𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 ━━ ISABELLE LIGHTWOOD

42

BACK IN THE OFFICE, Isabelle turned to face her brother, "you know what? I’d rather be stripped of my runes and sent into exile than be part of this world. What kind of people sacrifice justice for law?"

"That’s very noble, Izzy," Alec commented, "but the high road’s not gonna look so great when you’re running for your life from a pack of demons with no Shadowhunter powers to protect you."

"True that," Kade added as he walked in the office again.

"Jocelyn lived as a mundane," Isabelle justified earning a sigh from Alec, "you know Jocelyn had her runes and her weapons. And you think the demons won’t find you? You haven’t exactly kept a low profile. You can’t just let them convict you. You need an advocate." Alec spoke making Kade look at him, playing along even though he knew that she was going to be fine, "Magnus."

"What?"

"Magnus." Kade repeated, "he's the only advocate who can and will possibly get her out of this mess."

"All right, go talk to him then." Alec nodded in Kade's direction which made him raise his brows, "who, me? No— absolutely not."

"And why not?"

"Because no," he said simply, walking over to Isabelle and threw a hand around her shoulders, "I have to talk to my girlfriend. You go talk to Magnus."

"Your— your girlfriend?" Alec repeated, the word registering in his head. His eyes widened slightly as nobody had bothered to inform him, "when did this happen? You didn't tell me?"

"Alec, we'll talk about it once all of this is over." Isabelle said, "now go get my advocate."

Alec rolled his eyes, knowing very well what they were trying to do. He bit his tongue and decided not to say anything before leaving the office to go talk to the High warlock of Brooklyn.

"I heard the inquisitor's here," Isabelle spoke, looking at Kade who dropped his arms to his sides and was now standing in front of her, "yeah, she is."

"What if we don't win?" She questioned, knowing that there was a high chance she wouldn't, "as much as I'm saying otherwise, I really don't want to be a mundane," she let out a bitter chuckle, the thought of her not being a Shadowhunter anymore made her feel weird, "I don't know any other life."

"You're not becoming a mundane, Izzy," he reassured, "there's no way I'm letting that happen. Jace and Clary will be back with the cup and what you did will be forgotten. Take my word for it."

"If you say so," she muttered and went to sit down on the couch as he followed her, plopping down beside her. The two sat there in silence and somewhere in between, she had placed her head on his shoulders while his fingers played with her hair absentmindedly.

After what felt like hours, they were finally called for the trial.

**

THE INQUISITOR WAS SITTING on some kind of throne. Magnus looked at the Silent Brother and the Soulsword before asking, "will I survive if I touch it?"

"If you tell the truth." Imogen replied as Magnus put his hands around the hilt.

"By the power of this sword, do you swear to defend your client with integrity and honesty?"

"No argument from me on that," Magnus said to which the Silent Brother nodded before the warlock took his hands off the sword.

"Make your case, warlock." Imogen demanded, glancing at Kade who was sitting beside Alec then returning her eyes back to Magnus.

"My case is simple," Magnus cleared his throat, "it is true that Isabelle Lightwood acted against the orders of the Clave by trying to free the Seelie, Meliorn. But she did not act against the interests of the Clave. Preventing the forced questioning and possible death of a Seelie may have saved the Accords."

"We’re not here to speculate what might have happened if the defendant hadn’t interfered."

"You mean what might have happened if she hadn’t stopped the Silent Brothers from torturing a Seelie?" Magnus asked earning a stern look from the inquisitor, "I await a valid argument. Do you have one?"

"What you really want is the Mortal Cup," Magnus seethed, "my client doesn’t have it. Since this whole proceeding isn’t about what it’s really about, I move to have this case dismissed."

"You’re out of order."

"No," Magnus shook his head, "this whole thing is out of order. It’s not Isabelle’s fault. It’s the Cup! Put the Cup on trial!"

Isabelle got up and went on the stand as Lydia was about to ask her questions, "you have led us to believe that you, alone, carried out this operation. But Clary Fairchild was seen near the City of Bones that night."

Isabelle shrugged, "maybe she was out for a walk."

"And you expect us to believe that you distracted the guards, and escaped with the prisoner on your own?"

The Lightwood smirked, "pretty slick, right?"

"I suggest you think about how slick it would be when Valentine uses the Mortal Cup to raise an army of rogue Shadowhunters,"  Imogen spoke and Isabelle looked at her, "I don’t want Valentine to succeed."

"Well, that’s the first sane thing I’ve heard from you."

"You know what’s insane?" Isabelle scoffed, "thinking we have the right to treat a Downworlder’s life as worthless."

"Isabelle, I should warn you that everything you say here will be considered in the verdict." Lydia said to which Isabelle look at her then at everyone else, "good. Consider this. Valentine didn’t come out of nowhere. We use our angel blood to justify everything we do, just like him. Like him, we forget that we are not only angels. We are part mundane. We can be afraid. And fear makes us cruel. And we turn our fear to Downworlders just as Valentine did. And just as he did, we will end up turning on each other."

"You think we’re doing that to you?" Imogen asked as Isabelle look at her, "you have to answer that for yourself, Madam Inquisitor." Kade threw his head back and let out a small sigh when Imogen shot him a discreet look.