The Iron Crown |Shadowhunters|

Epilogue

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it - always."
-Mahatma Gandhi

Lisa looked out over the green fields, the sun was high in the sky and a gentle wind blew her hair before her eyes. In Idris, there was no smog, unlike in Antwerp. Absently she twirled a blade of grass around her fingers, still feeling she was stuck in a dream.

A nightmare.

Again and again, the feeling of Thomas's lifeless body came back in her arms. What have I done? The thought plagued her every time. Murderer.

If Anna and Jonathan hadn't come back for her, she'd still be sitting there. She remembered her parabatai taking Lisa in her arms, reassuring her. And Jonathan's questioning looks, filled with horror. How could they ever trust her again?

You are our family, which means no one gets left behind or forgotten, Anna had said.

A faint smile pulled up the corners of her mouth as she looked at Jonathan. His white-blond hair fluttered like a halo around his head. He had laid his hand reassuringly on hers. His eyes focused on the pyre on the hill. With difficulty she tore her gaze from him, the crowd gathered around the pile of logs.

An old woman dressed in white — the typical mourning clothes of the shadowhunters — had a torch in her hands. The pyre lit up and the air filled with ashes.

That must be Thomas's grandmother, she thought. The poor woman had already gone through so much grief and sorrow, now she also had to give up her last grandchild. That was her fault.

The flames had spread over the entire pyre, in the middle she could see the white cloths in which the Silent Brothers had wrapped Thomas. She winced, was she a coward not to go to the funeral? She would be hysterical if people wished her condolences. An arm was wrapped around her. Gratefully she laid her head on Jonathan's shoulder.

"Who is that?" he whispered to her hair. The funeral was over, the crowd came in a procession, Thomas's grandmother leading the way. Lisa averted her gaze, she couldn't look her in the eye. She had passed before she could answer.

"Killed by wolves, it's horrible," she heard a girl sob.

"There are always dangerous beasts lurking in that forest. That's why you should never play outside at night," one man replied. Lisa was glad that Anna's lie about the wolves was believed.

"Isn't that the girl who found him? The Angel said thanks, otherwise, he would have been completely devoured." Lisa winced again, hiding her face in Jonathan's shirt in shame. He kissed her crown.

"Everything will be fine." He had changed, she thought. This was the loving, fragile Jonathan he always hid from everyone. He gave her the strength to trust people again. They had all changed.

Lisa couldn't wait to go back to Antwerp, where no one would recognise her. Where she wasn't some kind of hero, because she didn't deserve that.

"You are a hero. You saved us all." A grin appeared on her face as she turned around.

"Stop reading my mind," she snapped at Anna playfully.

Jonathan pulled her into the embrace. For the first time in days she laughed, this is all she ever wanted. She looked at the ring on her finger, she had come to terms with her father's death, as far as she knew the Seelie Queen had realised that she should not mess with the Cartwrights anymore.

A spark flew between the three teenagers. Jonathan was the first to reach out. He smiled, "Ah, a letter from my soon-to-be sister-in-law."

Anna raised an eyebrow and looked at Lisa. "I didn't know you had a sister, how could you keep that a secret?" Lisa's cheeks turned bright red.

"Dear Anna," he began. Her parabatai eyes widened, she snatched the letter from his hands.

"Give that here, it's personal." Olivia had gone back to the Institute with Arthur to look after the children. She had accepted she wasn't a shadowhunter anymore, but still secretly lived with them. She said she was relieved to see her brother more often.

She watched Anna read the letter eagerly, a sly grin on her face. "Arthur is organizing a Star Wars marathon without us," she wailed. A photo fell between the paper, it was a picture of Olivia with the kids and Billy.

"Now look how cute." She gave the photo to her friend and then laughed. "Isn't it trite to end a letter with kisses?" As expected, she was punched in the stomach.

"Time to go home." Anna sounded solemn when she spoke, she knew how much that meant to Lisa.

The past month had been a true adventure, and like the best adventures, this one was better kept secret.