independent. | Jace Wayland

chapter 22: more than inconvenient.

<Jace's Pov>

New York Institute, Upper East side Manhattan

Saturday, 012:34 a.m

I knocked on Y/n's door, once, twice. Silence.

It had been at least an hour since our fight. I had gone back to my room but I couldn't stand the thought of her hating me. Thinking I didn't care. I clutched a small pile of books in my hands, a few of my favorites I think she might enjoy as a peace offering, since hers were ruined by Blackwell.

I knocked one more time and opened the door lightly, poking my head around. Her room was neat, bed made and curtains drawn, she didn't have many possessions so the dresser surface was clean, all except her copy of 'Macbeth' which was on her nightstand. But despite the curtains being shut, I saw her window was open from the slight breeze it provided to the room, making the temperature of the room drop.

I placed the books on the bed and rushed over and pulled the curtains aside. The window was wide open, wide enough for a small person to climb out of and drop to the grass below.

"No." I said and ran to Izzy's room. I banged on the door, she opened it and Clary was sitting on her bed, they were laughing about something, I noticed Church fast asleep on her pillow.

"Woah, what's wrong with you?" Clary asked.

"Y/n's not in here is she?"

"No, we haven't seen her since training, why?" Izzy asked, "You haven't gone and lost her have you?" Izzy teased but my alarm was growing, a ringing in my head.

"I'm saying, I can't find her and her window is wide open!" I said, loud and harsh, neither of the girls smiled.

"What?" They said together.

"Get Alec and get ready, we have to go find her." I instructed and we didn't waste a second, we were going to find her. We had too, I don't know what I would do if we didn't.

<Y/n's Pov>

My hearing was the first of my senses to come back.

"Here she is, sir, unharmed and asleep, just like you asked." Said a woman, I didn't recognise her voice.

"Ahh, thank you Cleophus, she looks just like her parents," I heard a few heavy footsteps echo closer then he walked away, pacing?

I pried my eyes open and I was lying down on the floor, it was concrete and damp. The whole place looked abandoned but it was huge, like an old warehouse. I don't know. The man who spoke had dark hair and wore black clothes, from the back of him I saw where his runes stood out on the back of his hand.

Valentine.

"Why am I here?" I asked, pulling myself into a sitting position. Valentine spun on his heel and raised his arms in delight.

"Ah, Y/n, I'm so glad you're awake. How are you feeling my dear?" The echo of the room rang loud in my ear and I groaned, the thick banging in my head grew, I pressed my hand to my head. "Oh my, Cleophus, I thought I instructed you to bring her to me unharmed." He over pronounced his words and the woman took a step back.

"Yes sir, you see, I picked her up outside the Institute, I needed a way of getting her to you quietly. I- I had to do it in order to-" She explained, her voice rattled, her eyes wide, I pulled my knees to my chest, making myself as small as possible, willing myself to disappear.

"You lied to me." He drew a blade from his belt and with a swift upwards movement, if i had blinked, i would have missed it. But I didn't. A thin line of red spilled blood from her neck, he had slit her throat. I let out a choked scream but clamped my hand down over my mouth. She crumpled to the floor like paper, red pooling around her body. I didn't know how much she had lost but I knew very well how much she had left; none.

Valentine wiped the corner of his blade on his black sleeve and walked over to me, i did my best not to flinch but I failed.

"Now, now Y/n. There's no need to be afraid of me. I would never hurt you." He cooded, patting my head but a surge of revolt sat in my stomach and I shoved his hand away.

"Don't touch me, why am I here?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the growing, burning tears.

"Because my dear, your parents Eli and Lily were dear friends of mine. Why I met your parents when we were children, we played together, fought together, stood together. I helped your mother through her pregnancy with you when your father was wounded or unable. I cared for them." He said, his voice even, as if he had rehearsed this, he stood up and began to pace again, I didn't move.

"If you cared for them so much, then why have them killed?!" I yelled, warm tears spilling down my face, my hatred for the man burning bright.

"Have them killed!" He screamed and I flinched back, his voice tore through the silence of the warehouse. "No no no no no no no Y/n, it wasn't them I was after all those years ago. No no no." He tutted and shook his head, "It was you I wanted dead." My eyes widened.

"The little girl who built the wall between me and the ones I loved! You!" He shouted and pointed his dagger at me, I began to push myself up the wall, willing myself to stand. "You took them away from me!"

"Did you forget they were in the car too that night? Did you forget that Mamma was in the front seat and Dad was the one driving! They were there too, you killed them, you bastard!" I screamed at him, my voice tearing from my throat.

"You see I am also the one who sent my men to the orphanage you were sent to only to find you had already left. I've been searching for you for longer than you know, you see I have been desperate to meet the spawn of the two people i loved the most in the world. But looking at you now, seeing his hair, her eyes, his disobedience and stubbornness, her fire of a spirit and strength of heart... I can't even look at you." His words were lined with a deep hatred not even I could distinguish.

He edged closer, grabbing my neck, his grip like a vice.

"Yes, yes I see it, your mother's eyes. The exact ones. Such a shame." He clicked his tongue, his face inches from mine, I gasped for breath, "She'd be disappointed in you, they both would."

His words hit me hard but I fought harder, kicking his leg with all my might. His grip loosened for a split second.

"They'll think you won't have had any training because until recently you were a mundane. Use that, use that to your advantage. You're small, so you're hard to catch. Use that."

Isabelle's training had served me well because as soon as his grip loosened that smallest bit. I shoved as hard as I could and ran for what looked like a door. Valentine sprang into motion, gripping a throwing knife from his belt and he threw it.

It skimmed my leg and a scream tore from my mouth, but that didn't stop me from running.