OH MY GOSH. IT'S JACE'S P.O.V.
I'm so excited for you guys to read this. I'll save what I want to say for the bottom, but please read it!
Jace bolted up at the yelling coming from somewhere near him. He hastily threw on a shirt and went to see what all the commotion was about.
The prisoners were gone.
And Sebastian was yelling at the guard on night watch.
"Where have they gone? You were supposed to be watching them relentlessly." By the time Jace reached the door, he could see Sebastian fuming, pacing the length of the throne room. He stood there for a moment, admiring the dry landscape behind him. It was all his to rule over. His and Sebastian's. Satisfaction oozed through him, and he allowed himself a moment to revel in the taste.
Pushing off the doorway he'd been leaning on, Jace crossed the room and stopped Sebastian mid-stride. "What's going on?"
"What's going on is that this idiot let the prisoners go." He returned to his rage-filled pacing, only pausing to shoot a glare at the guard.
Jace couldn't figure out why he was so riled up about this. "So, we'll just get them back. What's the big deal?"
"That means the real ones are here." He muttered, mostly to himself. Jace frowned.
"The real-" Sebastian looked up, cutting him off efficiently with a grin.
"It'll be fun for a change. Now we just have to find them."
Jace and Sebastian had spent a few hours pinpointing their location and planning their capture. It was probably more effort than three Shadowhunters and a vampire warranted from them, but he enjoyed the strategizing. "We'll send a bunch of demons in here to be the decoys." He said, pointing out a spot on the virtual map. "Then, once they've nearly exhausted their resources, we'll persuade four powerful ones to go and pick them up and bring them back. But under strict orders not to be harmed." Jace felt something twinge in his stomach, as if he was actually concerned about the welfare of the captives. He brushed it off- he was always more considerate than Sebastian, but not to a fault. He saved the useful servants from his brother's rages.
"Good work- we'll have to see if it brings them back." Sebastian gestured to a nearby demon. "Get ready." He turned back to Jace "We'll have the front row seats. Ready to watch the show?" He smirked maliciously, an expression so full of cruelty and hate that Jace almost went into a fight by reflex.
Instead, he headed towards the steps, lounging against the throne and waiting for the demons to get on their way. He could already see four liberated prisoners trudging across the landscape, already looking exhausted. The fiery blaze of Clary's hair stood out like a flare against the bleak backdrop of Edom. He grinned, watching, waiting, for his prey to be caught.
Jace kept observing her, almost admiring the grim determination that flitted its way across her face. In a situation where most people would have given up long ago, she was still going. Something told him she would reach her destination one way or another.
Black spots hovered on the horizon, growing bigger and bigger as the demons raced toward them. Jace felt a flicker of apprehension. Soon, the flicker turned into a full-blown inferno, burning his insides with worry. He gripped the edge of the steps, hoping Sebastian wouldn't spot the blood draining from his fingers.
The dark shapes resolved into clear images, and finally, they saw them. Instead of trying to run, they drew blades and weapons, just as Jace had suspected. It wasn't too big of a swarm, and they could probably clear it out. The anxiety died down a little and he relaxed the death grip on the edge of the steps. His plan would work. They would recapture the Shadowhunters and they would be his and Sebastian's to rule over. He tried to massage some feeling back into his fingers.
Jace glanced over at Sebastian. His expression was hungry, intent on the battle in front of them. His dark eyes flicked to Jace's. "Not enjoying the skirmish, brother?"
"Far from it. It should never have happened in the first place, so I'll be much happier once we get them back." He scowled, seeing Clary take on a particularly nasty looking demon and destroy it in two blows.
"I find the chaos and fear of combat is highly entertaining, maybe more so than locking them up. Give them hope, and then rip it away more cruelly than the first time." Sebastian leaned back in his throne, absorbed in the turmoil once more.
Jace turned his own attention back to the conflict. The demons were diminishing, slowly but surely. "Send the second batch in." He said to no one in particular. Sure enough, more gloomy silhouettes appeared on the horizon.
Distracted, the vampire looked up and yelled to the others. The demon took the opening and lunged forward, tearing a huge gash on his upper leg.
He staggered backwards, pain distinct in every line of his body. Even as he weakly fended off another dive from the demon, the slash started to seal together, but not fast enough to make a real difference. Isabelle glanced over at him, worry making her face a picture of harsh lines and angles. As she dispatched her demon, she decapitated the one advancing on Simon with a neat flick of her whip. She hurried over, stealing glances and the few left. Dropping to her knees but keeping a tight handle on her whip, she pressed her hand against Simon's wound, staunching the blood flow.
Jace watched them whispering to each other, feeling a stab of pain as potent as the one pouring gore in Simon's leg. Clary left Alec to finish the last few off, running to Simon. He was gesticulating wildly at the fast approaching demons, and she whipped around to grab more seraph blades.
Keeping one eye on Simon, she named her blades, the blaze of angelic fire lighting up her face. Alec stood by her, an arrow notched in his bow. Closer they drew, eerie screeching filling the dead space. Isabelle, seeing that Simon was nearly healed, scrambled up, striking her whip against the ground and ridding it of the dark ichor.
Jace's fingers had involuntarily clenched against the edge again. He had to consciously stop himself from giving the command to call the whole plan off.
They all knew it was over before it began. There was at least double the number of demons that there had been in the first round. Still, weapons stayed at the ready, and Isabelle was yelling something about strategy. Every nerve in Jace's body was telling him this was wrong. He stole a quick glance at Sebastian again.
Dark eyes met his. He was watching Jace, not the battle. "Something wrong?" He asked casually, but Jace could hear the edge in his voice. Sebastian cast a pointed glance at his hands, now bloodless and pale against the dark steps.
He uncurled his fingers. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tense, that's all. I want the prisoners back." As he said it, Jace realized it was true. He did want the prisoners back- just not in the way Sebastian may have thought.
He turned away from Sebastian's probing scrutiny. Clary was darting back and forth, ripping holes in the demons, but it was no use. There were too many. She cried out as a flying beast snatched her away from the others by her shoulders. It took off with a grating screech, flapping its veiny wings. Kicking and punching, she tried to free herself from its grip.
Jace watched silently as the others were picked up, too. Each fought against their captor with little success. Soon, they could only see tiny struggling figures against the shattered backdrop of the sky.
Sebastian stood, brushing himself off. "They'll be here soon. We should celebrate a successful recapture. What do you think, brother?"
Jace swallowed. "Definitely."
This story's nearly over.
So I have one question for you guys- who's P.O.V. do YOU want it to end in?
I have a few more chapters planned, and possibly an epilogue (thoughts?) and the next chapter will be Simon's perspective. But the order is so screwed up now, I'm just thinking about ditching it.
Do you think Jace will get out of there? Can the others?
Bob The Dam Burrito: Here you go!
cfire27: Here it is
Alice Jamie (Guest): Thanks!
FluffyFluffLover (Guest): I really hope this lived up to your expectations!
Centurion kebob (Guest): Thanks for the feedback- glad you like it.
Catielynn09: Thanks :)
PLEASE let me know what you thought.