The End of Days

The Funeral

Year 2060, Idris

William Carstairs stood rooted to the spot. He would have thought himself completely alone, lost and abandoned, were it not for the fact that he could still feel the shaking shoulders of the lovely young women on either side of him. He had an arm wrapped around each of them as they all stared straight ahead, all equally transfixed by the flames of the pyre. His father's funeral pyre. His father's body was burning, turning to ashes that would fortify the Silent City that had been his home and his prison for so many years of his long life.

James Carstairs, 1871-2060. The headstone would be placed in the graveyard on the outskirts of Alicante. It would join the markers of countless others who had lived and died to serve the Angel. It would, of course, be placed beside the headstone of his own namesake, William Herondale, his father's parabatai, from whom he had now been separated for far too long. A sad smile flickered across his face at the thought. How often he had heard his father and mother speak of Will, the man they both loved as much as they loved one another.

His gaze broke from the dancing flames as he turned to look at the young brunette beside him, who was in fact his mother. She looked to be about the same age as his daughter Sophie, but she had lived several lifetimes and had now lost the last of her two great loves. Tessa Herondale Carstairs stood tall, back straight and head raised, but her body was wracked by silent sobs and tears were coursing down her cheeks. Her left hand clutched the jade pendant she had worn for over a century and a half, while her right hand clung to the man on her other side. His slit pupils were blurred by tears as he too mourned the loss of a man he had known for a span of time too great for most mortals to comprehend. William was glad that his mother had Magnus there, because he was the only one who could really understand her pain.

"Ave atque vale, James Carstairs."

The voice belonged to Magnus, and William knew that the use of the Shadowhunter phrase was a reflection of the deep respect the warlock had for his father.

"Ave atque vale, grandfather."

This voice came from his left, from Sophie, who looked remarkably like her grandmother, but had inherited James' aptitude for playing the violin. He remembered the two of them playing together, sitting cross-legged at opposite ends of the sofa in the library of the Los Angeles Institute. Sophie had always been so determined to play everything just right, just the way her grandfather played it. He had been the most patient and loving teacher in the world. Of course he had. It was simply in his nature to be patient and to love without inhibition.

A blonde woman with streaks of gray running through her long braid made her way through the small crowd to touch Tessa's shoulder.

"Emma," Tessa managed to whisper through her tears.

The women embraced one another and cried together. Aunt Emma's husband had died in a battle with fairies of the Unseelie court just a few months ago. He had been a brave Shadowhunter and a marvelous head of the Los Angeles Institute. William's heart grew, if possible, heavier still at the memory of his uncle. Julian had been his favorite relative growing up. He had never been too old or too busy to play games with William or any other children who came to the Institute. This was probably because of his own extensive experience with kids, since he had done most of the work of raising his younger siblings.

So many people he loved were already gone, and the death tolls were still rising. The fey had finally grown restless enough to cause a stir in the wake of the Cold Peace that had remained unsteady but in tact for decades. They were everywhere. They targeted Nephilim, and none were safe. He hugged Sophie tighter to his side as he gazed into the now dying embers of the fire. There was nothing to do but wait. What was coming would come, and they would have to meet it when it did.

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A/N: ok sorry I know it's horribly depressing.... Idk I have more that I want to write but I wanted a little backstory before I got to it.
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