The Rise Of The Morningstar (Eng. Version)

Chapter 21 - The Rune of Horror

"But" I stammered, actually having the guts to interrupt an angel. "How is that linked to me? I can't undo it."

You are his daughter Almost everyone thinks you're a traitor. It's in your blood. But you also carry a small part of me in you. You have a gift that Valentine Morgenstern will want to control at all costs. This gift will take shape, soon. But right now, you're under a lot of pressure.

"Gift? What gift? So does the angelic blood have an effect on me after all?" I couldn't shake the feeling that I didn't have much time left to get answers to my questions. His words buzzed in my head like autumn leaves blown indiscriminately by a strong wind.

Angelic blood has always had an effect on you, even if you didn't always feel it.

"Please tell me what to do. How am I supposed to be of any help to you?"

You must be able to use this gift. You alone are responsible for what you use it for. Many will be interested. Be prudent, Clarissa Morgenstern, and act wisely. Don't make my inheritance your father's inheritance.

I couldn't help but gape at the angel. His words made no sense, I didn't understand their meaning. His inheritance? I carried his inheritance within me? Ithuriel turned to my father, a fierce look in his eyes and the usually liquid gold seemed frozen. I immediately thought of Jace. He'd given me exactly the same look when we first met.

"I won't be able to defend myself against him," it slipped from my lips. "He's too powerful."

Valentine raised his left hand, turned to the warlock and nodded. The figure beneath the long dark cloak took a step forward, leaned in Ithuriel's direction, and began speaking in a demon tongue. Was it my imagination, or could I see a smirk in the shadows of his hood?

You are not alone, Clarissa. Prove to the Shadowhunter community who you really are. Show the Lightwoods who you really are, and they will support you.

"But Jace ..." Sparks flew from the warlock's palms. Ithuriel flinched from the sparks as if any of them could sear his skin. The rune-circle around him shone with a glare and a moment later he cried out. It was not the usual scream of a mundane. His scream was loud and deep and superhuman. The entire cave shook at the painful sound of his voice, and I saw tiny stones fall from the ceiling.

Ithuriel doubled over and fell to his knees. My father started to grin. His face twisted into an arrogant expression. He was so much younger than now and yet nothing about him seemed to have changed, like he hadn't learned a bit over the years.

The agonized scream of Ithuriel made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I felt an oppressive feeling in my chest. Even though I knew that none of this was actually happening, I tried to lunge at him. But my legs were caught again in the invisible nooses that wound around my feet.

I wanted to say something, but an invisible wire laced itself around my throat, tying it tighter and tighter, so that I could hardly breathe. "Ithuriel!"

But Ithuriel didn't seem to notice me anymore. The rune-circle shone with such a glare that I had to put my hand to my eyes to avoid burning my retinas. I blinked and turned my head to the side, and then I spotted it. It was a single rune emblazoned on the back of Ithuriel's hand. Ithuriel had his left hand raised and the back was pointing straight in my direction, the rune just falling into view without being swallowed up by the roaring light of the rune-circle.

I knew Ithuriel held out his hand to me on purpose, for I had never seen the rune before, and it meant something. Ithuriel's scream continued, but it had become a background noise, just as the rest of the cave suddenly receded into the background. My eyes locked on the rune, blocking out everything else. An unusual zest for action made its way into my gut. It felt so primal that I couldn't ignore it or brush it aside. As vital as thirst or hunger. My heart skipped a beat in a painful spasm, and my hand immediately shot up to my chest. But the feeling didn't stop. The longer I looked at the rune, the stronger this urgent feeling in my chest grew.