By the Angel

Chapter 17

I take a deep breath as Jace walks me up to the door. "Are you sure, everybody will be asleep by now?" I mean they should be its four in the damn morning, if I didn't have a psychopath for a dad I sure as hell would be passed the fuck out but I digress.

"Yes, I'm sure, Alec is the equivalent of an old grumpy man, he's in bed before ten." Yeah, that doesn't really answer the rest of my question.

Jace opens the door for me and I walk in with his hand firmly clasped in mine. I freeze as I'm met by what must be his entire family in one room.
Even the grumpy old man is here.
Asleep my ass, damn it, I should have just went to Luke's but Jace is just... very charming and now I'm paying the price for my poor decisions.

Jace squeezes my hand tighter as if he thinks I might run away and honestly, I'm thinking about the nearest exit, which happens to be right behind me, I could just back out slowly and run as fast as I can into the night.

Tempting very tempting but Alec already hates me, I have no idea how Isabelle feels but I imagine her opinion isn't that much better. Relief washes over me as a sleepy Magness strides into the Livingroom, looking annoyed. "Why is everyone still up? Alexander weren't you asleep next to me when I drifted off? What are you..." he trails off as his eyes find mine. I wave at him, thankful to see one smiling face in the crowd of Drill Sergeants.

"Biscuit?" His smile fades as his cat like eyes hone in on my neck, I have no idea how bad the bruising is but judging by the horror on his face it's terrible. I pull the collar of my jacket closed trying and failing to cover the injury. Everyone is staring at me like I'm a circus act and it's even more awkward than I feared It would be.

"A friend of yours?" A beautiful older woman says to Jace. She looks like the spitting image of Isabel and Alec. I think her name is Maryse? Perfect time to meet his mom.

"Actually, she's my girlfriend and she's staying with us now."
Well there it is not subtle at all, just rip the band-aid off why don't you Jace. By the angel, if Valentine isn't the death of me this boy will be. I almost grimace at my own joke, too soon.

"Like hell she is!" Alec screams, "have you lost your damn mind? If it wasn't bad enough that you were dating the enemy now you bring her into our home?"

"Watch it," Jace growls. Looking angry enough to kill. He's the hottest murderous puppy I have ever seen. That's what Magnus calls him every time I talk to him and I kind of like it, it suits him sort of. If a puppy were a fierce lion, protecting his girlfriend.

"Jace," Maryse says slowly, "I'm sure this Clarrisa is it?"

"Clary." Jace corrects and I could kiss him. He probably saw the flinch at hearing my full name. Only three people have called me that. Valentine, my mother and the assassin or whatever the hell he was.

"I'm sure Clary is a very nice girl but Jace you know the rules. You can't just bring this girl her especially not the leader of our rivals. You must use your head, Jace. You're a lightwood, we don't let our emotions cloud our judgment, you know that or have you forgotten?"

Magnus holds out his hand, "if you're going to continue to talk about her like she's not even here she may as well not be. Come on biscuit, I'll make you hot cocoa." I gratefully take his hand as he leads me to the kitchen. Once I'm sitting on the stool he claims the one by my side and grins at me.

"So, one date and ready to shack up huh? That's even faster than me and Alec! Must have been some date."

"Well, you know it was pretty fucking fantastic."

He chuckles as he jumps off the barstool and opens the freezer, returning with an icepack and a jar of white liquid. He opens the lid and dips his manicured fingers in the liquid. "Unzip your jacket, so I can get to your chest."

"What's that?" I ask wearily. 

"Magic," he replies as he gently rubs a glob on to my neck and chest. It smells of vapor rub and coconut and I suspect it smells like exactly what it is.

"When did he do this?" Magnus asks silently.

"Tonight, but it's really no different than any other night in the Morgenstern household."

"I'm so sorry Clary, I hate him, I shouldn't have stayed away from you but he promised..."

"Promised what?" 

"He promised he wouldn't hurt you anymore if I stayed away and he threatened to make it worse if I didn't follow his orders."

"It's okay Mags, that goes both ways I let him manipulate me into cutting you out, I thought you were safer. It was bad enough putting Luke in danger."

"Well never again, Clary Bane. Do you hear me? Nobody and I mean nobody will keep you away from me again."

"You called me Bane," I say grinning up at him.

"Of course," he replies without the slightest hesitation. "you're my sister."

I missed him so much that I could cry. If that were something I did. For the first time, I notice someone out of the corner of my eye. I turn and see that Isabelle has been standing in the corner probably the entire time. Once she knows she's been spotted she skips into the center of the kitchen as if she wasn't just spying on a very private conversation.

"Didn't you say you were making Clary cocoa?" She waves her hand, "get to it Mags," she says mimicking my nickname. I almost laugh at her bluntness. Makes me like her even. Instead of playing the chicken shit and trying to spin some bullshit she straight up admits she was eavesdropping. I can respect that.

Magnus rolls his eyes as he gets up, "and I want a glass as well!"

"So, Clary, what are your intentions with my brother?"
She sounds so much like a mom with that question I have to stifle a laugh. "Well," I say," for now just trying to stay out of his way, I don't think the grumpy cat likes me very much."

"I mean my other brother." She says but her lips turn up into a smile. Well at least someone else finds me funny. "Because Alec is convinced that you're using our Jace to win the fight."

If I had the coco already it would have flown out of my mouth. Is that why Alec has been so hostile? He thinks I'm using his brother? "I promise you, Isabelle, I like Jace, I care about him more than you know. Every battle I've won or will ever win have been attained by my skill alone. I wouldn't do that to anyone, especially not to Jace. He's been... wonderful and that's something I'm not used to its... an incredible change."

She smiles at me, a genuine smile that reaches all the way to her eyes. "I believe you, Clary Bane, I think you're good for my brother. I don't care if you're our rival," she puts the last word in quotation marks. "Jace has never been this crazy over anyone else, in fact, I don't think he's ever spent more than one night with another girl." She freezes as she just realized what she said.
"Umm don't tell him I said that I..."

"Isabelle," I laugh, "I'm not under the impression Jace Wayland is a virgin, I mean I have seen what he looks like."

"I like you, I mean really like you. So much in fact that I'm going to go spy on my family for you. Magnus have my coco ready upon my return!"

I watch Isabelle saunter off liking the girl more and more by the second. I wonder what is being said about me in that living room. Judging by the things said while I was standing right there... well let's just say if I had an eight ball it would say "outlook not so good."

Thanks so much for reading angels! Don't forget to vote and comment telling me what you think!
Published March 2nd, 2019