Deep End - Magnus Bane

11

Sarah perked up at the question wanting to know the answer herself, "Sarah needed to toughen up she was too soft for a shadowhunter, she cared too deeply for things and that made her weak. I had no choice, Jonathan. My enemies were closing in. I sent you to a place where I knew you would be cared for."

"Father of the year." Sarah remarked sarcastically

"Sarah, you spent all your life with me and I may have been hard on you" He started when she raised her eyebrows at him, "May?" She scoffed.

"But It's because I loved you. Both of you"

Sarah narrowed her eyes at him still not knowing what's Valentine play here and what does he want from Jace, "Then why did you lie to us? You told us we never had a mother"

"What did you want me to say? That I saved you after your mother deserted you?" Valentine retorted, "She left you to die in Idris." He continued

"Why would she do that?" Sarah wondered after everything she heard from Clary about Jocelyn being a kind mother.

"Because you two are different. You're special. Look, I know that you have always felt more powerful than everyone else around you. That's because you are." Valentine activated a rune on his wrist, grabbing Jace's and Sarah's arm.

Memories of young Valentine injecting a pregnant Jocelyn in her pregnant belly with a blue serum, Sarah pulled back quickly as the memories faded," You experimented on us?" She asked with shocked eyes.

"I made you stronger, faster, more lethal than any other Shadowhunter." Valentine excused his doing while Jace shook his head still not believing it himself, "Why?"

"To create the perfect weapon, the ideal marriage of good and evil. A Shadowhunter with pure demon blood" Jace and Sarah shared a look of disbelief at what they were hearing.

Jace and Sarah approached Valentine who was watching the new shadowhunters train from the upper deck, "Impressive, aren't they? But they still don't have the inherent gifts that you have. You took to a seraph blade the way a baby takes to a bottle."

"What kind of father experiments on his own children with pure demon blood?" Sarah spit out the question.

"A father with perspective. We all want the same thing. To save this world from demons." Valentine answered simply not turning to his children.

Jace scoffed, "The Clave fights demons."

Valentine snorted at Jace's gullibility, "The Clave has grown soft, protecting Downworlders with the Accords. All Downworlders, one day, will give in to their violent tendencies. It's unavoidable. Even a single drop of demon blood running in your veins, makes you threat to humanity."

"No, no, I know plenty of Downworlders who play by the rules. They control their urges." Jace argued not giving believing Valentine.

"Ah, you're thinking of Lucian Graymark, warlocks like Magnus Bane, and even... Clarissa's little vampire friend Simon? No matter how good they try to be, Downworlders cannot control their demonic blood forever."

Sarah frowned tilting her head watching Valentine, "If it's so evil, why put it in us?" She wondered when finally Valentine turned to her, "To fight fire with fire."

Valentine walked away with his children in tow, Jace looked over the edge getting lost in the water when Valentine pulled him away from his thoughts, "I wouldn't jump if I were you."

"Why? Because I'm your ultimate weapon?" He asked clenching his jaw.

Valentine didn't respond, grabbing a prisoner that was walking by, holding him against the air surrounding the ship and without anyone could decipher what was going on the ward around the ship burned half the face of the man off.

"This warlock is infamous for crimes against mundanes." He excused his behavior before leaving the man falling on the ground turning to Jace and Sarah, "There's something else I want you to see."

Valentine portaled Jace and Sarah in front of a pizza parlor, "We're stopping for pizza?" Jace raised his eyebrows in question.

"Reggie served the best pie in all of Brooklyn. Note the past tense. When Reggie's wife, Maria, turned into a vampire, she slaughtered Reggie and created a den inside." He explained looking at Jace

"What does this have to do with me?" He questioned frowning.

"You really think love will keep you from hurting your family and friends? No matter how hard you fight it, demon blood will make you kill. It starts in a small way. Urges. See, that's why you want Clary and that is why you always will." Valentine explained making the blonde look down in shame.

Jace ran to the pizza parlor when he heard a women scream from inside, Sarah was about to follow him when Valentine stopped her putting his hand on her arm, "You're staying here"

"You know you should drop the act of the loving father you're not fooling anyone." Sarah stated turning to the man who's claiming to be her father, "So why don't you be honest for once in you life and tell me what do you want from Jace?" She asked.

He sighed turning to his daughter, "Always skeptical, aren't you? It's as simple as it is, I want our family to be back together"

She scoffed, "I've known you all my life to know that nothing is simple with you" Sarah narrowed her eyes at him taking a step closer to the man, "But I promise you, Valentine. If anything happens to Jace, I won't hesitate to put that blade in your heart and I make good on my promises"

Valentine was about to respond when Jace and the vampire fell through the window, Valentine looked at them with an amused smile already forgetting about Sarah's threat.

Jace had a stake in his hand as he threatened Maria, "You're done. You're done."

Maria snickered, "You can't kill me."

Jace shook his head, "Watch me." He was about to stake the vampire when she raised her hands in surrender, "I surrender to the authority of the Clave."

Jace stopped in his tracks clenching his jaw angrily as the vampire started laughing, "Aw, look at you. You got your stick all ready to go and now you can't use it."

He stared at her not backing down, "No, you broke the Accords. You killed innocent mundanes. And now, you're gonna die just like your friends." he promised.

Maria smirked enjoying the scene, "But unlike them, I'm no longer a threat. I know my rights. I might have broken the Accords, but I know you won't."

"You don't know anything about me." Jace stated narrowing his eyes at her

She tilted her head, "I know you're weak. Hmm. I can smell it. And you'll do whatever the Clave tells you to do. Now, get off of me." she pushed away the stake that Jace was holding.

"Jonathan. Are you gonna let her mock you after what she did?" Valentine asked riling his son to do something, Jace held up the stake again, "This thing in front of you, she was once Reggie the pizza guy's sweet and loving wife.

"You leave my husband out of this!" Maria warned.

"Whoa. You mean the man you murdered? You mean the man you devoured? That's what you mean."

Sarah was watching the whole scene unfold without saying anything her eyes trained on the vampire who was about to attack Jace when the brunette threw an arrow in her heart making the vampire vanish instantly.

Jace and Valentine turned to the brunette both frowning at her, without any of them seeing Jocelyn who pointed her crossbow at Jace going to shoot the blonde when Sarah jumped in front of him at the last second.

The arrow was embedded in the shadowhunter's shoulder who grimaced in pain, but she was used to it by now, Jocelyn was reloading the crossbow again when Clary ran towards her, "No!"

"Run, Jonathan. They want you dead." Valentine shouted as Sarah pulled the arrow out running towards the portal with Jace and Valentine in tow.