CHAPTER FIFTEEN

EMMA

The training room was Emma's favorite room in the Institute. It took up almost an entire level, and both the east and the west walls were clear glass. You could see blue sea nearly everywhere you looked. In the center of the highly polished wood floor stood the Blackthorn family's tutor, a commanding woman named Katerina, currently engaged in teaching knife-throwing to the twins. Livvy was following instructions obligingly as she always did, but Ty was scowling and resistant.

Julian, in his loose light training clothes, was lying on his back near the west window, talking to Mark, who had his head stuck in a book and was doing his best to ignore his younger half-brother.

"Don't you think 'Mark' is kind of a weird name for a Shadowhunter?" Julian was saying as Emma approached. "I mean, if you really think about it. It's confusing. 'Put a Mark on me, Mark.'"

Mark sighed theatrically. At sixteen, he was just enough their senior to find everything Emma and Julian did either annoying or ridiculous. "If it bothers you, you can call me by my full name," he said.

"Mark Antony Blackthorn?" Julian wrinkled his nose. "It takes a long time to say. What if we got attacked by a demon? By the time I was halfway through saying your name, you'd be dead."

"In this situation are you saving my life?" Mark asked. "Getting ahead of yourself, don't you think, pipsqueak?"

Julian opened his mouth to retaliate, and suddenly, the floor under them rocked like the deck of a ship. Emma slid forward just as a terrible screaming rose from downstairs – an unearthly howl that sent shivers running down her back.

Livvy gasped and went for Ty, wrapping her arms around him as if she could encircle and protect his body with her own. Mark had risen to his feet already; Katerina was pale under her coils of dark hair.

"You stay here," she said to Emma and Julian, drawing her sword from the sheath at her waist. "Watch the twins. Mark, come with me."

"No!" Julian said, scrambling to his feet. "Mark-"

"I'll be fine, Jules," Mark said, with a reassuring smile; he already had a dagger in each hand. "Stay with Emma," he said, nodding toward both of them, and then he vanished after Katerina, the door of the training room shutting behind them.

And so, Emma sat quietly with Jules, tense as coiled wire, Cortana gripped tightly in her hand. Seconds turned to minutes. Time passed agonizingly slowly. Jules gripped Ty's shoulders, assuring him that everything would be okay. Ty looked mutinous, and a little afraid.

A terrible howl, feral and vicious, ripped through the Institute. It was impossible to guess what it was - it might have been a werewolf, but no - this was something much darker and bone-chilling. There was silence for a moment, and then the sounds of ripping wood and shattering glass echoed through the Institute, occasionally punctuated by screams and oddly, laughter.

Julian's face paled. He whipped around to look at Emma. "We need to get out of here," he said, and stood up, gripping Livvy's hand. "Emma, get Dru and Tavvy, and meet me in the office. And you two-" he turned to Livvy and Ty standing beside him. "You're going to follow me to the office, alright?"

Emma nodded. Working like a well-oiled machine, the four of them split up - Jules heading for the office, with Ty and Livvy in tow, Emma heading for the upstairs rooms, where Dru and Tavvy would be.

With Tavvy in her arms and Dru clinging to her weapons belt, Emma raced down the halls of the Institute, murmuring over and over that they would be alright, it would be alright. She raced past window after window, the sunlight slashing through in bursts and almost blinding her. She was blinded, by panic and the sun; it was the only explanation for the wrong turn she took next. She turned down a corridor, and instead of finding herself in the hallway that she expected, she found herself standing atop the wide staircase that led down to the foyer and the large double doors that were the building's entrance.

The foyer was filled with Shadowhunters. Some in black, others in red gear. There were rows of statuary, now toppled over, in pieces and powder on the ground. The picture window that opened onto the sea had been smashed, and broken glass and blood were everywhere. Emma felt a sick lurch in her stomach. In the middle of the foyer stood a tall figure in scarlet. Pale blond hair, white skin, and coal-black eyes – it was none other than Sebastian Morgenstern.

By his side was a girl of about the same age as Mark. Emma dimly remembered her as one of the Lightwoods. She, too, was wearing red. The way she was standing, right at Sebastian's side, with the other red-clad Shadowhunters standing behind her - all suggested to Emma that she was someone important. Her eyes swept the room carefully and slowly, coming to rest on Emma. Emma tensed, but the Lightwood girl acted like nothing was wrong, and simply moved her gaze away.

Sebastian raised a hand and crooked a long white finger. "Bring her," he said; there was a rustle in the crowd, and Mr Blackthorn stepped forward, dragging Katerina with him. She was fighting, beating at him with her hands, but he was too strong. Emma watched in disbelieving horror as Mr Blackthorn pushed her to her knees.

"Now," said Sebastian in a voice like silk, "drink from the Infernal Cup," and he forced the rim of the cup between Katerina's teeth.

Katerina tried to fight free, but Sebastian was too strong; he jammed the cup past her lips, and Emma saw her gasp and swallow. She wrenched away, and this time Mr Blackthorn let her; he was laughing, and so was Sebastian. The Lightwood girl was smiling, too, but it looked artificial.

Katerina fell to the ground, her body spasming, and from her throat came a single scream - worse than a scream, a howl of pain as if her soul were being torn out of her body.

