My Beautiful One

36. Siren tears

"The only problem is, I don't know what to tell everyone once you're gone." Clary told me as I stuffed the few things that I'd unpacked back into my backpack. "We can't tell them you went back to him, because the Clave would think you'd become a traitor and go after you. That is, if they'd believe it in the first place. Why would you have saved Beijing if you were on the Morgenstern side?"

"True. And we can't say he broke out of prison by himself and kidnapped me, because then they might go after me." I added on, zipping my bag closed and looking up at her seriously. "We have to tell them that yes, he got out, but he killed me because of Beijing. It's the only way that would give me time to convince him."

"But it would break Jace's heart to hear that you're dead." She said anxiously. "Alec and Izzy... they'd be devastated too. They'd go after Sebastian even quicker and with a more rash plan if they thought he did it."

"You can tell Jace." I said. "He's Alec's parabatai; he'll be able to convince him that it's what I would have wanted, and if he and Alec won't help her, Isabelle won't go."

Clary nodded slowly, her eyes full of worry. "Are you sure it's all going to pay off? Will you be able to convince him?"

I raised my eyebrows at her. "This is your plan, I might remind you. And no, I am not sure. I am in no way sure of anything when it comes to Sebastian Morgenstern, but I think I have a shot."

"Of course you do. If anyone has a shot, it's you." She said, and it sounded as if she was trying to convince herself rather than me. I'd never seen her this nervous before: wasn't she supposed to be Clary Fearless Fray, the person who runs into everything head on in a way that's equal parts brave and stupid?

"We need Fearless runes." I said suddenly, grabbing my jacket from the bed post and shrugging it on.

She blinked at me, bewildered and obviously breaking herself out of a mental pep-talk. "What?"

"Fearless runes. I've heard that you can draw them, that you can accomplish the impossible when it comes to Marks."

"Are you sure you can take runes?" She asked, sounding doubtful.

In answer, I pulled up my sleeve and held my arm out, the black lines and swirls of the binding rune in stark contrast to my pale skin. "This rune is only dangerous because it binds me to Sebastian, not because of anything to do with the rune itself."

"Okay then." Clary took her stele out of her pocket and swiftly inked the Mark onto her own skin before stepping towards me and drawing it onto the back of my right hand. When it was clear, after about ten seconds, that the rune wasn't going to kill me, Clary drew Soundless runes onto the soles of our shoes and we made our way silently out of the house.

Alicante was absolutely silent at night; probably the only city in the world where that occurred. Everybody was out hunting shadows, I supposed, which made sense considering that the few people we passed were either elderly or with young children. The entrance to the silent city wasn't very far away, and soon we were standing at the gates. The gates to the mausoleum from which you could reach the city where black and tipped with tall spikes, with angels in battle armour on either side.

If it weren't for those angels, these could be the gates of Hell. I thought grimly. The Fearless rune was already starting to kick in, which meant that I didn't feel scared, but it did nothing to stop my pessimistic thoughts.

"The descent into Hell is easy." Clary said, translating the Latin that was inscribed on the gates: Descensus Averno Facilis Est.

I sighed. "We are so going to Hell for this. Do you care?"