Middle School of Bones - A Mortal Instruments Story

Chapter 8

I couldn't stand how people kept telling me what to do, but I listened to Isabelle anyway. I decided that if she didn't come back in five minutes, I'd leave. But she come back like she said, marching into the room, dragging Alec in behind her. Jace was there as well. He seemed bored. I caught his eye, and he smirked at me.

Isabelle flipped a light switch I hadn't seen as she shut the door behind her. The room was a mess, almost as bad as my apartment. Most of it was black between the walls and the clothes strewn all around. Isabelle flopped on the unmade bed, and Jace took the room's only chair, tossing a pink pillow towards where Isabelle sat. Alec wrinkled his nose and stood off to the side. I was left awkwardly by the door.

"So," Isabelle started. "I've already told you who we are, and I'm sure you already know our names. Next question was your mom. I've never seen her before in my life, so I can't tell you. And last why you're involved here-" She glanced from Jace to Alec. "I think you might be able to find more answers than us. Caught up?"

"Wait- what," I stuttered out. "No-"

"We also know you're a Shadowhunter." Jace had a knife in his hands and was swishing it through the air. 

Alec's eyes went wide. "Jace, you didn't."

Jace shrugged. "She was going to die anyway. And I was, like, ninety percent sure." Jace turned to me before I could ask. "I gave you an iratz. It's a healing rune. Typically, Shadowhunter's get the eye one first, but congrats you're special."

I waited for him to continue. "And what does that mean?"

Isabelle answered me. "If you weren't a Shadowhunter, the rune would have made you go insane." She bit her lips and looked me over. "This is how you normally act, right?"

"I'm not insane!" I cried. "And I'm not a Shadowhunter. I think I would know if I hunted demons. Or... played drums. Or whatever Shadowhunters do."

"I told you," Alec sighed. "The drum circle's not real. That was Jace."

"Kids our age believe anything," Jace said with a shrug and a smirk. "But I agree. We should try to find your mom and see if she has answers. 

Alec nodded. "It's too much of a coincidence for a demon to appear in your house right after your mom went missing. It's likely she's a Shadowhunter, too. But it doesn't make sense how you don't know about it."

"And why you're only now seeing demons," Isabelle added. "Especially at our school."

"Is there any way to find out?" I asked.

"Unless you want the Silent Brothers in your brain," Jace said, "your mom's the only person who might know."

That was an easy decision. "Then let's go back to my apartment," I decided. "We can look around there."

---

Alec and Isabelle stayed behind. Alec had said that it was Jace's problem to deal with, "it" presumably meaning me.

"We left her alone with you and you brought her back half-dead," he exclaimed when Jace argued. "I'm not getting dragged into this."

Isabelle had merely shrugged and shut her door behind us after we'd left. So it was just us left. Jace Wayland and me. 

Jace brought me back up the elevator and led me through the school. I kept falling behind due to my short little legs, but eventually I reached him where he stood at the main entrance. Through the glass, I could see Simon sitting on the ground outside.

"Simon!" I exclaimed. It was possible I'd forgotten he was coming. I ran outside, and he shot up.

"Clary!" he said. "The doors were locked, and I couldn't get inside."

"It's alright," I told him. The door behind me opened as Jace came outside. "Jace and I are going back to my apartment. It's a long story, but something happened to my mom. I-" I realized how crazy I'd seem if I started telling him about demons and Shadowhunters. Plus, Jace was right behind me. I was sure there was a rule against telling other people what I saw. But I couldn't keep this from Simon. He was my best friend. 

"I have to tell him," I told Jace. I expected Jace to argue, but he just shrugged and looked bored. I turned back to Simon. "Can your mom drive us to my apartment?" I asked. "I think you need to see it before I explain."

Simon looked confused, but he nodded and led us to the car.