Chapter Fourteen—Saving Simon
A magnificent, enchanted garden, Isabelle thought, would have been more alluring to a passerby than the brittle display of trellis that snaked its way around the hazy pond before her. Everything appeared to be dead here—lifeless vegetation with absolutely no appeal to any unfortunate Mundane that might happen to stumble upon the entrance to the Seelie Court. Perhaps that was the way things were supposed to be though; a hidden portal to an underground world that only a few privileged outsiders would ever witness. For Isabelle, this place had been more of a death sentence than anything else; the fear of entrapment within the confines of the court was a definite possibility. She remembered the last time that she had stepped foot into the realm of the Fair Folk—a thought that made her both shudder and tingle all at the same time. She had once dated a fairy, but he hadn't even spared her a passing glance when she was summoned to the court previously, along with her Shadowhunter family. Isabelle wondered for a moment if the Queen was anticipating their visit this go around. If she was, she hadn't exactly rolled out the red carpet.
"God, it looks like death out here," Alec cringed as he stepped to her side. "Magnus had better hurry. This place gives me the creeps."
Isabelle had to laugh, the summoning stone in her right hand vibrated with every slight jostle of her body. "If you think this is bad, wait until we get inside."
"I remember," Alec groaned.
After fleeing the Institute, Magnus had instructed the pair to wait in the park until he came with Simon's mother, who, as far as Isabelle knew, was still unconscious. Magnus hadn't really been forthcoming about his plan to save Simon, other than insisting that they were all to meet in this very spot at precisely midnight. It was quarter to the hour now, and Isabelle was on pins and needles as she paced back and forth in front of the murky water.
"This is never going to work," she uttered, though the words were really more of a statement, not a question presented to her brother who looked back at her now with a pair of piercing blue eyes that were full of the same concern.
"He has called the Queen before," Alec responded immediately. "Magnus can do this. I have faith in him."
"You're about the only one who does," Isabelle mumbled in return. She had her own set of fears about Simon, and also about the fact that Magnus seemed to know more than he was letting on. She'd allowed him to pull her from the infirmary, tug her forcibly through the chapel doors, and out into the darkened streets of Manhattan without so much as a single protest.
Isabelle had blamed it on her delirious state, but she had really just wanted to be free of those ghastly, dank stone walls that reminded her of how much of a failure she had become. She couldn't even end Sebastian's life without doing harm to those she cared about; she understood that now. In the heat of the moment, combined with demonic activity that had infiltrated her dreams, she had misinterpreted Sebastian's message. The lives of Jace, Simon, and Sebastian hung in the balance. She couldn't hurt one without hurting the other—they were linked together by an invisible thread that Lilith had so malevolently concocted— and Isabelle couldn't bear to be the cause of anyone's suffering all because she wanted Simon safe in her arms again.
There was also a chance that whatever she did to Sebastian would result in Simon's death, and the mere thought of that alone had propelled her to traipse after Magnus like an obedient servant, just following his orders and keeping her mouth shut as he instructed her to wait—something that, in the past, Isabelle would have never thought herself capable of. She was a strong, vibrant Shadowhunter, a guardian of the Shadow World; she was not a Downworld lackey. However, she had suddenly found herself willing to do anything to save her precious Simon, even listening to a Warlock as he halfheartedly explained that the Clave could not be involved in their rescue attempt.
Magnus feared that the Seelie Queen—despite the fact that she had offered her assistance to Simon's mother—would be less than agreeable if the entire Conclave showed up on her front door demanding an audience. The Queen had never been summoned by the Clave before, and Isabelle thought that it had something to do with the fact that other than a greater Demon, she seemed to possess an incredible amount of power that reached far beyond the resources available to the Clave. She couldn't fault Magnus for not telling her mother about the newly acquired information.
Their only chance now was to somehow wake up Elaine Lewis, and have her summon a messenger from the court. She was the only one—besides Clary who had conveniently disappeared with Luke and Jocelyn back to Idris—that had permission to enter the court.
