REMINDER - At this point in time Jon, Jocelyn and Luke have no idea that Clary has been put on trial.
Chapter 12…
{Jon's POV}
After the demon attacks we had moved back to Idris, all heads of Institutes had been called in for various meetings. So that included the Lightwoods and Herondales, and my mother had been summoned for a reason we didn't know yet.
It was mid-afternoon when I heard a knock at the door, I was in the Fairchild Manor, things had been pretty quiet since Clary, Jace and Izzy had left.
Luke and mum were out, I think they were with Stephen and Celine but I couldn't be certain.
Swiftly, I moved to the door and opened the door.
Standing at the door with a stern face was Alec, and it didn't look like this was a social call.
"What's happened?"
I asked instantly.
"Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn just arrived at our door to see their family."
Alec stated.
"Why, are all the students returning because of the demon attacks?"
"No, but they've explained everything to us."
"What did they say?"
Alec hesitated, choosing his words carefully,
"I think it's better if you hear it from them."
Speaking to Alec was easy, unlike Jace his sentences did not contain hidden meanings or some sarcastic comments. That was one of the personality traits I liked about Alec, he was always direct and never waffled about anything.
I grabbed one of my jackets off the peg and my stele lying on the windowsill and followed Alec out into the street.
Thankfully the Lightwoods Manor was not far and we arrived at the front door in a couple minutes. The streets of Alicante were curved, each one was a circle surrounding the heart of our city, the Accords Hall and The Gard.
Being back in Alicante reminded me of the times when Jace and I would sneak to the Lightwoods late at night when we were much younger - before we had moved to the New York institute - and we would stay up all night sometimes telling ghost stories and play fighting in the living room.
As we approached the familiar porch, the door swung open and holding it was a face I just about recognised, it was Andrew Blackthorn, Julian's father.
His face was stern and narrowed, obvious frown lines etched into his forehead.
"Mr Blackthorn, I am Jonathan Fairchild, how are you?
I asked politely, aware that the reason they were now in Alicante was because their Institute had been brutally attacked.
"Ah you're Jocelyn's boy. Yes, erm we are alright considering. I count us very lucky we were able to get out of there in time."
I nodded at his words and then followed Alec inside.
We strolled right into the front room and I saw quite a few people gathered on the various couches and armchairs.
My attention was straight away drawn to the fair-headed girl and brunette boy by her side - Emma and Julian.
"Hey guys, been a while!"
I exclaimed as I went over and hugged them one after the other ; although Emma and Julian were technically 4 years younger than Alec and I, we had always treated them equally, their fighting skills certainly were.
"Good to see you Jon."
Julian replied as I pulled back and slouched down into a free armchair behind me, Alec settling down also.
Emma and Julian occupied one of the couches, and on the other (squished together comfortably) were many children, I guessed that they were the other blackthorn children.
One was a young girl, about 10 by the looks of her, she had down brown hair like Julian and the trademark blue-green eyes. Beside her was a young boy and girl, both sat very close together and looked similar, I thought that they could possibly be twins.
Answering my thoughts, Julian spoke up,
"Oh, these are my siblings, this is Dru,"
He gestured to the first girl I had seen with the striking eyes,
"Then Ty and Livia, they're twins."
So I had been right the two definitely seemed similar, in the way they shifted uncomfortably in their seats also.
"And Octavian is upstairs, but he's probably asleep, he's only 4."
Julian completed, and then looked back at me with sad eyes.
A sudden shudder rippled up my spine, so I leant forward to try and rid myself of the unnerving sensation.
I looked to my side at Alec and raised an eyebrow, he had brought me here for a reason and I was more than ready to find out what it was.
"Like I said, I think it's best if Jules and Emma break it down for you."
Alec answered my silent question.
I shifted in my seat so I was facing the parabatai, they shared an awkward look before Emma spoke.
"As you know, the LA, London and Mexico Institutes were attacked."
I nodded shortly.
"The attacks were demonic, hundreds of demons overwhelmed each one. The Clave have decided that this was no accident, they were organised attacks, preplanned."
Julian continued.
"Well obviously, demon's don't think, they can only react to commands, but I don't know of any creature that could control that amount of demons anyway."
I retorted.
Emma sucked in a sharp breath, her face tightening.
"Well, maybe you do."
She answered, causing my brow to furrow.
"Consul Penhallow arrived at the Academy around midday and delivered the verdict of the Council to us. Think about it, the only way demons could enter is if the wards were disarmed with demonic blood, but that same person must have had angel blood to enter in the first place."
Emma explained, studying my face, anticipating my reaction.
Then it dawned on me.
"No…"
I breathed.
"Clary is being held in the Gard as we speak, but not a part of the Gard Jules or I have ever seen."
I slumped back in my chair, squeezing my eyes shut.
"But does Clary not have an alibi? Surely someone must have been with her at the Academy."
"I was."
Emma replied quietly, as if I were missing something.
"Okay, so why do they still think it's Clary?"
