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

Chapter 30: Hellfire

Chapter 30: Hellfire

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Pain shot through her cheek as Clary winced as she moved her wrist. Blood dripped steadily from the irritated gash on her wrist and onto her cement bed. Her wrist had long gone numb. She could only feel the sick feeling of rough metal scratching and cutting into her skin and the occasional flare of pain in her cheek. She didn't know what demon metal was but it hurt a lot for one thing.

She knew her twenty minutes were almost up and Clary felt herself dreading what was waiting for her. She hadn't even given her answer much thought. There was nothing to think about. She refused to help something so despicable.

She'd rather die.

She stared at her bloody nails and palm which had a moderate cut on the front, looking at the way her blood welled up and fell down her palm. She clenched her bloody hand into a fist, staring straight ahead in darkness as pain burned through her hand.

The darkness of her cell suited her, the light being emitted from the bars feeling like hope: untouchable.

"Knock knock."

Clary looked up and suppressed a shudder at the sight of the fairheaded woman standing outside her cell, smiling expectantly.

"So?" she said, almost bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"I'm not helping you. My answer hasn't changed." Clary said firmly.

The woman's eyes darkened drastically, her enthusiasm muting and her eyes narrowing to slits. "Very well." she said, her lips curling upwards.

"Haverley!" she barked sharply, her cold hard eyes never leaving Clary. "I wish I didn't have to ruin your pretty body and face but what I'm doing is more important."

A girl with a slim, tall figure danced up to the woman. She wore a tight red corset for a top, a black jacket sheathing her arms. She wore a pair of blood red leather pants and mid-calf high black boots. There was something highly dangerous in her aura, the way she carried herself. Her hair was a vibrant shade of bright red hair and was tied into a sleek braid that trailer down her back. Clary found herself staring at the girl's crown of red hair.

"Yes, my suzerain?" Haverley said, bowing slightly.

"Convince her, Haverley. And show no mercy." the woman said coldly, the words feeling like frozen steel pipes being stabbed into Clary before turning away and disappearing.

Haverley turned to look at Clary, her head cocked to a side. Now that she was facing Clary, she could see Haverley's full profile.

The girl had pale ghostly skin and blood red lips. Her big green eyes were framed with thick eyelashes that cast shadows on her cheekbones.

There was the sound of metal being dragged across rock again and Haverley stepped through the bars, her red stele still clutched tightly in her right hand.

As the threatening girl got closer, Clary could see that the whites of her eyes danced with blue and green veins and her green irises were dusted with black flecks.

Clary flinched as Haverley got too close. She kicked her legs out but Haverley merely rolled her eyes before quickly applying the tip of her stele to the end of the manacle chain that disappeared into the wall. The chain broke of with a mild clink and Clary felt the will to fight fill her up. She wasn't going to go down without a fight.

She screamed, shoving Haverley away. The tall girl staggered backwards, her nostrils flaring in anger as she did. Clary shoved past her, a small sense of hope planting itself in her chest when she saw that the bars of her cell were still parted, giving her an escape.