The Dark Ones

Chapter Two

After the whirlwind of the portal that I could never get used to, I stumbled out onto solid ground. Luckily, Noah was there to grab my arm and steady me. When I ensured that I wasn't going to slip or fall, my gaze shifted upward and I took in my surroundings. "Where are we?" I asked, observing an Institute much like the one I had just left in New York. The street lights were on, allowing me to see the differences between this environment and the one back home. Even though it wasn't similar, I could feel something prickle in the back of my mind. It was a sense of familiarity, but I couldn't place where it was coming from.

"The Institute." Noah responded dully, glancing at the silent empty street.

"Well that really narrows it down," I said, unable to hide the sarcasm within my tone. I met his gaze, "it's not like there's more than just one anyway, right?"

"Wait for the others." He stated, clearly trying to get rid of the amused look on his face. I watched him closely as he tried to hide his smile, examining his features. He had smooth, tan skin, with brown hair and what appeared to be black eyes. "Is there a reason that you're staring at me?"

"I-" I wanted to protest, but my lack of an excuse made it difficult. Also, as soon as I tried to say any string of words to ease the blush creeping onto my cheeks, the other men came through the portal.

"It's about time." Noah said, the amusement washing from his features and a serious look taking its place. "What took so long?"

"We were stopped by a blonde." One of them said, "he was looking for her." He motioned toward me and I bit on the inside of my cheek.

"What did you do?" I asked, trying hard to dismiss the gut-wrenching feeling that came with thinking of Jace.

"He grabbed Chase, so Chase punched him to get him to let go." He responded, "once he did, we went through the portal. There's nothing to worry about, Clarissa."

"You punched him?" I asked incredulously. I felt guilty, even after what he had done. I looked down as I recalled seeing him with Kaelie on his bed, and I was eager to place my focus elsewhere. Jace has been through worse, he'd be fine. But he didn't deserve my compassion in that moment. "How do you know my name?"

"We were looking for-" The man started, but Noah shot him an icy glare and he stopped abruptly.

"I'll explain everything to her," Noah said, "once we get inside the Institute."

"Fantastic." I murmured, trying hard to maintain my composure. I looked back at the man who had been spoking just a moment before. We made eye contact again and he smiled slightly.

"I'm Dylan, by the way." He introduced himself and then motioned to each of the two guys behind him, "that's Chase, and that's Liam."

"Portal is closed, right?" Noah asked, and Liam nodded. "Alright, let's go."

Noah started toward the Institute and I walked quietly behind him. After a few long moments, we crossed through the entrance and I was met with bright lights that served as a stark contrast to the dark sky outside.

"So, why were you running?" Chase asked, nudging me on the shoulder with his. We started walking down the hall with Noah leading the way.

I looked at him, and now that I was able to see him I took in his appearance as I had with Noah. He had blonde hair that was slightly tousled, and dark blue eyes. He had angular cheekbones and eyelashes that any girl would kill for.

I glanced over at Noah, realizing that he was the complete opposite. He had brown hair that matched his chocolate brown eyes. They complimented his skin tone which was tan, and he had the build of an experienced Shadow Hunter: muscular and lean.

Dylan reminded me of Alec, but his hair was jet black rather than a dark brown. He had piercing blue eyes and a nose that was long rather than round.

Liam had dark brown eyes that stood out slightly against his black hair. He was on the taller side, but shorter than the rest of the guys.

"Hello?" Chase waved a hand in front of my face and I snapped out of my reverie. "I think she's dead."

"I'm right here." I said, "and I was running away from Jace. He's my boy-I mean... Ex-boyfriend."

"The one that I punched?" Chase tilted his head slightly and I gave him a nod. "What did he do?" He was prying, and I wished he wouldn't.

"I just caught him with another girl." I stated bluntly, "and I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Then I ended up running into you guys, who somehow know my name but won't tell me much else."

"I'm sorry, that's horrible." Chase responded softly. "I guess you don't want to talk about it."

"Not really." I mumbled, and Noah came to a stop.

"Alright, Clary, this is your room." Noah said, opening up a door. He looked at Chase, Dylan, and Liam, "you guys can go do whatever. I'm just going to get her settled."

They all gave quick goodbyes and walked off, leaving Noah and I alone. Instead of looking at him, I looked at the Institute itself. It looked almost the same on the inside as the New York Institute. The marble pillars were polished and the floor was clean. The structure looked identical, I noticed. After a moment, I shifted my gaze back to Noah who was looking at me with a curious gaze.

"Sorry." I told him, "it just looks like the Brooklyn's Institute."

"Well," he said, leaning against the doorframe. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Not a clue." I admitted, watching as he smiled slightly.

"This is the Paris Institute." He told me.

"Wow..." I said, realizing that I was quite a trip away from home. I took a deep breath, and he shifted his weight to his feet rather than the doorframe.

"Alright well, I'll grab you some clothes, okay?" He said. "Make yourself at home Clary."

Before he could take a step to leave, I interrupted him. "How do you know my name?" I asked quickly, narrowing my eyes.

"Who doesn't know your name?" He let out a dry laugh, but stopped once he saw the way that I was looking at him. "Clary, everyone knows who you are. It isn't some strange happenstance that we know your name."

"I just thought that The Dark Ones were preoccupied with themselves..." I shrugged. "Should I feel honored that you took the time to find out who I am?"

He laughed at that, "look, we'll talk more tomorrow. Get some rest, and I'll drop off some clothes."

"Alright, thanks." I said, making my way into the room. I heard his footsteps trail off and I moved to sit on the bed. The room itself was bare, nothing but old, victorian-looking furniture lining the walls. I let out a sigh, laying down and staring at the ceiling.

I closed my eyes for a moment, and in that moment a torrent of thoughts came rushing into my mind, destroying the slight peace that came with being alone. I willed myself to think of anything else, but to no avail. I wanted to get up and go for a walk in an attempt to clear my head, but exhaustion kept me from it.

A knock at the door brought me out of my own thoughts and my eyes opened to see Noah standing in the doorway. "Hey, I brought pajamas." He said, coming in and placing them on my bed. I pulled my body into a sitting position, looking at the t-shirt and pajama pants he brought in.

"Are those yours?" I asked, and he laughed.

"We have a lot of extra clothes, in case any Shadow Hunters are seeking a place to go." Noah explained. "Anyway, I'll let you go to sleep. We all get up at seven, but you're welcome to sleep for as long as you need."

I smiled slightly and gave a nod. Noah looked at me one more time before turning and leaving, closing the door behind him.

I scratched the back of my neck, slowly getting up and getting changed into the soft, comfortable clothing. I made my way back to the bed and as soon as my body came in contact with the soft mattress, I knew I wasn't going to get up again. When I closed my eyes, the same thoughts came rushing in. All that I could do was silently cry, close my eyes, and wait for sleep to come.

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xoxo