I Am Ruined (TDA Lord of Shadows Sequel)

[ XV ] The Truth Hurts But Secrets Kill

She scoffed, "And to think, I actually believed that you all could get the book."

Emma shrugged and murmured under her breath, "Well she can't lie, so I'll take it as a compliment."

"What if we made another bargain?" She smiled, either she didn't hear Emma's comment or chose to ignore it. Emma and Julian both sat tensely, watching her as she pondered.

"With all due respect, you often ask things that are not within our power to accomplish." Julian countered. "There will be no more bargains."

The Queen stood from her pillow and made her way back to her chaise lounge, "Then you will receive no help."

"If you do not help us, we will reveal your secret." Julian said, all gentle pretenses gone from his voice. The ruthlessness that lies beneath the surface shining through. He was standing now, his harsh gaze not breaking from where the Queen laid.

She sat up straight, excitement glittering in her eyes, as if she loved watching Julian without any defenses up. No false pretenses. "Trying to threaten me, are we? As good of a liar as you are Julian Blackthorn, you do not fool me. You do not know the secret I possess, you have nothing to tell."

Julian had not broken eye contact, his eyes glinting in anger, but for every bit of control that he was losing, the Queen was ecstatic. Emma thought back to Jace's words; the Seelie Queen does not often consort with others. She finds most partners unsuitable and insufferable. She enjoyed Sebastian's ruthlessness apparently. A thought struck her, the secret she was hiding, the 'weapon' left behind by Sebastian. She was watching Julian with such excitement, the cruel beauty of an impulsive anger. Ruthless lovers always prove to be the best, she had said. She had not only worked with Sebastian as a partner, he was her partner. Maybe not in the way normal people would have relationships; she imagined someone as heartless or cold as the two of them could never love truly. But she could tell now, all the signs pointed to it. Jace had said that Sebastian's letters had began with 'My beautiful one.'

Emma felt the corner of her lip quirk up, "Oh but I do. And I hardly doubt you would want the news of Sebastian Morgenstern's child getting out, now would we?"

***

"Well who is going to touch it?" Dru asked, "I'm not touching it again. We don't even know how it works or how to get back."

Ty and Kit exchanged a look, "I'll do it." Kit said, "And if I don't come back, hey, it'll just be like a few months ago for you all!" His tone was joking but Ty's eyes shot wide.

"No, no way. You are coming back." His gray eyes were fixed on him as he spoke quieter, "I don't want to go back to before you came here."

Kit shook his head, "Me neither." After a few moments of silence, remembering Dru was there and they had a mission, Kit broke away from the Blackthorn boy's gaze. "So let's get this started!"

"Wait-" Ty grabbed Kit's arm the second Kit touched the stone and they were both swallowed up into blackness. It was similar to the feeling of a portal, except everything was cold and dark and smelt like – leaves? Leaves and grass and dirt. Finally, the spinning stopped and the two boys were in a large open room, a bedroom. There was ornate furniture throughout, but it looked very out of place among the grass and plants growing from the dirt of the floor. Vines of ivy and flowers hung from the ceiling, lightning bugs flying around.

"Are we- Are we in Faerie?" Kit whispered under his breath, looking over to Ty who was taking in the surroundings just as he was. Something told him that Ty would love this place – life in every nook and cranny, no loud city noises to overwhelm him, a quiet place in the heart of nature.

"It looks like it." Ty said, looking back at Kit who had fallen right next to him. They were both propped up on their elbows.

"Why did you follow me in here?"

Ty simply shrugged, "I find that I would follow you anywhere." A feeling of affection rushed through Kit, he leaned closer when they heard someone walking in. They scrambled and hid around the side of the bed, hidden by flowing garlands of ivy. A boy, not any younger than them walked out from the hallway. From the foliage in front of them, it was hard to see, but they could just barely make out some of his features; he was tall, couldn't be any older than 15 and was already almost 6 feet tall. He had white hair, or blonde hair? It was difficult to tell in the lighting of the room. He had sharp facial features that were softened with young age and the tell-tale pointed ears of a faerie. The most startling characteristic, however, was his eyes. Just like Dru said, they were green just like Clary's.

"Who is in here?" The boy shouted, his voice tinged with a slight accent. "Another Shadowhunter? What are you doing in the Seelie Court chambers?" Kit and Ty debated coming out from hiding, but before they could decide anything, the walls seemed to slide away like melted butter, the black tempest back to take them. After a few blinks, Kit and Ty found themselves back on the floor of the library, Dru staring at them with wide eyes.

"You're back! Are you okay?! Did you see him? The boy?" She was talking a mile a minute, kneeling on the ground in front of them.

"Yeah, we did. He said we were in the Chambers of the Seelie Court." Kit explained with a puzzled expression, "Where are those?"

"Those," Ty said, standing up and dusting the dirt from his pants, "Are in the Seelie Queen's hall. So whoever this Ash is, he is close to the Queen."