The Iron Crown |Shadowhunters|

1 - The Raum

"Heroes aren't always the ones who win.
They're the ones who lose, sometimes.
But they keep fighting, they keep coming back.
They don't give up. That's what makes them heroes."
-Cassandra Clare

Lisa had run to the Kruipersstreet as fast as she could. She had had hope, hope that Anna and Jonathan were fine. But, the closer she got, the more that hope faded away.

Now she faced a Raum and knew no more what hope meant. She tightened the grip on her bow and notched an arrow.

The Raum had a white, scaly skin, his big black eyes pierced her soul. He lashed out with one of his tentacles, from up close she could see the poisonous red teeth. Lisa jumped aside just in time and shot an arrow into the back of the Raum. He roared and lashed out with a tentacle again. She dropped her bow, the skin was way too tough to pierce with an arrow. Lisa took a seraph blade from her belt, it was about as long as her forearm. 

"Ramiel," she uttered the name of an angel, with her dagger glowing bright white light in response. For a moment, the Raum recoiled for the bright angelic light, but then lashed out again. With one swing, Lisa cut off the tentacle, which made some last spastic movements on the soil before turning into black ash.

The disarmed Raum screeched and jumped at her, Lisa dived away and landed on the ground. She felt the adrenaline rushing through her veins and she was already out of breath. She dodged a tentacle by rolling aside. Lisa got back up again and ran back to her bow, turned around, and focused on the demon, who came running for her. When she aimed, she was more focused than before. She released her arrow and it landed into one of the black eyes of the Raum. He roared out of pain, black ichor was squirting out of his eye. The Raum seemed to fold himself up until he was completely gone.

"Back to where you came from," said Lisa, "Hell."

Her surroundings became a bit clearer and now she saw a whole bunch of Raums, a bit further. She also saw the glint of a silver blade.

"Jonathan!" she cried hopefully. She shouldn't have done that, because now more Raums noticed her presence and came straight her way. Lisa jumped on a bench and started shooting arrows at the demons, some were hit, but most came too close. She wanted to grab her seraph blade again, but suddenly she was pulled down and fell hard from the bench.

It was one of the Raums, who had wrapped his tentacle around her leg and now attempted to strangle her with his tentacles. It felt like her leg was on fire. Lisa tried to use her bow to keep him as far away as possible. With one bite, he broke her bow in half with his shark-like teeth.

"My bow! You'll pay for that!" Lisa grabbed a dagger from her weapon belt and stabbed the chest of the Raum. The demon roared and dissolved like a snowman in summer.

Lisa quickly glanced at her leg, a red tooth from a tentacle pierced her flesh, she pulled it out. More Raums came her way, she got up and grabbed her second seraph blade. 

"Camael!" She lashed out to one of them, but he evaded the attack. As counter-attack, he lashed out and slashed his tentacle in her arm. 

Don't think about the pain, just keep going, be a shadowhunter. Lisa dodged a second tentacle and beheaded the demon with her seraph blade. She worked her way to Jonathan, who was still fighting the other Raums. Why didn't he try to come to her? And where was Anna?

*

Lisa had almost reached Jonathan now, she could already see him better. He had a big cut on his cheek, arm, and leg. His normally light blonde hair was covered with black ichor and his gear was torn to pieces. There were only two Raums left, who were apparently too busy with Jonathan, they hadn't noticed her yet. Lisa grabbed another dagger from her weapon belt and threw it clumsily at one of them. The dagger flew far past the head of the demon and almost hit Jonathan.

Now a Raum did notice her and was coming straight towards her. She wanted to take another dagger, but she had used them all. Her bow was wrecked and her seraph blades were lying somewhere on the ground. The demon jumped at her. Lisa quickly grabbed one of her arrows and held it straight in front of her. The Raum landed on her and was impaled by the arrow. Black ichor burned through her gear. She got back up and saw that Jonathan had already murdered the other Raum and now squatted down on the ground, with his back towards her.

"Jonathan!" Lisa ran to him and saw Anna lying on the ground. She fell on her knees, Anna didn't look good at all. She had a cut on her forehead and was numb.

"By the Angel, what happened?" she asked breathlessly. She glanced at Jonathan, to check if he was okay.

He was anything but okay, his outfit was ripped apart and was covered with demon blood and his own blood. His eyes were red, had he been crying?

"We were suddenly raided by dozens of Raums, Anna was hit from behind and wasn't able to walk anymore. She wanted to ask for reinforcement through my phone, but fell unconscious." When he saw Lisa's questioning face, he added: "She has a red tooth from a tentacle in her leg and neck and fell, just like that. Meanwhile, those filthy demons had already surrounded us." Lisa looked anxiously from Jonathan to Anna and back. She could tell by the hardness of his jawline how stressed he was.

Lisa rubbed over her hurting leg, she hoped she removed that tooth fast enough, not to end up like Anna.

"Those teeth are poisonous, we have to bring her back to the Institute as soon as possible," she said, worry taking over her voice. 

"Maybe an iratze first?" Jonathan reached for Lisa's stele in her belt.

"No! No healing runes! They will only cause the skin to grow over the tooth. She has to go to the Institute, asap." Jonathan obeyed and lifted Anna up, Lisa quickly took her two half bows and started to run to the Institute.

"You are limping," Jonathan noticed. His gaze slid down from her sore leg to her eyes.

"And Anna's leg should probably be amputated. Can we go on please?"

He sighed, obviously irritated. "I am holding back for you! I could already have been there," he returned.

"Then hurry up. Or do you want Anna to die because you were politely waiting?" she cried desperately.

"I always take good care of my sister." 

"Yes, I can see that!" But he pretended like he didn't hear her and sprinted to the Institute. She kept walking at a firm pace, shaking her head. Even with Anna in his arms, he was faster than her, she noticed. He had already disappeared from her sight and she tried to speed up too, which was difficult with the demonic poison in her leg.

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Will Lisa and Jonathan be able to save Anna?
Find out in the next chapter -->
Don't forget: Trust no one