Clary POV
After what happened yesterday we had all gotten our rest. Jonathan in one room while me and Carly shared the other. Early in the morning the apartment began to shake which woke both Carly and I up. We ran into the living room as the apartment stopped shaking.
We came into the living room and found Jonathan sitting on the couch with a smile. I looked around confused and with questions. "What was that?"
"Just a little change of locale." Said, Jonathan, as Carly ran toward the balcony.
She took a step onto the balcony and backed up realizing her mistake, but then she realized it didn't hurt. I came up beside her and watched as she placed her hand into the light, her hand not catching aflame.
"How is this possible?" I asked astonished.
"She drank the Daylighter's blood." Said, Jonathan, appearing beside us. "He had the residue of Jace's blood in system, making him able to walk in the sun. Since you bit him, you also consumed that energy. You're a daylighter, Carly."
Carly's face lit up with glee as I brought her in for a hug. I squeezed her tight as we both walked out onto the balcony. That is when we noticed the Eiffel Tower within seeing distance.
"We're in Paris." Said, Carly, looking toward me with the same look I had on my face. A look of shock and disappointment.
Jonathan noticed how down we looked, "What's wrong? You're in Paris. I thought you'd be happy. Isn't this where you always wanted to visit?"
"Sorry I'm not, thrilled to be shackled to my demon-blooded brother." I said without really thinking before speaking.
I looked over at Carly with a sorry look on my face, she mouthed its okay and nodded. She knew that I didn't mean to hurt her, well I hope she did. Jonathan was evil, but Carly didn't have to be. She didn't have to be a monster.
"I take it you're afraid of our little bond, but we are all one now. Nothing can change that." Said, Jonathan, coming to stand beside us. "I forgive you for trying to kill me, by the way."
"I am happy you forgive me." Said, Carly, sarcastically
"No need to get snappy, twin." Said, Jonathan, to just get on Carly's nerves.
Everytime he said the word it made her flinch. She hated knowing she was the opposite half to a murderous killing machine. Carly didn't want to be a monster and I wasn't going to let him turn her into one.
"So how does this work? If one of us gets hurt, we all get hurt?" I asked changing the subject.
"That appears to be the case." Said Jonathan
"It must be an effect of that rune Lilith used to resurrect you. That is all I can think of that would make us one. Since we all have the mark, it must be why we are connected." Explained, Carly, looking off at Paris.
"Well, if we can't be enemies, perhaps we'll be allies. We never got a chance to know each other. And what better place than Paris? Home of Renoir, Matisse, Van Gogh and now Morgenstern." Said, Jonathan, placing his hands on our shoulders.
"Oh, give me a break!" I said pushing his hand away.
Carly just let his hand stay there until he took it away. She wasn't as disgusted by Jonathan as I was. She wasn't happy with the situation, but she wasn't fighting as hard as she could be.
"I'm gonna go get us some food." Said, Jonathan, brushing off my reaction and heading for the door.
"Jonathan, wait." I said as I grabbed Carly's arm and walked up to him. "Take us with you. If you really wanna get to know us, you can't keep us locked up in here."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Said Jonathan
"It seems simple enough. We hurt you, we hurt ourselves. And besides, we're all on the run from the Clave. It's not like we can gonna run away." Said Carly
"How can I be sure you're telling me the truth?" Said, Jonathan, with doubt in his eyes. He wanted to trust us, but he knew it was slim.
"You can't. You're just gonna have to trust us." I said with a fake smile
"Does that mean that you trust me?" Asked, Jonathan, looking down at both of us.
Neither of us said a thing until Carly made up her mind. "I don't know. But I want to give you the benefit of the doubt. If you had been raised by Jocelyn you might be like me and vice versa. I think I owe you a chance."
I looked at Carly with complete shock. Yesterday she tried to kill Jonathan and now she was putting her trust in him? What had changed in the last few hours? If I had the chance I had to ask her about it.
"And you?" Asked, Jonathan, looking over at me.
"I will try to trust you." I said with a strained voice.
"Fine, but you have to stay near me. Both of you do." Said Jonathan
We agreed and slid on our jackets. Carly and I did our best to hide our runes so no one would recognize us. Jonathan was almost out the door when I remembered something.
"You know it might be kinda hard for me to hide with this hair. Uh, give me your steele and I can…" I began
"I don't think we're quite there yet. Allow me." Said, Jonathan, walking over to me and activating the rune on my arm. Once activated, I shook my head and my ginger hair transformed to a short black bob cut.
Since Carly had turned into a vampire her runes had disappeared. You can not be a beast and an angelic warrior. Since she couldn't wear a disguise Carly tied her hair up and wore a hood.
I was hoping to get the steele to call for help, but he was too smart to trick with such stupid actions. I had to be smarter if I was going to get Carly and I out of here. If I wasn't, we'd be trapped forever.
"Shall we?" Asked, Jonathan, positioning his arms so we could put our arms through the crook of his.
