City of bones (fan fiction)

Chapter 2

Clary ran up the stairs as fast as she could. Not fast enough. She was yanked back and whipped around to face a seething Valentine. In Valentine's other grip, Jonathan was held by the scruff of his shirt.

"Clarissa Adele Morganstern, would you like to explain why you were drawing a portal with Jonathan three hours past your curfu?" Valentine demanded.

"I told you we'd get caught." Jonathan muttered.

"Well, dear father, you see... we were... going to get you a surprise birthday present." Clary lied. She was a horrible lier and knew Valentine could see right through her.

"My birthday is in another seven months." Valentine countered.

"What part of 'surprise' do you not understand?"

"If you were that serious about surprising me that you would get my gift seven months before hand, you would not have told me what you were doing the instant I asked."

"Unless I knew that even if I told you, you wouldn't believe it, leaving it all to still be a surprise." Clary replied.

Valentine looked confused. "Wha.. Never mind! I know you're lying, so you shall be punished... both of you, ten lashes each."

"Wait, what? No! It was my brilliant plan to get you a birthday present, so I should be held responsible." Clary said defiantly, still sticking with the b-day present story.

"Both of you. Clary for trying to do whatever you were trying to do, and Jonathan for not stopping, but instead helping her." Valentine said as he dragged them down the stairs to the cellar.

"Jonathan, hold Clarissa." Valentine commanded while grabbing the demon metal whip.

Jonathan looked hesitant but grabbed her hands and faced her towards him so her back was facing Valentine.

"Sorry." Jonathan muttered to her.

"It's ok, I understand." she whispered back. She was quite a bit shorter than him and standing across from him, her eyes were at his collar bone.

She had been unprepared for the first strike, so she had to bite back a scream. She buried her face into Jonathan's chest. Demon metal seemed to hurt a lot more than any other type of metal. Clary wasn't sure if it was just the fact that iratze didn't work on it or if it really did hurt worse.
She took in a sharp breath at the next strike, but she refused to show that she was in pain. That seemed to make Valentine whip harder for the last eight lashes. Each time, Clary bit her tongue to stop the screams, making it worse with the metallic taste in her mouth. She could feel the lashes slice through the back of her shirt and cut up her back.

Finally it was over.

Jonathan's turn. He let go of Clary and pulled his shirt over his head. He then placed his palms on the wall, exposing his bare back. He already had scars covering his back, he had much more than Clary had.

With each of Jonathan's lashes, he didn't even flinch, he just clenched his jaw and curled his long, pale fingers into fists.

Finally his ten lashes were done. And together, they hobbled up the stairs to Clary's room.

She reached into her secret drawer in her dresser and pulled out a jug of a questionable looking mix.

Clary had created it from the herbs in their garden. It was to put on the lashes. It seemed to sooth the raging marks.

Jonathan plopped on her bed and she moved so she was sitting behind him.
Pouring some of the contents in her hand, she gently pressed it to his marks. He flinched slightly.