Chapter 15
It was late in the afternoonJonathan ad just picked up his sister Clary from school when noticed the door ajar. Clary had been following up the stairs. He motion to her to behind him. His brother Sebastian lay motionless on the floor in kitchen. Someone was here he sense it. The back his neck prickled. The next he knew was against the gasping for air. He heard sister Clary scream then he was thrown on floor hitting his throat on his wristwatch. Coughing. Then a sharp pain in his leg, he tried to cry out to Clary as the she was dragged away.
"Clary!" Jonathan spoke hoarsely, waking up in a cold sweat. His mouth felt dry and his throat hurt as swallow. His heart pounded in chest. Jonathan swung his legs out of bed then rubbing his face with his hands. He looked over to his brother who snorting. One arm hung over the bed. He staggered sleeplessly out bed downstairs to kitchen. The stairs creaked as he walked down them.
The kitchen was small but not too small. A table fit for five people sat in the center. It was cozy for a ranch house. Jonathan entered the kitchen wearing his favorite flannel sleep pants and a worn out I hates Mondays T-shirt. Both were faded from over washing. His bare feet padded across the floor.
He grabbed a cup from the cupboard. Jonathan went over to the sink and turn on the tab. He filled his cup then drank. The cool water soothed his aching throat. The water at the ranch tasted better than the water in the city. It didn't taste like dirt. Here the water tasted fresh.
Jonathan looked out the window above the sink it was dark. As he watched the outside he saw something move in the shadows. At first thought it was a rabbit or something, but then he saw it run on two legs. Who was that he thought? His heart started racing in chest. He went outside to get closer look. Standing on the porch squinting his eyes. The figure in the darkness looked and awful lot like Raphael. He scowled at him.
"Hey" a voice said from behind.
"Clary, what are doing out of bed?" Jonathan said hoarsely.
"I was getting some water then I saw you out here. What's wrong?"
Jonathan ushered Clary back inside. Then he grabbed a notepad and pen. He wrote on the paper that said he someone outside.
"Are you sure?" She looked at curling her lip.
He nodded. Clary looked out side the screen door but saw nothing.
The morning had gone by quickly and everyone was sitting on the porch. Sebastian was sitting in a chair with his leg over the side. Clary sat next to Jace who had arrived early that morning with the Lightwoods and Simon. Which Clary still couldn't understand why he was being threatened? It was strange.
"Jonathan, he saw someone outside last night." Clary said looking at Sebastian.
"Really? Who?" He asked.
"He thinks it was Raphael." Sebastian straightens up in his chair when he heard the name. "What?"
""Where is Jonathan now?" he said stiffly.
"In the barn helping Luke." Clary replied. Then Sebastian suddenly got up and walked toward the barn.
"I thought that was Jonathan." Alec replied confused.
"No, that's Sebastian." Said Simon.
"How can you tell them apart?" Alec asked.
"Easy, Sebastian's hair is slightly longer than Jonathan's which is always a mess." Clary said resting her arms on the back the chair. " Besides Jonathan is very quiet compared to Sebastian."
Alec still didn't see the difference. He looked at them and saw two people who looked the same. He was glad he didn't have a twin. He couldn't even imagine having someone else that looked like him. Alec was even glad there wasn't two of Isabelle. That would be a nightmare he thought to himself.
Sebastian stalked over to the barn to find his brother. He was helping Luke fix his truck. It was a good walk to the barn. Sebastian loved the ranch. It was quiet out here not like the city. The ranch was had over 90 acres which was divided into five parts each belonging to the four original families of the order Lightwood, Morgenstern, Herondale, Graymark, and Penhollow.
Although most of the land was unoccupied, Sebastian and Jonathan technically owned their families' part of the ranch but couldn't truly inherit the land until they were twenty-five. Even Jace couldn't claim his families land until he was twenty-five. The lightwoods hadn't been on their part of the ranch in years. The last time the Lightwood's were here Isabelle was only five.
When saw his brother Sebastian walked up to him.
"Hey Jon I need to ask you something."
Jonathan looked up. He wiped his hands with a towel. Then walked over to his brother.
"Clary said you saw someone last night. Who was it?"
"I'm not really sure." Jonathan said in hoarse voice. " I think it was Raphael."
"Raphael?" Luke jumped at mention of Raphael's name.
"Yea think."
"If Raphael is here somewhere on the ranch it can only mean one thing." Sebastian said.
"He's after Clary."
"What's does Clary have to do with all this?" Jonathan asked.
"The Journal. Clary is the only one who can read it." Sebastian eyed his brother.
