Chapter 7

Jace stared in disbelief at the broken pieces of the five-dimensional door. He remembered when Valentine had shattered the portal at Renwick's and Jace had kept a piece, looking at it to try to catch a glimpse of his believed father.

Jace, Sebastian, Amatis and Garrick stood in in a dark, wet hallway. A single hanging torch emitted a dim, yellowish light in the center of the corridor. The floor and walls were made of lumpy stone, and drops of water fell from the low ceiling. Jace thought about trying to run, but where the torchlight ended, all he could see was pitch-blackness.

Sebastian patted Jace on the back, causing Jace to wince. He whispered in Jace's ear, "I think I liked you better when you were my slave."

Normally, Jace would have been able to think of something witty or awful to say, but instead he kept his mouth shut.

"Hold still and don't think about trying to run." said Sebastian.

Amatis held Jace's arms behind his back as Sebastian tied an itchy blindfold over Jace's eyes. He felt a strong hand—probably Sebastian's—take his arm and pull him forward. After walking for a while, Jace heard a doorknob turn and a loud creak as a door swung open. They proceeded forward.

Even though he was blindfolded, Jace could tell that the place was a palace. Their footsteps echoed as they walked, and Sebastian's voice filled the room. Jace wasn't listening to what Sebastian was saying; he didn't care what happened to him—at least not now. Now he was exhausted, and his legs hurt from where he'd fallen from the light fixture. When Sebastian had broken his arm, Jace didn't notice because of the familiar feeling of adrenaline running through his veins. But now that the high of battle had dissipated, his arm throbbed painfully.

But despite the terrible situation he was in right now, all he could think about was the look on Clary's face when she'd been fighting. Although she'd had no weapons, she'd looked like a warrior, a powerful angel avenging the ones she loved. All he really wanted to do was see her one more time before he died. He knew his thoughts were morbid, but so was his reality.


` As soon as they got to the institute, Alec could hear quickening footsteps coming their way. As soon as Maryse saw them she stopped dead in her tracks. Alec could imagine what they might look like to her: A group of shadowhunters and downworlders dressed in ruined formal wear, two people unconscious, including her daughter, and Clary, who was fitfully wiping away tears. Instead of asking questions, Maryse got right down to business.

"Get Jocelyn and Isabelle to the infirmary, now." Maryse said.

Simon and Luke walked past Maryse and disappeared into the hallway.

"What happened?" Maryse asked in a low voice.

Everyone looked at the floor. No one knew where to start.

Maryse craned her neck in order to look behind them.

"Where's Jace?" she asked.

No one said anything.

"Where is Jace?" she repeated, her voice shakier and louder.

Alec cleared his throat and recounted the fight in the dress shop, and how Jace had gotten taken by Sebastian. Luke and Simon slinked in just as he finished.

Maryse blinked back tears. "How did this happen when you knew that Sebastian was coming?" she said softly. "After that warning he sent us—"

"What warning?" Clary interrupted.

Maryse's eyes widened. "You didn't tell them?" she asked Luke.

"Tell us what?" Alec asked, looking pointedly at Luke.

Alec listened intently as Luke told a story about an evening meeting with his parents and Brother Zachariah.

"I'm so tired of this," Clary said.

"Look, I'm sorry—" Luke started.

"Don't say that!" she yelled. " I am so tired of everybody keeping things from me! My mother, and now you! And look where that got us. Jace is gone and it's your fault. Stop trying to protect me, because you can't. No one can."

With that, Clary stormed out of the room. Luke put his head in his hands.

There was a long silence. Maryse broke it by saying, "So how did you explain the disarray to the store clerk?"

"Well," Simon said. "We kind of told her that mountain lions came in and trashed the place."

"Mountain lions." Maryse repeated.

"Yeah…" said Simon. Alec noticed Maia in the background, trying to hide a snicker.

"You told the lady that mountain lions just sauntered through the streets of Manhattan, completely unnoticed, went in to her shop and trashed it. How will anyone believe that?"

Simon winced.

"I knew that I overestimated you. No matter how mature you teenagers act, you're still children at heart. And I can't believe that you," she glanced sharply at Luke. "allowed all of this nonsense to happen."

Luke continued to stare at the floor.

"I have nothing else to say to you all." Maryse continued. "I need time to clear my head."

She got up and padded softly away. Simon and Maia awkwardly followed, leaving just Alec and Luke.

Luke turned to Alec. "Look—"

"Save it," Alec interrupted. "You messed up, and I think it would be best if you leave everyone alone."

Alec retreated to his room, leaving a dejected-looking Luke behind.


