𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 ━━ ISABELLE LIGHTWOOD

58

"ACTIVATE EMERGENCY surveillance," Lydia said as she walked, followed by Clary, Alec and Isabelle. "Victor's unreachable. I've ordered the institute be put on quarantine until we kill this thing."

"What thing?" Kade's voice startled them. Lydia's eyes widened as she took in his appearance. She was on direct orders to inform the inquisitor the second Kade returned, but she wasn't sure that was safe at the moment.

"Kade," the blonde cleared her throat. "You're back."

The Hawthorne was at Magnus' place when Raphael showed up, having been recently tortured by the new head of the institute. Then, he was also informed about what happened with Jace. He had never been madder.

His eyes flickered to Isabelle and he frowned at how she avoided his gaze. He didn't understand why she didn't tell him. Did she think he'd do something reckless?

"A demon," Clary answered his question, she could feel the visible tension that suddenly started to creep in the room. "There's a demon loose in the institute."

"That's not possible," Kade muttered. "How did it get past the wards?"

"Same way it got in without setting off this," Isabelle replied, wrapping her fingers around her necklace. "It must have some advanced cloaking ability. It hid in that dead body and let us do the rest."

"I didn't know demons could do that," Clary said as she armed herself up like the others.

"Until now, they couldn't," Alec cut in. "This new form of possession, cloaking ability, targeting the institute, it's. . ."

"An upgrade," Kade sighed. "Valentine and his stupid experiments."

"My mom told me how he was determined to create a super-being that could defeat the Clave," Clary started to say as they gathered around a table, Raj joining them. "It's what he tried to do with Jace."

"Both victims had damage to the prefrontal cortex," Isabelle informed. "The demon must be feeding on negative emotions. Anger, hate, rage. Causing the host to violently act on those urges."

"So we continue to scan for venom and heat signatures," Alec suggested as Lydia pulled up a hologram of the institute. "Try and narrow down the host before it strikes again."

"Alec, you check the living quarters," Lydia ordered before turning to Isabelle and Clary, "you two take the utility tunnels."

"Great," Kade muttered. "I'll hang around, see what I can find."

"Good," Raj spoke for the first time since he joined, looking at Lydia, "I'll stay with you."

"Day just keeps getting better," Lydia said sarcastically earning a snicker from Kade before he walked away, although he could feel that something was suddenly off in his surroundings.

He ventured down the hall, eventually reached Jocelyn's room when he heard something falling from afar. He walked in, his seraph blade in hand, ready to attack only to find a vase on the ground and Jocelyn bending to pick it up. She looked up at him, her brows furrowed in confusion for a moment then widened in recognition.

Kade wasn't sure whether he wanted to stick around to hear whatever she was about to say. He barely turned around, ready to leave when she spoke. "You're Kade Hawthorne, aren't you?"

"And you're. . ." He searched his brain for her name but he couldn't remember so he gave up, "Clary's mom."

"Jocelyn," she introduced. "Jocelyn Fairchild. I've heard about you. . . About your achievements and everything. And how you and your friends helped Clary. Thank you for that, really."

"I've heard how you tried to kill Jace," Kade tilted his head to the side. "Because you think he's evil or whatever— a poor judgement for an experienced shadowhunter like yourself."

"Are you saying I don't know my son?"

"If we're talking relationships," Kade raised a brow, "he's probably not even your son."

"He is," Jocelyn said adamantly. "Jace is my son."

"Where's your proof?"

"Where's yours?" Jocelyn shot back earning a shrug from Kade. "Hair color. Jace's a blonde, you're a redhead, so is Clary. Before your ex lover went bald, his hair was brown or something. He looks nothing like you— or Valentine. It's an easy observation. But I got no legitimate proof yet. I've been busy trying to stay alive while your ex lover had his way with me."

"Did he tell you?" The sudden shift in Jocelyn's tone made Kade wary as he quietly asked. "Tell me what?"

"About you," Jocelyn swallowed. "His experimen—"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kade cut her off, not wanting to hear another word about it. How does she know about this anyway? He wondered when a thought struck him. "Wait, did you help him—"

"No!" Jocelyn was quick to deny, shaking her head with her eyes wide opened. "I had no idea, I swear. I only found out years later when he told me. . ." She gulped. "When he told me that Jace wasn't the first baby he experimented on, I knew."

"Well, fuck," was all what he said. Just as Jocelyn was about to say something else, he beat her to it. "Don't tell anyone about this though, okay?"

"I won't," the older Fairchild promised with a nod. "It's your thing to tell."

"Good," Kade then took a step back. "I'll leave you to it then. See you around, I guess." Jocelyn only gave him a small nod in response before he turned around and walked out of the room.

"Lydia's in the infirmary," were the first words Alec said to him the second he saw him. "She was attacked by the demon. It's still loose. We've got to find him."