Chapter 29

Faith

The warm tea in mugs sat in both my hands as I made my way into the livingroom of Jace and I's place. Clary sat on the couch, looking around at the place that was mostly unpacked now.

"Here you go," I said, handing her, her mug before sitting next to her.

"Thanks," She said with a sigh, her eyes returning to the house. "I still don't see why I'm here, I'd be perfectly safe at the Institute."

"You're starting to sound like Jace," I said with a smirk as I took a sip of my tea. "You're here because no one knows about this place."

Clary nodded, understanding but still not fully agreeing. She paused for a second, sipping her tea before smiling slightly. "It's nice to see this place have some life in it again."

"Yeah. I haven't touched much in your room. There's still some stuff in it if you want to go through it," I said.

My sister shrugged, "Eventually I will." Her head turned and looked at me, adjusting herself so her arm was resting on the back of the couch. "How are you feeling? I heard you got sick this morning."

Shrugging, my fingers rubbed the warm mug, "I'm better. I woke up in the middle of the night hungry and I think that just upset my stomach."

As if on cue, the front door opened and we both turned to see Jace walk in. He noticed us and waked over, "Hey."

"Hey," I replied as he leaned down and gave me a kiss, setting a hand on my shoulder.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better," I said, letting out a breath.

Suddenly, Clary jumped next to me, making Jace and I look at her as she hissed in pain. She held up her left hand, watching it as veins of grey and black overtook her hand, working its way up.

"What the hell?" She yelled.

"What's happening?" Jace asked, causing Clary to look between us.

"I, I don't know," She breathed heavily as fear overtook her eyes.

Quickly, I grabbed Clary as Jace jogged down to the car, starting it up and waiting for Clary and I to climb in. We raced over to Magnus' hoping he would have answers, all three of us worried as we watched Clary's skin continue to change to almost an ashy color.

Bursting through the door of Magnus' house, Magnus sat up from his couch, looking at us and sighing. "Don't you people have phones?"

"We need help," I said, leading Clary over to Magnus.

Magnus looked at her ashy hand, analyzing it for a minute before saying, "La Chair Brulee."

"I'm guessing that's not a dessert," Clary said.

"It means "the burnt flesh." It's an old blood oath spell," Magnus said, moving over to his shelves of books.

Jace look at Clary and I, "Then it must be Iris. She said you owed her a favor."

Clicking in her brain, Clary's mouth parted, "At Max's party, she said I have to find Madzie."

Moving over to us with a book, Magnus said, "Then we better start looking. I can get rid of the pain, but that's about it. I'm afraid once the magic reaches your heart..."

I shook my head, looking at Clary whose I's looked at me. "So if I don't find Madzie, I'm dead."

Putting my hands on her shoulders, I shook my head, saying, "No, no. I'm not going to let that happen. Magnus, there has to be a cure. There has to be something we can do to stop this."

"Can't we force Iris to undo it?" Jace asked?

Sighing, Magnus said, "I wish it were that easy. But blood oath spells are completely binding. Even Iris herself can't reverse it now."

A sigh of frustration left my lips as I moved to pace.

Jace looked at Magnus, looking equally frustrated, "How do we find her then? Valentine could have her anywhere."

My pacing continued as silence filled the room, helping my brain cells work overtime. It then clicked in my head, causing my pacing to stop, "My journal." I looked at the small group that had their attention on me. "Maybe, if I concentrate hard enough on Madzie, I can see where she's at or at least where she was abducted."

Clary squinted her eyes, confused, "Does it work like that?"

Shrugging, I said, "I don't know. But it's worth a try."

I grab a pen and and an empty journal Magnus had before taking a seat at a random desk in Magnus' livingroom. My eyes starred at the paper for a moment, feeling eyes on my back. A sigh left my lips as I just starred emptily at the blank sheet.

"Anything?" Jace asked?

"Not with everyone looking at me," I said, slightly annoyed.

Magnus ushered everyone out of the room, "Why don't we give her some space?"

Jace walked over to me, putting his hands on my arms and rubbing them soothingly. "Hey, you can do this," He said and kissed the top of my head before leaving.

I suck in another breath before I begin writing. The words fall onto the paper forced at first before the pen becomes my hand and the words are flowing out like water from a faucet.

Suddenly, I come to a halt as the look back at the two words I just wrote. Brady Park.

"I've got it, I know where she was taken!" I yell, standing up as everyone rushes in.

"Great," Clary says, pulling out her phone as I close my journal.

Jace, confused, asks, "Who are you calling?"

"Simon. If we're gonna be searching all night, we can use his skills. I need him."

