Middle School of Bones - A Mortal Instruments Story

Chapter 4

Beneath my fear, I couldn't help but feel stunned to see two of the Lightwood siblings up close. They were watching me with mixed emotions. Alec looked nervous. Of what, I wasn't sure. I didn't think I looked very scary. Isabelle seemed amused.

"Trying to spy on us?" she asked with a smirk. "We're not doing anything wrong, just playing a little game."

"I saw the knife you threw at the door," I said. "I want to know what's going on."

Alec stepped closer to me. "Where did you get that shirt?" 

The question startled me. I looked down at my shirt and crossed my arms over it. "Why does it matter?"

Jace was still standing behind me. "Answer his question," he said.

"I got it from my mom's closet."

Isabelle was staring at me too. "Is your mom a Shadowhunter?" she asked. "What's her name?"

"Her name's Jocelyn. Jocelyn Frey," I said. "You think she's a what?"

"A demon hunter," Jace answered. "Well, only one way to find out." He pulled a silver stick from his pocket and grabbed my hand.

"Jace don't," Alec warned. Before anyone could do anything else, my phone rang. And by rang, I mean it blared. It only had one ringtone setting.

"Turn that off," Jace ordered. I yanked my hand back from Jace and checked who it was. When I saw it was just mom, I pressed ignore. 

"I'm not doing anything until you tell me what's going on here," I demanded. I stomped my foot so they knew I was serious.

"Becca's a demon who's mind-controlling the middle school and we're going to kill her," Isabelle said. Alec glared at her.

"Wait, where's Becca?" Jace asked. She wasn't in the room anymore, and the door had been left open. Isabelle and Alec groaned and ran into the hall. Alec paused, turning back.

"If you kill her, I'm telling mom and dad," Alec said before he followed his sister out. Jace didn't seem to care.

My phone rang. Mom again. I pressed ignore.

"Has your mom ever mentioned The Circle to you?" Jace asked. I shook my head. Jace was about to ask something else, but my phone went off again.

"Just answer it," Jace said. I did.

"Clary?" Mom sounded relieved. "Are you still at the house?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes mom. Stop worrying so much. I'm fine-"

"You have to get out right now," Mom interrupted me. "Go to Simon's. Or Luke's. Just get out of the house and don't come back. I'll call you when I can. Just get-" Her voice cut off by a scream. Something crashed in the background. 

"Mom?" I called. "Are you there? Mom!"

The call disconnected. I tried to call her back, but it went to voicemail immediately.

I shoved my phone in my pocket. "Something happened to my mom," I said. "I have to get home right now."

Jace didn't protest as I ran from the room. I pushed my way through to the stairs where Simon was sitting, but he was gone. I didn't have time to look for him, so I headed for the door instead. I'd call him on the bus to let him know that I left, but I had to find my mom.

The bus was at the stop when I went outside. I ran for it, but it pulled down the street before I could reach it. The next one would be in thirty minutes. 

"Need a ride?" Jace Wayland was beside me again. He was leaning against a motorcycle. I gaped at him. 

"You have a motorcycle?" I asked. 

He laughed and shook his head. "Don't be silly. I stole it from a vampire," he said. "Now hop on. It only works at night, so it'll be useless if we keep standing here."

I did as he told me, sliding onto the seat behind him. The engine roared, and we sped off down the street, zipping between cars. We picked up speed quickly, so quickly, that I worried we'd hit something. Just as I was going to warn Jace, the wheels lifted off the ground, and we soared through the air.

I knew I should have been scared, but all my fear melted away. Even my phone call with my mom slipped out of my mind. I couldn't feel anything but the wind whipping past us as I held onto Jace and watched everything fly by below us. It was incredible, like nothing I'd experienced before. I never wanted it to end.

"Where do you live?" Jace shouted over his shoulder. I told him into his ear, and he nodded once. 

A few minutes later, we reached my apartment building and landed back down on the street. The thrill of the ride faded when I saw it, and the dread sank back into my stomach. I climbed off the seat and barely thanked Jace before I ran inside the building and charged up the stairs.