Chapter two

The darkness faded slowly as if a light were being turned up on a dimmer switch. Clary's head felt like it was full of cement and she felt her throat close on a gag as her head pounded welcoming her back to consciousness. The steady drip of water somewhere nearby caught her attention but her head just hurt to damn much to be of any help.

She shivered as she realized she lay on a hard stone floor and that her hands and feet where shackled. Clary tried to stand but the length of chain attached was short and she was jerked back down. Clary tried to see but the murky darkness seemed to be filled with shadowy shapes that moved and danced in front of her throbbing eyes. She tried not to be afraid, but she had to admit it, she was scared.

The creak of a door sounded like a gunshot in the darkness as the light from the hallway spilled into the dark room. She jerked back from the cruel grip on her chin and wanted to vomit as Sebastian smiled his sick knowing smile, as if he knew what was coming and she wouldn't like it.

" little sister" he hissed softly, deceptively "Do you like your accommodations?" He stroked his hand over her face and hair and she cringed away from him not wanting him near her.

"Don't touch me, Get away from me."

He laughed softly and grabbed her arm in a crushing grip pulling her to her feet. He released the chains and she sagged as her vision continued to be dark. She tried to see but failed as shadows moved and swayed in front of her eyes. His laughter trickled down her spine like spiders scuttling about and Clary hit out at him. Her fist connected but he almost seemed to like it because he laughed again.

His hand slapped viciously at her and her head snapped back bouncing back against the wall with a sickening snap. She found the shadows fading away as her head swam and she was slung over one shoulder as he walked up the stairs. She tried to fight but he just laughed again. "You'll be signing another tune once I'm finished with you." He said softly as he kicked the door shut "you belong to me, now shut the hell up."

Jace strapped on extra knives and ran his hands through his hair yanking as hard as possible. The pain did little to alleviate the pain in his heart but he had to do something. The door opened with a creak and he looked up into Jocelyn's eyes and knew that she had nothing. The old saying that no news was good news was bullshit.

He swore again and willed Magnus to hurry. Magnus was trying a tracking spell but so far nothing had worked. Every second that ticked by drove him a little crazier, made him a little guiltier. He slammed his fist hard against the wall and heard his hand crack but the pain was a welcome distraction from the tearing in his heart. He was the world's biggest fool and he had a sinking dread growing in the pit of his stomach telling him that he would never get to make up for it.

Jace grabbed his hand and stomped up the steps to the room where Magnus was tracing Clary. Magnus sat within a circle of blue fire deeply entranced in the spell. The blue danced over him and lit him as if he were on fire. Jace paced impatiently practically wearing a hole in the floor. Magnus gasped and Jace turned to him expectantly.

"where is she?" he demanded harshly.

Magnus sighed as the blue fire left his eyes and went out around him. Jace felt the horrible feeling in his stomach triple at the look in his eyes. It was never good when an immortal warlock looked like that.

"she is in a hell dimension," Magnus said softly "and her life signs are fading."

"Well let's go get her." Jace rasped out sharply trying to keep the dread out of his stomach and his heart. He swung his seraph blade out and stormed toward the door, We have no time to lose.

"Jace" The sound of his name stopped him cold, as did the sadness in Magnus's cat colored eyes "We might already be too late." Jace knew from the sadness in his exotic colored eyes that he already feared the worst.

"No" Jace said softly, "I won't believe that, I have to save her because what will I do without her."

Magnus nodded and turned to get the others. The other shadow hunters entered the room and they flooded through the portal to the hell mouth with Jace leading the way.

Clary tried to open her eyes but couldn't. The pain had finally faded to numbness after what seemed like an eternity. What scared her most was the fact that Sebastian had hit her so hard so many times that it almost seemed like a blessing to no longer be able to see his smug evil face. The sound of a blade being pulled free of its sheath stopped her turbulent thoughts and she flinched away from the coldness of the blade.

"Let's see how you like this." He said with evil glee as he dug the knife in and Clary began to scream.