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THE CONNECTING CAVES stood completely silent with the exception of footsteps and water dripping off the walls.
Asher pulled out her witchlight as they were walking, a pure white glow emitting the second it came into contact with her hand. Jace copied her actions and soon enough, the darkness that loomed over them stretched backwards to reveal a few feet of corridor.
"What's that?" Clary asked, scooting closer to Jace. "It's a witchlight." He responded. "We carry it to remind us that light can be found in even the darkest of places. And it's cooler than a flashlight." The redhead giggled at his last comment.
While Jace supposedly flirted with the girl, Asher continued to explore the cave. The only thing that seemed to be inside of it was a similar stone statue of a hooded figure like the one they saw earlier. However, the one in the tunnel had wings and carried three objects in its grasp. "Is that meant to be the Mortal Cup?" Clary held the witchlight to one of the objects depicted in the statue's hands.
"Yeah." Asher answered, stopping beside Jace. Clary's eyes scanned the statue from head to toe. Her illuminated hand lowered to the sword. "What's that say?" "It's the Shadowhunter creed." Jace spoke up, smirking. "'Looking better in black than the widows of our enemies.'" "Ain't that the truth." Asher remarked, laughing lightly.
Jace looked over at the brunette and grinned. Pride swelled in his chest at the fact that he made her smile. Clary let out a breathy laugh right after. "My Latin's pretty rusty, but I'm almost positive that's not what that says." Asher leaned forward to get a better look. "'For Shadowhunters, the descent into hell is easy.'" She quoted, pointing to each word individual as she translated the text.
"Well that should be a postcard."
Asher smiled and shook her head. "You should make one and send it to me." She and Clary exchanged an amused look. The brunette followed her eyes along the sword and pointed in the direction it faced. "It's this way."
The group of three continued into the darkness until they came across another hallway already lit with torches. It stretched forward with large and rising arches on either side. The remains of skeletons filled each empty space.
"I'm sorry."
Asher turned around and stopped to look at Clary. The redhead moved towards her and stopped as well. "About what I said before about your mom. I didn't know." The brunette stiffened and opened her mouth to answer when Jace beat her too it. "It's cute. You assume we have feelings." She glared at Jace before turning back to Clary. "Ignore him, he's being an asshole like usual."
Jace scoffed from behind. "Well, I don't." He joined the girls. "Save the apologies for the mundanes. Everyone has a sad song." "What's yours?" Asher asked curiously, crossing her arms as his words from earlier replayed in her mind.
"My mother died when I was a baby. My father died when I was ten."
"I'm so sorry." Clary looked saddened by his confession. Her repeated apology resulted in Jace exhaling in annoyance through his nose. He ignored it and nodded towards Asher. "What's yours?" "My parents both died when I was ten." The brunette shrugged. Jace pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes slightly as he tried to read the female Shadowhunter. He knew that there was something else she didn't share.
"Wait," Clary started. "Are your parents buried here?"
Asher nodded whilst Jace shook his head. His eyes flickered around the tunnel. "Circle members are considered traitors. They forfeit their right to be buried here."
"Your father was a Circle member too?"
"My father tried to do the right thing and leave the Circle." Jace clenched his jaw. "And it cost him his life." "That's why you're doing all of this," Clary concluded softly. She moved closer. "Why you're helping me." "Valentine and his people need to pay." Jace was so close to Clary that she could feel his breath on her face. "I'm gonna make them pay."
"For, um, for what it's worth," Clary reaches for his hand, holding it gently. "I'm sorry." Jace looked down at their intertwined hands with a blank expression before pulling away. "No more 'I'm sorry's. You're a Shadowhunter now." Clary nodded awkwardly and shifted her attention to Asher as they all started walking again. "What happened to your parents?"
"That's a story for another time."
The brunette left Clary's question unanswered, not wanting to relive that part of her past. Jace remained quiet as he walked in front of the two females. Asher's eyes flickered to his shoulders, noticing how they seemed more prominent than earlier. Hi walk seemed tense as a result from the previous conversation . A thought popped into her head and she acted on it before she could prevent herself from doing so.
Asher made her way ahead until she stepped in sync with Jace. Her eyes gazed down at her hand as it bumped against his. She looked back ahead of her, heart beating rapidly, and slowly snaked her arm around his, intertwining their fingers together. Asher gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, similar to what he did earlier. She released her hold completely, not wanting to make him uncomfortable as he brooded over his own past.
Asher moved to pull away when Jace's grip brought her back close to his side. She tensed up in surprise and looked up at his face. Jace's blank gaze remained fixated ahead of them as his thumb slowly caressed the back of her hand. His small gesture indicated that he didn't want her to let go just yet. Asher felt unsure with Jace's change in behavior, but complied by relaxing into his grip.