"Someone is coming," Alec said, turning towards the path that led out of the park. Isabelle followed his gaze up the long, winding dirt trail, peering into the darkness that encapsulated the canopy of trees around them. For a moment, her heart fluttered a frantic beat as two reflective surfaces beamed back at them with a slightly entertained expression etched into the thin slits. She recognized the pair of eyes without even having to venture a guess as to whom they belonged.
"By the Angel, Magnus, you scared me," Isabelle shrieked. She clutched her chest as if to feign a heart attack.
Magnus' lips curled into a purse line of amusement as he stepped under the only light source that sat nestled in the isolated area—a single, rod iron lamppost that looked as though it could collapse at any moment, just adding to the desolate wasteland that was meant to be the threshold of a brilliant underground society.
Alongside Magnus strolled someone that she recognized—Daigon, the Fairy from the Warlock bar in Chinatown. In his arms—laying slack and opened mouthed—was Simon's mother. Her face looked ashen, almost gaunt in appearance as if she hadn't eaten or even slept in weeks, though she was thoroughly unconscious. Isabelle took a moment to deliberate on how Magnus had managed to retrieve Elaine, but there wasn't time to speculate, or even bother to ask—not with Simon's life on the line. Their time was precious, for at any moment, Isabelle understood that Sebastian could be fulfilling his promise to end everything that she cared about. He could be awake right now, and she would never know. She had left the Institute without so much as even a warning to her family. What if he really did wake up and killed everyone that she had ever loved?
"How is this going to work?" Alec asked, reaching his boyfriend's side and taking his hand before he could finish his next breath. The sight of them together made Isabelle's heart twist with a horrid sensation. She missed Simon so badly. Would they ever be together again, or were they doomed to kill one another like some ironic twist of fate comparable to that of Romeo and Juliet?
"Now that we are all together, I will explain my plan," Magnus stated, motioning with his free hand for everyone to gather closer. As Isabelle quickly rushed towards the group, she could distinctly see how tired the Warlock had become. Dark circles ran the length of his cheeks, casting an odd, gruesome texture to his otherwise immaculate skin. His face seemed hollow, more so than Isabelle could recall it ever appearing to her, with a sickly green hue decorating the space where his black, sequin vest touched his collar bone. Even his cat-like eyes had lost their luster, seemingly coating with a haze that Isabelle couldn't quite see through. Whatever mojo Magnus had worked on Elaine was starting to have an effect on him.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Alec asked, tracing his thumb along the worn cheek of his lover. "You look so tired, baby."
"I will be fine," Magnus purred in Alec's ear.
Isabelle rolled her eyes. Just the sight of them made her feel sick at the moment; she wished that she could touch Simon like that again. "If you're quite finished, can we get on with this?"
"Yes, please," Daigon piped up for the first time since entering the enclosure. "This display of affection is starting to make me rethink my choice to help you. My Lady will be most displeased that you even bothered to contact me at all."
"Yes—yes, of course," Magnus stuttered, releasing his hold on Alec. "Again, I must thank you for coming, Daigon. We wouldn't be able to do this without you."
Daigon bowed his head slightly, and as he did, Isabelle thought that she could see his eyes turn to Elaine. In that one moment, she could have sworn that he looked upon Simon's mother with a fond reverence, something that resembled the look that Simon had once given to her after the fight against Lilith. But that wasn't possible; Daigon was a messenger of the Seelie Court, and could have no possible interest in a Mundane.
"As I was saying," Magnus carried on, seemingly oblivious to the event that Isabelle had just witnessed between Elaine and Daigon. "I have looked into your memories, Isabelle, and for that I beg for your forgiveness." Isabelle had already guessed as much, and just huffed as Magnus continued. "Ever since Simon explained about the demon he felt inside of him, I have been pondering the question of what if. What if somehow a demon had found a way to re-enter the world through another person? It has happened before, but Simon is not alive in the normal respect of the word. I was once in alliance with a Warlock who went by the name of Mrs. Dark. She dabbled in the art of necromancy, though it was forbidden by the Clave."
