The Other Morgenstern

(City Of Lost Souls) Chapter Thirty-Five: The Second Cup

Skylar had fallen asleep listening to Jace who read a few chapters of Dickens, she kept seeing angels over and over again then seeing her in her dream. Suddenly she saw herself, on the ground bleeding. She was in pain, she sucked in breath before her eyes flew open. Her heavy breathing, her heart was racing and her back was in pain still. "Hey little brother, is it done?" Skye narrowed her eyes at the room door, she heard Sebastian speaking.

"It's done." Jace spoke, it sounded a bit different to Skye but she simply got off of bed and slowly approached the door. She pressed her ear against it, listening to the conversation. 

"And the old lady—she did as we asked? Made the Cup?" Sebastian asked

"Yes." Jace replied, his tone flat and blunt.

"Show it to me." It was silence, Skye raised an eyebrow and gulped. "Look, take it if you want it."

 "No. You hold on to it for the moment. You did the work of getting it back, after all. Didn't you?" Sebastian said

"But it was your plan...and I executed it, just as you wanted. Now if you don't mind take the cup."

"I do mind. There's something wrong. I can tell.I can read you, you know."

"I'm tired. And there was a lot of blood. Look, I just need to clean myself off, and to sleep. And..." Jace paused

"And to see my sister." Sebastian finished what Jace was going to say. 

"I'd like to see her, yes." 

"She's asleep. Has been for hours."

"Do I need to ask your permission?" Jace asked, his voice seemed cold...and more like normal Jace.

"No." Sebastian sounded a bit surprised.

"I suppose if you want to barge in there and gaze wistfully at her sleeping face, go right ahead. I'll never understand why—"

"No," Jace said. "You never will." Skye moved away from the door and crawled back onto the bed quietly. She laid down and pretended as if she was asleep. She heard the room door open slowly and close as Jace walked in. She felt his hand on her arm, and was shaking her awake lightly. "Skye?" He asked softly, her eyes opened when she heard his voice...and that's when she knew it was her Jace. His voice, was soft and gently...that is how she knew it was him. "It's me...okay? It's really me.." 

"H-How?" Skylar asked in a whisper, he pressed his index finger against her lips...shushing her silently.

"My room, we'll talk in my room.." Jace whispered before pulling away slowly as she sat up, and watched him leave first. Sh slipped out of the bed, ever since she began to transform completely...she was weightless and didn't make a noise unless she wore heels. She slowly approached the door, her eyes adjusting to the dark as her hand touch her door knob...which was cold. She twisted it and opened the door as quietly as possible. Thankfully she didn't make a noise when she was heading to Jace's room, she felt relieved being able to see him as himself.

Skylar tilted her head at the sight of Jace, standing near the window...oh how her heart fluttered a bit. She closed the door behind her before stepping forward. "Jace?" She asked softly, he turned around, he didn't hear her walk in at all. From far, she can see his face was wet which meant..he had cried.

"I'm sorry, that this guy..the other me...he has been the one touching and kissing you because that isn't me. You know that." Jace said as he moved over to her slowly, she walked over to him and hugged him tightly. She pulled away slightly, to look up at him and smiled.

"Jace, it's alright." She whispered and kissed her cheek gently, a tear rolled down her cheek. She was just happy to see him, the love of her life....Jace Lightwood Herondale...not the guy that Sebastian controlled....and took over. "Okay, it's fine. I'm okay...you haven't done anything to hurt me or said anything that would hurt him."

"I-I know. Even under control, I don't think I could ever hurt you." Jace whispered as he placed a hand on her cheek gently, and used his thumb to wipe her tear away.  "Look, I don't have long al-" He was cut off when Skylar had pressed her lips against his, kissing him and he didn't hesitate to kiss back. The kiss was intoxicating, Skylar wrapped her arm around his neck before pulling him down closer to her. This went on for a few minutes, until Jace pulled away quickly not wanting this to escalate. "I can change back any minute..."

"R-Right." Skylar said and cleared her throat, her lip were swollen from the deep kissing. She pulled away from him and let Jace sit down on the bed. "Let's get that wound cleaned up." She mumbled and then turned around, and headed to the bathroom. She wet a towel a bit before leaving the bathroom, and then approaching him. "Take your shirt off."

"I don't think you can handle that yet...." Jace teased, Skylar rolled her eyes and sighed. It wasn't a bad sigh, it was a good one...he was back to normal for a while now..and it was great. "I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Jace, I have trained with you shirtless...stop being an idiot." Skylar mumbled, he chuckled quietly before pulling off his shirt. She walked over and began to wipe the blood off his wound...on his rune...the one rune bonding him and Sebastian. "So tell me what happened?"

"The woman you went to visitwith Sebastian. The Iron Sister. Magdalena. Sebastian sent me—sent him—to get this from her tonight," Jace said. "And he alsogave me the order to kill her. She wasn't expecting it. She wasn't expecting any violence,just payment and exchange. She thought we were on the same side. I let her hand methe Cup, and then I took my dagger and I—Istabbed her. I meant it to be through the heart, but she turned and I missed by inches.She staggered back and grabbed for her worktable—there was powdered adamas on it—she threw it at me. I think she meant to blind me. I turned my head away, and when Ilooked back she had an aegis in her hand. I think I knew what it was. The light of itseared my eyes. I cried out as she drove it toward my chest—I felt a searing pain in theMark, and then the blade shattered. Thefunny thing is, if I'd been wearing gear, this wouldn't have happened. I didn't because Ididn't think it was worth the bother. I didn't think she could hurt me. But the aegis burnedthe Mark—Lilith's Mark—and suddenly I was back in myself, standing there over this deadwoman with a bloody dagger in my hand and the Cup in the other." Jace turned around and showed Skylar the cup he had retrieved, she stared at it and sighed. 

"Great...who does he want to bring back?"

"Lilith."

"By the angel...what does he plan on doing exactly?" Skylar asked, her curiosity was spark by Sebastian's plan and it alarmed her.

"By summoning her back to this world. He wants to mix her blood and his in a cup andcreate an army of dark Nephilim. He wants to be Jonathan Shadowhunter reincarnated,but on the side of the demons, not the angels.There are about forty or fifty Nephilim who either were once loyal to Valentine, orhate the current direction of the Clave and are open to hearing what Sebastian has tosay. He's been in contact with them. When he raises Lilith, they'll be there." Jace took adeep breath. "And after that? With the power of Lilith behind him? Who knows who elsewill join his cause? He wants a war. He's convinced he'll win it, and I'm not sure he won't.For every dark Nephilim he makes, he will grow in power. Add that to the demons he'salready made allegiances with, and I don't know if the Clave is prepared to withstandhim." Jace explained, this was all to take him but she needed to understand it and find a way to stop this all before it went all to hell.

"We need to get to Silent City, they should know what to do...and fast. I'll make a portal." Skylar said rather quickly, Jace looked down and cleared his throat.

"I'll get us to one of the entrances....but I am turning myself and the cup in." Skylar's eyes widened at what he said and looked up at him, with pleading eyes..she couldn't lose him...no way..she would lose her mind if she didn't have him here with her. She knew how much it would hurt his family...Alec, Isabelle, Maryse and Robert...he was apart of their family and couldn't imagine him being taken away from them again.