Not by Blood - BEING REWRITTEN IN SEPARATE STORY

Chapter Nineteen

EDITED 5/30/2020

Poll at the end of the chapter. Make sure to go check out the one shot that was requested: I'm Still Here

Clary walked into the shop without hesitation, stepping carefully around the broken glass as Jace followed behind her. She walked further into the shop before she stopped. She looked, horrified at the body of her old friend.

"Oh, Elliot." She gasped before rushing forward. She kneeled down beside him and gazed at his battered body.

"See these marks?" Jace asked from behind her. "A demon was here."

At the moment, Clary didn't particularly care that a demon had been in the shop. She wouldn't have cared if a demon had been standing behind her. She was grieving. She reached out and closed his still-open eyes.

"He was tortured." Jace continued, insensitively. "But this isn't murder. He killed himself."

"What?" Clary whirled around to look at him. "How can you tell?"

"The blood from his eyes." Jace answered. "I've seen it before. It's a warlock incantation. It's basically their version of a cyanide capsule."

Clary opened her mouth to reply when they heard someone enter the shop.

"Hey." Jace said as Sebastian rushed in.

"Sebastian?" Clary managed to say. "What are you doing here?"

"I, uh, saw the alert at the Institute." Sebastian said. "Is everything under control?"

"We're still not one hundred percent sure what happened." Jace replied. "But there was a demon presence here, but something doesn't add up."

"Oh my God!" Clary exclaimed, looking just past Sebastian at a potted plant. "It's Jonathan."

"How do you know that?" Jace asked her, shaking his head a little.

"The flowers." She said. "My mom shared a memory from when Jonathan was a baby. He'd done the exact same thing. And that gray demon Ichor, that's how Valentine described the aftermath of Jonathan's childhood kills."

She turned fully around to face Jace. "Jonathan was here." She told him.

"Sorry, uh," Sebastian started to ask. "Who's, uh... who's Jonathan?"

"He was my brother back when I was still a Morgenstern." Clary replied, looking over at Sebastian.

"He must have been looking for the mortal mirror." Jace sighed. "If he comes after it again, I'm gonna have to deal with him."

"What does that mean?" Clary asked incredulously.

"It means I'm gonna do anything in my power to protect the mirror."

"You'll kill him?" Clary asked her brother.

"If that's what it takes." Jace said. "Yeah."

"You don't even know if Jonathan's doing this on his own." Clary argued. "He could be under Valentine's influence."

"Yeah," Sebastian interjected. "Clary's got a point."

When his two companions turned to look at him he continued, albeit uncomfortably.

"I mean, what if Valentine's forcing him to do his bidding?"

"Yeah, OK, look," Jace said irritably. "I know exactly what it's like to be manipulated by Valentine. Probably better than anyone. You know, Clary. I gave you the journals Izzy, Magnus and I found. Jonathan Morgenstern is a demon-blooded monster who is responsible for the death of your friend. An innocent warlock."