The Shadows Move

Idiots! Do they really think Clary is in any shape to go gadding about-especially back to Idris? I don't care if she knows the castle; if that counsel thinks he's sending my wife anywhere, he's got another thing coming! thought Jace furiously as he stormed down the hall to his and Clary's room. He threw open the door thoughtlessly, and it banged against the wall; immediately, he regretted it.

Clary was curled under the many blankets on the bed, her eyes shut tightly, and her chest rising and falling in the rhythm of sleep. The blue shadows under her eyes told Jace how little sleep she had been getting lately, and that only recently she had fallen asleep. He had no intention of waking Clary-not after the last few weeks-and very carefully shut the door and locked it. He crossed the room and added a few logs to the fire, watching the flames spring to life and hungrily consume the wood. A warm glow permeated the room, and Jace glanced back at the sleeping figure.

It had been hard on Clary since her mother's return; they didn't speak often, and when they did, Clary held herself at some distance, her voice always slightly ironic and her eyes sparkling malevolently. It had reminded Jace something of Valentine, and he realized that Clary could be truly cruel is she ever put her mind to it. Unfortunately, the hard face she wore for her mother's benefit only lasted until they had returned to her room; there it would fall away and behind the mask would be a drawn, pale visage. Jace often encouraged Clary to sleep, but she since their arrival, she had been a woman possessed, constantly seeking out training in all fields and doing her best to put aside the princess she had been born and embracing the wife she now was.

Jace watched on as she traded away her useless jewelry, all but for the necklace and ring he'd given her, for wool and fabric and cooking necessities. Isabelle had taken Clary under her wing, showing her how to cook the food they had, how to clean clothing with a bucket of water, how to keep a house. She had immediately taken up making another, thicker blanket for their bed, which she'd completed in a week, tirelessly knitting her stress away. She'd prepared food and stored it, next. And, when it seemed food was no longer a problem, moved on to all her other house chores. She had put aside most of her shadowhunter training, and Jace was slightly concerned.

He knew Clary wanted to forget everything from her past, he knew the idea of being a simple house wife was appealing to her, and he wanted more than anything for Clary to be happy, but she couldn't put aside who she was born. Suppressing her shadowhunter self wasn't healthy, and Clary was, though she tried to deny it, an amazing shadowhunter. Jace had been gentle with her, never pushing her to take back up her blades and runes, but he was worried for her.

A few weeks ago, Clary had started having terrible nightmares, and she would spend most of the nights tossing and turning, moaning. Jace found the only remedy for the night terrors was for him to hold her, which he had done willingly. However, the nightmares weren't the only problem; Clary was bone tired, and couldn't focus on anything that wasn't a simple task. She was quiet for hours on end and the feeling of her hand in Jace's was slight and cold. He thought she was slipping away.

It hadn't helped that the Clave had been summoning her day after day, demanding her display her special talent with runes. Jace was furious that Jocelyn hadn't tried to protect her daughter from the Clave, and had had no problems letting her know how he felt. Magnus, who indeed sat on the Clave, was more sympathetic to Clary than her own mother. Jace had expressed his concern to the warlock, and Magnus had risen to the occasion with bundles of herbs that, when burned, emitted a relaxing fragrance, but Jace was beginning to think a potion might be called for. However, the herbs weren't very effective when the Clave also asked Clary to recount much of her life, asking her specific questions about her father and brother. Clary had managed to avoid speaking of her many assaults, but she couldn't hide anything else about Jonathan. They picked her mind apart, and it left her empty. Clary sometimes would go back to their room, lie in the bed in Jace's arms, and sob silently.

Now, Clary murmured in her sleep again, and Jace turned at once to her. He tossed another bundle of leaves on the fire and the scent exploded into the air before he joined Clary under the blankets. It had become so commonplace for Jace to wrap her up in his arms, that he did it seamlessly and without waking her. Clary shifted her sleeping position so she could form herself to Jace's and he watched the tension straining her face slip away. Gently, he brushed her hair back off her face and hummed in his throat.

