The Morning Star (TMI City of Lost Souls AU)

Chapter 24 - Unexpected Visitor

"Johnathon," Her voice came out as a shallow breath of air. Johnathon was standing on the doorstep of the Herondale Manor, his white blonde hair blowing in the slight morning breeze.

"I know you can get in trouble for seeing me, but there is something you need to know," His emerald eyes were full of alarm as he looked between them from the doorstep.

"What are you doing here?" Clary's voice was stronger now, the realization of how bad this situation could be if the Clave were to find out setting in.

"You need to leave," Jace was standing at the door still, his voice sharp as a blade, "I will not let Clary get punished by the Clave for this. You may no longer have demons blood in you, but I still don't trust you. We let you leave, start a new life. Without us in it."

"I know, I shouldn't be here. I promise no one will know and I will leave if you ask after this but something's happened." She didn't know why, maybe the muted panic in his voice or the way his eyes were like mirrors of her own, but she stepped aside and let him in.

"Clary!" Jace's voice was a warning as he shut the door tightly behind them.

"Okay," She said, moving towards the library on the main floor where there were few windows. She stopped in the center of the room and turned towards the two boys, "What happened?" Johnathon was looking around the room, distracted by the tall mahogany book-lined shelves and ornate lights around the perimeter of the ceiling. It was weird to look at this boy now and see him differently. He may be an entirely different person, but he still wears the face of someone who tried to destroy the world and all those she loved. Finally he plopped down onto one of the leather armchairs and took a deep breath before speaking.

"At the Seventh Sacred site. Everything-," He was speaking cautiously, as if bringing up that day might snap the tension in the room, "Everything is rather blurry for me, but I remember the flames of heavenly fire engulfing me. But it wasn't just that, there was something cold and heavy running through the air as well. Something dark. I thought at the time it was just the demon's blood, which has always weighed me down, leaving my body. But now I know it was not." Clary's face drained of all color as she thought back to that night, black flames rising within the gold ones.

"What- What was it then?" Her voice was hollow as she asked the question, fearing she already knew the answer. Jace had come to stand by her side, his hand protectively on the small of her back.

"Lady Lilith harbored the demonic energies that were burning from my veins. The demon blood no longer runs through my body, but through the body of something she created." He was averting his eyes from them as if he were ashamed, "When you told me to go anywhere, I went to where I had been hiding out, just to see what had come of the Endarkened. As I suspected, they all fled back to Edom. I hid as I observed them, and then I saw him."

"Him? Who is him?" Jace's fists were clenched.

"Well, rather an it, I guess. Lilith had used the demon blood to create a demonic being that mirrors myself. He is not human and therefore his home dimension is now Edom. I heard him speak, no human language, but I knew what he was saying. He is hiding out until he gains enough strength, then he is coming back here. He is going to strike Idris. And he has an army."

"But how is that possible? How is he another person and you are still, well, you?"

"It is possible because he isn't a person. He is a demon, while he may bear some resemblance to me, he is also very distinctly not. Lady Lilith is a greater demon, she bound the energies to another demonic form. I do not know much else, unfortunately, I left so I could come find you,. Something has to be done." He was standing now, slowly approaching the two of them.

"And why are we supposed to believe you?" It was Jace who spoke, his face contorted in aggravation, "And if you are telling the truth, what could we do about it? We can't leave Idris because of this damn trial, and the Clave is too distracted by it to do anything!"

"Jace is right, they wouldn't believe us even if we told them. And how do you suppose we tell them how we got this information? If they find out we have been talking to you, we will be charged as guilty and exiled." Clary said.

"If not killed," Jace murmured under his breath.

"And if you don't do something, everyone will be killed. I am trying to find a way to stop him, but I am just an untrained Shadowhunter now, I am no use alone." He was starting to get flustered, which subconsciously comforted Clary. It was a very uncommon state for Sebastian, furthermore alluding to the idea that Johnathon was a different person entirely.

"Well what do you suggest we do then?" Jace shot back aggressively.

Before Johnathon could say anything, Clary spoke, "We need to tell Alec, Izzy and Simon. We need help, we can't do it alone either."

"Alright, I'll call Alec then." Jace pulled out his phone, but Clary pushed it back down.

"No, we need to talk about this is person, I don't know if the Commander is listening in on our phones and I don't want to run the risk of her knowing Johnathon is here. We need to go back to Alicante." With a nod, the three of them walked out of the library, heading to the door. Jace grabbed their bag and saw Johnathon following them.

"Oh no, there is no way in hell you are going to Alicante." He put his hand up in front to block his way. At first, Johnathon looked like he wanted to protest, but he simply stopped and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Right. Well where do you suppose I go?"

"You can go to Hell, how does that strike you?" Irritation seeped out of Jace's words, Clary digging her elbow into his ribs warningly.

"Just stay here, make sure no one sees you. We are going to go see the Lightwoods and Simon, we will come back. Tell us if you find out anything else," Clary tried to keep her voice controlled, but inside her mind was running rampant with the panic that she had no idea what to do. Johnathon winced suddenly and grasped his side, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," He said, straightening up, "I just felt a sharp pain, it might be some aftereffects of the Heavenly Fire, I've been getting them more frequently lately. I will wait here for you two." Clary stood still for a moment, fear running through her veins. Fear of what this demon was planning. Fear of the punishments they could be dealt from the Clave. But the worst? The fear that Johnathon was lying. They believed the demon blood to be burned from his body, but did they know? This could be a trap and she was aware of that possibility. He watched her and Jace as they walked down the path to Alicante, his green eyes shimmering in the sunlight. She didn't know if it was just the way the sun reflected off of them or something else, but as she turned back, she swear she saw a glint of black in them.