A Mortal Instruments Fanfiction: Part 1 - SACRIFICE

Chapter 11

Jace stood up, shaking pins and needles out of his stiff legs. He had barely eaten anything; partly out of concern for whatever hair brained scheme Magnus was thinking up for Clary, and partly because he had never been partial to octopus tentacles. He glanced over to where Clary was, her head bent conspiratorially towards the warlock. He turned away, sternly reminding himself that being around her would only hurt him.
Isabelle and Simon were sitting a short distance away, also deep in conversation, the stained glass window above them projecting muted colours onto Izzy's black hair. Jace snorted; he saw a bitter sort of humour in the fact that Simon's chances with his adoptive sister only existed now that he was a Downworlder. Jace glanced around, looking for Alec; he was worried about what had gone on between him and Magnus earlier. But his parabatai was talking to a harried looking Maryse, who had received a fire message from her son and had portaled straight from the Bangkok institute. He had never known until now that you could third wheel on such a grand scale.
Jace felt useless; he had been planning on training Clary to fight whatever she had to, but now Magnus was planning and he felt wholly left out of the battle tactics - a feeling he wasn't accustomed to or fond of. Moodily, he mooched over to a vaulting horse and threw himself onto it, only to stand up again as Magnus clapped his hands for attention, the sound ringing through the high ceilinged room and ending the conversations. Good, Jace thought childishly.
Like small children, Izzy, Simon, Maryse, Alec and Jace made their way over to Magnus. Jace followed, picking his way through abandoned takeaway boxes.
"You may all be wondering why I summoned you to the other side of the room," began the high warlock of Brooklyn, "Worry not, though. I have gathered you to explain my plan. First, however - Maryse, would you come here please?" With five pairs of eyes following her, Maryse Lightwood clicked over to Magnus in her knife-sharp stilettos. He murmured something to her, and surprise registered on her face, before she moved towards the door to leave.
Jace made a joke about alcohol-now-the-adults-are-gone, but Maryse barely heard. She was too busy praying that Magnus knew what he was doing.