"Remember who you are talking about, Jia Penhallow has been clawing at the opportunity to tarnish the Morgenstern name forever. Besides it is a logical explanation when you look at it."
"Emma!"
Julian exclaimed at his parabatai.
She shrugged and answered,
"Well she obviously didn't, and I know Clary wouldn't do something like that, but their theory behind it makes sense."
I was lost in my own thoughts for a few moments, then a thought popped into my head.
"Were there any witnesses, what about your family, surely they can identify who really did this?"
Julian held up his hand to wave off my idea.
"That's the problem, there is a witness."
I frowned at him, not following what he was getting at at all.
Suddenly, the little girl who Jules had told me was called Livia stood up from her twin brother.
"It's me."
Her voice was small, but she made it come out strong.
She looked at her older brother encouragingly, asking permission to go on.
"When the warlock started doing his magic with the blue sparks to create a portal I saw her, the one your all talking about, I saw Valentine's daughter."
"What warlock?"
Alec snapped his head up,
"Magnus Bane."
I saw Alec flush a little, but he instantly recovered himself and resumed his brooding stare.
I knew there was somewhat of a history between Alec and Magnus, but now wasn't the best time to be asking questions about his love life.
"But how could you have? If she was with Emma, I don't understand."
I said, my words spilling out. Nothing was making sense.
"I'm not lying, I promise I'm not."
The little girl cried, her voice wavering now.
"We don't think you are Liv, but we just don't understand how."
Livia looked more relaxed as Emma coaxed her, I saw a lot of Jace in Emma ; both were extreme fighters and were a cut above the rest, but they both loved fiercely and recklessly, they were at peace when there was someone who needed protection.
"What did she look like?"
I asked the younger girl gently, not wanting to upset her.
"She was quite short I guess, probably just shorter than Emma, her hair was raven, and her lips, I remember they were so so red, like blood."
"Raven hair?"
I echoed out loud.
Thinking of Clary with another hair colour brought back the memory of when Izzy, Alec and I had ambushed her and Jace at the Lake in Manhattan and she had changed her hair to a platinum blonde to draw away suspicion of who she really was.
{Jace's POV}
"Jace would you stop doing that!"
Izzy snapped at me.
I had been pacing across the room for the past hour, my mind going around and around in a swirl.
"Doing what?"
"Pacing like that, you're freaking me out."
She answered, so I stopped and walked over to the sofa Simon and Iz were sitting on, slumping into the armchair opposite them.
"I dunno Iz, I just feel so useless, I don't even know what's happening!"
I exclaimed, my voice exasperated.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Izzy roll her eyes and flop onto the back of the sofa,
"Jace, you overreact about everything,"
She retorted,
"I do not."
I fired back, I knew I was acting mildly childish but I didn't care, I could strop all I want because Clary was gone.
"Remember that one time in 3rd year when you weren't the first one to make it to the top of the platforms? And then you complained saying that the platforms must have gotten higher for your turn?"
Simon chipped in, lightening the mood.
I grunted in response, I recall that day very clearly, I had always hated not winning.
One thing I had noticed was that Simon's hand was resting on Isabelle's knee ; I did not say anything because I wasn't sure it meant much.
It was well into the evening now, dusk was approaching and my mood was dimming with the lack of light.
For the rest of the day all the students had returned to their common rooms, everyone trying to make sense of what had happened and how Clary had been taken away.
"It still doesn't make sense though, if Clary was with Emma all day then how can there possibly be a witness?"
Izzy thought out loud,
"If a warlock had her blood then they could shapeshift an use it-"
I began, but was cut off.
"Yeah I know, but why would someone want to look like Clary?"
Izzy asked, her mind racing through all the possibilities.
"I think that Clary has a lot of enemies."
I stated, Izzy's gaze snapped up to mine.
"What makes you say that?"
"Imagine how many people she had hurt over the years? All those missions Valentine would send her on, I reckon the list of: Nephilim, Warlock, Werewolf, Seelie or any creature of the Shadow world who would want to get back at Clary, is a long one."
I explained and Izzy nodded as I was speaking, understanding my words.
{Clary's POV}
It was cold.
That was all there was.
Cold.
I couldn't see anything, I vaguely remembered being thrown into a cell, that was the last time I had seen light. That was the last time I had seen anything.
I knew I was chained up, the freezing bite of the metal cutting into my palms and ankles, drawing out all the strength I had left.
Time felt different, different in that I could actually feel it.
Before time was just a concept, an aspect of life ; except now it was like a wall in front of me, and every time I looked up to see if I could climb to the top and escape, all I saw was more plain bricks.
For the first time I opened my eyes, I had been scared of what I would see.
As my vision slowly came into focus my breathing caught.
Everything else fell away, everything else but him.
Towering over me like I was nothing, nothing to him.
"Ah, bellator I am so glad you are awake at last. I've been waiting for you."
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, sorry for the cliff-hanger.
Sorry some of you feel that Clary is losing her fierce self right now - but I promise what I have planned won't disappoint !
Song 11 ~ Unstoppable - Sia