"What's this got to do with Simon?" Isabelle spat out. She didn't have time for a history lesson.
"From what Clary told us about Lilith's plan, she needed Simon's blood to complete her ritual—a ritual of evil proportions similar to what Mrs. Dark had performed. Only she couldn't take the risk that something would go wrong, and punished Jace, whom she blamed for Sebastian's death, by etching a rune on his chest," Magnus sucked in a deep breath, and lowered his voice as he spoke again. "We cannot break that rune, and we cannot sever the connection he has to Sebastian. However, I believe that there is something we can do about Simon."
This wasn't anything that Isabelle didn't already know, and she tapped her foot in annoyance as the minutes continued to tick by.
"Lilith was right with what she said to Clary," Magnus confirmed. "The world requires a sacrifice. Clary brought someone back into this world, and now the other side requires the death of one of our own. Simon has ingested Sebastian's blood which has caused everything that was once pure about the boy to become infected, almost like the Simon that we knew is no longer in existence. Essentially, the boy has already been taken from this world. Now, it's our job to bring him back."
"But Simon is already dead," Alec stated, a hint of venom lacing his words. Was he still upset about the attack against Isabelle? Alec couldn't blame Simon for that. He hadn't been himself.
"Exactly, my charming boy," Magnus crooned, seemingly surprised at how well Alec had caught on. "How does one claim the life of someone who is already dead?"
"You can't…" Isabelle trailed off, a sudden revelation bursting into her mind. "It's why Lilith's plan failed. You can't kill Simon because he is already dead!"
Magnus nodded. "But Simon doesn't know that. Lilith found a way around her mistake though. Simon will never be free of Sebastian, and vice versa, unless the two are separated. I had thought that once the demon blood left his system that Simon would return to his normal state, but now I am not so sure. Sebastian is trapped in Simon's body. He cannot escape because his own body holds no life. It lays barren inside the Institute. He is trapped, and he knows it, so since no one can touch Simon, he is driving Simon to destroy his physical body, a form of vampire suicide. And he will succeed if we don't stop them."
"But what do you care if Simon is destroyed?" Daigon asked, gently balancing Elaine in his arms.
"I owe Simon a debt of gratitude. I do not believe he is a monster, and I doubt that Isabelle does either." Magnus turned to Alec, his eyes softening as he spoke. "I know you distrust the boy for what he did to your sister, but if it were me, would you do whatever it took to save the person that you loved? Could you bear it if you refused and it caused pain to your family?"
Alec shook his head, his face dropping slightly as Magnus' words sank in. "I will do this for Isabelle, but that vampire is nothing to me. Understood?"
"Thank you," Isabelle breathed out. "So what's the plan?"
"Like I said, Sebastian needs a sacrifice. If we can separate Sebastian's mind from Simon, we will rid ourselves of the problem." Magnus sighed as he spoke. "If he is no longer in control of Simon, then he will have no way to reenter the world."
"What if he finds another way to get to Simon, like hurting Clary?" Isabelle bit down on her lip.
"Ah, yes," Magnus smiled. "He needs a blood sacrifice to complete the ritual. I have faith that you will keep Simon from doing anything rash. It's Simon that the demon needs. No one else will do."
"So basically what you're saying is that Sebastian is controlling Simon and making him do everything he says, and he's leading him to the Institute where my entire family is right at this very moment?" Alec asked with his brow arching in disbelief.
"He needed to have full control of Simon, and I believe that after his attack on Isabelle, he might have gained the upper hand. There's nothing stopping him now from completing the ritual. He will lead Simon back to the Institute, and drain the remaining life out of Sebastian like Lilith wanted. Clary said that Simon never finished drinking from Sebastian. Once he completes that task, Sebastian will have Simon kill himself. After that, all bets are off." Magnus let out another sigh. It was clear to Isabelle that it had taken him a long time to work this all out.
"Wouldn't your efforts be better entertained at the Institute rather than seeking council with my Queen?" Daigon inquired.
