She heard a laugh through the trees it was a dark laugh that made you think of horrible things, and someone who enjoyed doing them. And it was coming from her brother Jonathan. Clary crouched low behind a tree breathing hard she had run quite a ways into the forest surrounding her house in Idris. But apparently he had kept up with her. Damn him.
She was in her jeans, a tank top, and sneakers. She was wishing she had worn gear for this instead. At least she still had her stele and one last seraph blade now she just needed a plan. "Come out; come out wherever you are little sister!" Jonathan yelled. though she noticed he was closer this time. She took a deep breath and quickly burned a courage rune on her forearm. She needed as much strength as she could muster. "Uriel" she whispered. The blade, responding to its name, transformed into a beautiful shinning sword. She moved from behind her tree and turned to face Jonathan, seraph blade in on hand and stele in the other. His poster was easy he was lounging against a tree a little ways off maybe if she had a knife she could have thrown it but she didn't.
"I was wondering if I was going to have to come get you." He said tilting his head and smiling at her almost like they were children playing a game. She wondered briefly what that would have been like but it vanished quickly.
"Just go away Jonathan, you're not welcome here." She tried to keep her voice steady but she was afraid. she needed to bait him for this to work. He needed to be closer. "No one wants you! Not Valentine, not our mother, not Jace, not me, not anybody!" she yelled at the space between them. Anger colored his features for maybe a second but then it was gone.
"You will come with me. One way or another, it's up to you Clarissa" he stood straight waiting for her to either drop her weapon or to take a stance. Clary moved into position ready to fight, she wouldn't make this easy for him. Not in a million years. "Oh good. this will be more fun for me" he smiled that evil smile of his.
And then he was behind her kicking out at her knee. But she pivoted to her left and managed a good arc swing with Uriel slicing a fine red line in his torso and jumping back to stay out of his reach. He pulled a sword of his own from behind his shoulder. "Nice job. You've been practicing" he was mocking her. She slashed and whirled and he blocked and struck. It became a dance between the two. Nothing graceful like the samurai's of japan. More of a Pirate dance, something you'd see two or so centuries ago with the waves rolling a ship. Neither fought fair, each time they were close enough they would kick or punch lashing out in any way they could hit the other.
Slowly Jonathan was losing patience he wanted this over. He wanted his prize.
Clary knew what her end game was. Kill Jonathan before he took anyone else away from her. The war he started had already lasted a year and had taken both Jocelyn and Luke from her. And now Alec and Simon were in intensive care. She ducked low and came up into his guard bringing her sword in a blinding line from his hip bone to his shoulder. She didn't manage to wound him really but she did manage to ruin his shirt. He looked down then up at her, then shrugged off his shirt letting it drop forgotten on the ground. "That, Clarissa was my favorite shirt" he advanced in blinding speed swinging horizontally slicing her belly open. Her guts didn't spill, it wasn't that deep she had managed to jump back quick enough but it bled profusely and stung all the same. She needed to end this soon. He came at her again all the games done with, all the jokes said. She saw her opening and took it.
It hurt like hell. It was like her shoulder was on fire and numb all at the same time. She could feel her collar bone crack and all the muscle in between tearing. But she was close enough. She dropped her sword and brought her arms around Jonathan. Almost like a hug, a real hug for her real brother. The runes she wrote on his skin were simple. First one for stillness almost like a statue of marble. It wasn't quick, staring in his lower back and spreading out. He jerked backwards pulling away from Clary. When he did oh how it hurt because he fell and the sword he held pulled out then twisted and ripped. If she didn't bleed out she would possibly never use that arm again the muscle had been destroyed.
She knelt down he was staring at her astonished. Then she knelt and traced a second rune, the one valentine had used on her for silence near lake Lyn. The third was for pain. And when she traced it there she pictured whips with razor tips, hot pokers and claws digging in and tearing his skin. He didn't scream he didn't make any sound or twitch. She watched for a long time until her vision started to blur she reached over and grabbed Uriel with the last of her strength she tore the blade down and across her brother's throat. Blood sprayed everywhere. Originally she had wanted to leave him like that for a few days before she killed him. But she could feel herself slipping and she wasn't going to leave him alive for any reason if she wasn't sure she was going to wake up later. She vaguely felt a tree at her back and wondered if Jace had found her letter's for everyone. The ones she wrote and left on the table in case she didn't survive.
In the distance she could hear people calling her name and footsteps getting closer. Two people were kneeling beside her she knew them. It was Izzy and Jace. They had found her letters. They were both talking and it looked like they might have been crying. But Izzy didn't cry so she was imagining it. She closed her eyes then very lightly she felt cool hands stroking her hair. When she looked up Jace and Izzy were gone Replaced by her mother and Luke she smiled at them so happy they were there. She had missed them greatly.
"Oh sweet heart you did such a good job. You were very brave" Jocelyn cooed stroking her daughters face. "Very fierce" Luke told her with a smile. He held out his hand much like he had at times when she was younger. Before the weird family history and all the scars. "Are you ready to go?" he asked. In the distance she heard faint demands of don't leave me but she couldn't tell if it was real everything was glowing and warm. She felt safe in a way she hadn't thought was possible anymore.
"Yes Luke I'm ready now" she told him and grabbed his hand and held her mother's arm as she walked between her parents into a light that led to heaven.