Chapter 6

The five of us fast walked into the Institute, Clary already foaming with anger and blame. "I thought you were Shadowhunters? I thought you protect humans? Instead, you left Simon all alone in the van. Great job, guys. You rock."

"There is some truth to the idea that human beings should have a modicum of common sense," Alec said, rolling his eyes.

Izzy hissed at her brother, "Alec, not now."

Jace came to a stop, causing us all to stop as well. "Look, they won't do anything to Simon. They just wanted to draw you out. They want the Cup, and they think you two have it," His head turned from Clary to me.

I nodded my head to the side, throwing my arms out to my side, "But, of course, we don't. Thanks mom for making things so much easier," I said, sarcastic at the end of my words.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Clary asked, seeking answers.

Alec spoke up, not seeming to give us any new answers. "We have to report to the Clave. They have to know what we've learned about Valentine."

"What, that he's my father? Great. Fine. Tell them. What good does that do for Simon?" Clary asked, clearly angry.

Jace crossed his arms, looking between all of us. "The vamps will propose a trade. Simon for the Cup."

"So, vampires will trade Simon for the Cup and Valentine will trade my mother for the Cup. Either way, I lose someone I love," Clary said. She paused, letting out a sigh as she leaned against the wall. "What if I just toss it up in the air and let them fight it out among themselves?"

Alec glared at my sister, venom in his voice, "So this doesn't matter to you?"

My head turned to Alec, taking a step towards him. "It matters, Alec, to both of us. We just need time... and a plan."

Jace nodded in agreement, watching my sister as she groaned and pushed herself off the wall. She turned, walking into the computer room where others were working on their own jobs. "I mean, look at all this stuff, these screens. I mean, can any of this help me find Simon?"

We walked towards a table, leaning against it or standing by it. My arms crossed, asking my own question, "Where is he, anyway? Some kind of crypt in Transylvania?"

Jace lightly smiled at my comment, walking over with a map. "Actually, no. That was Camille's outfit, right? They're locals."

"They're at the Hotel DuMort, down in Gansevoort Street," Izzy said. Her smile on her face told us that she had her own ways on knowing information.

Clary held her arms out wide, "And we came back here? Why? We have to go there. Let's go, now. Come on."

Alec's words stopped my sister from making a move. "We need a Clave resolution for that."

"The five of us can't declare war on the vamps all by ourselves," Izzy said, making a point.

"And we can't react without considering our options. Downworlders are slaves to their impulses. We're not," Alec added.

Izzy eyed Alec, seeming to have hit a nerve in his words. "Alec, you can't just jump on all the Downworlders."

Alec looked at his sister, "Oh, that's right. Seelies have their charms, apparently."

"What are Seelies?" I asked, hoping to break the harsh atmosphere between brother and sister.

Jace spoke up, answering my question and ending the dispute. "Like faeries. The Fair Folk. Add pixies, nixies, elves anybody half-angel, half-demon. It's pretty much a catch-all term."

Alec turned to his sister who was still looking at Jace. "Izzy can tell you all about them. She's got a thing."

Izzy turned to her brother, raising an eyebrow as she smirked. "We've all got our things, don't we?"

I couldn't help but crack a smile, my curiosity peeking. But it was short lived as Clary spoke up again, turning to leave. "Okay, I can't listen to this. Simon's been kidnapped by vampires."

My hand reached out, grabbing Clary's arm which stopped her. "We know, Clary. We know. But we can't just walk into a place with nothing to protect us." I released her arm, hoping she'd stay put as I turned to the group. "Shadowhunters protect humans, and that's what we're going to do."

Jace stared at me, seeming to catch himself after a few seconds. He stood up straight, nodded as he said, "Faith's right. They made the first move. We're gonna take care of this ourselves, right now."

"This is a bad idea," Alec said, saying those words for what felt like the hundredth time since I've met him.

Turning to Alec, Jace crossed his arms, slightly annoyed. "Have you got a better one? Look, the vamps broke the Accords. They kidnapped a mundie. That's a big no-no. The Clave will give us a lecture and then they'll be glad we did it."

"Hard to argue with that," Izzy smirked.

I nodded, smiling somewhat as I looked at the small group before me. This was all we needed, each other, to get through this hell. And slowly we'd get there.

Alec leaned his hands on the table, seeming deep in thought. "Even if we went ahead, I don't see how we get out of here without having to explain where we're going. We need weapons, and we can't let anyone see us get them."

Jace smirked, "I know where to get what we need." His eyes drifted towards me.

The five of us climbed into Simon's van, racing off to a church's cemetery. Night had taken over, but the church's lights outside lit up the cemetery like it knew we needed to go there.

We climbed out, Alec turning to Izzy, "Whose grave is it?'

"Mary Milligan, born January 10th, 1802. Died, January 10th, 1878."

Jace nodded, taking the lead for about half a minute into the cemetery before Clary spoke up next to me. "Wait, what are we looking for?"

