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

Chapter 23: The Looks of The Guilty

Chapter 23: The Looks of The Guilty

_______

If looks could kill.

That was a phrase Clary would never take as just a quote ever again.

The dagger glares that Colette was shooting at her from across the room looked like it could melt glass. Clary shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another, pretending to be very interested in the shimmering almost transparent Portal that appeared a few feet in front of her.

Magnus stepped back, looking at the newly made Portal.

"Sweet pea first." Magnus said, bowing. Alec rolled his eyes but went through anyway. Clary looked to her left where Jocelyn was now awake but looking slightly groggy. Her eyes were trained on Clary and occasionally looked away to shoot dagger glances at Jace who was reserved as he stared at his stele that he was twirling with one of his long hands.

Magnus had woken her up and before she could choke the living lights out of Jace, Magnus had threatened to knock her out again and put a Block on her mind so she would forget what happened in London. Jocelyn had immediately shut up after that but she had kept a constant watchful eye on Clary.

But she didn't only have two eyes—Jocelyn and Colette's—on her. She had three.

Occasionally, Jace would look at her through a sideway glance. He wasnt as conspicuous in his staring as Jocelyn and Colette but Clary felt his gaze the most—like it was a breath of heat all over her.

So naturally, when Jace started walking towards her, his eyes set like a predator's, her heart picked up and her palms started getting slightly damp with sweat.

You can tell that to your two timing two faced jerkface.

Colette's words echoed in her head harshly and she tried to shake it off. She refused to think of that in a negative way. Colette could've been lying.

"Clary?" Jace's voice pulled her out of her reverie.

"Hmm?" she said, looking up at him.

His eyes were troubled, making the already present ball in her throat grow.

"You ready to go?" Jace said, pushing long, curly hair out of his golden eyes.

"Hmm." Clary said in a yes, trying to ignore the glares Colette was giving her at the moment.

"Are you okay?" Jace asked.

Clary almost said no but she forced a yes out of her mouth, offering Jace a small timid smile which he clearly didn't believe at all.

"Jocelyn," Magnus called. Rigidly, Jocelyn got up and stiffly walked over to the Portal, her hands balled into tight fists.

She stood in front of the Portal, glaring at it before throwing a quick glance at Clary before stepping through. Peeking from under Jace's arm, she watched as Jocelyn's figure was swallowed by the Portal. Clary see that Isabelle had already gone through.

"Shall we?" Jace said, gesturing towards the Portal.

Clary nodded, looking at the shimmering outline of the Portal.

She didn't particularly enjoy going through Portals—something bad was always happening when she went through a Portal.

The first time, she had been half dead. The second time, she was spit out rudely and thrown onto bitter hard concrete. What was going to happen the next time? Was she going to be thrown into another dimension? Torn in half by some rift in between here and there?