They stayed that way for a long time, Clary sleeping and Jace humming, until there was a knock on the door. Jace glanced at it, wondering who was here to torment Clary this time, but the door opened on its own accord, and Jace knew very few people who would open their door without asking. Alec came in, followed closely by Isabelle, and when they spotted the two on the bed, raised their eyebrows.

"Is this a bad time?" Alec asked softly.

Jace shrugged. "As good a time as any," he said. "Once she's asleep, Clary will sleep though almost anything. She hasn't been getting a lot of sleep lately, so just talk quietly."

Isabelle closed the door firmly and locked it. "How is it going with the Clave?"

Almost at once, Jace's face darkened. "I swear on the Angel, if they drag Clary in there one more time to ask her about Jonathan I'm going to-"

"What do they want?" Isabelle asked, feeling angry for Clary. "And why isn't Jocelyn standing up for her?"

"The Clave wants answers, especially after they found out Clary can create runes." Jace glanced down at the girl in his arms and wondered just how many other amazing things she could do. "I don't know about Jocelyn, and, frankly, I don't want to know. I don't really care what some coward like her has to say; she ran away and left Clary with those monsters."

Alec looked down. "Magnus didn't really want to tell the Clave, you know."

"I know," Jace murmured. "Besides, he's been doing his best to make it right. He's the one that gave us the leaves to burn. They've been helping Clary sleep, but I think I'll need to ask him for something more."

"I'll ask," Alec said at once. "I've been working with him more often, and I'm heading over to his rooms today anyway. I'll see what he has for sleeping potions."

"Thanks," Jace sighed. "What are you doing for Magnus anyway? I would have thought a High Warlock was too important to have need for a servant."

Alec shrugged. "I figured as much, but he seems to like having me around, running errands and such, and he's been paying me, so I can't complain."

Jace smiled a little to himself at the thought of Alec chasing after Magnus. "Well, as long as you're making it worth it, I can't see why it's troubling. Leastways, a sleeping potion would be nice."

"This place must be wearing her down," Isabelle said decidedly, though not unkindly. "I mean, it's not like she's really ever had to work much in her life. It must be tiring to have a household to run."

"It's not that," Jace said. "If Clary could, I think she'd move back out to Woodend, and spend the rest of her life keeping the land and manor. She wants to be a simple housewife. This shadowhunter business, that's what's making her sick."

"But, it's who she is," Isabelle argued. "Clary was always a shadowhunter, she always acted like one; how can she be tired of it?"

"The Clave," was all Jace said in response. "Isabelle, could you come back tomorrow and help Clary with the cooking and washing? I know it's been building up and Clary's been going on about it, but she's just so tired lately; I can't let her keep going like this."

"Of course, as long as she doesn't mind Max running about," Isabelle said with a smile. "He doesn't have school tomorrow."

Jace grinned at the thought of Max, who, since their meeting, had begun viewing him as the hero of countless adventures. He knew he should be flattered that Max had taken to something like hero-worship of him, especially when the boy had his own brother, but he sometimes wished Max would turn that adoration on Alec, or at least Isabelle.

"He's welcome since I still owe him some lessons with a sword," laughed Jace.

"Yes, he hasn't forgotten that," growled Isabelle. "Every day he goes on and on about what he's learning in school, but he keeps begging to learn how to use a sword. I don't know why…"

"I'll show him," Jace decided. "And I'm sure Clary will appreciate the help."

They spoke a little bit more about life, how Isabelle was adjusting to her new job, running above ground for the farmers, and how Max was taking to the school setting having never had a formal education before, but the day wore on quickly. Isabelle excused herself to go find Max before he wandered off after school, and Alec muttered something about finding Magnus and getting that sleeping potion. Left alone, Jace rose and went to add another log to the fire.

"You really should leave that to me," murmured Clary, not opening her eyes but rolling over to get a better view of Jace. "It's my job to see to this house since you're the one going out on patrols, earning us our bread."

Jace smirked. His patrols were nothing more than getting on a horse and ranging about the city, looking for trespassers or worse. He'd taken the job mainly because he had been given some newer weapons and the chance he might get into a skimerish, as Jace hated nothing so much as sitting about and doing what he deemed "nothing". The Clave had offered him better positions because he was a lord, but he suspected the reason for their offer was so that they might keep a closer eye on him. The Clave suspected, though they'd never admit it, that Jace knew something, or was something, more than he said. Otherwise, why would Valentine be so keen to keep him around? Jocelyn had certainly given Jace a very close look.