"No, we can't let Camille or Ragnor get a hold of Clary." Said Jonathan.
"Your right Jon. We can't." Sebastian put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "We'll have to do whatever it takes to protect her."
Jonathan nodded. He knew he couldn't let anything happen to her. For it was a promise they both made to there father on the night he was killed. The night haunted Sebastian for nothing would make him happier then to see Raphael dead. Luke told the twins to keep their eyes open. He also said he alert the rest of the order.
After Jace, Alec and Isabelle went home; Clary explored the house. She found herself in her mother's old office. Looking through the drawers of the desk she found what appeared to be a bookmark. A poem of some kind was written on it.
Only time will tell,
when the big clock strikes twelve,
will the dragon's stone be revealed.
Only time will tell,
as the crystals of blue, white, and red,
keep time in it's place.
only time will tell,
may the amulet be found,
by a pure heart.
Only time will tell,
when all is placed at,
the alter and then only then,
may time be restored.
Restore time? What does that mean? Clary thought. Something about the poem seemed familiar. She had read about the crystals in the journal even something about an amulet but she never heard of a dragon's stone. She continued to look in the drawers of her mother's desk. she found nothing else. Clary then decided to read the journal again to see if she could find out more about the dragon's stone. She left the office and went back to her room.
Once Clary was back in her room, she grabbed the tin box where she kept the journal and all of the contents in. After what happened the other day Clary decided it would be best just to keep the journal where it was safe. Something about each item in the box contained some kind of clue. Her mother was telling her something but what?
Before Clary could examine the contents she heard a commotion outside. She put the bookmark in the box then went outside. to see what was the matter.
Jonathan was outside arguing with Helen who had come to warn them. She was trying to get him to listen but he didn't want to hear anymore of her lies. You see Jonathan still hadn't really forgiven Helen for sleeping with his brother Sebastian. Even if she claims it was a mistake. Though he still cared for her it was still hard for him to forgive her.
Jonathan shook his head then walked away from her. Sebastian was standing near by. Helen grabbed Jonathan by the arm.
"Please Jonathan, forgive me." She said as she fell in his arms. Jonathan and Helen fell to the ground.
"Helen!" He cried to her. His hand came away bloody from her back. "NOOOOOOOOOOO, HELEN!"
Sebastian rushed to his brother's side then turned to see Raphael glaring. He was grinning with a wolfish grin. Sebastian produced a dagger from his belt and threw it at Raphael. The dagger hit him in the shoulder and he stumbled to the ground. Sebastian then stacked over to Raphael picked up the gun he had dropped and pointed at him.
"What are going to do kill me?" Raphael said.
"You killed my father, then tried to kill my mother. Kidnapped my sister now you killed the only girl my brother ever loved."
"So" Raphael smiled wolfishly. "You don't have the guts to kill me."
Unfortunately Raphael didn't know Sebastian very well. He had waited seventeen years to kill the man who murdered his father. Looking at Raphael straight in the eyes Sebastian pulled the trigger. He stared down at Raphael's lifeless body. A sense of relief fell over Sebastian like a great weight had been lifted off his chest. He then bent down to pull his dagger from Raphael's shoulder.
Amatis had taken Helen into the house after finding a pulse. She and Luke had been working for hours trying to retrieve the bullet from Helens back. Jonathan kept close by for news that she was okay. Both Sebastian and Jonathan were sitting on the porch. He turned to his brother and spoke.
"If you ever touch her again I swear to God, Sebastian I will kill you."
"I never meant to hurt you Jon. I promise that I will never come between you and Helen again." Sebastian told his brother.
"I love her. It's been difficult being without her."
"I know." Sebastian grinned. "You two are meant for each other. I just wish I could a girl like her."
"You will someday." Jonathan said reassuring his brother.
"Pfffff, what girl would want a crazy ass like me?"
Jonathan laughed. Then the door to the house opened. It was Luke. Jonathan and Sebastian jumped. Luke nodded with a smile.
"She's asking for you Jonathan." Luke said.
Jonathan rushed inside almost tripping over the threshold. As he disappeared into the house Luke looked over to Sebastian.
"You okay."
"Yeah, I'm fine." Sebastian replied then sighed. He was relieved that Raphael was dead. Though he knew that the battle had only begun.
Later that night Clary sat up in her room. She held the tin box between her hands. Opening it only to retrieve the journal and bookmark. As she opened the journal to read it once more for the fifth hundredth time something fell out of it. An envelope fell on the ground. Her name was written on the front in bold letters. Clarissia.