Trigger Warning: this chapter continues to discuss rape.

Clary doesn’t actually stab Jonathan, she just stabs the floor next to him.  How…cliché.  Seriously, no one was thinking she might have actually done it in the “cliffhanger” line last chapter.  She tells Jonathan she can’t kill him because it would kill Jace.  And…as the victim of a violent attack, she’s just thinking so clearly about that right now?  Really, she’s acting no different than if she’d been verbally arguing with him.  There’s no fear, no confusion, no rush of any sort.  Sure, everyone reacts differently in a fight, but…it would be nice if there was some actual emotional fallout from all the shit that just happened.  Instead we just get the same angst she’s been spewing throughout the book.

And then, when it’s clear she won’t kill him, Jonathan knocks her across the room, carries her into the bathroom, and…???  Just surveys the damage?  And Clary just lays there and lets him?  She stops fighting because she thinks it’s useless, since she won’t seriously hurt him, and…so that means she just hangs around like a limp rag doll and let’s Jonathan do whatever with her?

There are so many things wrong right here.  1) Jonathan is an attempted rapist who was trying to pull her pants down last scene and repeatedly made very creepy incest remarks about fucking her.  His intent has been very clear.  This is what he wants.  And now that Clary isn’t fighting back…what, he just gives up?

Sending the message that if you beat off your attacker once, that’s the end of the ordeal?  Clary here isn’t even mildly worried that he might throw her down and have at her.  It’s really as if her getting the upper hand once in that fight means that it’s all over now.

No, it’s not over.  You don’t fight off an attacker and then call it a day.  Just like you can’t punch bullies in the face and then never be bullied again, or run off a stalker and then never be stalked again.  People who are victims of attempted sexual assault don’t see the end of the threat just because they won one fight.  Or, in this case, part of one fight.  And yet, the idea that that’s how it works is very common in our society and prevents many victims from getting continual help.

2) It’s perfectly alright to be hesitant to hurt someone who is attacking you.  That’s a thing that happens.  Whether it’s appropriate or not is highly dependent on the situation, but frankly, it’s not like people will be thinking clearly about “should I or shouldn’t I” in the heat of the moment.  The point is, it’s a thing that happens.  BUT, dear readers, you don’t have to completely give up in that case.  There’s no reason here for Clary to say “I can’t kill him, therefore I should just sit here and let him smash my head into the wall.”  No.  Self-defense is just that: self defense.  It’s not about killing or injuring the other person, it’s about making them stop long enough for you to get away.  If Clary doesn’t want to stab her attacker in the gut, fine.  She can still knock him senseless long enough that she can hide in her room or attempt to get out of the apartment.  She can still restrain him.  She can still fight back enough to keep him from touching her.  There’s no reason to treat this as an all-or-nothing situation.

But apparently the author is bored with writing fight scenes now, so Clary’s going to act like a puppet and just let the plot move her around.

“This world will be consumed by hellfire,” he said. “But I will bring you and Jace safely through the flames if you only do what I ask. It is a grace I extend to no one else. Do you not see how foolish you are to reject it?”

“Jonathan,” she said. “Don’t you see how impossible it is to ask me to fight by your side when you want to burn down the world?”

His eyes refocused on her face. “But why?” It was almost plaintive. “Why is this world so precious to you? You know that there are others.” His own blood was very red against his stark white skin. “Tell me you love me. Tell me you love me and will fight with me.”

Dafuq am I even looking at?  This is the exact same shit we’ve been reading about this whole book.  Jonathan wants to burn the world down but keep his crazy little family together.  He wants Clary to willingly stay by him.

This is the exact same conversation they were having before the rape attempt.  This is what people cry about when they say Clary isn’t reacting to her attack.  No one is reacting to her attack.  It hasn’t changed her views, her arguments, her actions, or her feelings.  The fucking book isn’t even reacting, because it’s just rehashing the same bullshit it’s been doing for the past 500 fucking pages.  Nothing has changed.  We had a very violent and triggering attempted rape scene and right after, nothing has fucking changed.

Jonathan makes her change into the pretty dress, because even after an attempted rape scene, we can’t stop being stuck on clothes.  Apparently.  Seriously, you could take out the whole last chapter, everything from when Jace left to right now, and no one would even notice the difference.  When something can be removed that cleanly, it should be removed.

