Hey, not a new chapter, I just added chapter 36 parts 1, 2, and 3 together for efficiency. Sorry if I got your hopes up! I'm working on the next chapter, hopefully it'll be up in the next few days(:
Clary
By early evening, we were geared up and packed up just outside Alicante's northernmost gate with as many allies as we could gather to join us; Aline Penhallow and her girlfriend Helen were there, along with friends of the Lightwood's and my mother's. Luke's pack was to meet us at the Institute, where we would rendezvous and finalize our plans. I've seen them fight before, and they're strong - definitely strong enough to take on the Fey with us.
The willing members of the New York vampire clan are also meeting us at the Institute - in the Sanctuary, of course. Raphael Santiago will be among them, but he gave his people the choice to fight or to stay behind. As long as the Queen's warriors have already departed from the Court, then the plan should continue relatively smoothly. She'll still have Meliorn and her other servants at her side, but they don't seem to be too much of a problem. At least, we hope so.
Once we're all gathered outside the gate, I create the portal and turn to the group standing beyond, waiting for my command.
"The portal will take you straight up to the Institute, where Luke's pack will be waiting, along with some of Raphael Santiago's clan. I expect us to all get along; if not for the kind people we are, then on behalf of Jonathan Morgenstern. We have one common enemy, and we need the help," I say to the crowd gathered there, my voice loud and precise.
"Go through in pairs on two," I add as an afterthought, to get the process to go by quicker. The first to go through are Maryse and Robert, then Aline and Helen, with many more people following behind.
"You're doing a great job commanding," my mother says from beside me. I look up with a small smile to see hers mirrored back at me, identical but aged. My arms wrap around her waist and I lay my head on her shoulder.
"I learned from the best, you know," I mutter while she lays one hand across my back, and the other on top of my head.
"I love you, baby," she says quietly, with that small scratch in her voice that always gives her away. Sure enough, when I pull back, she has tears in her eyes. I lay my head back down while her chest twitches with small, held back sobs.
"I love you too mom," I squeeze her tightly and loosen my arms, reaching up to wipe her face clean. "Don't cry. We're going to be fine, I promise."
"And look at that, my 16 year old daughter telling me that everything's okay. Isn't that supposed to be my job?" she laughs and wipes her eyes with the heel of her hands.
"Not today, mom. You get to listen to me boss you around now!" I laugh and pull away, watching as the last of our group file through the portal. Luke is standing next to it, waiting for my mom with a small, sad smile. They really are perfect for each other.
Jace and I are the last to go through, so that the portal can shut behind me. As always, the icy shock of portal travel leaves me shivering and wide awake. People are gathered all around the gardens and the area spilling into the Sanctuary, waiting for me to come through.
"Clary, I'm going to get Kareena settled really quickly, okay? I'll be down in a minute." Adira barely pauses as she walks past with her little sister trailing alongside her.
I sit on a nearby bench, staring at all of the people gathered around, ready to lay down their lives to stop my brother. Werewolves and Warlocks are mingling and joking, the jittery anticipation of battle hyping their bodies into full drive. People are talking all around, so fast, moving along and gathering weapons, making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be. Even vampires sit along the Werewolves, some attempting conversation with their former enemies. It's crazy what the threat of a ruined civilization can do to bring people together, even if it won't last once the common enemy is destroyed. For now, I'm not even going to question it.
"What are you thinking about?" Jace asks, swinging one leg over the bench and straddling it, hunching to look up at me with his chin poised on his fist, very much reminiscent of The Thinker, but with a small smirk playing at his lips. I look around and shrug in answer.
"Everything," I simply state. Jace sits up and stretches, his arms reaching towards the cloudy sky, as if trying to catch the stars, and relaxes back with his hands supporting him on the bench. How he can always seem so relaxed is completely beyond me, but I wish I could share that same attitude. Indifference. Fearlessness. Even boredom. Anything but the garbled mess of my thoughts and the nausea that comes just thinking of what's to come next. The death, the blood.
The way he sits there with his arms relaxed behind him, staring at me lazily is everything I wish I could be, but everything I know I can't. I can't just sit here, ready to go to an almost certain death, with such sense of ease. Of course not, because I'm so not ready for this.
I'm not ready to lead an army to kill the queen of a very powerful people, just so that I can try to surprise my brother. I have to do it, but I don't think I can. I don't think I can stare these people- for once uniting- in the eyes and command them to go on a suicide mission. That's what this is, isn't it? A suicide mission.
The thoughts of them going to fight Jonathan bring back the scenes of blood running the streets that I previously dreamed about, the bones piled high and the cities burning, smoke choking anyone who's left to breathe it. The dead downworlders and Nephilim piled under my vile brother, his hair splattered with blood and dirt, turning it a copper color in sections, just like our mother's.
"Clary?" Jace is sitting closer to me, pulling my fists that are clenched in my lap apart, smoothing his fingers over the little crescent marks that I left. I look up to see his golden eyes a not-so-gold color, but more like a dull hazel. The glint that gave him his carefree demeanor is gone completely, left behind with a worried-looking boy. For me, he always lets his emotions show through. I think he means it in a reassuring way, letting me see that he's not completely fearless, just like me, but it worries me even more.
Jace looking vulnerable and afraid is the worst, almost as bad as when we were back at Renwick's, when he was holding me back while Valentine held a sword above Luke, ready to slay the "beast." I begged him to stop Valentine, to not let him do this. With every word I spoke, Jace's will slipped away, his eyes melting from the glacial freeze that Valentine brought. It was scary, but the vulnerability made- still makes- him that much more real, just like the chip in his tooth.