"I don't think we're quite there yet." I said grabbing Carly's hand and pulling her out the door.
We walked out of the apartment and explored the streets of Paris. If Jonathan wasn't there it might have been peaceful, but his presence made everything seem dark. As we walked I looked over at Carly who was unusually quiet. She was never like this and it scared me more than Jonathan did.
"How about we get something to eat? I know a great cafe that serves the world's best hot chocolate." Said, Jonathan, breaking the silence.
"Hot chocolate?" Asked Carly and I at the same moment.
"Trust me." Said, Jonathan, leading the way.
We followed Jonathan through the cobbled streets until we found this cute outdoor cafe. We found a table with a view of a beautiful garden as Jonathan ordered. Once our drinks arrived we got to taste it and the hot cocoa was just as amazing as he said.
Sadly Carly couldn't taste it because once you become a vampire your tastes die out for anything but blood. She could eat and drink, but it had no effect on her. I could tell each moment Carly was just getting sadder and I just wanted to ask what was wrong.
"You weren't kidding. This place is amazing." I said bumping Carly's shoulder.
"Yeah, really good." Said, Carly, montonely.
"Did you know this was the first place I came after I escaped Edom. I was hideous, burned raw from my mother's little love marks, so I huddled in a hoodie, hoping no one would notice me. Then, the most beautiful boy came and asked if he could share my table. He looked me right in the face. It's like my burns weren't even there." Explained Jonathan
"Sebastian Verlac." Stated Carly
"He was so good. So full of light. He was everything I wanted to be. He was what was good in this world. He was truly precious." Said Jonathan
"So you kidnapped and murdered him?" I asked with clear anger in my voice.
"Murder was never part of the plan. But seeing the hate in his eyes every time I would bring him his meals it made me feel like a monster. And all the time I was at the Institute, I was terrified that you would all find out who I really was and hate me too." Said Jonathan
"You were trying to destroy us." I said
"No. I never wanted to hurt any of you. Just Valentine." Began, Jonathan, as Carly interrupted him.
"May I ask why you cared what me and the others thought at the Institute? You were trying to destroy the downworld, why did you care?" I asked
"The way that you and the Lightwoods took me in, it made me want to be good. For the first time in my life, people cared. Can you imagine what that feels like?" Said Jonathan
"Yeah, I can. Before I came to the Institute no gave two shits about me, except Simon. Once I arrived people cared about my well being. At least they tried to." Said, Carly, looking down at her hands.
"And now, we might never see them again." I said
"I know it's sad, Clary. But I can be there for you now." Said, Jonathan, grabbing onto both our hands as the clock rang. "Damn it. Uh, we have to leave."
"Well, get the check. We'll stay here." I said as Jonathan looked hesitant. "Where are we going to go, Jonathan? Just go pay the bill."
Jonathan hesitated for a moment, but then reluctantly went to pay. He kept looking back at us so there was no way to get the phone beside me. So instead I took this moment to talk to Carly.
"What's wrong?" I asked
"Nothing's wrong." Murmured Carly
"Carly, ever since last night you have been quiet and distant. If something wasn't wrong you would be trying to escape as hard as I am. What happened?" I asked
She looked up from her untouched food and looked into my eyes. "There's no point. We can't hurt him and if we run, he could just hurt himself and take us down with him. I might have super healing, but you don't. I just realized that fighting him is useless."
"It's not useless. If we can get back to our friends they can figure out a way to seperate us from him. Staying with Jonathan will only taint you. It will only cause you…" I began
"To become just like him?" Questioned Carly
"Carly…" I began
"I am already exactly like him, Clary. We have both killed and enjoyed it. We have both hurt the people we hold dear. We have both gave in to our darkest desires. I might be sane right now, but I could go back to being just like him at any moment." Carly explained
"Carly, you are nothing like him." I said
"But I am. As of right now, we can't touch him. We are powerless, even if we escape. If you have the chance to run, take it. If you can leave, even if you can't take me, go." Said Carly
"And leave you with him, alone?" I questioned
Carly sighed and nodded "You deserve to be happy, Clary. Now that I know there is nothing I can do to hurt him, I want to try and gain his trust. If I do that, I might be able to help him. Maybe if I save him, I can save myself."
Before I could get out another word, Jonathan appeared and pulled us toward the street. We continued our trek through the city, looking at all the beauty. I just kept looking over at Carly with a hurting heart. I wasn't going to leave her, she deserved happiness as much as I did.
Simon POV
After leaving the apartment, Ethan called Isabelle so I wouldn't go down in the tunnels alone. He knew I wasn't in the best mindset so going alone might mean I'll be reckless. Which is completely understandable.
I met Isabelle at the entrance to the tunnels and we were on our merry way. We climbed down this long ladder and then walked through at least a few miles of tunnels. "Are you sure we shouldn't check the map?"
"I know these tunnels inside out. I used to sneak out when I was a kid and hunt demons down here. We are in the right place." Said, Isabelle, as she scanned the tunnel for any movement.
