in half the glass cracking and shattering to the floor.

Jace

Jace had sent Simon back to Eric's he needed time to think. Clary seemed pretty angry, and she had every right to. He reached into his pocket for the keys to the institute.

"Jace!" Jace jerked his head to the voice calling out to him. Alec was jogging towards him. Jace took out his keys and slid them into the lock. He pushed open the doors and walked inside Alec hot on his heels. Jace's feet echoed as he walked his way to the elevator, as he walked, the candles lit up as if there were a sensor underneath the marble floor. "I just got a text from mum, saying that we need to be at the institute,  did you?" Alec asked.

"I don't know, I haven't checked my phone" Jace replied, in a tone which meant he wasn't in the mood. "And besides I thought you were already at the institute"Jace pressed the lift button, and it glowed highlighting that it was the up button that he pressed.

"I was but..." Alec paused and turned his attention to his phone, "Is says-" Alec was interrupted by Jace before he could even get the first word out.

"Alec, I don't really care what it says" The lift dragged on, as it landed in front of them and opened its doors. Jace stepped in. "I'm here aren't I?" Alec eyed Jace carefully as he followed him in.

"What's up with you?" Alec demanded as the lift doors shut.

"Me?" Jace cocked a smile. "You should see yourself, it looks like you haven't slept or eaten in days" Jace pointed out. Alec fell silent. "Is it because of Magnus? Did you guys get in a fight?"

"Jace, stop" Alec warned.

"Did you guys make a bet about how long you could last without each other, and then you were going to kiss and make up-"

"Jace!" Alec landed his bunched uo fist on the mirror whcih cracked, and some pieces fell to the floor. Jace looked up at him in genuine surprise. "I suggest you stay out of things that don't concern you" his tone was calm, and menacing. 

The lift came to a jerky stop, the doors struggling to open. Alec didn't hesitate, he turned on his heel, and swept his bleeding hand to his side. He slipped through the narrow gap of the elevator doors, walking quickly down the corridor.  Jace watched in fascination and worry after Alec.

Clary

Clary slid behind a table at taki's directly across from Luke. The menu's were standing neatly at the end of the table, Clary took one.

"Have you talked to Jace recently?" Luke asked, looking at her over the top of the menu. Clary tensed for a moment, thinking that Luke had somehow found out about the note from Sebastian.

"No" Clary said plainly. "Why?"

"Just wondering, you seem to be spending alot of time at home alone" Luke observed.

"Its nice to have time to yourself to once in a while" Clary tried to sound cheerful, but there was a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Luke just nodded turning his gaze back to the menu. "I think I might have-" Luke was interrupted with the sound of his phone ringing. He dropped the menu, letting it fall flat in the table. Clary gazed to over intrigued to know who ot was.
"Hello?" Luke asked as he placed the phone to his ear. He sat there for a moment, his face not changing nor his posture.
"it's for you" Luke handed the phone out to Clary looking a little disappointed.

"Hello?" Clary asked.

"Clary?" Clary recognised the voice immediately.

"Mom?" Clary shot up. "Why didn't you call my cell? Is everything okay?"

"I couldn't reach you on your cell, and everything isn't okay" Joceyln sounded angry. "Do you want to tell me about the note in the bin I found? Or how it got to be there? Why you didn't tell me about it?" Clary slumped forward. This was not what she needed right now.

"Mom, you see Jace came by-"

"Jace! So he gave you the note, he told you to hide it from me" Clary could clearly hear that her mother was getting angrier.

"No, he gave me the note from Sebastian that he had been hiding from me for a few weeks. I didn't tell you because I new this was how you'd react." Clary explained.

Joceyln sighed. "I'm in the institue talking with Maryse about this, I want you to meet me here in half an hour can you do that?"

"Yeah, fine" Clary then hung up the phone before her mother could say anything else.

"I'm disappointed Clary" Luke added.

"So you heard the conversation? "

"Clary, I'm a wolf"

Clary grabbed her little purse sitting beside her and scooted out from behind the bench. "See you later,
I guess we'll just meet you back at the house"