Johanna let out a sigh as she listened to the back and forth banter of the two shadowhunters while she waited for the boys to return.
"We need to figure out what is going on with all of this," Alec gestured towards Johanna.
"Quickly, so we can get back to the institute, there's no telling what sort of trouble Clary's already conjured up for herself and everyone else."
"Don't be an ass Alec, I'm sure everything is fine, besides, Izzy is more than capable of handling it." Jace sighed at his friend.
"Izzy? I'm sorry but are we even talking about the same girl here? Because if we are talking about Isabelle Lightwood, then we have a big problem." Alec retorted dryly.
"Do you guys ever shut up?" Johanna grumbled, forcefully pushing her face into her pillow.
"And by 'you guys' I'm sure you mean Alec right?" Jace smirked playfully.
"Whatever Jace, you just wait, by the time we get back, the institute will have been burnt to the ground and our reputations as shadowhunters down with it."
"Jeesh Alec," Jace stared in disbelief. "What exactly has Clary done to you?"
"Do you really want to get started on that?" Alec rolled his eyes.
"Yeah I do."
"She's reckless, careless, doesn't follow orders…" Alec drawled on.
"What exactly does that have to do with you Alec?" Jace scoffed.
"Because I'm the oldest Jace, all of you are my responsibility! And ever since she got here none of you want to follow orders! I'm actually quite certain we've broken practically every Clave law there is to break."
"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration Alec." Jace huffed.
"Wow." Johanna finally spoke up, "You must really hate my sister, no wonder you've been so warm and snuggly to me."
The two shadowhunters looked at her intensely. How did she know who Clary was?
"You know she's your sister?" Alec questioned suspiciously.
"Well yeah, I mean I've never met the girl, but word tends to gets around here in the 'downworld' as you like to call it." Johanna answered casually.
"So you know your mother, Jocelyn, is missing, kidnapped by Valentine?" Jace asked.
"Sure," She replied coolly. "I heard but, I have no memories of her, which is weird I guess, but, the only person I can remember is him. Valentine." And your brother. She thought to herself. But she didn't want to bring him up, having to remember her father's face was enough, she didn't want to remember his too.
"You never wondered about them? Wondered what it would be like to have your family?" Jace asked sadly.
"Honestly, until I heard of Clary's surface to the shadow world, I never even thought I had a mother or sister. Emmanuel and the boys are all I've ever known, I've had a good life here with them, and I've never once considered changing that."
Before Jace had time to reply, Oliver and a very exhausted looking Samuel entered through the door.
"Samuel!" Johanna cried in relief, jumping from her spot on the couch and enveloping her friend into a big hug.
"Here, let me help you to the couch." She said, allowing him to put some of his weight onto her shoulders as she led him to the couch, and gently placed him down.
"You okay?" He croaked out, the exhaustion evident in his voice.
"I should be asking you the same." She smiled warmly, placing a hand onto his paled cheek. "Where is dad?" She observed.
"I don't know." Oliver answered. "I thought he was here watching over you."
"He left to check on you." Alec added.
Suddenly a bone chilling howl sounded from outside the house, causing everyone to jump to their feet.
"What was that?" Jace asked fearfully.
"That was Emmanuel." Samuel answered, frantically jumping up from his spot on the couch. "Something's wrong."
Without a second thought the boys and Johanna raced to the door.
"No Johanna." Oliver held out a hand. "You stay here, you're still too weak."
"Like hell I am!" She growled, shoving his hand out of the way, and pushing herself past them through the door.
"He's sounds like he's in the west corner of the property!" Samuel called out, already making his way through the dense trees. Without another argument, the group made their way through the trees, the two shadowhunters wielding their weapons high, Jace with his seraph blade, and Alec with his bow, an arrow already notched.
"Dad!" Johanna called out frantically as another eerie howl rang out through the forest, letting them know they were very close.
"There!" Yelled Samuel, stopping them all in their tracks looking on at the scene before them in horror.
"By the angel." Alec hitched in a quick breath through clenched teeth.
The group stood paralyzed as they took in the sight of it. Its body was fleshy and thin, almost like elastic pulled over bone. Its face was empty and haunting, with no eyes or any other distinguishing human features. Its long bony hand was thrust into Emmanuel's chest, his body transforming painfully around it, back to his human form.
"That's it." Jace clenched his jaw firmly. "That's the greater demon we were tracking."
Suddenly sensing their presence the greater demon's head snapped eerily into their direction, its empty face falling hauntingly onto Johanna as it slung Emmanuel's now limp body onto the ground.
"NO!" She screamed out, watching the man she called her father's body hit the ground with a sickening crunch.
Without warning the greater demon made its way swiftly towards her, causing Alec to shoot an arrow in its direction, meeting its mark right into its chest. The greater demon stopped for a moment looking down at the arrow protruding from its chest and wrapped its long ghastly fingers around it, ripping it from its place as it let out a deep, throaty chuckle.
"You bastard!" Oliver yelled, charging at the demon, only to be swatted away like a fly, sending him face first into the dirt. The sight caused Samuel to take his turn, only to meet the same fate. Rage bubbled up in Johanna's chest, spilling hot angry tears down her cheeks.
"Give me that." She growled at Jace, gesturing towards his seraph blade.
"We know who did this Samuel!" Oliver hissed. "And it's not our war to fight!"
"Like hell it isn't, he just killed your father!"
"That's enough Samuel." Oliver sighed.
"And what about Johanna?" He asked, ignoring Oliver's plea, as he pointed to the girl, still sobbing in Alec's awkward grasp.
"She'll come to the Institute." Jace replied. "We promised Emmanuel we'd protect her, and that's what we're going to do."
"Like hell!" Samuel snapped. "The safest place for her is here, with us, were she belongs."
"The safest place for her," Alec added coolly. "Is at the Institute, amongst her own people. That's where she belongs."
"If you think I'm going to let that happen, you're stupid shadowhunter." Samuel hissed venomously.
"That is enough Samuel!" Oliver snarled, grabbing the young wolf by the shirt and slamming him against a nearby tree. "We are following father's wishes and that's final!"
Finally able to calm herself, Johanna removed herself gently from Alec's grasp, turning to the quarreling werewolves.
"Whatever you say, alpha." Samuel said bitterly, straightening himself once Oliver released him.
"They're right Samuel." Johanna spoke hoarsely, her throat still raspy from crying. "This isn't your fight, it's mine, the demon was looking for me, it wanted me."
"Johanna." Samuel pleaded.
"I have to go Samuel, what Alec said was true, I belong there, with them, I'm a Nephilim. I have to go, to be whatever I was meant to be, so I can find my father, and rip him apart, piece by piece." She growled through clenched teeth.
"Then we need to go." Jace replied. "Soon, we have a lot of work to do."