"Sure. Normal teenager stuff." I said
"So, most of the city's shadow activity is concentrated in this area. If your vampire exists he should be around here." Said Isabelle
"It's weird. Raphael said he was the oldest vampire in New York, if not the world. If I were that old, I wouldn't be hiding in some sewer pipe." I said
"Well, when you are that old things scare you. If you don't catch up with the times you are left in the dark. He just didn't acclimate as well as Magnus did. Watching everything speed past you can be tiring." Said Isabelle
I looked around and felt this sense of dread. These tunnels made me feel uneasy as if someone was watching our every move. "Were these tunnels always this spooky when you were a kid?"
"I don't know. I never made it this far." Said, Isabelle, as a can fell onto the cement.
We both turned toward the noise and using my vampire sight I saw movement. I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it was definitely humanoid. It had to be the vampire I was looking for. "Hold on. I think I see something."
"Simon, wait!" Yelled, Isabelle, as I vanished down the tunnel.
I appeared in the place I saw the figure and found a man crouching in a corner. He looked ragged and scarred. I put my hands up and explained. "Whoa. I don't mean any harm. I think you're the vampire I'm looking for. I just want to ask a few questions about this thing called the Mark of Cain, which can really mess you up if you try to attack me right now, so please let's just talk."
The man stared at me for a long moment before running at me. I cringed back as I noticed his forehead light up just like mine as we were both thrown back. I quickly got up and looked over at him with wide eyes. "You have the Mark of Cain too."
"My dear boy I am Cain." Said, Cain, as my undead heart began to race.
Cain motioned me to follow him into another passage to the right. I slowly followed after him until we were in this decorated tunnel. He had a bed, kitchen, string lights, and blankets. He sat down on a crate and I sat down across from him.
"Excuse my behaviour back there. It's been centuries since I let anyone near. But when I saw a daylighter searching my tunnels, I thought I might make an exception." Said Cain
"I just can't believe you're Cain. The Cain. Son of Adam. Killer of Abel." I said as Cain's face went sad. I knew I had said something wrong so I apologized. "I'm sorry. I thought you hated your brother."
"That's the story that people tell." Said Cain
"So what really happened?" I asked
"What do you know about Adam and Lilith?" Asked, Cain, as he scooted his crate closer to me. He looked so broken and defeated. Whatever had happened destroyed him.
"I know they had a messy breakup, and then Adam moved on to Eve." I said
"And Lilith never forgot about it. She swore she'd exact revenge. She came after me, Adam's first born. She turned me against my brother. Abel and I eventually came to blows. And I…" Began Abel
"You hit him with a rock." I interrupted
"The moment I saw blood, it was over. I fell on him and drank. I felt like I had lost what good I had left in my life. It was as if I lost the other half to my whole." Explained Cain
"How did you become a vampire?" I asked
"Lilith turned me with her demonic magic without my knowledge. Abel's heavenly blood made me into a daylighter. I could feel whatever life he had left leave him and go into me. I felt like a monster." Said Cain
"Did Lilith give you the Mark of Cain?" I asked
"That distinction belongs to the Seelie Queen. She was loyal to my father. She thought the Mark would protect me. And then the nightmare began." Said, Cain, as he looked down at his feet. "For centuries, I wandered the earth. Each time I found refuge, neighbours would hunt me like a freak. Imagine what it's like, cowering at the center of an angry mob and waking up in a sea of bodies."
"Trust me. I just got this thing and I know exactly what you mean." I said handing Cain the thermos I had packed.
He hesitantly grabbed ahold of it and smelled the contents inside. When he realized it was blood, he brought it to his lips and consumed the entire thing. Cain then wiped the blood from his lips. "Of course. You're the only one who would."
"Simon, is that you?" Asked, Isabelle, appearing at the entrance of Cain's abode.
Cain freaked out and got as far from Isabelle as he could. His eyes went wide and he began terribly shaking. "Whoa, whoa. It's okay. It's okay. She's my friend."
"No, I don't want to hurt anyone. Please, just let me be!" Said, Cain, cowering away from us.
"Cain, no one's gonna get hurt. I just need to get this off." I said pointing at my forehead.
"For that you need to see the Seelie Queen. But you'll need to bring this." Said, Cain, as he went through his belongings and pulled out a small ornate box. He lifted the lid to reveal a rock with crusted blood.
"Is this…?" I said as my eyes went wide.
"The very one I used to kill Abel. The Queen will know what to do. I attempted the removal ritual once but I was too afraid to die." Said, Cain, as I became even more on edge.
"Die?" I questioned
Jace POV
After talking to Luke, I went back to the Institute to look into what he found. Surprisingly I found the exact thing Luke had found and more. I collected my findings and went back to Luke's motel room. Within one knock he opened the door. "Hey, we need to talk."
"Did you check those atmospheric readings?" Asked, Luke, as he closed the door after I had entered.
"Yeah." I said turning around to face him.
