Sebastian rules with his queen. Can Jace and friends save Clary or will she be forced to remain Sebastian's slave for eternity?
Soundtrack:
Chapter 1- Black Sheep (Scott Pilgram vs the world) by The Evil Exes
Chapter 1 Choices
"I accept it," she said, forcing herself to look at him with absolute directness. "I do."
"Then kiss me," he said. "Kiss me like you love me."
"In front of everyone? I don't think…"
"We have to show them," he said, and his face was as immovable as an angel pronouncing a sentencing. "That we are unified. Prove yourself, Clarissa."
"Please," she said. "Put your arms around me." She caught a flash of something in his eyes-vulnerability, surprise at being asked-before his arms came up around her.
"Now, Clary," he said, and she learned up, touching her lips to his face. She felt him shudder against her as she whispered, her lips moving against his cheek.
"Hail, master"
Clary pulled out Heosphoros and brought it up in a high arc. Sebastian's eyes grew wide in shock but the surprise was short lived. He hissed in anger and twisted his body away from her quickly before shoving her forcefully down the steps. Her betrayal would not go without punishment he thought as he watched her fall. Those would not be the only bruises she would sustain tonight.
Clary crossed her arms bracing herself; attempting to roll gracefully like Jace had showed her during training. However, the push had taken her as a surprise and she wasn't prepared. She ended up failing her roll miserably landing hard onto her shoulder as Heosphoros fell out of her hand and slid across the floor. Clary pushed herself up attempting to stand as she heard her brother yell out.
"You'll pay for that!" Sebastian hissed. "Guards!" Clary's head turned to face the robbed figures. Amatis was the first to move lunging at Jocelyn and putting a dagger swiftly through her stomach. Clary gazed on in horror as a scream escaped her throat. Sebastian watched the scene with a sick smile on his face. Jocelyn fell to her knees as Luke screamed and charged at her attacker. He was rapidly throwing punches into the air as his sister swiftly dodged each blow with her demon speed. After a few diverted kicks and jabs the woman began to chuckle. Amatis's laugh resonated loudly throughout the hall. More red capes charged at Luke as he throw each one off of his back. Finally four guards held him down and threw chains around him until he was immobile.
"Luke." Her mother whispered looking wearily at the man she loved. The lovely blue dress she had warn to the dinner now dirty and soaked with blood. Amatis looked down at her brother and grinned at the painstaking look on his face. "Good fight brother but not good enough." She grinned.
What had felt like hours happened in only minutes as time came back to Clary. Sebastian went to take a step towards her as the gang ran forward to protect her. Jace rushed to Clary as a sea of red capes descended on the rest of the party. Isabelle and Simon created a circle around Alex and Magnus who still lay flat on the floor weak. Jace cut through the endarkened but the rest stood immobile. They were surrounded but the warriors didn't attack them but merely fought to restrain them. They were effectively surrounded when another loud laugh vibrated throughout the hall. Everyone stopped and looked up to see Sebastian.
A sight made Clary's stomach turn. Sebastian's head held back laughing as he slowly descended down the stone stairs. His laugh still held the beauty it always had but now it stung with a hint of mad rage. He leaned down and picked Heosphoros up from its resting place on the floor. "When will you learn dear brother and sister?" he spoke in a soft voice that promised terror and wickedness. "This is my world. I am invincible! I can't be hurt, not by any weapon under heaven Clarissa!"
A shiver ran down Clary's back as she looked into his black eyes. "You of all people know better than to cross me," he smiled cruelly. "And that betrayal will cost you dearly sweetheart." Clary lowered her eyes to the floor refusing to challenge his gaze. This was going to be bad, really bad.
"Bring me the werewolf!" he commanded as Jocelyn screamed holding her blood drenched hand to her stomach. "No," Clary shouted as tears welled up in her eyes. Amatis dragged Luke across the room, throwing him down at her master's feet. She grabbed Luke's head backwards and held him still. Sebastian held out Heosphoros and placed it swiftly against Luke's throat! Sebastian lightly pressed the blade into Luke's skin sending a line of blood trickling down his neck.