"That job is hardly worthy of the title," Jace sneered. "All I do is ride a horse all day; I hardly think that counts as work."

"You train," Clary finally said, opening her eyes and blinking away the sleep. "You go and practice with the other men and women."

Jace wasn't sure if he heard raw longing or unfathomable tiredness in her voice. "I don't know why I bother, their practice is hardly worthwhile."

Clary smiled at Jace this time. It hadn't taken long for the instructors to notice Jace; what with his stunning good looks and wit, coupled with his matchless skill with a blade. In two months, Jace had been promoted twice, and he seemed to be very popular among the Watch, as the shadowhunters who went out on these patrols, deemed themselves. He had started bringing in a handsome salary, though Clary insisted on not flaunting their status, and preferred herself to remain in the shadows and watch him. She was known by association only among the common shadowhunters and people they lived around, though, where the Clave was concerned, she was the one to keep their eyes on.

"What would make it worthwhile?" asked Clary, sitting up and stretching her toes.

"If you would join me," Jace said at once. The idea of Clary working alongside him was at once intriguing. Getting her away from the house and her worries could only be good for her. Besides, he liked the idea of Clary hunting alongside him, it thrilled him. "I'm sure they would let you out with me."

"Just because I'm your wife doesn't mean they will let me work with you. These are shadowhunters, they don't believe in separating the sexes and they don't believe in letting a woman ride with a man, just because she is his wife."

"You're more than capable of fighting," Jace said softly. "I know Valentine taught you how to fight, I know what you can do."

Clary looked away, unable to hold Jace's burning gold gaze. "I don't know, Jace; I don't know if I want to go back to that…"

Jace sighed, but he wasn't going to push Clary, instead he joined her on the bed and kissed her. "I know you don't want it, Clary, I was just suggesting you look for something outside this place. It can't be good for you to be locked up in here."

"Maybe not," admitted Clary. "I just want to be left alone. I just want the Clave to leave me to my peace and quit questioning me."

"I know it gets tiring, I know it's painful," Jace murmured in Clary's hair. He truly did feel for her, especially after having had a taste of her life. "But you're better than it, Clary, you're better than Jonathan and Valentine, and you're better than your past."

Clary lifted her gaze up to Jace, and she saw in his eyes more desperation than ever before. He wanted her to leave behind this little house, he wanted for her to return to the world of living, wanted so badly for her to come with him. Clary felt his pain like it were her own, and she squeezed him tighter, trying to make him understand that she was scared. She was scared if she returned to the attention of the public, her life would spiral back to what it once was…but Jace didn't see that. He saw only her tired eyes and her sad empty gazes.

"Perhaps I'll see," said Clary after a moment. "But, only if you'll come with me." I could only stand it if I had Jace by my side.

Jace's eyes brightened at once, burning gold. "Clary, I'll follow you to the ends of the world and back if that's what you wanted. You need only say it."

"I love you," Clary said simply, realizing for the first time how much she really loved Jace. "I'll love you to the ends of the world." A thousand responses passed through Jace's mind, a thousand different ways of letting Clary know how much he loved her too, but they all got jumbled up in his mind and he couldn't find words. Clary laughed. "What's this? The witty Jace Herondale at a loss for words? I thought I'd never see the day."

"I was surprised is all," said Jace quickly.

"Surprised I loved you after everything you've done for me?" Clary smiled. "No, you just don't have the words to express your love, I think."

Jace raised his hands helplessly. "You're right, little one. I'm afraid, for once in your life, I am without words. You've left me breathless."

Clary rolled carefully, and very suddenly, Jace found her seated on his hips. She smiled at him devilishly, and he felt her hands creep along his sides and up to his shoulders. "You're not breathless, not yet at least." Though Jace had had every intention of letting Clary continue sleeping, he found that she was very distracting, and he didn't have the will to make her go back to bed.

