Black || Jace Wayland [1]

| 13. valentine morgenstern

******

ASHER SPRINTED OUT of the caves to get as far away as possible. Her feet refused to stop, despite Jace calling for her to come back.

Alec leaned against the entrance, bored as he waited for everyone to return. When the brunette burst through the darkness into the open air, he quickly stood up. Asher's eyes were downcast with her eyebrows arching down into an angered expression. He immediately knew something was wrong.

"Ash." Alec reached out, but Asher brushed by him and continued to the van at a fast pace. "Asher!" The older Lightwood rushed up to her and grabbed her arm before she had the chance to escape. "What happened?" Asher felt her head spinning and her heart rate pick up immensely. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes tightly, not being able to answer his question.

The echo of Asher's name grew louder as Jace came running into the clearing with a distraught and teary-eyed Clary emerging seconds behind him. It takes him a moment to find who he's searching for and relief washed over him when he made eye contact with the brunette. "Are you okay?"

"I-I have to get out of here." Asher stepped back as Jace took a step forward. Clary looked so confused at lost that she didn't understand what to do. Alec put his arm protectively in front of Asher. "What happened?" He questioned the two who recently emerged from the city. "What did you find out?"

"Valentine." Asher managed to choke out. "He's Clary's father." "Wait a minute." Alec looked between the two of them, drawing his brows together. "You're telling me this girl shows up out of nowhere and she's Valentine's daughter?" He raised his voice extensively. "Did it occur to you that she might be a spy? This might be part of her plan?"

"That's enough, Alec."

"Do you think I planned for my mom to get kidnapped?" Clary questioned harshly. "Or-or for Dot to be taken? Or to have a giant sword dangle over my head and find out that my father is one of the most dangerous people in the world?"

Asher didn't wait to hear the rest and stormed off. She didn't know where she was going, only that she needed to get away from everyone.

Jace looked at his Parabatai. "Do you know what's going on with her?" "Yeah," Alec stated and crossed his arms. "I do."

"Where's Simon?"

Clary cut off their conversation, frantically looking around for her friend. Isabelle materialized from the shadows once she heard Clary mention the mundane's name. "I told him to stay in the van." She ran her fingers through her hair, distraught. "I've searched everywhere."

"He's gone?!"

"I can't find him." The younger Shadowhunter looked at her apologetically. "You were supposed to protect him!" Clary screeched out before stalking past her. Her high pitched voice echoed as she called out her best friend's name.

"Ugh, these mundanes are killing me." Jace muttered under his breath, but nonetheless followed the Lightwoods as they went to help Clary search for the mundane. He'll just have to figure out what was going on with Asher later.

The three Shadowhunters sped through the bushes back to the van, where they met Clary as she stared up at the concrete bridge. Asher was there as well, arms crossed and looking in the same direction. She would have been long gone right now if she hadn't heard Clary frantically calling out her best friend's name.

"I'm afraid Simon's coming with us."

Jace, Isabelle, Alec turn to look up. Two figures stood on one of the concrete beams. One was a male dressed in all black while the other was a female adorning a fancy red dress and holding Simon upside down by his ankles.  "No!" Clary screamed, running forward. "He's not apart of this!" Jace grabbed her by the arms to prevent her from going any further. "And it'll be my pleasure to kill you unless you return him." He threatened, looking back up at the two. "Careful." Alec warned his Parabatai. "We'd be violating the Accord."

"I'm afraid your sidekick's quite right." The man smirked, showing his fangs. "The Night Children have broken no laws. We're negotiating. The mundane, unharmed, in exchange for the Mortal Cup."

"Oh my god." Asher muttered to herself before walking away in the opposite direction. She took less than two steps before the Vampire spoke up to her directly. "Where are you going?" He demanded, tensing up at the unexpected reaction.

"I'm going home." Asher announced, cocking her head. "What are you gonna do? Follow me and steal my cat to negotiate for the Mortal Cup too?" "What is she doing?" Clary questioned Jace, who was just as confused as her. He started walking over to her. "Asher-"

"Don't patronize me, Shadowhunter!" The vampire growled, taking Simon from his partner. He shook the mundane vigorously as he was still upside down, making Clary plead for him to stop. "I will kill him." "And if you do, I will have no choice but to rip off that pretty little head from your shoulders." The brunette fired back, her patience dwindling by the second.

"I suggest you better start looking for the Cup." The vampire hissed, twisting his lips to look menacing. "The clock is ticking. Tick-tock, people." In less than a moment, they immediately vanished, taking Simon with them.

"Why did you do that?!" Clary screamed so loudly Asher thought that if she was anymore high pitched, her ears would bleed. The girl stormed over, eyes blazing, until she got up close and personal. "You could've killed him!"

"The vampires aren't going to kill your mundie boyfriend." Asher rolled her eyes. "They would be violating the accords and then the Clave would have to go in, guns blazing." "He is not my boyfriend." Clary snapped at her. She held her arms out and gestured to everything around them. "And Valentine may be my dad, but you shouldn't judge me based off of what he has done."

"Not everything is always about you, Clary." Asher attempted to keep her voice calm, but fury blazed beneath her skin. In the chilly weather, she could feel smoke coming out of her ears. "You don't know anything about me." "Hey!" Alec took his hands out of his pockets and started to make his way over to the two. "That's enough."

"You're right, I don't." Clary scoffed, dropping her hands to her side. "And you don't know anything about me either. I've been through absolute hell today and the only person who seems to have actually helped me is Jace. I lost everything today-"

"You think you lost everything?!" Asher shouted at her, chest heaving. "Valentine killed my parents!" Clary immediately stopped her actions, a look of shock written on her face. Asher leaned her head back, a humorless chuckle leaving her lips. "Your father killed them, and then tried to kill me too. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

The redhead was at a loss for words, as was Jace. He looked back to Isabelle for confirmation, but all she could do was hang her head in silence. "Clary, you know nothing about what's out there!" Asher exasperated, tears filling her eyes. "Monsters like your father will slaughter anyone who gets in their way, even a little girl who hadn't even learned how to fight."

"I-I'm so sorry." Clary had tears in her eyes, which made Asher scoff. "You don't get to cry over this." She looked off to the side as a tear are its way down her cheek. "Alec was right. Your experiences don't even come close to mine."

The brunette turned her back on everyone and walked away, images haunting her mind with every step she took.