Memories Are All She Has

21.New information

Jace's POV

My feet are tapping on the ground restlessly. A slight fear and panic is seeping into my bones. The cool breeze entering the room sounds like the air is laughing at me. The rustling sound of pages flipping is making me want to rip them out with desperation. Every second sitting here, is making the situation worse. Every second that I stay here, something bad could be happening to them.

I feel the cool reassuring touch of my parabatai's hand on my arm.

"Jace, I'm sure they are fine. If someone attacks them, I am honestly only worried for the person who does," Alec says, trying to lighten up the mood and lift the tension surrounding me like a thick blanket.

"Yeah," I muse almost absently. Alec's words are doing nothing to reassure me that they're safe. Don't get me wrong, I am really grateful to him for trying, but right now only seeing them for myself will help. Seeing Clary's fiery red hair and tiny frame. Her emerald green eyes shining with stubbornness and her plump red lips. I guiltily shove those thoughts away when I realize that I am barely even thinking about Izzy. What is it about Clary that's making me feel this way? Why is it that every time I see her, something ignites with me? Why is it that the slightest brush of our shoulders makes me tingly and full of energy?

"Nothing I say will help, will it?" Alec asks, with a sad sweet smile. He always gets me perfectly. I nod sadly, back at him. He walks back to his chair near the table and sits, resignedly. He opens up a book and skims through its contents, a bored expression on his face.

They should have been back by now. What is taking them so long? Did something happen.... No! Don't think like that, I reprimand myself. I'm sure they will be fine. Maybe they found out a lot of juicy information and are staying a bit longer to find out more. Yes, I'm sure that's it! They are perfectly fine. I'm not worried at all. Who am I kidding!? Worry is eating through my bones and my face is scrunched up with my heavy frowning. My toes are going numb because of my tapping.

I glance at the book in front of me and notice that it is about warlocks. If I'm just going to sit here, I might as well do some reading.

Every warlock is better at a particular type of magic. There is a rare power that consists of mind control...

Blah, blah, blah is all that registers in my mind. Wait a second, did it just say mind control? I glance back to the book to see that it does. It says that, these days very few warlocks have that power and even the few who do have a very weak version of it. A blurry image is shown of a warlock controlling a human. The picture isn't clear, but one thing stands out to me. The man's eyes are red. Just like those creatures which attacked us. My eyes widen in realization and I look more closely at the coffee coloured, musty scented page of the book.

It says, there is a spell to use mind control, but channelling that kind of power through a warlock would kill them. The only way the spell can be successfully used is through a vessel of some sort. Something that links the warlock and the one/ones he is controlling. The thing that binds them could even be a t..

The word here is smudged and I can't make out what it says, but I understand the main meaning. The warlock needs some way to maintain his hold on the creatures. If we can find a way to break it or block it then he will no longer be able to control them or will die with trying! I turn the old page slowly, so as to not tear it.

I keep reading with a sudden avid interest, starkly contrasting my previous state of boredom and anxiousness, The spell has been lost for a very long time and no one has managed to use it properly for centuries. But when it is used, it can be very dangerous.