It turned into a very pleasant evening, just the two of them, making up for the lost time that the stress of the Clave had taken. Clary was very curious to pick up her love life with Jace, but since her arrival, it had been hard. It wasn't so much that she had been pushing Jace away, but the constant reliving of Jonathan was too much for her to bear. Jace, very attuned to Clary's thoughts, had not pushed her. He had offered her the affection and comfort she looked for, and let her set the pace of their relationship. Now, Clary was feeling strangely eager to explore her sexuality. She found being away from the castle and Jonathan and Valentine liberating; there was no one watching her belly for the telltale sign of a pregnancy. There were no eyes glaring at her in condemnation. There was no one who really cared what she did with her husband. It suddenly opened up countless of avenues, countless adventures.

Perhaps you should practice that love bite Isabelle mentioned, thought Clary to herself, and then blushed at her thought. However, Jace was pleasantly surprised when she bit him.

Much later, as the embers in the fire glowed lazily and stroked their bare bodies with its red glow, Clary stirred and pressed herself against Jace's chest. "I'm sorry I've been so withdrawn lately."

Jace brushed his fingers through Clary's hair. "I've missed you, Clary."

"I've certainly missed me too," Clary agreed, and she snuggled closer. "I'm glad you waited."

For a while, they watched the fire crackle and burn down to the embers. Clary sighed and swung her legs about, pulling her feet back as they touched the cold stone floor, but she tossed her hair over her shoulders and slipped out from under the blankets. Unfortunately, Clary had tossed her robe over the chair close to the bathroom, and with the fire so low, the room was bitterly cold. Jace, however, rolled on his side and propped his head up on his hand, enjoying the view of Clary's naked, narrow backside.

"This is flattering angle, Clary," Jace teased gently.

Clary tossed her hair over her shoulder and cast him a playful look. "Enjoy it while you can, Jace." Clary plucked the robe up off the chair and wrapped it loosely about herself.

"I think you and I should agree that whenever we are alone in this room, we have to go naked. It will certainly keep things interesting between us." Jace watched Clary place a log on the fire, admiring the play of red and gold in her hair. "Do you agree, little wife?"

Clary stood up and lifted her chin proudly, and Jace was reminded at once of the princess she was. Swiftly, with the speed of a shadowhunter, Clary tugged the blankets off the bed, leaving Jace bare before her. "So long as you're going to play along." She laughed loudly and jumped on the bed, landing on top of him. Jace caught Clary and the two rolled on the bed.

Clary landed sitting on top of Jace's waist, and she leaned over and kissed him luxuriously. Just then, though, there was a loud pounding on the door. Clary bolted upright at the same time Jace tried swing her around behind him. It resulted in Clary lying with a leg tossed over Jace's thigh, and Jace sitting naked before the closed door. The knocking continued.

"Who is it?" Jace called, anticipating Alec with the sleeping potion.

"Jace, it's Jocelyn." There was a long pause. "I would like to speak with you and Clarissa, if I could have your time."

Jace glanced over at Clary, whose face was blank and pale, no sign of the joy she'd just been feeling. When she saw him, Clary blinked and shrugged helplessly. "Stay here," Jace said softly to Clary, and he pulled himself out of bed and pulled on a loose pair of pants. When he threw open the door, he stood bare-chested before Jocelyn, arms crossed, a dark look on his face. "We were a little busy," Jace said, wantonly provocative.

But Jocelyn was not Queen of Idris for nothing, and the crude wordplay of a young duke didn't faze the woman one wit. "Be that as it may, duty calls, and it is a seductive song. May I come in?"

Jace considered saying no, but knew there was no point in denying Jocelyn when she sat in such a high place on the Clave. He stepped aside with a flourish of his arms. "But of course."

Jocelyn entered the room, closing the door firmly behind her, and she glanced about. Her eyes darted from the small fire to the desk, to the bathroom, and finally alighted on Clary, who was clearly naked beneath her robe and seated in a mess of blankets on her bed. "I wish you two would accept my invitation to live with me. This is no place for my daughter and her husband, not when there is so much spare room in my home."

"I like my freedom," Clary said simply.

Jocelyn blinked. "I would certainly not seek to impugn on your freedoms. I, after all, was the one who pushed for this marriage. My home is lonely often, and I would not say no to the sound of happy voices."