"I'm absolutely terrified, Jace," I say as evenly as I can. I don't want to cry, especially not here with all of these people who are looking to me for direction. So I take a deep breath, give Jace's hand a tight squeeze, and stand up, climbing onto the bench. The people before me start to shuffle and murmur, but they all face me expectantly, ready for my command.
Alec
When everyone starts to quiet down and turn towards the Sanctuary, I turn with them to see Clary standing up on a bench, looking strong and fierce, but her small stature still makes her look so fragile and child-like. I look over to see Magnus smirking up at her, seemingly happy to see her taking the initiative. I am too.
When I met her, I thought she was a weak child, and someone unworthy of even knowing of our existence. Now, after all that we've been through as a group and as individuals, I see the leadership and strength radiating from her, something she didn't know she possessed just less than a year ago. I gave her such a hard time, seeing instantly that Jace was a different person around her, not seeing that he was better when he was with her. I only thought of myself and how I coveted Jace secretly wanting him for myself. After meeting and getting to know Magnus, though, I realized a few things. One: that you can't get everything you want, no matter how hard you try, and two: that while you spend that time chasing after something that will never have, you miss out on what's right in front of you.
I'm so glad that I didn't pass over Magnus Bane, because he has become my very own sparkly, cat-eyed, anchor, and I love him so incredibly much. He helped me come out of my shell, helping me feel more comfortable in my own skin and showing me how to enjoy myself. Without him, I'd probably still be pining after Jace and hating Clary for simply existing, even though she truly is an amazing, kindhearted person.
As I think through and cherish the simple, yet oh-so-complicated existence of my wonderful boyfriend, his hand slips into mine, squeezing it and bringing me back to the present. I lace my fingers with his and smile, squeezing back and turning my attention back to Clary.
"—we get in, there's a chance they may try to block the way back out. That's why we need some of you to stay behind, both on the outside by the pond in Central Park, and just inside. If they close it, we can either stay in the court until they release us, or go into Faerie, and those stats aren't too hot either."
She continues to talk about the inside of the court, trying to prepare those who've never been there. She gives orders to subdue any Fey that are a threat, but not to kill them unless it is completely necessary. She actually believes that some of them will pledge themselves to her for "freeing" them from the Seelie Queen, which I find hilarious. There are very, very few Fey that will betray their queen, but I know she doesn't want more casualties than there needs to be.
She very briefly splits everyone into groups, a few for guarding, a majority for infiltration and security, and then our own personal group to go after the Queen herself, consisting of myself, Magnus, Jace, Clary, Simon, Isabelle, my parents, and then Jocelyn and Luke. Between all of the warriors, we should be able to get to the Queen with a little work, but once we're in there we have to act quickly. The Queen can be very nasty, especially when provoked, like a bee's nest that you throw a stick at. I want to be useful for this battle; I want to do something for Clary, a sign of gratitude for everything she's done for us.
I want to be the one carrying the baseball bat into the lair, and I want to be the one to strike down the Queen.
Alec
The ride to Central Park was a bit of an awkward and long one. Luke's pack went in their own vehicles, including the old school bus that they always seem to be using for "fieldtrips," while most of us travelled via subway. The cramped space was slightly annoying, being jostled about more so than normal, what with all of the downworlders and shadowhunters talking and moving around.
When the train stops, I am the first to shove through the sweaty throngs of people and onto the slightly-less-humid platform. Everybody piles out, moving quickly before the doors close, and make their way up the grimy gum-covered concrete stairs into the cool night air. The sun had just set, and while there wasn't much we could do about the Fey attacking Alicante, we could still take care of their queen.
And so we rendezvous near Central Park, finalizing the plan and meeting up with Kaelie, who would lead us into the Court and attempt to keep the portal open for us.
"Once we get in there, we have twenty minutes," Jace says quietly as we walk. "We have to get it done by then, or our asses are stuck there."
"Well that sounds like an absolute riot," Magnus drawls from beside me, rolling his eyes and smirking.
The rest of our group continues on in hushed whispers and secret words of encouragement, the clouded moon just as dark as our mood. If the dark moon is only our disposition, then the smog encased, pitch skyline is the weight we carry going into this long foreseen battle, our eyes darting around with the constant fear of being defeated and the small, insignificant speckles of stars that break through are the hope we strive to see.
Hope to fight, to defeat, and to take back the Nephilim and Downworld from the demons, and crush them in the process. Hope to reconcile with the Children of the Night, no matter how much their ways disgust us; the Children of the Moon, who can be friendly and loyal, as well as fiercely overprotective; and the Warlocks, one of whom I hold close to me. Together, we have to overcome the greater evil, we have to band against it.
Step number one, just so happens to be taking the head of the Seelie Queen herself, figuratively or not, and bringing an end to her reign of terror among her people as well as the Nephilim who have ventured far enough to allow them into the Accords, to be finally recognized as equals. Even then, she has betrayed our obviously misplaced trust by fighting alongside Jonathan.
And tonight, we take revenge for the trust we have lost, for the men, women, and children who were slaughtered when Jonathan infiltrated the Glass City. Tonight is the night that we end it all.
Simon
In hindsight, I didn't think that going into an enemy layer was such a bad idea. It seemed fun and adventurous, even, like a video game where the group of misfits take down an entire organization.
