The Angel-Blooded One (Shadowhunters ff)

7 - The Morning After

Jace

Jace stood there, rooted to the spot, for what felt like an eternity. What had happened? Had Clary remembered him? If so, why the panicked flight? Her retreating form had felt like a physical blow, leaving him reeling. One moment, their eyes had locked. The next, she was doubled over, gasping for breath, before vanishing back into the gallery.

When his limbs finally regained the ability to move, Jace found himself wandering the deserted streets of New York. His footsteps echoed in the pre-dawn silence, each one a thud against the growing dread twisting in his gut. Somehow, he found himself outside her apartment building, the early morning light casting an eerie glow on the familiar facade.

Something felt off. Ignoring the prickle of unease that crawled up his spine, Jace sprinted inside and raced up the stairs. Reaching Clary's door, he slammed his fist against the wood, the frantic rhythm mirroring the hammering of his heart.

No answer.

He pounded his fist against the door again, each blow echoing through the silence. A heavy, suffocating silence that pressed in on Jace from all sides. Gritting his teeth, he draw the unlocking rune, the gold light flaring briefly in the dim hallway. The door creaked open, revealing the empty interior. This wasn't Clary's apartment, not anymore. All traces of Clary, her personal belongings, the warmth of her presence – all gone.

Breath hitched in Jace's throat. There had been something wrong with Clary last night. Now, she was gone. A sickening dread filled him with the horrifying truth – he'd let her slip through his fingers again. But this time, the fear was laced with a chilling certainty – it might be for the last time.

Scrambling for his phone, Jace dialed Isabelle's number, his voice a ragged mess as he poured out the disjointed story – Clary, the encounter, the empty apartment.

"By the angel. We need to find her."

"Izzy, what is it?" Jace demanded, his voice tight with a new edge of fear.

"Jace, listen," Isabelle said, her voice strained. "There's... there's something I need to tell you about Valentine."

Jace froze. "Valentine?"

"I thought it might be a coincidence. Clary mentioned his name... I didn't think it meant anything, but now..."

"Are you saying Valentine is alive and after Clary? And you kept this from me?" Fury contorted his face, his eyes blazing with a dangerous light.

"I didn't know for sure! And I didn't want to get your hopes up —"

"My hopes? Clary's gone, Izzy! Because you kept your mouth shut!" Jace's voice reached a fever pitch before he slammed the phone down,the screen fracturing against the tile floor. Panic gnawed at him, but a spark of determination flickered to life. Valentine wouldn't win. He had to find her.

A cough from the doorway startled him. A young woman stood there, her gaze flitting between him and the shattered phone.

"Are you alright?" she asked, a concerned crease forming between her brows.

Jace grunted, belatedly realizing he'd forgotten to activate his glamour. The state of him probably screamed "dangerous maniac" but right now that was the least of his worries.

"Are you a friend of Clary's?" she persisted.

He squinted at her, recognition settling in. "Yeah," he finally acknowledged. "You're a faerie, right?"

The woman studied him with a newfound wariness. "Yes. My name is Aria. And who are you, Shadowhunter?"

"Jace," he replied, his voice curt. "Where is she? If anything has happened to Clary..." The threat died on his lips, unspoken but potent.

Aria arched an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement dancing in her sky blue eyes. "What? You think you can threaten me? I know you've been following us, you and that other Shadowhunter girl. Tell her that eavesdropping on other people's conversations is generally considered rude."

Jace's jaw clenched. Trust a fey to mock him in his darkest hour. "What do you want?"

"To help," Aria said, surprising him. "She's my friend too."

He scoffed. "I don't need your help." With a determined stride, he brushed past her, heading towards the stairs.

"Wait!" Aria called after him. "You're looking for the wrong Morgenstern."

***

"It's not Valentine," Jace declared, bursting into the Institute's operations center. Isabelle and Luke stood hunched over a holographic map of New York, its familiar landmarks glowing an eerie blue.

Isabelle whipped around, her eyes widening with alarm. "Jonathan?"

Jace shook his head, his movements sharp and agitated. "Oskar Morgenstern."

Luke's brow furrowed, deep lines etching themselves into his weathered face. "Valentine's father? He died two decades ago, during a raid on a werewolf pack. What are you getting at, Jace?"

Jace ran a hand through his hair. "Apparently, he didn't. Clary was looking for information about him. If anything happened to her —"

"We'll find her Jace," Luke said with a firm voice. "She wouldn't have gotten far. I'll get on the phone with my NYPD contacts and see if they've picked up anything unusual."

Jace nodded curtly. "Good. I'll message Alec. Maybe we can try tracking her with our Parabatai bond."

A moment later, a shimmering portal flickered to life next to them. Alec and Magnus stepped through, their expressions grim. Luke wasted no time, quickly filling them in on the situation. As he finished, Alec and Magnus exchanged a troubled glance.

"What is it?" Jace demanded, his voice tight, his frayed nerves stretched to the breaking point.

Alec turned to Magnus, who offered a small, hesitant nod. "As the Inquisitor, I receive reports from Institutes all over the world. A few months ago, there was a surge of demonic activity in Vienna – Ravener demons. Nothing the local Institute couldn't handle, but during their investigation, they apprehended a warlock who had summoned them." Alec paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "He escaped from their holding cell and vanished without a trace."

Isabelle's head snapped up. "Wait. We had a strange demon encounter a few months ago too. I was tracking a Ravener near Clary's apartment, but when I found it, it was already dead. Like someone fought it off and pushed it from a rooftop."

Jace's blood ran cold. "You found a dead Ravener right behind Clary's place and you didn't tell me?"

Isabelle's mouth opened to explain, but Jace cut her off and stormed past her. He was furious with his sister, yes, but his anger wasn't just directed at her. He vaguely remembered Izzy mentioning a dead demon in Brooklyn – the night after Clary's date. But he hadn't cared, consumed by his own hurt. Shame washed over him, a suffocating wave alongside the gnawing fear. Maybe Clary had been attacked then. And now, she was gone. The terrifying possibility sank its teeth into him. Maybe this time, he wouldn't get her back. Maybe this time, because of his own blindness, his own selfishness, he had truly lost her. The thought ripped a scream from his throat, a primal sound laced with despair, that echoed through the Operations Center. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision, but he refused to let them fall. He wouldn't allow himself that weakness. Not now. He had to find her. He had to bring her back.