Chapter 21:
"Jace!" Clary cried.
Clary tried to run to where Jace was standing, but Sebastian grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back. Sebastian pulled a dagger from his belt.
"Let her go, Sebastian," Jace commanded.
"No," Sebastian refused.
Jace stepped further into the room, Alec, Isabelle, Simon, and Magnus, following. Isabelle's whip snapped out quick as a striking snake. It wasn't fast enough though, and Sebastian was able to dodge. Sebastian's grip on Clary loosened enough for her to slip free. She ran to Jace; he handed her a seraph blade and stele.
Having recovered, Sebastian sprang at Jace. Jace blocked Sebastian's blow with his own seraph blade. Sebastian punched Jace in the face. Jace's nose spurted blood. Clary kicked Sebastian in the side. He grunted and sidestepped, but was otherwise unaffected. While Sebastian was distracted by Clary's kick, Magnus through a ball of flaming blue sparks at Sebastian. At the same time Alec shot an arrow. Sebastian narrowly missed being hit. Right then, several of the Jackal's raiders on loan to Sebastian swarmed into the room.
"There are too many of them!" Alec shouted.
"We're going to have to retreat!" Jace called.
The group started retreating towards the door, fighting their way through the raiders. Once they were outside, they saw everything was in chaos. Somebody had set the Pit on fire, and everybody was running around trying to put the fire out.
The group ran. The raiders and Sebastian hot on their heels. Trying to navigate the catwalks was like trying to navigate the ocean without a GPS or the stars to guide you. Being shadowhunters meant they could run faster than mundanes, allowing them to outrun the raiders. Sebastian still followed them through the catwalks of the city.
Clary saw a group of people trying to sneak out of the city. On closer inspection she saw it was the group of people they had met upon first coming to this time. Behind them, Sebastian found a shortcut, and suddenly appeared in front of Clary and her friends. He was holding his sword, grinning at them.
"You aren't going anywhere," he snarled at them.
Jace threw a dagger at Sebastian. Sebastian ducked and lunged at Jace, slashing his sword at him. Jace leapt back out of reach. Sebastian landed awkwardly on the catwalk and lost his balance. Jace took advantage and kicked Sebastian's wrist, causing him to drop the sword. Holding her stele, Clary rushed forward and quickly drew a knock out rune on Sebastian. Sebastian slumped to the ground.
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There's been a warp of time and space
Shadowhunters are scarce in this place
Of civilization there is a great dearth
Because vampires rule the entire earth