Sadly, this ain't a video game, and it isn't fun, either. Dropping the Seelie Queen is going to be harder than that final boss you need to defeat to win the game. As if that's hard enough, Jonathan Morgenstern is just a sequel all on his own. The Queen will be easy compared to Jonathan, I think, because she'll have her servants, who I hear are not very find of their enslavement anymore, rallying against her as well. Jonathan, on the other hand, has an army of undead Forsaken in addition to the emotionally wiped corpses of people that we've lost thanks to Jonathan's dark Mortal Cup.
We're going to be fighting against the faces of people we know- or used to know. Shouldn't this be fun?
As we draw nearer to the pond that leads into the court, the low chatter breaks down and eventually ceases completely, the air thickening with both moisture and nerves. I watch the faces of everyone around me, gauging their fears and emotions in that moment, noticing Jocelyn's distressed grimace and Clary's forward determination. Even Jace Is a little bit off today; he's much quieter than normal, and it's weird to not have him cracking jokes all the time. He's the one that's supposed to break the tension.
I look to Isabelle to see her perfectly sculpted eyebrows scrunched together in thought, lines of worry crackling over her face like rivulets of rain. As if sensing my creepy staring, she turns her head to gaze back. I smile reassuringly, even though reassured is the very last thing that I feel.
She reaches out and holds her hand, palm up, asking for mine. When I cover her small hand in mine, she laces our fingers and squeezes tightly, returning the gesture and surprisingly, making me feel a little bit better. I've been training with her, and while I'm not that caught up with the way that the Shadowhunters fight, I can hold my own with a bow and arrow, which is why one is currently strapped to my back.
"Isabelle?" My voice cracks with dryness and not speaking for a while; I clear my throat before continuing. "I love you, you know that right?"
Her lips turn down into a slight worried frown. She shakes her head in confusion. "Of course I do. Why are you asking me that?"
"Because," I say, choosing my words carefully as to not offend her or make myself seem incapable. "You need to be fighting with Clary, not trying to protect me. I know how important it is that you guys work together and draw on each other's abilities, and when you're busy trying to protect someone, it's hard to watch the other's back."
"I know that Simon, and I'm going to. I can work with Clary and still watch out for you; you're not nearly as experienced as us, and the Fey can get nasty," she replies in a voice that's ready for argument. "Plus, Clary can take care of herself, she's a big girl."
"I don't know if she can, Isabelle, and I'm worried for her," I admit sheepishly. If I told Clary this, she'd probably whack me upside the head.
"So it's about Clary?" she says shortly, her eyes narrowing dangerously. I knew she'd try that one. I sigh and pull her off to the side of the procession.
"If you want to see it that way, then yes. She's not as skilled as you, and she does stupid shit sometimes. She's my best friend despite everything we've been through. She needs your protection more than I do, Iz," I explain softly, watching as her eyes soften and she nods. I reach a hand out to cup her face tenderly and brush my thumb over her cheekbones. I lean my face down, placing feather light kisses to her forehead, cheeks, and finally, her lips.
She leans up into the kiss, capturing my lips and sending my mind into a flurry of everything Isabelle. Her hair under my clammy palms, her lips moving against mine swiftly but softly, her arms wrapped around my hips, pulling us closer. When her hands travel down my backside, I jump a little and pull away with a breathlessly goofy smile.
"I love you, Isabelle Sophia Lightwood. I really, really do," I blurt out. She breaks into a full blown smile, gums showing and everything; it's absolutely adorable.
"I love you too, Simon." Her grin remains as she takes my hand again and we jog to catch up with the rest of the group, who are closing in on Turtle Pond. Its surface shines with the reflection of the rising moon, only small ripples from the wildlife disturbing the peaceful scene.
"Time to roll, guys," Clary breathes out strongly from the front of the group. Isabelle and I push through to stand with our friends, all of us with our loved ones. Isabelle steps away from me for a second to give her mom a hug, to which Maryse responds with a shocked face and a tight motherly hug. The kind of hug that I wish I could give my mom again, but she's still convinced that I'm not me, that I'm a bloodthirsty killing machine. Which I technically am, but I don't ever act on my urges. It's just a part of who I am, I suppose.
Looking around at all the people I love, plus our comrades, all working together and drawing strength from each other, I see that I'm where I'm supposed to be. Not studying for redundant math tests and stressing out about not having a date to prom.
I'm supposed to be here, with this ragtag band of monsters and descendants of a great angel, fighting for our lives. Fighting to make their world, and my old one, a safer place.
Clary
"Time to roll, guys," I sigh and look around at the people gathered, standing with friends, family, and loved ones. Some are hugging and speaking words of encouragement to each other, while some are stoically silent, waiting for the go.
I find Kaelie's pure blue eyes among the faces looking up at me and gesture for her to come over to the front. She walks up to Jace and I, nodding her head in greeting, and surprisingly, being very respectful. No glaring at me, no predatory attitude towards Jace, like she's about to jump his bones. It's surprising.
"I'll keep it open as long as I can, but they'll try to shut it so it's going to be difficult. You guys have got to be quick," Kaelie says quietly, looking between the two of us, consulting us as equals. "Good luck. Take the bitch down."
Luke sidles up to Jace and I with my mom in tow, placing his forefingers in his mouth. My mom and I wince when he lets out an earsplitting whistle that cuts through the night air and brings silence down on our little army.
"We enter in waves, just like we planned!" Jace yells over the crowd. "Be alert, don't let the Fey trick you. If they make an attempt on your life, fight back. If they surrender, gather them. The Clave can deal with that. There shouldn't be too many here, seeing as they're all trying to attack the Glass City. When we kill the Queen, the rest will back off, so the quicker we do this, the quicker the attack on Alicante will stop. Everyone got it?"
