Wow this account is old, and so is this story, but I figured I have time to spare, so here is the prologue to Blood Endowment. Finally revised to the point where I am somewhat happy with it.

Enjoy and please review.

Simon watched as Clary spun towards Sebastian, shadowhunter training making her nearly a blur as she angled her blade towards her brother's heart. They had no way of returning to their world, no way of knowing if their world was still intact.

But all that mattered in that moment was Clary and the idea that all of this could be over.

Which is why, had he not been dead, Simon's heart would have stopped when Sebastian Morgenstern spun away, narrowly dodging what could have been a fatal blow. Clary took a step back, eyes wide and hands shaking and she visibly tightened the hold on Heosphoros, and he wondered for a moment if she was going to lunge at her brother.

But Sebastian held up a hand, and all at once the room exploded into chaos. An endarkened soldier let loose an arrow that knocked Clary's sword from her hand, and two more marched up the steps to push the redhead down. Jace lunged forward only for Isabelle to grab his hand and pull him back, just as an endarkened arrow filled the space where he once stood.

More endarkened filed into the room, keeping a line formation in front of the steps to hold them back from going to Clary's side. The tap of Amatis' boots was eerily loud in the room and as the smell of ichor hit Simon's nose everything seemed to click into place.

Jocelyn let out a strangled cry, struggling against Luke's grasp, and it was all the older man could do to keep her back, though Simon could see in his eyes that he was holding himself back from rushing to Clary's aid as well.

"Move and you die," Sebastian's voice rang in the room, and Isabelle's hold on her brother tightened as Jace let out an animalistic growl. He cursed, but through all his struggling his eyes never left Clary's form kneeling on the stone. Her eyes met with his for a moment, before they settled on Simon, and he felt his body grow heavy as he read the emotions in her eyes.

Thank you. Keep him out of trouble. I love you.

He wanted to shake his head, to scream at her not to give up. They would make it out of here, they hadn't used up all of their miracles yet. But Clary's eyes were back on Jace, and the look in her eyes must have struck something in the blonde- he seemed to fold in on himself, the fight gone out of him.

Then Clary's head was turning, locking gazes with her brother defiantly as he stood before her, and even kneeling her voice was so sure, so strong in his presence.

"I will never love you."

Sebastian's fingers curved the shape of Clary's jaw, his smile cold as he tilted her face up, eyes sparkling with a barely concealed rage as he brought the infernal goblet to her lips.

And he turned the cup so the contents spilled down her throat.

At first nothing happened, Clary was released and she blinked in confusion.

Only to double over and let out a bloodcurdling scream and Simon felt his entire body shake.

She fell forward, copper hair forming a curtain over her face, and Simon desperately wanted to run to her and stop her body from spasming; death seemed a better alternative than the pain Clary must have been feeling.

What was a few seconds felt like an eternity, and as Clary choked and continued to scream her brother watched with a sort of sadistic glee.

And when it was over Clary stayed on the floor, body curled in on herself and blissfully silent, Simon wondered if maybe there was one more miracle left in this awful world maybe the cup hadn't changed her.

Her body rolled up so she stood, tall and regal like the queen Sebastian wanted, and he used a hand to brush back the same copper hair, to reveal the same freckles dotting the same face. But her eyes, once green and bright and full of emotion, eyes that saw the world in the best light were now black as night and a smile like a knife spread across her lips.

There seemed to be an unspoken signal as the endarkened bowed in unison, falling to their knees in a sort of prayer and Amatis smiled.

"All hail the Queen,"

That was when hell really broke loose.

Simon watched in horror as Clary wrapped her arms around Sebastian's neck, pressing up on her tiptoes and that's when Simon thought he might empty his stomach on the tile in front of him.