Jace was sitting on the top of the Institute roof, when Alec found him. He was still holding a piece of cloth with what was Jonathan's blood, and another that was Clary's. Still trying to track them.
Alec sat next to him, but Jace didn't react. The sun had set already, the sky lit with stars.
"Magnus says that he might have a theory about why Clary can't be tracked.", he started.
"Another theory?", Jace muttered before he could stop himself.
Alec didn't look taken aback in the least, but he continued with a steady voice "He thinks that they aren't here.".
Jace felt a weight on his chest. Not here means elsewhere. Elsewhere means anywhere. "How do we bring them here then?".
"Practically we can't. But we decided to summon someone who might know. We'll use Sebastian's blood and find who's demon blood is running in his veins.", Alec replied.
Jace could imagine everything going wrong with this plan. But it was a plan, and anything that can give him a chance to find Clary was promising enough for him.
"I'm in. When and where?".
"Now, Magnus' place. Izzy and Simon are already there", Alec paused then added, "Jocelyn Fray will be there too."
Jace stood up and Alec imitated him."Let's get it done.".
Magnus had already prepared for the summoning. Everything was at its place, and only ones that were missing were Alec..his Alexander..and his silly blond parabatai boi, Jace. Magnus rolled his eyes a bit, he never understood what was with shadowhunters and surpressing their feelings. He remembered the first day they all showed up at his party, and their emotions were like an open book for him to read. But still they barely ever realised what they felt for each other. Jace and Clary, Alec and Isabelle and Simon. He had spent centuries in the company of other shadowhunters, even considered some of them friends. At the end of the day, (or the century), he was the only one still alive, still fighting in wars that weren't his.
He tried to clear his head and focus on the situation at hand.
"So While we wait for them to arrive, why don't we play some poker?", he casually made a deck of cards appear on the palm of his hand.
"Magnus, do you really think this is the time? My daughter ", Jocelyn started but he cut her off.
"Dear redheaded menace that you are, I'm sure you will not join us, but I bet miss little Lightwood won't refuse. I bet my kit of extraordinary drinks for the first round.", he grinned and Isabelle grinned back.
"Prepare to hand it over then.", she dared, and sat on the desk.
"I'm in", Simon joined them.
"Dear Angel..", Jocelyn muttered and turned her back to them. She leaned on the window frame, gazing at the cloudy night sky. A sky she once saw with young, hopeful eyes, in the arms of the one she thought she loved enough to sacrifice herself in order to protect him. How foolish she had been. Valentine managed to pierce her heart, corrupt her son and now her only daughter had to suffer she tried not to think. She knew Clary was in grave danger. She closed her eyes and asked for the Angel to give her daughter strength.
When Jace and Alec entered Magnus' apartment they came face to face with the trio of people playing poker casually. Isabelle had a large collection of Magnus's items resting at her side of the table.
"Glad to see you guys are ready to take on the demon", muttered Alec.
Jace stood behind Magnus and mouthed his cards at Isabelle.
"I actually saw that", Magnus glared and cleared the table.
"No need to stop just cus we came by", Jace said.
"If you were half as pretty as the ironic brat that you are, you would be miss Universe twice by now", Magnus replied.
"So now that we are here..", he started, as they all gathered around the drawn pentagram on the floor, " we need to talk about precautions. No one stands IN the pentagram, unless you want whatever part of you is inside the line being chopped off. No one talks, no witty remarks..", he glanced at Jace who was pretending to be consumed in staring at his nails, " and just try to not fuck shit up.", he concluded.
They all nodded.
"So let's see Who is Jonathan's demon parent?", he added, half talking to himself. The others watched as the ritual was completed. Dark smoke filled the pentagram, some of it oozing past the lines.
"This isn't right ", Jocelyn started watching anxiously at Magnus. But Magnus was staring dumbstrack as the silhouette of an enormous womanly creature appeared, surrounded by the dark smoke which started to burn.
"Lilith.", he said.
Her large dragonlike wings were spread around her, her face a mask of all that is lost and will be lost.
"The Mother of all demons", Simon whispered, his throat dry.
With a terrible evil chuckle she showed her pointed teeth, and rocketed out of the pentagram, past the roof and into the dark night sky.
Everyone jumped out of the way as the roof began to collapse, filling the room with dust. Magnus managed to stabilise it with a few blue sparks.
"Magnus, we have to go after her, now!", Jocelyn urged, then started to cough dust and smoke.
"What about the Clave, we are in serious trouble if they find out", muttered Alec, handing over his stele at Jocelyn.
"The Clave doesn't have to know. Jocelyn, call Luke and tell him to get his pack ready, we have a greater demon to chase", replied Magnus.
Clary was totally immersed in the Book of Runes, although she didn't want to admit it, she actually was fascinated she could finally study it. So much so, that in between studying and training, she was too tired to research into her brother's plans. And speak of the devil, she grudgingly thought, as Jonathan barged into her room.
"You could have knocked..", she started to say, but he cut her off, throwing a box on her. She caught it midair, her reflexes were a bit more in shape now.
"Wear it, quickly, and come meet me at the weapon's room", he talked too fast.
"What's the hurry..?", she said but he was gone.
Clary opened the box curiously only to find a brand new shadowhunting gear.
She put it on hastily, and was glad she didn't lose time, because Jonathan was back.
"I told you to hurry", he barked and caught her arm, dragging her to the weapon's room, picking a few daggers and swords for her, not pausing for a second.
Clary bewildered as she was, could only wonder what this whole thing was about. She imagined they were off to some battle. Jonathan had already carved his own runes on his skin, while Clary was placing the weapons on her belt and pockets, and then he started carving runes on her arms.
"And for good measure ", he muttered as he traced one that Clary didn't recognise and immediately made her feel sick.