"We need her to help us separate Simon and Sebastian." Magnus' words were flat and monotone, almost as if he was losing the will to fight. "If we can separate the two of them, I believe that Sebastian's essence will have nowhere else to go but back into his body. We can keep him alive for an indefinite amount of time once this is completed. There will be no threat to Simon."
"And again, how are you going to accomplish that task?" Isabelle grumbled. She had halted her pacing somewhere between Magnus' explanation, and the terrifying realization that Simon's life might end tonight. They had already wasted too much time arguing about this.
"That stone you have in your hand," Daigon said, nodding in her direction. "My Lady will not come, and I cannot take you down unless the bearer of that stone wishes it to happen."
"If you haven't noticed, she's not exactly with us," Isabelle snarled. This whole thing seemed like a ridiculous waste of time to her.
"Her physical body remains unaware, but her mind is still present," Magnus stated, taking a step closer to Elaine and placing his hand on her forehead. "If I can tap into her subconscious, I might be able to pull the wish from her mind."
"Oh, no!" Isabelle gasped. She was suddenly reminded of how much Simon hated tampering with his mother's memories. If he knew that this was about to happen again, he would be furious. "You can't do that."
"Simon's life depends upon it, Shadowhunter," Daigon announced. "Unless you wish the evil spawn of Lilith to return to this plane. He will kill you, along with all that you love. My Queen included."
"Is that why she is helping us? She's afraid for her life?" Isabelle questioned. It didn't seem unreasonable to ask.
"She has asked me to watch over you from the day that she met Elaine Lewis. She knew that you would jump at the chance to save Simon, but my Lady has an interesting need for entertainment. The spell which she possess that can separate the physical body from the mind requires a sacrifice of pure innocence, a love that can only be found within the soul of the person closest to the individual in need of the ritual. In this case, that would be his mother."
"But I love Simon!" Isabelle shouted, instantly slapping her hand across her mouth. Had she really just confessed her love out loud? Magnus smiled as though he had always known. Alec looked shocked, and Daigon just stood there emotionless like a statue.
"What Daigon means is that the ritual can only be performed with Elaine. She is an innocent soul that knows nothing of our world. She must choose to save Simon for what he is, and not what she perceives him to be," Magnus clarified.
Isabelle felt sick, rocked to her core by the truth. She understood now why the Queen had interfered in Elaine's life—she was the only one that could take part in the ritual, and save the Queen from her impending demise. Elaine didn't know that Simon was a vampire—although at one point in time she had which had ended very badly—and the spell required a sacrifice of innocence. His mother was going to be told of the gruesome events that Simon had kept so tightly concealed. If Elaine didn't agree to save Simon after the truth was revealed, Isabelle didn't know what she would do. She just had to agree. There was no other alternative, though a sliver of doubt crept its way into her disheveled heart like a tick sucking away at its host, reaching into her soul and gnawing away at the fabric that rooted her to the earth. What if Elaine renounced Simon again like she had last time?
Simon's secrets would all come to light, and there was nothing that she could do to stop it if she wanted to save his life. Maybe they could just glamour her again after it was all over, although Simon would never agree to that. He'd already been so put out by messing with her mind previously. Isabelle wasn't sure that he'd ever be able to do it again.
"Do it," Isabelle commanded as she thrust the summoning stone into Elaine's limp grasp. "And quickly, before I change my mind."
A/N: I do love me some Isabelle. Elaine is now going to be put in a situation that will rock Simon's world as he knows it. I thought that a loss of innocence on her part would be a good enough sacrifice for the spell that is needed to break the bond between Simon and Sebastian. However, a little twist is coming in the next chapter that will finally explain what the Seelie Queen wants in return for helping them. She never does anything without wanting a favor in return, does she? Sometimes though, the favor she needs doesn't really do anything for her except provide her with some entertainment. Remember how she outed Jace and Clary's relationship to Simon? It must be boring always living underground. I guess I would like to have a little fun myself if I were her. Next update will be over the weekend! Thanks for reading and reviewing! ~Vix~ xx