The next morning we rode to Shadowhunter Academy on horseback. It would have taken hours on foot and there were no roads for a car to drive. As we were arriving, I got chills down my spine. I hadn't been there in months, even before my father was killed it had been a while.

The Academy, after closing in the early 1990s reopened just a few short years later to deal with the sudden influx of mundanes wishing to Ascend. The mundanes would train for six months, Ascend, and then train further until their skills passed the bar my father had decreed. From the Academy, they'd be sent to either the Los Angeles or New York Institute for training.

At the height of the Circle's campaign to create more Shadowhunters, the Academy had been filled to the brink. There had even been a waiting list. However, in recent years, the candidates had fallen off. Less had come in, some left of their own accord and some died in the Ascension ceremony.

After Ashton's class of Shadowhunters had been sent off to Los Angeles and/or New York there had only been a few mundanes at the Academy. And anyone who was left there in the past month was quickly rushed through the ceremony to become Nephilim, regardless of if they were strong enough yet.

It was announced recently that due to lack of interest on the part of the mundanes, there would not be a permanent replacement for my father. The Academy was being shut down once again.

We found the five newly Ascended waiting outside the Academy like Luke had told us they would be. They were all packed and ready to go, horses and all.

"You're late," said one of the girls in particular. With the runes etching her skin I almost didn't recognize her.

"Thalia!" I smiled, I was relieved to see that she had made it through the ceremony. I heard there had been a few deaths due to how rushed the ceremony had been, but I had been too afraid to ask if one had been her.

"The pass is flooded so we'll have to go around," Izzy explained. "That's why we were late." It had been bizarre, never had I seen a plain flooded like that in Idris.

"Let's just get going." Thalia seemed to be the self-proclaimed leader of her small group. As she climbed up on her horse so did the others.

I turned my horse around and the group of us began the trek back to Luke's. From there we would be piling into cars and then driving back to the airport.

It was a beautiful day in Idris, I noted as we rode through the plains. The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky. In the past, I would have enjoyed training outside in days like these. Now, I rarely had the chance to notice it.

One moment I was admiring the birds flying overhead and then the next thing I knew was the hard ground underneath me and a burning sensation in my shoulder.

I forced myself into a crouch. Before my mind could determine what had happened I saw Jonathan and Jace standing before us.

"Well, well, well..." Jonathan dragged on. "Time's up. What's your decision?"

I didn't have to glance to my right to know Izzy was right next to me. Ashton was to my left, as was Alec. The newly Ascended were behind us, pressed to the ground. Jonathan's hand was out. He was using whatever that power of his was to hold them down.

"You know what it is," I spat. Never in hell would we join them.

Jonathan smiled. I blinked and he was gone. But, the next second he was back again. This time with five Nephilim behind him. The Ascended.

"It's a pity." Jonathan unsheathed his sword, as he did I realized it was Sebastian's blade. "Your blood will be wasted. Kill them all."

I unsheathed my own sword. It wasn't Heos. I hadn't been able to even look at it before I left. Izzy's whip cracked as the Ascended rushes towards us but I realized with horror they ran past- to the small group behind us.

I didn't have a chance to turn, to help them, as Jonathan and Jace started towards us. The murderer wielded my brother's blade in one arm with ease.

"Jace, don't do this," I heard Alec pleading. He had his arrow notched, pointed at the blonds.

Jonathan glanced towards his companion before flinging out his hand. Alec was thrown off his feet, landing meters away. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jace flinch.

"Alec!" His sister yelled at the same time I said, "Jace! You're just going to let him do that to your parabatai?!" I put all the emphasis I could into the final word.

Jace whipped out his own blade. "You don't understand, Clary. And you won't." I barely had time to roll to the side to dodge the dagger he threw my way. As I rolled I saw Ashton by Alec's side. He caught my eye and nodded. Alec was okay. Unconscious but alive.

I sprung back to my feet to see Izzy's whip coiled around Jace's sword arm. "Help them!" She didn't have to clarify. The newly Ascended. They needed help.

