My Queen

Chapter Eight

"You got married?" Jace asked, his tone venomous. My heart hammered against my chest as I stared at his tear-streaked face. Tears were rolling down my cheeks, too. I shook my head, swallowing hard before speaking.

"Jace, no," I responded, standing up from my spot on the bed. Everyone else in the room seemed to back away, "I didn't. I didn't even know that these were here until you pointed them out." I reached towards him, but he backed away. He didn't believe me.

"I thought I heard something." He said, shaking his head, "I knew I heard something. I knew I heard you and him in his bedroom-"

"Jace, stop." To my surprise, Alec spoke in my defense, "You need to take a breath. This is Clary that we're talking about. She would never do that." Jace looked at him, taking a deep breath before his gaze returned to me.

"Jace, I wouldn't." I told him, my voice shaking, "I would never. Jace, I love you."

He pursed his lips, looking up at the ceiling. I could tell that he was trying not to cry anymore, so I walked towards him and hugged him. He took a moment before he hugged me back, his head resting on top of mine.

"What a turn of events." I heard his voice and I froze. Jace let go of me and turned around quickly to face him. It was Sebastian, standing at the entrance of the infirmary. He looked angrier than I've ever seen him before, and Jace stepped in front of me.

"You did this to me." I said. I looked down at the rune, suddenly able to see it. I felt tears burn my eyes and my throat began to hurt, "You married us?"

He moved his shirt down to show his matching rune and I felt bile rise up in my throat. Everything that I felt while I was in his apartment dissipated, "I felt bad, I'll be honest," He said, leaning against the doorway. He looked down at his ring, "And then you told me that you wanted me, too, and I knew it was meant to be."

I heard Isabelle make a noise, "She'd never say that, you monster." She started to walk towards him.

"Wouldn't she?" His gaze shifted to meet hers and she stopped in her tracks. Everyone else was frozen.

"You did something to me," I responded, shaking my head, "It wasn't me. It was you. I don't know what you did-"

"It's true that the marriage rune can make you feel more connected to someone," Sebastian admitted, "Make you feel things that you hadn't felt before. But I know that what you were feeling was true. You can't tell me otherwise-"

"I told you that I loved Jace," I replied, stepping around Jace. He grabbed my arm, but I pulled out of his grasp. "I still love Jace. It will always be Jace. No matter what Rune you put on me, no matter how much your twisted, evil self gets into my head, it will always, undoubtedly be Jace."

Sebastian's face went blank. It reminded me instantly of my mom's expression. 'Scary calm', I'd always call it. I took a step backwards and Jace pulled me behind him, "I'm giving you one chance to leave, Sebastian." Jace spoke, his voice low. I could see him reaching onto the bed beside us. It was a slight movement, one Sebastian probably didn't even notice. 

There was a Seraph blade on the bed behind him. He took it in his hand, gripping it so tightly behind his back that his knuckles were turning white. Sebastian let out a laugh, "What are you going to do, Angel boy?" He asked, tilting his head. Jace was calm too, as to where I would have been seething, "Just remember: What belongs to me, will always be mine."

Jace brought his hand back, "Muriel!" He cried, throwing the blade skillfully at Sebastian. It lit up in a golden flame in the air, and I could see the look of surprise on Sebastian's face. But he was too fast. He shot me one last glance before twisting his ring and disappearing, the blade burying itself in the solid wood frame of the infirmary's doorway. 

The room lapsed into a silence. I dared a glance at the Lightwoods, noticing that each of them looked pale. Isabelle's fists were clenched, Alec was gripping onto a bed-frame. Maryse looked worn-out.

"I'm going to notify the Clave," She announced, hurrying into the hall. The rest of us watched her go. I turned towards Jace, who was looking directly at me. He let out a breath, turning on his heel and walking out of the infirmary. After a few seconds, Isabelle and Alec did the same.

I felt an oddly familiar feeling, and I bit the inside of my cheek. I will not be ignored by Jace, I thought to myself. I moved to leave the Infirmary and to find him. When I made it into the hall, I saw him just turning the corner. He was walking to his room, I was sure of it. I followed after him quickly, reaching him just as he opened the door to his bedroom.

"Jace, why are you walking away from me?" I asked, and he hesitated. He turned to face me and I saw that he looked broken.

"Do you actually want him?" He asked, his eyes glassy. I shook my head, moving into his arms. He wrapped them around me in a protective embrace.

"Jace, I love you. I love you more than I love anything or anyone else in this world," I whispered into his chest, "Whatever I said or did in that apartment wasn't me. I don't feel anything for him. It's only you, Jace. Only you."

"Whatever you did can be explained by that rune," he replied, rubbing slow circles on my back, "We need to get that off of you. I think the Iron Sisters work with that."

He pulled away, opening the door. I followed him inside and sat on the bed beside him. He put his arms around me, pulling me into him, "I love you, Jace." I told him again, and I felt him relax.

"I love you too, Clary," He murmured, his head resting atop mine, "More than you will ever know."