Our Fate II ➰Shadowhunters➰ [Jace]

➰Chapter Thirty-four➰

➰Chapter Thirty-four➰

"Leah!" Clary's voice echoed through the City of Bones' dungeons. Leah's gaze lifted until her eyes met hers and she stood up from her cell's dirty floor.

"Clary, what are you doing here?"

"Jace and I wanted to see you," Clary replied. "I have something to tell you."

"What's going on? Is Isabelle okay?"

"Yeah, she's recovering. She'll be fine," Clary said with a half-smile. "Thanks to you."

"What did you want to tell me, then?"

"My mom... She said something that concerned me. She told me that you and Jace were injected with demon blood. She said Valentine—"

"Clary, I already know that."

"She also said that she went to Ragnor Fell when you were babies, after you had tried to kill each other several times." Clary continued, and Leah couldn't really deny that she was surprised to hear that. "Ragnor warned her that you two would battle each other, wiping out humanity in the process."

"That can't be. I would never hurt him."

"That's what I thought. Something doesn't make sense here," Clary said, biting her lip thoughtfully.

Leah nodded. Something about her entire backstory seemed odd. First, she was allegedly injected with demon blood, but she knew perfectly well that she wasn't evil. Valentine tried to convince her that the demonic blood in her system was what made her have strong feelings for Jace, but she couldn't help but think that it wasn't the case. However, what Jocelyn had said to Clary sent her thinking. Maybe they were right, and maybe her feelings for him really had a demonic source.

"Clary, may I speak to Leah for a moment, please?" Jace asked, and Leah felt her heart skip a beat as soon as he walked up to her cell.

Clary nodded, but before she left, she turned to Leah and gave her a soft smile. "We'll get you out of here, sis. Don't worry."

"I know you will." Leah forced herself to smile for her little sister's sake, but she wasn't so sure that she would be able to keep her promise.

Jace's blue eyes landed on her green ones, looking pained. She hated herself for not being able to assure him that she'd be okay, especially since she didn't really know that herself. "Are you okay?"

"You guys shouldn't be here. If you and Clary keep coming, they might think you were involved in all of this."

"But this wasn't your fault. You didn't kill that werewolf."

"But I helped kidnap her." Leah admitted, feeling beyond ashamed. "Maybe if I hadn't..."

"If you hadn't, Valentine would've killed you." Jace reassured her, but she wasn't so sure that he was right about that. "This is all my fault. You only ended on that boat with Valentine because you were trying to save me and Clary. I was the one who willingly left with him. I should be the one in here, not you."

"Don't take too much credit, I made my own choices. Now I have to accept the consequences."

"You're not the only one who's made mistakes—"

"It doesn't matter, Jace," Leah sighed. "Don't you get it? Even though I am well aware that our father is a psycopath, I think he's a bit right about me. There's a darkness within me that I can't ignore... Maybe it's the demon blood, or maybe it's his DNA. But I harmed Gretel and Maria, and I need to repent for it."

"Leah Rollins, you are not a bad person."

"How can you be so sure?" Leah's voice cracked, as she held on to the bars of her prison. "When I see you Jace, I can't deny that I care about you, more than you think. And even though it feels so right to do so in my heart... They are not feelings I'm supposed to have. They are not feelings I'm supposed to feel for my brother."