Black || Jace Wayland [1]

| 08. jocelyn fairchild

******

"WHO IS THAT GUY?"

The three Shadowhunters stood at the entrance of the training room, watching as Hodge practiced with another one of their kind. Each maneuver was agile and swift, leaving a small blur of color behind every time their bodies moved. The way the two Shadowhunters fought was something Clary had never seen before. It was like they were dancing, dangerously passionate yet beautifully graceful.

"That's Hodge Starkweather, our weapons trainer." Jace told Clary as he watched the training session unveil before them. "And, more important for us, a former Circle member." "After the uprising, many Circle members repented, including him." Asher added on, making her way up into the room. "And he was sent to live and work here to make amends, but he's forbidden to ever leave the Institute."

Hodge raised the hand blades he picked out from the weapons stash. In one motion, he lacerated the air before him, causing his opponent's wooden bow staff to break into thirds. He straightened his posture and shrugged, leaving the shocked girl to pick up the pieces on the floor.

Hodge slipped on a black tank top as the three of them approached. He glanced at Clary, a smile making its way to his face. His shoulders dropped in relief. "Jocelyn." "Uh, I'm Clary." The redhead looked over at the other two Shadowhunters. "Jocelyn Fray is my mother." "Well, she was Jocelyn Fairchild when I knew her." Hodge replied, making Clary exhale slightly at the thought of her mother. "And she was one of my best friends."

"She's been kidnapped." Clary told him. "By someone named Valentine and his men." "By the Circle, Hodge." Jace rephrased. Hodge looked at him incredulously. "But that's impossible. Valentine's dead and the Circle died with him." He grunted in pain when the circle rune on the neck glowed. Clary widened her eyes in fright. "What's happening?"

"I swore a vow never to speak of what we did." Hodge took a deep breath as the pain subsided. "This is the Clave's way of making sure I keep that vow." "We can't torture him, Jace." Clary turned to the blonde Shadowhunter. "Can't we just ask Asher about it?" Asher shook her head. "The last thing I know about them is that Valentine was the leader of the Circle." She nodded towards Hodge. "The only way we can get the rest of the answers we need are from former Circle members."

"If Valentine is back and he took Jocelyn-" Hodge winced at the searing pain on his neck, holding a hand out stop Asher from going over to help. "We thought he wanted to protect humans, like all Shadowhunters, but we never realized the lengths which Valentine was willing to go, the people he was willing to sacrifice." Smoke slowly rose from the circle rune as the weapons trainer continued to speak. "Most of humanity would die if we carried out Valentine's plan."

"But I-I don't understand." Clary shook her head. "How does my mother relate to any of this?"

"Jocelyn was a member of the Circle as well."

Clary stared at him in disbelief. "No. I-I can't believe it. My mother-she-" "The important thing is that Jocelyn left the Circle." Hodge tried to ease the young girl . "And so none of this even matters because Valentine died in a fire years ago." He gasped out and fell backwards, Jace rushing to catch him.