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…
Chapter 17: Demons In Alicante
There were quite a few underage Shadowhunters in the Accords Hall. They had been ordered to stay in some side room, but Max strayed away from the group. He had no desire to risk Moriah's safety in that way.
They met up with Magnus, who led them and his children to a room the Councils had been meting in. ''This door opens for no one but Alec and I,'' he said severely.
''Obviously.'' Magnus didn't reply, but dashed out.
Max bolted the door behind him. He turned around to see three little children staring at him, wide eyed and fearful.
''What's happening, Max?'' Rafe asked.
Max swallowed the fear in his throat. ''Demon attack. Don't worry. We'll be fine.''
Little Max started to cry. ''I want Papa.''
''Quiet,'' Max told him. ''Your papa went off to fight. You have to be brave and wait for him.'' Little Max made a choking sound as he tried to swallow down the rest of his tears. Max picked him up and and waved Rafe and Moriah further into the room.
There was a small sitting area by the far wall. It was away from the door, and yet close to the window should someone try and force entrance. Max ordered the little kids to sit on one sofa, and he sat on the other one by the window. If he strained to look past the small ledge outside, he could see the battle going on down below.
Clashes of blades and arrows and magic all came at the demon creatures. They seemed to be working, and yet there were still so many demons. Somehow they kept multiplying. Was this that Jane creature's doing? Was she summoning all these demons?
Max's teeth chattered. He rubbed his arms. Why was it so cold all of a sudden?
''Moriah?'' Rafe said from the couch. Max turned around to see him staring past little Max at Moriah, who was sitting on the other edge of the sofa. ''You okay?''
Max looked at Moriah. She was sitting straight up, her face completely devoid of color. Her black eyes were as wide as could be. She was staring at Max, and yet Max didn't think she saw him. A statue had a more focused gaze.
She turned her head from Max's direction to the door so fast, Max thought maybe her neck had snapped. Rafe flinched and wrapped his arms around his little brother tight, recoiling from Moriah against the couch cushions. Max swallowed his fear. ''Moriah? What is it?''
Moriah made no sound. She slowly pointed to the door.
Max looked to the door. There was no one there. He took a step to approach Moriah when he heard it. A sound, a creak. The feeling of cold intensified. He looked back to the door. It began to open.
…
Simon slashed through another demon, making it successfully dissipate into black dust. He had no time to savor the victory as he saw something out of the corner of his eye. ''George!''
George was just finishing off two demons in front of him when a third came up from behind. Before either he or Simon could attack it, a knife flew through it and imbedded itself in the building in front of George.
George finished off the two demons before grabbing the knife. He handed it hilt first to Isabelle. ''Thanks.''
''Did they not teach you to never leave your back exposed when fighting in the Academy?'' She asked.
''No, you were supposed to,'' Simon reminded her. ''But you left.''
She stuck her tongue out at him before turning around. She gave a groan of frustration. ''There are still so many.''
Simon followed her gaze. Many of the demons had been taking care of in front of the Accords Hall, and now they were more concentrated behind it and beyond. From here, he could see many Shadowhunter's running to the center of Idris to protect their homes. ''How did they get into Idris?''
''Given what we know, someone summoned them.''
''Right,'' George agreed. ''Sorry, what is it that we know?''
''They must have a portal set up, letting them through,'' Isabelle went on. ''We just have to find out where.''
''How do we do that?'' Simon asked.
Isabelle bit her lip before shaking herself, clearly coming to some conclusion. ''I have an idea. Come on.''
She started to run away from the building, back onto the path that led to Lightwood Manor. Simon and George followed.
''Sounds well thought out,'' George commented.
Simon gave him an apologetic look. ''Sorry. Fill you in later.''
''It's fine.'' He shrugged. ''Who needs to know what the hell they're doing anyway?''
…
''Where are we going?'' Jace demanded as they all bounded up the stairs. Clary hadn't realized how many floors the Accords Hall building actually had.
Jonathan paused only a second. ''If you are invading a place, what is the first thing you do?''
''Surround it,'' Clary answered.
''Outside is taking care of, all the entrances are, so what does that leave?''
''The top,'' Jace grumbled. They started running again. ''And this Jane vampire?''
''Deep in the Underworld. Wants Moriah.''
Clary's heart lunged in her throat. They reached another landing and ran along the long hallway, prepared to reach the next flight. But they didn't need to. Someone was already there.
