in the end ~ d. malfoy

Chapter Fifty-Four

August 2016

MAYA'S NEVER WANTED TO BE IN A SCI-FI FLICK, but she's certain that they've fallen into the Matrix with the words coming out of Meliorn's mouth.

"Another dimension?" Clary gasps, looking down at the pendant on her neck. The portal shard is apparently from an alternate reality, and from what Meliorn's saying, it seems that it could get them another lead.

"You're saying there's a Portal in some other universe that can take us to anyone if we just think of them?" Jace raises a skeptical eyebrow.

"If you can find the only Portal still standing in that dimension, it will take you to your father." Meliorn instructs, gesturing to the dark Seelie woods behind them, fog hanging ominously on the ground, "These trees are where the alternate dimensions intersect the Seelie realm."

"How is it possible that the Clave doesn't know about your dimensional doorways?" Jace scoffs.

"They are our most guarded secret." Meliorn answers, his dark eyes glittering with a hint of pride, "We are their protectors. Only Seelies know of their existence."

"Then why are you telling us?" Clary questions.

"I owe you a life debt, and I don't like being indebted to anyone." Meliorn glares at them, clearly annoyed.

"What would happen if–" Clary starts.

"If the Seelie Queen finds out I've shared this with you?" Meliorn shrugs, as though he's talking about the weather, "I could be executed."

"Yeah, that's not stressful at all, " Maya mutters under her breath, unnerved by the grandiosity of the situation.

"Well, we'll be extra careful then." Jace steps forward.

"There's no "we" in this scenario." Meliorn scoffs, stopping him, "Only Clary goes in to find the Portal. My debt is to her."

"You've given us no reason to trust you, Seelie." Jace scoffs.

Clary rolls her eyes at him, "He brought us here."

"Alright, if I can't go in, then can Maya?" Jace sighs; Meliorn glares at him, "She saved your life too. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't have even gone through with the plan, "

"Jace-" Maya begins, but he shuts her up.

"Stop being modest, " Jace rolls his eyes at her, "You know it's true, "

Meliorn regards her for a moment, dark eyes calculated as he seems to think it over. Then he lets out a dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes as he turns around to prepare the entrance, "The hybrid may accompany her."

"I have a name, you know." Maya snaps at him, feeling more irritated by the second.

"And yet I could not care less about using it, " Meliorn's hands glow a little brighter than his sardonic tone, moving them in a practiced fashion as a buzzing noise begins to emit from between the dark trees.

"The fuck does Izzy see in him?" Jace mutters, nudging Maya, "Definitely wasn't the personality."

"I don't even know, " Maya shudders in disgust, recounting the sordid tales she'd heard about the pair, "Discretion, maybe?"

"I knew the Seelies were one with nature, " Clary mutters, regarding Meliorn warily as some of the fog rises to his fingertips, "But..."

"This will establish a connection to the other dimension." Meliorn snaps his fingers, and the fog withdraws. An eerie glow emanates from between the tree, green shadows from within dancing in the moonlight.