Stronger Than Heaven

Chapter 17

The field was eerily quiet.

After Magnus had portalled them out of the Royal Tunbridge Institute, they were dropped into the field in front of the house that Jace, Clary, Isabelle, and Simon had time travelled to. The commotion of the Institute, the yells from the Shadowhunters, and the force field that had a consistent hum made the sudden silence deafening.

Jace was pacing nervously through the grass, his eyes reflecting an inner turmoil that made the others nervous. They had already changed back into their Shadow gear and Simon had gone into the house once more to return their borrowed clothes. Alec was staring up at the sky, his hands behind his back with a contented smile on his face. He was completely unaware of their situation - only believed that he was a Shadowhunter in this century and he was joined by his friends. Isabelle and Simon were standing guard a little ways away, watching for passersby. Clary was watching Jace with worry and Magnus had stayed behind to cast a memory spell on the town.

"Where is he?" Jace muttered, wishing he had worn a watch for once. He estimated that they had about 5 minutes left before they were stuck in this century forever. Their wait seemed to drag on, each passing minute causing increased anxiety in all of them. He caught Isabelle's eye when she turned to look at him, her eyebrows furrowed and her face etched with distress.

"If he doesn't come back in time... what are we going to do?" Izzy asked.

Jace shifted his gaze and closed his eyes momentarily. "I don't know," he said quietly, at a loss for words. "I'm so sorry I put you guys through this."

"It won't be so bad," Simon quipped, always the one to try to lighten the mood. "We can churn butter and... prevent all the bad things we know are going to happen."

This put a small smile to Clary's face who looked up to find Jace gazing at her, deep in thought. Jace recalled his conversation with Harold in the Apothecary before he had stepped into the portal. He knew what he needed to do, but he wasn't sure it would be entirely possible.

Another minute passed and Jace began to pace again, his hand rubbing through the light stubble on his face. Birds chirped in the distance and the wind ruffled the tall grass around them. Another minute passed. Jace's heart began to beat faster and, besides Alec, he could feel the others becoming increasingly nervous.

Just then, a strong gust of wind blew behind him and he turned to see Magnus hurriedly walking through a portal. "Oh thank God!" Isabelle breathed, running towards him with Simon at her tail.

"We have 30 seconds," Magnus called out, his voice slightly shaking with urgency. "Hurry. Get into a circle." He pulled out the device and started spinning the dials as quickly as he could without dropping it.

Jace felt Clary step beside him and take his hand. He looked at her and she gazed back at him. She gave him a small smile. "I'll never forget you, Jace," she said softly, her voice almost melancholy. His heart constricted but before he could reply, he felt a sudden pull at his torso and then, darkness.

-

Jace found himself standing in the middle of the library back in Idris, alone. He assessed himself over quickly. He felt normal, everything intact, and no confusion. But where were the others? Clary? Instantly, his heart rate quickened and he walked towards the doors just as they opened and Isabelle walked followed by Simon, Alec, and Magnus.

Alec had a sheepish look on his face. "Sorry about that guys... I uh... guess I'm attached to my identity here more than I thought," he said, shaking his head slightly. "I never thought I'd be the one to hold everyone back."

"It's alright Alec, we've made it back safely," Jace replied, looking behind them for a head of red hair. "Where's Clary?" he asked nervously.

"She's fine, she's in her room," Isabelle said. "We both ended up back in the Armory. She said she needed a moment. I'm sure this has all been very overwhelming for her."

Jace nodded and he relaxed, taking a deep breath. They stood in silence for a few seconds before Magnus spoke up. "We have something really important to talk about here, Jace."

"What happened back at The Apothecary with Harold?" Alec asked. Jace drew out a breath through his lips and motioned for them to take a seat. They complied, Alec choosing to lean against a bookshelf instead.

"The only way out of this..." Jace began, his voice going quiet. "The only way Clary and I can be together is if I give up my duty as a Shadowhunter." Immediately, all of their gaze shifted and the energy in the room changed. "Harold gave me this." He took an object out of his pocket and held it out. It resembled a stele, but the material was pure smooth glass. "The Silent Brothers had created this specifically for Harold... to remove his runes for good. When a Shadowhunter is banished for treason, stripping the Marks is usually excruciating." He went silent as he thought about what his own adopted mother, Maryse, had gone through. "When presented to the Silent Brothers, this removes runes without pain.. It was created for someone who chooses to relinquish his rights as a Shadowhunter and live in the Mundane world. The Silent Brothers had left it behind with Harold, as they wanted to keep this a secret. Technically, he was buried with it. But I have it now."

Silence engulfed them once again, but this time it lasted for a minute as they all processed what he was saying.

Alec cleared his throat. "As your parabatai who has an insight into your thoughts, Jace..." He took a deep breath and uncrossed his arms. "I know you've already made a decision." Jace nodded his head.

"Being a Shadowhunter is who you are," Isabelle said softly, reaching over to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Jace took another deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Now I just need to tell Clary."