Our Fate III ➰Shadowhunters➰[Jace]

➰Chapter Sixty-seven➰

➰Chapter Sixty-seven➰

"Oh, come on. I was undercover. I had to play the part," Leah groaned a complaint, as Meliorn expressly detailed the reasons why he thought he could take Leah under arrest.

"You have no say in the matter. You helped kidnap our queen," Meliorn said coldly. "Leah Rollins needs to pay for her crimes."

"She already told you, she was undercover," Jace spat.

"And how many Seelie knights did you injure to maintain your facade?" Meliorn hissed at Leah.

Leah opened her mouth to respond, but found herself frustratingly out of words. Alec, however, spoke in her defense. "Leah was trying to buy us enough time to rally a cure for Clary's condition."

"Meliorn... I get it, okay? I made a mistake. I shouldn't have hurt those Seelie knights. But you need to understand, there are much bigger stakes at hand right now. If my brother and sister get to that sword—"

"What cannot be denied is that Clarissa Fairchild, a Shadowhunter, has committed an act of war."

"Kidnapping your queen was Jonathan's plan," Jace retorted.

"And was it also Jonathan's plan for Clary to murder the Seelie agent that's currently rotting in your morgue?" Meliorn snapped back.

"You mean the same one who set demon traps all over the city and then broke into our subcells?" Alec replied, making Leah want to whisper a well-deserved 'Oh, snap!'. She decided, however, that it probably was inappropriate.

The other knight approached Meliorn and whispered something into his ear. Meliorn sneered. "It would seem my queen's ransom has finally been demanded. The time of the exchange approaches."

"Meliorn," Alec spoke, as the knights were starting to walk out of the office. "Jonathan cannot be allowed to get his hands on that sword. If he does, the number of demons he could release from Edom—"

"That blade and those who wield it are of no further concern to us," Meliorn replied shortly.

"Well then just hold them there long enough for us to get there with Glorious," Jace said, clearly having lost his patience with the Seelie.

"Seelies can't lie. To double-cross would be against our nature."

"Meliorn, please. You once told me you trusted me with the well-being of the Downworld. Trust me when I say that if we don't stop Jonathan Morgenstern, we are all in serious danger. Demons don't discriminate Shadowhunters or Downworlders. They destroy everything and everyone."

Meliorn seemed to think about her words. After a few moments, he nodded. "Very well. I suppose Seelies can be forgetful. Like leaving entrances to the realms unlocked. Do with that what you will."

➰➰➰

"Hey, Izzy. You know the Wander Woods, right?" Jace asked, once he and Leah approached her in the Ops center.

Isabelle nodded. "I can get around. Why?"

"We've got an ambush to plan," Jace continued.

Luke and Simon immediately intervened. "Count us in."

"Luke, remember, Glorious is designed to destroy anything with demon blood—" Leah started, but Luke cut her off.

"This is Clary we're talking about."

"The original Glorious was shattered when Michael used it on Lucifer," Isabelle reminded them. "This one could be unstable, too."

"Izzy, you're not doing this without us."