Air and Darkness: A Blackstairs fan fiction, Fan made third book

Chapter 25

Inside, was a flashback to the age, where prisoners were dragged through the halls, to they their torture and murder. Where thousands were martyred. Dimly lit stone halls, flickering candles, and the sound of their footsteps, racing across the floor. Their ragged breath, and her heart pounding in her ears. They would take a turn into an empty room, and hurriedly follow another trail. Up stairs, and down stairs. Emma and Jake breathlessly found themselves in a large room, with a few ancient looking pews. Candelabras were scattered across the room, eerily casting shadows across the room, and Emma realized, that one of them, wasn't a shadow. Annabel stood at the front, her back to them, facing a marble throne.

She heard scurrying footsteps on the stairs behind her. Annabel whipped around, her eyes blazing. She looked beyond angry. And more than a little insane. Jake's eyes had fallen on the book. Emma realized that Annabel was holding it like her life depended on it. Like it was precious. Her mind flashed to a time, when and Annabel held it like it was a poison, to end humanity. She snarled at them.

"Annabel," She winced at the sound of her voice, crackly and weak. "We're here to get rid of the book--we're going to make sure it will never hurt anyone ever again. We can end this, right now, without anyone--dying." Her heart broke again, as the image of Livvy's crumpled body arose.

"No." Annabel's voice was shrill. "I stopped believing your pathetic lies after he--" She pointed a finger at Julian, who looked enraged. "promised that they wouldn't use that evil sword against me--"

"Do you now understand the cost of what you've done?" Julian raged. "The innocent lives that were--"

"NO ONE IS INNOCENT. Do you know what it felt like to under that sword--twice. To have your love ripped away from you. To be trapped in a hell between life and death, where there is nothing to be felt but pain?" Before any of them could even grab their swords, Annabel swiped a gold candelabra, and hurled in toward them. The pews went ablaze, and formed a fiery barrier. Emma cursed. Footsteps were nearing, and shouts. Security guards filed in, spotting the fire. They took their chance, and split after Annabel. Smoke filled the halls. Jake hacked behind her, and pulled his sweatshirt over his mouth. Emma did the same, as her eyes teared from the stinging smoke. A door came into view, and both of them barged out, coughing and catching their breath. And then came the screams. She inhaled sharply. The Thames was....rising. Waves continued to rise, splashing the roads. 

"Follow the screams," Emma groaned. "Will there ever be a day when I can say, follow the laughing?"  

"Probably if Annabel decides to get the whole consul drunk, then, yes."

"Why does seem so not undesirable." Jake gave her a sad smile, and they walked headfirst into the chaos.

*******

A storm was brewing. The beginning of many, as they gathered on the old Black friars bridge. A woman with a dress as red as the blood spilled on the bridge, held a dark black book, that angered the Thames. The water rushed and crashed violently against the stone. The consul held up their weapons uselessly, their fear radiating across the air. The youngest Cairstairs held up gripped the sword which breaks all, next to the boy who is another lost one. The grief stricken prince of thorns, had a turmoil inside him, with his half ling brother and the girl in between, flanking him. 

"The Angels descendants have fallen under the control of a book." Annabel sneered. "Blinded by greed and envy, and power as you had before," She shifted her dark gaze to Julian. "And useless promises." 

"And that's precisely why  the book needs to go," a voice broke through. Magnus stepped through the wall of armored Shadowhunters. "Every creature in the world is blinded by greed and envy, so it is not safe anyone's hands--so it must be destroyed." Annabel's grip on the volume seemed to grow tighter. Annabel seemed to be offended. Very offended.

"How dare you! Who would trust this in the hands of corrupted warlock, just another downworlder--I know what should happen to the book--where no one will ever lay their sinful hands on again." 

And that was when the new Inquisitor decided to make his appearance. Magnus almost groaned. Zara Dearborn's smirk tempted him to drag Emma over there and place Cortana in her own hands, and pretend he didn't see anything. Of course, Zara's father was ten times worse--he might require Emma and Jace to finish him off. Horace Dearborn eyed all of them haughtily, sending a fierce scowl at Emma, who shot back a glare.

"Well, they've all gathered here, didn't they--the witch and our young traitors, who risked many lives a few days ago, by letting her loose." Julian's fury didn't try to hide. He snarled. But the inquisitor had other people's lives to ruin.  His wicked smile, sent chills up Magnus' spine.

"Attack."

*******

Julian had no idea where the demons came from. But apparently, the news of the volume, had spread.  He dodged the strike of a consul member, while spiking a Mantid demon. Metal clashed, and blood sprayed, while the water increasingly splattered them. There mission to get the book, was not working. Not with the Shadow-hunters against them. Then he felt something cold knock him off his feet. Waves surged up from the rivers, pounding them down. The Shadowhunters were scattered in the river, their weapons askew, and demon blood staining the waters. Horace Dearborn seemed to be missing. Cristina, Mark and Julian took no time getting back to fighting. And neither did his best friend--and best love.