"It seems that this is the only way to get your attention Clarissa but it makes no difference to me!" Sebastian shouted in rage. Anger overcoming his facial features. "Our mother is already bleeding out, you and your friends are surrounded, and I can take his life with one small motion of my wrist! Are you going to give in now?"
Clary gazed up at her brother; her body was frozen and she couldn't seem to command herself to move. Not Luke, she kept chanting in her mind. She quickly looked at her mother sobbing on the dirty floor. Her mother was hurt now too; what choice did she really have? Clary looked back to her brother who stood stoic and unmoving at the top of the throne room. He was waiting for a reply but she knew his patience was wearing thin. Could she let it end this way? Could she let all of her friends and family die? Would dying be better than this? Could she spend eternity with Sebastian knowing what he intended to do with her? Did she have any other choice at this point?
"I will kill every last one of them as you watch helplessly sister or maybe I should make them drink from the cup while you watch. It makes no difference to me but I can promise you it won't end well. Now give me your answer Clarissa. You are beginning to bore me!" he spat.
"No Clary!" her mother shouted. "My daughter will never love you! You are a monster and I should have killed you the day you were born!" Jocelyn had pushed her body up with the last of her strength to meet her sons gaze. "Hind sight is twenty - twenty mother," he grinned as he pushed the blade deeper into Luke's skin. Luke let out a grunt of pain in response. Jocelyn looked at her fiancé and let out a sob. It took all her mother's strength to sit up and that power was visually leaving her quickly. She was powerless to do anything.
Clary could finally feel her legs again as the feeling of pure shock began to wear off. Her body began to flow with cold adrenaline. It was that numbness that had allowed her to take a step toward Sebastian. "No Clary," Jace whispered as he grabbed her arm to stop her. Clary turned reluctantly to face Jace; tears falling down her face. "I will always love you." she whispered. "No matter what he does to me, no matter what happens remember that I gave my heart to you." She paused looking Jace in the eyes seriously as she spoke clearly and softly, "I can't let Sebastian kill Luke with… Heosphoros," He turned to look at the blade in her brother's hand before turning back around to face her. "Do you… understand?" she whispered. Jace nodded and let go of her.
Of course he understood but that didn't mean he liked it. He loved her with all of his heart and now he was forced to watch her walk away into the arms of a madman. Jace knew better than anyone what Sebastian was capable of. He had peered into his mind and saw the secrets that even Sebastian couldn't hide. He had somehow kept his attraction to his sister hidden though he knew him well enough that he knew what he was going to do to her. How he was going to claim her. It was enough to make his stomach turn and almost pull her back into his protective embrace.
"I love you and I will never give up on you." he replied sadly. Clary gave him one last painful look at she turned to face her brother. The crowd of endarkened moved aside to allow her pass. Each step forward felt like a weight pulling on her chest. When she finally reached Sebastian she looked up into his black eyes lit with amusement. Amatis took Heosphoros and continued to hold it to Luke's throat. Sebastian looked down at his sister and extended his hand out to help her up the remainder of the steps.
Clary took his hand and allowed herself to be pulled into his chest. He looked down at her impatiently as her eyes pleaded to him silently. She knew it was hopeless though. She raised her chin, closed her eyes and allowed her brothers lips to meet hers. She returned his kiss with as much strength as she could muster. A familiar darkness returned to her in the embrace. Every nerve in her body told her this was not right. This was not her Jace. This was her brother and her stomach turned with utter disgust. She held her composure though even as his tongue entered her mouth and his hands dropped down to her waist. She was relieved when Sebastian finally broke the kiss off. "My queen," he whispered. "I can forget my very existence in a deep kiss of you..."
