Belonging | Alec Lightwood

(45) Right Choices

I lift upwards on my tiptoes ever so slightly, and grin as Alec's head dips down, his lips brushing mine softly to kiss me, the movement sweet and short, our touch lasting mere seconds before we are apart again.

"You know" I start, my hand coming up to play with the colour of Alec's white shirt, the top button undone as he had taken off the bow he previously wore. "You're allowed to be upset that your mother's angry, it can't be easy having her be like this"

"I'm glad I made my choice but, after what I did, I don't think they'll ever forgive me." He says sighing, his head dropping slightly to lean comfortingly against the palm of my hand against his cheek.

"I wouldn't underestimate their love for you Alec, they're your parents and now matter how angry they are now, it's not something that will last" I say, my tone hopeful and Alec smiles gratefully nodding his head at me.

"We should go find Lydia- I owe her for what she did" Alec says, taking my hand from his cheek and stepping back from me. I nod in agreement, pushing off the wall that was now warm under my touch and moving to walk beside Alec.

"We both owe her, what she did was- empathetic and kind, more kind than we probably deserve" I say, mentally thanking Lydia for doing what most wouldn't.

We both walk down the length of the corridor, Robert's office nearing, and as we step to turn passed the Venetian red door and into the office, we both stop short.

"Lydia!"

We both rush forwards to where Lydia lay unconscious on the floor, the both of us dropping to our knees besides her. I quickly push her hair out of her face, my fingers feeling for a pulse and I sigh a shuddering breath out.

"She's alive" I gasp, Alec nods, grabbing the stele in his pocket and pulling up Lydia's left arm's sleeve, revealing her healing rune, before he swiftly runes the stele over it activating it.

"I'm going to go get help, stay with her" Alec mutters, jumping up and rushing out the door before I can even respond.

I push back Lydia's hair, assessing that she has no fatal injuries, and as she stirs I hear her muttering, croaking out illegible words. "Lydia, it's okay, we're getting help, just hold on" I whisper, my hands shaking as I hold her arm, trying to comfort her as her eyes flutter open and shut.

"Hodge" She gasps.

***

"How's Lydia?" Clary asks, her brow furrowed in worry as she glances at Alec and I.

I frown shaking my head, not being able to clear the image of her unconscious body from my mind.

"Better. Magnus is doing what he can to help her, but it's bad." Alec says, sighing, "And the Cup is definitely missing."

"So is Hodge" Jace adds, sneering.

We were all stood before the monitors, Izzy flicking through footage from the last couple of hours, trying to find out what had happened to Lydia.

I told the other what she had said, 'Hodge', I heard it clear as day and now he was missing, along with the cup.

Too many events to be coincidental.

"Maybe he was attacked, too." Izzy says, her tone hopeful.

"Maybe he's the one who attacked her." I mutter, a bitterness to my voice that has the others glancing curiously at me.

I don't say anything else about it.

I never trusted the guy.

"Hodge? No way. We've known him our entire lives. He would never do that to us." Izzy says, disbelief evident in her voice, but by the way that she gnaws gently down on her lip and her hand shakes as she clicks away at the mouse, I can tell even she's unsure of the truth.