Chapter 21
Burning Gold
Evan had little difficulty running with weapons strapped to her waist as she knew Tessa did. Perhaps it was because she was already running on adrenaline. Perhaps it was because it was all a dream anyway and you cannot die in your dreams. Or maybe even because it was not a dream and Evan could care less if she lived or died.
Magnus did not stop her when they reached the cavern and she immediately rushed with her spiked-mace in hand, hitting heads off of the creatures - whether or not they were moving. There were no shimmering seraph blades in the throng of brass, black, steel and wood. Tessa moved forward with her, swinging her sword, fighting back-to-back.
Evan noticed Will, Cecily and a Silent Brother - Jem, she realized - fighting side-by-side, belts full of mundane weapons. They were a flurry of steel, creatures falling left and right. Cecily caught her eye, and darted forward, leaving Will and Jem to fight by themselves.
Cecily cut through the automatons as Evan yanked her mace out one automaton's brass skull. "You're alive," Cecily grinned, cutting an advancing creature at its neck.
"I am," Evan said, throwing her mace at a creature near Magnus. She pulled out her sword, her arms already aching. "What did we miss?"
"We need to get Tessa and Magnus as close as we can to Mortmain." Cecily said.
Having overheard, Tessa gasped out "Why?" Her sword was already failing her.
"We have a plan." Cecily grunted, hacking at another automaton. "Get with Magnus."
Tessa hesitated but Evan threw her a look, "Go. You're not shying away from anything, trust me." Tessa retreated, back into the wall with Magnus, who was backed up against the wall, protecting the both of them.
"So I've been meaning to ask you," Cecily said, cutting a creature from over Evan's head, "If we live, and you Ascend, will you be my parabatai."
Evan snorted, "Impeccable timing, Cecy."
"Don't avoid the question, DeLuca."
"I'm not. I thought the snort was answer enough."
Cecily grinned, the two girls pausing for a brief second before pouncing again, fighting to keep the advancing demons down, fighting with a sync that Will and Jem had taken years to master.
Will caught glimpses of his sister and Evan DeLuca through cracks of the creatures' assault. Jem was having a little difficulty moving in a robe that was too long even for his height, stumbling slightly and moving slowly. Cyril, on the other side of Jem, knew it as well as Will did as he took down an automaton that snuck up on Jem from his other blind side.
Charlotte and Henry were cutting a solid path from their place, along with Bridget and Sophie, to the girls, Tessa and Magnus now. The Lightwood boys were a few yards behind them, fighting with several Silent Brothers, holding their own just fine.
"Do you see them?" Jem asked, cutting upward diagonally before his assaulting creature could attack.
"Tessa is with Magnus now." Will said, taking out two demons with a single sweep of his sword.
"And Evan?"
"With Cecy."
"Good."
Evan let out a horrible curse in every language she knew, which made Cecily choke at a few of them as Armaros surged for Tessa. "You got an axe?"
"No," Cecily said incredulously.
"Fine, back me up a sec, will you?" Evan advanced on the demon with her sword, which suddenly felt too heavy, and made to sink the blade into its back before it grabbed Tessa but the demon swung around, wrapping its spiny fingers around her throat and lifting her in the air.
To her left, she heard Charlotte scream her name.
Before Evan could almost mutter another profanity, the demon squeezed her neck and she coughed, seeing spots. Where the hell was Cecily?
"Mortmain doesn't care if you live or die, mundane." Armaros squeezed her neck more tightly.
Evan thought about kicking him but it wouldn't do anything but dislocate her toe - again. So she glare at him as best she could and thought about the one thing her mother said about self defense 'never give them the upper hand'. From the corner of her fading vision, she saw Cecily behind the demon.
With all she could, Evan nodded.
Cecily made her attack and Evan reached for her remaining mace, the round-topped one, and, with numb fingers, grabbed it and swung it as hard as she could. Cecily managed to plunge her sword in its back, making a horrible tearing noise as Evan dropped and collapsed.
"I said a second!" Evan rasped out, rubbing her neck as Cecily hacked at the demon more and more.
"I'm sorry - it's not like you told me what you were going to do!" Cecily rolled her eyes and the girls turned, striking down as many creatures as they could.
"Throw it now Henry!" Will's bellow carried throughout the cavern.
There was a pop and then the wind was sucked from the room. Evan cried out in pain as she and Cecily both dropped to the ground, hands clamped over their ears. Automatons around them began spasming, dropping to the ground. Some, in jerkish movements, tried fighting but were quickly struck down.
Magnus held Tessa's necklace in hand, nodding at Henry and Charlotte, who were looking at the destruction.
"Stop."
"Stop." Mortmain's voice carried as the sucking wind faded. Tessa was still beside Magnus, Magnus still had Tessa's clockwork necklace in his hand, his face drained with the effort to perform what he needed to and explain what Tessa must do and its risks. "Where is Miss Gray? Bring her to me."
Evan rubbed her neck, where a dark bruise was already forming. "Armaros isn't available." Her voice carried. Cecily sent her a smirk.
"Ah, gypsy," Mortmain smirked. Will's eyes flashed with fury. "Then tell me, what happens now?"
"No idea - it's not like we're following the plot line too well." Evan said, her hands on her knees. She was winded; when she got home to the Institute, she would be sleeping - that was for sure.
Mortmain hissed and the still remaining automatons snapped their heads at her in a scary synchronicity that was meant for Will. Evan looked up at the Magister and scowled.
"Any last words, gypsy? For you and yours?" Mortmain asked.
Evan looked to Magnus and Tessa; Tessa was sweating, and shaking - but she was doing it. She was Changing.
"Few can claim a single angel who guards them." Evan recited, looking to Magnus - who nodded and touched Tessa's shoulder as their signal. "But she can."
With a scream, Tessa Changed. She grew, wings spanning out behind her as her features took a more masculine shape. She was glowing a Heavenly glow, fiery but holy. It was beautiful.
Cecily and Evan stumbled back to seperate sides. Cecily stumbled into Gabriel, who held on to her as Evan backed up into Henry and Charlotte, both of them shielded her from what they knew would happen.
Evan didn't need to look to know that Tessa, as Ithuriel, had crushed - no, scorched - Mortmain. His last scream was tortured, but Evan was not saddened nor joyed by it. Evan closed her eyes as there were groans of metal as the clockwork creatures - Mortmain's creations - fell to the stone floor, writhing and dying.
Evan did, however, watch as Tessa's form of Ithuriel wilted and crumbled away, leaving her as Tessa Gray - wonderful, beautiful, fearless Tessa Gray. Jem rushed to her, catching her as she sagged against him, her clothes in tatters.
Henry kissed Charlotte hard on the lips before pressing his lips to Evan's head, cradling her head as he hugged the two of them close.
"Is it over?" Evan breathed, her heart pounding. She could feel Charlotte nodded as she murmured, "It's over, darling."