Scars of her Blood • Shadowhunters

Chapter 39: Dorothea

There was a knock on the door of the apartment. Magnus rolled his eyes and clapped his hands, the table and the glass shards disappearing. With a last stern look towards Celia, he left the room to open the door. Celia stayed for a moment to figure out who was at the door.

"Dorothea?", she heard Magnus' surprised voice.

"We found her in Valentine's hide-out.", Clary answered, "she needs some medicine I think."

"And we need a plan.", Jace threw in, "Valentine is at the Institute."

"And he has kidnapped Simon.", Luke added.

Celia stepped out of the living room:
"Valentine is at the Institute?", she was immediately alarmed. But her friends seemed first of all confused:

"What are you doing here, Celia?", Jace asked.

"Magnus and I had something to discuss.", Celia stated without batting an eye. Jace nodded slowly:

"Well, whatever. Let's hear what Dot has to say."

They placed her down on one of the sofas and Magnus went to get her some medicine. Dot really looked horrible. Her skin had an unhealthy colour and the veins stood out way more than they should in any case. In only a matter of seconds, Magnus was back with a vial in his hand. He helped Dot to drink the silvery fluid inside:

"There you go.", he said, "you should start feeling better in no time."

"Thank you.", Dot whispered. Even her voice sounded broken. She had probably endured a lot of torture and experiments from Valentine.

Clary approached her when Magnus got up:

"Alright, Dot, tell us everything you know."

"I heard Valentine briefing his men.", Dot explained, "if Jace touches the Soulsword, he will destroy it."

Jace frowned:
"Me?"

"You think he is at the Institute to activate it?", Celia asked.

"His condition to release Simon is for me to come over and activate it.", Clary stated.

"Oh shit...", Celia mumbled. Somebody should really have killed her.

"But why me?", Jace repeated. But Luke had an entirely different thought:

"Why should we even believe a word she says?"

Dot looked shocked:

"Luke! Clary, you know me!"

"And you've lied to us before.", Clary shrugged.

"Because of the injections!", Dot insisted, "but now that Valentine has the Warlock girl, he has cast me aside. I'm myself again."

Luke scoffed from where he was standing by the window:

"Good story. But I have heard better."

Jace stepped in:

"Wait a second. In the vision from Ithuriel the demon that destroyed the sword had a clawed hand."

"Exactly", Clary nodded, "it has nothing to do with you."

"Perhaps I can lend some insight on the meaning of this vision.", Magnus said, "care to show me?"

He held out his hands Clary and Jace each grabbed one. They all closed their eyes, obviously connecting in some way so that Magnus could see what they had witnessed. Magnus spoke a couple words, then his eyes rolled inside his head for a moment. Only seconds later, he let go of Jace and Clary.

"There is a star in the sky.", he exclaimed. At seeing the confused faces around him, he explained further:

"Angels are higher beings. They communicate through metaphors. Morgenstern means morning star."

"As in How art though fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning?", Celia effortlessly recited the line from a book she once read. In some cases, her royal education had its perks. Magnus seemed a little impressed:

"Exactly like that...", he took a deep breath before looking at Jace, "the vision seems to be speaking of a demonic Morgenstern."

Jace sighed:

"Me.", he stated, "that's why Valentine wanted me under his control. I could jeopardize his plan otherwise. I can destroy the Soulsword."

"You would destroy yourself in the process.", Magnus added.

"No.", Clary seemed to panic for a moment, "that's a suicide mission, you aren't doing that!"

Jace scoffed:
"Says the girl who was ready to die for the Downworld like what, yesterday? Look, I'm not going to touch the sword. I'll just get to it before its activated and then return it to the Clave where it belongs."

Celia sighed:

"Well, I will call my colleagues. Looks like we need every backup we can get."

Celia had just gotten off the phone with Álvaro when Clary and Magnus stormed in from the balcony.

"Valentine just cut Simon's throat!", Clary screamed, "we need to do something, now!"

Celia frowned:

"We don't have much time... Vampires bleed out pretty fast -"

"Not now, Celia.", Jace intervened, "what did your commander say?"

"Everyone available will be dispatched. They will be here soon."

"Soon enough to save Simon?", Clary questioned. Celia just shook her head. She kept to herself that that would have also never been a priority for her team.

"Alright, then let's think quick.", Jace stated.

Fifteen minutes later, Celia, Magnus and Clary portaled into the park next to the Institute.

"Alright...", Celia took a deep breath, "I'm meeting my team behind the Institute. You guys call if anything changes. Magnus, you are sure that the Soulsword can't harm Hybrids?"

Magnus nodded:

"It will probably hurt if Valentine activates it. But he can't kill you with it because you still have angel blood."

Celia nodded. The SRU would go in and make sure that Jace got the chance to destroy the Soulsword after he saved Simon. The plan was relying on the vision that Jace and Clary had, but it was the best idea they could come up with.

Celia left Magnus and Clary and made her way to the agreed meeting point.

She did not have to wait long before a portal opened in front of her with a hissing sound. It was a reassuring feeling to see her colleagues step out of it one by one.

"Hey", Benicio approached her for a quick hug before handing her one of the communication devices. Celia thanked him and placed it in her ear.

"Alright, what's the plan?", Isaac asked once everyone was gathered.

"We are going in through one of the side entrances. We'll be in the living quarters then and approach the command center from the back. When we get there, the power core, where the Soulsword has to be if Valentine wants to activate it, is to the right.", Celia explained the layout of the church first, "We don't know how many Circle members Valentine has brought. I sent you all a profile of Jace Wayland. He needs to touch the sword to destroy it. It's our job to make sure he gets to it in the first place. Clary Fairchild on the other hand cannot touch the Soulsword under any circumstances. She'll activate it."

Celia was aware what her wording implied: A permission to kill Clary, should she reach for the Soulsword.

"Is Jace already inside?", Benicio asked. Celia nodded. Her phone chimed with a notification.

She quickly read the message and smiled:

"The Downworld clans are in on the plan. Once the sword is destroyed they'll storm the Institute and help with the Circle members."

Everyone nodded.

"Well, let's get going.", Isaac stated and Celia opened the door.