"Jace!" I chased after him, skidding to a stop on the roof he escaped on, as he spun to face me, "Stop-"
Jace stares at me, his teeth gritting together, as he charged toward me, swinging to land a punch in my face, but I dodged his attempt, elbowing him back, as he grunted, stumbling back lightly.
He then grabs my arm, twisting it behind my back, disarming me of my kindjals, before using full force to kick me backwards.
I grunted when I fell onto the ground, before he started to kick me around while I was on the ground, shrieks leaving my lips.
I pushed myself onto my feet, punching him in the jaw, only for him to grab me by my hair and throw me to the ground, kneeing me in the face.
"Jace!" I shouted when he grabbed me by the neck, holding me over the ledge, "This isn't you-"
"It hasn't been you this entire time, has it?" I held his wrists, my voice raspy, coughing between my words, "All those things you said-"
Jace simply smirks at me, tightening his grip, making me shut up, as I croak out, "Jace, I know you're still in there- listen to me-"
"I love you- so much." I could barely speak at this point, "I'm so sorry-"
"I don't love you." Jace brought his face close to mine, his eyes glued to mine, "Not anymore."
Then he dropped me.
-
I whimpered in pain as I managed to fish out my phone out of my pocket, my finger taking ages to move on the screen to dial the first number I saw.
I was covered in glass, sitting in a pool of my own blood, laying helplessly on the hood of a car, barely being able to move.
"Look, Young, it's a bad time-" Simon's voice filled the line after he answered the first ring, my heart rushing with relief, "Can I call you back?"
"Simon-" My breathing was ragged and broken, "Wait-"
"Zee?" Simon was suddenly concerned at the sound of my voice, "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"Jace- he-" I could barely finish a sentence, choking on my own blood, "I can't move-"
Simon immediately asks, "Where are you?-"
"Near-" I barely turned my head, coughing lightly, "Crosby and Grand-"
"I'll be right there." His words made me sigh in relief, letting my phone slip from my hand as my eyes started to roll to the back of my head, only to snap back into reality when I heard his worried call, "Zee!-"
I looked at him, not saying anything.
"Hey- it's okay- I'm gonna get you help." Simon grabs my hand, "It's gonna be okay-"
-
"Jace is the Owl?" Isabelle said when we were all gathered around the table, "How is that even possible?"
"This whole time, it wasn't his mental health." Alec stares ahead, "He was possessed-"
"By an extremely powerful Greater Demon, who gave him the ability to turn mundanes into demonic killers." Magnus said to us.
"We've defeated Greater Demons before." Alec swallows hard, "We'll do it again and free Jace."
"This is not just any Greater Demon." Magnus showed my drawing, "Zee was able to draw an image of the beast, and it matches this image from the Silent City archives- the demon is Lilith, Queen of Edom, Adam's first wife."
Isabelle says, "Adam as in Garden of Eden, Adam?"
"The one and only." Magnus confirms.
Clary questions, "So- what does that mean?"
"She's the mother of all demons." Magnus replied.
"It makes her more powerful than anything we've ever encountered." Alec thought out loud, "But- of all people, why Jace?"
When silence followed, I knew I had to tell them.
Jace was gone.
What was the point on hiding it any longer?"
"Alec-" I broke the silence, looking up at my best friend, "I lied to you- about that night- about what you felt- your parabatai rune disappearing-"
"You were right." I came clean, looking down at my palms, "Jace did die- Valentine did kill him."
Alec's rued were glued to me, "I knew it-"
"But- if he died, how did he come back?" Simon asks.
"Because I made a wish-" I could feel the tears start to form in my eyes, knowing that I was risking everything, "-to Raziel."
Isabelle inhales, "You made the wish?-"
"Of course I did- god, it was the only way to bring him back." I looked up, the tears in my eyes falling free, "I can't live without him."
I covered my face for a moment, "But- when I brought him back, it made him vulnerable, to Lilith, to- this beast that is powerful enough to murder Ithuriel."
"What?" Clary looked at me in surprise.
"Because of me-" I couldn't help but sob, "Because I summoned him- because I was trying to help Jace."
"Alec, I am so sorry I lied to you- I'm so sorry I kept this from you." I looked at him, sniffling lightly, "I know what position this puts you in with the Clave, so if you want to send me to the Gard- I understand."
"Zee, no!" Simon blurted out, only to receive dagger looks from Alec, silencing himself within seconds.
Alec slowly rounds the table, his eyes glued to me as I exhaled slow, just giving him a small nod.
To everyone's dismay, he hugs me instead, holding onto me tight, "I would've done the same thing."
-
"Last night, Ollie's mother was found in her apartment stabbed to death." Luke tells us when we had all gathered in the courtyard to discuss what to do.
Clary sighs, her hands on her sides, "Luke- there is nothing you could've done."
"Wait- Jace was able to reverse Morgan's possession, remember?" Isabelle brought up, "If we can find Jace, maybe he can save Ollie."
"We tried that, Iz." I look at her, "He must be using his anti-tracking rune."
"The Owl wasn't exactly shy before." Magnus mentioned, "If we were to somehow contain him the next time he makes an appearance, I might be able to relieve him of Lilith's influence."
Luke questions out loud what we were all wondering, "How the hell are we gonna contain him?"
"When I took over as weapons master, I read about a piece of Clave technology that never made it into the field." Isabelle thought out loud, "It was called the Malachi Configuration-"
Alec looks at her, "Malachi the traitor?"
"He invented a type of cage for Greater Demons." Isabelle tells us, "Now, it's just sitting in the Alicante Armory."
I nodded slow, "So- we go there and we get it."
"What, do you expect the Clave to just hand it over?" Luke looked at me, pointing out a valid point.