The three of them continued down the tunnel until it opened up into a circular room. Asher scanned her surroundings, noticing skeletons either bunched up in piles or laying down to rest within concavities built into the walls. Moonlight filtered in through an oculus in the ceiling, illuminating a symbol in the middle of the floor. It protruded from the ground inside a stone circle surrounded by human bones facing outward, resembling a morbid symbol of a sun.
Clary stepped closer to inspect the symbol. "I've drawn this before, but I don't know what it means." Asher released her grip from Jace's hand to get a closer look "It means 'clairvoyance'."
All of a sudden, torches exploded to life around the room. One by one, they illuminating the room with their fiery glow, revealing the Silent Brothers that stood around the room against the wall.
Shadowhunters.
Asher gasped in surprise as a deep voice resonated inside of her head. All of the stories and books that she read describing the Silent Brothers did not compare to what it was actually like. The voice sounded like there was someone behind her speaking directly into her ear. It was cold and uninviting.
Asher backed away from the center and collided with Jace's chest. Jace stepped forward so that he was beside her. His hand grasped hers tightly. Clary looked around with horror and gasped as one walked towards them. Asher made sure to straighten her posture and neutralize her expression.
One of the Silent Brothers glided along the floor like a spirit, his cloak floating around him. He slowly reached up and slid off his hood. Lifeless gray skin clung onto his bones as a shaved head flawed with deep lines and scarred runes appeared. His eyes and mouth were both sewn shut. The Silent Brother held out one of his slender hands.
Come into the circle.
Asher leaned close to Clary's ear. "We'll be right here." The redhead glanced anxiously at the female Shadowhunter before obeying the Silent Brother as she made her way on top of the clairvoyance symbol. The Silent Brother held out his hand again, slowly moving it to the side.
Step away, Jace Wayland.
Asher and Jace exchanged a look before he backed away. The brunette looked between him and the Silent Brother, unsure of what to do. The Silent Brother in the center slowly turned his head until it faced Asher, as if he could clearly see her from behind his sewn shut eyelids.
Your ancestors welcome you, Asher Montgomery.
Asher's mouth hung open slightly, not ever expecting a Silent Brother to greet her during a visit to the City of Bones. She knew about her lineage, but this was a whole new level of strange. The same Silent Brother outstretched his arm once again in her direction.
Join him.
The brunette didn't waste a second before she scurried to stand by Jace against the wall. As soon as she approached him, Jace reached down to grab her hand for the third time that night alone. "You must love holding hands, Wayland." The brunette tried joking to lift the tension, but it came out more as a nervous laugh. Jace rolled his eyes. "You're not funny."
The search of your unconscious mind is a perilous one.
"Please," Clary pleaded. Her voice shook slightly from fear. "My memories were blocked. I have to get them back."
If you are not strong enough, the Soul-Sword will kill you.
The Silent Brothers surrounding Clary stepped in closer until the ends of their cloaks were barely touching the perimeter of moonlight on the floor. Clary shifted her weight from one foot to the other. A moment passed as she prepared herself for what's to come. She lifted her chin up slightly. "I'm ready."
The Silent Brother nodded to express his understanding. His hands outstretched and raised towards the opening in the ceiling.
The Soul-Sword reveals all.
A silver sword slowly descended towards Clary. Asher gripped Jace's hand tighter. "This was a bad idea. What if she-" "She'll be alright." Asher turned away and rested her forehead against his shoulder. Instincively, Jace's hand came up to gently cup the back of her head.
Whispers circled in Asher's mind as the Soul-Sword pierced Clary's forehead. Her whimpers were quiet, but noticeable as her eyes moved around behind her eyelids. All of a sudden, her eyes shot open and she gasped for air. Asher pulled away from Jace and revealed herself from her position against the wall to check on Clary.
The Soul-Sword ascended back to its original place and the Silent Brothers retreated into the shadows. "W-wait." Clary stammered in confusion. "Wait, where are they going? We aren't done! We can't be done."
"Clary," Asher rushed forward to meet her in the circle. "Do you know where the Cup is?" "No." The redhead shook her head as Jace joined them.
Only fragments of her memory were accessible to us.
"It can't be true what I saw." Clary trembled. The Silent Brother slowly drifted away.
Your memory does not lie. You must accept what has been revealed.
Clary shook her head profusely. "I can't." She sobbed out. "I can't." "What is it?" Jace questioned her. "What did you see?" "My mother lied to me." Clary cried, turning to Jace and Asher. "She lied all of these years about my father." "About your father?" Asher furrowed her eyebrows. "What about your father?" "My father." Clary's voice shook from the silent sobs wracking her body.
"My father is Valentine."