Valentine's Arrow

36: When Evil dies...

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

REBECCA

Rebecca's heart was thudding, her mind racing with what she had just learned. She stared at her hands in her lap. She would have rested them on the hand-rests, but they were shaped like skulls and she had no desire to touch them.

Sebastian was pacing around the center; every once in a while he would pause to look up at her and smile the sort of uninhibited, gleeful smile she associated with the Sebastian from her vision, the boy with guiltless green eyes.

The door to the room opened, and Amatis strode in, followed by two moving lines of Endarkened warriors. Their faces were blank as they silently ranged themselves along the walls of the room, but Amatis looked worried. "Lord Sebastian," she said. "Your mother is not in her cell."

Sebastian frowned and tightened his hand into a fist. "Vexing," he said. "The others must have let her out."

Rebecca felt a surge of hope mixed with terror. She fidgeted in her throne as Amatis flicked her eyes over to look at her; her mouth curved into a smirk.

"Would you like me to set the rest of the army to searching for them?" she said to Sebastian.

"There's no need." He glanced up toward Rebecca and smiled; there was a sudden explosive shattering sound, and the window behind her, the one that had looked out on Alicante, splintered into a spiderweb of mazed lines.

"The borders are closing," Sebastian said. "I will bring them to me."

The doors that they had originally come through burst open and Isabelle and Simon tumbled into the room. Physically, they looked unharmed, but their eyes widened in shock as they looked around, coming to terms with where they were.

As Isabelle's eyes landed on Jace and Clary, she cried out and ran to their side. She put her fingers to Jace's throat; Rebecca saw her shoulders relax.

"He's alive," Sebastian said, sounding bored. "Queen's orders."

Isabelle looked up. Some of the strands of her dark hair were stuck to her face with blood. "The Seelie Queen? When has she ever cared about Jace?"

Sebastian laughed. He seemed to be in an enormously good mood. "Not the Seelie Queen," he said. "The queen of this realm. You may know her."

With a flourish he gestured toward the throne where Rebecca sat. She squirmed uncomfortably. Simon was looking at her, an incredulous expression on his face. Isabelle, meanwhile, had gotten to her feet. When she saw her sister on the throne, she took an involuntary step forward - and was immediately blocked by a dozen Endarkened warriors, Amatis at their center. She carried a massive spear and wore an expression of frightening venom. "Stop where you are," she said. "You will not approach the lady of this realm."

Simon grabbed Isabelle and yanked her back.

"Rebecca!" Isabelle's voice was tight with bewilderment. "What-"

"You will not say her name," Sebastian hissed. "You thought she belonged to you; she belongs to me now, and I will not share."

"You're insane," Simon said.

"And you're dead," Sebastian said. "Does any of it matter now?"

"No!" Rebecca yelled hoarsely. "You will not harm any of them, Sebastian. We agreed on that."

Before Sebastian could reply, the entryway to the room burst open and Magnus and Alec spilled in, followed by Luke and Jocelyn. The doors slammed behind them, and Sebastian clapped his hands together. "Now everyone's here," he declared, his voice delighted. "It's a party!"