Sorry I've been gone for a while!

Chapter 27…

{Jace's POV}

Clary has been silent for the past hour since she had killed the demon, nobody really knew what to say.

I had always guessed that Lilith was Clary's mother, but never had it been confirmed by her out loud. From her aura I could sense some shame and anger ; I guessed her and her mother were not on the best of terms.

She and I had been walking together now, our strides matching even though my legs are much longer.

I built up the courage and slipped her hand in mine, squeezing her fingers before I asked,

"Why are you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid."

She snapped back too quickly, and then blushed as she realised I knew that she was lying.

"Clary you can talk to me about anything. Please tell me why your pulse is raised and your hands are sweating."

She tried to slip her hand out of mine then, but my grip was like iron, so eventually she gave in and let out a sigh.

"I never saw Lilith often, but when I did it was for a long time. The first time I met her was when I was 8 years old ; my father portalled me directly onto her front door in hell."

Clary cringed at the memory, I traced circles on the back of her hand in an attempt to comfort her.

"It was always so unbearably hot there, like an itching warmth, never comfortable. When I was with her she would teach me about my past, how I came to be and what I could be."

"You have to understand that Lilith did not like my father any more than the Clave did, but when he gave her the opportunity to have the one thing she could never have - well, she couldn't refuse."

"Wait, Lilith couldn't have her own child?"

I asked, in surprise, that a being as powerful as the Queen of Hell could not have a basic human experience - I guess that's the point though really. She's too far from human.

"No, that's why she agreed to give her blood to Valentine. The last time I saw her was 4 years ago, on my 12th birthday."

I hesitated before asking my next question, not sure on whether I wanted the answer.

"What was she like, as a mother I mean?"

Clary's hand seemed to go colder in mine, a chill spreading through her veins and into mine.

"Lilith was never a mother to me ; she might say differently, mind you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when I was first sent to Edom, I thought it would have been a good escape from my father, a chance to relax a little - ironic that it had to be in hell itself."

A smile warmed up her cold features a tad, finding amusement in the naivety of her younger self.

"Lilith would make me do things, or do things to me, in the mindset that it would make me stronger. It's how I got most of my scars, but she would always heal my wounds instantly - unlike my father. Sometimes I wonder if she genuinely felt bad for the things she had done."

Clary continued, her words dancing on the memories playing in her mind.

"So why come for you now?"

I asked again, needing as many answers as she could give me.

"I have no idea, but we'll find out soon enough."

Clary responded confidently, her tone carrying a finality to it.

{Jon's POV}

I had wanted to talk with Clary about her other mother before, but the moment had never arisen. Besides, Clary had never spoken out loud about her connection to Lilith until today.

Izzy, Alec and I let Jace and Clary walk ahead, giving them some space to talk.

The legends surrounding Lilith were used in stories to scare young Nephilim into brushing their teeth or making their beds; when I was younger that was all Lilith was. A myth.

Now she is much more than a fairytale monster - she is a threat to everything the Shadowhunters have built.

In the Shadow World there exists a place known as Edom, it is one of the many demon worlds. It is also known as the realm of Asmodeus and Lilith, the Prince and Queen of Hell itself.

It is impossible for any Angel-blooded creature to travel there, our blood would be corrupted by the atmosphere. However, I now know that Clary must have been to Edom - and was able to survive because of the demon blood that courses through her veins.

Though she would have been able to survive the conditions, I can't imagine it could have been any less pleasant than being soaked in demon ichor - where the sizzling poison burns your skin upon contact.

"Did you know?"

Izzy asked me from my right, her and Alec had been discussing amongst themselves and I had zoned out at some point.

"Know what?"

"That Lilith was her mother?"

"No, I had always known that her mother was a powerful demon ; never had I guessed it would have been the Queen of them all."

I replied solemnly : realising Clary had borne the burden of knowing who her mother really was all these years alone, I cringed inwardly as I thought of what their time together would have been like.

"Alec and I were saying that it kind of makes sense that it's Lilith, you know?"

My thoughts were reduced to silence, and I cut a stare at Izzy.

"No. I don't know. Does Clary seem like a venomous monster so evil that they were banished to Hell because the Earth could not handle their power?"

I spat back, angered by Izzy's words ; it was out of character for her to be so unkind.

Alarm struck hers and Alec's eyes at my outburst.

"Jon, we didn't mean it like that!"

Alec stammered, his tone apologetic and regretful.

"Then how did you mean it?"

"Well, you remember how Clary loses control - her eyes go black and it's like her human side disappears inside herself. That she must inherit from Lilith."

I turned his words over in my mind and then nodded in agreement, just now understanding what they meant.

