The room is filled with chatter as everyone goes to take a seat. Everyone is here: Jace, Simon, Izzy, Alec, Magnus, Maia, Luke, my Mom, and me.
The entire gang.
My arm stings a bit from my new Parabatai rune, but it's a pleasant sting. We are all in the Lightwood manor together, and there are refreshments set neatly on the table. Since Simon has his memories back, we all decide now would be a good time to tell our tale-everything that happened after we freed Jace from Sebastian, and other little thing we never shared: The trip to faerie, Valentine's house, different encounters with the endarkened. Basically one long story time session. I have been both dreading and looking forwards to this little gathering, I'm excited to hear everyone's stories and share some of my own but, I never told my mother or anyone about what happened the night Atmatis was turned...I don't...know how.
We're at the Lightwood manor in Idris, they have an enormous dining room with a large dark oak-wood table that seats sixteen people, it's enormous. The walls are decorated with different runes for good health and abundance, and there fruit set every two chairs with a cup of water for everyone.
I grab a seat next to Jace and Simon, across from my Mom and Luke, once everyone is seated everybody grows quiet.
Magnus speaks up first."Well I'm not going first, I think we should save the best for last." Alec smiles, and nudges him.
Simon shrugs. "Well...what the heck, I'll go." And he begins telling his story. His time on Valentine's ship (Maia joins in on that part), His summoning of Raziel. I beam with pride when he talks about confronting Raphael, and Jace mutters something under his breath when he speaks about Maureen. He talks about how his mom had change when he returned home, and how his sister reacted to the shadow world.
Before we know it, he's finished, and Isabelle tells her tale. Then Maia, Mom, Luke, Alec, and-me.
Everyone is looking at me expectantly. I swallow audibly, and Jace grips my hand. I decide to start with Edom-actually our journey to faerie. I retell the story from my point of view, and when I get to the part when Jace is going up in flames, everyone is listening intently. I explain how the rune had been appearing in my head for the past few months, my mom beams with pride when I say how I let Sebastian close the portal out to save the world, but I don't go into detail about his death, because it's hard enough as it is.
When I finish, I consider not telling them about the house. No one had asked me too often because after what happened, everyone needed space, and I would going backwards as far the timeline. Jace notice my hesitation and whispers, "You don't have to say anything you don't feel comfortable with." He squeezes my hand softly. "No rush." I look around, it would be easier to wait, and tell my Mom and Luke in private. I could tell Simon years down the line, and Isabelle too, but...I feel stronger with my Parabatai rune, and I think-I think could at least try, and I can always chicken out and skip over that...part.
I take a deep breath, and tell them.
I tell them about how Jace was the same but, different, I tell them about my plan that I practically forced Simon to help me with. I tell them about the house. The way it looked, Valentine's dream. I tell them my first fight against a demon. I tell them about that night in the club (skipping the unnecessary details). I talk about how Jace came back to normal temporarily, and how I-betrayed him. I tell them how I discovered the ring, and how Sebastian found me in the room after Jace left. Then abruptly I stop.
I don't know why it bothers me so much to talk about, it's not like he actually...raped me, but it's difficult to speak of all the same. It was horrifying, and I guess don't want to relive it out loud. Even though I do in my dreams. My mom is looking at me concerned.
"Clary, are you done sweetheart?" I look down. Jace rubs circles into my wrist with his thumb.
"No."
"I figured it was now or never, so I kneed him in the gut." I begin, surprised by how steady my voice comes out. "He doubled over, and I booked it to the door, but I...didn't...make it." Jace squeezes my hand encouragingly and I continue. "He caught me by the stairwell, and pinned me against the wall. I pushed him off, and then it was just like a game of cat and mouse. He would trap me, and I would just get away, I think I even stabbed him in the shoulder at one point," Jace nods, I guess I stabbed him too. "But It was a fight I couldn't win, and I did not expect..." I trail off, gauging their expressions.
Simon looks surprised, and proud I kind of held my own. Alec and Isabelle look impressed, Isabelle after all fought him herself, and found it to be very difficult. Maia looks mildly intrigued. and Luke and my Mom look apprehensive, they probably notice my distress. Magnus looks-the same as parents actually, and Jace...Jace looks tense. He knows what's coming, after all when I told him I didn't go into nearly as much detail. I fix my gaze on a small crack in the wall in front of me before continuing.
"Eventually he...threw me onto the glass table and it shattered, before I could get up he had me pinned to ground and he-he started" I pause to breathe in. Everyone looks alarmed now, my looks like she's about to open her mouth to tell me it's alright, but I can't stop. I feel like I've kept this to myself for so long, and yes I told Jace, but no one else and I need to.
I continue. "He started...touching me, and saying all these things about how brothers and sisters used to...be with one another, to continue the human race, and how I belonged to him...he tried..." I close my eyes, and Jace squeezes my hand tighter. "He tried to rape me." I hear a sharp intake of breath. "But I knocked him in the head, and pinned him to the ground with a piece of broken glass at his throat. He seemed startled at first." I open my eyes and turn to Jace. "But then he laughed. He laughed. He told me to kill him." I exhale. "But to remember I'd be killing Jace too."
The room is deadly quiet, but force myself to continue, my voice the only sound in the room. "He gave me iratzes and healed all the cuts, so it was like nothing happened." I look down. "He told me to shower, but when we left the house disappeared. During our...fight I drew a rune on the door-similar to an half finished open rune." I smile softly. "He thought I was trying to escape when I did it. He was so mad." I look up. "And you guys know what happened next."
When I'm finished Everyone is speechless. Isabelle and Alec are totally nonplussed, Simon and my mom look horrified, Maia looks stunned, Luke is unreadable, and Jace looks...proud.
Magnus stands and beckons me over with a soft smile. "Come on Biscuit. You need a hug."
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Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.
-Star