Angels and Warriors // A.L

Chapter 30

"Simon just," I held up my hand at him, closing my eyes trying to salvation my patience, "Just go and look with Clary in the other room or something."

He nodded and disappeared after my sister. I looked down at the faded recipe book in my hands and laid it down on the table. I'd seen it before. I realised that it was where my mom had got the recipe for chicken cacciatore, a meal that we used to have all the time. I leafed through the index, finding chicken cacciatore and flipped to the indicated page. My heart nearly stopped beating when I found a torn shred of the bookmark we collected from Ragnor Fell. I retrieved the other half of the fabric from my jacket pocket and rested it on the page.

The two pieces glowed gold for a moment before magically sealing them together again. Once the bookmark was intact, the pages of the cookbook started to shimmer, before returning to a stagnant form. Only once it had stilled, the page looked different. The measurements and directions for ingredients were replaced by Latin words that I couldn't understand. I gasped.

This was the Book of the White.

I heard somebody coming up behind me and I went to turn around, "Look! I found it-" I was cut off by a blade to my throat. I turned my head and could just make out a Circle rune on the neck of my attacker. I struggled against him, but he held the blade tighter against my skin. He dragged me, still holding the book, through into the next room where I saw all my friends in very much the same position as I.

"No! Let her go," Alec grunted, thrashing against his captor as soon as he saw they had me too.

Valentine's voice interrupted him, "See, you are strong, but they make you weak." He was talking to Jace, who I just noticed wasn't being held by anyone and was instead pointing his own blade at Valentine.

"Let us go," Clary tried. I couldn't help rolling my eyes at her pathetic attempt at bargaining, "You can have the book. We won't be able to stop you without it."

"Ah, Clarissa, so like your mother. Willing to do anything for those that you love. I'm touched, but the book was never part of my plan - I want you to wake up your mother. I know that you'll both join me eventually," He smiled wickedly, "It's fated."

Valentine turned back to face Jace, "You ready?"

Jace looked at all of us before lowering his seraph blade. "If I go with you, promise me you won't hurt them."

"You have my word." I heard sincerity in Valentine's voice, a foreign sound that sent shivers down my spine.

"This is insane," My sister objected.

"I'm sorry, Clary," Jace whispered.

She shook her head, not accepting it, "Jace what are you doing? You can't be serious! Valentine is wrong. You- You're not like him."

"You don't know that, Clary. You don't know that," Jace's voice broke.

"Let them go once we've gone through," Valentine instructed to his henchmen, "Except- her." He pointed at me.

"What? You said-" Jace started.

"NO!" Alec shouted at the same time.

"Yes," Valentine grinned, "The Parabatai and the Amortai, two of my children connected to the same person."

"What?" Alec's eyes went wide with a mixture of emotions flashing behind them – surprise at the discovery, concern for me, and fury towards Valentine. I take it Jace never told him then.

"Oh," Valentine smirked, "Oh you didn't know? How touching that I be the one to inform you."

"You said you would leave them be-" Jace lunged for Valentine but one of his followers grabbed him and ducked through the portal.

"Jace!" Clary screamed, but to no avail - he was gone.

Alec thrashed against his captor again, more persistently, "Let her go, let her go!" He shouted.

"My, my, well, goodbye for now," Valentine cackled. He glanced at me, took a step backwards, and vanished through the purple glow.

I felt myself being dragged backwards too. "Clary!" I tossed her the Book of the White so at least they would have a chance at waking mom up. The man holding me grew ever closer to the portal.

"No! No! Samara!" Alec's voice sounded broken and desperate as he twisted and writhed in the iron grip of the Circle member.

A new wave of terror washed over me as my henchman took his final steps. The movement of my throat around the words I next spoke, caused the blade to break the skin on my neck, and a trickle of blood dripped down onto my shirt.

"Alec," I uttered my final words, before Alec and the others disappeared from my view and the portal consumed me. "I love you."

-

That's it my lovelies! Thank you so much for reading!! I will post an authors note tomorrow to wrap this up and let you know about a sequel!

I could not have written this book without all your love and support and your beautiful DM's, thank you so so much!! ❤️

NOS x