"And?" Questioned Luke
"And you were right. The night we took out Lilith and the night Simon was at the church of Talto, there was the exact same drop in barometric pressure in both places. The apartment was on the move." I explained
"Did you get another hit?" Asked Luke
"Yeah. Same profile as both. This time it was in The Ural Mountains. Which is located in Siberia." I said
"So, the apartment's still moving?" Asked Luke
"Well, it wasn't destroyed in the explosion. Meaning Clary could still be alive." I said
Luke began getting ready for the trip when I stopped him. "Look, hey. I owe you an apology. I was so close to giving up, and you never did. Thank you."
"Thank me once we get Clary back." Said, Luke, with a smile.
I went back to the Institute and collected some snow gear for us. When I returned Luke made a few calls and had a warlock open a portal. We thanked the warlock for his services and jumped through the watery entrance. We appeared on the other side in the middle of Siberia.
"These are the coordinates. It must have touched down here. Let's take a look around." I said
We both walked in different directions to see if we could find any clues. I came up to old farm house and pushed the creaky door open. The interior was completely empty so I closed door and walked onto the deck.
"I got tracks. They look like a set of two females." Said, Luke, as he looked down at the ground a foot from the entrance to the farmhouse.
We looked at each other and ran after the tracks. It zigged and zagged through the trees and across a frozen river. At the top of a hill I noticed a hair clinging to a branch, ginger in color. "It's Clary."
Luke and I walked a few feet and noticed a trail of compressed snow. We followed it to the bottom of a hill to find one female set of footprints and a body impression. "Clary must have come this far and collapsed. Carly then ran after her to try and save her."
"Well there is a male's prints here as well. Whoever was after them must have taken Clary and Carly back to the apartment. Since there are only two sets of prints the man most likely carried Clary back to the apartment as Carly followed beside." Observed Luke
"It was Jonathan." I blurted out
"What?" Asked, Luke, with shock.
"He was in the sarcophagus when the Mark of Cain went off. He must have escaped too. There is no one else who could have been in that apartment when it portalled. It has to be him." I said
"So you think Lilith actually brought him back to life?" Asked Luke
"Wherever they are, they need us." I said as Luke and I looked over at each other.
Carly POV
After our hot cocoa, we continued our trek through Paris. Each moment I just felt worse and worse. Since I couldn't kill him, I had to save him. If I could save him then I might be able to save myself. What other choice did I have?
Jonathan broke the silence as we crossed over a bridge "There's an antique dealer in Saint-Germain who keeps odd hours. I was thinking we could pay a visit."
"An antiques dealer?" I asked with confusion
"Look, Jonathan, if this sibling thing is gonna work, you've gotta have to be straight with us." Said, Clary, as she stopped walking.
"It was supposed to be a surprise. The Morning Star Sword has surfaced in Paris. I was going to give it to you as a gift." Said, Jonathan, as he looked over at me.
Why would he want to give me a sword? Clary was just as confused as I was, but she knew it probably wasn't as a gift. There was always a catch.
"You were gonna give me a sword?" I asked
"It's an ancient family relic, a symbol of Morgenstern dignity." Explained Jonathan
"That's rare to hear the words "Morgenstern" and "dignity" in the same sentence." Said, Clary, with snark.
This angered Jonathan, but not to the point of yelling. "Our family used to be great heroes until Valentine disgraced our name. It is up to us to change that."
Jonathan then continued walking as we followed close behind him. Clary decided that the earlier conversation had to continue. "Carly, you can't save him."
"Maybe, I can't but the least I can do is try." I whispered
"Why do you want to even try? He has hurt you and everyone we hold dear. What is worth saving?" Asked, Clary, which made the anger rise in me.
"If Jonathan had been saved by mom and not me I would have been him. I would have been tortured in Edom and used as weapon. I understand the pain of being a freak and I might be the only one able to get through to him." I whispered
"But yesterday you wanted to killed him?" Whispered Clary
"Yeah, I did, but now that I can't I got to thinking. This gives me a chance to get to know him and maybe find that sliver of good left inside. If he can be saved, then I know I am worth saving." I whispered
Clary wanted to continue to fight me on the matter, but she noticed a shadowhunter walking the opposite direction we were. She gave me a wink and directly bumped into hunter, secretly grabbing his steele.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Yelled the french hunter
"I'm sorry, it's my bad. I am clumsy and sometimes I don't watch my footing. Sorry." Said Clary
"Je suis une touriste stupid. Y a pas de soucis, mademoiselle." Said, the hunter, giving her an annoyed look before continuing on his way.
Jonathan didn't notice Clary's find and just pulled us along. After another five minutes of walking we appeared at the front of this old little antique shop. The windows were covered in layers of dust as if no had entered in many years.
"This is not the first place I'd expect to find a long lost shadowhunter sword." I said looking up at the cracked siding and broken sign.
"Then you have much to learn." Said, Jonathan, as he opened the door for us.
