Empire of Starlight

by cariaudry

The war against Jonathan is well underway and in the middle of it all, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, and Alec retrieve the Cup, but at a price: Clary and Jace are trapped in Idris. Prisoners in a court full of demons, Clary and Jace soon discover their only hope of survival may rest in Jonathan's dark past, but finding the boy he once was might be more dangerous than they thought.

3. Conclave

Hello everyone! So, I just thought I'd let you all know that I'm back at my university and starting classes again. This shouldn't effect the publishing of chapters here, but if it does, I should I only be off by a day or two. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and thanks for reading!

Conclave

Isabelle trembled as she stood before the imposing doors of the Clave. She looked up slowly from her seat on the carved stone bench upon the towering doors and swallowed. On the lintel of the door, an image of the Angel had been carved, in one hand, he held the Cup, in the other, a sword. Isabelle studied the Angel closely; his face was carved in a mask of vicious riotousness, and he gazed down upon the scene on the doors with bland contempt. She decided she didn't much like the look of the Angel. Below him, on the doors, was carved the image of a great lake, and rising from its depths were people, humans covered in the strange markings with swords in their hands. Isabelle suspected that these were the shadowhunters, rising up to meet their patron saint and maker. Below the shadowhunters, in the lake, sinking to the bottom was a strange array of shapes and figures, animals with ugly faces, men with fangs and claws: demons.

Makes for a good bedtime story, that, Isabelle thought while she fidgeted in her seat. Hosts of hell spawn sinking below our great defenders feet, and all that stands between the shadowhunters and death is their markings.

Isabelle gave the door another glance and noticed that above the heads of the shadowhunters was written the words Maximam gloriam in nobis non numquam cadere, sed surgere omni tempore declinemus. Isabelle frowned. She had never been particularly literate until Clary had taken it upon herself to teach her, and, in the months that had followed her relocation to Alicante, she had learned a fair bit more. However, this was a language she didn't recognize.

Isabelle had been so engrossed with the carvings that she didn't hear the footsteps of Alec and Magnus approaching until they were right behind her. "Nervous, Izzy?" Alec asked as he settled down beside her.

"Maybe," she said indifferently, "but this is about much more than me being nervous. This is about our friends."

"Noble," Magnus sniffed, "but you'll find the Clave is not interested in your friends. All they want is your knowledge of Jonathan's army. It will be difficult for you to win them over for any other cause."

Isabelle tossed her hair back. "I won't tell them anything unless they agree to change me into a shadowhunter."

Magnus pressed his lips together. "Isabelle, being a shadowhunter is much more than having a weapon and fighting passionately for honor and glory. It is much more difficult and dangerous than that; there is so much you don't understand yet."

So much you don't understand… "I know that I want Jonathan dead."

"That's your first mistake," Magnus said at once. "Whatever Valentine did to Jonathan, it wasn't the boy's fault. Valentine made Jonathan this way; you can't hold it against him."

"But, we can't fix Jonathan." Isabelle stood up, her cheeks flushed. "It's horrible what happened to him, and I know it's not his fault that he's this way, but he is."

Magnus opened his mouth to argue, but at that moment, the double doors opened and a single figure dressed in black appeared. It was a tall man with dark eyes and a hooked nose and severe face. "The Clave would like to hear from Alexander and Isabelle Lightwood."

Isabelle started to speak, but Magnus drew forward. "I've escorted the Lightwoods and would be present during their interrogation, Malachi."

"Bane," Malachi said with a slight sneer. "The Clave does not seek the assistance of a warlock."

"You did two weeks ago," Magnus said swiftly, smiling.

Malachi narrowed his eyes. "It's a simple interrogation, a few questions regarding what they saw while in Idris."

"I think it's best I'm there," said Magnus all the same. "After all, I have the most understanding of demons and their power to control minds. I also served in the palace and have some useful knowledge of my own."

"But-"

"I am a member of this governing body, Malachi," Magnus said sharply. "I have every right to be present when evidence is given."

It seemed like Magnus had given the other man reason to pause, and he seemed to be doing some quick thinking. Alec wondered if there really was some gulf between shadowhunters and Downworlders, and a small part of him was worried. Worried that if he somehow became a shadowhunter, he would have to hate Downworlders too.

