City Of Bones

Chapter 25

A minute, that's all it took.One minute Clary was staring at a burning building in strange awe, amazed by how it tumbled. She was amazed that she had been sitting in that exact building just a minute ago and now it's falling to millions of pieces, ashes. A minute.And then it hit."LUKE!" She tried to scream but she felt like she didn't actually say it, her throat glued shut. She moved away from the tree and stumbled forward, every nerve in her body suddenly burning hot. Her mind fought to rewind and remember the situation. Luke and her running in to see her mother lying unconscious, leaving him and finding Jace, meeting Valentine for the first time, hearing his lies and lastly Pangborn covered in blood with Luke's dagger—"Clary!" Jace exclaimed. Clary had broken away from the boys. She sprinted forward, back the same way she came, towards the ashes and flames. Her heart seemed to pound in her ears, Jace's voice barely audible to her. Suddenly, she felt herself being yanked back by her left arm. She turned swiftly, her breath knocked out of her."What the hell? Are you crazy?" Jace demanded, shaking her. "The building is burning." Clary didn't look at him; she strained her neck to look behind her at the building, praying to see her mother and Luke."My mom and Luke, t-they are s-still in there," she stammered out, tears racing down her cheeks. Jace's expression immediately morphed from confusion to understanding. He became paler than a ghost. "I have to get them," she cried and struggled in his grasp."You aren't going in there Clary," Jace told her sternly, fighting to keep her restrained."This isn't about you! It's my mother Jace! PLEASE," she screeched, her face merely inches away from his. He watched her for a moment, staring in her eyes before acting."Stay here," he ordered. "I mean it Clary, stay. I'll go." He watched her, she made no movement. "Like hell you'll stay," he mumbled angrily and screamed over his shoulder, "Alec! Watch her!" Alec, who had followed them, moved to take Jace's place with a very un-amused expression. Clary would've snapped that she didn't need a babysitter but her throat was glued shut again. Jace let go of her and sprinted down the rest of the area separating them from the building. Clary watched him, her body shaking. Its okay,she tried to tell herself. Luke isn't dead. He took mom and got out. Luke isn't dead. Luke isn't dead.No matter how many times she told herself he was alive, she continued to shake uncontrollably. She felt Alec by her side awkwardly but didn't look at him. Her eyes were trained on the part of the building that Jace disappeared to. It felt like hours since he entered.."I'm going after him," she finally stated, fed up. She moved forward but Alec's arm shot out in front of her, smacking her in the torso."He will be out soon," he told her calmly."It's been a while, maybe he needs help.""I said no, he will be out soon." He told her again, frustration creeping into his voice. He stood in front of her, stopping her from getting closer to the building. Clary glared at him."That's my mother in there, what if it was Isabelle?" She snapped, hoping to hit a nerve."You can't-"Alec cut himself off as Clary's expression changed to surprise. She gasped and pushed Alec as she recognized Jace's figure appear in the distance. She raced forward, Alec remained in the same place. As she got closer she noticed Jace was holding someone in his arms and his clothes were dark with ashes. She picked up her pace when she recognized her mother's red hair peeking from under his arms."Mom!" She shouted. Jace placed her on the unharmed grass away from the debris, coughing roughly. Clary arrived to Jace and threw herself on her mother's body, hugging her close. Her mother felt cold to her touch, cold and stiff like a corpse."Is she okay?" Clary asked Jace, tears blurring her vision. She hastily wiped them away. He didn't reply. "I said is she okay? Is she hurt?" Clary demanded roughly while examining her mother. No reply. Finally, she looked up at him. He was watching her sadly, his eyes big with concern. He didn't say a word."What?" Clary asked him, searching for any hint of why he was so quiet. "Did something happen to her? Does she need help? Jace, tell me." She begged."I couldn't find him Clary," Jace told her softly, carefully watching her in worry as if she would do something rash. "Luke wasn't there."As humans, we strive to know. At a young age, children are put into school to learn and expand their knowledge. Their little questions like, why does it rain or why is the sky blue are answered. Then, when you grow up, you