The long walk back to Alicante was deathly silent. Clary focused on watching the dirt path ahead of her, careful not to trip over a rock in the pitch-black darkness. Jace walked alongside her, sometimes hurrying his pace when his mind would wander too far. His witchlight provided much needed illumination, but it only brightened a few feet in front of them.
Clary didn't dare say anything. She knew Jace was fuming. Perhaps blaming himself as he always did. Perhaps he was mourning her death, but Clary doubted it. He'd stood before the rubble of the Wayland Manor, staring at it for a few long minutes before simply turning around and telling her they needed to get back to Alicante.
No Shadowhunter farewell from Catullus' poem. He simply went mute. Clary figured he wasn't accepting her death. Or maybe he didn't deem himself worthy to say those farewell words to her.
"It wasn't your fault, Jace." Clary had said to him in the darkness, but he didn't reply. He didn't even grunt a response. Clary pressed her lips together and didn't say anything else.
When they finally climbed over the hill overlooking Alicante, they watched in horror as the city burned. Fires were blazing, the glass towers' light was dull, the North Gate was thrown open, the smell of pungent smoke and rotting garbage, the distant sounds of screaming. From the adjacent field, they saw packs of werewolves sprinting into the city, howling to announce their arrival to help them. Eva had mentioned Luke's distress call to any werewolf pack who would listen. She also mentioned the vampires were being stubborn, which explained why there were no Night Children running into the city to help.
When they ran through the North Gate, Jace handed her a seraph blade. He was reluctant to give her a weapon since she had no training, but even he had to admit there was no choice. Especially with dozens of slimy and ferocious demons stomping through Alicante's cobblestone streets, killing innocent children and elderly and having no remorse for the brave Shadowhunters fighting to eradicate them.
On their way to the Hall of Accords, they ran into Maia. The werewolf girl told them Eva sent the entire pack through a Portal she created with a rune Clary gave her. Jace and Clary tried not to seem entirely distraught at the mention of Eva. Clary thought of how they'd break the news to Isabelle and to Alec. How they'd tell Hodge and Raphael.
Her adrenaline was a great help in getting those thoughts out of her head quickly.
They continued their run for the Accords Hall. Maia mentioned the Lightwoods were probably there since they were leading everyone into the building. Jace agreed; the building was entirely warded and likely the safest place in Alicante right now.
When they finally arrived, Clary was amazed by the silence. She was used to seeing depictions of mundane disasters: everyone screaming and crying and hysterical. Shadowhunters in a disaster were deathly calm, some staring into nothing while others sat around with their heads in their hands. Children weren't crying; they were huddled close to their families and silent.
Maia left their side to approach members of her pack just as Alec pushed his way through the crowd towards them. He grabbed Jace by the collar and scolded him.
"What happened to you?"
"What happened to me ?"
Alec throttled him in annoyance. "You said you were going for a walk ! What kind of walk takes six hours?"
"A long one?"
Alec muttered something about killing Jace before letting him go. He explained Isabelle and Max were at the Penhallow's with Sebastian and Robert and Maryse were on their way to get them. The mention of Isabelle made lightning bolts shoot through Clary. Jace went rigid as well, something Alec noticed.
"What's wrong?"
"How long ago did you see Isabelle?" Jace asked.
"About two hours ago. Why?"
Clary watched as Jace took hold of Alec's collar. Not with hostility, but probably as a way to keep himself upright. "She didn't say anything?"
Alec's deep blue eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
Jace clenched his jaw. "Eva's dead."
Clary swore Alec's skin went deathly pale. With one long blink, Alec choked out, "That's not possible—Izzy would've felt something. How do you even know that? How—"
"It's a long story, but she's..." Jace couldn't bring himself to say it again. "It's my fault, Alec. It's mine—"
Clary didn't hear anything else. Her ears were suddenly filled with the high-pitched sound of angelic choirs. The same sound she'd heard when Ithuriel showed them images of the past.
