Camille pulled open the gate of the elevator and exited with sass. Echo rolled her eyes and followed Alec and Magnus out of the elevator and into a lavish apartment. The first room they walked into was a study with a wall of books on the closest wall. A man walked up to Camille and greeted her while Clary and Simon immediately went to the books.
"This place creeps me out." Isabelle was on high alert.
"Yeah, let's check the perimeter."
"Good Idea," Magnus looked in thought, "If I know Camille, she'll have a trick or three up her sleeve." Magnus flittered his hand and followed Alec out of the study. Echo stood next to Isabelle and kept her senses on high alert.
The Shadowhunters glanced at each other then Isabelle strutted out of the room.
"I still don't get it. Why do you have this place if you live at Hotel Dumort?" Clary was up on the ladder.
"The Dumort has too many rules. Think of it like Gracie Mansion. It's the official residence, but it doesn't mean I have to live there."
Camille came up to Simon and pricked his finger with a quill and Simon voiced his pain.
"Come with me."
The oldest Fairchild sighed and started to look at the books on the shelves while Simon sighed Camille's pardon.
Clary descended the ladder, "He did what you asked, now give us the book of the white."
Camille had a smirk on her face and Echo could feel that the vampire wasn't going to help them at all. "I would love too." Camille went up to the bookshelf and ran her finger across the spines of the books. "But I can't. I have no idea where it is."
Echo crossed her arms and leaned on the shelf, "But Dot gave it to you." The oldest sister watched the exchange.
"I'm sure it's here somewhere, but if the idea was to hide it, telling me would defeat the purpose. Dot must have put it somewhere when I wasn't looking."
Echo pushed herself off of the wall, "So we have to search the whole apartment?"
Camille smiled, "See? That's the spirit. Although, I'd start now. I've got four more rooms just like this one."
Echo grit her teeth as Clary's phone rang; it was Jace. Clary left the room leaving three Downworlders.
"Good-bye, Simon. It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
Echo rolled her eyes and she pushed herself out of the room; she found Isabelle guarding the elevator.
"So, what's the verdict?"
"Camille has no idea where the book is. She said Dot hid it from her. We have to search the whole apartment."
Isabelle bit her lip, "Fabulous."
In the pocket of Echo's pants, her phone vibrated. She eyed Isabelle before answering Jace.
"Echo, where are you? Are you with Clary?"
"Yeah, we are at Camille's apartment."
"Valentine is on his way. You need to leave now."
Echo looked, wide-eyed at Isabelle, "What?"
"Clary won't leave. She thinks she can find the book."
Echo gave a sigh, "Okay, I'll get her and leave." Echo hung up the call and looked up, "Valentine is coming. We need to leave."
Echo hurried into the study but didn't see Clary or Simon.
"Damn it. Isabelle! Go that way, I'll go down here." The two Shadowhunters split up throughout the apartment. Echo had just enough time to catch Clary before she put the bookmark in a book.
"Clary, we have to go now."
"No, look. We found the book!"
Clary put the remainder of the bookmark next to the one in the book and it sealed together then, right before their eyes, the mundane cookbook transformed into the book of the white.
"Oh my god."
Isabelle rounded the corner, "We gotta go. He's here."
Echo pulled in a breath as Clary closed the book. The four of them hurried to get to the elevator, but a purple portal opened and Valentine stepped through it with two of his newborn Shadowhunters at his side.
Echo was still terrified of the man, but she knew she couldn't show it.
"Clarissa, Echoella good to see you again."
Echo looked up at the man with hate in her eyes.
"Where's your brother?"
"You think I'd tell you?"
Valentine glanced at both of his daughters, "You won't have to."
Before Echo could stop him, Simon went to attack Valentine, but the Shadowhunter pushed the vampire to the ground with a seraph blade held hide. Isabelle quickly unwound her whip and lashed it around Valentine's bladed hand, but the father pulled on the whip and Isabelle went to the ground.
"Stop!"
Echo looked up and saw Jace jump through the doorway with his own seraph blade.
"This time you're not getting away."
The two newborns, pulled Isabelle and Simon into a grasp, leaving the family to stand free, although Echo could feel the tense and confusing emotions emitting in the room, she wasn't quite sure if she should be scared or worried.
Valentine faced his son, "Finally ready to kill your own father?"
"You abandoned me." Jace still had his blade high.
"I was protecting you. You weren't ready then, but you've grown."
Echo was slightly confused as to why Valentine wasn't recruiting her.
"You've become the warrior I've trained you to be."
Jace kept his voice even, "You've trained me well."
"And yet, I still have so much to each you. I brought you here for a reason."
Valentine kept his eyes on his only son, "Fight me, and you watch your friends die."
Everybody turned their head to see Alec and Magnus being forced into the room with blades at their necks. Echo pulled in a breath, suddenly feeling as if she needed to protect Alec.
She started toward him, but another newborn Shadowhunter appeared from behind her and grabbed her wrists. He forced them behind her back and she struggled. Echo's eyes shined bright green and she had to hold back a growl. Valentine completely ignored his daughter, "See, you are strong, but they make you weak."
Jace, with a vulnerable expression, looked around at his friends and family. He was conflicted.
"Let us go. You can have the book, we won't be able to stop you without it." The father turned to face his daughter, "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."
Valentine finally glanced at Echo before continuing, "I want you to wake up your mother. I know that you'll join me eventually. It's fated."
Valentine turned to Jace, "You ready?"
The poor Shadowhunter glanced at each of his friends with his glance landing last on Echo. The redhead, could feel every ounce of his emotions, he was going to go with Valentine.
"Jace, don--"
The Shadowhunter, that held Echo, pulled a seraph blade from his waistband and put it to Echo's neck. The blade burned at her neck but she refused to show any pain.
Jace lowered his weapon, "If I go with you, promise me you won't hurt them."
"You have my word."
Clary, still with the book of the white in her hands, shook her head, "This is insane."
"I'm sorry Clary."
Clary started to get glossy eyed, "Jace what are you doing? You can't be serious!" Clary's voice broke, "Valentine is wrong. Y-You're not like him. You're not!"
"You don't know that Clary."
"Jace." Echo's word was broken, but also strong, "We are not like that."
Valentine looked at his daughter, "Oh, Echoella." Valentine looked at his men, "Let them go."
Echo had expected for the Shadowhunter holding her, to let her go, but he hesitated. He pushed Echo forward and the sister was suddenly terrified that she would be forced into the portal.