Better Angels

Chapter Eighteen: Jace Lightwood

"RUN!" Simon shouted as he bolted down the pavement. Jocelyn and Luke were on his heels with Jordan helping a limping Maia not far behind them. They were at the end of the street, three-blocks away.

Magnus had no idea what they were running from until a half-woman half-serpent creature came barreling after them. Lamia. Magnus had never encountered her before. She was at least two heads taller than Alec with a tail trailing behind her. Her scaly green tail was a thick as a tree trunk and struck anything close to her, rendering any wall or car into pieces. Her eyes glowed green through serpentine slits, and here nails were hardened into claws.

"What the hell is that?" Jace shouted.

"Never mind that! Get through the Portal! NOW!" Magnus exclaimed. He beckoned the others towards the Portal, but they had already drawn weapons to fight Lamia. "NO! DON'T ENGAGE!"

"We don't have a choice! We have to hold her off so the others can get through! If we don't she'll keep coming!" Alec said.

"And if you do, you will all die. Get through the Portal now! I will hold her off."

Alec's blue eyes sparked with defiance as he drew his bow and arrow. "They are our friends."

He fired an arrow to Lamia's heart. It struck true. She screamed in anger and ripped it from her chest. It had hit her, but did little damage. The Nephilim weapons were no match for monsters.

"You don't have the weapons to fight her. Get out of here." Fear began to take ahold of Magnus as Lamia began to gain on them. She was furiously chanting spells in Latin as she sought to decimate the Nephilim. She was almost on Maia and Jordan, who were still two-blocks away.

Magnus could tell that the spell she was about to cast would be a strong one. The air around the Institute filled with a metallic tang and sparked with electricity. The hair on his arms stood on edge as he readied himself to counteract Lamia's curse. The serpentine woman's hair flowed behind her and her eyes beamed. Alec fired another shot only to have it bounce off her scales. They needed celestial bronze or Imperial gold to fight her off.

Maia and Jordan limped furiously trying to get away from their enemy, but she was faster than them. A length of two cars separated Lamia from her prey as they struggled forward. Lightning began to spark off Lamia's body as her spell was reaching completion. Magnus summoned his power to send a wave of fire at her in hopes of slowing her down. If he could slow her down then Maia and Jordan could get away.

Simon was the first one to reach Magnus with Clary and Jace on his heels and Jocelyn and Luke behind them. Jocelyn and Luke breathed raggedly. Their clothes were torn in several places. Newly formed bruises began to show on their bodies. They had a rough fight on their way to the Institute.

"Portal to Idris, now." Magnus ordered. "None of you will be any help here."

"What about the others?" Jocelyn breathed. Her green eyes filled with motherly concern.

"I'll take care of them. Just get out of here before the border and Portal closes."

Jocelyn nodded reluctantly and beckoned for Clary and Jace to go first. The couple stepped into the Portal and promptly disappeared. Magnus hope that they would make it to Idris safely. Jocelyn went next and was followed by Luke.

"Isabelle! We have to go!" Simon shouted.

Isabelle had been guarding the rear and ran to Simon. They both leapt through the Portal and travelled to Idris.

Magnus looked behind him.

Alec was still firing arrows at Lamia defiantly even as her spell was completed. Lightning struck all around them burning cars and destroying buildings. It crept in towards to two werewolves who were not nearly close enough to reach the Portal in time. Lamia would cut them off before they did. Her long tail had already begun to slither around them in an attempt to cage them.

"GO! Get out of here!" Jordan shouted. "TAKE THE PORTAL!" Only half a block separated them from the Portal. They continued to run as fast as they could.

Magnus could not leave them to die. He attempted to banish the lightning and tried to keep it away from Alec, Maia, and Jordan. The Lightning dissipated and was replaced with massive hail. Lamia was able to warp the energy around her. Hail bombarded the street and left potholes in the pavement. Magnus kept them at bay with a flick of his wrist and took a step toward the Portal ready to pull Alec in with him if necessary.

The warlock's ability to render her spells useless outraged Lamia, and she screamed in anger. The scream that left her throat was unhuman and echoed off the buildings around them. It was piercing. Lamia quickly changed her tactic and whipped her tail at the fleeing werewolf couple. Magnus could only watch in horror.

Her strong serpent tail struck Maia and Jordan's bodies with resounding thud. The force behind her tail immediately broke their shins. Lamia didn't stop there. Her tail kept coming and lifted the two off the ground and flung them into the nearest building. Flesh connected with stone with a wet slap. Maia's body slid to the ground in broken heap while Jordan was impaled on broken glass.

Lamia roared in triumph. She turned toward Magnus and smiled baring her sharp yellow crocodile teeth. She made no movement toward Magnus or Alec, and instead began to speak.

"It's a shame that the demigod boy couldn't be here. We've been on his scent for days now. I would have enjoyed killing him." Lamia paused and gestured to Maia and Jordan. "Think of these two as a warning, and a mere fraction of the power than we hold." Lamia laughed once more. The air shimmered around Lamia and collapsed around her. It began to cover her serpentine body and wrap around her. "Gaea sends her regards," Lamia said before she vanished into the Mist.

Alec dropped his bow and arrow and ran to Maia. He hoped to find some sign of life. Magnus followed slowly taking in the sight before him. Maia's body was bent in impossible angles. Her legs were facing opposite ways with her knees bent in ninety degree angles while her torso was hunched forward. Her golden-brown curls hid her face from him, but even from far away he could see the scarlet hue that seeped through her curls. Staining the back of her head burgundy.

Jordan hung limply on the wall. His hazel-green eyes were wide, but no life was in them. Blood blossomed around his stomach and dripped from his mouth. There was nothing Magnus could do for him. Jordan Kyle had died the moment he struck the building.

Alec lifted Maia's head and felt for a pulse. Instead he was met with the limpness of a broken neck and grief. Magnus placed a hand on Alec's shoulder. Alec and Magnus did not cry. Death seemed to surround them constantly, and tears would not bring their friends back.

"We need to go," Alec said softly. "We should bring their bodies."

Magnus nodded slowly. "I'll get Jordan down. Will you grab Maia?"

"Yeah," Alec replied.

Magnus summoned Jordan's body to him and brought in carefully down into his arms. Alec lifted Maia's body up and she fell into his arms like a ragdoll. Blood decorated Magnus and Alec's arms as they walked to the Portal bearing their fallen friends for all to see.