predestined | jace herondale

15

"Zee, please let me explain." Jocelyn begged as we walked into the Institute, Aldertree and Lydia in front of us, Aldertree's men walking alongside us also.

I ignore her, turning into the training room, Jocelyn following me along with Simon.

"Zee." Jocelyn raises her voice, "Zee, stop!"

What she had done had woken my anger, as it boiled through my veins, that I felt that I was about to burst with rage.

"What is wrong with you?" I face her, "We almost had him back."

"Zee-" Jocelyn began, "I can explain-"

"I don't want your explanation!" I lash out, "You tried to kill him!"

My shout leads my mother and Clary to walk in.

Clary looks at us, "What's going on?"

"Are you okay?" My mother, Margaret walks over to me, concern crossing her features when she noticed the rip in my shirt and how it was stained with blood.

"Your mother-" I said in a dangerously calm voice, pointing at Jocelyn, looking right at Clary, "She tried to kill Jace, and almost killed me in the process."

"Mom?" Clary looks at Jocelyn with wide eyes.

My mother stares right at Jocelyn, "You almost killed my daughter?"

"You don't understand." Jocelyn stares at me, huffing in guilt, "I didn't mean to hurt you, Zee. You've got to know that, I love you- I would never want to hurt you intentionally-"

"If you hurt him, you hurt me." I spat at her, "You tried to kill him. That was intentional."

"Zee-" My mother tried to calm me, grabbing my arm, "Enough, just breathe-"

"No, Mom-" I pull away from her, pointing at Jocelyn, "Jace means so much to me. If you're any type of threat towards him, you are dead to me."

"Zee, you don't understand." Jocelyn sighs.

"You're right, I don't." I scoff, "I don't understand why you would try to kill our brother."

"Because your brother, he's not who you think he is." Jocelyn blurts out, running a hand through her hair, "Honey, there's still so much you don't know."

"Oh, and whose fault is that?" I looked between her and my mother, then stood right in front of Jocelyn, "Everyone says that Valentine is the monster, but you- you just tried to murder your own son!"

Simon cuts in, coming between us, "Hey, maybe- we should take a deep breath and relax."

"Simon, give us some space, please." Jocelyn gently said.

"Sure thing, Mrs. F." Simon clears his throat, stepping away.

"No, you're not going anywhere." I stop him, then look at Jocelyn, "I trusted you with my life. But- then you went along and- tried to kill someone I care about- who is also your son- and then almost became the one who took my life away."

"I want you to know I'm a victim here, too." Jocelyn grabs my hands, "We all are."

"Of course you're going to play that card-" I scoff in disbelief, pulling my hands away, turning to walk away and towards Clary and my mother who were watching in shock, "It's the only card you can play-"

"Zee, please- one moment, just listen-" Jocelyn grabs me and turns me to face her, "When I was pregnant with your brother, Valentine drugged me. He did an experiment on the baby."

My eyebrows furrow, "What?"

"He injected Jonathan with demon blood." Jocelyn told me, swallowing hard at the thought of it.