Chapter 13

Trying to get information out of Ember was the equivalent of attempting to get blood from a stone; she'd either stare at them with a blank look or say that she wasn't saying a thing. Clary seemed willing to be even more patient; however Jace had already given up on bargaining with her. She just sat there, chained up with a snarling grin and a face that aggravated Jace to the point where he couldn't look at her anymore. Behind him and Clary, by the closed cell door was a stand with three pure silver blades that had runes covering them. A part of Jace didn't want to use one- especially not in front of Clary- but they needed information other than her name or the whole of Paris would end up as a doomed city of demons.

"Oh, now are you sure you want to do that?" Ember smirked as she watched Jace twirl the blade in his hands,

"Well, if you're not going to cooperate," he raised the blade in front of her,

"Wait, Jace, we can't kill her," Clary insisted,

"I'm not going to kill her; I'm just going to use another approach."

Jace pushed Ember against the cold stone wall before forcing her left sleeve up and placing the blade dangerously close to her skin. Most likely due to having all the characteristics of a psychopath, Ember's eerie expression remained as it was, but with an added hint of amusement.

"If there's anything you can tell us, tell us now," Clary spoke with pity in her voice,

"When I get out of here, you're going to regret not killing me," Ember laughed.

Patience was now nonexistent. Jace exhaled heavily as he pushed the engraved metal blade against Ember's skin, held it there until he could hear her pain and then took it off to see the burns that remained. How she could laugh once the blade was removed and through the agony made his skin crawl like scuttling bullet ants. Clary grabbed his arm as Ember carried on cackling and shook her head to tell them that she wasn't giving up any little hint of her plans. Though it was his job, after everything, Jace hated having to use pain as a way of interrogation, but Ember obviously wasn't backing down and neither was he. With a more than steady hand, he edged the blade close to her wrist and looked her in the eyes with a face as unsympathetic as hers.

"Have I missed the fun part?" Magnus chimed sinisterly as he walked into the cell.

Jace was slightly thankful for Magnus's interruption and he watched Ember's eyes light up slightly and her evil grin grow once she noticed him. He moved out of the way and put the blade back onto the stand.

"Has she told you anything?" Magnus asked,

"Nope, not even her age," Clary sighed,

"Well, no self-respecting warlock would reveal that. Not even Tessa Gray would reveal that."

There was a short laugh that came from Ember's lowered head which slowly rose when Magnus knelt in front of her. The way she tilted her head to the side with her eyes securely locked on him confirmed Jace's theory that whatever she was sinisterly scheming, it involved Magnus Bane. He asked her the exact same questions Jace and Clary had already asked and expectedly got the exact same answers.

"Thanks to Shadowhunters, I have more patience than I used to, but you're starting to really test it," Magnus said as he stood up and leant against the wall,

"Your son, what's his name?" Ember questioned,

"No no no no no, I do the interrogating here, stick to your role,"

"You didn't see what I saw, Bane. Maybe he would enjoy some alone time with his father."

Magnus's eyebrows narrowed as he moved closer to her and studied her face as much as she studied his. The silence highlighted the drops of water from the ceiling of the cell and grew longer with Magnus remaining in front of Ember. Soon Ember bit her lip and a sinful smirk poisoned her face as Magnus got up.

"Well, that was très insightful, but if you'd excuse me, I have something worthwhile to do," Magnus said as he buttoned up his blazer.

He made his way for the door, but turned around to throw a sling of red around Ember's neck and watch her gasp for breath and wince in pain. When he was satisfied, he released her throat and threw blazing red energy at her, making her crash into the wall to the point where cracks started to form and she fell unconscious.

"Don't mess with my family," Magnus tutted, "come with me blonde and biscuit."

Without saying a word, Magnus speedily led Clary and Jace to the dining room where Theo and Esme were holding a meeting. With a wave of his hands, the door flew open, revealing a full table of shocked Shadowhunters. The dining room was an elegant affair with scarlet velvet curtains being restrained by golden rope to allow the little light to flow through the antique windows, the ceiling was adorned with golden runes encircling the angel Raziel on a cream background, though the walls were decorated, they became overpowered by the portraits and landscapes that hung on them and unlit candles that were almost out of wax rimmed the room. But the all black Shadowhunters that judged them as they walked to the head of the table where Esme stood dimmed the otherwise spellbinding room.

"What are you doing in here?" a lady boomed,

"Your job," Magnus replied, "Ember plans on opening the portal to hell and unleashing its chaos on the world,"

"How do you know this?" Theo asked,

"I'm a very convincing man and since when did you speak understandable English?"

Theo showed off his rune that allowed him to speak all languages, "what did she say?"

"That my son will meet his father and as his father is a demon," Magnus didn't complete the sentence as he hoped that everyone else would reach the same page as him.

Unfortunately it seemed that the only people on his wavelength were Clary, Jace and Esme, while the table of stern Shadowhunters and Theo needed much more convincing. He could do nothing but roll his eyes and shake his head. After everything he had done to aid Shadowhunters- free of charge- he expected to have earned their trust by now.

"That obviously suggests that she's going to bring a demon to Paris," Clary said with enough sass to make Magnus proud,

"Thank you. You can always trust a biscuit to understand," Magnus high-fived her, but Theo still wasn't convinced,

"In the basement of the café where we apprehended her, there was a portal and Eidolon demons as well as others were swarming out of it like hornets. Is that enough valid evidence for you, or would you like me to do a sketch of the scene from memory?" Jace stood toe to toe with Theo.

Of course Theo had something to retaliate with, but when his mouth opened, Magnus shook his head with Esme grinning when he backed down.

"You heard Magnus. We need to find this portal, close it, get rid of the demons and then get rid of her," Esme gave her orders, "You will answer to me, Theo, Clary, Jace, the Lightwoods and Magnus. You have your orders, dismissed."

As everyone left the dining room, Magnus replayed what Ember had said to him. What Max had done made Ember very interested in him, which no doubt put him in just as much danger as Magnus. It was obvious that Ember wanted him to create the portal directly to the inner sanctum of hell as she wasn't powerful enough, but the fact that she was confident that she would get him to do it made him sick to him stomach. For someone to have that much faith in something so twisted, meant that they would do anything to make it happen and that was what scared him the most.