After COHF

Chapter 22

The demon grinned a smile that showed all his pointed canines. Magnus was now on his feet and Alec had his hand on his arm as if to restrain him. Isabelle was starring off in the distance- stuck in a trance, Simon was looking around for... a weapon? an answer? Clary stood starring at Jace, who was backed up against the wall looking like he was about to collapse onto it, with the baby nesteled in her arms.

No one said a word for a long moment, the group began to come to. They watched the demon who was walking around the parlor of the house just below where they stood on the stairs overlooking him. He began to back up to better view the group.

His eyes scanned the group before stopping on Charlotte with a deadly smile.

Jace popped off the wall and went to block the baby from his view, Clary held the baby tightly.

"Who's this? I seem to have overlooked someone," He took a step forward when Magnus lost it.

The warlock brought a sheet of electricity down on the demon who laughed at the attempt.

"Magnus," Alec grabbed his arm again but the warlock only shook it off.

"Stupid kid," the demon spit, Alec had no idea whether he was saying it in response to Magnus's attempt to strike him or Alec's attempt to hold him back.

Isabelle, who had been silent up until that point, uncoiled her bright serpent-like whip and added to a layer of protection between the baby and the demon.

 The demon responded by only sneering- the golden whip may be under heavens fire but was only usful if it was used.

Jace's face remained blank, although he was poised to protect the baby.

The demon smiled, "I'm sure you will all be seeing something... rather spectacular in your dreams for awhile," Clary held her baby closer and Jace began to lower his hand to his hilt.

It was all for not, as the demon grinned once more, made a mock- salute and vanished. Leaving nothing but stunned faces around him.

~~~

The rest of the night went seemingly slowly. No one went home; they all decided that it would be best for everyone to stay in Alicante, in the protection of the Manor. A fire message had already been sent out about the entire thing- or at least everything that mattered.

No one said anything about the visions they had been shown- one of the laughing boy holding the soilder and another of a crying boy being beaten.

Everyone lingered in the livingroom, waiting for something from Jace. They'd all known it was him but never could imagine the kind of pain someone could inflict on a child.

Clary sat wordless, eyes flickering between Jace and the book that sat locked and unopened on the shelf. Jace had always made speaches and she waited for another. 

Everyone had known that he hadnt been treated right as a child, they knew that he had been forced to train and had gotten his runes at a very young age and had endured the nightmares that had come from the runeing.

 Hitting and kicking, whipping and smacking and the haunting metal blows haunted Clary everytime she closed her eyes. She couldnt imagine the things going through Jace's mind. He paced in front of the bookcase, everyone watched him. When he finally dropped his path and left the room everyone let a huge sigh out. They looked around the room- sure something was bound to happen but nothing did.

"I'm going to talk to him," Clary was the first to surrender to the silence and leave the room.

She knew the others wanted to- knew that they all wanted to say something. But Jace would only tell one person- Clary.

 She wound her way upstairs to the only room she knew she would find him in- the library. Entering the room she thought for a moment that she had guessed wrong. Maybe he had gone to anoter room. Perhaps he was in the bedroom, or the office.

When something moved to curve around her waist she let out a gasp and spun around at the source while clutching Charlotte tighter.

"I'm sorry Clary," His eyes were glistening- she hadnt seen him cry since Lottie was born, he hadnt been given a reason.

But now everyone knew. And that broke him.

He couldnt use his normal meathod of putting a mask over his past. He'd never even told Clary exactly what happened when he was little although he knew Jocelyn knew what Valintine was like and surely she would warn her daughter what she was marrying- having a kid with- living with.

"Why should you be sorry? Jace," She cupped his face before he could drop his eyes to the floor, "it's not your fault,"

"But I never told you," He wrapped his arms protectivly around her. She shivered, he was so close.

Even on her toes she didnt come close to his height, and with a squirming baby in her arms she hesitated.

"I'm sorry," he said- but she could sense he wasn't talking to her. Not really. He lead her to a chair and sat in it. She lowered herself into his lap, they sat in the wide room surrounded by books.

Charlotte fell asleep in Clary's lap and Clary did the same in Jace's lap.

He was happy to watch the two sleep, flaming auburn hair draped over his arms. He felt a twinge of sorrow for leaving the rest of his family how he had but they knew they were welcome to roam around the house. They were welcome to anything.

Soon he would open the book, the one with his name scrawled across the top. Martha's book.