ᴜɴʀᴀᴠᴇʟᴇᴅ |ᴀ.ʟ| ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡʜᴜɴᴛᴇʀꜱ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ {ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴍɪʟʟᴇ ꜰᴀɪʀᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴛʀɪʟᴏɢʏ #2}

{𝕻𝖆𝖎𝖓 & 𝕻𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖊𝖘}

"Are you sure this is the park Alec was talking about?" Clary questions as we make our way around a small, deserted playground

"Positive. See the scorch marks?" Jace points to long, blackened lines of dead grass stretched out among the living, bright green strands, "Someone opened a Portal."

Suddenly, Simon appears before us, grunting as he skidded to a stop, still not completely used to being able to move so fast, "Nothing over there. And without the wolves to help us pick up a scent, this is gonna take forever."

Clary and I sign in unison, both with varying degrees of frustration and panic.

"We don't have forever" Jace mutters, "Everyone keep looking."

It was a colonel's command, every word ringing with a finality that made even Simon snap to attention, but for a slight rolling of his eyes

"Wait" Simon speaks, his eyes catching someone in the darkness, "Maybe he can help."

Before anyone could weigh in their opinion, Simon was calling over to the older, homeless man sitting on one of the park benches, his head hung low, as if he was resting...maybe sleeping?

I felt a pan of pity for the man but had no time to dwell on it before Simon's voice rang through the cloying darkness, startling the man from his sleepy stupor.

"Excuse me, um...a little girl might have gotten kidnapped a few days ago. I was wondering if you've seen her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about..." The man's voice was gruff and had an edge of wariness too it...almost fearful. Taking one look at Jace, stony faced, tall and muscular, with a sword in his hand, I understood the reasoning behind the man's nerves.

"Are you sure?" Clary presses gently, forever the kindly one, "She's about yay tall, pigtails, always...wears a scarf"

Clary's words drift off with her gaze as she zero's in on a small, blue scarf tucked into the mans front pocket, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Hey, where'd you get that scarf?" Simon pushes, his voice taking on a more urgent edge that seemed to frighten the man further

"Nowhere. I found it. It's mine" The man glowered, tightening his grip on the scarf as if we would steal it. Which, I realised, he probably thought we were going to...

Simon's eyes light up with a sudden idea and his gaze flickers to Jace's impressive leather jacket...genuine leather, good condition, something that would keep you warm and be worth a pretty penny...

"Do you want to make a trade?"

***

"Keep heading north" Jace instructs, hand clutched around Madzie's scarf - he was still annoyed about losing his favourite leather jacket to a random man for no money but the verbal complaints didn't last long...we were doing this to save Clary's life and, for that, we would all sacrifice everything, "The signal's faint, but we can still track her."

"Don't sound too excited" Simon remarks

"It's too easy..." Jace ponders

"It wasn't easy" Simon rejects, "That jacket's at least two sizes too small on that guy. I'm just a great salesman!"

"Valentine's too smart to have not thought about blocking the signal" Jace agonises, ignoring Simon, "If we can track Madzie, it's because he wants us to. We'll be walking into a trap."

I sigh, resting a hand on Jace's shoulder comfortingly. The corner of his mouth lifts infinitessimally, his hand patting mine.

"We'll be okay, little brother" I assure him, "We've both handled Valentine before, we can do it again."