Clary's eyes fell to the ground. "Please heal our mother and let my friends live. If you do that I will be your queen forever. Just please don't hurt them Sebastian." His delighted smile told her that he agreed. It was also a promise of everything he had planned to do to her that night. Her submission had pleased him and put him in a good mood. Though for how long his pleasant temperament would last she could not be sure. Sebastian smiled, "Guards! Show our guests to their rooms."
In a flash the red robbed guards grabbed her friends and one by one began escorting them out of the throne room. "Don't touch us!" Isabella sneered as she reluctantly followed Simon towards the door. Simon's eyes were on Clary but she would not meet his gaze. He held Isabelle protectively against him as they were pushed to leave the room. Alex followed closely behind helping Magnus walk. Her friends knew it was pointless to fight. They had failed, the borders were closed and there was no hope now. They were at Sebastian's mercy. If it had been her own life or even her and Jace's they would rather die than allow this. Sebastian knew this and that is why he took her family and friends. He knew she would give up anything for them no matter what the cost.
Amatis withdrew Heosphoros from Luke's throat. The man released a snarled gasp as the chains were removed. Luke silently rose from the ground slowly slugging off the now severed chains. He looked weakly at Clary and before he began to walk to Jocelyn. Her mother's strength had given out a while ago. She kneeled on the ground lightly sobbing as blood protruded from her wound. "Amatis see to it that the injury you gave my lovely mother is taken care of. You wouldn't want to upset our Queen." Sebastian commanded.
"Yes master," she replied. There was no emotion in her voice but a cruel smile on her lips. Luke picked Jocelyn up into his arms and followed his sister towards a side exit. "My daughter…" Jocelyn whispered as she slowly lost consciousness. Luke looked down at the women he loved painfully. Clary thought her heart was going to burst.
Jace was the last to leave the throne room. He looked down to the floor, his eyes hidden by his long blonde hair. He wouldn't make eye contact with Clary or Sebastian. There was still a chance he thought and he would hold onto that hope until he could save Clary. Until then he needed to bide his time. It was the only thought he could hold onto. The only thing that kept him from charging at Sebastian. The only thought that kept him sane. Two red robed guards came to his sides, frustrated that he wasn't responding to their demands and gripped his arms.
"My brother," Sebastian spoke. "My companion and my familiar friend; we who had sweet fellowship together-" Sebastian began. "Save your bible verses for your mindless army," Jace spat. He heard Sebastian chuckle as Jace was forced out of the throne room. This wasn't over yet. Jace would not stop fighting. Not for the woman he loved.
Clary struggled to conceal the tears welling up in her eyes as she watched her friends leave. Sebastian lightly touched her face; brushing away a silent tear. Clary jumped unintentionally as his fingers made contact with her skin. She cursed herself for it later. "There is no need to cry dear sister," he spoke. "As long as you honor your word that is. Always remember what the consequences will be should you choose to betray me again. I have shown you mercy this time something I have not shown anyone. I would not count on it ever happening again."
Clary nodded unable to speak just nodded. Sebastian took his new queen's hand gently and began to pull her into his chest. She looked up to gauge his thoughts from his facial expression wearily. He was happy, pleased and she could sense his sexual hunger. She gasped as his lips pressed passionately against her own. She had to remind herself to kiss back. She didn't wish to anger him at least not so soon. His fingers grazed her sides seductively and rested on her butt. It was enough to make her feel sick.
Once finished he began to lead her out of the throne room. Clary could only follow him mindlessly. If she tried to think or process what had just happened or what was about to happen her mind would shatter. There was no point in resisting when you stood to lose everything. Sebastian won. If she would have given herself up sooner maybe she could have spared Jace and her friends. Maybe it would have been only her and Sebastian trapped in this hell hole. Clary pushed the thoughts away before they threatened to overtake her. Regret was something she had her entire life to dwell on. She would break down when Sebastian left, now wasn't the time. She had to stay strong and be obedient or else he would kill everyone she loved. Though it pained her to admit, dying didn't seem like such a bad option at the moment.