Herondale High

Chapter 32- The Past Never Stays Buried

Josette's P.O.V.

I was sick all weekend but that wasn't the worst part in fact after I threw up Friday night it was really just the cold symptoms that sucked. Jake and Zach took me back to my room and Jake stayed there with me helping me break my fever and getting anything he thought would help. Zach came by the next morning to see how I was before he had to go visit his aunt in rehab. Jake had to go to the Emerald Dancer but he didn't want to leave me. I finally convinced him I would be fine but as it turned out I didn't have to be alone because a few minutes after he left there was a knock on my door. I yelled come in but it didn't come out very well so I thought I was going to have to get up and let them in when the door opened. I was expecting Izzy or Alec or maybe even Clary so I was pretty shocked when Jace walked through my door carrying a container full of soup.

"Hey, I wasn't sure what kind of soup you would want but I know chicken noodle is supposed to be good for the flu so I brought you some from Panera Bread." He walked over and set the soup on my bedside table before sitting in the comfy chair I usually use for reading.

I'm still shocked he's here so before I can stop myself I ask, "Why are you here?"

I feel bad for being rude but he just laughs. "I just told you I brought you some soup to make you feel better." Suddenly his face turns serious and he says, "I wanted to talk to you. I've wanted to talk to you all week but you're always surrounded by those two idiots."

"Who Jake and Zach?"

"Yeah," he says and I can't help but laugh despite how sick I feel.

"My, my Jace do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

"I just don't know why they always have to be with you but what I wanted to tell you is I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For being a dick to you when I was twelve. I shouldn't have acted like that but I guess I was just jealous because you seemed so happy and I was kind of hoping that maybe you could tell me some stuff about our parents."

I frown. "Jace I didn't really know our parents. I was only three when they gave me up. All I remember is them saying I couldn't be their child and they didn't want anything to do with me. The person I remembered the most was you and that was because I worried how they would treat you but obviously they liked you so."

"Oh. So they gave you up because they thought you weren't our dad's daughter?"

I sigh. "That was their reasoning yes but from what I've figured out they just didn't want me because I was a girl. They wanted a male heir to take over the Herondale company and they figured that if they gave me up, my new family would change my last name meaning that the Herondale company would go to you but now that I know that they knew my last name was Herondale I don't even think they knew about that I think they just wanted a male to inherit it." Jace and I talked for a while about our childhood before he had to leave for football practice. I was just starting to eat my soup when there was another knock on the door.

I told them to come in and Magnus walked through. I thought maybe he was here to apologize until I saw the look on his face. He told me that when he unknowingly ran those drugs for Camille he met one of her associates Gus, I knew Gus he was a dangerous criminal that went to jail for murder only to get out on a technicality so he moved from the US to Europe. According to Magnus, Gus was back in the state and Camille had sent him after Magnus. I told him to calm down and that it would be fine because Gus isn't going to go after him he would come after me and that I could handle him.

I really believed that until I woke up Wednesday morning and realized that Gus probably knew he couldn't just come after me so he would go after the people I cared about and the easiest person to find out about would be my brother. I had told the boys about Gus when I saw them Saturday night so they were with me when I found Jace and told him everything about Gus. He told me to be safe and I told him the same.

I was so worried about watching out for Jace I didn't even remember there was a party on Saturday until I got a message from a blocked number Saturday night saying I better show up or I would regret it. It only took me about 5 minutes to drive to the house. When I arrived I immediately started looking for Jace. I found him in the backyard by a pool with a plastic cover showing it was closed for the winter. "Jace you need to get Clary, Alec, Izzy, and Magnus out of here now."

Jace starts to ask why right as a man steps behind him and says, "Both of you better start walking up to that balcony so we can talk or pretty boy here gets a lead injection." I follow him as he leads Jace through the house and up to a balcony. I look over it and see that it is right above the pool so there aren't that many people that can see us for me to gesture for help. I look over at the big guy holding the gun and realize unsurprised that it is Gus.

"Look you've got me Gus let him go."

He laughs. "Let him go? I have to admit I was a little shocked you followed me anyway from what I hear you hate this kid, after all, he's the one your parents actually cared about." I know he's trying to bait me but I won't let him. "I figured I could take him out for you and then you could do me a favor. From what I hear, you're almost as powerful here as you were in Paris so you could get me good work. What do you say?"

"I say no. I'm not gonna help you do anything. And you're not gonna kill my brother." I swear I can see Clary and maybe Magnus out of the corner of my eye but before I can be sure Gus draws my attention back to him.

"Well, then I guess you're gonna have to decide what you care about more. The revenge you've always wanted on me or your brother's life." Before I can move he throws Jace off the balcony and I hear him land in the pool. I look over the edge and see the plastic sinking into the pool and wrapping around my brother. I'm about to jump over when I hear Gus laugh. "Wow and here I thought you would choose revenge."

I know what he's talking about. I remember the feel of the blood flooding out of my body as I started to bleed to death and I remember the hatred I felt when I woke up in the hospital and told my dads it was just some freak accident. I say, "You aren't worth the air I waste talking to you," as I take a deep breath and dive into the pool after my brother.

The first thing I feel is the cold. The water is freezing as it is mid-November but I push through it as I grab the pool cover. After a few minutes, I begin to need air but I push it down and continue to try and get Jace untangled. Finally, when I think I won't be able to stand it anymore I get him untangled and pull him out of the pool with me. He was in there a lot longer than I was and I'm worried he won't be alive but when I feel his wrist for a pulse it's faint but still there so I start CPR. Compress, Compress, Compress, Blow. Compress, Compress, Compress, Blow. I keep this up until finally he spits the water from his lungs up and looks at me. I realize that Alec, Clary, Izzy, Magnus, Jake, Zach, and a couple of guys I didn't know were standing around us.

It takes Jace a moment to come to his senses and when he does he opens his mouth. I think he is going to say thank you but instead, he yells, "Oh My God did you kiss me?"

I sigh and say, "No Jace I gave you mouth to mouth as part of CPR which you need because you drowned and I JUMPED INTO A POOL WITH A COVER RISKING MY LIFE TO SAVE YOURS." By the time I finish, I'm yelling at him or I would be if the water hadn't made me lose my voice again. Jumping into a cold pool on a cold night while recovering from the flu, not the move. Jace apologizes to me before turning to Magnus and directing his anger at him.

"You," he starts, "This is your fault. You say you hate me because of the way I treat people but what about you I almost died because you chose the wrong girl and it almost got my sister and me killed."

Magnus looks shocked and I don't think Jace realized what he said until Izzy gasps and says, "Josette is your sister?" Jace pales and I can't imagine how I look because Jace turns to me and starts yelling at me like I was the one that told everyone we were related. Normally I would've had some comeback but I was cold sick and I had just saved his ungrateful life so instead, I felt tears in my eyes and I got up and ran off not sure where I was going but knowing I had to get away.