"Cache of weapons," Izzy smirk. That playful, fun loving smirk, I swear is imprinted on her face. But it's not an "I'll fuck you up" smirk but more like a "Come play and see what happens" smirk.

I turned to Jace is walking right next to me. "Why are there Shadowhunter weapons in a churchyard?"

"Because all of the ancient religions recognized demons. Or at least they used to," Jace said with a shrug.

Almost grumpy, Alec spoke up behind us. "They forgot about the threat because we've been here to protect them. Typical mundane failure of imagination."

Izzy quickly stopped her brother, falling slightly behind us as she yelled at him. "Are you saying we did too good a job? You just can't let up, can you?"

Letting out a sigh, Jace stopped, turning to the siblings. "You know what? Alec, why don't you go check out by the angel?" He asked, but it was more of a demand as he gestured over to the angel statue.

Alec mumbled something but turned and walked off as ordered. In moments like this, I wonder who really is the leader of this group. Alec or Jace?

Jace turned back to Clary and I. "We couldn't gear up at the Institute, but we know our ancestors left a cache around here someplace."

Clary nodded, pointing off to the left where rows of grave stones sat. "I'll go look over there." I nod at her request, watching her walk off for a few seconds.

Izzy's cheery voice speaks up behind Jace and me. "Excellent. He's home. I'm outta here."

"Wait, aren't you coming with us?" I asked, slightly concerned that she might be leaving us for the wolves. I mean, I saw her fight back at the club. We need her.

With that playful smirk, Izzy looked back over her shoulder at me. "Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world, but I gotta find out how to get into the vampires' lair." She turned, her hips swaying as she began to walk away.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Jace yells out, but Izzy is silent. Which makes me wonder what is something he would and wouldn't do. I guess for the right reasons, he's probable do anything to save someone or help someone. Right?

Jace and I started to walk slowly down a line of cement stones, our eyes only drifting over them as we began to talk. My mind reached back to what I saw back at the City of Bones. It was all still so confusing, only raising more questions in my mind.

"You know, I've only ever met my dad, like, five times," I said, honestly.

Looking at me slightly surprised, Jace asked, "Really?"

I nodded, my eye still set on the stones while Jace's seemed to be set on me. "Yeah. When I was a kid, I used to see him every now and then. We'd listen to music and dance in the livingroom. Then, one day, he just, stopped showing up. I remember asking mom why, but she never really gave me an answer. So I just, moved on, lived my life. I searched for him a few times, but I couldn't find him. I wander where he is every now and then. Who he is."

Jace drew silent for a minute, his eyes drifting down before returning to me. "When all of this is over, if you want, I could help you look for him."

Slightly taken back by his request, I turned to Jace with a gapped mouth. I wanted to thank him, wanted to explain what I saw in hopes he might have an idea of what it was. But, once again, Alec's voice ruins the moment in calling to his dear friend.

"Jace, over here!"

"Yeah, coming!" Jace yelled back, his eyes still set on me for a few more seconds. His hand comes up, lightly touching my arm as he turns to join Alec by the angel. I watch for a few seconds before returning to my journey at hand.

What I saw, those kids. I know the little girl was me, but who was the little boy? Why did I feel like I knew him so well? Like we were best friends or something?

And my dad! What does he have to do with all of this? What didn't he want my mom doing? Did it have something to do with that quick vision I saw when I was unconscious?

My mind raced with questions, making a sigh leave my lips. Thankfully, Clary's voice chirped through the cemetery, grabbing all of our attentions. "Jace! Alec! Faith! I think I found it! Mary Milligan!"

The three of us rushed over to her, finding her standing in front of a large stone. It was the shape of a coffin, standing above ground with carvings on it. My knees knelt down slightly, looking over what was added to her name and dates.

"Beloved servant? Who wants that on a headstone?"

"Someone who is in service to a cause greater than themselves," Alec said as Jace moved around the stone.

Jace pulled out his Stele, using it to carve something into the stone as he shrugged. "At least she is now." He paused, looking up at me and smirking, "Abracadabra."

Clary's eyes rose in shock. "Wait, you people actually say that?"

Shaking his head in a chuckle, Jace grabbed the stone. "No, Clary, we don't." Alec raises to join him, both pushing the top of the stone off. I'm prepared to be faced with a horrible smell but am surprised when I'm not met with it.

Peeking into the cement slab, I notice that no body lays, just weapons. I recognize the blade that Jace used before, my hand reaching down and picking it up. It immediately lights up in my hand, my eyes drawn to it's mysterious light.

Alec speaks up behind me, making me jump slightly. "Don't touch that. You two don't know how to use it," His eyes drift to my sister who has grabbed the same object.

Jace practically jumps over the stone, over to us as he speaks reassuringly to his friend. "Alec. I'm gonna teach them. Do you see what you need in here?"

Poking his head into the stone, Alec shakes his head, "No. There's no bow here. I need one. I have to rune some arrows. That's back at the Institute. I gotta go."

