The City Of Deadly Passions (TMI)

Brand Name Pride

Jace awoke to a pounding headache. When he opened his eyes, he quickly glanced around to find himself still inside the cavern of mirrors, with a couple changes and exceptions of course. His hands were bound with thick rope and his ankle was chained to a post jutting out of the floor. Dried blood claimed most of his face and he could feel bruises and cuts all over. He cursed under his breath when he realized that his blade had been taken and that he had no way to escape from his restraints.

"You might as well come out where I can see you Lust. I know that you did this, that you tricked me to win." Jace said angrily into the air. A chuckle rang out into the air and Lust materialized in front of Jace.

"I didn't trick you boy but I merely used battle strategy to win. As per our agreement I have the right to do with you as I please. Its highly unlikely, actually impossible that you'll escape me so I might as well reveal my master plan."

Jace rolled his eyes and raised his eyebrow. "Whatever pleases you."

"Well, eons ago my brothers and sisters ruled the world with an iron fist. Everyone feared us and worshipped us for fear of death. Violence and chaos ran rampant. Even the Shadow Hunters which we were the first of feared us. But they decided that we were too dangerous and too powerful to continue ruling the world so they devised a plan to capture us. They had the warlocks Tessa Gray, Ragnor Fell, Caterina Loss and Magnus Bane construct a cage woven of magic and the souls of Shadow Hunters to trap us in. We fought a lengthy and arduous battle but in the end the Shadow Hunters locked us away. They didn't just hide the cage however, they tortured us and experimented on us. They his us for millenniums until the cage broke and we could escape. Sebastian Morgenstern or rather Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern damaged the cage when he turned all the forsaken loose in Edom and I was able to escape. I want revenge, I want to rule the world and be more powerful than any other being and I want to free my brothers and sisters. You, Jace Herondale are the first of the vessels. You shall resurrect my brother Pride and we shall continue on from there."

"Well, my wrists are cramping up from the rope so I hope that you're done with that incredibly boring speech so that you can just get on with what you're planning to do." Said Jace with a bored tone of voice.

"Fine boy. We'll proceed then."

Lust picked up a large bronze bowl that was engraved with runes and pictures that Jace didn't recognize and brought it over to him. She reached into the bodice of her dress and withdrew a bronze dagger. The word Katroptis was engraved on its blade.

"We will need some of your blood shadow hunter." Stated Lust bluntly as she dragged the dagger across Jace's left wrist. He hissed in pain as blood dropped from his arm and into the bowl where it mixed with other unknown ingredients. A puff of black smoke rose into the air and the ingredients formed a large black cube. Lust raised the bowl into the air and began to chant in a language that sounded like French to Jace.

"La Arrogance, je convoquer vous. Arrogance, mont sur la terre et prend Jace Herondale pour votre sacrifice. Arrogance, dévore le garcon et régne la terre avec une main de fer. Prends ton vengeance. Arrogance, je convoquer vous. Apparaîtu, apparaîtu, apparaîtu!"

Lust finished chanting and taking the black substance in her hand, she opened Jace's mouth and against his will, forced it down his throat. He gagged on it's bitter taste but he swallowed it all.

Suddenly, the mirror wall to Jace's left cracked open and black smoke poured from the crevice. It enveloped Jace, covering his view and concealing his body from Lust. He held his breath but it became to much and he inhaled. The black smoke poured into his mouth and nostrils, choking him on it's oily and acidic taste. The smoke completely vanished inside of Jace and his head fell to the side. Lust cut his bonds with the knife and lowered him to the ground.

"Brother?" She whispered tenderly as she stroked his face gently with her fingers. Jace's head moved and his eyes fluttered open. He took a glance at Lust and smiled a sincere smile.

"Hello sister."

Lust smiled with a spiteful glee and helped him to his feet.

"It is only us two for bow brother but the others will come. You know what to do, correct?"

Jace or rather Pride in Jace's body nodded. "Yes, I know exactly what to do."

          ***********

Alec lay on a cot in the infirmary, the same one that he had inhabited for the past three or four days. He would be the first to admit that he was probably best friends with the cot if he wasn't moving and moaning in excruciating pain.

His shirt was off and the Parabatai rune on his lower torso was sparking with amethyst fire and slowly dripping a pale olive colour mixed with a sludgy, oil slick black.

Magnus was on his way and everyone anxiously sat around the bed, trying to redraw the iratze rune and hopefully prolong or save his life.

An hour passed and at the hour mark Magnus appeared. He took one look at Alec and simply said, "His Parabatai needs to draw the iratze to heal him and redraw the Parabatai rune or it won't work and he will die. It pains me to say but he only has ten minutes left."

Suddenly, the door to the infirmary banged open and a very injured and delirious shadow hunter barged in. It was obvious from the way that he; everyone assumed it was a he, rushed over to Alec that he had heard what Magnus had said. He drew a stele from his pocket and quickly and efficiently drew both an iratze rune and the Parabatai rune. Alec's condition immediately improved and soon he was back to normal.

The mysterious stranger topple to the ground and the hood obscuring his face fell. Everyone stared at his face with shock. Clary was the first to speak.

"Jace?"

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So that is French that Lust is speaking. French is my second language and I am fairly fluent in it.

It translates to "pride, I conjure you. Pride, rise on the earth and take Jace Herondale as your sacrifice.
Pride, devour the boy and rule the work with an iron fist. Take your vengeance. Pride I conjure you. Rise. Rise. Rise."

Thanks for reading.

Kathryn