ꜰʀᴀʏᴇᴅ |ᴀ.ʟ.| ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡʜᴜɴᴛᴇʀꜱ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ {ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴍɪʟʟᴇ ꜰᴀɪʀᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴛʀɪʟᴏɢʏ #1}

{ℕ𝕠}

A mere few minutes later, the group has split up and Jace, Clary and I have grouped together beside a side door of the old factory. Jace, having since given Clary her necklace back after swiping it from Alec's lockbox and drawing a rune that allows us to see through glamours, I see a group of Shadowhunters turning the corner, Alec at the head.

"Alec? What's he doing here?" Clary whispers, "Oh no."

Jace, activating his own rune, spots the same on comers, "Damn it. Lydia must have sent him."

"Lydia?" Clary echoes

"Our bitchy cousin" I hiss, "And...Alec's future wife. Don't ask."

It's clear from the look on her face she wants to ask more but she also notices the look on my face and decides better of it.

"Just say the word" Clary assures Jace, "We'll call the whole thing off."

"We can't" I speak up, my eyes glued to Alec, "There's no turning back now. This is important. Not just for Izzy or Meliorn. This is to do with the Clave and Downworlders. We can't let the Clave divide them like this, it's not right. I don't want Simon to have to live like that."

"Have you ever considered a leadership career?" Jace asks and I widen my eyes, surprised

"No..."

"You should" Jace smiles, "You're a natural. Now, whatever happens, follow my lead. And here-"

Jace passes me a seraph blade, "You should really get used to bringing these along with you, so I don't have to keep giving you my spares."

"Noted" I chuckle, taking the blade from him

The sound of low, menacing growls from the wolves spur us into action and we duck inside the factory, melting into the shadows.

It doesn't take long for Alec to arrive inside the factory with only Meliorn for company. Using his stele, Alec waves at along a side wall and one of the walls closest to Jace collapses, revealing the entrance to the City of Bones.

I feel my head split open and resist the urge to cry in pain. Having been warned by Jace, I was positioned furthest from the opening but after the wall crumbled, my uneasiness had doubled tenfold.

Alec, grabbing Meliorn, moves quickly for the entrance and I take my chance, stepping out form the shadows, Clary following behind me.

"Alec"

He turns to me quickly, his hand tight around Meliorn's arm. Choosing to ignore us, he turns back around but is confronted with Jace, standing directly in front of the City's entrance.

"You told me you were taking Clary back to the Institute" Alec accuses Jace, "You lied to me."

"I did what needed to be done."

"Alec" I repeat, moving to stand in front of him. My headache worsens but the lack of blood spurs me on. My back to the City entrance, I feel the poisonous lure of the runic magic behind me like a roaring fire and i know, somehow, that if I fall back...I'm as good as dead, "The Clave has gone too far. You need to see that. Please...let Meliorn go."

"What are you doing?" Alec hisses, his eyes darting nervously from the entrance to me, "Being too close to this place almost killed you last time.

"I'm willing to risk my life to keep you and the Clave from making this mistake. No peace can be made from dividing the Shadow World"

"I have my orders." Alec rebuts but his voice is wavering and his eyes keep flitting from me to the entrance and back again

"You are your damn orders" Clary seethes, "Who cares about orders?"