The Angel-Blooded One (Shadowhunters ff)

12 - The Accession

Clary

The voice, like thousand wind chimes chiming in perfect unison, resonated through the celestial expanse. "Come closer, child." It was surprisingly gentle, a melody emanating from a figure bathed in an otherworldly glow. Drawn by an invisible force, Clary approached, her steps tentative. The being before her was unlike anything she'd ever encountered – breathtakingly beautiful, with an aura of power that made her skin tingle. This, she realized with a jolt, was Archangel Gabriel, the one entrusted with announcing God's will to humanity.

"Clarissa Morgenstern," he spoke, his voice echoing in the vast emptiness around them. It wasn't harsh, but held a weight that pressed down on her very being. "Do you understand why you stand before me?"

Clary shook her head. The events at the lake were a hazy blur, a memory fractured by the intensity of the encounter with Raziel. One moment she was bracing for his wrath, the next... she was here.

"You shouldn't exist," Gabriel continued, his words a stark contrast to his gentle demeanor. "Only fallen angels, the ones you call Greater Demons, have children of their own. Not angels of heaven. Yet, here you stand."

His words struck Clary like a physical blow. Confusion morphed into a chilling dread that settled in the pit of her stomach. "I... I don't understand."

"You are half-angel, Clarissa Morgenstern," Gabriel declared, his voice resonating with a power that left no room for doubt.

Half-angel? It was a concept so outlandish, so beyond the realm of her understanding, that her mind balked at accepting it. The only sound that escaped her lips was a disbelieving whisper. "What?"

"Indeed," Gabriel said, his expression unreadable. "And as an angel, you are subject to the judgment of God."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "Your family, the Morgensterns, has never enjoyed a favorable standing in the celestial realm. Your connection to Lucifer, the Prince of Hell himself, has always imbued you with immense power, but also immense pride. A pride that has historically led your bloodline down a path of ambition and destruction. Like Valentine."

Clary flinched at the mention of his name. The man she had once called father, who'd manipulated her, threatened the once she loved, and almost killed her. "But I'm not Valentine," she said, her voice gaining strength. "I've only ever tried to protect the world."

Gabriel's expression softened a fraction. "Perhaps that's how you perceive your actions," he conceded. "However, Raziel views them differently. Your unsanctioned use of angelic power, your creation of new runes – these, in his eyes, are affronts to the divine order. He sought your destruction, but Ithuriel interceded, pleading for your life."

He paused, his gaze holding hers with an intensity that seemed to pierce through her very soul. "Raziel relented, on one condition – your permanent exile from the Shadow World. Yet, the punishment wasn't his to give. And his power doesn't extend to controlling another angelic being. He could erase your conscious memories, but the truth, the core of your being, remained buried within your subconscious, waiting to resurface."

Gabriel's words hung heavy in the air, each syllable a hammer blow to Clary's fragile sense of reality. So that's why the memories had flooded back – not some random occurrence, but an inevitable awakening of her true nature.

"Then what do you think?" she asked, her voice surprisingly steady considering the weight of the revelation.

Gabriel's gaze softened, a hint of empathy flickering within its celestial depths. "I, as the messenger, hold no personal opinions," he explained. "But God's will is clear – He commands us to love one another, to strive to mirror His love in our actions."

He paused, his gaze searching her face. "And at the core of your being, Clarissa, has always resided love. Though your powers may have at times been used for personal gain, God, in His infinite wisdom, extends the possibility of redemption."

Noticing Clary's confusion, Gabriel smiled. "You have been forgiven, Clarissa Morgenstern."

The weight of his words threatened to buckle her knees. Forgiven? After everything? Relief washed over her, so intense it felt like a physical sensation. But amidst the relief, a new question surfaced. "And my runes?"

"They are an intrinsic part of you," Gabriel explained. "The very essence of who you are. No one can take them away. Raziel will not trouble you on that account anymore."

"So what do I do now?"

Gabriel's gaze turned solemn. "You have a choice to make. You are an angel. By birthright, your place is here, in the celestial realm. It is a gift – immortality, a chance to exist beyond the fleeting confines of mortal life." He gestured towards the vast emptiness surrounding them.

"But understand this, Clarissa," he continued. "If you return to the mortal realm, you relinquish your immortality. You will live and die as a mortal, bound by the constraints of human existence."

Clary met his gaze. The thought of eternity without her friends, her family, without Jace was an unbearable prospect. The life she knew, the battles she'd fought, the love she shared – it was all a part of her, as much as her angelic heritage.

Without a moment's hesitation, she straightened her shoulders, a determined smile gracing her lips. "Thank you, Gabriel. For everything. But I think it's time for me to go back."

Gabriel regarded her with a hint of amusement in his celestial eyes. "A worthy choice. Before you go, however," he continued, his voice taking on a curious note, "I believe it's time for you to look the part you were always destined to play."