Tainted Soul • Lightwood. [ON HOLD]

T W E L V E

Justin ran all the way to his building but slipped inside Magnus' home as fast as he could. He disregarded the fact that Dot was somehow alive and Luke was pacing so much that he almost made a hole on the floor. He was more focused on the fact that Magnus had white eyes while touching Clary and Jace.

"The star in the sky." Magnus almost whispered. "Yeah, I remember."

"Angels are higher beings. They communicate through metaphors. Morgenstern means Morning Star, as in How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning. The vision seems to be speaking of a... demonic Morgenstern."

As all eyes gravitated to Jace, Justin decided it was good to make himself known. "Good thing I'm here." Everyone snapped his head to him, a smirk making its way to his face. Finally he was going to do something useful. "Or me. Either of us can derail his plan. We can destroy the Soul-Sword."

"And destroy yourselves in the process."

"Perfect, I'll do it. We know I have full demon blood so it's the safe choice," Justin stated. Clary almost choked on her tears as she heard her brother neglect his life that easily. "No. That's a suicide mission. No way."

Justin scoffed, Jace doing the same. "Oh, says the girl who was willing to die for the Downworld, what, yesterday?"

"She's right, Jace. It's too dangerous." Justin rolled his eyes. Why were they suddenly ignoring him. "Good, because I'm the one doing it. Look, if it makes you feel better, I'm not gonna touch the Sword. I just get to it before it's activated, and bring the Mortal Instrument back where it belongs."

➰

"Well, here we are," Magnus informed after he portaled Justin, Clary and himself to the Institute. The somber look on the Warlock's face was troublesome and it meant he was worried about Clary and Justin going near the Sword. "I want you to know I'm not going anywhere near that sword," Clary promised him, trying to bring comfort to the older man.

"I don't care what happens to me, Clary." Justin's eye twitched at his words. "We're all going to be okay. Logan, me, Clary. All of us. We can do this," Justin told me, easing his worries.

Raphael sped to them, appearing out of nowhere, while four other vamps grabbed Magnus and Justin. "Let go of my hands!" Magnus demanded, his orders unattended by Raphael and his followers. "So you can use your magic against us? Sorry Magnus. None of us wanted it to come to this."

Justin's rage increased by the second the longer the vamps were touching him. "I will personally rip your heart out." His eyes flashed black, staying for a few seconds before going back to his usual color.

"I'm here to save Simon. I'm not touching the Sword." Raphael got closer to her and Justin's anger was growing. His eyes turned black as the vampire attacked his sister before he ripped his arms away from the two Downworlders attacking him. His hostile stare made the vamps step away from him as his menacing black eyes stared their courage away.

"This ends now."

Jace's voice managed to get him out of the trance as his eyes flashed back to normal. He saw the blond point his blade at the Downworlder, and Luke arriving behind him. "Listen up."

"You better be right about this, Luke," Maia, the wolf that previously wanted to kill them, said. "Clary may be able to activate the Sword, but Justin and I can destroy it. The angel Ithuriel confirmed that in a vision."