Chapter 4

Jace showed Clary and I to two different rooms, letting us take a minute to absorb everything and change our clothes. Well, Clary to change her clothes.

I walked around the giant room, the old wood seeming to make the room look like it was trapped in history still. It was beautiful.

When my door opened, I quickly turned towards it. My adrenaline hoped that Jace would walk in, but instead Clary did. Her outfit was decked out in a pair of black pants, a black tank-top that had a leather jacket hugging it. She looked so uncomfortable.

"I see Isabelle lended you some of her clothes," I said with a smile, one of my legs tucking itself under my body as I sat on the bed.

"Yeah, she really loves her body," Clary said, eyeing herself for a second. She walked deeper into the room, walking towards the bed as she let out a sigh. "I'm sorry about yelling at you before, I just..."

Her voice trailed off, as if she didn't know what words to say.

"Are confused? Trust me, I get it," I said with a nod.

Clary sat on the bed near me as well, a sigh leaving her lips as she looked at the bed sheets. "It doesn't seem like it," She said, her tone not in a mocking way.

My mind debates for a good minute if I should speak up about my thoughts. Maybe it will comfort her to know that I'm just as confused as she was.

"The minute I met Jace, I got this Deja Fu feeling, like I had met him before. Everything about him seems so familiar, but I can't place it. It's like something is blocking it, and no matter how hard I push, I can't seem to break it."

Clary listened to my words, seeming to relax somewhat at hearing them. "What do you feel?" She asked, hoping to help at least one of us better understand something.

I paused, searching her words for an answer. So many answers came forth, none making full sense. "Happy. Like I'm safe. Like nothing can touch me when I'm with him."

"Maybe you like him," Clary smirked, as if she had discovered the whole story.

A chuckle left my lips as I looked at the bed and nodded, "Maybe." My voice seemed to trail off for a second as I looked at my sister, my smile faint. "Or maybe there's more to this story then we know."

I mean, why not? Everything else seems to have a supernatural explanation. Why not this be added to the list?

Patting my sister's hand and standing up, I nodded for her to follow me, "Come on, lets go." Both of us made our way through the hallways of the Institute before reaching the main part of it.

In seconds, Clary is torn from my side, Simon yanking her to stand by to talk. I continue forth, making my way up a few steps and over to Isabelle as she opens a rack full of weapons. My eyes go wide at the sight, amazed and surprised as I stand next to her.

Isabelle looks over at me, smirking, "Ooo. Someone looks hot in my clothes," She said, shaking her head as if excited. I can't help but laugh and shake my head at her comment.

Jace walks over to us, standing next to me as he looks over the weapons as well. Isabelle looks at Jace, "Fifty bucks says he doesn't approve this mission."

As if on cue, Alec enters, grabbing Simon and Clary's attention. "I don't approve of this mission. I spoke with the Clave. They're sending Seelie scouts to search for Valentine, but they made it clear, the 2 little girls do not leave the premises."

My eyes shrunk as I looked at Alec in a half glare, half study look. "Little girl? Really?"

Clary sidesteps Jace, standing next to me. As she speaks, she hooks her arm in mine, seeming to already pull me into an agreement. "Look, I don't care what that Clave thing or you want, we're going to find Dot."

Jace looks at his friend, "Alec, this warlock could have the answers we need. With Valentine's people out there searching for Faith and Clary, they're not safe outside alone."

"Jace has a point," Isabelle nodded in agreement.

Alec looks at his sister, almost disappointed, "You too, Izzy?" His attention then turns to my sister and me, "All right. Since you two have all the answers, where do you suggest we search?"

Clary spoke up, "We should start at Dot's apartment in Greenpoint. Then there's this thrift store that she spends some time at-"

As she spoke, my mind raced for information, the only thing popping up in my head is my stories. Without able to stop myself, I interrupted Clary. "Actually, I might know where. My stories, their back at the house, if I could get to them I might be able to look up where Dot might be."

Alec's eyes pulled together in confusion and annoyance as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't see how stories are going to help us."

Jace stepped in, taking the space between Alec and me as if in a protective way. "Right now, it's our best lead. I can take Faith to the house and grab the stories. Isabelle and Simon can take Clary to check Dot's place."

Almost laughing as he shook his head, Alec rested on Jace. "This has dangerous and stupid written all over it, you realize that right?"

Isabelle rested her hand on her brother's shoulder, smiling. "I thought dangerous and stupid were out middle names."

"We'll be quick," I reassured Alec, but he didn't seem to take my words seriously. So, turning my attention to my sister and unhooking are arms, I spoke to Clary. "Call us if you find anything."

"You too," Clary nodded, wrapping her arms around me in a quick hug before pulling away. Jace lightly put his hand on my back, leading me away from the small group.

We both walked next to each other, moving quickly through the night as we approached my abandoned home. Even from the outside, you could tell that no one was staying there.

"Stay close behind me," Jace said, taking the lead as we headed up the steps and into my home. I did as he said, my eyes and head moving to catch anything that might jump out at us.

The house was still trashed, everything seeming to be left where it was last night. My heart broke slightly at the sight, causing me to take a deep breath.

"Where your room?" Jace asked, looking over his shoulder, back at me. I pointed up ahead, towards the second doorway on the right. We moved slower, Jace pulling out his Seraph Blade in case someone might still be here.

I was grateful when we reached my room, coming into contact with no enemies. Like the rest of the house, my room was trashed. Papers and books laid on the floor, ripped apart as if in anger. Thankfully, what I needed wasn't in sight of any enemies.

Fast walking over to my bed, I pushed it away from its original spot on the floor. Under my bed sat a few loose floor boards, holding my prize items and secrets.