We went inside and the building was nothing like the outside. It was still full of old antique, but there wasn't a speck of dust in sight. It looked so much nicer than the outside entailed. Clary and I began to look around as Jonathan went up to the desk and rang the bell.
A man no taller than me came out from the back with a look of annoyance on his face. You tell he did not want us here and his french accent reflected the annoyance. "The store is closed, please come back later."
"I'm sure you can make an exception." Said, Jonathan, handing the man a bag of coins. The man looked inside and went back behind his desk. "Coins from dead men's eyes. A particular favourite of the Vetis demon. Don't ask me why."
"He's a demon?" Questioned Clary
"Not to worry, our friend…" Began, Jonathan, looking over at the tiny man fo a demon.
"Mirek." Stated Mirek
"Our friend Mirek is relatively harmless. Part of the Greater Demon middle class that rarely gets mentioned. They live quietly among us, working at our banks, schools, brothels, gently stoking the lesser vices. For the most part, they sail under the radar. You know, I'll bet Mirek here hasn't gotten so much as a jaywalking ticket." Explained Jonathan
"The demon came over to us with a fake smile. "What do you want?"
"The Morning Star Sword. I hear you have it, and I'd like to make a deal." Said Jonathan
The demon looked at the three of us and thought for a moment. He rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat. He went behind the counter and looked back at us.
"She has to wait outside." Said, Mirek, pointing toward Clary. "But you two I can do business with."
"Me and my sisters are connected at the hips. I think it's better if we all stay here." Said, Jonathan, with a threatening tone
"I can smell the nephilim blood from here. I won't do business with shadowhunters, but you two I can smell the darkness in your souls. You two I will do business with. If you want to talk then she has go outside or no deal." Said, Mirek, as he crossed his arms over his chest.
I looked down my feet and wanted to tell him I wasn't a monster, but it would have been a lie. As I was hating myself, Jonathan was getting angry to the point of grabbing onto the demon's shirt. Clary noticed the situation and needed to calm things down.
"Why don't I just go outside?" Asked, Clary, as everyone looked at her. "I have nowhere to go. Right?"
Jonathan hesitantly nodded and Clary headed for the door. Before exiting she looked back at me and winked. I was confused about the wink, but she must of have a reason for it. I looked at her confused and she just mouthed don't worry.
When the door closed Jonathan got to business and I stood right beside him. "Mirek, I am here for the Morningstar sword and I willing to bargain."
"I must know who I am dealing with before I bargain. Who are you? Both of you?" Asked, Mirek, looking from Jonathan to me.
"My name is Carly...Morgenstern and this my twin, Jonathan." I said as Jonathan looked back at me with a smile which I returned with an awkward nod.
"You're Valentine's kids." Stated Mirek
"Yes, we are. Now about that sword. What do you want for it?" Asked Jonathan
"I can't give something that powerful to another Morgenstern. You will just misuse its power like your father did." Said Mirek
"I am not like my father. I want to make this world fair." Said, Jonathan, with yearning eyes. "Demons are abused day in and day out. I want the shadowhunters and downworlders to know what it's like to be pushed down in the mud. I want to turn the tides."
I stood there in shock. I really had hoped Jonathan came back for good, but if that was his mission he was the bad guy I feared. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but he clearly did and he wasn't gonna take no for an answer. If I could convince him otherwise, I might just save him.
"I won't give the sword to a Morgenstern." Said Mirek
Jonathan appeared before Mirek and grabbed ahold his shirt. He got his face up close and personal as his eyes turned black. "Give me the sword."
"Jonathan, you don't have to hurt him." I said trying to pull Jonathan's hand from the demon's shirt. Jonathan completely ignored my presence and continued hassling Mirek.
"I don't have it anymore. I already sold it." Said Mirek
"To who?" Asked Jonathan
"It's to whom." Said, Mirek, correcting Jonathan's grammar.
Jonathan's top blew off as he threw me into one of the class cases. I looked out the door and saw Clary sending a fire message. Before her message could be complete the shadowhunter from earlier grabbed her and began dragged her down the street.
When I turned my attention back to Jonathan, Mirek was nothing but dust. Jonathan breathed heavily as he noticed what he had done to me. He grabbed my hand and helped me up. "I'm so sorry. Mirek just got on my nerves and I wasn't thinking. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but Clary was taken by the hunter." I said as we both looked out the door.
Jonathan grabbed my wrist and pulled me out the door. We looked down both sides of the road and chose to go left. As we ran I kept seeing the look on Jonathan's face as his eyes went dark. Was that what I looked like when I went dark?
He looked monstrous almost like a beast from hell. I knew his urges to kill were hard to control and I knew saving him was slim, but I had to try. I could've been just like him if I hadn't been saved by Simon.
When we found Clary she was trying to explain our situation to the man. "I can explain. My name is Clary Fairchild. I've been kidnapped by my brother. He's extremely dangerous. He's inside that shop with my sister. Please, you have to help us."
"Save your story. You're coming with me." Said, the hunter, as he twisted Clary's arm, making us all feel it.