The same rune as before flashed behind her eyes like a blinking neon sign. She still couldn't figure out what it meant. Along with the angelic music, she heard a voice. A familiar voice.
Don't forget that rune, Clary.
Clary snapped out of her reverie when she heard shouting slice through the silence of the Accords Hall. Alec and Jace abruptly stopped their conversation and turned to the double doors of the Hall. A male Shadowhunter covered in black ichor was standing there, screaming frantically into the Hall.
"Look outside! Look!"
Something pulled Clary to move her feet and rush outside. She faintly heard Alec shouting after them—after her and Jace. Did Jace feel the same pull?
They stepped outside onto the marble stairs of the Accords Hall and looked into the night sky, glowing with the blood red light of fire. One by one, more Shadowhunters poured out of the double doors—a chorus of gasps before a crashing tidal wave of disbelieving shouts.
Hovering in the sky was a fluorescent figure of pure golden light, a beacon in the darkness. The figure was easy to pinpoint and even easier to distinguish, despite the distance. Golden armor, knee-high boots, an enormous spear with a sharp blade at its end, and glorious white feathered wings that beat against the air every so often. With every flourish of wings came a twirl of the spear and from the bladed end erupted a beam of golden light. When it touched the ground, it was nothing more than light, but the demons sizzled and evaporated.
Clary recognized the figure. After all, she'd seen it before. She saw it in her dreams and put it to paper. Ithuriel was showing her a vision of what could be, and now was.
"That's Eva," Clary said. She was tugging on Jace's sleeve. He didn't look down at her; he was panting from the sheer adrenaline in his system. Alec was the one who answered for him.
"It can't be." Alec sounded like he didn't believe his words. "That can't be."
The angel hovering in the skies kept pointing that spear and shooting golden light, evaporating the demons that were now running for their lives, trying to hide in the columns of darkness the buildings provided. It was no use. The light always found them.
The Shadowhunters around them were murmuring while some were sobbing. Some just stared incredulously with their mouths hanging open while others prayed. Some were pushing at the crowd, trying to get a better view. The murmuring erupted into frantic voices as they watched the golden angel spearing light into the city.
Movement pulled Clary's eyes from the skies to the courtyard of Angel Square. Shadowhunters and werewolves alike were approaching the stairs, dragging their tired and wounded bodies towards the safety of the Accords Hall. Some were helping others, wrapping their arms around each other to haul them up and make it easier on their injuries.
Among the crowd was Luke, bloodied but alive and squinting because he couldn't see without his glasses. It was tunnel-vision for Clary—the mere sight of Luke brought her the most comfort she'd felt since she arrived in Alicante.
Clary bolted down the stairs and hurled herself into his chest. He let out a grunt at the surprise but smiled and pulled her up into his arms like he used to do when she was small.
"I don't get a hug?"
Clary pulled away from Luke to see Simon smiling in that goofy way he always did. At his side was none other than Hodge, his chakrams in his hands. His sharp tweed suit was splattered with blood and soot, the jacket torn around the shoulders and his trousers shredded at the knees.
Clary barrelled herself into Simon's chest. "I'm so happy to see all of you!"
"Hodge here broke me out of the Gard," Simon said. "They were going to leave me there to burn alive—or dead, I should say."
"I know my way around the Gard," Hodge joked lightly, but his voice sounded distant. He turned his head to look up at the angel in the sky. His eyes shone with recognition and pride, but he didn't say a word. He probably figured no one would believe him.
The Shadowhunters and werewolves were all staring at the angel in the sky, gasping when it twirled the spear, flapped those glorious wings and banked towards one of the nearby demon towers. The golden figure disappeared behind the tower momentarily and when it emerged again, the tower began glowing as bright as a halo. One by one, the demon towers lining the city began bursting with light until each and every one of them was lit and strong with their magical warding power.