question everything. You search for the answers while the unanswered questions keep you up at night. We want to know, we need to know. The feeling of not knowing, the feeling of having an unanswered question, especially one that could change your life forever …that's the worst.Clary sat in the car quietly, staring at her feet. Her plain white running shoes were now torn with black marks staining them. They weren't going to last anymore, the fire and impact had made sure of that. She was alone sitting in the SUV, the chaos behind the car door were muffled by the window.Jace stood a few feet away from the car Clary quietly sat in. Alec and Isabelle were by his side. About fifty shadowhunters were present, examining the scene, speaking to others, checking for any evidence that might lead to where Valentine was located. Isabelle was wearing her black shadowhunter gear with her hair tied back in a messy bun. She also had dirt and ashes on her skin."What the hell happened?" Alec demanded angrily to his sister. She pushed her hair back and rubbed her tired eyes. "One minute we are in there with Valentine, the next the place is burning down."She sighed."One of the Clave members decided to set the building on fire," she explained. Her body was tense, ready for a reaction."A Clave member did this?" Jace inquired, pointing to the ashes of the building. "And you didn't care to tell them that we were still in there?!""I tried but you know how they are, they won't listen to someone my age," she defended herself. Jace shook his head and raked his hand through his hair roughly, his mind racing. A shadowhunter dressed in a suit jogged over to them a moment later. He looked like he had been pulled away from a date when the commotion started, called into work."Did you find anyone?" Jace questioned. The shadowhunter shook his head."We searched through every single piece of that building, every pile of ash. The person you're looking for isn't there.""Shit," Jace muttered. He turned away from the group and made his way to the SUV. He opened the door but Clary didn't look up at him."Are you okay?" He asked her quietly. She didn't move. "Clary, don't jump to conclusions, maybe he escaped." He tried to reason with her but she refused to reply. She was done with the Clave, Valentine, the Institute and Jace. The Mortal Cup was gone and the Clave knows about her. Most importantly, Luke was gone."Is there anything I can get for you?" Jace tried once more, expecting no response. Surprisingly, Clary turned her head to look at him. She whispered one word then turned to look in front of her again. Jace stood there for a moment, watching her, then nodded to himself and shut the car door.Darkness fell over the room; a single lamp on the bedside table was the only source of light. Simon lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling fan above him turning and turning. His oversized headphones blasted rock music into his ears, keeping him conscious but he wasn't paying attention to any lyrics. He didn't know what time it was, midnight? What he was certain about was the fact that he hadn't heard from Clary in way too long. His stomach felt queasy thinking about her. Where was she? How was she keeping away from the Clave? He hated being out of the circle, having no way to contact any of them with Luke always busy.Simon checked his phone again, no message, no calls. He checked for service but everything was okay. He knew he shouldn't worry. He spent weeks not hearing from her at a time but that was before he found out about her world, about all the dangers that lay in wait under the shadows, vampires, werewolves and more. Ever since then, every unusual period of time they didn't talk, his brain immediately jumped to the conclusion that a vampire was sucking her blood or a werewolf was under the full moon making her apart of their pack. He cranked up the tunes, attempting to drown his thoughts out.Suddenly, his door flung open. He ripped off his headphones in surprise. It was only his mother and his breathing relaxed. She looked angry."Simon!" She yelled. "I've been calling you for five minutes!""Sorry, I'll throw out the garbage right now," he mumbled and rolled out of bed sluggishly."There's a boy at the door for you that's why I-," she cut herself off. "Wait, you didn't throw out the garbage? I asked you two hours ago, do I—." her mother complained but Simon cut her off."Wait what did you say?" He demanded."What?" Her mother asked, taken back by his sudden change of expression. "Oh, there's this blond boy asking for you. Not one of your usual friends. Do you know—."She was going to ask but