ISpy

Chapter 40

Jonah:

The last few days had been a whirlwind. He hadn't seen any Circle members, including Noah, since their defeat. It tore him up, not knowing if Noah was alive or dead. But, he'd been told to lay low after the battle  and stay at the Institute. The Circle members that survived would be trying to exact revenge.

He was now seen as a war hero; the Shadowhunters whispered about him as he went by. He was sure his involvement was being exaggerated, but he didn't mind the praise. It distracted him from his worries, at least for a second.

Jonah sat on an infirmary bed, jiggling his leg. There were still Shadowhunters here, recovering, and he would sometimes talk to those who were in better spirits. Now, he sat quietly, flipping his phone back and forth in his hands.

He knew Agent Lightwood had told him not to contact anyone from the Circle, but he seemed distracted. Jonah had heard from Simon that Alec came out to his parents by kissing Magnus at the victory celebration. He hadn't been allowed to go, but looking back on it, he probably could've convinced Robert to go. But he didn't feel like partying then, and he still doesn't now.

It was while the celebration was happening that he wandered into the infirmary. All the Shadowhunters present at the Institute were there, both the sick and the nurses taking care of them. He wound up helping the nurses here, and even making a friend. It helped take his mind off things, and he'd been coming in here ever since.

He turned on his phone and scrolled through his contacts, stopping at the one labeled Noah. He bit his lip, his finger hovering over the call button. He'd been debating calling him all day, but had talked himself out of it every time. He didn't know what was worse, him being alive and refusing to talk to him, or him being...

"You look like you're fenna do something you'll regret." It was Amee, the friend Jonah had made in the infirmary. They'd had a Seelie slice them up pretty bad, and they had bandages wrapped around their chest. They looked at him with now with interest.

"I was thinking of contacting a Circle member," he blurted out. He immediately regretted it, and looked around to see if anyone was listening.

They didn't look surprised or disgusted, just intrigued. "And why were you wanting to do this? Having second thoughts?"

"No, of course not. He's...my boyfriend."

"Well that explains everything," they said. After a pause, they said "Call him."

"You think I should? Agent Lightwood told me not to contact anyone-"

"Do you trust him?"

"Yes," Jonah answered, almost without thinking.

"Does he trust you?"

Jonah was more hesitant with this answer. "...Yes."

"Then call him." Their tone made the statement sound so logical, like it was unreasonable to do  otherwise.

"....Okay." Jonah turned his phone back on, and quickly pressed the call button before he could change his mind. It ringed for a second, then-

"Hello?" It was Noah, and his voice sounded urgent.

"Hi, it's Jonah."

"Jonah? Are you okay? Where are you?" He asked quickly.

"I'm fine, and...I'm at the Institute."

"So it's true then?"

"What's true?"

"You're apart of the Clave now."

"Yes. Yes, I am." Jonah didn't want to say more than that.

"But, why?" Noah asked in disbelief.

"That's not really something I'd like to discuss on the phone."

"Then come meet me somewhere."

"I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't? Are they holding you prisoner?"

"No, it's just, they suggested that I don't leave the Institute. That I should lay low for awhile."

"Well since they suggested this, you can not listen to their suggestion and come meet me."

Jonah didn't answer.

"See, they are keeping you prisoner. Don't you see-"

"Noah, be honest. You haven't heard anyone talk of getting revenge on me for leaving the Circle?"

This time Noah was silent.

"Because if that's the case, I will come and meet you right now. But if the Clave is right, there are some people that would probably try and kill me on sight. Which means, it's not safe for me to be out right now."

"Yes, I have heard some people....do you know Valentine invited me to his office the other day? He wanted to know if I'd had any contact with you. I didn't even think he knew about our relationship."

"He probably didn't know and wouldn't have cared to know until it meant he could exact revenge."

"What are you talking about? Valentine-"

"Doesn't give two shits about any one of you. Don't you see? He uses you when he needs you, then immediately forgets you ever existed until you're needed again. I bet you Valentine didn't even bother to remember my name before."

"Jonah, have they brain-washed you?"

"No, Noah, you're the one who's brain-washed. Valentine only cares about one thing:power. And he'll do anything and use anyone to get it."

"Valentine is not like that! He loves and cares about every one of his agents-"

"Noah, I told you I don't want to have this conversation over the phone. You'll understand better in person."

"Fine. Let me know when they release you from your cell." The phone call ended.

Jonah stared at his screen sadly. That was not how he envisioned how their conversation would go. He hoped Noah would come around.

"Remember, you were once in his shoes. Think about how you felt when everything you knew came tumbling down." Amee said.

Jonah remembered the feeling. Anger, despair, disbelief all at once. Amee was right. He should've been more gentle.

"You're a wise person, Amee." Jonah said.

They shrugged. "When you've been living as long as I have, which admittedly is not that long, you pick up a few things." They smiled. "Give him a while to process things. He'll come around."

Jonah nodded. He thought about leaving, but instead stayed with Amee, talking and laughing and in the end, feeling just a little bit better.