The Keepers: Earth, Iron, and Blood ~A Shadowhunters Fanfiction ~

Chapter Fifteen

I've retired to my room for a few minutes. They've been gone two hours. Two hours too long. I feel like it shouldn't have taken this long, but anything could be happening over there. Anything. I spent most of the morning waiting in the library, but the constant nagging between Magnus and Hodge got to me. I decided that it was best to try to do something to take my mind away from all of this. You're staying here, you can completely unpack now. I take one of the bags that we brought back from my apartment and lift it onto the bed, getting ready to put the rest of my clothes away. As soon as the bag makes contact with the bed, a piece of paper suddenly shoots off the bed and flutters to the floor. What in the world...where did that come from? I stare at it in confusion before bending down and picking it up. My heart instantly goes into my throat. I turn it over and read the words that have been written on it.

"I love you, Lizzy. Always have, always will. I love you, and I will love you until the day I die...and if there is an afterlife, I'll love you then."

I choke back a loud cry as I cover my mouth with my hand. You should have gone with them. I clutch the note to my chest as I walk over to my dresser, a sudden feeling of dread washing over me. Not just the normal kind of dread, but the kind that makes your body ache, the kind that will haunt you forever. You should have gone with them! It was a sudden rush, the hairs on my arms standing on end. Something is happening. I sit the note down on my dresser and haul ass out of my room and back to the library. I come through the doors just as a portal is suddenly opening, one that wasn't opened by Magnus. Both Hodge and Magnus jump to their feet, their eyes glued to the portal. I come to a stop just as Isabelle and Alec are suddenly tossed through, landing on their hands and knees. They're both bloody and torn up. Just as fast as it came, it was gone. I watch in horror before running over to Isabelle as Hodge goes to Alec. Magnus is quick to touch them both, healing their wounds in a half of a second. I know I'm ghostly pale. I can feel the blood draining from my body. "Izzy..." I kneel beside her, gingerly hooking my arm under hers and draping my other arm around her back. "Are you alright? What happened?" Where is Jace...

She shakes, totally exhausted. Her wounds might have been healed, but the physical tole is still there. I carefully lean her back against me before her body gives out.

"Jace," Alec mutters as Hodge is looking him over. He's as badly hurt as Isabelle was.

I look at him, my eyes wide. "What?"

"He—He has Jace...Aspen, he wants you...he wants to challenge you for Jace. A challenge to the death. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't." His tone is heavy as his voice shakes. "I'm s—sorry, Beth." He's breathless, his voice fading off as his exhaustion takes over.

I feel my blood start to boil as my body becomes numb. I want to pass out, but I can't.

Hodge looks up at me, horrified. "Beth, no, that's suicide!"

My ears buzz as my heart races. "Magnus...take Isabelle."

"Beth, n—"

"Take her." I slowly shift her from my arms into Magnus's as I stand from the floor, my legs shaking underneath me. "Have a portal ready."

"Beth, no!" He snaps. "You know Jace wouldn't want this. There's nothing you can do!"

"I don't care what he would want, I care about what I have to do to save him. I'll take Aspen's challenge."

"And how do you except to win?"

"I don't know, by the grace of God. Magnus, I need you to do this for me. I'm not asking...I need that portal up by the time I get back. Somehow, let Aspen know I accept before he kills Jace." I start to walk away, heading to the library doors.