Valentine's Arrow

10: Light to Dark

CHAPTER TEN

REBECCA

"What the hell happened back there?" Rebecca said to Clary in a harsh whisper as soon as Sebastian was out of earshot. He had disappeared soon after Jace had left, explaining that he needed to get things ready for the 'ceremony'. "Why did you tell Sebastian that the binding rune was damaged?"

"I would've had to!" Clary countered. "He was going to go to the Clave to give himself up-"

"By the Angel, have you really lost your mind?"

"What would you have done in my place?" Clary said furiously. "The Clave – they would have looked for a way to separate Jace from Sebastian, and of course, they can't do that without a heavenly blade – and then they would have killed him."

"Maybe you're right," Rebecca said mockingly. "Or maybe you're just so blinded by your love for Jace that you'll do anything to keep him alive, even if it's not what he wants."

"He wouldn't have wanted to die!"

"I'm sure he would've preferred that to being Sebastian's pawn!"

"Oh, you're one to talk."

That caught Rebecca off guard. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Clary stepped closer to her. "Yeah, I saw that. You and Sebastian, having your little moment together. Are you on his side now? Going to get married soon and live happily ever after as Mr and Mrs Morgenstern?"

"Shut up, Clary!" Rebecca's hands had balled themselves into fists. "You don't know what you're talking about..." Her voice died away as she stared at Clary. She took a deep breath and continued, "I'm not on his side. And never will be. You have to trust me, Clary."

Clary, whose face had gone red with fury, slumped back against the wall, all the tension leaving her body. "I should have known. That was just... stupid of me. After Max... I'm sorry." She looked up at Rebecca. "Are we good?"

Rebecca gave her a small, sheepish smile. "Of course."

Clary didn't return the smile. "There's a problem, though."

Rebecca's heart sank. "What is it?"

Clary dropped her voice and said, "My faerie ring is missing."

"Missing?" Rebecca echoed. "Where is it?"

"If I knew that, it wouldn't be missing," Clary said exasperatedly. "The last time I remember having it on was before we went to the nightclub in Prague. I don't know if-"

"Sebastian?" Rebecca interrupted. "Could he have found it?"

"That's just it. I don't know if I lost it, or if he found it somehow."

Rebecca steeled herself. "Well, there's only one way to find out. We'll need to search his room-"

A loud knocking on the door startled her into silence. She cast Clary a worried glance as the door opened, and Sebastian came in. He was holding something long, red, and flowy in his hands. He'd changed, too – he was wearing a scarlet leather tunic, intricately worked with gold and silver runes, and held together by a row of metal clasps across the front. There were hammered silver bracelets on each of his wrists, and he wore the Morgenstern ring. He graciously smiled at them, then held out the red material. "This is for you to wear," he said, as Rebecca unfurled it - two beautifully woven silk red capes, with a black and gold trimming around the end.

"This is for... the ceremony?" Rebecca said.

"Yes. How you look tonight – the impression you make on our new acolytes – is important. Put it on."

Clary and Rebecca simply exchanged mute glances.

"I'll give you ladies some privacy to get ready," Sebastian said, making his way to the door. "Oh, by the way," he said, turning to look back at them. "Tonight, you call me Jonathan Cristopher Morgenstern."

The minute he left, Clary stood up. "I have to search for the ring. I have to let Simon know about this ceremony tonight."

"No, hang on." Rebecca placed her hand on Clary's arm. "Maybe it's better if I go." When Clary cast her a questioning look, she hurriedly explained, "I think he trusts me. At the very least, he probably won't be too pissed if he does find me snooping about his room, instead of you. I could probably play the damsel-in-distress card."

Clary didn't like it, but she relented. "Alright then."

Sebastian's room was empty. The bed was a tangle of black silk sheets and comforter. There was a glass and steel desk near the window, covered with books and papers, and boy clothes were scattered everywhere – jeans and jackets and T-shirts and gear.

On the nightstand, there was a small silver box, carved with the initials J.C.; Rebecca stared at it for only a moment before beginning a frantic search for the faerie ring. She started with the steel desk – it had a dozen drawers at least, each one containing dozens of papers with complex numerical and alchemical figures on them; giving up on the desk, she threw open the drawers to his closet.

"You've got to be kidding me," she murmured. The closet was filled with clothes from name designers - Armani suits, Gucci t-shirts, and the like. How much money did he have? She sighed and closed the closet door. The only thing left to search was his nightstand. Casting a quick glance at the door, she pulled the drawer open.

Bingo. Lying on a stack of notes was the faerie ring. She barely had time to slip it into a pocket and push the drawer shut before the door opened and Sebastian strode in.

Rebecca tried for a nervous smile.

"And what," he said, walking slowly over to her, "are you doing in my room?"

Rebecca let him draw close to her, a smile still on her face. "Looking for you, actually. I wanted to talk to you." She took a step closer to him. "I was thinking about what you said to me before... about how we had something special." She looked up, forced herself to look into his eyes. "You were right, Sebastian. I felt it too."

Sebastian's expression didn't change, but when he spoke, he sounded breathless. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes," Rebecca said, fighting against the lump in her throat. "I want to give you a chance, Sebastian. I want to know you."

Sebastian grasped her hand and brought it to his lips. "You will not regret this, my beautiful one." His eyes were bright, his cheeks flushed - the redness was in stark contrast to his pale skin.

"I'm going to go get ready," Rebecca said softly, and, taking her hand out of Sebastian's, she left the room, her heart thudding.

"Quick, quick!" Rebecca whispered harshly, shutting and locking the door to her bedroom. She thrust the faerie ring at Clary, who slipped it onto her finger and shut her eyes, her face twisted in concentration. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes, fear trickling across her face.

"What's wrong?" The nervous relief in Rebecca's chest was replaced by a dull horror. "Is it working? Can you reach Simon?"

"No..." Clary wrung her hand, as if the ring was a pen that could be coaxed to write a little more by shaking it. "There's nothing. I can't hear Simon."

"Let me try-"

Too late.