"Uh-uh, uh," a voice said behind me before something hard hit me on the back of my head and I crumpled to the floor. Spots clouded my vision as Jonathan stood over me, kicking my sword out of reach. I fumbled to get my dagger out of its sheath but he used his powers to hold me still. He pointed Phaesphoros at my throat. Jonathan smiled wickedly. "The Morning Stars will go out..." The tip of the dagger pressed against my throat. "One by-"

A large figure collided with the Nephilim standing over me, shoving him off. Phaesphoros flew through the air and sank into the ground a few feet away. I instantly felt Jonathan's hold over me deplete and I was on my feet, ignoring the pain in my head.

"Who are you?!" Jonathan looked crazed as he stood glaring at Ashton. He flung his hand out at him but nothing happened. He seemed to become even more enraged. "You're irrelevant!" In his fury he activated a seraph blade and leapt at Ashton.

"Ash!" I shouted as an aching sensation flowed through my parabatai bond. He glanced in my direction as I threw my brother's blade. I didn't have time to look if he caught it. I was already reaching for my dagger, running, and then hurling it at Jace.

He had been swinging his blade in an arc towards a weaponless Izzy. My dagger wasn't enough to make him drop his blade but it did cause him to stop and look at me. That was enough time for Izzy to grab the dagger and stab Jace's foot with it.

Jace roared with pain. Izzy threw the bloodied dagger back to me while she picked up her discarded whip on the ground. I stood shoulder to shoulder with her as the blond looked back at us. "You don't understand," he said again.

I tightened my grip on my dagger while Izzy cracked her whip. "I understand Jace," I said to him. "Jonathan has you whipped." At that second I threw my dagger and my parabatai lashed out her whip towards him. He could only block one.

Jace elected to block my dagger with his seraph blade, sending it spiraling into the grass. The sharp end of Izzy's whip cut a slash into the side of his face. He put his free hand to it, blood coating his palm as he drew it away. There was an unidentifiable look on his face as he ran towards us.

Izzy whipped her weapon at him but he dodged every lash. She tried once more but he grabbed the end of it, ignoring how it ripped the skin of his palm and pulled it out of Izzy's grasp. He lashed out at me with his blade first and I rolled. I turned expecting to still find Jace there, to catch his arm and wrench the blade form it but he was gone. Was he always so fast?

He slashed at Izzy now who dodged with as much accuracy as I had. I threw my fist out at him. Jace caught it with is bloodied palm without even looking. I attempted to swipe him with my feet but he was arching his blade towards me again; I had to drop to the ground for it to miss.

I saw a boot collide with the hilt of Jace's seraph blade, sending it flying like my dagger. The next moments happened in a blur of limbs and fists and kicks. Jace, somehow, was able to parry each and everyone of mine and Izzy's blows. To be honest, I had never paid much attention to Jace fighting before but had he always been that good? Or had he just been playing us for a fool?

I swung out to punch Jace again. This time, instead of blocking, he grabbed my wrist. He threw me into Izzy, knocking us both to the ground. "Stay down..." Jace told us. I wasn't sure if I imagined the strain in his voice.

The blond produced his own dagger from somewhere. Had he had that the entire time? Why hadn't he-

Jonathan suddenly appeared behind Jace. "You managed to survive today, Clarissa. Next time you won't be so lucky." He put his hand on his companion's shoulder and the two boys disappeared.

"Clary!" I heard a familiar voice shout. I looked up and noticed half a dozen Shadowhunters arriving on horseback. Luke was one of them.

"I'm okay," I said as he trotted to a stop next to Izzy and I. "Help-" I turned towards the newly Ascended and stopped speaking in horror. The once green grass had been soaked red with the blood of the four fallen bodies. None of Jonathon's people had fallen, they were all the newly Ascended. All of them gone, except Thalia who had completely vanished.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I really enjoyed writing this chapter and the fight scene so I hope you liked it! Don't forget to review, thanks!