They came to a stop a few feet away. Clary had to admit it was startling to see Jane was virtually unchanged from the last time she saw her. Perks of being a vampire. She had the same dark skin, wide smile, and sparkling eyes. Only her thick coils of hair were longer, to her hips now.
She smiled at them, her fangs out and sharp. ''Morgensterns!'' She said breathlessly, her English accent still there despite her years abroad. ''And the Herondale! It is nice to see you again, though regrettable under these circumstances.''
''What are you doing, Jane?'' Jonathan asked.
Jane looked at him curiously. ''And you! To think, you back at life- and in Idris!'' She laughed, and not unkindly. It was as if she were just catching up with friends she hadn't expected to run into. ''Will wonders never cease?''
''You have two options here,'' Jace cut in. ''You either turn around right now and leave, or you continue with this insane idea of your's and try and touch my daughter and I murder you in direct sunlight.''
''Right, your daughter.'' Jane looked at them sadly. ''First off, congratulations on the little bundle of joy. I would like you to understand, Clary, that when ideas of this experiment reached my ears, I was completely against it. And to think they did it anyway, and on you! I am so sorry for that.'' She gave a sigh. ''I didn't want this, but I have really no choice. Moriah is dangerous, and I need-''
''To make sure that danger is on your side?'' Jonathan asked.
''Something like that.'' Jane shrugged. ''I do hate the way this had to come about, but really, isn't it better me than someone like Renage?''
''While on the subject of Renage,'' Clary said, ''why would you help her?''
''Help her?'' Jane spread her hands. ''She came to me. She is in quite the situation with other creatures of the Underworld- as such was Aster before you took care of him- and really, when a creature practically begs for help, it is too good an opportunity to exploit to pass up.'' She hesitated a moment. ''I hate what she did to you, Clary, truly I do. She and Aster were the heads of this plan, and if I have Renage in my clutches, then I can make sure she never has the chance to do something like this again.''
''How touching,'' Clary growled. ''Doesn't change the fact you are here doing exactly what she tried, which is taking my daughter.''
''I know.'' She shrugged again. ''But the sentiment remains.''
''You aren't getting Moriah,'' Jace told her.
Jane smiled, and Clary felt a prickle of fear. Her memories about Jane were fuzzy, but something told her she knew that smile. That smile meant Jane had the upper-hand. Jonathan must've noticed it too. ''What?'' He demanded of her.
''I'm sure if you know of my arrival, then you also know of my pet?'' She asked. ''I love my pet. We play the most fun games. My favorite? Fetch.''
Clary felt something cold wrap around her heart. That day in the apartment of Naranth played through her head again, how she left Moriah behind only to have her taken while she was gone. ''No.''
Jane looked genuinely sad. ''Sorry, Clary, but yes.''
…
It took Max many moments to process what it was he was looking at. A tall, towering demon like creature, so big it had to bend it's head to clear the door frame. It's skin was a mixture of black and blue tones, so muddled it looked almost like a moving puddle. Only it's yellow eyes and large wings seemed to have substance to them. There was a horrible high pitched noise coming from the creature, though it had no mouth. The temperature in the room had to be in the low digits. The air was still, as if there were no air at all.
Rafe and Little Max scurried off the sofa and to Max's side. Max pushed them behind him. He bent down to retrieve his knife from his boot. This won't help me. Maybe we can escape through the window?
But would that be safe? Or would this thing just follow them out and attack more Shadowhunters?
The thing came further into the room, it's feet shuffling forward like water does when you pour it on the ground and it separates into small streams. Max gripped his knife hard. How could he get the kids out of here?
Moriah got off the sofa. Max looked to her. ''Moriah! Get over here, now!'' He hissed at her. Moriah was just staring at the thing, her face as white as a sheet.
The creature cast it's gaze first on Max, and then Rafe, and then Little Max. Then it turned slowly and settled on Moriah.
Max watched it shuffle forward again. It's whining call became louder. ''No!''
He threw his knife. He managed to hit the creature's wing. His knife was sticking out of it, but the creature did not look harmed. It simply glanced at it's back before looking at Max again, as calmly as if Max had simply called it's name.
It was turning away again. Moriah whimpered.
''He said no,'' another voice said. Celeste was running into the room. She dashed around to the other side of the creature. ''Don't you know what the word no means? It means 'no'!''
The creature set it's gaze on Celeste now, and unlike the others she seemed to hold it's attention. ''That's right, I'm scolding you!'' She said matter of factly. ''Clearly Jane didn't teach you manners!''