I can't hate Magnus, Alec thought. He's been kinder to me than anyone else I've met, and he's so nice, so funny, so… Alec swallowed and shied away from the rest of the thought. Yes, he loved Magnus, and yes, he knew he shouldn't care, but he thought that a number of other people would.

"I want Magnus there," Isabelle said rather firmly, and Alec sighed in relief. "I'm not comfortable giving a testimony without someone I trust."

Malachi looked furious with Isabelle's demand, but he seemed a bit helpless to the situation. "Yes, fine then. Come on, you two." He waved Isabelle and Alec towards the doors, and Magnus trailed close behind them.

Isabelle drew a deep breath as the doors opened slowly and she reached out for Alec. Her fingers curled around his upper arm and she squeezed tightly. Isabelle and Alec glanced up and they saw the Angel glaring down on them, judging them; it was like having the eyes of god staring down on you, judging you.

Know your sins, Mother used to say, and you're safe, Alec thought faintly, sensing Magnus behind him. Well, I know mine, and it is not a sin.

"Walk to the center of the room and stand quietly," Malachi ordered. Isabelle and Alec both drew deep breaths together and then moved into the room.

It was, for a moment, heart-stopping. The meeting hall of the Clave was a vast, arching, room of hewn stone. The room was lit by thousands and thousands of witch-light stones, casting their eerie glow on the room, but the light didn't reach the ceiling, which extended into darkness. Shadows danced on the floor, which was a beautiful smooth, mosaic of the Angel rising out of a glowing lake. A few steps in, and Alec and Isabelle saw the small, pale faces in the distance, like hundreds of stars winking out of the blankness at them. The two came slowly to the center of the room, standing on the lake, and looked about. Isabelle felt her heart lighten just a little at the sight of Jocelyn and Luke, and Magnus crossed the room and joined them.

"Isabelle and Alec Lightwood." They both jumped a little, breath catching in their throats, and turned to face the speaker. It was short, plump man, with bright eyes. He smiled when they looked at him, but there was an edge to it, like a snake. It didn't make either of the Lightwoods feel any warmer. "I am Consul Aldertree."

Is that supposed to mean something to me? Isabelle thought frantically.

"One of our number came forward and told us you would like to make a statement about your explorations in Idris." Aldertree's eyes glimmered. "We were told you went to Idris with Mr. and Mrs. Herondale and infiltrated the fastness of Jonathan's castle. Is this true?"

Is it true? No, I lied about it all, and the Cup I brought back was a fake. Isabelle ground her teeth. She got the feeling that this Aldertree didn't believe them. "Yes."

"You were actually in the castle?" Aldertree pressed, as if driving some point home.

Isabelle's eyes narrowed but it was Alec who answered. "We were in the palace of Idris."

"How did you come to be in that place?" Aldertree asked sharply.

"We left this city during the battle," Alec said simply. "The four of us traveled to Idris." Here, Alec gave a simple account of what they had seen of the country side, of the people and the land. More than one shadowhunter looked uncomfortable and worried.

"It sounds as if a poison has spread through the land with these demons," a shadowhunter said. "And what is this talk of the Great Goddess? Who do they refer to? It has always been the Angel we have believed in."

"Great Goddess?" Magnus asked sharply, and he his eyes darkened.

"Something you'd like to add, Bane?" Malachi asked, eyes dark.

Magnus waved a hand. "Nothing of any consequence," he muttered. "Please, continue."

Alec cleared his throat and continued. "After arriving at the castle we used servants' passages to enter the castle and-"

"How did you know about those?" Malachi asked quickly, his lips pressed in a line.

"We were servants in the palace," Isabelle answered, frowning. "Besides, Clary lived there all her life; she knew the passages as well."

"Of course," said Aldertree swiftly, smiling again. "Yes, of course. So you snuck into the castle using the passages you knew as a servant there, and then what?"

"We went to Jonathan's chambers," Isabelle said slowly. "Into his rooms. We tore the place apart looking for the Cup-"

"You were in Jonathan's private chambers?" Malachi asked loudly, his face in a dark frown. "You were actually in his rooms?"