"We'll consider it, Mother, but I know I am quite attached to this little hovel." Clary looked all around her, her eyes finally coming to rest on the mussed bed. "It has its certain charm."

Again, Jocelyn, wasn't one to flinch away from crudeness, not even her daughter's open jib. She offered her daughter a serene smile and settled on the chair before the small desk. "I know how much you wish to live the simple life of a wife, but you're so much more than, Clarissa."

"Don't call me that," Clary said at once. "Only Father ever called me that."

"Daughter, please, reconsider." When Clary and Jace stared back at her, Jocelyn sighed. "I've come because the Clave has received news from Idris, and it's unsettling. I know you're going to be summoned soon, and would seek to prepare you for what you're going to hear."

Clary glanced swiftly to Jace. "What has happened?"

Jocelyn looked away ruefully. "It's Jonathan. He's taken the throne from Valentine…you're father is dead."

Clary couldn't stop herself from gasping, and even Jace's face registered the shock. "Jonathan killed Valentine?" Jace asked.

"I'm afraid so," Jocelyn said. "It seems he was tired of waiting for nature to take its course-"

"He'll come for me!" Clary cried at once, lunging from her bed and into Jace's arms. "Jace, he'll come looking for me; he'll never let me go."

Jace's arms constricted around Clary involuntarily. "He can't find you here, Clary; I won't let him."

"He's killed my father for the throne alone, what's to stop him from hunting me down?" Clary could feel herself shaking. "He'll come for me and when he does he'll kill you."

"That's not going to happen," Jace said firmly. "He won't kill me, and I promise you, I'm not going to let him take you."

Though his words were as strong as ever, it did little for Clary, who seemed beyond comfort. There was a madness in her eyes that Jace had seen before, most commonly in a deer when he had it cornered, and she kept mouthing wordlessly. Though Jace tried again and again to calm her down, Clary didn't seem to hear him, and he shot an angry look at Jocelyn, who was watching her daughter curiously. It suddenly registered with Jace that Jocelyn probably didn't know the extent of her daughter's torment at Jonathan's hands, and she certainly couldn't begin to imagine how horrible it was. No mother believes their son capable of such things. Still, it didn't stop him from being furious with the woman who brought the news.

"Clary, I know you're upset, and I want you to know, I'm going to help you."

"Because you've been so helpful before," Jace muttered.

Jocelyn narrowed her gaze. "Let me help you, daughter; just come here and-"

"Get away!" Clary snarled so suddenly. "Stay away from me, Mother. You didn't help me when I was child, and you certainly can't help me now. Why don't you make yourself useful and go play with the Clave?"

Jocelyn seemed unperturbed by Clary's outburst and she came forward, offering her open arms to Clary. "I know you haven't forgiven me for leaving, but I had no choice, you see. You're father was going to know soon what I'd done, and back then I didn't even know this place existed. I couldn't condone bringing my children with me into the wild."

"So you left me to the dogs," Clary hissed back, turning to face her, while still wrapped in Jace's arms. She knew Jace would stop her before she lunged at her mother. "You have no idea what you did."

"I did everything in my power to protect you. I told Magnus to stay and guard you, I sent Luke back to keep an eye on you. I can't change the past, but believe me, I did all I could."

"Then you're pathetic," Clary said simply. "You're attempts, your love, all of it. The only people who ever cared for me were the damn doctor and the dog. If Jace hadn't come along when he did, I'd have killed myself."

This time, Jocelyn did frown, sensing something much deeper than Clary's resentment over her abandonment. "Let me make it up to you."

"To hell with you!" Clary cried passionately. "Be gone from me. All my life, you've either left me alone, or come bearing bad news. You're nothing but a herald of despair. Leave me to my thoughts and my fears." Jocelyn opened her mouth to speak, but Clary cut her off. "If you love me, you will leave me."

Jace felt Clary slump uselessly against him, and he knew whatever life had woken in her was gone now. He helped her to the bed and sat her down in it, then proceeded to dig out his cloak and wrap her in it. He took her chin in his hands and held her gaze up to his. "I will be back here in five minutes, do you hear me? Not a minute more, and once I'm back, I'm not leaving."

