Unfinished Business • Alec Lightwood

Chapter 15 {Edited}

Leona and the group walked into Clary's room, looking around at the damage that was done. Everything about them was burnt, dusty, and blackened. Whatever fire Clary's mother caused had done exactly what was intended, nothing was left.

Leona could see the redhead stare at her destroyed home in shock.

"Holy crap, Clary. Who torched your loft?" Simon spoke up as they all looked around the redhead's old room. Alec sent Simon a look to which the man only shrugged. "Yeah, I can see this too."

Leona glanced around, looking for anything that might help them. She knew they needed to be careful and get out of there as quickly as they could.

"There's nothing left of me here," Clary spoke sadly. Leona frowned at her words.

"Of course, there isn't," Alec told her. "Your mother was trying to erase any trace that you existed. So, you couldn't be tracked."

"She was protecting you," Alec said bluntly as he looked at the shelves in the burnt room.

"Let's see how well that worked," Clary said bitterly.

"You're alive, aren't you?" Alec shortly told her causing the girl to quiet.

As blunt and emotionless as Alec had sounded, he was right. Clary's mother had done everything necessary to protect her daughter, which meant getting rid of everything dear to them both.

"Simon, what are you doing?" Leona asked the mundane as he stood in one place, staring at the ground.

"These floorboards," Simon told her. "They sound different in these two spots."

Leona glanced at Alec and Clary, the two sharing the same looks of confusion as she did. "Can't you hear it?" Leona looked at Simon in worry. "There's something under here."

The brunette had been listing off in her head everything weird Simon had done since she had seen him, and she hoped to the angel that what she was thinking wasn't true.

Leona snapped out of her thoughts as Simon bent down to tap the floor near where he was standing. He moved some of the rubble away before prying a piece of wood out from the floor.

"Another score for Brooklyn," Simon smirked putting the wood to the side.

Before the mundane could look any further, Alec stopped him. "Hey, get out of the way."

Alec bent down near the empty space that was now displayed on the floor. "You're welcome," Simon said. Leona squeezed his arm in thanks, giving the boy a smile that he returned.

Alec began to push his hand into the hole as the rest of them stood watching him. Leona bit her lip in worry. "There's something down here," Alec told them.

"Be careful," Leona said as they waited. A few seconds passed before Alec took his hand out of the hole, presenting a wooden box to the group.

"Is this the box you remember?" Alec asked Clary, handing her the box.

"Yeah," Clary said softly as she took it. Alec got up and stood near Leona. "She used to wait until she thought I was asleep and then take it out."

"Clary," Leona spoke up softly. "I know this is hard, but we can't waste any time."

Clary sighed at her words. "Well, let's open it," Simon said as everyone stared at the box. Clary and Simon shared a glance before she opened the box revealing a lock of hair, a rattle, and a baby's shoe.

"I don't know what any of this is," Clary said in confusion.

The sound of something shattering caught the group's attention as they all looked toward the door. Alec pushed past Simon to see if he could identify who or what the noise was. Leona swallowed before grabbing one of the weapons from her jacket and holding it in her hand.