The only sounds echoing through the dark are those of swords be unsheathed, and the low, rumbling growls of the wolves. I nod to Luke, satisfied with the responses, and that there are no objections to the plan.
"First wave, move in!" Luke calls, and his pack trudge forward with menace, some with extended fangs and claws, and some already completely transformed into their werewolf selves. The shoulder past us, and to the edge of the pond. Luke turns to pull my mother into a soft embrace, and kisses the top of her head sweetly. He looks to me next.
"Be careful, Clary," he says gruffly before plunging into the pond, whose surface the moon is reflected on, opening the portal. He disappears instantly, with no trace left behind in the clear water. The pack follows after him; some jump in, while others merely walk in, but all moving with the same ferocious intent.
We wait 5 minutes as planned, and the next wave of shadowhunters, including my mom, Maryse, and Adira, plunge through the portal, wishing well to each other.
As we wait for another 5 minutes pass as the wind kicks up, rippling the water and throwing my braid around and into my face. I feel someone walk up to me and see Jace through the cloud of red curls. He pushes my hair back and rests his hands on my face staring down intently at me.
"Stay safe, okay?" Jace murmurs and leans down to touch his dry, warm lips to my chapped ones. I kiss him back passionately, letting my tongue run across his lip before pulling back and kissing him on the cheek.
"I will. I promise," I smile, squeezing his hand and stepping forward to the edge of the pond. I look around to see the faces of my friends, the ones who've been here with me since I discovered the Shadowhunter blood that runs through my veins. Alec smiles over at me, Magnus twirling his finger in greeting. Alec and I used to hate each other, but as time went on, we opened up more. I found that he is extremely sweet, but also very protective of his family. He's also intelligent, but he prefers not to flaunt it, never wanting to be in the spotlight. I'm glad we're going into this as friends and not annoying acquaintances.
Isabelle and I generally hit it off, even though I hated how she always wanted to make me into her own human Barbie doll. Out in the field, though, she's brilliant. Her wit and cunning make her as deadly as the whip she so expertly wields. When we trained together, something just clicked with us. The rhythm with which we fought was different from what we were used to, but it just worked so well that we had to continue together, like the bridge of a great song. So we became parabatai, very recently, too.
And then there's Simon: my dorky best-friend-turned-vampire, who used to play as the creatures we are fighting with, in video games. Whose mother is devoutly Jewish, and disowned him when she found out he wasn't human. It's Simon, who was there for me when Jace and I thought we were siblings. The dating didn't work out, but he was always by my side regardless of the situation. I love that about Simon- he's extremely loyal, and I know that he'll do anything his friends as of him, making him the ultimate friend.
I sigh, trying to think back on everything once more. The fighting the kidnapping, the demons, everything that's happened recently, but I can't. I have got to move forward, or else I'll be stuck. I have to move forward, and defeat the Seelie Queen, and destroy Jonathan. It's that simple.
Kill the bad guys, win the war.
With a final prayer to whoever's up there, I take the hand on Jace on my left, and Isabelle on my right. She takes Simon's hand, while Alec and Magnus connect their palms with Jace's. Together, we are stronger than before. Together, we are united to fight.
Together, we will win this damn war.
Alec
When we join hands as a team, I can almost feel the strength running through our bones like a current. Or maybe it's just Magnus' sparking blue fingertips brushing against mine intimately. I squeeze his hand, as well as Jace's, and we step forward stoically, preparing for the harsh ride through the portal.
I tug on everyone, ready to get it over with, and we follow one another through, Magnus and I leading.
We step our feet into the shallow pond, when Magnus suddenly gets pulled forward, with me in tow. I let out a yelp as the water cascades over my head, and with a strong pull, I land on the hard dirt-packed passageway of the court.
I immediately jump up and pull my weapons out, expecting complete chaos, but seeing nothing at all. It is silent, the only sound being our breathing and the drip dripping of nearby water.
"What the hell just happened?!" I ask Magnus in shock and annoyance at being pulled through off guard.
"I have no clue, it's like we were sucked in. Literally," he mutters and looks around the immediate area with me.
"What about the others?" I ask, looking at the dead end we just came through and seeing nothing. "Shouldn't they be coming through?"
"I think the portal was closed off," he mutters, running his hands over the soft dirt walls.
I walk forward cautiously with Magnus at my back, his flaming fingers now lighting the earthen tunnel. As we go on, we hear a faint noise, but it is indiscernible. I remember the last time I was here, we were led straight ahead, and into a hallway of sorts. I move forward at a slightly faster pace, hoping that the other's find a way through.
The temperature drops as we move down the damp tunnel, and we make one last turn to see just through an archway, the rest of our group, bloodied and fighting, but the sounds are still muffled, even at the close range.
"Alec!" Magnus grabs my hand and pulls me away from the entrance that I was nearing. "It's some sort of protection ward."
"Can't you take it down?" I ask hurriedly, seeing our friends and family fighting for their lives, with a few Fey laying on the ground, seemingly dead. The Queen is nowhere in my line of sight.
"It's going to take some time," he mutters before getting to work.
"I'm going to find another way around," I call as I turn away, jogging back the way we came.
"Be careful, Alexander!" Magnus yells after me.
"I will," I reply, and then his chanting resumes. I turn the corner again, this time scouring the walls for any sort of door. Vines grow almost everywhere, making that hard to do. Since it won't be an obvious door, I look for disturbances.