The creature made another screeching noise. Celeste turned to Max. ''Get out of here.''
Max had no intention of leaving Celeste on her own, but the kids had to come first. ''C'mon.'' He grabbed Little Max's hand, who was still clinging to Rafe, and ran around the creature. ''Go! Run!''
He pushed them forward. There was clear path to the door and both boys started off. Max was about to grab Moriah when Rafe looked over his shoulder and came to a halt. ''Max!''
Max didn't know what Rafe was warning him about until it was too late. The creature had turned to Celeste fully, and because of it's size and massive wing span it hit Max, sending him back against the wall under the widow. For a moment he could do nothing until the breath came back into his lungs.
When Max managed to sit up again, blinking away the spots in his vision, he saw Celeste in the creature's claws, being pinned against the wall several feet in the air. And then the creature let go, and Celeste crumpled to the floor.
Max's only consolation at that point was that the kids were out, but then he saw them still standing in terror by the door. ''Rafe!'' He tried to scream, but it came out only as a croak. ''Go!''
Rafe tried to pull little Max along but now the creature was angry. It turned to face them, it's back to Max, and the sound it made now was one full of violence. ''No.''
It reached for them, and Max saw Rafe push Little Max aside. He was fully prepared to be the creature's next victim. ''Rafe!''
The creature's claws were nearly on Rafe. Out of the corner of his eyes, Max saw a flash of gold. The flash of gold settled on Rafe, and now it was Moriah the creature was about to grab.
Moriah wrapped her arms around Rafe. ''No!'' She yelled. She was looking at the demon. ''No! No! No!''
Something in the atmosphere of the room changed. It got colder, darker. There was a sound, a sound like glass breaking and shattering. The still air was no more and now wind picked up, making Max feel like they were all trapped in some horrible storm. The creature screamed.
And then there was silence.
…
Isabelle suspected since Celeste had come, the fairies May and Fern must be close by as well. She was correct.
They found them not terribly discreet on the path to Lightwood Manor, watching the chaos that was now Idris with mild interest. Or, Fern was at least. ''For graceful warriors they sure do fight funny.''
''It was an ambush, Fern,'' May chided her. ''On their home turf. How do you want them to act?''
''I'm just saying it seems very contradictory to the Spartan like philosophy they claim to profess.''
''You could help,'' Isabelle growled as she and Simon and George approached. ''Instead of sitting there judging.''
Fern shrugged, arms crossed. ''No point. More demons will keep coming through until someone closes the portal.''
''Where is this portal?'' George asked.
May picked at some grass from where she sat on the ground. ''I don't know.''
''Is that true?'' Simon asked.
''I'm a fairy. Can't lie, remember?''
''You don't know,'' Isabelle said. She looked to Fern. ''But do you?''
''She does,'' May confirmed. She glared at Fern. ''But she won't say.''
''Why?''
''Why should I?'' Fern looked at May. ''What do we get out of this?''
''Helping Celeste-''
''-Will just be another thing creatures in the Underworld will hate us for! She's no one's ally! Certainly not ours! We do this, betray Jane, she will not rest until our heads are on pikes! Tell me once and for all, May, why the hell are we bothering with this?''
May sighed. Isabelle got the sense this was a constantly reoccurring conversation. ''I just- I need to do this, okay?''
''But I don't. I have better things to do than get on the bad side of anymore creatures.''
''You don't help,'' Isabelle warned, ''you ensure you get on the bad side of many Shadowhunters.''
Fern wrinkled her nose. ''Better them than the Underworld.''
''You wanna bet?''
''Fern, please,'' May begged. ''We are running out of time.''
''No, they are running out of time!'' Fern looked at her pleadingly. ''May, please, we can disappear and be gone from this forever! But angering Jane will make that impossible. Please.''
May closed her eyes. ''I'm sorry. I can't.''
''Why?'' Fern circled back to her original question. ''Why for god's sake do you want to help Shadowhunters?''
''I don't care about the Shadowhunters!''
''Then why-''
''I care about her, okay?'' May screamed. ''I care about her. I don't want Jane to get her, okay? Just like I didn't want Renage to move on to phase two so I put her in that storage unit. I don't want Jane to hurt her. That's it, that's the reason. You happy?''
Fern just looked baffled. ''Why?''