The three of us climb into my car and we head to the park. It's dark but lights throughout the park light it up so we can see if anyone is there.

"Are you sure this is the park?" Clary asked?

"Positive. My journals haven't steered me wrong yet," I said, checking underneath one of the slides for something, anything.

Jace points off, "See the scorched grass? Someone opened a Portal."

Simon, using his vampire speed, races over and stops by us. "Nothing is around here. And without the wolves to help us pick up a scent, this is gonna take forever."

A sigh leaves Clary and I's lips before Clary speaks up, "We don't have forever. Everyone keep looking."

Simon pointed off to a homeless man sitting on a bench near the exit of the park. "Maybe he can help." We walk over, Simon grabbing the man's attention. "Excuse me, um a little girl might have gotten kidnapped a few days ago. I was wondering if you've seen her."

"I don't know what you're talking about," The man said annoyed.

"Are you sure? She's about this tall, pigtails, always wears a scarf," Clary says.

Hearing the word scarf, I notice a red scarf around the man's neck, looking out of place next to his torn and dirty clothes. "Hey, where'd you get that scarf?"

"Nowhere. I found it. It's mine."

Simon glances at Jace before looking at the man, "Do you wanna make a trade?" He looks at Jace's jacket.

"What?"

Simon nods towards the jacket and Jace sighs annoyingly. He slips it off and gives the man the jacket and leaving him in a black long sleeve shirt. We get the spell and head back to the car. Jace uses a locator spell to track Madzie, leading Simon to start driving while I sat in the back with Clary who was looking a bit weaker.

"Keep heading north. The signal's faint, but we can still track her," Jace ordered.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is too easy?" I asked?

"It is," Jace says, clearly not excited.

Simon scuffs, "It wasn't easy. That jacket's at least two sizes small on that guy. I'm just a great salesman."

"Valentine's too smart to have not thought about blocking the signal. If we can track Madzie, it's because he wants us to. We'll be walking into a trap," Jace says.

"When aren't we?" I mumbled to myself.

Clary's voice made me look at her, listening to her words as she talked quiet enough for only me to hear her. "Faith, I need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"I can't let Valentine activate the Soul-Sword. I won't. So whatever happens, you can't let him take me alive."

I knew what she was getting at, I could read between the lines. Shaking my head I said, "Clary, don't talk like that. Everything will be fine."

"I would rather die than let Valentine destroy the Downworld. I need you to promise me. If Valentine ever gets to me-"

Cutting my sister off, I laid my hand on her arm, "Stop it, I mean it. You're my little sister and nothing's going to happen to you. We're all going to walk away from this and it's going to be fine."

Jace spoke up from the front, pulling out attention away from the conversation we just had, "We're here."

We all climb out of the car except for Clary who was still in the backseat. I glanced at her before looking at Simon, "Stay with her, protect her."

"Of course," Simon nodded. Like I needed to ask.

I go to walk ahead when Jace's hand grabbing mine stopped me, "Hey, maybe you should stay here."

Smiling as I turned to Jace, I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets. "Funny, I was going to ask you to do the same thing."

"I'm serious, Faith. We don't know how south this could turn-"

"Which is why I'm coming with you," I said, leaning in and giving him a quick peck. "You can yell at me later," I mumbled against his lips before I started to walk.

Jace and I made our way into the café where the scarf led us too. Like we thought, Valentine and Madzie were sitting in a booth, drinking a hot chocolate.

"Careful, Madzie. Don't burn yourself, hmm?" Valentine said.

"How fatherly of you," I say, grabbing their attention.

Valentine looked up, noticing us and smiling wide. "Ah, Jonathan, Faith. I figured you'd come for young Madzie sooner or later. Although, it's a shame you didn't bring your sister along."

"Let the girl go," I ordered.

Putting his arm around Madzie, Valentine said, "I'm afraid young Madzie is quite happy where she is."

Jace and I slide into the booth, Jace speaking as he glances at Madzie every now and then. "Oh, I think Iris would disagree. She made Clary take a blood oath. If we don't get Madzie to her in the next few hours, Clary dies."

"I suppose you're here to save her life?" Valentine says, but it came out as a question.

Shrugging slightly, I say, "Something like that. Or you could let her die and all of this becomes pointless. Really, your choice Valentine."

Valentine smirks as he looks at me, "You won't let your sister die."

Leaning towards Valentine, I quote his own words, "I don't know, I've heard I'm quiet... surprising."

Valentine and I stare at each other before Valentine stands up. "Go with them Madzie, you'll be safe," He says.