What do you think I meant by it? Isabelle thought angrily. "I found the Cup in his bedroom."

"Ah, yes," said Aldertree, and he shot an angry look at Malachi. "You found the Cup." He gestured with his hand, and there it was, gleaming in all its glory, on a small, stone pedestal. "You found the Cup and brought it back to us; we're grateful."

"I suppose you're welcome," Isabelle said, shrugging. Her words elicited an angry murmuring, but Magnus, Jocelyn, and Luke smirked. "We found the Cup, but it was triggered with an alarm; Jonathan and his demons were upon us in minutes. Hundreds of them…" Isabelle shuddered.

"We've been wondering about that," Malachi said. "All the demons he has. Where are they coming from?"

"We don't know," Alec said softly. "We just barely saw them in the castle; they seemed to be possessing human bodies so they could travel by day."

"Human possession?" It was another shadowhunter, just one of hundreds. They stared at Alec and Isabelle with a slight sneer. "That doesn't make sense, demons devour humans, they don't live in them, not for long periods of time, anyway."

"Now that's not completely true," Magnus said softly, his voice like a tinkling bell. "Demons have been known to possess human bodies for months on end to use the human as a type of skin. Who's to say that's not what happened here?"

"Bane," the shadowhunter sneered. "As much as we all hated Valentine, none of us could deny that he hated demons more than any of us. I do not think he would allow his son to study the Dark Arts; I do not think any shadowhunter would study-"

"Well, Jonathan did," Isabelle said stoutly, "because we saw the demons using human bodies. I saw a woman unhinge her jaw just like a huge snake, and she had fangs as long as knives."

Another shadowhunter raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Yes, but how is that possible? Demons do not obey shadowhunters; how could Jonathan keep the demons under control? Why would they serve him?"

Because he's part demon himself. "Maybe he's got a weapon or a spell that binds them to him?" Isabelle offered.

"Valentine was in possession of the Mortal Instruments," Luke said thoughtfully. "It's possible he performed the Conversion Ritual and was using them to control an army of demons."

This idea settled over the Clave uncomfortably and a few people nodded in consent. Aldertree, though, seemed ready to press on. "So, Jonathan has demons not just as an army, but as his fellows now. How is it, then, that you two humans escaped with the Cup in hand from an army of demons that can travel in the light of sun?"

Isabelle felt a familiar pain spring up in her chest. This is where you make your case. "Clary and Jace were with us, and…and when we were attacked by the demons, they stayed behind to hold them off while we escaped."

"The Herondales remained behind?" Aldertree said, clearly shocked.

"We didn't have a choice," Isabelle replied quickly. "Clary forced us to go back, and she locked the door behind us so we couldn't stay to help. She thought she was safer than we were."

"What's this?" Malachi snarled. "Two of our number was left behind in the hands of a demon master while the humans escaped?"

"She told us to go," Isabelle repeated.

"And you think they were safe?" Malachi asked sarcastically.

"Well," Isabelle said uncomfortably, and her eyes darted to Jocelyn; she bit her lips but nodded slightly. "Well, Clary is Jonathan's sister; there was a time, she said, when they were close, and she thought it better to stay behind and see if she couldn't reason with him."

Aldertree blinked slowly and looked to Jocelyn. "Is this true of your children, Jocelyn?"

"To the best of my knowledge," Jocelyn said softly, "yes, Clary and Jonathan got on well when they were young. Perhaps she thought she could convince him to end this."

"A hopeless endeavor, of course," said Aldertree quietly. "But so, they stayed behind? Even now, the Herondales are captive to Jonathan?"

"Unless they managed to escape," Isabelle whispered.

"A tragedy," Aldertree proclaimed, but he didn't sound very sad. "Truly, a tragedy. To have two our most precious, and most potential, soldiers taken from us is a loss. But it was all for a true cause, for their bravery and their daring, we now have the Cup. Their memory will live on. If only there were ever a way to reclaim the poor souls, but, seeing as we so pressed for soldiers, I do not see how-"

"A thought," Isabelle said quickly, before her courage failed her.

