The Mortal Instruments: City of Past Ghosts (Book 1)

Chapter 12: Shadowhunters

This chap is dedicated to: mickee_13

_____________

Chapter 12: Shadowhunters

_____________

"Clary, you died."

Those rang in Clary's head as she tried to process the words that made no sense though it was in perfect English.

She was here, sitting on this couch, in shock as she contemplated the words. Not dead. Very much alive and very much shocked.

So how did she die in Los Angeles?

"What?!" Clary gasped, whipping her head around to look at Jace.

"The Council- the Shadowhunters who make and call the decisions as well as the voting body of the Clave which is the whole Shadowhunter clan- gave us a letter stating that you were dead. They presented us with a body." Jace choked, flinching at a memory. The phone on the oak table rang and Maryse darted over to it, lifting the receiver to her ear. Her face scrunched up in worry and distress and...fear.

"But how is that even remotely possible? As far as I know, I never died, as you can see." Clary protested, pulling her eyes away from Maryse. She realized her hands were shaking as she gestured to her living, breathing self.

"That's is the billion dollar question, isn't it? Here you are, talking to me and arguing on whether your current animation is real or not yet the Clave has pronounced you officially dead and shown us undeniable proof." Jace muttered to no one in particular. Maryse darted to one of the towering bookshelves, her hand skimming along the covers as she searched for a book.

Clary bit her lip, contemplating the current mystery.

"But, even if am that girl in the photo...I don't remember anything." Distress ran through through her like a thickened river of honey, slow and heavy. The newly learned facts ran in a circle around and around her head, giving her a bit of a headache.

"Maybe-" Maryse said, returning with a fat leather covered book higher hands. The cover was studded with precious looking stones that gleamed under the sun. "-you have a Block in your mind. That's usually the most common reason." she said, not looking up from the contents of the book as she spoke.

"A Block?"

"Basically, somewhat a mental roadblock. It mainly represses your memories so you'll forget what whoever that put the Block in your mind wants you to. In this case, probably your 'mother'" Jace explained, some bitter venom in his voice.

"But why? I don't remember anything that she'd want me to forget!" Clary groaned. She tried to remember anything worth forgetting and she kept thinking of all her terrors and nightmares. She moved a fraction away from Jace at that. Her mind begin to whirl with the different nightmares that were lined up, prepared to invade her mind. She swallowed deeply, trying to get a hold of herself.

Jace and Maryse-who had finally looked up from the fat book-were silent, looking at her meaningfully. She gauged their expression which told them that she was missing something obvious. Clary concentrated, trying to put the pieces together.

Realization hit her like a freight train going at the speed of two hundred miles per hour down a steep slope.

She couldn't remember.

She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember...she couldn't REMEMBER!!!

"But why?" Clary gasped as the full realization dawned on her, the puzzle pieces fitting together in her mind. She noticed that why seemed to be her most frequent question. She didn't have any right or real answers. All she knew were false. But why hide the truth from her?