CHAPTER SEVEN

REBECCA

RUN, RUN, RUN.

That was the only thought flitting through Rebecca's mind. No matter how many demons she killed, the tiny, itchy bit of terror never went away – it was always there, in the thud of her heart, the slapping of her feet on the stone floor.

The rasping of the demons was getting louder and louder; Rebecca didn't dare to look behind her, but she knew it wouldn't be long before they caught up. In a last, desperate bid to defend herself, she skidded to a stop near the archway she had seen earlier and tugged at one of the ornamental axes, trying to pull it free from its hold. But the axe held fast; years of rust made it impossible to free.

The demons were almost upon her. They were Dahaks, Rebecca saw. Their tentacles were waving around in excitement, and they were hissing loudly. She had never fought them before, but she knew that if she got caught, she would be dead. Dahaks were particularly tough to kill, and their tentacles were poisonous. Rebecca let out a scream of frustration and took off again. If only she could reach the courtyard, she would be safe; the Dahaks couldn't follow her out into the sunlight.

Relief flooded her when she saw the staircase looming up in front of her. She had barely set foot on it when one of them grabbed hold of her foot and yanked her backwards viciously. Rebecca immediately lost her footing and stuck her hands out to brace the fall. On instinct, she kicked out as hard as she could. The grip on her foot loosened, but several other tentacles wrapped around her shins and ankles, dragging her back. Sharp pain shot up her thigh, and her vision swam.

She was flat on the ground now, kicking for all she was worth. Through a haze of pain, she spotted at least half a dozen more demons, all hissing and spitting and rasping. For the first time, Rebecca couldn't think of a single thing to do. Terror was seeping through every vein in her body, striking her numb. One of the demons leaned over her, leering (if demons could leer), and seized her wrist. Excruciating pain spread from the point of contact, and Rebecca struggled again, but her muscles felt like they had been filled with lead. Black spots appeared in her vision. Her windpipe was suddenly too small. She was gasping for breath, heaving desperately, but each new breath was harder than the last.

And out of nowhere a shimmering blade drove down, burying itself in the demon's skull. It vanished, and there was Sebastian, a blazing seraph blade in his hand, ichor splattered across his white shirtfront. Behind him the room was empty save for the body of one of the demons, still twitching, but with black fluid pouring from its severed leg stumps.

Rebecca tried to sit up, but she could barely move. As though from several miles away, she heard him say, "... deadly poison, Rebecca. What were you thinking?"

And then everything faded away.

Nausea and pain racked her body. She could make out splotches of color, but nothing definite. Her wrist was still throbbing. She also became aware of a gentle swinging sensation – someone was carrying her.

Then everything went silent. For a moment she thought that was the end of it: she had died, died battling demons, the way most Shadowhunters did. Then she felt another pleasant burning sensation on the inside of her arm, and a surge of what felt like ice spilling through her veins.

It was as though someone had poured ice-cold water on her face. With a great gasp, Rebecca shot upright, clutching her chest and wheezing heavily. Her lungs seemed to take a while to begin functioning properly again, and by the time she had started breathing normally, her vision had returned completely.

She was lying on a park bench. The sky was a brilliant blue, and she could hear the distinct sounds of bees buzzing. The park itself was deserted, but it looked lovely, with tastefully arranged beds of flowers, and what even looked like a fountain in the distance. And sitting next to her was Sebastian.

SEBASTIAN

Sebastian regarded Rebecca thoughtfully, a small smile on his face. After taking in her surroundings, she turned back to him, and said slowly, "So I suppose you saved my life." She was careful not to look at him as she spoke. "Where are we?"

"Luxembourg Gardens," he replied. "It's a very nice park. I had to take you somewhere you could lie down, and the middle of the street didn't seem like a good idea."

At that, she finally looked up and met his eyes. Her grey eyes, normally as piercing and sharp as a steel blade, were clouded. "Thank you for saving my life."

"You're welcome." Sebastian rested an arm on the bench behind her and leaned back. "I will admit, though, I didn't think you'd follow me down there. You're braver than I thought."

"That was more like stupidity," Rebecca said, looking down at her hands, which she had tightly clasped in her lap. "I nearly got myself killed." She turned, shifting her body so that she was facing him. The cloudiness had disappeared from her eyes, and now they looked razor sharp. "Speaking of, why are you dealing with demons?"

"I wasn't dealing with them," Sebastian said smoothly.

"I listened to them talking about you," Rebecca said sharply. "I know what you're doing-"

"No, you don't," Sebastian interrupted. "First, those weren't the demons I was dealing with. Those were their guards. That's why they were in a separate room and why I wasn't there. Dahak demons aren't that smart, though they are mean and tough and defensive. So it's not like they were really informed about what was going on. They were just repeating gossip they'd heard from their masters. Greater Demons. That was who I was meeting with."

Rebecca raised her eyebrows. "Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better."

"I'm not trying to make you feel better. I'm giving you what you've always wanted – the truth."

"I heard the Dahaks say that you were going to give this world to the demons," she said quietly. "Is that true?"

"Now, does that sound like something I'd do?"

Rebecca's eyes blazed unexpectedly. "You seriously can't expect me to give you an honest answer to that."

Sebastian sat up straight, moving a little closer to her; she didn't flinch, just stared at him intently with her grey eyes.

"I thought you said you were going to give me a chance," he said. "I'm not who I was when you met me in Alicante." His gaze was clear. "And before that, I only ever knew Valentine growing up. He taught me everything I know." He leaned forward a little more so that their faces were now only inches apart. "It's not easy to doubt the things you've grown up believing."

Rebecca turned away. "The least you could've done was come up with a better excuse. And Valentine was wrong. He was so obsessed with what the Clave got wrong that he could see nothing past proving to them that he was right."

"Look," Sebastian said, feeling mildly exasperated. "Valentine had the right idea. I mean, look at us – barely any Shadowhunters left and demons are getting stronger every day. Eventually, we'll be overrun."

"And you expect me to believe you care if that happens."

"Sometimes extreme situations call for extreme measures. To destroy the enemy, it can be necessary to understand him, even to treat with him. If I can make those Greater Demons trust me, then I can lure them here, where they can be destroyed, and their followers as well. That ought to turn back the tide. Demons will know that this world is not as easy pickings as they imagined it."

"And you and Jace are going to do all that by yourself?" Rebecca snorted. "Good luck."

Sebastian decided to ignore her jibe. Instead, he stood up and held his hand out to her. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

"No way. Take me back to the apartment right now."

Sebastian groaned. "Could you be any more frigid if you tried? I don't think so."

"I'm not frigid!" she said indignantly.

"Then come with me."

Rebecca hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Fine. But if you do anything-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know - you'll make mincemeat out of me."

She rolled her eyes.