<Jace's Pov>
Magnus's Apartment, Greenpoint Brooklyn.
Saturday, 2:33 p.m
As soon as Magnus saw the picture, his face visibly sunk.
"Magnus? What is it?" Alec asked, looking over his shoulder. "What's wrong?" Alec put his hands on Magnus's shoulders tenderly.
"Hang on." Magnus rushed behind his desk to the shelves behind it and ran his fingers along the dozens of book spines, some new, most old. Others are simple paperbacks, lots bound in leather. He pulled out a larger book and slammed it on his desk. Alec and I walked around to stand on his left whilst Clary and Isabelle stood to his right, all of us looking down at the book's contents. But there were no words at all. They were pictures, this was a photo album.
"What is this?" Clary asked and Magnus continued to mumble dates to himself.
"June, July... No- no it was more like November..." He muttered, flipping the pages back and forth. He finally found the page he was searching for and slid it out of the book. He handed the picture to Isabelle who's eyes widened.
"When was this?" She asked, handing the photo to Clary who then passed it to Alec.
"7 years ago." Magnus folded his arms.
"So you knew her?" Clary inquired.
"Oh yes." Magnus looked deep in thought.
I swiped to image from Alec, he gave me a glare but I had to see what the others were on about. It was a girl, she was wrapped in a duvet on Magnus's sofa in the very next room. She held a mug holding a dark liquid and was smiling at the camera, the light of the sun dancing across her face.
She looked happy. Much different to the little girl in the article outside the orphanage, this one looked more like a child and less like a corpse, her long brown curls even longer and not in a tight plait like in the other photo and a bright smile lighting up her features.
But there was no mistake, it was the same girl.
"But this is the same child, do you still know her? Do you have her address?" I asked, handing the image back to Magnus, a darker expression was etched in his features, one I knew all too well. He was protective of the girl.
"I don't want you shadowhunters going and breaking down her door and scaring the poor dear. She's had a rough start in life and she needs no more trouble. I can tell you right here right now, she won't trust you, won't believe you." He claimed.
"Magnus, we don't want to scare her, we want to help her. There are much worse people out there who are looking for her too. We want to keep her safe, that's what you want, isn't it?" Alec soothed Magnus, and Magnus's shoulders visibly softened.
"I'll write down where to find her but it's not really an address." He said and moved to grab a pen.
"What do you mean?" Asked Clary, watching Magnus intently.
"You know the main market place in Midtown Manhattan? She lives in a small loft above there." Magnus scribbled it down and handed Clary the paper. "So she's a shadow hunter and doesn't even know it?" he pondered out loud. "Explains her underlying stubbornness and arrogance." Magnus glanced at me.
"Hey, what are you implying?" I pointed at Magnus and Isabelle and Clary chuckled.
"Common Jace, we all know what he's talking about." Isabelle offered and I rolled my eyes.
"Not my fault that I'm honest." I said and Alec shook his head.
"So, stubborn you say?" Alec asked, Magnus nodded,
"Very."
"This should be fun then." I said, "How did you meet her?" I inquired and the corners of Magnus's mouth curved at the corners.
"She tried stealing from me."
"You mean..." I pointed to the door.
"That was her?" Alec clarified and Magnus nodded. "I didn't even recognise her from the photo in the article."
"People can change a lot given the circumstances. Not always by choice."
YOU ARE READING
independent. | Jace Wayland
Fanfiction7 year old Y/n Cartwright didn't know why her parents had thick dark tattoos or why they lived in the middle of nowhere and she didn't question it... They died before she could. Years later, after living a solitry life in Newyork city, she returns...