The crowd in Angel Square began to shout hysterically as the angel hovered over the courtyard; they were pointing fingers as if an alien aircraft was descending upon them. The lower the angel hovered, the more it looked like Eva. Her unruly curls, her smooth dark skin, her eyes—full of fiery golden fire with no whites or pupils. What was exposed of her skin was lined with silvery rivers of glimmering runes and in her hand was a golden spear taller than her. Her wingspan was enormous, the feathers pure white and rustling as she descended onto the cobblestone.
No one approached the angel. No one but Hodge.
The crowd watched as he held up his hand. It almost looked like some sort of Renaissance painting; a mortal man attempting to reach into Heaven.
The angel reached out with her free hand and the moment they touched, her glow began to extinguish bit by bit. Her wings began to recede into her small back until they were gone. The spear dissolved into the air. Her golden armor and sturdy leather boots began to turn into black Shadowhunter gear. Her eyes flooded with white and what remained of the bright gold were her irises.
When her feet touched the cobblestone, she doubled over. Hodge caught her before her knees hit the ground. She was trembling when he hauled her into his arms like a princess and turned to the bug-eyed, slack-jawed crowd.
The silence was eerie. The crowd parted for Hodge as he carried Eva into the Accords Hall.
Eva was unconscious when Hodge laid her down on the floor of the Accords Hall. He'd taken off his jacket and folded it neatly under Eva's head. He was rolling up his shirtsleeves as Alec, Jace, Clary, and Simon approached. Luke lingered not too far with some members of his pack. The Shadowhunters were murmuring among themselves, too afraid to come closer but hovered close enough to get a good view.
"I thought she was dead," Jace said. The relief in his voice was heartwarming. "Ithuriel was in the cellar at the Wayland Manor and the manor collapsed with Eva in it."
"I had no idea about...any of this," Hodge said. His hand was on her forehead checking for fever. "I saw Alicante burning from Brocelind Forest and the demon towers weren't glowing. Raphael told me to stay, but I didn't listen. When I got into the city and saw the demons, I knew Valentine was behind it. I went straight for the Gard because I knew Simon was there and I know the Inquisitor well enough to know he wouldn't evacuate the prisoner. I know they wouldn't have with me."
"You can imagine my surprise when Raphael projected into my cell to sass me about letting my secret out," Simon sighed in exasperation. "Vampire Law this, alliances that, calling me a pinche payaso and every other Mexican insult under the sun—and then a fire starts a few hours later and then Hodge shows up to break me out."
"He was in the cell next to my old one," Hodge said. "When I broke Simon out, I saw Luke a few blocks from the Gard and he told me they were evacuating everyone to the Accords Hall. On the way here, I saw her." Hodge shook his head in disbelief. "I knew it was Eva the moment I saw her."
"We left her down in the cellar talking to Ithuriel," Clary explained. "And then the house collapsed. We couldn't get her out in time—we thought she was dead."
"Only the Angel knows what happened with Ithuriel," Jace said thoughtfully before turning to Clary. "How'd you know it was Eva?"
"I saw her in a dream once and she looked exactly like she did just now," Clary said, blushing a bit. "Without the spear, though. But the wings and the eyes and the halo...all that."
"Heads up," Alec suddenly said. Their little group perked their heads up to see both the Consul and the Inquisitor coming straight for them. "They don't look too happy."
Hodge was quick to stand and put himself before Eva's unconscious body. Alec and Jace did the same. The Consul looked furious but the Inquisitor looked like he was about to burst with hot air.
"Lucian Graymark! What is the meaning of this!" the Inquisitor shouted. "This—this invasion of lycanthropes! Wolves running through our city like a rampant dog pound!"
"The vampires are standing by," Simon chimed in. "Just so you know."
The Inquisitor paid Simon no mind. His attention now shifted from Luke to Hodge. His fat cheeks were flushed deep red. " You! You traitor! You have some gall breaking out of our prison and coming here acting like a savior!"