I find none as I continue forward. What the hell?
Something in my peripherals moves, startling me. I swing around and come face to face with a tall, lanky Pucas faerie with dark skin, my iron sword poised and ready to attack if provoked.
I stay still, waiting for the creature to make the first move. It stands perfectly still and we stare at each other for a few moments before its mouth moves to form incoherent words. The strange tongue confuses me; it's no faerie language that I've ever heard.
It steps forward, its chest pressing into the point of the sword bravely.
"Do it," it hisses in garbled English. Its pointed ears prick this way and that, listening for something I cannot hear.
I shake my head in confusion and my sword wavers. Does this thing have some sort of death wish? Is it not going to fight?
The Pucas laughs heartily and sidesteps my sword, sneering down at me.
"You cannot do it," it hisses, mocking me. "You can't slay me with no reason, can you boy?" The laughing intensifies, angering me.
"Shut up. How do I get around the barrier? Tell me!" I demand, pressing the iron to the faeries throat firmly, a bead of scarlet forming and dripping down its neck.
"I will not, you stupid boy. I shall die before I betray my Lady," the Pucas replied calmly, with no fear in its eyes. I glare back, deciding what to do, when the thing launches off of the wall and into the iron blade, screeching in pain as it passed through their neck, nearly severing the head.
I step back quickly and stare at the head of a dead faerie beneath me and shake my head at the stupidity of it all. Why would he do that? Or she? It could have ran, or fought, it didn't have to run into my blade, essentially committing suicide. For the Queen? They hold her that highly? High enough to sacrifice their life rather than even fight and risk capture?
I shake my head as I wipe the blade along the vine covered walls, cleaning most of the blood off. Why, is the only word that pounds through my head. It's not like the creature was innocent, so why do I still feel guilty? I feel like that death was my fault, like I forcefully shoved my sword into the faerie.
The slowly growing headache that has been festering in my head continues to beat stronger and stronger, making me feel dizzy, and once the intensity heightens further, nausea sets in.
What the hell is wrong with me? I stumble back the way I came, trying to make my way back to Magnus. I've never felt so sick before, and I know that it's not normal for me, or any Shadowhunter, for that matter.
My legs grow weak, falling beneath me like a ragdoll. I lean my back against the cool ivy wall and bring a partially limp arm to my belt, grasping my stele and trying my best to hold it steady. My hands shake as I carve an iratze into my forearm, trying to keep it as straight as possible. The rune comes out decently enough, if not a little rough around the edges, but I feel none of the immediate gratification that always comes when using a healing rune. The nausea remains, as well as the numbness and dizziness. My sight swims back and forth beneath my closing lids, and in the last seconds of consciousness, I try calling out for help.
Jace
When Magnus went through and Alec stumbled after him, Clary and I were next. We step into the cold water and stand next to the moon's reflection. I squeeze her hand and we step forward, but instead of falling directly through the portal, we are left standing there.
"Jace?" she asks and steps forward, as if trying to activate it with movement. "What the hell is going on? Kaelie!"
I look back and see Kaelie standing there with a confused look on her face and she seems at a loss for words. "Can you fix it?"
"I can try, I didn't think they'd shut it that quickly, though," she says and looks around. The girl kneels down on the edge of the pond and bows her head, as if praying. Her lips move silently and her head bows deeper before she sits back and looks at the moon. After a while of nothing, Kaelie finally looks at us, signaling that she is finished, finally.
The water stirs beneath us and I lurch forward to grab Clary's hand, but I fall before I can grasp it. The pit of my stomach feels as if it was left behind on the Earth realm, making me nauseous. It only lasted for a second before I fell to my knees on firmly packed dirt, the water from the pond dripping all around me. I look around for Clary, but I don't see her anywhere near. I sigh, but a searing pain in my chest takes over and I scream out.
"Alec!" I call, not immediately discerning why. But then it hits me with a bloodcurdling, sick sensation. Something's wrong with Alec. On instinct I start running, pulling my blades out and searching the walls for tunnels that could lead me to him. What's wrong with him? Where is he? I swear by the Angel that I will kill whoever lay a hand on my parabatai, my best friend, my brother. I will carve them piece by piece with my iron daggers, making it hurt in the worst way possible. If something has happened to him, I will lose it. Fucking lose it.
Clary
Since I wasn't directly on the moons reflection, I didn't drop through the portal alongside Jace. He disappeared from sight almost immediately, transported to the Seelie Court. I step forward and fall through, the water burning my nostrils and making me sputter in surprise.
When I make it fully through and am firmly standing in the tunnels of the Court, I am able to cough the water out of my chest with a burning sensation. I wring out my heavy hair as I stalk forward, looking for Jace. I should only be seconds behind him, but I don't see him. The faintly rapid tapping of footsteps could be him, though. Following the tunnel, I prepare myself by drawing my new sword and holding it at my side as I jog.
With no signs of Jace anywhere, I continue on the fairly straight path that should lead me to the Queen's throne room. When I turn the next corner, I see scattered bodies of the Fey laying around, their eyes as cold and uncaring as they were in life.
In stark contrast are the Shadowhunters and Werewolves, looking drained and battered, but completely alive. I smile broadly at them and move quickly forward through the gathered people, finding my mom and Luke immediately.
"Mom!" I throw my free arm around her neck, my sword at my side still. "You guys are okay? Where's Magnus and Alec? Jace?"
