JACE

"Jace? Jace can you hear me?" I heard someone whisper in my ear. My eyes opened groggily and I heard someone sigh out of relief. I looked over as my eyes adjusted to the dim light. "Alec?" I asked. I felt him place his hand on my parabatai rune. "Yeah. It's me. Thanks for the message." He told me.

"Guess it didnt do much good." I said while the memories flooded into my mind.

"Jace?" I heard a small voice ask out of the corner of the room. "Izzy?" I asked with great pain ripping through my body. "Izzy.. wha...what are you doing here? I thought it was just me and Alec wh...why are you here? Who else is here?" I asked desperately. It pained me to see them here.

I suddenly felt waves of calm surging through my body. I shut my eyes hoping that when I opened them up I would be back at the Institute with my family. Alec's pressed lightly on my rune and the hope I had was gone.

"Jace?" I heard yet another voice say. Two more came after that. My eyes shot open as I recognized Clary's, Magnus's, and Raphael's voice. All the calm that was once in me was gone. My breathing became short. I knew Alec was trying his best to calm me down but it wasn't helping.

"Jace. Its ok. We're going to be ok. I promise." I heard Clary whisper to me. I nodded my head feeling slightly better at her words. No one would know where to look for us and I didnt know how to get my family out of here. Wherever here was.

The door opened in the distance. We all looked up and our cell door opened. To our surprise and disappointment came Simon. "You guys are here too?" He asked us. We all nodded. He ran over to us and collided with Clary.

It had been another hour and I had calmed down. I was sure the Institute was looking for all of us.

My thoughts had been interrupted by the door opening up again. "Get up. Lets go." One of the men said. There were a lot of them. We went willingly with them. Fighting was not the best option right now.

We didnt go far. We made it to the end of the hallway and walked into a large room. A man was standing up at the front with his back turned towards us. It was hard to see with all the lights on us and him in the shadows.

"You're all probably why you were kidnapped." The man said. I didnt recognize his voice. I watched him turn around but I still couldnt see his face. "Let me keep it simple for you. You're here because the Clave has become to powerful. They need to be stopped." The man said.

"Why do you need us? What makes us so special?" Izzy asked him and he smiled. "You see," he began while stepping out of the shadows so we could see his face. "The reasons I need you is easy. One of you will be seen as a perfect leader. I mean if Alec Lightwood can become head of the Institute who else is going to get up to the Clave level?" He told us.

"So you want one of us to get a seat at the Clave?" Alec asked. The man laughed. "No." He replied shortly. "This is the problem I am avoiding. Its all of you standing in my way. As for the three of you.." he said while pointing to Magnus, Raphael, and Simon. "Just acquaintances that would dig too deep into the situation once the rest of you died. I want to be head of the Clave. You all threaten that from happening." He finished.

"And what makes you think we would go down without killing you first?" I asked him angrily. "Ahh! Thank you Jace for getting me to my favorite part." He replied. I watched him wave to the other guards. "What do you want with me?" I heard someone yell. My heart stopped beating as I saw a little boy being pushed out towards the man who kidnapped us.

"Max." I whispered. My face went ghost white. I moved forward but Alec caught my arm and held me back. He shook his head no at me.

"You should listen to your brother Jace. You wouldn't want Max to die because of you." He said to me. My blood was boiling.

"There's one more thing to make this day be a little more...interesting." The man said. I watched him take out a stele and wave it over one of his runes. At one moment I was looking at a strange man and the next I saw Robert standing with a Seraph Blade pressed against Max's throat.

There was complete silence for the first few moments. "How could you?" I eventually asked with tears in my eyes. "It was the only way to get me what I want." He said with a sickening smile.

"We're your family!" Izzy yelled at him with more tears coming out of her eyes. "That's why you all are weak. You let feelings determine what is right or wrong." He replied to her.

"Now, what I do know is that you all dont want Max to die. He's a great warrior so I'll tell you what. Ill spare his life...." he said while pausing. "For all of yours." He finally finished.

Izzy stepped forward with tears staining her cheeks. "Ill die for him." She said. Max released a small sob. "Izzy please... dont do it." He said with more tears. I watched her give a small smile towards her brother. "Its ok Max. She said.

"Ill give my life for him." Alec said. "So will I." I said. Fresh tears ran down my face and Alec's. "Alec...Jace, please. Don't do it. I'm not worth it." Max sobbed.

"It'll be ok Max." Clary spoke up while stepping forward. "I will die for him." She said while crying. "So will we." Magnus, Raphael, and Simon all said while stepping forward. They were crying too.

"No. Please." Max pleaded with us.

"Don't make him watch." I heard Izzy tell Robert. "No child should see this." She finished.

"No!" I heard him scream. One person took him by the hand, but he escaped quickly. "Max dont!" I yelled. He ran faster until he had just reached my arms. He buried his head into my shoulder.

I heard immediately the dreadful, but familiar sound of a sword going through skin. I felt Max stiffen in my arms. "I'm.. sorry." He whispered. He went limp in my arms almost immediately.

"Max?!?" Max!" No. MAX! No please No! MAX!" I screamed. "Wake up! WAKE UP!" I screamed louder. I heard the cries of everyone around me. Max got pulled away from my arms. I screamed and tried to get up, but Alec held me back. I tried to struggle but he kept me back.

I felt Alec place his hand in mine. I looked up at him and he turned towards Izzy and placed his other hand in hers. I turned my head towards Clary and I connected my hand with hers. It carried on until we were all in a line holding each other's hand. If we were going to die, we would do it together.

The men who were working for Robert made us kneel on the ground. I could feel the energy running through each of our bodies. There was no need for words. We could feel what everyone was saying in that moment.

I felt the cold metal against my throat. Everyone had one to their throat.

"For Max." I said.

"For Max. Izzy said.

"For Max." Alec said.

"For Max." Clary said.

"For Max." Simon said.

"For Max." Magnus said.

"For Max." Raphael said.

"Hail and Farewell." We said in unison.

We slipped away into the darkness together.

😭😭