"Listen to me! You need to call for backup. Jonathan Morgenstern is inside that shop. He's trying to buy some kind of weapon." Explained Clary
"Whatever you say, Miss "Fairchild"." Said, the hunter, with doubt.
"You don't believe me?" Asked, Clary, as she struggled out of his grasp and turned to look toward him.
"Clary and Carly Fairchild are dead! And so is Jonathan." Said the hunter
"No." Said, Clary, as she pulled the wig off and her ginger hair flowed down to her shoulders. "We survived."
"What?!" Asked the hunter with shock
"The Queen of Hell used me to resurrect her son." Said, Clary, as Jonathan and I had caught up with them
I knew what Jonathan was going to do to the hunter so I stood in front of him and blocked Jonathan's shot. "Don't kill him, Jonathan."
"Move out of the way, Carly." Said, Jonathan, as his eyes went black.
"Killing him is not the answer. Don't do something you will regret." I said
The hunter looked back at us and was stuck in place. He didn't know how to react and so he just stood there staring. He kept looking into what used to be Jonathan's eyes.
"Move." Said Jonathan
"No." I said as my eyes turned just as black. "Leave him be."
"I can't do that." Said, Jonathan, as he tried to lung at the man.
I sensed his movement and grabbed his arm flinging him backwards. He got up from the ground and ran at me with all the strength he had. We fell onto the ground and I got the upperhand, pinning him down.
"Run!" I yelled at Clary and the hunter.
Clary hesitated for a moment, but then began running toward the way we came. The hunter stayed and took out his blade. I told him to leave, but he wouldn't listen to me. As I was distracted, Jonathan knocked me on my back and ran at the hunter again.
The hunter fought off Jonathan's attacks the best he could, but Jonathan was so much stronger. Jonathan knocked the blade from the hunter's hands and knocked him onto the ground, hit foot resting on the hunter's neck.
I used this opportunity to take the blade and stab it through Jonathan's shoulder. He screeched as I grabbed at my shoulder and felt blood cascading down. Jonathan used his foot to snap the hunter's neck and then he pulled the blade out, throwing it into the gutter.
He used his rune to heal the wound which automatically healed mine and Clary's, wherever she was. His eyes went back to normal at the same time mine did as he looked down at me. Jonathan was furious and he was gonna take it out on Clary if I didn't stop him.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me in the direction Clary went. "We are going to find Clary and then go back to the apartment. We need to have talk about our actions today."
I tried to pull my wrist free, but he wasn't letting up. I wasn't going to stop trying to save him, I wasn't. I wasn't gonna stop until there was nothing left I could do.
Alec POV
Today was my day off and Magnus wanted to spend every moment doing something new. It started out with training which led to some lovely together time ;). Afterward I had hoped we could enjoy the day inside, but Magnus had a different plan.
From sunrise to sunset we were out and about. We went to museums, art galleries, weird restaurants, and anything that involved shopping. By nightfall I was getting tired and Magnus just wouldn't let up.
"Magnus, can we just slow down for a second?" I asked
"Oh, certainly. I have a quick stop planned right before late night dim sum." Said, Magnus as he tried to continue walking.
I grabbed his hand and pulled him back to me. "No, I just mean, I mean right now. Just take a breather for a few minutes."
"I suppose you're right. It is rather exhausting hopping from place to place without portals. How do you mortals do it? It is so tiring." Said Magnus
"We don't. This whole mortality thing is gonna take some getting used to." I said
"Perhaps more than I realized. I've been lucky to live a life relatively free of FOMO. You can't blame me for wanting to make each moment count." Said, Magnus, with a smile.
"Of course not. It's just the thing about moments is that you'll miss them if you're always running after the next one. When I'm 90, I'm not gonna remember the trendy gallery or the amazing Greek food we had if we don't slow down and savour moments like these when I'm staring into the eyes of the man that I love." I said looking down into Magnus' beautiful brown eyes.
"Of course. Everything I need is right here in front of me." Said, Magnus, as he leaned up and placed a kiss on my lips. I wanted to keep kissing him, but he pulled away to quickly.
"Amazing, how a 20-something pup can teach an old man new tricks." Said, Magnus, as he fixed my shirt.
"Please don't try to make "pup" a thing." I said truthfully. I was not a puppy or a panda. Nicknames were fine, but making me into some fuzzy little animal was a different story.
"No?" Questioned Magnus
"No." I said pulling him for another kiss. Instead Magnus interrupting us a fire message appeared beside us and I caught it with my hand.
"What is it?" Asked Magnus
"It's a message from Jace. Clary might still be alive." I said as I began walking toward the Institute.
We arrived within minutes and found Jace and Luke looking over a monitor. Magnus and I joined them and we were informed of what they discovered.
"Do we know where they are now?" I asked with crossed arms.
"A steele was reported stolen in Paris. A woman similar in description to Clary was reported to have taken it. A rogue shadowhunter." Explained Jace
"Do you think it's her?" Asked Magnus
"It's the only shot we have." Said, Jace, as a fire message appeared beside him. He caught it mid air and read the message to himself. His eyes went wide and he smiled for the first time in the last few days.
