War of Hearts

Chapter 5: A Furious Angel

Jace had spent the last two days mostly walking up and down on the container ship he, Valentine and his newly made shadowhunters were traveling on. On the second night they reached Boston. It took them two days to get there because Valentine wanted to travel at specific hours of the night. They stayed at high sea during the day to avoid being noticed, and Jace had spent these two days just walking around nervously, because he hadn't been able to find out anything about Valentine's plans.

He was restless. Valentine wanted Jace with him, but he didn't trust him. Jace felt completely useless and frustrated. If only he could find out some piece of information, anything relevant that he could turn into an advantage against Valentine... But he was in a dead end.

"Where are we going?" Jace asked Valentine as he stepped next to him. The crew were unloading the ship and transporting the stuff into the vans Valentine rented. Most of it was weapons, but they included clothing items and other supplies.

"We're staying in town for a while," was all Valentine said. He was contemplating the city without giving Jace a look.

Jace rolled his eyes in frustration. He'd only found out they were heading to Boston when the ship started approaching the port. Valentine didn't let him know anything in advance. It made Jace mad like he's never been before.

"Why are we here?" he asked barely keeping it together.

"We can't stay in New York with all the shadowhunters looking for us. But also we can't go very far for reasons you will yet discover."

"What – " Jace started again.

"Patience, Jonathan," Valentine interrupted him and he didn't say anything else until they reached their destination in the city. It was an abandoned warehouse in an isolated area of the city. Jace tried to memorize the way they were taking to get there, but he gave up after a couple of blocks. He's never been to Boston and the city was huge. It's okay, Jace thought, I'll just get them a message to check out every abandoned warehouse in Boston.

But he knew it wasn't that simple. Once they were inside Valentine was going to glamour the place so it would look like something else. And Jace doubted he could get near a phone easily. They spent about an hour on their way to the building and during that time Jace was desperately trying to come up with an idea to find out more about Valentine's plans, but he didn't get anywhere.

The warehouse was completely empty on the inside. Valentine's crew of shadowhunters – or a part of it - were already inside organizing some of the stuff they brought with them.

Jace noticed that it wasn't even half of the things that they transported on the ship. Where did they take the rest of the stuff? Where were the rest of the shadowhunters? Jace was confused and angry about not knowing how to answer any of these questions. He just watched the shadowhunters do their job under the dim light quietly.

This is unbelievable. They truly follow him. Jace couldn't understand how someone in their right mind would follow Valentine's orders. But these shadowhunters were made by him, they had a sense of gratitude and loyalty to Valentine. It just made Jace sick.

Later that night Valentine organized a little celebration and Jace found out the reason. Three more warlocks were dead and that made Valentine very happy.

"My companions! Tonight we celebrate another small step towards our goal, but let's not forget we still have a lot of work to do. There are still too many warlocks living among us. The worst type of Downworlders!" he yelled that last phrase. "And we will not rest until we have wiped all of them off this world!"

The shadowhunters all yelled in approval. There were hundreds of them. Jace couldn't understand how Valentine succeeded in making so many shadowhunters in so little time using the Mortal Cup. He was certainly very lucky that the majority of mundanes drinking from it didn't die.

When Valentine was done with his little speech and was left alone by his admirers, Jace approached him.

"Why warlocks?" he wanted to know.

"They are the most powerful of the Downworlders. We should get rid of them first. I can't have them getting in the way of our taking over the Shadow World."

"Why would they even care? It's not like they're desperate to rule the Shadow World or anything. They're not even involved with any shadowhunter business," Jace said.

"I don't think that's accurate, Jonathan. If I'm not mistaken there is at least one warlock who's been sticking his filthy hands where they don't belong. Magnus Bane was publicly last seen at a wedding that you attended just a week ago." Valentine got closer to Jace, who tried to avoid his look at the mention of Magnus's name. "I heard some interesting things about that wedding." Valentine watched Jace closely, but Jace decided he wasn't going to give him anything, so he crossed his arms and stayed put.

"I heard... he actually stopped the wedding. He stopped a sacred ritual between two shadowhunters. How dare one Downworlder do something like this? Where do they get the audacity from?" Valentine switched to plural form as if the entire Shadow World with all it's downworlders had marched into the Institute to stop Alec's wedding.

Don't answer him, Jace. Just stay cool. Jace took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. He started stomping his foot on the ground nervously.

"This has gone too far. They need to be stopped," Valentine was speaking faster, like he was about to do another speech. He was getting outraged. "The way they think they can manipulate shadowhunters to get what they want. And none of the shadowhunters, not even your parabatai's parents, did anything to stop him! Don't you see it, Jonathan? How can you not see it!? You're my son. I taught you better!"

"Stop it!" Jace finally snapped. "You have no idea what you're talking about! First of all, it's none of your damn business what other shadowhunters do with their lives. Second of all, Magnus didn't manipulate Alec. He truly cares about him. And I care about Alec. So if this makes him happy... So be it. You have no right to judge." Jace was not going to let him speak like that about Alec. He cast him a look full of hatred.

But it didn't have the expected effect on Valentine. The angry expression on his face shifted into a sly smile.

"Well, thank you, son. You told me everything I needed to know." And he turned away from Jace, getting his phone out of his jacket.

What!? Jace was confused. Suddenly panic took over his chest. He did his best to hide it, but that wasn't enough.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded.

No. This can't be what I think it is... He can't do this. He wouldn't....

Jace stopped breathing. He was completely paralyzed waiting for Valentine's reaction.

"It may be hard to get an ancient warlock out of its heavily protected lair. But getting your hands on a young shadowhunter facing all sorts of dangerous things in the middle of the night? Not so much," Valentine said looking Jace in eye cold-heartedly.

Jace just stood there for a couple of seconds, taking it in. He couldn't believe Valentine. And he couldn't believe his own stupidity. He let Valentine fool him, manipulate the information he needed out of Jace. He just let him.

Fury took over Jace and he lashed out at Valentine.
"You bastard! You touch Alec and I will kill you with my bare hands!" Jace yelled at him and if it wasn't for two shadowhunters holding him back, he would have definitely attacked Valentine. He was shaking and breathing heavily.

"I don't want to hurt your friend, Jonathan. What I really want is Magnus Bane," Valentine said with all the calmness and coldness in the world. "And I will get him."