Aldertree, who had all but forgotten her now that the story was told, glanced back. "Yes, miss?"

"Now that you have the Cup, it is possible to make new shadowhunters," Isabelle said evenly, sensing the eyes of many others on her. "My brother, Alec, and I have done a bit of thinking, and we feel that the loss of Clary and Jace rests on our shoulders. We want to make right what we did wrong."

Aldertree leaned forward, resting his fat chin on his hands. "Do you?"

"We offer ourselves to the Clave, to be the first to test the Cup." Isabelle looked to Alec who nodded fervently. "Both of us have trained, and Alec has already served in this war, and so we thought we could be made into shadowhunters ourselves."

Isabelle's offer was met with a long moment of silence; maybe it was the surprise of having an offer, or maybe it was the indignation of the Clave at having a simple human girl offer her life to them, but they were quiet. After a few minutes, though, Jocelyn cleared her throat to speak.

"Ascension is a serious offer, and nothing to be taken lightly," she said firmly. "To become a shadowhunter is a perilous life, and one that puts your life before the lives of others."

"Will all due respect," Alec said, "it was Clary and Jace who put their lives before ours. It's time we paid them back."

Jocelyn bowed her head. "It is my family you seek to avenge, and so, I say yes to this." Jocelyn's proclamation was met with some nodding and some shaking.

It was Malachi who stood up, his eyes glowing angrily. "It is much you ask of us, and much we are not quite willing to give. After all, it was the shadowhunters who rose up, not the humans, to defend this world."

Magnus raised a hand, his eyes twinkled playfully. "To rise every time we fall, isn't that right?"

Malachi smiled grimly. "Perhaps, but rising is never easy."

"We won't know unless they're allowed to try," Jocelyn reminded, and her eyes were hard. "Besides, we are certainly in no position to turn away soldiers. Have you forgotten the last battle? We won, yes, but it was a close thing, and many were lost. We need more shadowhunters if we want to end this war."

Malachi looked ready to argue the point more, but Aldertree held up his hand, giving him a meaningful look. "The Clave will vote on the matter. All in favor of this Ascension, raise your hand now."

Isabelle and Alec looked about them though it was hard to count; first a few, then more and more…it had to be more than half. Isabelle's heart gave a lurch. Let us do it! Let us save our friends! Almost all the hands in the room were up now, and, after a bitter glance about, Malachi lifted his as well.

"Well, I suppose that settles it," Aldertree said with a shrug. "Alexander and Isabelle Lightwood may join our ranks. It will take about three days for the Iron Sisters and Silent Brothers to come together and prepare the necessary ceremonial equipment. Please return here in three days time for Ascension."

Isabelle breathed out in relief. "We will, thank you."

"Then you are dismissed, Lightwoods," Aldertree said with a wave.

Alec led Isabelle out of the room and the doors opened on their own accord; Isabelle wanted to go then and share the good news with Max and Simon, but Alec wanted to wait for Magnus. They sat on the stone bench, again staring at the large, imposing doors.

"It seemed like there was some disagreement between the Consul, the Inquisitor, and the rest of the Clave," Alec observed.

"A bit of enmity toward us, if you ask me," Isabelle said grumpily. "He treated us like we were lying the whole time! I mean, we brought him the Cup; where did he think we got it from?"

Alec smirked. "Yeah, well, Magnus seemed to shut him up."

Isabelle smiled. "What did he mean, do you think, when he said something about rising?"

"No clue, but it seemed to mean something to Aldertree and Malachi." Alec glanced at the door of the Angel again and felt a small leaf of trepidation unfurl in his stomach. "Do you think we're going to fight against demons once we're shadowhunters? Do you think we'll fight Jonathan?"

"I'd like to," Isabelle said in a low voice. "I want to teach that monster a lesson for what he did to our friends."

Alec took Isabelle's hands. "We'll do it, Isabelle, don't worry; we'll see him dead."

"Careful, Alec, what you say." It was Magnus, and he was just leaving the Clave. He flicked his gaze over Isabelle and Alec. "Jonathan is still a person, and who knows, maybe Clary really can reach him. We must keep hope for the boy."

