IM SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! BUT I HAVE A LONG ONE FOR YOU!

Jace could feel that taught rope inside of him, stretching out as if it would break. He gasped for air, feeling an agonizing pain different than anything else he had ever experienced before and nearly fell to the ground. He wanted to know what was doing this to him; ripping him from the inside out, but then he heard Isabelle's tortured cry of dismay...and the string broke.

It hit him square in the chest, burning. Much worse than the heavenly fire had been. No-this was a searing pain, not just physically, but as if part of his skin had been torn from his body. Jace looked over his shoulder and paused, unable to fully understand comprehend the reality of what he was seeing.

The breath left his body in an instant, all energy draining from his body like blood. He instantly looked to where his parabotai rune was, hoping to find comfort that it was still there and intact. He did not want to believe what his body and heart was telling him, but he couldn't deny it when he found the rune scorched and severed.

He choked on the truth of it. Felt it well up in his throat in the form of bile.

His parabotai was dead.

Jace was numbly aware of Isabelle, clutching at her brother, another of her siblings gone; lost to the hands of Sebastian once more. He wanted to plug his ears to keep out Isabelle's cries, but he was in too much pain and couldn't seem to remember how to move.

"Hm," Sebastian said then, scrutinizing the scene with an empathetic look, eyes glassy and uncaring. "I never understood why people cried. It isn't as if he can hear you anymore."

Isabelle immediately dragged herself to a stand after lying Alec's hands down, speaking the Shadowhunter farewell under her tongue. "You did this!" she yelled at him, marching forward. Simon abruptly stepped in front of her again and grabbed her about the arms, holding her back which did not take much effort, vampire or not. "You are going to die for this," she screamed. "I will kill you."

"I've already killed two of Maryse's children, Isabelle. Do you honestly want to leave your mother without her daughter, too?"

Isabelle said something else, but Jace was not listening, the desire to kill Sebastian right there and then so pure that all he'd have to do was let go. If he died, so be it, but the only thing keeping him from giving in was also the hunger to see Sebastian suffer. Death was simple. It was quick. It was far too good for such a man-if you could even call him that.

"I swear," Jace said, voice cold and jagged. "that before any of this is over, you will die. I will make you suffer. You say you cannot feel, but I will make you. I will make you bleed out words begging for mercy. I will make you writhe in your own downfall. I will make you see your loss and make you watch as everything you have done-all your work and attempts crumble before you. And after, you will die in your failure. You will know you have lost. Your body will be ash. And the last thing you will see, is me standing over you with a blade at your throat."

Sebastian's black eyes narrowed. "Rather a dramatic speech, Jace. As I don't see why you'd honestly care. He betrayed you. His death was not my fault. It was his own. All our deaths are our own responsibility, wouldn't you say?"

Jace moved his shoulders and internally winced. "I'd say your death is my responsibility. And I will gladly fulfill it."

"Are you even able to?" Sebastian asked, cocking his head to the side, mocking. "You look pale. Just see this as a favor. You had a traitor on your hands and I helped clean up the mess."

Jace let out something-a half strangled noise. animalistic. "You did not know him," he spat, images of him and Alec together flashing through his mind. A young version of Jace popped in his head, clad in black, yielding a sword that was evidently much too heavy for him. his blond hair was plastered to the sides of his face, damp with sweat.

"Are you ready to try a lighter one, Jace?" Alec said, his voice higher, also wearing the same attire, black locks of hair an inky mess spilt over his head.

"No," Jace replied. swinging the sword again as if to demonstrate. "What good is a blade if you cannot wield it?"

Alec smiled, pulling a smaller one from his sheath. "The good of being able to hit your target without sticking yourself in the process."

A few other memories surfaced, but Jace shook them from his mind, trying to focus. He was in no condition to battle Sebastian. Most definitely not enough to battle and win. Perhaps he could try it, simply to see. He could smell the desire for blood and vengeance radiate off of him like sweat.

He saw curtains and fire burn behind Sebastian; tongues of orange licking up from black coals. In the next instant, without thought, he leapt forward, thrusting his weight into Sebastian, who was obviously expecting his attack. Latching on to Jace's wrist, he bent it backwards, taking the rest of the body with it. Sebastian pulled his hand back, but Jace dodged the blow, backrolling to the side of him and to his feet.

That's when he did something really really stupid.

Waiting until Sebastian was close enough, he reached his hand into the pit of burning coals and grasped his hand around them. His hand felt raw and smelled like burnt flesh, but he managed to twist around and shove them directly into Sebastian's face. He heard him scream and Jace groaned along with him as his hand turned a horrible shade of dark red, the future appearance of blisters already surfacing. But he didn't dwell on the pain as he leaned over, knocking the rest of the bowls of coal to the ground where they scattered. Immediately, the curtains caught flame and rose up and Jace backed away. With a final look at Sebastian, he ran over to Clary, everything leaving his body at the sight of his Blood Brother, lying vulnerable before him. He knew they could not bring him. Jace did not have his strength and Simon was far too busy with Isabelle, still crying over her lost brother.