Quickly, Jace and I slip out of the booth, Jace putting a hand on her shoulder before we left, leaving Valentine behind.

This still feels too easy; something's going to backfire. None the less, we head back to the car where Clary and Simon are.

"Clary!" I yell, causing Simon to climb out of the car.

"Faith! Jace!" Simon yells back before looking back into the car. Clary climbs out and heads over to us.

Jace moves to Simon to tell him what was said while I stay with Clary who is kneeling in front of Madzie.

"Madzie. Madzie, you're okay." Madzie puts her hand on Clary's arm causing the ashy like stuff on her arm to vanish. Her and I both look at her arm, amazed at how it was suddenly healed. "It worked," Clary mumbled.

I smiled slightly, "Told you no one was going to die today."

Madzie turns around behind her, holding out her hand which causes a portal to open.

"Madzie, what are you doing?" Clary asks, both of us looking confused. Suddenly, the portal becomes like a vacuum, sucking Madzie, Clary, and I into it. I hear behind me Jace and Simon calling our names but they get cut short but the loud suction of the portal, causing everything to go black.

The ringing in my ear seemed to fade when my eyes began to open. At first, darkness was all I could see until multiple lights turned on and carnival music started to play.

I turn my head, and notice Clary just waking up as well. Looking down at my leg I noticed I'm chained to the cement, as is Clary.

Valentine's voice is heard and I turn back around to see him and Madzie together. "Well done, Madzie. Your nana is gonna be so proud of you. But you still have a lot more to do before you can see her, okay? So run along."

Madzie runs off, leaving Valentine to look over at me.

"You bastered!" I yelled.

Smirking, Valentine says, "Oh, come now Faith. You and I both know that you may be full of surprises, but your sister isn't one of them." He looks past me to Clary who has fully woken up. "Hello again, Clarissa. You both must still hate me for what happened to your mother. I don't blame you. Jocelyn's death will always be my greatest regret."

I wanted to spit in his face, tell him how much shit he was full of. But Clary spoke up, seeming to go more towards the begging rout.

"If you have any shred of humanity left, you would stop this."

"My humanity is what keeps me going. If the angels designed the Sword to rid the world of demons, I'm just ensuring it fulfills its true purpose." He gives us a single nod before turning and leaving with his men.

The sudden feeling from the portal of my stomach turning causes me to lean over and throw up onto the ground.

"Oh my god, Faith, are you okay?" Clary asks, looking at me worriedly.

I can't think about this right now, causing me to reach for my chain and pull at it. "I'm fine. We have to get out of here."

"Faith!" I hear a familiar voice yell, causing Clary and I to look to see Jace and Simon running towards us.

"Jace!" I yell, relieved that we hadn't gone too far away that they couldn't find us.

Jace looks around as he runs to our chains, "Where's Valentine?"

Clary speaks up as Jace breaks out chains, "I don't know. All the Circle members just left in a hurry."

Our chains break and Jace helps me up as Simon pulls up Clary.

Looking around nervously, Clary says, "Okay, we have to get out of here before-"

Of course, Valentine shows back up, causing me to groan slightly as I roll my eyes. Great, just great.

"Going someplace?"

Jace charges to attack but Madzie steps out, using her powers to freeze him in place. "I didn't think so. She's strong for her age, isn't she?" Valentine smirks.

I take a step towards Madzie, creeping a little closer as I speak to her calmly. "Madzie. Hey, can you let Jace go, please."

Valentine watched with admiration, tilting his head, "Now why would she do that, hmm?"

Clary spoke up, "Because you wanna hurt people. People like Iris."

Looking at Madzie, who looked at him, Valentine said, "Don't forget this is the mean person that got your nana in trouble in the first place. Now, if you want to see Iris, you have to be a good little girl and do exactly what I say, okay?"

Simon suddenly jumps in out of nowhere, attacking Valentine. I use that moment to grab Jace's blade and attack Valentine as he grabs Simon. He tosses his arm, knocking me to the ground and the blade away.

"Brave and stupid." Valentine looks down at Madzie, "Sweetheart, save your magic for what's to come. It's time to go." Suddenly, Jace unfreezes from his spot, causing him to stumble slightly.

Smirking, I notice Valentine's eyes move to Jace and Clary, "I'll see you both soon."

A portal opens behind them and Simon is thrown into it. I'm pulling myself up to my feet when I'm grabbed by the back of my jacket and yanked backwards. I hear Jace's voice yell my name before the portal closes and everything goes black.

I'm so so so sorry it took so long for me to update. Been going through some things then this quarantine happened and I got writers block but hopefully I'm coming out of it! Thanks for all your comments though!