"How can you say that?" Isabelle snarled. "After all the evil he's done-"

"He wasn't always that way, he changed," Magnus pointed out. "If' you're going to be a shadowhunter, Isabelle, you have to learn to recognize the light from the dark, and that's not as easy to do as you might think."

"Magnus, he's a murderer and a rapist," Isabelle said calmly, eyeing him with a bit of dislike. "I won't look over that."

"You can't be so quick to judge, that's all I'm saying," Magnus shrugged. "I'm sure you didn't like to be judged by Aldertree and Malachi."

"But that's different," Alec pointed out softly.

"Just remember it," Magnus suggested. "I don't care what Aldertree and Malachi might think, the Angel's words still count to me." He pointed to the phrase that was inscribed on the doors of the hall.

Isabelle squinted. "What does it say?"

"It's Latin," Magnus said. "It says, our greatest glory in not in falling, but in rising every time we fall."

Isabelle licked her lips. "I don't know if Jonathan can rise." There was a nagging doubt, though. There is so much you don't understand…

Clary sat still as a statue while Aline brushed her hair out. He wants me to love him, he said he'd make me love him. Well, I won't! I'm in love with Jace, and nothing can change that, not even death. Clary glanced down at the rune on her arm and felt that familiar warmth that was Jace's constant presence tingle up her arm. There is nothing Jonathan can do that will make me forget Jace.

"You should go to bed, mistress," Aline said in her dead voice. "You have an early start tomorrow; I'm to get you up and ready for breakfast with the king, and then it's out to the river for skating and the ice fair."

Clary pressed her lips into a firm, straight line. "And you'll be attending me, of course?"

Aline blinked and then shivered. "Oh no, mistress, not me; I don't belong among the court. I'm just a lowly servant."

"I'd like you to come," Clary pressed.

Aline's hand jerked and she tugged Clary's hair painfully. "N-n-no, mistress. I can't, please, I can't. Don't make me go, please. I-I-"

"It's okay, it's okay!" Clary said quickly, jumping to her feet and placing her hands on Aline's shoulders. "You can stay in my rooms, Aline, you can stay all day."

"Y-y-yes," Aline stuttered, and she picked up the brush she'd dropped and tried to brush Clary's hair while she was standing. "I'll stay here and look after things. I'll keep things clean. Yes, I'll stay."

Clary sat down and sighed. I'm so sorry, Aline, for every mean thought I ever had for you. I'll make it up to you, I swear on the Angel I will. Clary gave the other girl a stunning smile and gestured her to the small sitting area. "Would you like something to eat, Aline? Isabelle and I used to have such fun together at night; I'd order up some food: bread and cheese and soup and wine, and we'd sit and talk and tell stories until we both fell asleep…" Clary voice warbled off as she saw Aline staring at her in confusion. "Do you not remember Isabelle?"

"I remember a girl," Aline said distantly, like it was a struggle for her. She bit her lip nervously. "She was pretty and funny, and she had the biggest brown eyes I'd ever seen. She didn't think much of me."

Clary linked her arm through Aline's and led her slowly over to the chairs where they both plopped down on a couch. "No, she just didn't really know you that well, and-and-" Clary was thinking fast now, trying to make Aline feel better. "-And she thought you were infatuated with her brother. She's very overprotective of Alec, you know."

Aline's eyes widened in surprise. "Alec?"

"Isabelle's older brother," Clary supplied.

"Alec," she repeated, and then nodded as if it made sense. "I haven't seen him in so long, but if you want to see him, I'll go looking for you. He might be in the kitchens-"

"No, Aline, he's gone." Clary gave her a sweet laugh. "Me, Jace, Isabelle, Alec, Max, and Magnus all left a long time ago. I just came back."

"Came back?" Aline sniffed, and then looked down at her feet in her usual tired sort of way.

Yes, but I certainly can't tell you; I'm sure your mind is laid bare to Jonathan and his demons. "I missed home, you know, and all the friends I had. You've been so gracious to help me adjust."

"I serve the princess now," was Aline's answer and she jumped when a shadow crossed her line of vision.

"Jace," Clary said, shooting him a look under her lashes. "Have you had a look about?"