Seizing Clary's hand, he started for the door.

"No!" Isabelle cried, fighting against Simon who was holding her firmly against him. "We can't leave him here!"

"Izzy, we don't have a choice," Jace said, and his voice broke at his words. Alec would not get the burial a brave Shadowhunter should. He would not be put to a final resting place. His mother would not get to touch his cheek one last time or whisper her final goodbyes. For Alexander Lightwood, this was the end.

"No!" I'm not leaving him! He's my brother! Let me go!"

"Bring her," Jace hissed, Clary remaining silent behind him as they fled to the door, Isabelle hitting and writhing against Simon along the way.

Though it was closed, Jace did not even bother to try to open it, finding a nearby stoker for the pits to pry part of the hinge off.

"Give it to me!" Simon yelled, the flames becoming brighter, the air growing hotter. "Take her."

Jace immediately grasped Isabelle's wrists, heartbroken that he was forced to keep her here and away from her brother. He didn't try to comfort her. He merely stayed there, until he heard the last hinge break from the door.

Releasing Isabelle, he turned back to where the gap in tunnel was, cool, putrid air flowing into the scorched place.

"Go!" he shouted, pushing Clary forward.

He looked once over his shoulder as a shadow rose, Sebastian standing before him, his face partially red. "You think it will be that easy?" he hissed. "You think I am going to make it simple? No, Jace. Maybe I want you to see what it is like to lose everything."

Jace flexed his fingers, aching to approach Sebastian. To end this. Al he had to do was step forward in the heat of fire.

"Run away, Jace," Sebastian antagonized. "Run away and we will see if this is the end."

"Jace!" he heard Clary shout and it broke him from his reverie. Jace casted one final look at Sebastian and then his Blood Brother.

" Ave Atque Vale," he spoke, before leaving the boy behind.

"Jace, there coming!" Clary shouted as they ran through the tunnels, the sound of growling growing louder the farther they went.

"Hurry up!" Jace shoved them forward, the welcomed feeling of vulnerability settling over him. It was not something Jace was used to and hated that he had nothing to protect himself with.

They turned onto another tunnel that looked vaguely familiar, as he was afraid they had been going the wrong way.

Behind them, the snarling and gnashing of teeth on teeth grew.

"Turn!"

He glanced over as Clary as they went, noticing the paleness of her face, the color draining away. He squeezed her hand as they went, the last tunnel just up ahead.

"Jace, there behind us!" she said, and he turned to see that that was, in fact, true. Dark shapes materialized from behind, the sound of splashing resounding off the tunnel walls.

"It's here!" Simon shouted, letting go of Isabelle to climb the ladder. Shoving upwards, he pulled away the circular entrance, reaching his hand back down to Isabelle who was still looking back in the direction they had come.

"Hurry up, Izzy!" he cried, and tentatively, she placed her hand in his. "Clary, c'mon!"

"No, you go first!" she said and Simon reluctantly stepped up before her.

"Go, Clary," Jace said and she latched onto the rungs. But he could see that she was weak and wrapped his arms around her, walking up the latter.

"Don't look down," Jace demanded, hearing the approaching hybrids. They were so close.

"Grab my hand, Clary!" Simon yelled and she reached her hand forward, trying to grasp his.

Below them, the hybrids had arrived.

"Grab it!" Jace shouted and just then, she grasped Simon's hand and he yanked her up.

Jace dragged himself over the last few rungs, glancing down just enough to see dark eyes and huge bodies of fur before pushing the metal slab over the sewer entrance, sealing it shut.

He collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. They all did and time seemed to stop. Eventually, he could feel the pressure of eyes on him, expecting him to say something, but he had nothing to say. The image of his Parabotia still down there, lying in a burning room, made his eyes glaze over.

The boy who never cried was surely doing it quite often these days.

"Jace," Clary said after a moment, kneeling next to him. At first, he flinched at her touch, but then melted into her embrace, wrapping his hands firmly around her. And they stayed like that, not saying anything.

On the way back to the Institute, Jace thought of having to tell Maryse about the death of her son. He ached to tell her of his bravery. His courage; that he was the hero and saved them all. How could he tell her that he was the reason they were led there to begin with?

He tried to think of the words to explain it, but they would not come. And upon reaching the Institute, people awaiting them anxiously in the room, a question burning in each their gazes as they counted who was missing, he simply shook his head.

Then he walked away and up the stairs before he could see Maryse's face gasp for air in disbelief and crumble as the realization hit.

But he still heard it as he reached his room; her cries of anguish as he closed the door, where the next day, he would change from black clothes to white ones.