independent. | Jace Wayland

chapter 11: the play.

<Y/n's Pov>

New York Institute, Upper East side Manhattan

Tuesday, 11:18 a.m

"Charming as always, Wayland." I retorted and he seemed to smirk but Isabelle shook her head.

"And you come in and dump weapons when I'm clearly baking." She gestured to the section of kitchen covered in flour. I could see a little of the white powder in her hair from where I was sitting.

"Why?" Jace's voice was plain.

Isabelle ignored him and slid a tray into the oven, Clary and Alec began to ask Jace questions about  what they called 'Dumort'.

I found it odd because there was an abandoned hotel on the far upper east side of Manhattan but I didn't ask. I looked down at my mug, its contents still warm.

"You're in the Newyork Institute, you have a rune now. Mum and Dad had runes too, you're fine and it's not a cult. You're in the kitchen with Alec, Clary and Isabelle, Jace is covered in blood." I whispered then took a long sip of coffee before looking back to the others. I hadn't noticed their conversations had subsided.

"Why do you do that?" Izzy paused, "If you don't mind me asking." She added.

"It's because of the glamor isn't it?" Jace asked, finishing a piece of crust and pushing the plate away, I didn't know how to respond.

"What are you talking about?" Interjected Alec and Jace continued talking.

"Well because Y/n has angel blood it means she's always had a certain degree of power to see through the glamors." He began and Clary had already explained the concept of the glamor to me upstairs, "So you saw things, right? Things that weren't normal? Or things you couldn't explain?"

I nodded, still not having enough courage to speak.

"So you talk to yourself in order to establish what's real incase it's in your head." Clary pieced together and I nodded again.

"I um- guess i don't need to do it anymore, since i know what it is now." I offered and Jace shrugged, "It may take me a while to stop- force of habit and all." I looked down at my mug again, a slight blush crept on my cheeks.

"How did you figure that out Jace, I never would have guessed-'' Isabelle started and it was true i never would have guessed this theory but it made so much sense that it had to be true.

"Here, you'll probably be wanting this back." He slipped his hand into his back pocket and took out a small book and slid it across the counter. I caught it and read the cover: 'Macbeth'.

My head was washed over with all the intimate thoughts, confessions and ideas that I had scribbled down in its pages. It was a play I understood, the book itself felt more like a journal than a play on paper. I looked back up at Jace, then to the others. Alec and Clary seemed rather confused but Izzy glared at Jace who was staring at me.

"Did you-" He didn't break his gaze at my words, as if he were challenging me, "you've read-'' I cutt myself off, he had gone back to my loft I slid out my chair and headed for the door. Not even looking back.

I retraced the route Clary and I had taken from the room I had woken up in and I pushed open the door and it was exactly how I left it. Covers slayed messily and curtains still draw. I sat on the bed and hunched over, my head in my hands, fingers digging into my scalp.

It's just a book, no big dead. But he had gone back. He had gone back, he had gone back, he had one back. There was a knock at the door but I didn't answer. The door opened and I still didn't look up.

"Aren't you social this morning?" Jace hummed as he shut the door behind him, my head pricked up. He had gotten changed, had a shower in fact as his golden hair looked ever so slightly as it was still damp, he was wearing a t- shirt, jeans and was barefoot. How long had I been sitting here?

"Why are you here? I'm sure there are dozens of people's private possessions you would rather go through." I snapped and he seemed taken aback. I was a little surprised too at how hostile my words sounded.

"Thanks for proving my point." He said back, shrugging off my hostility. "I came to ask about the state I found you in, after all, I was going to ask about the other night but you stormed out of the kitchen before I got the chance." This boy.

"I heard a saying once: 'think before you act', so if I punch you, rest assured I have thought about it and am confident in my decision." His lips curved up.

"I've considered myself warned." He said and sat on the bed beside me, "Now what happened." He persisted, completely ignoring everything I just said.

"I was just down by the river and-"

"Why?" He cut me off, I looked over my shoulder and he didn't blink, his eyes wide.

"Why what?"

"Why the river? There are thousands of better spots, why there?"

"Well I knew i couldn't go home yet and i happen to like long walks. Especially when they are taken away from people who are annoying me... Can I finish?" I asked, slightly irritated by Jace altogether.

"Yes. Sorry."

"Actually there's not much left to the story. There were these kids trying to hurt this- this boy. I told them to leave him alone and I hit one of them but he had a knife, I may also have said something that pissed him off." I looked at Jace and he had an eyebrow raised skeptically, "Oh come on Wayland, you should have seen this kid, he was so easy to insult!" I defended myself and shook my head, "Anyway, the other two ran but the other one got me a little with the knife." I looked down at my hands, the story sounded silly coming from my own mouth."But being the moron that he was, he ran into a lamppost and bolted." I chuckled at the memory of his startled expression.

"Who's Leo?"

"What?" His question caught me off guard, his voice flat.

"Before you so graciously passed out, you said the name Leo. Who is Leo?" Jace had a slight edge to his voice, I didn't know him well enough to tell if it was curiosity or agitation... could be both.

"He was the boy I helped, he was fine. A little bruised and scared out of his mind but fine... I told him to go home but when he saw all the blood he freaked out and tried to call an ambulance." I smirked a little at the pure horror on the kid's face and the way his hands shook when he tried to use his phone. "I told him to go home and he ran. I err- i don't know how long i was there before you arrived, i kind of zoned out, i'm guessing from the bloodloss, or tiredness. Probably both. I err- hadn't slept since you, Alec, Izzy and Clary were at my place so i'm guessing that's why I was unconscious for so long."

"And what? He just left you there? He seriously left you by the river, bleeding out, at night just because you told him too?"

"In Leo's defense I did threaten to throw him in the river." I added and Jace stood from where he was sitting on the bed and began to pace.

"Coward." He breathed. It was strange, watching Jace get so wound up about this. Other times I might find it entertaining because I had only ever seen him as light, playful and dreadfully sarcastic... I had never seen him this serious.

My mind suddenly flashed to the image of Jace's worried eyes looking down at me, his long arms encasing my body, carrying me. He had the same seriousness he carried right now. The night he found me. Saved me.

"Hey Wayland." He stopped pacing to look at me, he had his arms crossed firmly, a heavy silver ring gleamed on his finger. "Thank you. For not- ya know- the whole saving my life thing."

He looked down at his feet, chuckled, then looked back up to where I still  sat on the other side of the room. "Anytime Cartwright." He moved towards the door and opened it, standing in the door way he looked back, "Now common, i'm sure you'd like some answers."