He gestured to the door. "It's open, but outside the main doors, in the halls, are two demon sentries."

"Did they try and hurt you?" Clary asked at once, her eyes scanning Jace; she hadn't felt anything, but that didn't mean much.
"No," Jace shrugged, and fell into the seat opposite Clary and Aline. "No, they said I was to stay in the Queen's chambers, on orders of the King, but that the Lady Clary was more than free to come and go as she pleased. It appears your brother has given you free reign of the castle."

"I don't want it," Clary said back, frowning. "I'd prefer to be locked in a cell with just you than here in this room with all the food, and wine, and clothing I'd ever want."

"Well, Jonathan said you'd be spending the day with him," Jace said thoughtfully. "Perhaps you should try and use that time to explore the castle and the new ruling class. Look for a way out."

"The castle hasn't changed, Jace" Clary pointed out. "It's still the same structure, it's just been overrun with demons now."

"Then explore the demons themselves," Jace said quickly. "See if there's any discontent among the them, see if there are any weaknesses among them, see if you can't figure out what their next move is."

Clary pressed her lips into a tight line. "I don't think they'll tell me anything, Jace; I'm Jonathan's sister, not one of them."

"It's the best chance we have right now, besides…" Jace wandered off, his eyes dark. Clary felt an odd sensation run through her, like anger and worry and even a hint of fear.

"Besides what, Jace?"

He met her eyes. "Jonathan seems oddly attached to you, to the idea of pleasing you. Think about it. I mean, he's letting me live because of you."

"He wanted to kill you!"

"No," Jace said slowly. "That's not what I mean. He has to keep me alive, but he doesn't have to let me live with you, share a bed with you, or even let me serve you. He could just have easily locked me up somewhere, or sent me away somewhere, or just given me different rooms to sleep in at night; instead, he puts me with you. Doesn't that seem a bit odd?"

"He thinks he can make me love him," Clary said softly. "He thinks that he can prove he's better than you. All Jonathan is doing by letting you stay here is saying that you're not a threat to him in any way."

Jace laughed. "I don't think he's quite so sure as that, but I think he wants you to believe that."

"Then what do you propose?"

Again, Clary got that odd wash of emotions. "Maybe you should play along a bit?"

"What?" Clary gasped, jumping to her feet. "I am not going to pretend to love-"

"I'm not saying that, Clary! By the Angel, do you think I'd let you?" Jace barked. "No, I mean, don't just turn him away at every turn, don't completely hate him."

I don't completely hate him, Clary reminded herself. Because I know what he is now; I know what Valentine did to him. "It's hard when I think of the things he's done-the things he wants to do."

"The more we know, the better off we are," Jace murmured. "It can't hurt to start wheedling information out of him now. There's still so much we don't know."

Clary moved to Jace and curled up against him in the chair. She felt him run his hands through her hair and then rub her back, kissing the top of her head. "I afraid of him, Jace, because I don't know what he will do. I thought he was just a horrible person, but he's not, is he? He's a person, trapped inside a demon, and it's the demon I don't know. I know Jonathan…"

Jace lifted her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes. "Yes, Clary, you know Jonathan; you've told me stories about him when you were children, and I barely recognized that boy. But, I think that if we remember that somewhere deep inside that demon is that boy, there might still be hope. If you just keep thinking of the brother you used to have, not the one he is now, you might be able to reach him. He did love you, after all."

Yes, Jonathan loved me; I was his little sister, his sweet, little sister, and I would have remained that way had I not turned away from him. Clary's heart beat painfully. I betrayed him, not him me. I swore to myself that I would help him, I swore that I would do whatever I could to make right what Valentine wronged…besides, I don't want to be afraid anymore, and this is the only way to end the darkness.

Jace kissed Clary's lips firmly, and all the fear and darkness left a moment. "But, Clary," he said against her lips, and his voice was deadly, "if Jonathan touches you, I don't care who he was. I won't rest until he's dead."

Note: I'm not actually sure if my Latin translation was completely correct. I had to ask one of my friends taking a Latin course, but if anyone out there can translate and I did it wrong, send me a message and I can fix it!