Their Souls Entwined

An Unexpected Request

Clary awoke the next morning to find Jace gone. Even though she had spent a whole year by herself, she had become so used to waking up in his arms again that somehow she felt lonelier now than she had then. Glancing around the empty room, she noticed a piece of paper addressed to her on the bedside table. You just looked so peaceful sleeping I didn't want to wake you. I've gone to the training room for a couple of hours but I'll be back soon. Forever yours, Jace. Clary hugged the letter and smiled to herself, before getting out of bed and slipping into a sports top and leggings. She picked up her kindjals, which had been lying on the desk. They felt weightless in her hands, almost like they had become an extension of her arms and they illuminated against her touch, as all Adamas crafted blades did. She thought back to when she had first chosen them, they had called out to her and she had known from the moment she held them, that these were hers. She left and walked to the training room where she found Jace, brandishing a seraph blade through the air. His t-shirt clung to his body with sweat and Clary stared helplessly for a moment. "If you were too scared to fight me, you could have just said, instead of sneaking out whilst I was asleep," she called to him. He turned to look at her and grinned, "Aha that's cute, but we both know I would win anyway." He had walked up to her, intending to kiss her but she held a dagger up, "Care to find out?" she said as she moved toward the centre of the room. "Oh, I was hoping you would say that," he replied, moving swiftly toward her, bringing his blade down. She dodged it and took a step forward taking a swing with a dagger, but he was too quick and had already stepped out of the way. She lunged toward him again as he brought up his sword and the clash of metal against metal filled the room. Again and again, they swung at each other until Jace kicked out, knocking a kindjal out of her hand. It scattered across the room and she had turned away from him for a split second, when she turned back, she felt the soft impact of his body against hers. His eyes were gleaming gold rings gazing down into her own. She leaned forward and kissed him, it knocked him off guard and in that time she grabbed his blade from his hand and held hers to his throat. "That's cheating," he murmured against her lips. "Is it?" she replied, looking up at him innocently. "Yeah it is," and without saying another word, he picked her up and scooped her over his shoulder. Jace chuckled to himself as she screamed for him to put her down.

"Ahem." They had been so caught up with one another that they hadn't noticed Consul Jia Penhallow, who had been standing in the room for the last 5 minutes. Both Jace and Clary's heads turned to see her and Jace immediately set Clary down beside him. "Consul, we apologise, we didn't see you," Jace said in a formal tone. Jia nodded and turned to Clary, "Clarissa, I was glad when I received Isabelle's fire message. Welcome back." She was not smiling, Jia rarely smiled. She turned back to face Jace, "I was wondering if I may speak with you." Clary took that as her cue to leave but Jace caught her hand, "Of course." She stood up straight, like an arrow, "As you know, Jonathan Morgenstern murdered the Seelie Queen last year." Jace felt Clary's hand tremble slightly in his. Even though Clary could never justify the actions of her late brother, she always had hope that he would change one day and she couldn't help but love him, he was the last remaining family she had left. Her mind went to that day in Toronto when she had drawn her last rune, the rune that took her brother's life away as she held him. She remembered the agonizing pain she felt as well from the grief of losing yet another member of her family. "Well the Fair Folk have just elected their new queen and as her first official duty, she sent a messenger to me in Alicante, asking to meet with you tonight."

Jace's hand tightened around Clary's, but she hadn't noticed, she was busy looking at Izzy who had just appeared behind the Consul, gesturing for Clary to come to her. She gave Jace a reassuring squeeze of the hand and left the room. "The sensors have picked up some growing demon activity downtown and I thought you would like to go with Simon and me to check it out," Izzy said. Clary had been eager to get back out on a mission since she had got back to the institute, plus it would give her a distraction from worrying about Jace. "Yeah, I would love that," she answered, smiling back at Izzy. "Great! Meet us in the Ops centre at 6, we will go over the details there and gear up," she replied before giving Clary a quick hug and walking down the corridor. When Clary re-entered the training room, Jia had finished and was on her way out. She walked toward Jace and put her hands in his, "So the new Seelie Queen wants to meet you, huh? Should I be worried?" He brought her hands up and kissed them, "You never have to be worried. What did Izzy want, she seemed pretty eager to get your attention." "Oh, she asked me if I wanted to join her on a mission tonight, there is some demon activity downtown and she wants to check it out." Jace gave her an anxious glance, "You just got back, are you sure going on a mission is the best idea?" he said, a little apprehension in his voice. "Jace I'll be fine, don't worry about me. Plus, Simon will be there." "And that's supposed to make me feel better how exactly?" She laughed and put her arms around his neck and kissed him, she could feel his body relaxing under her touch and when she finally took her lips from his, he put his arms around her and rested his head against hers. "I just don't want to lose you again," he said after a couple of minutes. Clary looked up at him with wide eyes, "You won't."

***

The time was nearing 6 and both Clary and Jace were getting ready for their missions. "I don't like this," Clary confessed, turning to Jace, "What could the Seelie Queen want with you? Why can't you bring Alec just in case?" Clary knew how dangerous the Seelie Court could be, the last time she had been there, the previous queen had almost killed Jace and Simon simply to prove a point. Seelies thrived on chaos and that made them untrustworthy, even though they couldn't lie, over the years they had perfected the ability to answer your questions with an equivocal nature. Jace crossed the room and put his arms around her, "I don't like this either, but her instructions were clear, there is to be no one with me when I visit her. Also, I don't want you to be thinking about me when you're on your mission, if anything goes wrong and I mean anything, get yourselves out." He had leaned down to kiss her but there was a knock at the door, it had begun to open revealing Meliorn in spotless silver and gold armour. "Jace, her Majesty has requested me to escort you to her court tonight. Clary, welcome back." He said with a faint smile. "Merlion, good to see you again. About this meeting with the Seelie Queen, do you know anything about why she wants to meet with Jace?" she asked. "Because I'm awesome," Jace whispered in her ear, which she responded to with a glare. "The Queen has many reasons for the things she does. If she has chosen not to divulge why then I'm afraid I cannot help you. I suggest we leave quickly for the Queen does not like to be kept waiting." Jace hastily grabbed his bag and his blade, before taking Clary once more in his arms, "I love you," he said before he kissed her. It was a passionate kiss, one that told her he was scared to leave her without him ever needing to admit it. "I love you too. You are going to come back to me, you understand?" she whispered. He nodded his head and smiled before he strode out the room; Meliorn closely beside him.