CHAPTER 8

I didn't want to move the next day, the next day I was too shocked and too scared to move from the bedroom. Jace left for a few minutes at a time, returning with any of my needs that I may have wanted. Although, I think he too feared that if he left me alone for too long, something would happen to me.

The Silent Brothers had come and removed the wings so that they could investigate and the Clave had come and talked with Maryse. No one could tell them much because nobody had been aware of the event until Jace and I had returned home that night.

I was lying on my side, facing towards the door, when Jace came back in. I pretended to be asleep but he knew I was awake. He slipped into the bed beside me and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me tightly against him so that I could feel the warmth radiating from him and his chest pressed against my spine.

"Clary…" he whispered into my ear softly, kissing the spot just behind my ear. "Do you want to talk wedding stuff?"

Before I could reply there was a soft rap at the window. I went to stand up to get it but I felt Jace's body go rigid against mine. He put a hand up for me to stay and grabbing his seraph blade, he crawled towards the window ledge. I sat up, my muscles taunt and my heart pounding. This was it; I could help but think, this was the moment we had been waiting for.

In one swift movement, Jace pulled the window opened and in flew a piece of paper. Before Jace or I could react, the window was slammed shut. Jace quickly wrenched open the window once more and peered outside.

With a pounding heart and clammy palms, I stood up and headed towards the piece of paper that now lay in the middle of the floor. Jace was now standing on the window ledge, looking in all directions for whoever sent the note.

I opened the folded piece of paper and felt the colour drain from my face and my heartbeat quicken. Jace got down and was now staring at me. "What does it say, Clary?"

I shook my head and scrunched it up, tucking it into the back pocket of my jeans. "It's nothing. Just a blank piece of paper."

He knew I was lying and instantly jumped in. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?"

"I… um," I stuttered. "I have to go."

"Clary…" he began and reached out towards me. I scurried out of his reach and headed out of his room, down towards the entrance to where outside was, to where fresh air was. I felt like I was suffocating, like the walls were closing in from every direction. I heard Jace calling out for me but I couldn't stop, my legs just kept propelling me forward. Once I was out the big front doors, the cold air was welcoming, like a slap in the face.

I slumped onto the front stairs and broke down into sobs. A few passer-by's shot me a few looks but none stopped long enough to pay much attention. They were only mildly interested.

"Oh, Clary…" I heard a voice murmur before strong, warm, comforting arms wrapped around me, drawing me close to his chest. Jace now sat beside me with his lips pressed to my temple. "I'm so scared, Jace." I cried while sobs clenched around my heart like an iron fist.

"What was the letter?" He asked me again. Standing up I took the piece of paper out of my back pocket and handed it to Jace. I watched as his brows furrowed together and confusion. "Is there a from on it anywhere?" I shook my head. The letter had actually been a rune and that was it, but the problem was I wasn't sure what it meant. That was the next question Jace asked me. Once again I took a seat beside him and took the paper from him.

I held it in two hands and closed my eyes, opening my mind wide, concentrating on the rune. I could picture it in my head but all I saw was darkness. Suddenly I saw a man's chest, his shirt in ruins, his muscled chest exposed and in his heart lay a stake. The rune that was on the paper curled up the man's forearm. I wanted to get out of that vision immediately but something kept drawing my eyes to the man's face. When I looked up, I saw the golden eyes that I used to get so easily lost in, stared straight ahead and the blonde hair I knew so well, the blonde hair that I used to run my fingers, through was bloody.

I gasped and found myself back in front of the institute. "What did you see?" Jace was already inquiring, his hands grasping mine. I reached up and my fingers fumbled at the pulse at his neck, my eyes gazed into his tawny eyes and while one hand rested over his beating heart, my other hand ran through his blonde hair.

I let out a shaky sigh of relief before murmuring, "Death."