The Clear Choice

{ Chapter 36 }

Clary's POV

My eyes blinked open, my vision adjusting to the dark cabin. My head was no longer heavy with exhaustion and my body was rested and awake. I felt a warm weight across my stomach and looked down to see Issac's arm slung over it protectively.

I blushed slightly at the fact we were both completely bare and pushed his arm off gently. It was early in the morning, the time when the sun was just beginning to leak into the dark sky. I sat up and leaned off the bed slowly, not waking Issac. My eyes caught sight of his backpack and opened it to grab a white tshirt.

My feet then padded over to my own backpack on the dark wood of the floor. I pulled open the zipper and slowly took out the heavy quilt that I stuffed inside the day before. I reached to the bottom and pulled out a pair of underwear, quickly slipping them up my legs and around my hips. I dropped my bag, grabbing and wrapping the warm blanket around myself.

I turned around and let my eyes land on my Mate sound asleep on the old, dusty mattress. The skin on his neck was visible and I blushed once more as I saw my Mark imprinted onto the tan skin. It was dark red and right above his collarbones.

My hand went up to my own neck, brushing against the now extremely sensitive skin. I flinched as my fingers pressed against Issac's Mark, my nerves igniting. I held in a laugh when Issac stirred in his sleep, his neck twitching in response to me touching his Mark on my skin.

I turned around, my eyes landing on the shattered window in the wall near the bed. Cold gusts of air passed through it, but my skin was warm and unaffected by the temperature.

Carefully, I climbed out of it, struggling to keep the wool blanket wrapped around me. I balanced on the window frame, slowly turning around to face the roof. My feet stepped on a piece of broken glass still on the window and I yelped quietly, looking down with my teeth clenched in pain. I shook out my throbbing foot, already feeling it heal, and slid my body atop the roof of the cottage.

Not so gracefully, I managed to heave myself into a sitting position upon slightly slanted roof. I slowly moved to the middle,wanting to be on the other side to see the sunrise. Once I had a good view, I crossed my legs and wrapped the large blanket all around my body, the wool smelling like pine trees and dewy leaves. It smelled like home.

My eyes scanned out across the land in front of me, past the other cottages and onto the expansive forest ahead. The sky was dark purple, but on the horizon I could see the beginning of day, red and orange and beautiful. I felt so content at that moment, but I knew my mind was just holding everything back; the realization of what would happen today becoming more evident as the sun rose.

I ignored the giant, looming mountain behind me and everyone who lived on it for that moment. I forgot everything, even the boy sleeping under the roof beneath me, and just let myself enjoy the breathtaking view. The red-orange light began to grow bigger, the sky becoming painted with warm colors. The stars were fading away, and the sun's bright glow appeared on the horizon.

I prayed the warm light would melt all the black ice that covered this side of the mountain, seeing as Issac and I needed to make another journey across it.

Pine trees caught the morning light and my lips parted in awe as I watched everything unfold. I felt warmth creep up the mountain side, the sun rising higher and lighting up the frozen ground. I let out a sigh of contentment, my breath white in the winter air.

"Ouch." My head snapped around, my ears quickly identifying the owner of the voice. My eyes landed on Issac's face, only his head and hands visible as he stood on the window frame like I had. He looked up, his face lighting up when he saw me.