[ third person's pov ]

"If it wasn't for me, Zee would still be alive!" Jace heard his own words replaying in his mind when he slowly walked into Zee's bedroom, the cold feeling sending shivers up his spine, "It's my fault that we lost her- that I lost her!"

Tears welled up in his eyes immediately when he could practically catch a glimpse of her sitting on her bed, reading her book.

If I thought that, I wouldn't be telling you to gain some tips from the protagonist.

He could practically hear her voice in his head, his eyes watching as the moment he looked back at her bed, the glimpse of her was gone.

It was all in his head.

He could see her everywhere he went.

Everything reminded him of her.

And it made his heart ache.

Not only because she was dead.

But because he left her heartbroken.

Jace slowly shut the door behind him, walking further into her bedroom and took a look around.

None of her items had been touched, but yet her room felt so empty.

He slowly headed over to her closet, opening it and getting his hands on one of her sweaters, taking notice of the majority of his shirts.

"That's where they all went." Jace thought to himself, his eyes scanning the closet, the tears in his eyes falling.

Jace took in her scent, letting out a pain filled sob into the fabric, gripping it tightly in his hands.

He missed her so much.

Jace sniffled lightly, walking towards her desk.

"Well, we've kissed." Jace heard his own words in his head when he flipped open her sketch book, "You've got a whole book without any drawings of me in it? Where are the romantic novels?"

The first page was a drawing of him.

-

[ zee's pov ]

"Good morning." A voice sucked me farther into a state of confusion when I woke up on a couch in an unfamiliar place, slowly sitting up.

I looked back, noticing the person, "Who are you?"

"Don't you see the family resemblance?" His words made my heart stop instantly, pushing myself onto my feet.

I looked between him and the broken sarcophagus, one that lacked a body, "Jonathan."

"In the flesh." Jonathan put his hands behind his back, "Resurrection brought back my real face."

"Unfortunate." I took a few steps, my eyes scanning around the apartment, "Where is Lilith?"

"Back in Edom." He replies, "Where she belongs."

I didn't say anything.

"You've been asleep for days- you must be starving." Jonathan tried to take a few steps toward me, "How about I make you some breakfast and a nice cup of tea?-"

"I don't eat-" I walked past him, pulling my shirt down a bit to see the rune in my skin, "What did she do to me?"

Jonathan pulled his shirt a bit, showing me the same symbol in his skin, "Kind of like our family emblem."

"Like hell." I looked at him, "It's what brought you back to life- nothing more."

"It's a symbol of our bond." Jonathan let go of his shirt, "I wouldn't be alive without my little sister."

"If it were up to me, it would've never happened." I shook my head and walked over to the window, pulling open the curtains to see that we were not in New York, "Where are we?"

Jonathan took a step, "Siberia."

"The apartment can move?" I asked.

Jonathan scoffs a bit, "Cool, huh?"

"Of all places, why the hell Siberia?" I turned to face him, "You don't think my friend's will find me?"

"No- I don't." Jonathan pointed at where my parabatai rune once was, "Why would they try and find you if they don't even know you're alive?"

From his words, I knew something was wrong immediately, "What did you do to me?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Jonathan took a step back, "Lilith sent us here to keep us safe."

I scoff as he continued to speak, "You're an escaped prisoner, Zee- if the Clave found out you were still alive, they would kill you on sight."

I say nothing.

"Don't worry, they will never find you." Jonathan assured me, "I'll make sure of it."

I stare at him, "If you're looking for a thank you, you're not gonna get it."

"You don't have to thank me- you're my sister." Jonathan kept eye contact with me, "I'll do whatever it takes to protect you- you're the only real family that I have."

I didn't say anything at first.

I knew if I had any chance of getting home, it wasn't by staying with him.

So, I said exactly what he wanted to hear, "You know, I am actually kind of hungry- how about that breakfast?"

"Of course." Jonathan nods quickly, starting to walk away, "Coming right up."

The moment he was out of sight, I rushed to the door I spotted and grabbed a cloak from the rack, trying to pry the doors open.

Jonathan noticed quickly, "Zee, come on! You can't go out there- you're never gonna survive."

"Watch me!" I said to him before wrapping the cloak around myself and rushing off as quickly as I could into the snow when I stepped outside.

I knew he'd follow me, and that only urged me to run faster and as far as I could.

The speed I was going at made me trip, falling into tons of branches that were burying with snow, breathing heavy.

I looked back while taking a breather, noticing a dark silhouette heading towards me, making me jump up and run once more.

I knew it was Jonathan.

I ran fast, but, it wasn't long until I met the end of the forest and the beginning to a new one, making my eyes roll to the back of my head and collapse down the hill from exhaustion and the cold, my body giving out.

-

"Here." Jonathan held a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of me after he had warmed me up in front of the fire place best he could, "It'll help you get your strength back."

"No." I simply say, letting out a sharp exhale, upset he had found me and carried me all the way back, "I don't want anything from you."

"I understand that you don't trust me." Jonathan crouched in front of me, "But- I would like to ask you to try."

"Are you serious?" I gape at him, "How could I possibly trust you? After everything you've done?"

"Because I'm your brother." Jonathan looks between my eyes, "Because we're actually not that different, you and me."

I tense, "I am nothing like you."

"I may have demon blood, but- so do others that you love: Simon, Magnus, Luke." Jonathan got up and set the soup down, "You once had demon blood- you know exactly how it feels-"

I stare, "I don't have it anymore."

"But, you've had experience with it- you know the urges, and the impulsive feelings-" Jonathan stares at me, "You had your little family to help you deal with your blood- I was born with this blood. I was raised by our sadistic father and sent to Edom to be burned by Lilith-"

I shook my head lightly, my jaw clenched, "I don't care, Jonathan- I won't pity you."

I was angry with him.

But, my heart felt just a bit of sympathy.

"I'm not interested in pity." Jonathan said to me, "Just understanding."

I scoff, "Understanding?"

"I can't deny the things I've done." Jonathan admits, "But- you need to know that's behind me now- I can change- I want to change."

I roll my eyes, "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Because- whatever good exists inside of you, at least some of that has got to be inside of me too- somewhere." Jonathan put a strand of my hair behind my ear, "I intend to prove that to you."

I said nothing.

"I should get some more firewood- I'll be back." Jonathan backs away slowly and grabs his coat, "Soon."

-

"Sorry it took so long." Jonathan walked into the apartment a while later, slamming the door shut behind him due to the wind, "The weather's brutal out there."

Jonathan set the firewood down and took off his coat, staring at my back as I stared out the window, "The good news is we won't be here much longer."

I look at him, "What?"

"The apartment can take us wherever we want to go." Jonathan walks over to me after putting down his coat, "And if I recall, one place that my sister has always dreamed of visiting ever since she was a little girl-"

I had a table knife behind my back, my eyes glued to his, "You're going to take me to Paris?"

Jonathan let the french slip from his lips, "Absolument."

I inhale sharply, using the knife regardless, stabbing it right through his mouth, watching as his eyes went wide and his blood started to ooze out.

I stumbled back when I felt a sharp pain in my mouth, seeing my blood start to drip as well, Jonathan being quick to grab his stele and use his Iratze.

His Iratze healed my wound as well.

And that's when I realized, "No-"

"Amazing-" Jonathan began, his eyes wide with delight, "We are one now, little sister-"

"You and I-" Jonathan said, "We are one."

authors note:

the third person's pov scene broke my heart

i only wrote jace for that scene because idk, it just felt right being just jace sodjdjsng

but, thank you for 35k !!

vote and comment loadsss