"Is that the last of the Shadowhunters here?" Sebastian asked.

"There is the boy, Mark Blackthorn," Mr Blackthorn said, raising a finger and pointing at his son.

Sebastian looked down at Katerina, who had stopped spasming and lay still, her dark hair tangled across her face. "Get up, sister Katerina," he said. "Go and bring Mark Blackthorn to me."

Emma turned to Dru. "Dru," she whispered. "Take Tavvy and run to the office. Tell Jules I'll be along as fast as I can. Go!" Dru looked as if she was about to protest, but then she snatched up Tavvy and left. Emma turned to the foyer again.

Katerina had gotten to her feet. Blank-eyed, she swiftly crossed the room and dragged Mark over to Sebastian. The Lightwood girl's face had become ashen; her eyes were fixed on Mark. But, as quickly as it had come, that expression vanished, to be replaced by an eerie calm.

Mark had been struggling, but he stopped when he caught sight of her. "Rebecca?" he said in astonishment. "Rebecca! What are you doing here? Are you with – are you with him?"

Rebecca simply looked away, her lips pursed. Sebastian was looking at her, his mouth twisted in an awful smile. Mark took advantage of Katerina's momentary distraction and twisted away from her grasp, but almost immediately, half a dozen Endarkened surged toward him, and one caught him by his wrists, a dagger held against his throat.

Sebastian's gaze snapped back to Mark. "Enough of this. Make him drink from the Cup."

"Wait." Rebecca gripped Sebastian's arm. "He's not all Shadowhunter." She turned and looked at Mark, with something almost like tenderness in her expression. "He's half-faerie. The Cup wouldn't work on him."

"And how do you know that?" one of the Endarkened said roughly.

"I have no reason to tell you," Rebecca said crisply. "All I know is that we can't convert him. Leave him be."

"We could take him to the valley of salt," said a brown-haired woman. "Or to the high places of Edom, and sacrifice him there for the pleasure of Asmodeus and Lilith."

"Are you as stupid as you look?" Rebecca spat. "You think it wise to do something like that with one of the Fair Folk?"

"The Fair Folk?" the brown-haired woman sneered. "He's hardly one of them. Unless you wish to save him? Perhaps you have feelings for this half-breed filth?"

"His mother was Lady Nerissa of the Seelie Court." Rebecca's voice was quiet and deadly. "I'm merely trying to avoid getting into their bad books. And if you ever question my loyalty again, you will beg for the sweet release of death when I am done with you."

The brown-haired woman glowered, but Sebastian looked amused. He turned to Julian's father. "Come and restrain him. Wound him if you desire. I shall have only so much patience with your half-breed son."

Emma could not stand by and watch any longer. Before she knew what she was doing, the throwing knife left her hand and flew through the air, burying itself in Sebastian Morgenstern's chest.

Sebastian staggered back. "Ouch," he said, and pulled the knife free. The blade was slick with blood, but Sebastian himself looked unbothered by the injury. He cast the weapon aside, staring upward, and his eyes focused on Emma.

"It's a shame you won't live," he said to her. "Live to tell the Clave that Lilith has strengthened me beyond all measure." He turned to the others. "Kill her."

"Let me," Rebecca said, her gaze fixed on Emma now. A dagger had appeared in her hand, seemingly out of nowhere. Sebastian glanced at her. There was admiration in that glance, and something else - something almost like affection. "Alright," he said.

Rebecca spared Sebastian a curt nod before she swiftly headed for the steps. Emma's chest tightened in fear; she stood frozen for a moment, and then she turned and ran, her hair flying out behind her. She leaped and jumped down a short set of steps, spun to the right, and burst into the office. She slammed the door behind her and threw the bolt before turning to stare.

The office was a sizable room, the walls lined with reference books. There was another library on the top floor as well, but this was where Mr Blackthorn had run the Institute. There was his mahogany desk, and on it two telephones: one white and one black. The receiver was off the hook on the black phone, and Julian was holding the handset, shouting down the line: "You have to keep the Portal open! We're not all safe yet! Please-"

The door behind them burst open and Rebecca walked in, her black eyes glinting. Then she shut the door behind them and traced a single rune on it with her stele – block.

She turned to face the two shell-shocked twelve-year-olds. "Hurry," she said urgently. "It won't be long before he realizes something's wrong."

Emma and Julian could only stand and stare. "You-you're helping us?" Julian spluttered. He was staring at her red gear, carved with unfamiliar runes.

"Yes. Now go!" She began to shunt them towards the Portal, which had appeared on the eastern wall, but Julian twisted out of her grip.

"No! Not without my father and Mark!"

"We do not have time for this!" Rebecca hissed. "Just do as I say-"

"I am not going to leave without them!"

Rebecca turned Julian around to face her. "Julian."

Julian stared at her. "How do you know my name?"

"I'll keep Mark alive, okay? I'll do whatever it takes to save him. I swear on the Angel. But right now, you need to go."

Emma tugged at Julian's sleeve. "Come on, Jules."

Julian reluctantly allowed himself to be dragged towards the Portal. The last thing they saw was Rebecca's determined face, and then, she vanished as the Portal swallowed them up.