New World

32 | Plans

This part of the story happens after Part Two of QOAAD: Thule. I won't be including any Thule moments, which may become incredibly confusing for everyone. I'm also struggling to find a moment where Emma and Julian come home, so if anyone knows when that is could they explain it so I can fix this chapter to make it easier to understand. So I'm just going to go from when everyone is talking in the library after Julian and Emma return, because that's the only place I know where to start from.

So sorry x

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Lila had just returned from the store carrying grocery bags—she'd walked there and back to clear her mind—when Ty had come running over to her in the kitchen to tell her Emma and Julian were awake. They'd been unconscious for three days, having just appeared out of nowhere with broken bones and bruises, different clothes. Julian had been out cold, while Emma had been shouting about the sun, about demons and dead skies. They'd appeared only an hour after Mark, Cristina and Kieran had returned home.

They'd all gathered in the library, where Lila sat beside Ty. Mark had placed donut sandwiches on the platters on the table, and Lila ate three.

Emma started talking once everyone was around the table, and Lila almost wished she wouldn't. She talked about Thule, a world almost the opposite of theirs. Julian added facts when needed. She told of Sebastian Morgenstern winning the war, Clary had been killed. Jace was sided with Sebastian. Dru had disappeared, Tavvy had been taken and Ty had been killed. Lila killed herself. Emma and Julian were Endarkened.

But Lila thought the part about Livvy was the worst.

Emma talked about how Livvy was alive in Thule, and was living without her family at all. It sort of highlighted Livvy's death in their normal world. Dru listened quietly with tears on her cheeks, Tavvy had stopped eating donut sandwiches. Ty went still. Lila didn't say anything and watched Emma, sniffling and trying to hold her tears in, as she spoke about her triplet, who'd joined a rebellion and had been left all alone in the world with only Cameron Ashdown and other rebels for company. No family. No love. She talked about Ash Morgenstern and how he'd chosen to stay there. She mentioned how the warlock disease was also in Thule.

It was silent for a few moments after, as nobody knew what to say. The only sound was the faint music from the headphones Ty had given Tavvy before Emma started speaking.

"Poor Ash," Clary said. She was very pale. "He was my nephew—I mean, my brother was a monster, but..."

"Ash saved me," said Emma. "He saved my life and he said it was because he liked something I said about you. But he stayed because he wanted to stay in Thule. We offered to bring him back, but he didn't want to come."

Clary smiled, eyes shiny with tears. "Thank you."

"Okay, lets talk about the important part." Magnus turned to Alec. "You killed yourself? Why would you do that?"

Alec looked startled. "That wasn't me! It's an alternate universe, Magnus."

"If I die," Said Magnus, pulling Alec by the front of his shirt. "You are not allowed to do anything like that. Who would take care of the kids? How could you do that to them?"

"We never had kids in that world!"

"You are not allowed to hurt yourself under any circumstance," Magnus said fiercely. "Do you understand that, Alexander?"

"I would never," said Alec softly. Magnus clasped Alec's hand tightly. Lila looked away, being considerate that it was a private moment.

"I see why you clawed at me when I tried to lift you up," Jace said then to Emma. "When you first came through the portal. You were lying on the ground and I—you were bleeding and I thought I should take you to the infirmary, but you clawed at me and screamed."