Simon had already flown past her, bolting down the staircase to the door. Jace stood behind the screen, leaning against the porch table. Simon's heart plummeted to the pit of his stomach when he realized Clary wasn't with him. He threw open the screen door."Where's Clary?" He demanded harshly, his voice filled with panic. Jace looked up from the pavement to Simon."Hello to you too," he replied."Where is she?!" Jace paused, he clenched his jaw. Simon snapped, pouncing forward in an attempt to throw his around his throat but he sidestepped just in time."I swear, if you hurt her or sent her to that bastard group in that country, I will personally end you." Simon hissed."Mundane," June mumbled, shaking his head. Simon made a move to throw himself at Jace again but he put his hand up."Hold up! Calm down there Clace," Jace told him and Simon looked at him surprise."Clace?" He asked, confused and Jace looked at him like he was an idiot."You know, Clace and Julia? In love, couldn't be together so they committed suicide?"Simon looked at him in astonishment."You mean Romeo and Juliet?" He said and it was Jace's turn to look surprised.'What are you mumbling about mundane?" He asked. Simon shook his head in frustration and exasperation."Just shut up, where is Clary?" He demanded again, fist clenched. Jace's expression became serious again.""She's fine; she's at the institute waiting for you. We don't know where Luke is," he explained, all humor in his expression diminished. Simon looked at him for a moment then ran in his house and grabbed his jacket. He called to his mom he would be back in an hour and shut the door, making his way away from his house. He could hear Jace's footsteps behind him until they were walking side by side."What do you mean you can't find Luke? What happened?" Simon demanded, storming down the street. Jace had no trouble keeping up with him."Exactly what I just said, he disappeared after a big showdown with Valentine and before you ask who that is mundane-," Simon cut him off."I know who he is," he told him. Jace raised his eyebrows and then rolled his eyes."Oh yes, how clueless of me," Jace said sarcastically. "You were probably in on all of this with Clarissa; not bothering to tell anyone her father is an evil warlord and sneaking the Mortal Cup around carelessly letting it fall into the wrong hands.""Hey, we were doing fine without you!""Oh right because a 13 year old mundane can go up against a man who caused hundreds of people ten times more worthy to die." They had stopped in the middle of the quiet street, bickering."I'm 16 you egoistic bastard and Clary's mom was clearly doing a better job at keeping the Mortal Cup away from him than your government or whatever you call it.""She stole it from us and now he's all the way on a different continent with it doing God knows what. If you guys had just told me you had it and the truth about why Valentine was so keen on following Clary, I could've helped."""What are you, superman? There's a reason Clary didn't tell you anything, because she didn't want your help. She doesn't trust you, she only trusts me soback off. " Jace smirked."Jealousy is not a pretty color on you.""That wasn't jealously, that was-,"Simon started but cut himself off when Jace's whole body became oddly tense. The atomosphere suddenly shifted something dangerous and uncomfortable. He watched Simon in silence."What—?" Simon whispered."Shut up," Jace ordered in such a stern voice, he didn't dare challenge him. In a spilt second, Jace spun around, turning his back to face Simon, and pulled out a blade. He kept his arm poised near Simon, guarding him."How sweet, your first reaction is to protect me," Simon tried to mumble light-heartedly but his breathing quickened. He could feel the tense air."More like save my ass from getting beat down by small ball of red hair," Jace snapped and surveyed the darkness before him. There was a large tree and bushes behind the picnic bench in front of them. It was pitch black, the streetlamp above them was the only small source of light. Jace waited.Finally, after a few moments, a figure stepped out from behind the tree and took a few steps forward."Stop there," Jace ordered. Simon shifted to the right to get a better look. It was a dark colored skin boy with short jet black hair. He stood at the same height as Jace but with broader shoulders and a curved nose. His lips were bright red. "State your business vampire." Jace ordered. Simon was caught off guard. He examined the boy closer, trying to remember what Clary told him about the children of the night

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