"So that you won't run away on me", he grinned, as the rune started to bleed a bit.
Clary disgusted wiped some blood off her arm, "This is a demonic rune!", she snapped angrily at him.
"It will keep you close to me, I won't let you go now", he said with satisfaction.
"You freaking, disgusting .", she begun but he once again dragged her after him towards a door that Clary never noticed before. Was this the door to the outside?
"Shut up, this will be so much fun", he said.
Fun for him no doubt, Clary thought, And bad for me "Cheer up little sister. I'm taking you to meet my Mother", he evilly grinned as they walked through the apartment's door, directly on the roof of a tall scyscraper.
Clary felt the cool wind wiping at her hair and breathed in the familiar air of the city.
She barely had time to register it was the nightfall, when her sight got entirely obscured by huge wings, and she openmouthed stared at what could be the most terryfying demon flapping her wings and grinning down at them.
"Mother", Jonathan said, "this is my sister Clarissa".
Clary didn't need a PhD on Demonology to recognise Lilith. She tried to control her fear, but she was already covered in cold sweat. She suddenly realised that she was too deep in this bad situation, and she might never be able to return to her family and her friends. Not if Lilith was around. "Get a hold of your self, Clary Fray", she chastised herself. "You're a Shadowhunter, you will survive this or you'll die trying", she repeated a few times in her head.
Lilith landed with a sort of twisted grace. She raised a clawed finger, touching Jonathan's face in what looked like a mocking maternal act.
"Son", her voice sounded like screeching and metal breaking apart.
And then she turned to look at Clary with black bottomless eyes.
"Angel girl, is that so? I thought your father would give you my blood too, but now I see he grew soft and spared you.", she spat. "But I'm glad you're here to witness your friends die.".
"My friends ?", Clary asked confused.
"CLARY!", she heard a too familiar voice behind her. She turned around and saw Jace running towards her.
"Jace!", she mouthed and made to move to his direction but after two steps, she collapsed from the excrusiating pain the demonic rune caused her.
"I told you not to run away from me Clarissa", Jonathan said angrily, grabbing her aching arm and pulling her behind him.
"What have you done to her?", Jace shouted, pulling out a seraph blade and pointing it to Jonathan.
"Nothing..yet", Jonathan grinned.
Jace threw his seraph blade aiming at Jonathan's heart with blinding speed and precision. Jonathan barely managed to dodge it, hissing in anger.
"I didn't plan to hurt you Brother, but you leave me no choice", he snarled, picking Jace's seraph blade, but before he had time to move, Clary had already jumped on his back, almost knocking him to the ground.
Now I'm in for it, she thought bitterly, but she had to protect Jace.
They all stopped short, when Lilith's ungodly laughter echoed.
"The love and hate, how equally ironic!", she laughed, then with a move of her fingers, ropes circled around Jace.
"You're the one to talk, demon", he hatefully replied, trying to escape the binds.
"Where are the rest of your friends, Shadowhunter? I want to thank you for calling me back from the abyss!", she laughed again.
"You summoned her?!", Clary asked bewildered. "What the hell, Jace?".
"It was an accident, we didn't know.", he retorted back.
"Which was very helpful for me, thank you Brother. You saved me lots of time.", Jonathan said, delighted.
Simon hated the taste of demon blood in his mouth. He literaly bit the head off a dozen of demons swarming the building, where they spotted Lilith. He saw Jace running ahead to the top of the stairs, but he was too preoccupied fighting to follow him.
Luke's pack had joined them, and they were moving pretty fast, but still not as fast as Jace.
When the path was clear, they all met in the elevators hall.
"Looking good", Isabelle winked at him.
"You too", he smiled back at her, licking blood from the corners of his mouth, which he immediately regret. Foul demon blood, he thought.
"Now is not the time to flirt", muttered Alec, as they all gathered around to form a plan.
Lilith made crackling sparks appear on her clawed fingertips, and drew the shape of a fiery rune in the air.
"Control and enslavement", she read. "Anyone wearing this rune will do your biding, Son".
Jonathan wasn't entirely fascinated with the display.
"You know I would summon you for something more than that", he said. "Considering I'm offering an entire world for you to feast upon".
"Like father, like son", she laughed. "This is just a gift for you, to use seperately of your Other plans. And this " she said while making a key appear out of thin air," is for you to enter home".
Jonathan greedily snatched the key and pocketed it.
"What is this key for?", Clary said, trying to make sense of what is going on.
"You will find out soon enough, Clarissa", Jonathan replied. "But first, I want to play a game".
Lilith cackled, sending shivers down Clary's spine.
Jonathan grabbed Clary's arm.
"Leave her alone!", Jace shouted.
Clary managed to pull her arm out of Jonathan's grasp, while kneeing his stomach.
"Bitch", Jonathan mouthed, kicking her forcefully on her chest.
Clary spat blood, and fell on her back, twiching with pain.
"How many times must I tell you not to ruin my plans? You just dig your own grave.", he angrily kicked her sides while she was still on the floor.
"Clary!", Jace felt like time had ceased to exist. With force strong enough, he broke out of his binds and lunged at Jonathan.
His fist landed on Jonathan's nose, breaking it.
Jonathan pushed Jace back.
Jace started to deliver another blow but at that moment Lilith sent a wave of hellfire towards him. It all happened in seconds.
Jonathan grinned. Lilith was cackling madly. Jace saw the hellfire gaining inches towards him.
And then Simon was in front of him. The hellfire barely touched him as it turned sevenfold to Lilith, who broke apart in dust and smoke.
"Simon..", Jace whispered shocked.
The mark of Cain was glowing on Simon's forehead.
Jonathan enraged dragged Clary's body along the apartment's hallway.
He barely managed to escape the rooftop after Lilith's demise. And he blamed Clary for it.