predestined | jace herondale

49

"Zee, hey-" Jace sighed when I came down the stairs in the City of Bones, holding my jacket out for me, "Are you okay- what'd they do to you?"

"They couldn't do anything." I slipped my arms into the holes in my jacket, then looked at him, "The demonic tether that binds me to Jonathan is- stronger than anything they've ever seen before."

"Well, look- that doesn't mean we're out of options." Jace tried to give me hope regardless, "Look, you- you saw that illustration with me. Michael separated himself from Lucifer- that means there has to be a way."

I stay quiet for a few seconds, then looked at him, "Then- maybe we go straight to where it came from?"

Jace blinked, "Are you talking about Lilith?"

"Jace, let's be real- she gave me the rune, she's gotta know how to remove it." I huffed lightly.

"No- no." Jace denied, "Look, we just got rid of her, and it almost cost you your life, Zee- I'm not letting that happen again."

"I don't know what else to do, Jace-" I looked up at him, "When I saw Jonathan last night, I couldn't- do anything- it's like- I had no control over myself- I was being drawn to him."

"And after what happened with Aline, and the fire, Jace, I-" I breathed heavily and took a step, "It's this darkness- it's growing inside of me, and I-"

"Hey, hey, hey," Jace grabbed my face to catch my attention, "Hey, listen to me-"

"You are a good person." Jace assures me, caressing my cheek, "And there is no rune that's gonna change that."

-

"Hey, Young, he's gonna be okay-" Simon noticed the look on my face as we stood outside the Infirmary, where Magnus laid unconscious, and Alec quite noticeably worried.

"Simon, please- not right now." I messed with my hands, my voice low, staring at the ground, "Everything- around me- is falling apart- I'm gonna lose my mind-"

"Hey- hey." Simon got up and quietly said to me in a soft voice, "Hey, Young-"

"Simon!-" I spun and faced him, feeling nothing but anger boil within me, "I'm not in the mood for one of your stupid jokes to try and get me to feel better!-"

Jace's voice rang from behind me, "Zee."

I blinked a few times, not turning, staring at Simon.

"I'm so sorry." My voice fell quiet, as I took a step towards Simon but stopped myself, hugging myself instead, "I don't know what came over me-"

I swallowed hard, tensing up.

I knew exactly what came over me.

"Jace-" I turned and looked toward him, my eyes starting to burn with tears, "Please, we have to do it-"

Jace inhales, "Zee-"

"Please." I reaches and grabbed his face, my voice breaking, "It could be our only option- please, Jace- if you love me- I'm begging you, I need to know-"

Clary looks between the two of us, Isabelle and Simon staring at us as well, "Zee, what's going on?"

-

"I spoke to Catarina- she won't summon Lilith." Jace sighed, coming over to us at the table, "Too dangerous-"

Simon inhales, "Well, can we find another warlock?"

Isabelle shook her head lightly, "There's no one else we can trust."

"What about Zee?" Clary pointed at me, "Could you come up with a rune to summon Lilith?"