She looked down at her hands. They ought to look different, she thought. […]These past few days had changed her in ways she couldn’t quite yet fully comprehend.

“Past few days.”  Not a single thought about what just happened.  Seriously, the whole last chapter could be just straight-up skipped.

Jonathan shows up with a crossbow and keeps it on her while they head out.  Once they get out and the door closes behind them, Clary reveals that the rune she wrote on the door was to destroy the apartment so Jonathan can’t use it anymore.  I guess it never occurred to her that she might still be in the apartment the next time he left it. 

Also…really?  At the time she wrote that rune, she was being chased by a violent maniac hell-bent on causing her harm and that’s what she focuses on?  “I could make a rune to let me out of the apartment/keep me from getting attacked, or I could make a rune that will only be of any use well after the attack is over.”  You just did that because the plot told you to, didn’t you, Clary?

They walk around through the countryside and come up on where the ceremony is going to take place.  Jonathan has about 40 people on his side.  Apparently “dark” hunters won’t be any more powerful than “light” hunters, but he’s cool with just have 40 people, that totally counts as an army.  Joanthan starts giving a speech about why they’re all gathered.

We protect mundanes we do not love from forces of which they remain ignorant, and an ancient, ossified Law prevents us from revealing ourselves as their saviors.

When the fuck has anyone in this book cared a whit for any mundanes?  And why do the laws prevent you from having a supernatural coming out party?  It’s all well and good to say that that’s so, but we have no idea why this is.  Was it handed down from the angel?  Well, then is this law treated with religious reverence?  Are there people who would like to come out, but they can’t because of culture?  Because of magic that physically stops them from doing so?  Really, just saying that doesn’t constitute world-building, because it’s completely without context or consequence.  As far as I can tell, you’re all perfectly happy keeping the secret and never think twice about the supposed “need” for it.

Jonathan takes the cup into the middle of a pentagram and cuts his own hand for blood and starts chanting.  Clary tries to talk Jace out of his mind control.  It doesn’t work, and Jonathan summons Lilith.  Lilith puts her blood in the cup says some ominous words, and then disappears again.  Then Jonathan calls for the first victim, and someone brings forth Amatis.  I guess they’re going to use her as a guinea pig?  Eh, we’ll find out tomorrow.

—

Maia and Jordan make out in the middle of his kitchen.  Because…that’s so what I want to waste time on right now.  We’ve got demon raising in less than two hours, but sure, let’s focus on the teenaged makeouts.  Fortunately, we get a break from that to learn that Jordan’s friend is dead.  Oh, you mean that guy that was mentioned repeatedly but that we’ve never once seen?  How…um…why do you think I care, book?  Immediately after that, Maia gets a text from Luke calling everyone to go battle demons.  FINALLY.

—

Isabelle and Alec go back to the Institute to get backup, and apparently Isabelle decides that this is the perfect time to talk about Alec and Magnus’s relationship.  FOCUS, BOOK, YOU’RE LIKE A PUPPY ON A SUGAR HIGH.  GET SOME FUCKING PRIORITIES AND STICK WITH THE DEMON SUMMONING LINE.

After a few pages of that, we finally arrive at the library, where Maryse is talking with Aline and Helen.  For some reason, we waste time talking about shit that happened at the start of the book, instead of Isabelle and Alec jumping into “hey, I know we’ve been missing, but DEMONS COMING IN TWO HOURS, TIME CRUNCH, YOU CAN GROUND US LATER.”  Really, they’re on a deadline and still have to organize enough to get everyone gathered and outfitted for battle.  Why are they wasting time with even more talking?  Open up with the important information, book. 

So when they finally tell, Maryse is all pissed off because they have to tell the Clave now, but the Clave will give orders to kill Jace on sight.  But if they don’t tell the Clave, that’s breaking the law and…maybe Robert won’t become the next Inquisitor.

Seriously, THERE ARE DEMONS ABOUT TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD, WHY WOULD YOU EVEN BRING THIS UP, THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO FUCKING END GET SOME FUCKING PRIORITIES AND WHO THE FUCK CARES ABOUT A FUCKING JOB AND ONE SINGLE PRETTY BOY GOD DAMN I HATE EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU FUCKERS.

*ahem*  Yes, well.  Enough of that for today.