The Fiery Trial is the eighth short story in Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, written by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson. It was released on September 22, 2015.
Description[]
Simon and Clary reunite as they witness a parabatai ceremony… and discuss their own plans to be bonded.
Simon and Clary act as witnesses to the parabatai ceremony of Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn… and discuss their own parabatai plans in this precursor to The Dark Artifices.
Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn become parabatai. Simon and Clary both act as their witnesses, so they can see what a parabatai bond forming looks like as they want to become parabatai as soon as Simon graduates — and because Emma asked Clary. The ritual goes unexpectedly…[1]
Plot[]
Simon Lewis sits in the cafeteria of the Shadowhunter Academy and speaks with his roommate George Lovelace, until their conversation is interrupted when Dean Penhallow announces that Julie Beauvale and Beatriz Mendoza are to become parabatai. The announcement prompts Simon—who has been considering asking Clary to be his parabatai—to stop making excuses about being parabatai with her. While Julie and Beatriz are congratulated on their decision Dean Penhallow asks to speak with Simon in the reception room. He follows her to find Magnus Bane, Catarina Loss, Jem Carstairs and Clary waiting for him. He notes that Jem and Magnus are acting strangely.
Magnus explains that Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn have requested Clary and Simon to be their witnesses at their parabatai ceremony the following day. Clary immediately agrees, though Simon is confused as to why Julian chose him since they don't know each other very well. Jem explains their role in the ceremony, referred to as the Fiery Trial since the would-be parabatai stand in two rings of fire. Meanwhile, Magnus, still acting weirdly, brews some tea which he gives to Clary and Simon to drink.
Simon begins to hear things, and he and Clary walks through a door that Magnus opens for them; they find themselves in a forest and mistake it for Central Park until Clary disappears at the Bethesda fountain and Simon realizes he's not in New York. The fountain floods and a boat arrives for him, taking him on a ride through a Tunnel of Love. Along the way he sees visions of people he knows, including Jace Herondale, Maia Roberts, Jordan Kyle and Maureen Brown, who he recalls with feelings of guilt despite not fully remembering her.
The boat exits into a river, and Maureen asks Simon to choose between her and Clary before jumping in. Simon notices Clary floating in the river and jumps in, choosing to save her as he realizes that Maureen is dead. Despite the river being freezing Simon fights to get to Clary; she seems to wake up and begins swimming towards him. He suddenly wakes up in the reception room and is told that he was given water from Lake Lyn to drink, which induces hallucinations.
Jem and Magnus question him about what he saw and explain that what happened was a test of compatibility between him and Clary. She is brought into the room and the two are told that they may become parabatai now, since Simon is still technically eighteen due to being a vampire. He loses all doubt about becoming Clary's parabatai, and they are sent to bed to recover.
The next morning Simon wakes early and gets ready for the ceremony. He finds Clary waiting on the steps of the Academy, and they are taken to the Silent City in a carriage. They meet up with Emma, Julian and Jem and follow them to the chamber where the ceremony is to take place. As the ceremony commences Simon notes something odd in the way Emma and Julian look at each other. He recalls something Jace said to him in his hallucination, about remembering the first time they met, and finally remembers his encounter with Jace in Java Jones when he was about to tell Clary how he felt about her. The ceremony ends before he can say anything.
While preparing for the celebratory dinner Clary asks Simon why he looked uncomfortable during the ceremony, and he explains what he remembered. He realizes the importance of the memory; it was a reminder that parabatai can't feel romantic love for each other, though he doesn't understand the relevance to Julian and Emma.
At the celebrations Julian is very tense and has to leave the room. Emma notices Ty trying to eat a wheel of cheese and excuses herself to go look after him while Julian is gone. Jace comments that the new parabatai have a lot on their hands and it's a good thing they have each other. Clary begins to tell Jace about her and Simon's impending parabatai ceremony.
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Trivia[]
- This installment was initially supposed to be co-written with Sarah Rees Brennan.[2]