Our Fate II ➰Shadowhunters➰ [Jace]

➰Chapter Forty-eight➰

➰Chapter Forty-eight➰

"Well, Seelie magic doesn't lie. What happened was probably real for Clary," Jace said, once Leah had explained to him what had happened between Clary, Simon and Isabelle at the Seelie Court. "You can't just erase your feelings for someone like that."

"Probably. But neither Isabelle nor Clary are sure of what those feelings are, Jace," Leah replied with a sigh. "And Simon was really hurt. Let's not forget that."

"Glad to see you came," Alec said, once they arrived by the table at the Ops room. Neither Isabelle nor Clary were there, only Sebastian, which made Leah uneasy by default. "I've requested that we move Valentine to the Gard in Idris. The Clave has approved the transfer."

"Did you also tell them about Luke?" Leah asked, immediately concerned for her friend.

"No. I explained to them that moving Valentine out of the city is the best way to restore relations with the Downworld."

"Clever. It is the right decision," Sebastian said, nodding approvingly.

"But we have not given up finding who orchestrated the hit on Valentine," Alec stated, to which Leah nodded.

"We have to figure out who came up with the means to kill him, or they will just use another Downworlder as their puppet."

Sebastian and Jace went to get everything arranged for Valentine's transfer. Alec took the opportunity to talk to Leah. "Isabelle told me about what happened at the Seelie Court. Is Clary doing okay?"

"I don't know. She left this morning to try and apologize to Simon. She refuses to talk to any of us," Leah sighed. "I guess she's just frustrated that I was right about that whole thing all along. I just hope her friendship with Simon can survive past this."

➰➰➰

"Is that tight enough?" Jace spoke, toying around with Valentine's handcuffs. He then tightened them, his eyes narrowing at him, filled with pure hatred. "Better."

Jace held up the deruning device, but Valentine didn't waver for a second. "Go ahead, Jace. It's not some rune that makes us who we are. It's our blood. And yours, my boy... Is exceptional."

"That's 'cause you experimented on me. On my mother," Jace retorted.

"The same way you did to Jocelyn," Leah added.

"I want to know... Why? Why her?"

"Sweet Céline... She wanted a child so desperately... When she and Stephen learned that she was pregnant again, with you, she was terrified that she was going to lose the baby. So she came to me, asking for help."

"And I'm sure you were so happy to oblige," Jace spat bitterly.

"The injections I gave your mother, laced with Ithuriel's pure angel blood, made you stronger. After her tragic death, after I pulled you from her womb, barely alive, I raised you to use that blood," Valentine said, his gaze fixed on Jace. "I taught you—"

"You taught me to not feel!" Jace snapped. "You taught me that to love is to destroy, and to be loved, is to be the one destroyed."

"And you've proven how right I've been all along. Remember when you thought you and Leah were siblings? Well, it didn't take you long to accept that as the truth and move on from your so called feelings for her," Valentine turned to look at Leah with a cold smile. "Ah, Leah, my daughter. You have taken the wrong side of the exchange, you see. Because, even though you have angel blood in your system... You also have demonic tendencies, and you always will. The Sword might've cleansed some of it, but you can't escape what you are. What you always will be."