Clary looked up from the folds of the cloak, her hand snatching up his. "Please don't go."

"Five minutes," Jace said, kissing her delicately, and then marched Jocelyn out of the room, closing the door with a snap.

Jocelyn turned to face Jace but he was already watching her, no kindness or forgiveness in his gaze. "My daughter will be summoned before the Clave. Believe me, Jace, I have tried to convince them otherwise, but they will want her-"

"Tell the Clave if they come knocking here again, I will not hesitate to defend my wife." Jace pointed at the door. "You have no idea what you're doing to that girl, but, fortunately, I do. I will not send her to the Clave, I will not allow her to be taken there, and if they tell me I don't have the authority to make that decision, I will take Clary and we will leave. I don't know where, I hardly care; we'll go as far away from this miserable little city as we can and never look back. Clary is not going to speak."

"You can't protect her from everything," Jocelyn said softly, sensing just how deep Jace's love for Clary was, and how honorable his intensions were.

"At least, unlike you, I can protect her something." Jace saw a dart of pain pass through her eyes. "Don't come back here, Jocelyn, not until you understand what you did."

"What I did?"

Jace's smile was sharp as a razor. "Perhaps you ought to catch up with Magnus. I think he's not telling you something." When Jocelyn tried to speak, Jace raised his hand. "I can't abide by this anymore, I just can't. Tell the Clave I'm being unreasonable, tell the Clave I'm holding your daughter hostage, I don't care. They'll have to pry her from dead arms before she goes before them again. Now, I'm going to go tend to my wife, since no one else will."

Jace turned and opened the door, but Jocelyn's hand shot out, taking his arm. "I'm not angry with you, Jace. You're a good man, protecting my daughter, and so much like your father, but please, I love Clary. What have I done to earn her hatred?" When Jace began to tell her off, she shook her head thoughtlessly and then reached for the stele at her belt. "Forget it, I'll speak with Bane. For now, I implore you, give her this. It was mine as a child, the only thing I have left of my family, passed down through generations. I want her to have it, I want her to know I love her."

Though Jace considered turning the knife away, he took it, understanding the value of such a blade. "I'll get it to her," was all he said before leaving Jocelyn to find Magnus.

"Is she gone?" Clary asked in a dead voice from the bed. "Have I finally driven her away for good?"

"I think not," Jace said and showed her the stele. "She wants you to have this. To know she loves you."

Clary studied the blade with blank eyes. "If the Clave comes for me, I'll slit my wrists with it."

Jace snapped the blade back with speed Clary only wished she had. "The Clave isn't coming for you, I've already threatened to leave if they come. You're going to stay here with me, and I'm going to stay here with you."

"What about your job?"

"I'm sure it'll be waiting for me when I get back," laughed Jace, and settled himself next to Clary on the bed, enveloping her in his arms. "You need sleep, little one. Go to bed, I'm not going anywhere; I'll be here when you wake."

Clary turned against him, pressing herself so hard into his side, Jace thought she was trying to stick herself there. "What are we going to do, Jace? He'll burn this world down just looking for me."

"He'll have to get through me first," Jace said with iron in his voice. "Don't think about it, Clary, just sleep."

Much later, there was a gentle tapping at the door, and Jace carefully removed himself from the bed to see who it was. "Ah, Magnus, has the Clave sent you?"

Magnus's face was dark. "I've just heard the news about Jonathan, and when Jocelyn came running to me, babbling about Clary having a nervous breakdown, I knew I'd be needed." Magnus laughed darkly to himself. "I left her standing on the stump, actually, since I portaled here."

"Yes or no?" Jace said simply. "If you're here on behalf of the Clave, I can't let you in."

"I've come for Clary, not the Clave." Magnus said, seeing Clary's troubled form over Jace's shoulder. "I've brought a sleeping potion Alec mentioned, as well as an intriguing idea, if you're interested in hearing."

Jace moved aside, ushering him into the dark room. "Something to stump the Clave, I hope."

Magnus turned his serious look on Jace as he shut the door. "The Clave practically forced me into service for them after the Uprising, took me away from my business, my friends, and my home. I have no love for the Clave, so, yes, causing no end of trouble for them is always at the top priority on my list."