''Because she was mine!'' May screamed. ''I saved her, I took care of her. She wasn't an experiment anymore, Fern, she was a creature! She didn't deserve-''
She broke off, sobbing. Isabelle exchanged uneasy looks with Simon and George. Moriah. May was talking about Moriah. She- she had cared about Moriah?
''She's not mine anymore,'' May said through her tears. ''But this- this I can do for her. So please, please Fern- please let me do this for her.''
Fern stared at her. ''It's at the expense of us,'' she told her. ''At the expense of me.''
May closed her eyes at that. She took a shuddering breath. ''Please.''
They all waited. Isabelle was mentally constructing a plan for when Fern said no. But she didn't need to. Fern's shoulders slumped. She gave a nod. ''Okay.''
…
Jane kept them from moving back to the stairs. She was suddenly behind them, blocking their way. Damn vampire speed.
''What I am doing is really not all that terrible,'' she said amiably. ''After all, I'm not killing anyone. My demons are simply keeping everyone busy. I just want Moriah. From the Clave's perspective why, I'm actually doing everyone a favor!''
''I'm going to kill you,'' Clary told her.
Jane went on as if she hadn't heard. ''What I'm doing isn't anything compared to what you did,'' she told Jonathan. ''While we're here, why don't you catch me up? How is it you aren't- oh, what's the word?- dead?''
Jonathan gestured with his sword. ''Come a little closer and I'll tell you.''
Jane smiled and was no doubt about to reply, when shouts rose up from outside. The floor underneath them all began shaking. A cold wind swept through. A feeling of deja vu came over Clary. A memory of being trapped in a building, coldness, fear…anger.
''What in all of-'' Jane muttered, looking over her shoulder at the window behind her. ''Oh dear, they must've found the portal.''
'' 'Found' as in 'closed'?'' Jace asked.
She smirked. ''Not likely.'' She turned back to them. ''I'm going to suppose some of Renage's helpers weren't as trustworthy as she thought… all well, like I said, the goal isn't to kill Shadowhunters. I'd best see to my pet.''
It was then the feeling in Clary tightened. A screech came from one of the floors below them. A loud, eardrum shattering screech.
Now Jane looked frightened. ''No. She couldn't have…''
She fled down the stairs and without hesitation, Clary, Jace, and Jonathan ran too.
…
The contrast of the silence from the noise was deafening in itself. Max wasn't sure if he passed out or not, but he was now on his side. He managed to sit up, noticing the shards of glass scattered all over the room. He looked to the ceiling and realized they must've once been a light fixture.
''Moriah?'' Max looked straight ahead to where Rafe was. The creature was, miraculously, gone. Celeste was already on her feet, standing against the wall and casting her vacant stare around. Rafe and Little Max were still on the ground, the former looking at Moriah, standing in front of him. ''Moriah?''
Moriah had her back to Rafe and was facing Max. Max stared at her pale face and watched her heave for breath. He realized her nose was bleeding. She turned to Rafe. ''You okay.''
Rafe stared at her. He nodded. ''Yeah. I'm okay.''
''You okay.'' Max realized Moriah was repeating Rafe's question to her earlier. ''You okay.''
Rafe said nothing. He just got to his knees and reached with one hand for Moriah and pulled her onto the floor with him. She fell against him willingly. With Rafe's other hand he grasped for Little Max. His younger brother went to him, and the three of them stayed there in a little bundle on the floor, unmoving.
Max forced himself to his feet. His entire body ached. He took a breath and winced, wondering if he had cracked a rib. He stumbled towards the children, passing Celeste. ''Do you know what happened?''
Celeste didn't look at him, but at the three children. ''No.''
''Is it dead?''
''No.''
Max was too strung out to ask her to expand on that. He left her and reached the kids. He put a hand on them, urging them to their feet. ''C'mon. Let's get out of here.''
They stood shakily. Rafe was holding both Moriah's and little Max's hands tightly. He gave a trembling sort of nod.
Max led them out of the room. They didn't make it far into the hallway before colliding with the parents.
''What the hell was that?'' Magnus asked of him. Little Max wasted no time dropping his brother's hand and reaching for his papa. Magnus held him and pulled Rafe close to him. Rafe buried his face against him.
Max didn't have time to answer before Moriah let go of Rafe and stumbled toward her parents. Jace swept her up in his arms. Clary stood on tip toe to kiss her head. ''What happened?'' Jace demanded.
Max could only lean against the wall in weariness. He shook his head. ''I have no idea.''
…
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