"I warned you!" Hodge cried out. "I warned both of you! And now look! Look how many lives have been lost because you let your titles get to your head!"
"I am the Inquisitor!" Aldertree shouted. His voice was so high-pitched, it echoed like broken glass throughout the hall. "You will show me respect, traitor!"
"Aldertree," the Consul said softly with a heavy hand on the Inquisitor's shoulder. The small man was panting from his exertion, but ultimately calmed down. The Consul's eyes darted straight for Eva. "Is what everyone saying true?"
"It's a very arduous story—one I don't think is appropriate to tell at this moment," Hodge said, eyes shifting between them and the onlooking Shadowhunters. "We've lost many brothers and sisters today, and many are injured and need medical attention. Focus on what needs to be done."
"There was an angel in the skies of Alicante and demons and Downworlders in this city!" the Inquisitor flared up again. "We demand an explanation!"
"You will not get one from me," Hodge said. Jace and Alec tensed at hearing that tone. It was the tone Hodge used when he was furious—but the dangerous kind where he was calm too. "Not until Eva is awake."
The Consul, the more level-headed one of the two, led Aldertree away while gesturing at Luke to follow him for a conversation. Clary had disappeared from their side during that confrontation, only for Jace to see her speaking to Magnus. In the warlock's hands, he noticed, was the Book of the White. Before Jace could walk in their direction, a figure stepped in his way. A figure he nearly hissed at seeing.
"Is it true?" Sebastian Verlac asked, leaning over Jace's broad shoulder as he tried to get a better look at Eva's unconscious body. Jace couldn't resist shoving him back. Alec scolded him for it, but Jace ignored him. Sebastian looked only a little peeved as he straightened his jacket. The infuriating boy raised a dark eyebrow. "Well?"
"Oh, you don't know?" Jace seethed. "You always seem to know everything."
"I don't know everything," he insisted. "Who is she?"
"Eva; she's our sister," Alec said, trying to ease the situation. "She's Isabelle's parabatai ."
"Oh, I heard Isabelle mention her," Sebastian nodded slowly. He couldn't keep his eyes off Eva. "Has she always been an angel?"
"Your pick-up lines are terrible," Jace spat. "Besides, she's already dating someone—someone you really don't want to mess with."
The joke went over Sebastian's head. Jace expected some other stupid question, but the boy simply grinned. A grin that was oddly in sync with the sudden uproar of screams and sobs. When Jace turned his head, he saw Robert and Maryse Lightwood enter the Accords Hall. Isabelle was at their side, her normally neat dark hair a mess on her head and her makeup streaking her cheeks with tears.
In Robert's arms was a limp, scrawny body. It was Max.
Alec unknowingly pushed Jace as he hurried towards his grieving family. The shove was enough to snap Jace out of his thoughts and realize Sebastian had disappeared into the crowd of Shadowhunters now parting the way for the Lightwoods.
When Alec finally reached them, he embraced his mother and then embraced his sister. Isabelle looked over Alec's shoulder towards Jace before her eyes trailed behind him.
Her eyes widened frantically and she pushed Alec aside. Her mouth was hanging open, seemingly frozen in a hysterical scream as she sprinted past Jace and towards Eva's form on the floor. Isabelle was quick, but Hodge was quicker.
"She's fine!" he urged the moment Isabelle landed on her knees at her parabatai's side. His words seemed to reach her, but she still threw herself over Eva's body and sobbed hysterically over her chest.
She lost her brother and the one person she needed the most for comfort was halfway across the world—or so she thought. Now that person was miraculously here and, to Izzy's horror, looked nearly dead. She couldn't take it. She clutched Eva's gear jacket in her hands and sobbed, hoping the proximity would make her feel that soothing parabatai magic and give Eva the strength to open her eyes.
Her grief was too much. Izzy felt absolutely nothing, and Eva remained asleep.