"Mom always hated hearing about my stories. I can't tell you how many times she threw them out or burned them. I'm starting to see why. She wanted us to be safe and this was how she was doing that," I said, removing the floor boards.

Jace slowly walked around my room, taking it all in. His hands shifted different books around, seeming to admire my reading options. Eventually, his eyes landed on a picture drawn by my sister.

"You draw?" Jace asked, seeming to not remember me saying that I did.

"No. Clary drew that. She's the drawer, I'm the writer. Mom says we both just have a thing for creativity."

My hands pulled up a few journals from the floor board before pulling out a small, thin box. Inside sat the wand shaped Stele that it seems Shadowhunters use. I swiped it out of the box, slipping it in the back of my pants before returning to the journals.

Opening one, I read the first few lines before tossing it to the side. I picked up another, scanning the first few lines before flipping deeper into it.

Jace made his way over, kneeling in front of the stack of journals and picking one up. He scanned a few pages, slowly turning them as if to catch something. "What is all of this?"

I look up at him, the dark blue journal that sits in his hand catching my eyes. "That's an odd one. Usually I write about people my age, but lately I've been diving into the perspective of two kids. That's what I have so far." I returned to searching through my journal in my hands.

"I found it," I said, a small smile crossing my face. Jace looked up at me, waiting for my response. "I think she's at a place called Pandemonium," I said, not recognizing the name.

Looking up at Jace, I saw him nod, "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"I'll text Clary," I said, pulling out my phone and sending the name. I reached over, grabbing my old bag and shoving the journals into them.

"All of these are stories that you've written?" Jace asked, gesturing to the books.

"Yeah. Sometimes they just come to me and sometimes their dreams," I said, waiting for him to hand over the dark blue journal.

Jace looked back at the open page in his hand, his eyes pulling together in confusion. The way his eyes traced over the page made me think he was reading it. But a sudden noise out in the livingroom caused both of us to look up.

Quickly, Jace handed over the journal, standing up and pulling his Seraph Blade out.

I stood up, throwing my bag over my shoulder and staying close behind Jace. We both moved slowly into the livingroom, Jace keeping his hand lightly on my arm as if to make sure I was there.

Both of us peeked into the livingroom, my breath held in my chest.

A raccoon scurried out of the trash, making my breath leave my lips and look down at the floor. Jace scuffed, almost smiling somewhat at the scared animal. He looked over his shoulder at me, "Careful, it might try to kill us."

Lightly hitting his arm, I couldn't help but crack a smile as well.

With the journals and Dot's place recovered, Jace and I headed out. We met up with the group halfway to Pandemonium, letting me throw my bag into Simon's van.

Clary and I seemed to lead the way with Jace and Simon close behind, and Isabelle and Alec in the back.

I noticed my sister reach up to touch her purple stone that hung around her neck. Her feet suddenly stopped, her eyes looking off as if she was seeing something.

Suddenly, her voice came out in a panic, "Dot. Dot!" She quickly raced into a run down the alleyway.

"Clary! Clary, stop! Where are you going?" I yell, chasing after my sister. The rest of the group followed, doing their best to keep up.

"Two men, Circle members, the same ones who came to our house, who took our mom. They have Dot. They're gonna hurt her or kill her. We have to stop them!" She yells behind her as she runs into Pandemonium.

The second our feet hit the inside, my eyes noticed the empty feeling in the room. No one, not a single person was in the building.

"No," Clary said, stopping her feet as she looked around. The group's feet came to a stop around her. Her eyes settled on me, sadness in them when she spoke. "She was just trying to help us. Now she's gone."

A sigh left my lips as I wrapped my arms around my sister, hugging her while Simon rubbed her back in a soothing matter.

Alec spoke up, his eyes looking around quickly, "It's not safe here. We have to go back to the Institute right now."

Clary pulled away, looking at Alec with a mix of anger and confusion. "So, what now? Valentine has our mom and Dot, and we're just gonna give up?"

"What about our memories? They can't just be gone?" I spoke up, looking at the Shadowhunters.

Jace let out a sigh, looking at Isabelle and Alec, "There is another option."

"Absolutely not," Alec and Isabelle said in unison, both looking at Jace like he was crazy.

Sparking up a smile, Jace shrugged. "I'm not afraid of the Silent Brothers."

"Who are the Silent Brothers?" Clary asked before I could. Both of us looked at Jace for an answer, seeming to get one from everyone in the group.

"They're Shadowhunters with superior powers," Jace said.

"Who possess the ability to recover memories," Isabelle added.

"A process that can also kill you, so there's that," Alec said, shrugging as he looked off.

Simon scuffed slightly, nodding as he looked at Alec. "Your bedside manner is abysmal."

Alec lightly glared at Simon before looking at Jace. "We've broken at least 18 Clave rules and now you want to go to the City of Bones? There's no way. I won't allow it."

"This isn't our choice to make. This is their decision," Jace said, pointing the attention to Clary and I.

Isabelle stepped in, looking almost upset, "You can't ask them to do this. They don't know what their facing. They're not prepared."

Sick and tired of people doubting our experiences and capabilities, I spoke up with a determined and slightly harsh tone. "If anyone can tell us another way to recover our memories then please, I'm opening to hearing them." Everyone was silent, no one seeming to be able to think of another way at the moment. "That settles it then," I said, looking at my sister who nodded in agreement.

Jace smiles at my determination, looking at Alec, "See? I told you she was one of us."

My ears note that Jace said "she" and not "they", seeming to peak my interest somewhat. I add it to the list of things that raise suspicion and confusion and move on.

I mean, one of us has too.

What do you think Jace saw in the journal? Why do you think Jace and Faith feel like they know each other?

Let me know in the comments and make sure to vote.