The slamming of the heavy wooden door awoke Rebecca from her restless slumber. Her dreams had been filled with visions of blood and gore and flashbacks of being tortured for answers.

She remembered how she'd heard the door open while making lunch in her kitchen.

"Hi Si—" she'd faltered when she saw the boy that she now knew as Sebastian.

Standing there, smiling in the middle of her living room, he'd looked harmless. He was cute, beautiful even, with white-blonde hair and a slim figure. But there was something unnerving about his unusual black eyes. She'd looked into them and seen nothing.

"Who are you?" she'd asked.

His smile had turned sad. He'd looked at her with feigned pity. "I'm really sorry about this."

Rebecca had known that ever since Simon's confession, her life would never be the same. So instead of asking him to leave her apartment, she'd quickly scanned the room for a weapon. She'd run into the kitchen fumbling for a knife. But when she had turned around he'd been standing there. With unbelievable speed, he'd grabbed the knife handle and yanked it downward, leaving a long cut in her hand. She'd cried out and tried to run away. She'd put up a good fight before being taken, she thought now.

Over time, Rebecca had learned that Sebastian was a monster. She'd figured out that there had never been anyone as sadistic, bloodthirsty, and utterly psychotic as him.

Now, she could only hear his voice faintly in the background. "Hello, Rebecca. I brought you a playmate."

Rebecca pushed her greasy, tangled hair from her face. Sebastian was half-carrying a boy with golden hair, lion-like features and cuts and gashes all over his skin. He wore a tattered tuxedo and an exhausted expression.

He was the most beautiful boy she'd ever seen.

As soon as Sebastian let the other boy go, the tuxedo-clad boy fell to the ground, panting on all fours.

"Enjoy each other while you can," Sebastian said. "Because you won't have long."


When Isabelle awoke, she found herself in one of the familiar soft beds of the infirmary. After her vision cleared, she could see Simon looking over her with a worried expression. His hand cupped hers.

"Isabelle!" Simon sounded relieved. "You're awake."

Her head throbbed as the memories of the recent fight flooded into her brain. "Ugh. Unfortunately."

Simon stood up. "I'll go get you some water."

Isabelle sat up. Her wounds were almost healed, thanks to the iratzes that had been applied while she'd been unconscious.

In the next bed lay Jocelyn, still asleep. A frazzled looking Clary stood over her, willing Jocelyn to wake up. Looking around, Isabelle noticed that one person was missing.

"Where's Alec?" she asked after Simon returned with a tall glass of water.

"He's in his room." answered Simon. "No one's been able to get him to come out."

"Why not?" Why wouldn't Alec come and see his only sister? What could be more important? Isabelle felt hurt.

"Well, his boyfriend broke up with him, and then his parabatai got kidnapped by a psychotic demon-shadow hunter and Luke's evil sister."

"Don't forget the warlock," Clary added from far away.

"Right. Things like that can get a guy depressed. Just give him time. He'll come around." Simon said knowingly.

Isabelle sipped nervously. "Wait a second, how did you know that Alec and Magnus broke up?"

Clary rolled her eyes. "It was pretty obvious."

Isabelle sighed and lay back down. Things must be harder on Alec than I thought, thought Isabelle. Alec was always my rock.

Jace was gone. And now Alec was drifting farther and farther away from her. But one thing that she knew for sure was that she wasn't going to lose Jace without a fight.

"Simon, please get me my phone." she said.

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Maybe you should rest for—"

"Get it now." Isabelle ordered.

Simon retrieved Isabelle's cell phone from atop the medicine cabinet.

"I have a phone call to make." Isabelle said.


Jace dreamed that he was lost.

He wandered through the dark forest. He didn't know where he was, but he heard voices in the distance. Maybe someone could help him. He broke into a run. He jumped after he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you lost?" the person's face was shrouded by darkness, but the moonlight lit his pale hair.

Jace nodded.

"Come on then,"

Jace followed the boy back the way he came. There was something familiar about the voice of the person who was saving him; he couldn't put his finger on it. When they finally made it out, Jace saw the boy's face and yelled.

It was Sebastian.

Sebastian expression was a mix of alarm and concern. "What's wrong?"

"Sebastian…" Jace breathed.

"What? You must have me confused with somebody else."

That's when Jace noticed his eyes. They no longer looked like endless tunnels; instead they were bright green, the same color of Clary's.

"Look, do you need a ride? I… um… hope you get home okay—"

"Who are you?" Jace interrupted.

"I'm Jonathan." the other boy said. "But everyone calls me John."