"Magnus is fine, he's over there," Luke says with a nod towards the corner of the room where he sits leaning against the wall, his chest moving rapidly and sweat dripping down his face. When he catches my gaze he gives a small, toothy smile and gives me a thumbs up.
"But we thought Jace and Alec were with you?" My mom finishes with a pinched forehead.
"Oh, hell. The portal closed and when Kaelie opened it back up, Jace fell right through. I was right behind him, but when I got through I couldn't find him. You're sure you haven't seen him?" I ask desperately.
They nod and my mom bites her lip. I look around and spot Maryse, so I catch her attention and nod off to the side, where we meet.
"Please tell me you've seen Jace and Alec," I say hopefully, but her eyes widen.
"Why, what's wrong?" she asks quickly, the panic rising. "And where's Isabelle?"
"She's still at the pond, the portal's been closing on us. I don't know where they are," I relay to her what I just told my own mother and her hands shake in fear.
"We need to find them. These tunnels are made to be manipulated, to trap humans like in a maze," she says, the hysteria rising in her voice.
"I'll find them, I promise," I say. "What about the Queen?"
"Gone. Either escaped or was never here," she says before walking away to talk to Robert.
She wouldn't just run. She's no coward, just crazy. She'd want to toy with us.
I wouldn't doubt it if Jace and Alec were missing in the tunnels somewhere, because of her.
Shit.
I spend at least twenty minutes jogging the tunnels, taking any and all paths branching away from the main one. I holler and yell for Jace and Alec, but only hear my own echo bounce back at me sadly. The other Shadowhunters should be searching as well, but there wouldn't be a way for them to even contact me if they did find them… So I head back to the main tunnel, and towards the throne room once again.
Another twenty minutes pass as I jog back the same exact way, using all of the small details I marked in my mind to help- a thicket of flowers, roots dangling from the dirt ceiling, a decline in the path. Even so, I still find myself jogging the tunnels after thirty minutes. When I hit the forty minute mark, I start to panic a little bit.
Everything looks the same. At first I could easily find the small landmarks, but it became increasingly harder to find that roughly carved statue of a faerie, or the alcove with the little fountain. When I am positive that I've gone and gotten myself completely lost, I find a safe-looking place to rest and think about what to do next. I lay my sword next to me and well within reach, and replace my empty hands with my stele.
A portal! I'm such an idiot…I can portal myself out of here! I turn to the dirt wall and rake my stele against the dirt, burning the runes into it. They instantly fade. Well shit. I sit back down in defeat and toy with the stele, trying to think of a way out before laying my head back while listening and thinking…
I need paper. I jump up and shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans, then my jacket. I feel the crinkle of an old receipt and pull it out with a huge sigh of relief. Now I need something to freakin' write with…
I got lucky with the paper, but I don't have a pen. I can't use a stele because it'll disintegrate if it's not a rune…
I resort to taking my sword and pricking my finger on the very tip, letting the blood well up. I hardly feel it as I run my finger across the small piece of paper, trying to squeeze the words onto the back.
I blow on the paper for a few seconds before using my stele to draw, as small as possible, the rune for fire onto the paper. Magnus Bane.
The paper catches alight and I drop it, letting it burn and shrivel away from me. I really hope that this works.
Jace
"Alec, by the Angel!" I whisper-shout as I turn a corner and see his body sprawled out on the dirt ground, a dark faerie and Alec's bloody sword laying nearby. In less than a second, I am on my knees at his side, gently turning him over to lie on his back.
I see his chest faintly rise and bend over to place an ear to his chest while checking his pulse. It's faint, but steady.
"Alec," I say, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a little shake. His body moves but he doesn't seem to respond on his own. "Time to wake up buddy!"
I tap his cheeks, and when he doesn't wake, I pull back his eyelids. His eyes are bloodshot and rolled back into his head, no iris visible.
"Shit, shit, shit," I mumble and reach for my stele in such a haste that it grazes across my skin painfully. I wince but keep moving, placing an iratze on his chest. "Alec, wake up," I plea, shaking him by the shoulders again.
"Mhh," he groans finally, his eyes twitching beneath his lids. "Leame 'lone."
Thank Raziel.
"No, wake up lazy!" I say, but my voice crackles weakly. His lids finally open, his eyes rolling all around; looking around or twitching, I can't tell.
"Where's everyone at?" he asks, sitting up and rolling his neck as if in pain. "I went to find a way around the barrier to the throne room, but I got lost."
"Obviously. We need to get going, I don't think that they've gotten the Seelie Queen, yet."
"Alright, alright," he grumbles and pushes himself up to his knees before attempting to stand, and wobbling back over onto the ground. "Crap…"
I rush to his side and put an arm under him, pulling him up against my side. "It's okay. What happened, anyways?"
"I have no clue…I remember looking for a different way in, and then I ran into that thing," he says while pointing to the dead faerie. "And he walked right into my sword, on purpose. It was weird."
"Let's just get out of here," I mutter. We start walking forward together, but Alec seems to become even more disoriented, his weight sagging off to the side. His arm blindly goes out to the wall for support, and he pulls away, doubling over and emptying his stomach onto the dirt.
I can feel a throbbing in my chest, a pressure that won't go away, and I know that something's wrong with Alec.
He straightens out for a second before leaning heavily into my side, his head lolling over into unconsciousness again. I push down the dread, scoop him up like a child, and run with him, trying to get out as fast as possible. It's impossible to guess what's wrong with him since I wasn't there, but he's sick. Very, very sick.
