The Mortal Instruments: City of All Things Again ~ DISCONTINUED ~

Chapter 1

Clary's POV

"I wonder what it is this time." Jace whispered in my ear as we walked hand in hand down the musty corridor. Isabelle walked ahead of us, giving us our space, or maybe just not wanting to get in our way. Her long raven-dark hair cascaded down her back in waves. She walked toward the library like a model, which she was probably aiming to look like.

Jace's presence beside me shone like a star. His warm, callused hand in mine sent shock waves of warmth, happiness and love up my arm and throughout my body, from my head to my toes. His blonde hair glistened in the sun and his eyes shine with humour, love and adoration. I smelt his cologne (Eau de Recent Injury) as I laid my head against his shoulder. He smirked, thinking I couldn't see, and looked straight ahead, pretending not to notice.

I smiled to myself. Everything was perfect. Sebastian was dead and everybody was safe, including Simon, who was slowly beginning to regain his memories. I lived at the institute with Jace, and my mother had moved in with Luke, her husband and my step-father, months ago. I tried and failed to think of ways in which life could be better.

We walked towards the library for a house meeting. Isabelle had collected us from the training room, saying it was urgent but she didn't know what had happened. There had been many house meetings recently, discussing topics from Simon's training to who had snuck into one of the empty spare rooms. I wonder what's happened this time. Escaped cat? Stolen food? The possibilities were endless.

Isabelle opened the library doors. The sight of so many books crammed in one room made me gasp, as it usually did. Reference books, novels and more lined the walls of the circular room, reaching from the floor to the ceiling. Unfortunately, I believe that even if I read every second for the rest of my life, I still wouldn't be able to read them all.

Around Hodge's desk stood all of my friends and family; Simon, Alec, Magnus, Maryse, Luke and my mom. Their faces all wear looks of impatience and curiosity. I hoped that we hadn't kept them waiting for long.

"Finally!" Maryse cried out. Okay, so maybe I walk slow. It still wasn't fair to say that though! I was kind of offended.

"So what's happened? Just tell us already!!" My mom exclaimed. At least Maryse hadn't told everyone the news before we got here. She had done that when we had the meeting about Simon's training and everyone had given me strange looks when I had asked who was coming to the institute.

"Well... I don't know how to begin," That was strange. Maryse was usually so organised...

"It's okay Mom. Take your time." Isabelle spoke up.

"Yes. Thank you Isabelle," Her usual business stance returned, "An old enemy of ours seems to have returned,"

"Huh?" Alec questioned. I look around. Everybody was wearing the same face I imagined I was. Maryse looks at us pleadingly, wishing that she didn't have to say it herself.

"Shadowhunters have been disappearing," Maryse said slowly," and then returning in dumpsters days later, dead. When their bodies appear, they are barely recognisable. They only have one lead."

An awkward silence followed this new information. We were all shocked into silence, yet desperate for Maryse to carry on and tell us who the suspect was. I had no idea who could do such a horrible thing, and by the looks of it, nobody else did either.

"Who?" The suspense had proved too awkward for Simon. I, however, wasn't entirely sure if I wanted to know who the culprit was, who could do something like that.

"Sebastian."

Jace's POV

I had thought that I had heard that name for the last time when he tried to imprison us in Edom. I didn't want to hear that name at all, to believe that he was back. It was impossible. It had to be.

Clary collapsed against me, her skin pale and her eyes wide. I held her upright and rubbed her arm soothingly. It wasn't fair to her. Ever since I had met her we had been locked in combat with one of her family members. And now they had started regenerating, coming back to her. Great.

Jocelyn also looked pale, with Luke's arm wrapped around her and her head on his shoulder.

Magnus stood to her right, holding hands with Alec. They both seemed to be unaffected by the news, but Alec had been my parabati for years, and I could see the shock and horror hidden underneath his cool, collected mask.

Simon stood next to Isabelle. His arm was around her, and she looked confused, as if the news had not fully sunk in yet. Simon looked scared of what was surely to come. I wasn't surprised; it was him who had lost all of his memories the last time we had encountered him.

Maryse looked regretful. It explained why she hadn't wanted to tell us the news.

I was still in denial of Sebastian's return. It simply wasn't possible, was it?

"Not possible," Magnus ended the silence by saying what we were all thinking.

"We found traces of his DNA nearby. And just the way that they were murdered so brutally..." Maryse trailed off. She didn't need to continue. We all knew exactly what she was trying to say.

"Where?" Jocelyn questioned.

"Here, in New York," Maryse replied.

"Seriously?!! He's after us again! For revenge, or for his family or something," Simon yelled, moving forward to address everyone there.

I wrapped my arms tighter around Clary. Simon had mentioned Sebastian's family, and everybody knew that he was always chasing her. I would protect her this time though. I had hated last time, pretending to believe that Clary had become Sebastian's queen. I had needed to stand by and watch Clary put herself in danger on purpose to save me and the world I had introduced her to.

"I-I think that we should go home. I need to lay down." Jocelyn muttered. She and Luke said goodbye and left the building, the loud bang of the shutting doors echoing through the institute.

"I need to go lay down too," Clary looked up at me with wide, emerald eyes. She looked defeated already, despite the fact that we hadn't even encountered her evil brother yet.

"Want me to come with you?" I couldn't bear to leave her, not when she was like this.

"Nah, I'll be fine, Jace."

"Okay," I gave her a small smile as she left the library and turned right, towards her room. I wasn't going to argue with her while she was so upset. I missed her already.

"Any idea how he has done it, or why?" Isabelle demanded. Now that Clary and Jocelyn had both left, the rest of us could get more details without scaring or offending anyone. I could decide what it would be safe to tell Clary later.

"Possible burning with a mundane blowtorch, and we thought that maybe he would want some sort of revenge on Shadowhunters because you killed him."

"All Shadowhunters?" Isabelle questioned.

"It was a theory," Maryse shrugged.

"Who's dead?" Magnus asked.

"Sandra Wolfwine, Kevin Ravenwood, Jessica Hawkshade, Charles Merryblack, Beatrice Scarland and Jeremy Mapleheart."

"Interesting. I met Jeremy at the Hunter's Moon once. Now that was a strange encounter..." Magnus pondered.

"Any connection to Sebastian?" Maryse asked eagerly.

"Not that I know."

"Great. This is going absolutely nowhere!" Maryse pointed out.

"Can we leave? I really need to be somewhere..." Alec asked sheepishly.

"Sure. You can go." Maryse replied. We all trailed out of the room as Maryse collapsed on her favourite lilac armchair. Alec and Magnus headed straight for the institute doors and Simon and Isabelle walked towards their rooms. Brilliant. I was on my own.

I ambled down the corridor towards the training room. I could think, clear my head, while beating the crap out of some dummies. I'd check up on Clary later.

Hi. Okay so this is my first fanfiction, as you can see on my profile. Please no hate on it please, but constructive criticism is okay, because you can only get better, right? Please vote and comment! Thanks!

Katherine