Valentine and Jonathan Morgenstern are dead. Clary stopped Valentine from using the Angel Raziel's wish to destroy the Downworld and with it her older sister. But things are only ever calm before the storm. Val and Jace are suffering from nightmares...
"I stand before my fellow Shadowhunters to receive the rune of the Angel. I take this mark to honor Him. To bring His light into me. To join the ranks of the Shadowhunters, the guardians of peace." Clary recited the oath as she stood in front of all us for her Rune Ceremony. A Silent Brother draws the Angelic Rune on Clary's wrist.
"This rune of Angelic Power is well-deserved and long overdue. You are no longer a Shadowhunter in training. You have defeated our greatest enemy. Valentine may have used the Mortal Instruments to raise the Angel Raziel, but you prevented a wish from being granted. Clarissa Fairchild, may your heroism be a shining example to Shadowhunters across the world. Congratulations." Imogen told her. We all start clapping and I send Clary a proud smile as she turns and looks at the entirety of the Shadowhunters who reside in Idris with a smile.
"I'm gonna go talk to Jace." I tell the others once the clapping subsides. Alec nods and kisses my cheek before I run to catch up with my adoptive brother. We end up in the Cemetery of the Disgraced. "They'd be proud of you." I tell him. "I am."
"You're my sister, you have no choice but to be proud of me." Jace replied.
"I watched you grow up from someone who believed to love was to destroy -because that's what we were taught- into someone who let love in and became stronger. All you cared about before was the hunt, I'll admit it had me worried and I know I hated Clary because she turned our lives upside down, but she makes you a better person Jace." I remind him. "We both came out of our childhood traumas stronger because we let love chip away at our walls and we found a family who loves us."
"This is the closest I've ever gotten to them." He whispers. "Do you remember them?"
"Barely. I remember seeing your mother when she was pregnant with you." I pull up every memory I have of Stephen and Celine Herondale in my mind. "They were already set on naming you Jonathan. I remember Celine joking around and saying they'd call you Jace for short since his name was already Jonathan." I tell him as I push back the tears thinking of my twin. "I guess subconsciously I remembered it when we were growing up."
"You were the only family I had for years until we let the Lightwoods in." He smiles at the memory.
"You and I, we were each other's rocks, we lived through the horror of growing up with the rough childhood we had. You were the only constant I've had for 20 years now." I smile with him. "If you really wanna know more about them I know a Silent Brother who has had a close relationship with the Herondale family for years. I'm sure he can tell you what he knows about your parents."
I walked away from him and moved through the Cemetery towards Jonathan's headstone. We never found his body, but I needed the reminder that he was gone for good. I stood there for a good hour trying to think of everything, trying to figure out when he was slipping, when Alec finally found me. "You miss him, don't you?"
"There will always be a part of me that will miss him. I'm always going to be missing a piece of myself, but I won't have to keep wondering what piece that is, because I know." I reply still looking at the headstone. "I knew he was glamoured as Sebastian the minute I noticed him. At that time the real Sebastian was still alive. I can't figure out when he started slipping before he attacked Max." I let out a sigh.
"It's not your fault, Val. He was responsible for his own actions."
"I know." My voice was barely audible and if he went standing next to me, he probably wouldn't have heard me. "I can hear the whispers from everyone here. They're wondering why I haven't taken the Fairchild name like Clary did. How long until I give into my demonic blood like Jonathan did."
"You found a way to let out your emotions. You told me he was tortured for years. He never let anyone in, you did." Alec reminds me. "After I knocked down every wall you built around yourself." He adds. I laugh because I knew he was right. He was determined after I showed off the day Jace and I arrived. "It took a year, but you finally started letting me in other than Jace."
"And everyone else became so determined to know the real me instead of the cold exterior they were always seeing." I leaned into him as the memories came to me. Alec was the first one I let in, then it was Max, Lucy, and Izzy. I never really let Robert in but after Izzy finally broke through the walls Maryse tried so hard until I finally told her why I was afraid of a mother's love.
"Come on. The Portal's open so we can all head back to New York." I smile at the thought since we couldn't bring Madzie with us.
"Let's go home." I tell him. We head back into the Gard and walk through the Portal. As we step out, I see we're in the office while everyone else comes in through the front doors. "Have you told Izzy she's the new weapons master?" I ask him.
"Not yet. I will after everyone gets changed." I nod before I walk into my room and quickly change out of the dress, I had worn for Clary's rune ceremony.
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I walked into the office and smirked when Izzy followed behind me before sitting down behind my desk.
"What's going on?" She asked.
"Alec will tell you when he gets in here." I replied. Finally, after waiting a few more minutes Alec finally joined us.
"What's going on Alec?" Izzy asked.
"You are the new weapons master." He tells his sister.
"And since Clary is now no longer a Shadowhunter in training, she needs to find her signature weapon. Alec and I have our bow and arrows with me and Lucy, her naginata with us sharing our daggers, Jace, his seraph blades and you, your whip. Now it's Clary's turn." I add from my spot. I see Izzy grinning from ear to ear. I knew it was something she had been dreaming of doing since she was little.
"Alright. I guess I better go get her then." Izzy said before she left. When night finally fell, I left and walked home to my apartment. Halfway there I felt eyes on me. I looked around with the help of the shadows but seeing nothing I shrugged it off before I continued on my way home. Although things had calmed down since my father was killed by Raziel, I still had an uneasy feeling about all the adomei that had disappeared earlier in the day and that feeling only intensified when none of the hunters both Alec and I sent out couldn't find Jonathan's body where it should've been. I had learned over the years to always trust my instincts and feelings.
Alec had decided he was going to stay a little longer, so it'll be less work tomorrow since he was slightly behind from the past few days. Madzie and I order food and settle in for the night on the couch watching movies.
A/N-- Here's a short filler chapter. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out by next week.