Clary
Seconds, minutes, maybe hours- how long has it been since I sent the fire message? My concept of time is royally screwed, as is my wrist-watch from being technically in a whole other dimension. I get up and leave the room, taking a random path in hopes of getting somewhere. Anywhere, really. Anything would be better than sitting in that dark, dank room that I holed myself up in. Hopefully the Queen is done with being a bitch (unlikely) for a little bit at least; then I can try to get away without her manipulating the tunnels.
What if she's doing something to me as well? To my mind? Shit. I pull out my stele and close my eyes, trying to remember the one that I need.
Clarity.
Yes! I draw the rune swiftly, feeling the effects the second the Mark is completed. My mind is clear and I can actually think, as well as see. I'm not as tired as I was. What the hell was she doing to me?
I take a deep breath, and start out at a jog through the tunnels once again, this time feeling more confident in the directions I turn. Left. Left. Right. Left. Right. Right.
I sigh in relief when I see the familiar tunnel that is used as the main connection between the Queen's courtroom and the entrance from Central Park.
"Clary!" I hear from behind, a deep relief flooding through me. Jace. I turn to see him running towards me and I give him a small smile, grabbing onto him and holding on for dear life when he's within my reach. He's warm and breathing heavy, his long arms wrapped around me tightly. I look up and his lips crash down onto my own, surprising me, but I kiss him back swiftly before pulling away. We don't really have time for that…
"What'd I miss?" I ask, looking past him to see Magnus leaning over someone and a blue web of magic surrounding them. "Crap, what's going on?"
Jace follows me as I run over to Magnus and see Alec lying there, pale and definitely unconscious.
"I don't know, I guess Alec had tried to find another way into the Court's main room since it was blocked, and he ran into a faerie. He said he held his sword to it, but it walked right into it. It killed itself. I've never heard of anything like it before," Jace says, running both of his hands through his hair, his eyebrows creased in frustration. "When I found him, he was very off-balance and then he just passed out. How's he doing, Magnus?"
"I don't know," Magnus says quietly, looking up at us while the blue film dissipated. His cat-eyes are wide and troubled; sad. "I- I think he's stabilized, but I don't think that I can do anymore here, I don't have everything that I need. Caterina might, though. We need to just get out of here."
"I'm not leaving until I'm done here. You can take Alec, but Jace, we need to finish this," I say, willing for him to understand. He nods and we come to a silent agreement to stay behind together and finish this.
"Magnus, take Alec and get out of here. Where's everyone else?" I ask.
He points weakly in the direction of the courtroom. I nod and quickly walk towards the room. When I pass through the long vines covering the arch, I see werewolves, vampires, and the Nephilim all gathered together, talking quietly.
"Clary!" I feel my parabatai barrel into my side, towering over me. I laugh and wrap my arms around her, the two of us swaying side to side quickly. "I was worried sick, where the hell were you? I could hardly feel you!" she says frantically, her hand over her fresh parabatai rune.
"I'm sorry, I was seriously lost…" I trail off. "I have no clue what to do. You guys couldn't get the Queen, no offense, and we have no idea where she could be. Hell, she could be in the Faerie realm by now."
"Track her," Adira says, walking up to us with her arms crossed over her bloody gear. "Use a tracking rune."
"I've never tracked before," I mutter sheepishly. That's something I really should be learning…
"I'll do it," she says quietly, pulling her stele out and placing the tip against her forearm. She draws the rune and closes her eyes in concentration. I hope it works.
"Anything?" Isabelle asks impatiently, looking from Adira to me. I shrug and Adira just ignores her completely. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Adira's eyes open slowly and she looks extremely tired.
"Yeah, I found her. She's here, still. She's trying to leave, but I think the warlocks have blocked her passage…"
"Hey!" I turn toward the crowd to call them all to attention. "We've located the Queen! She's here, and I'm going to need reinforcements, so those of you who are willing…thank you. The rest of you should go back to Alicante and help protect the city. We can handle this here," I say, trying desperately to believe in my own words.
"Luke, can we have a few of your men for strength?"
"Of course," he responds, his hands behind his back. He turns towards his pack and starts barking out orders, selecting those that he wants with us.
"I want the rest of you back in Alicante as soon as possible," I call out to the rest. "Like, five minutes ago," I add on when nobody moves. People start shuffling around and the Shadowhunters that had joined us quickly file out of the room, eager to get back home to help. Luke has seemed to have taken his pick, and he sent his Second in Command, along with the rest of his pack, out of the Court.
"What now?" Isabelle says to me. All that's left now are three of Luke's men plus himself, my mother, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Adira.
"Adira?" She nods and turns to the door, leaving us. "Let's go find this bitch," I mutter.
After endless turns and finding our way around a few pools of water, we come upon a residential-looking area of tunnel. Sleek wooden doors line the hallway, along with beautiful sconces that flicker with a beautiful yellow flame. I hold up a hand, Jace and Isabelle following my gesture, passing it down our small procession.
I turn to Isabelle and hold my finger to my lips, then cup my ears. She takes out her stele and pushes my hair out of the way, drawing a rune for enhanced hearing right on my neck underneath my ear. She also draws me a rune for silence on my leg, and I do the same for her; marking your parabatai doubles the strength of a rune.
I turn and edge along the doors, my sword held out and poised to defend myself. A few doors down, I hear whispers coming from one of the rooms, and I strain my ears to hear.
"…Need to leave, now," a male voice says in an urgent whisper.
"No!" A woman- the Seelie Queen- shouts back. "I will not be forced out of my Court!"