Crossing his arms slightly, Jace asked, "Well, how are you gonna get back in the Institute?"

"Go in the back. Won't bother me if I'm alone," Alec said with a slight shrug.

Jace nodded, "Okay, good." His head gestured towards my sister, his eyes still fixed on Alec. "Go, and take Clary with you."

In unison, Alec and Clary both respond with a shocked, "What?" Seeing this, I take a few steps to the side, hoping to not get drawn into this somehow.

"Yeah, maybe you can show her a few things," Jace adds.

If looks could kill, Jace would have dropped dead from Alec. His words didn't help either, "Jace, I don't think this is a good-"

"If you get caught, you can say you're teaching her how to fight. They'll let you go then," Jace interrupts.

Alec, like me, seem to agree that it's a good plan. If Alec just says he's practicing then they'll suspect something considering how long he's been a Shadowhunter. But with Clary, he can easily say that he's teaching her.

Sighing, the black haired Shadowhunter turned to my sister. "You do what I say, when I say it. Got it?"

Clary answered with a slightly annoyed, "Yes sir" before they turned to leave. I don't miss the slight glare that Alec gives Jace, but neither one seem to be truly mad at each other.

Yet, anyways.

With the air more relaxed now with just Jace and I, he moves away from the stone and over to me. "Okay, let me show you how to use this thing," He says, referring to the blade in my hand. He stands slightly next to me but mostly behind me as he talks.

"Now, it knows you're a Shadowhunter, so it wants to respond. But you have to be firm with it. Let it know whose boss." He reaches around my back, his hand grasping mine and tightening it around the blade's handle.

The second his hand touches mine, a bolt of electricity shoots through my body. It's one full of energy, but safety as my body almost eases into his.

He moves the blade in my hand, making slow figure eights in the air, performing a slashing like motion. When he speaks, he practically whispering into my ear, making goosebumps grow on my exposed arms.

"You make it a part of yourself and it a part of you. Now, the blade never dims. It's saying you belong together."

That's not the only thing.

Hoping to draw some attention away from him, I ask Jace about the blade. "How does it know?"

"'Cause you're part angel, Faith, like all Shadowhunters," He says. He sharply pushes the blade forward, it making a striking motion and a wave of energy expands from the glowing blade.

"You understand?" Jace asked, straining his head to look at my face.

My eyes stay on the blade as I repeat the figure eight action in the air. "I guess," I respond only seeming to understand it to a certain extent before failing.

"You'll get there. It's not something you understand in your mind. It's something you know because it's pulsing through your body. It's in your blood," He responds.

He's right, I can feel the energy of the blade run into my bloodstream. It's powering, causing me to repeat the past striking motion as before, watching as the energy races off.

I lightly shake my head in disbelief. "Could I even do this without you?" I asked, my voice almost a whisper.

"You just did." It's then that I realize that Jace's hand is no longer on mine, yet the tingling feeling from his touch still lingers.

My mouth drops slightly in shock as I rub where Jace's hand previously was. "But it felt like you were still with me," I said, turning to see Jace had taken a step back, giving me space to figure it out.

At my words though, he returns to my side, "I am. I always will be." His eyes pour into mine as we stare at each other. I swear, if he hadn't cleared his throat and taken a slight step back, I would have kissed him. "I mean, we will be, there, for you."

He looks at the ground, as if not recognizing his own words. He lightly shakes his head as he turns and walks back over to the weapons. I watch him pick up a blade, analyzing it, before slipping it away.

His expression reminds me of what it was when he was reading the dark blue journal.

Making my way towards him, I speak up about the subject in my mind. "Back at my house, you were looking at a journal. You looked like you saw something familiar in it. What was it?"

Could this be it? Could this be my answer?

Jace lays his hands on the cement slab, leaning into it as he looks down with a sigh. "I don't know. It just seemed like I had lived it, but I don't remember any of it. I know my past, and that wasn't part of it, so I don't know why it seems so familiar."

My feet stop next to him, looking at him with understanding eyes. "I get it. That's how I've been feeling since you bumped into me back at the club."

Seeming to lighten the strong air around us, Jace cracked a smirk. "I think you bumped into me."

"Oh, really? You wanna bet on that?" I asked with an equal smirk. We both let out a laugh in response, but instead of lightening and refreshing the air around us, it only grows it stronger.

I make the mistake of letting my eyes fall on his again, but am able to catch myself before another staring match occurs. "Well, I think ready," I say, confidently.

Jace nods, looking me up and down, "You look ready."

Ooo, the tension is rising for Faith and Jace! The next chapter will mostly be with Faith and Jace and can't wait for you guys to check it out!

If you couldn't tell, I've slightly changed Clary's attitude and actions from the show so it flows better with the book. There might be scenes where your like "Where's Clary?" Restasure, she'll forever be in this book, but this is a Faith and Jace book!

Comment and vote to let me know what you think!