Chapters 23 – Epilogue by Katie

Chapter 23 – Valentine

Valentine subtly lets Clary know that he knows she is his daughter with out giving it away to Jace. He doesn’t want Jace to think his mother abandoned him. But the truth ends up coming out and Jace just can’t believe it. Clary tries to get Jace to realize that Valentine really is the bad guy and all that he has said has been lies, but Jace is just too blind by his new found dad to think he could ever lie about things. He thinks that there is a good reason for everything Valentine has done. Valentine has also convinced him that Hodge is the one who wanted the Mortal Cup the whole time. Luke comes in and Valentine and him start to fight, Luke gets the first blow in, using a move that Valentine had taught him years ago. Clary goes to leave and get to safety when Jace stops her, she ends up telling him how her, there mother use to cry over a box that had little trinkets that reminded her of Jace. As they where talking Clary heard Luke cry out, he had been struck. While Luke crumpled on the floor Valentine was about to end Luke’s life, Clary ran out and stood over Luke as Valentine brought his sword down; Jace through his dagger and knocked Valentines out of his hand. Valentine told Jace to get Clary out of the way, when he finally yanked her off of Luke, Valentine started bringing his sword down to kill Luke, when Jace pushed Luke out of the way. Valentine couldn’t believe that Jace was siding with a ‘demon’. Valentine threw a sword at Luke while Jace and Clary where distracted and instead of hitting Luke, Luke’s first in command got in the way. Just as Valentine is about to go through the portal Jace has a chance to kill him, but he couldn’t go through with it, instead he shatters the glass. But it is too late Valentine is already on the other side. While Luke goes to tell the other wolves the situation, Clary stays with Jace and comforts him.

Epilogue – The Ascent Beckons

Clary has spent the past few days going back and forth from the hospital, no one seems to know how to help her mother. Luke tells her to head on home, he would stay with her mom. Simon is out waiting for her to take her back home when Clary decides to go to the institution instead. When she gets there she is greeted by Isabelle, who tells her Jace is in the greenhouse. Alec tells Clary that he will walk with her, as they are walking to the greenhouse, Alec apologizes about everything he said and how he acted. He realizes that all that Clary said was true. When they get to the stairs Alec leaves her, Clary finds Jace up stairs. They start talking and Clary convinces him to go to the hospital to see if their mother will wake up if she hears his voice.

Questions
Why do you think Clary keeps telling Jace that Valentine isn’t his father even though he is?

Why does Jace continue to tell Clary to stop while she is talking bad about Valentine, but in the end he betrays his father?

Now that Jace has heard the story on why his mother left him, why do you think he still cannot see her as his mom?

This is the end of our “City of Bones” book club for September! We hope you enjoyed, and please join us in the forum for discussion on these (and previous) chapters!