"It's not safe," the man says back in an exasperated tone, like a man who's run out of options and can only repeat himself. "Ma'am, there are still Nephilim inside of the Court…"
I look back, taking this as the perfect time to attack, and signal Jace. He nods and passes it along.
I walk out in front of the door, standing in plain view with my sword held out and Isabelle and Jace on my flanks. This isn't just my fight. This is Jace's fight. Its' Alec's and Izzy's, and everyone else around me's fight. Just thinking about Alec being so badly wounded get my heart racing, making me want to exact revenge as soon as I can.
"Your Highness! Back away," the man, Meliorn says, throwing his body out, protecting the Queen and holding a bow towards us.
"Well, I wasn't quite expecting visitors in my bedchambers," she says, moving out from behind Meliorn as if he was nothing but a nuisance.
"If you would have shown up and fought along your people, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now," I said carefully. "But you hid and let them die."
"It appears so," she drawls, sitting precariously on the edge of her leaf green bed. "I applaud you for your victory," she says sarcastically.
"It's not a victory until the commander has fallen with her people," Jace says from behind me.
"So come kill me, if you really think that it will change anything," she says with a sly smirk. "If you can."
She doesn't think we will truly kill her. After all that she's done, all of the pain that she's inflicted upon us, she believes that she will still win. After toying with Jace and I; She forced us to do the one thing we wanted- back when we were thought to be siblings- but knew we couldn't have. She made us hate ourselves for it. She made the others look at us with disgust.
She joined Jonathan. She decided to work against the Clave to eradicate anybody who does not follow him faithfully. Anybody who is not pure. She's helped him all along; she's inadvertently screwed up our whole lives from the second she joined my brother. She has to pay.
"Simon," I whisper, hoping he can hear me from his place besides Isabelle. He has a bow and arrow; he can strike down Meliorn quicker than any of us. I feel a whizz of air go past my ear, and see the faerie man fall down to his knees, clutching his chest in pain, but still moving. I dart out of the doorway and to the side, as do the others, spreading across the room and surrounding them both. Meliorn seems to keep letting the arrows fly, but most of us are able to dodge them.
"It's over," I say strongly. The Queen turns towards me and smirks, raising her hand and snapping her fingers.
In an instant, a dozen faeries flood into the room, all armed and ready to attack. One with purple skin charges at me with two sets of arms and razor sharp teeth, and I quickly dispatch it before moving on to the next. I feel a sharp pain in my ankle and feel my foot give out, but I catch myself and hold my weight on the other foot, looking down to see an elf of about 7 inches latched onto my leg.
I reach down and try to pull it off but the damn things little claws were deep into my skin, and they tensed when I tried. I pull a dagger out and slash out at it, hearing it squeal and fall to the side, where I kick it across the room like a soccer ball. It slams into the bedpost with a satisfying thunk.
A few of the larger faeries still remain, and Meliorn is hobbling alongside the Seelie Queen, headed for another door on the other side of the room. I sprint over and in between Jace and Simon who are fighting back to back and leap onto the large bed. I have my dagger out in one hand and my sword in the other; I run across the bed and jump, bringing the dagger down on Meliorn, square in between the shoulders.
The Seelie Queen jumps away in shock and I hold my knife, the same iron one that I just plunged into Meliorn's back, and hold it out at the Queen.
"What did you plan on doing, huh?" I ask harshly, glaring out her through slitted eyes. She backs away and I take another step forward, not letting her far enough away to escape. She doesn't answer, but instead she sneers back at me, but for once, I am not afraid of her.
I am in control. I am the one holding the dagger to her. I am the one who has her cornered, and I'm the one who killed her personal little servant. I am in charge.
"Well, go ahead, child. Kill me," she taunts, baring her throat for me. "Take the knife and do it. Or are you too scared to, hm?" Her laugh is sharp like shattered glass and she steps forward, towering over me in her extreme height. I do not back away.
"First, you're going to need to tell me what you know about Jonathan. Where is he?" I bark, holding the dagger to her throat. She laughs when I press down lightly and get a drop of blood from the point that the knife punctured.
I press harder, and her eyes widen.
"Are you going to tell me, now, or would you like to continue playing this game?"
"It is my game, Clarissa, I will always win," she answers cryptically. I pull the dagger away and before she can let out a breath, I have it lodged into her abdomen.
"This. Is. Not. A. Game," I hiss, watching as she clutches at her stomach and looks at me with disbelief. "Where is Jonathan?!"
"Alicante," she says cautiously. "He's in Alicante, right now." Shit.
"And what about your faeries?" I ask sharply. "Command them to stop!"
"I shall not," she says simply. She seems so calm, so unperturbed by the circumstances. It makes it that much easier to go through with what I am about to do…
"Alright," I say, pulling my short blade back. "Then we are done here." I swing it forward with all of my might, willing for it to be enough. The blade bites deep into the Queen's neck, and I know the momentum will force it completely through; I look away.
And it's done in an instant. I can't bear to look at the body of the faerie queen that I just killed, so I turn back to the others to see them all staring at me in awe. Why are they looking at me like that?
"You did it…" Simon whispers, a grin spreading across his face.
My mother walks passed me, running a hand on my shoulder, and kneels down in front of the dead queen, bringing her fingers to all of the major pulse points to check for anything. She turns back and nods, but no smile accompanies it.
"Burn the bodies, all of them," she says to Luke's pack. "We need to get back to Alicante, they're going to need all the help they can get. We don't even know if killing her will stop her armies…"
"She's right," I say, looking to the rest of my friends. "Let's go."