Broken Pasts (The Mortal Instruments Fanfiction)

Chapter 4: Flashbacks

The kitchen was warm and full of light and the salt-sweet smell of take-out Chinese food. Rose, Jace, Hodge, Isabelle, Clary, Alec and Simon sat around the great oak dining table. Alec and Rose had returned to everyone’s delight except Isabelles, with the largest Chinese takeaway Rose and Alec could carry. They’d come in laughing and smiling until they’d herd the news.

“Well, I think it’s kind of romantic,” said Isabelle, sucking tapioca pearls through an enormous pink straw.

“What is?” asked Simon instantly alert.

“The whole business about Clary’s mother being married to Valentine” said Isabelle. Jace and Hodge had filled Rose and Isabelle in, although leaving the part about the lightwoods having been in the circle and the curses the clave had handed down. “So now he’s back from the dead and he’s come looking for her. Maybe he wants to get back together.”

“I doubt he sent a Ravener demon to her house because he wants to get back together.” Said Alec, who was sitting next to Jace and avoiding making eye contact with Clary.

“It wouldn’t be my move,” Jace began. “First candy and flowers, then the apology letters, then the ravenous demon hordes. In that order.”

“He might have sent her candy and flowers,” Isabelle shrugged. “We don’t know”

“Isabelle,” Hodge said patiently. “This is the man who rained down destruction on Idris , who set shadowhunter against downworlder and made the streets of the glass city run with blood.”

“That’s kinda hot,” Isabelle argued. “That evil thing.”

Rose sighed and left the table. She was finished with hearing about Clary. That was the hot topic now, who are Clary’s parents? Why is she here? What does Valentine want with her? 

Rose sighed and hurried towards the weapons room. It was her favourite place. She could be alone there and no one would bother her.  She sat on one of the long metal benches at the side of the room and brushed her fingers through her long golden hair.  She breathed in the smell of metal and leather and steel polish, a scent she had become familiar with throughout the years. she felt a tear roll down her cheek and She slowly rested her head on the bench and began to drift to sleep trying to forget her troubles.

~

Her pulse was racing; her heart felt like it was coming out of her chest. This wasn’t happening she told herself. But it was. There in the middle of the living room were her parents. Covered in blood. Wounds in the head and the chest, lying on the floor. She leant against the door frame, her golden locks falling around her face as tears streamed down her face. It was too late to save her parents; whoever killed them was still in the house. She could hear footsteps upstairs, right above her. 

“Get the girl”

“What girl?”

“The girl! The reason why we’re here!”

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know? Search the house we’re not leaving till we find her.”

The girl took one last look at her parents then burst out the door her golden hair flowing behind her. Her heart bursting out of her chest. All she knew was that she could never return. No matter what. 

~

“Hey, hey are you alright.”

Rose sat bolt upright breathing heavily. Her pulse racing. She turned to see a hand on her shoulder. It was the Mundie. Simon.