"Lilith's blood influence must be so strong that when it takes over the angelic blood is almost unable to stand a chance."

Izzy spoke her thoughts aloud, and I gazed at the redhead walking in front of me. From a first glance Clary looks harmless ; with her freckle dotted across her cheeks and nose, her fiery hair twisting down her back and her casual smile that can just drape across her lips.

But when you take a closer look it's much easier to tell that it's a facade.

Can you imagine that? Really? A constant war between the light and dark waging inside your own cells. The burden she carries must be incomprehensible if she had not been born with it.

Sometimes I find myself wishing I could take some of her trauma away even for just a minute.

{Clary's POV}

I had been nervous for the news to come out that Lilith was my mother, afraid of what the others might think or say.

As always Jace had been understanding and assured me that he didn't care if my mother was a demon or a frog, who I am is not decided by my parents. I was grateful for him, Jace was the axis on which my universe spun - even though there are billions of other events taking place, he is always at my centre for me to rely on.

"Did you hear that?"

Jace asked, panic etching his tone into focus, his hand grazing the hilt of a seraph blade.

"No, what did you hear?"

"A ringing sound, like a calling."

Quickly I whipped around to see that Izzy, Alec and Jon were all looking around, searching for the source of the sound I could not hear.

I gestured for them to hurry up and join us,

"You guys have to lead us to the court, I can't hear the Queen's call but you can."

"Why can't you hear it, Clary?"

I gulped subtly, hoping none of them sensed my hesitation to answer.

"It's the call of Ithuriel, the angel trapped in the Queen's necklace. I'm not a full Nephilim so cannot hear him. But we have to move fast, so one of you will point me in a bloody direction, okay?"

I sped through my words, not wanting to linger on the fact that I couldn't hear because I am tainted, because I am different.

Jace reacted first and began running East, the rest of us followed - the sound of our feet pounding along the forest floor disrupted the haze of nature engulfing us all.

Many years ago I had wanted to free Ithuriel from the Queen's clutches, but my alliances with her through my father had forbidden such a thing.

Now there was nothing holding me back.

Darting through the forest made me glad for my agility, Jace and the others were making sharp turns at the last second according to the call of the angel I was frustratingly barred from.

Eventually we arrived at a set of oak doors, with heavy knockers on each one.

Jon glanced at me, silently asking for permission and I nodded for him to open the door. Why knock when the door isn't locked?

Forcefully, he shoved open the door and it groaned open, the heavy wood scratching against the grass as it did.

I never knew what to expect when entering the Queen's court - she changed it so frequently there was no point in trying to remember anyway.

However this time when I stepped in with the others something was off.

Previously the court had always radiated new life and hope, like an eternal spring season, but this was anything but.

There were two thrones in the court now.

At one end sat the Seelie Queen, her throne made of entwined ivy and branches, flowers blooming up the back of the chair. As usual a sickly smile was planted on her face as she acknowledged the group of Nephilim that had just burst into the room.

She held my gaze for a few seconds before looking to the opposite corner of the room - at the other throne.

If it weren't for my farsighted rune I would not have been able to see what was lurking in the shadows. Perched with perfect poise sat a woman : her hands gripping the arms of her chair, her red lips carved into a smirk and her chair composed of black. Black flowers, black branches and black ivy. As if she had poisoned nature itself - leading me to wonder why the Queen tolerated such damage to her own court.

Lilith's eyes were black shot with a freckle of red, and her glare rested on my shoulders.

It took every fibre in my body not to walk up to the woman who ruined me and slit her throat ; but my feet remained rooted to the spot.

"We thought you would never find your way out of those woods!"

The Seelie Queen exclaimed as she sized up Jace next to me, her eyes raking him up and down. Instinctively I positioned myself in front of him and spoke,

"Forgive me your Majesty, but the Wander Woods are a puzzle never fully solved."

My voice carried across the room and the Queen rose from her chair and descended the steps to her throne.

"Speaking of puzzles, have you figured it out yet Clarissa?"

I was taken aback by her direct question and frowned,

"What do you mean?"

I glanced at the others who looked as perplexed as I was. The Queen saw my blank expression and laughed, clutching her stomach with delight as my irritation doubled in size.

"Ah, Clarissa, it is the only mystery worth solving."

The Queen replied and turned her attention to Lilith who had stayed silent until now.

"Daughter, I've missed you."

She announced, but before I could reply she snapped,

"But I'm disappointed to see what you've become."

Her eyes were fires fuelled by rage, and more fuel was being added to the blaze.

"You've become one of them."

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Song 28 ~ Swim - Chase Antlantic