"What does it say?" Asked Luke
"It's Clary. She's in Paris." Said, Jace, as we prepared to get her and Carly. We didn't have an exact location, but it was a start. It gave us a chance at saving them.
Isabelle POV
Simon and I headed for the fairy realm after visiting Cain. This whole plan seemed too dangerous for my liking, but Simon wouldn't be talked out of it. The realm opened its doors and we were guided to the throne room. The queen looked at us with a smile.
"Well hello, Daylighter. You look well." Said Seelie Queen
"If you're so happy to see me, then why did you you shut me out of your realm?" Asked, Simon, with snark
"You hadn't completed the task at hand." Stated Seelie Queen
"Killing Lilith." Said, Simon, aloud to himself.
He knew the queen wanted him to destroy Lilith, but the consequences broke him. He couldn't handle the fact he killed two of the most important people in his life. It tortured him every day.
"The Mark of Cain is a great gift, isn't it?" Asked Seelie Queen
"No. And I met your boy Cain. I think he'd echo my sentiment." Said Simon
"You've seen Cain?" Asked, Seelie Queen, with surprise. "How is he?"
"Not good. He told me you know how to remove the mark. And I want it gone. Right now. Take it off." Said, Simon, with anger.
"Very well. Now that Lilith's been banished back to Edom, you're free to do with
it as you please. But to remove the mark, you'll need a certain artifact that has been…" Began, Seelie Queen, as Simon revealed the rock from the box. "I see you have the proper trinket. But do you have the courage? This ceremony presents a grave danger."
"I know, I know, as in dead, dead, dead. I don't care. I'm ready." Said Simon
"So brave. But really, you won't know how you'll react until you stare death in the face. This isn't some small sacrifice, Simon. Death is a possibility I hope you know that." Said, Seelie Queen, as she snapped her fingers.
A guard came into the room with the staff that had given Simon the mark. The guard placed it in the ground and walked back off to the side. Then the room went silent without anyone telling Simon what to do. He looked back the queen with confusion.
"Simply put the stone of Cain on the spear that marked you. Then the ritual will begin and once it begins you cannot stop. If you do the mark will remain." Said Seelie Queen
"That's it? No vines? No riddles? Just rock on a stick?" Asked Simon
"I will remind you that Cain did not finish the ritual. The risk of death was too great. This is no joke or easy process. Do not push it off." Explained Seelie Queen
I walked over to SImon and tried to convince him not to do it. "Simon. Please, it's not worth it. Dying is not worth it. Don't do this."
"To make sure no one I love ever gets hurt by me again, it is worth it." Said, Simon, as he cleared his throat. "Just in case things don't go well, can you give Becky my love? And keep an eye on my mom? And…"
"Stop. You're gonna make it. Don't think otherwise." I said as I stepped aside.
Simon placed the rock on the staff and it lit up. The staff slid into the ground as Simon began to feel very uncomfortable. His body began to burn as if lava was traveling through every vein. "Woah, okay. That feels a little warm."
Simon began screaming as his body began to give off a blue glow. He levitated above the ground as his whole shook in agony. I tried to step forward, but he told me to stop. "Don't come near me. Just wait 'til it's off!"
Simon's screaming became louder and louder, his body radiating with blue light. His fangs extended as his eyes went completely black as if he were possessed. Then he suddenly collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
"Simon. Simon, wake up! Simon!" I yelled as I ran over to him. I fell onto my knees and pulled Simon onto my lap. I tried to shake him awake, but he wasn't reacting.
His skin had faded to grey and his breathing was raspy. Sweat soaked his clothing as if he had jumped into a swimming pool. Simon's lips were turning blue and his eyes sunken in.
"His blood has boiled away. He'll need much, much more if he's going to survive." Said, Seelie Queen, as she looked down at us with no emotion in her eyes.
"If you're not gonna help, then shut up." I snapped as I huddled Simon closer to me.
"He needs the blood of a mortal. Or a Nephilim." Said Seelie Queen
I looked up at her and then back at Simon. I quickly grabbed the guard closest to me and retrieved his sword from his belt. I took the blade to my hand and sliced clean through the skin. Blood began pooling on my hand and I knew what I had to do.
"Come back to me, Simon. You have so much more to live for." I said as I held my bleeding hand above Simon's mouth. At first there was no reaction, but then he swallowed. "Thank the Angel. Just keep drinking. You need your strength."
"He is going to need a lot more blood than that if he's going to survive." Said Seelie Queen
I knew what she was implying and I also knew she was right. I lifted up my sleeve and offered my wrist to Simon. "You have to bite me, Simon."
"No, I am not going to feed on any blood." Said, Simon, as he painfully pulled himself up to his feet.