"No- but, Imogen might." I put my hair behind my ears, "Jace is her only family left- she's not going to say no to the only thing that'll contain him long enough for us to help him."
"You're right." Alec nodded once, crossing his arms, "We'll go with you."
"And I will go try and find a cure for Jace." Magnus said to us all, before turning and leaving us.
"Before the Owl got a hold of Ollie, she had a location lead." Luke says, "If I can find Lilith- I can find Jace."
-
"It's wonderful to see you all, but based on this unscheduled visit, it seems that something must be amiss." Imogen looks between us as we all stood in her office, "What's happened?"
"Jace- he's has been compromised by the Greater Demon Lilith." I was the one to answer her, "She's controlling his every move."
"Oh, by the Angel-" Imogen inhales sharply, "How did this happen?-"
I took a deep breath, opening my mouth to speak but Alec speaks before I could, "We don't know."
I closed my mouth.
"If this is true," Imogen began, "-you know it will be grounds for a kill order."
"We believe we can cure Jace without having to alert the Clave." Alec told her, "That's why we came to you."
"If you can give us the Malachi Configuration, we can contain Jace." Isabelle explained to her, "We can cure him."
Imogen asks, "And what do I tell Consul Penhallow?"
Clary trails off, "Who says she has to know?"
-
"My security clearance must be used in person via thumbprint." Imogen informed us as we headed through the hall, hoping we didn't run into anyone.
Alec looks at her, "Well, that's a new development."
"When the Circle members got ousted, we increased security protocol in certain high-risk areas in the city." Imogen explained, "The Armory is one of them."
Our luck had been just that, as we heard a voice sound from behind us, "I didn't realize we had visitors."
"Consul Penhallow." Imogen turned.
She nodded a greeting, looking between us all, "What brings the crown jewels of the New York Institute to Alicante?"
I began to trail off, "Well, Inquisitor Herondale was just- giving us a tour-"
"Of the Armory, so I can improve the operations in New York." Isabelle softly smiled, completing my lie.
"What a wonderful idea." Consul Penhallow asks, "I have a few moments to spare, do you mind if I join?-"
"Actually, Consul Penhallow, I was hoping to speak with you privately." Alec cut in and saved us, as she simply nodded, Imogen heading back over to us as he headed over to us to keep her at bay.
-
"What kind of cage fits in a duffle bag?" I asked a Isabelle when she walked out of the room, holding the Malachi Configuration in a duffle bag.
"I'll explain later." Isabelle shot me a look, putting the bag over her shoulder, "I made sure it wouldn't be detected as missing- that should keep the Clave off our backs-"
Clary nods, "All we have to do is find Jace."
I went quiet as we waited on Alec, Isabelle looking at me, "You okay?"
"Yeah." I looked at my feet, "Just thinking."
Clary asks, "About?"
"Jace." I put my hands into my pockets, breathing slow, "I just- I hate myself for what I did to him."
Isabelle began, "This wasn't you-"
"It happened because of me." I looked up at her, "This is all because of me- and you can't deny that."
"Yes we can-" Clary cuts in, "It's not your fault- you just wanted the man that you loved back-"
"I was taught that love is a weakness." I stared at them, "I let it compel me into bringing him back- and that's on me."
Clary sighs at my words, "You can't blame yourself for what your heart wants."
"You know, sometimes-" I looked between them,
"I think it would've been better if Jace and I had never- started falling for each other."
"Are you kidding?" Isabelle interjected, "Zee, you and I have known Jace for a long time- and you know how much he cared about the hunt before he realized he had feelings for you."
I almost scoff, "What does that even mean?"
"It means that loving you has given his life meaning." Isabelle's words hit me like a brick, "Like he woke up from a deep sleep-"
"He became a different Jace from them-" Isabelle said to me, "A happier Jace."
"Hey." Alec joins us, "Did you get it?-"
Isabelle held up the bag, nodding, "Some assembly required, but- yes."
"Let's go." Alec nodded at us, as we headed down the hall, looking around to make sure that no one saw us.
But, it wasn't long until a fire message came flying towards us, Alec catching it, reading it quickly, "Change of plans, Jace is here- he's in the cemetery."
"What?-" Isabelle gasps lightly.
Clary questions, "What is he doing?-"
"I don't know-" Alec looked up from the message.
"We have to get him-" I said quickly, "Now-"
-
"Jace!" Alec called out to him when we had spotted him in the Cemetery of the Disgraced, six feet deep into Valentine's grave, attempting to dig up his body.
Jace stepped out, heading towards him, as Alec shouts his signal, "Now!"
"What have you done?-" Jace grunted when we all stabbed the swords into the ground, trapping him.
Clary breathes out, "It worked-"
"What do we do now?" Isabelle's eyes were wide at the lights from the flash lights nearing us, along with the sound of barking dogs.
"I can buy you some time-" I stepped up, taking a few steps away from them, pulling out my stele.
Alec watched me, "How?-"
"I'll cover for you- alright?" I drew my portal rune in the air, looking back to make sure they weren't too close to see me do this, "Just- please, fix him-"
"Zee, no-" Alec took a step towards me, his eyes wide with fear, "Please- this isn't the way-"
"Tell me he wouldn't do it for me." I cut him off, my eyes glued to him, "Tell me he wouldn't do everything in his power to save me if it were me."
When Alec doesn't reply, I pushed the rune towards them, sending them all to Magnus', before flash lights were flashing at me, "Drop your stele!-"
"Let's see your hands!" I did as I was told, dropping my stele as the guards rushed over to apprehend me, "Hands on your head!"
authors note:
well damn. she gave herself up
the little zee, izzy and clary moment made my heart ache a little, but- skskdkdng
zalec do be a brotp tho
lmao but, thank you for 30k !!
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