City Of Bones

Chapter 3

Long Lost Daughter

"Jocelyn?" Valentine turned Jocelyn's face to him. She had fallen right into his outstretched arms. Her face had gone shockingly pale, but her eyes were still wide open. Valentine twisted her body toward him and called her name once more before shaking her.

"What's wrong with her?" Pangborn asked from behind Valentine. His voice sounded bored, as if he just wanted to get out of there. Valentine looked at him and shrugged.

"I don't know," he looked at Jocelyn and sighed, annoyed.

"Well, whatever it is, I say good riddance," Blackwell sneered, and Valentine glared at him. He may hate Jocelyn for leaving him but he still loved her deep in his heart, he did marry her after all.

"Blackwell," Valentine called him over, and he stepped forward.

"Yes sir?" He asked.

"Why don't you hold Jocelyn while I search the apartment for the Cup," Valentine chuckled when Blackwell's expression twisted. Pangborn soon joined the laughter, and Blackwell grunted angrily. He walked over to Valentine, dodging the glass on the floor, and took Jocelyn from his arms. He held her loosely, trying to keep her as far away as possible.. Valentine rolled his eyes and walked into Jocelyn's bedroom.

The door was off its hinges, it was laying on the floor in two pieces, so he was able to enter easily. There was shattered glass all over the ground, and something had spilled everywhere in the room. It looked like water. There were about five broken frames holding pieces of art. Valentine knew it belonged to Jocelyn, not only because of the small name printed on the corner, but because of the way the brush seemed to flow across the page. It had Jocelyn written all over it. Her bed was smashed and so were her dresser drawers. Clothes were everywhere, and nail polish was dripping onto the floor. Everything was torn apart making the room look horrible. Claw marks on the walls, smashed items, and there was a bloody seraph blade losing its glow.

Valentine walked over to the first draw to search through it. He threw whatever clothes were left in it behind him when he came across a green cloth holding an item. He slowly picked it up and un-wrapped the cloth to reveal what looked like a silver blade with carved initials on the handle. JF, Jocelyn Fairchild. Valentine smiled. This was Jocelyn's personal stele, he was surprised she didn't use it to heal herself before. He placed it in his pocket before continuing to search through the room.

After checking all the draws and the bed, he went on to the closet. All that was there were articles of clothing. Valentine sighed harshly and walked out of the room, leaving it torn apart. He entered the living room to see Pangborn looking through some books on a large blue shelf while Blackwell was sitting on one couch and Jocelyn sprawled on another with the same expression from before.

"Nothing in her bedroom," Valentine declared, and Pangborn turned to him.

"I checked the living room and there's nothing here," he said and went to take a seat beside Blackwell. Valentine quickly looked around to see a second bedroom. His eyebrows knitted in confusion, not understanding who else lived there other then Jocelyn. He walked towards it and entered it.

This room still had its door and the inside was untouched. There was a neat purple bed with a drawer, and sketches on papers taped all over the walls. "Odd," he mumbled to himself, and started to search through the room. He finally came up empty handed, and angrily returned to the living room.

"Where can she be hiding the cup?" Pangborn demanded, and kicked away a coffee table causing it to crash into a wall.

"Don't underestimate the two faced bitch," Blackwell hissed. Valentine looked over to him and raised an eyebrow, "I mean don't underestimate Jocelyn." Blackwell corrected himself, "She has ways of hiding things." Valentine nodded, agreeing with him as he remembered all the secrets she kept from him.