"Simon, let me help you." Said, Isabelle, running over to him
"I deserve this agony, Isabelle. I killed my best friend and the love of my life. Please just take me back to my apartment. Please do this for me." Begged, Simon, with weak eyes.
"Simon…" Began Isabelle
"Please, Izzy. Just take me home." Said Simon
I looked at him and realized nothing was going to change his mind. I put his arm over my shoulder and a fairy showed us out. Simon needed to feed and I was not gonna let him die. I was gonna get him to eat, I just had to.
Carly POV
A few minutes after killing that hunter, Jonathan and I found Clary. She was on a bridge sending her message to the Institute. We both knew her friends were going to be there any moment, but Jonathan didn't care.
He caught up to Clary, grabbed the steele, and threw it into the river below. Jonathan harshly grabbed Clary's hand and looked at her with anger. "Why did you run? I saved your life from that man trying to take you."
"You killed a man, Jonathan. A shadowhunter." Said, Clary, struggling against his grip.
"And I did it for you. Seeing you in his arms like that, so vulnerable. It wasn't like any killI've ever done before. Clary it felt so good! If Carly hadn't tried to stop me you could've seen it." Said, Jonathan, as he had a sadistic smile on his face.
"That's not what good is, Jonathan. Killing like that should never feel good." Said Clary
"Oh, yeah? I heard what you did to our father. On the shores of Lake Lyn, watching his life slip from your hands, how did that feel?" Asked, Jonathan, as Clary avoided his eyes. "Yeah. That's what I thought."
"What are we doing here, Jonathan? The Morning Star Sword it's not a gift. What are you planning?" Asked Clary
"I would love to tell you, Clary. But frankly, I am beginning to question your motives." Said, Jonathan, as he began pulling us back to the apartment.
Suddenly a burst of wind hit our backs and when we turned around Jace, Alec, and Luke were standing there. They rose their weapons toward, which made Jonathan angry. He grabbed ahold of Clary and held her in a chokehold, while never letting go of my wrist.
"Don't shoot him. If he dies, we die." Begged, Clary, as Jace, Luke, and Alec noticed the matching blood marks on all our right shoulders. They looked at each other and put their weapons at bay.
"I am not letting them go, not after I finally got them." Said, Jonathan, squeezing my wrist and Clary's neck just a little harder.
I noticed a knife in Jonathan's back pocket so while he was distracted I took it in my own hand. Clary had to get back to her friends and if someone didn't do something, we'd all screwed. Clary noticed the blade in my hand and shook her head.
"Clary, run." I said as I took the blade and stabbed it into my thigh, causing Jonathan to let go of us.
Clary limped toward the others and fell into Jace's arms. I pulled the knife out as Jonathan gained his stance and put me in a chokehold. Clary tried to come help me, but she collapsed due to her leg.
"If you want to see Carly again, you better not try anything." Said, Jonathan, as he began to backup with me in his arms.
"Carly, no!" Yelled, Clary, as she began to cry
"Tell Simon I love him." I said
Jonathan then used his speed to travel back to the apartment. When we arrived he threw me onto the ground and knocked everything from the table onto the floor. When I got back up he rushed me and pinned me to the opposite wall.
"Why did you do that? WHY?!" Screamed, Jonathan, slamming my head into the plaster.
His eyes went black and I could feel the anger pulsating from him. I knew he wanted me to be afraid, but I wasn't gonna give him the satisfaction. I had to beat him at his own game if I was going to survive.
I grabbing onto his hand and looked straight into his eyes. "I did that because Clary deserves to be happy. She was suffering here and I helped her escape. She deserves to be safe."
"What about you? You could have tried to fight back, but you didn't. Why did you let me take you?" Asked, Jonathan, as his face got close to mine.
"Because I knew that if you were alone you might do something awful. I don't want to see people die because you are angry at us." I said as he looked at me with confusion. "I stayed because I believe deep down there is good in you. We are twins and we both have darkness in our souls. I have done things I regret and I know somewhere inside you there is also regret."
"You want to make up for your darkness, by saving me?" Asked, Jonathan, letting go of my throat, his eyes turning back to brown.
"I don't know if it is possible, but I would like to try. Clary and our friends saved me when I didn't deserve it. I plan to do the same with you, if you let me. I'm not gonna give up on you." I said meaning every word I said.
"Why don't you want to escape like Clary?" Asked Jonathan
"Because she doesn't understand what it is like to be a freak. This your second chance at life and I don't want you to throw it away on evil. I won't run and I won't hide. I will stay by your side until you are saved." I explained
"How are you sure I can be saved?" Asked, Jonathan, looking down at me with doubt. "You saw what I did to that demon and shadowhunter when I got angry. We both know it's going to happen again so what is the point in trying to save a lost cause?"
"Because evil is never born, but made." I said as my eyes turned black. "Valentine put this darkness in us and you got the front of his torture. Anyone with that childhood would be broken, but I believe you can be put back together. Just let me try to help you."
"Do you truly mean that?" Asked Jonathan
"I do. I really do." I said as my eyes turned back to green.