Fragment-- Jay and Isabelle

Part 1

She scrambles up as Valentine moves into a standing position, slowly. His daggers are now in Jay's pockets, she realizes suddenly. What can he do? Besides, no Shadowhunter can compete with a magical being in a fight. 

But, she realizes, this is Valentine we're talking about.

As Valentine stands in front of her, Jay curses the magic law, forbidding warlocks to undo another's work in certain cases. She has her powers back now, and even though Valentine had been in her body when casting the barrier at the door, Jay has no power to take it down. The Shadowhunters would have to figure it out by themselves.

Suddenly, Valentine lunges at Jay, a sword somehow appearing in his hands. Her body slams against the wall behind her, though he hadn't yet touched her. Jay's eyes widen. The transformation hadn't completely finished yet. She was still without her full magic. And worst of all, Valentine still has some.

Valentine thrusts his sword forward, just as Jay pushes it to the side with a flick of her hand. She lets loose a swift, powerful kick to his chest packed with magic, throwing him backward onto the floor. Still, he had been able to slice open her leg with the sword as she lifted her foot to his body. 

Jay walks forward, twisting a thick ring with a cursive I  around her finger unconsciously. Valentine lay sprawled on his back, his red face letting loose an expression of intense fury. 

Just as he goes to sit up, Jay smacks her boot against his forehead, pushing him back down.

Valentine's face contorts with anger. "You really think I'll let a disgusting Downworlder get the best of me?" he asks. He lets loose a malevolent smile. Jay instinctively takes her boot from Valentine's face.

"And what are you going to do about it, Shadowhunter?" Jay spits. "You're nothing anymore. You're as good as dead."

Valentine looks straight ahead at the ceiling. "That's funny," he whispers. 

In an instant, Valentine is back up on his feet. Jay takes out the two knives in her pockets, one in each hand. She crosses them over her chest, ready to strike or protect herself.

Valentine grabs the heavy stone mortar from the potion and throws it at Jay's head. She ducks and throws a hand over her face. The knife cracks from the power of the throw and from the weight of the bowl.  As Jay is momentarily distracted, Valentine reaches to the wall behind him, grabbing an ancient sword from its holder. The sword is artistically curved and has Chinese characters inscribed onto the side. Valentine grins and runs his finger along the characters, then the mahogany hilt.

Jay, realizing her disadvantage takes a step back. "What do you want from me?" she asks powerfully.

In return, Valentine takes a step forward. "Open the damn portal," he whispers. 

Jay shakes her head. The air is very still for a few seconds, tension pulling the space between them together. 

Valentine surges forward, pulling the sword over his head and striking down over Jay's head. She deflects it smoothly with her own small blade and grips the hilt with both hands like a bat. As Valentine pulls his sword back towards him, she reaches forward, slicing into the top of his arm. 

He pulls back, apparently shocked. "You're quick," he says. 

Without warning, he thrusts the sword forward once again and the pair begin an exchange of attempted slices and thrusts and blocks. The two blades clink loudly against the other, radiating throughout the room, the only other sound being Valentine's and Jay's quick breaths.

Outside of the door, Jace, Isabelle, Clary, Alec, and a few others stand before the door and the glistening glass barrier. Despite how many times Isabelle throws herself against it, the barrier doesn't seem to be able to break. 

"Izzy, stop," Alec yells. "It's not helping!"

Isabelle says nothing, only leans back against the opposite wall, panting.

"Guys, just shut up!" Clary shouts. "I'm trying to think!"

"There's nothing to think about!" Isabelle screams. "We don't have a fucking warlock to get it open!"

Jace leans back and touches Isabelle's arm gently, but she pulls it back as if it burns. She retreats further into the wall, pressing against it and with her arms crossed tightly against her chest.

Clary moves to the barrier. In a moment, sensations come flooding back to her; feelings of loneliness, guilt, disappointment, depression. She gasps as images of her mother dying, of Jace being tortured, of Simon being buried push their way into her mind. She feels hot tears stream down her face. Instantly, Jace is at her side, his hand clutching tightly on her forearm.

"What's wrong? What's going on?"

Clary ignores him, shutting her eyes tightly. Let it loose, she tells herself. And as quickly as the images had appeared, they were wiped out of her mind. In their places, a shimmering rune stoof out as clear as day.

"Give me your stele," she commands, opening her hand.

Jace obeys and rests the warm object into her hand. It seems to be buzzing with power. Clary carefully, but swiftly creates the rune, a large symbol with interlocking lines and curves. She steps back, waiting for something to happen.

After a moment of nothing, Isabelle steps forward. "Nothing--"

A loud crash interrupts her. The group of Shadowhunters, with Isabelle pushed forward as the lead, throw themselves against the door, and at their surprise, it opens smoothly, like nothing had ever stood in their way.

As they enter the room, Valentine's blade strikes Jay. The sword pierces her abdomen like a hot knife moving through butter. All is silent and still, with either shock or triumph. As if a wake up call, Isabelle and Jay's screams stab through the still air.

Jace rushes forward, ignoring Isabelle's pain from her connected rune with Jay. As Jay collapses onto the floor, her legs collapsing underneath her, Jace pulls out his own blade and slices out at Valentine. The two begin another battle, faster and more intense than the one with Jay. 

As Jace and Valentine's swords bang against each other with  an intense, high pitched sound, Clary and Alec throw themselves forward; Clary to Jay and Alec to Isabelle.

Isabelle clutches at her stomach, blinded with the pain of Jay. She lets loose a scream, throwing her head down, hair wildly curtaining her pale face. 

"Izzy," Alec yells. "Can you hear me? Everything is going to be fine." He wraps his arms around her middle and pulls her up like a child. She rests in his arms and Alec looks over her head at Jace, Clary, and Jay. 

"Stay here," he whispers, and sets Isabelle's weak body in the corner of the room by the door. She bows her head, fighting the same agonizing battle as Jay does in the middle of the room, though Jay is bleeding out, for real.