After the horrible events in the Clave-Fave meeting, resulting in the death of Alec Lightwood's father, Robert, and Annabel Blackthorn's terrible actions on a member of her own blood-kin, Julian Blackthorn and Emma Carstairs take to their heels after the Lord of Shadows and Annabel, bent solely on her capture.
Drusilla Blackthorn and Cristina Rosales have no idea where to find Jaime, but Drusilla's secret is something that will damn Livia, or revive her.
Diego Rosales is white-hot, killing-rage, and icy, icy determination combined, and Zara and Horace Dearborn shall soon learn the consequence of making a Rosales dance in their farce of a tune.
Tiberius Blackthorn and Christopher Herondale are now more determined then ever to take the Unseelie King down, by themselves, if so necessary, and the Angel damn the Clave, the Consul, and whoever might dare to stop the Last Herondale, and the twin of Livia Blackthorn.
Octavian Blackthorn is only seven. But he is a Blackthorn, and Mark is more Blackthorn than Faerie than he has has cause to be.
They are Shadowhunters. More importantly, they are Blackthorns, and Cristina, Diego, and Emma have love, loyalty, and life spent with them. And they have none to spare on the Clave, the Conclave, the Council, but just perhaps a shard, for the Consul, mother of Helen Blackthorn's wife, and so Blackthorn loyalty extends to both Aline and Jia Penhallow.
Sed lex, dura lex, but now, Helen, Aline, Mark, Julian, Drusilla, Tiberius, and Octavian will follow their words, and Livia will not forget Malla Lex, Nulla Lex as their fight to stay together passes their own mortality, and surpasses any effort to lay them claim of the Clave.
Love is stronger than Law, and the Blackthorn's will tear Heaven itself apart for their final peice, their missing soul. And Livia fights to remain, secure and solid in her love and her faith in her family. She is a Blackthorn. She will care none for a bad Law, and less of a good one, and will return.
Toren Daen entered the Central Cathedral feeling hope, ready to challenge the High Vicar and prove his soul.
He left it broken, his wings sundered and torn.
But Toren has a spark; an ember of fire left in his heart that the people around him strive to rekindle. And if Fate is kind, he may just rise from this defeat like the ghostly phoenix bound to his soul.
Toren knows he can help the world he has found himself in. Now, the only task is to flap the butterfly's wings-because Toren hopes to change the outcome of the Dicathian war.
But it will not be so simple. The Scythes loom about him like the blades of executioners, always watching and waiting. The twisted politics of Alacrya have sunk their claws deep into Toren's soul, and though he may set foot on another continent with the hopes of giving the Dicathians a chance, those he cares for will always chain his heart. Arthur Leywin, twin Anchor for the Legacy, will not bend to the change Toren heralds so easily. Seris Vritra has plans of her own for Toren as they enter the war in Darv, and there is no telling if his desires fit anywhere within her schemes. The Hearth looms as a beacon of hope: if Toren lives long enough to make it there.
And behind it all, two gods play a game of chess: and they both have a question on their minds as the war of lessers reaches a crescendo.
How many times can a phoenix die before it will no longer rise from the ashes?
(Part 2/3 of Discordant Note)
(Part 1: Discordant Note | TBATE)
(Part 3: Discordant Note: Requiem | TBATE)
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(Cover art commissioned by @_aphora_)