Angel Blessed

26. Two Choices

Chapter Twenty-five

Aiden:

"-found outside the perimeter." Jace's voice echoed off the walls as my and Izzy's boots clicked against the floors furiously. Silence fell as we got there. I could feel the eyes on me, but I refused to meet them, instead... I scanned the room and stiffened at what I saw... or who I saw.

"What the fuck is this unseasoned garlic bread doing here?" I seethed as I reached for the stele in my pocket. Raphael snorted and rolled his eyes but Jace, bless his heart, thought I was reaching for a dagger of some sort and put out his arms to stop me.

"Easy there tiger. Don't go staking his heart just yet. We don't know how the mundane got like this but we do know that the...", he titled his head as a reluctant smile tipped the corner of his lips, "...the unseasoned garlic bread over here had enough sense to bring him to us" he paused and side-eyed the vampire, "even though that opens a whole can of unwanted worms."

I stiffly loosened my grip on the stele all while glaring at the pale excuse of a downworlder. Jace sighed, realising that's all the relaxing he'd get from me then turned to his Parabatai. "I'll go. I'll tell 'em we didn't find anything. Nobody will come down here." Alec paused for just a second, waiting for any other ideas or rejections, then left. Finally, I could breathe easier.

Raphael stared at me knowingly, then rose a brow. "Trouble in paradise, chica?" He mocked while he pushed off from the wall.

"Paradise never existed." I said flatly, silently thanking the Angel that my voice didn't waver. "Now go ahead and tell us what the fuck happened to the person that gives the last sense of normalcy in my life. I'm just dying to know." I crossed my arms and stood next to Jace. In a last ditch effort to provide some comfort, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and left it there, cocooning me in his warmth. 

"I might be a vampire... but I was raised a good catholic." He stood by the alter Simon was laid on then sent off a silent prayer for him.

Izzy huffed, "The vampires breached the Accords." she hissed out. I don't know too much about the Accords, but I did read enough in the library to know a bit. "Killing Simon is grounds for war." Clary finally straightened to look at Izzy after hearing those words.

"The vampires were not behind this." Raphael quickly corrected. "Just Camille. She attacked Simon on her own." Izzy circled Simon with furrowed brows.

Jace's grip on my shoulder tightened slightly as he hissed out, "And how do we know you're telling the truth?"

Raphael sighed, "Like you've told the pretty princess on your arm, I could have gotten rid of him, but instead I brought him here." he made eye contact with every conscious person in the room. "I don't want trouble with the Shadowhunters."

"Smart decision." Izzy smirked.

"I warned the mundane to stay away... but Camille gave him a taste of her own blood, and like an addict..." Clary's head whipped around at Raphael's words in horror. "he came back wanting more."

"The only reason Simon ever tasted Camille's blood is because of you." Clary stated matter-of-a-factly. "You kidnapped him! You drug him to Hotel DuMort. You..." she hit the desk in frustration as she piled on the accusations. "You delivered him to Camille!"

"I never meant for this to happen." Raphael said through gritted teeth. I stood there still as a statue, testing my brain for any solutions that could bring him back.

Clary sobbed and sniffed as she stood over Simon's unmoving body. "Simon. Simon, please come back, please!" We all watched for a solid minute as she broke down in tears over her lost friend. My brain couldn't process anymore grief today so I stood there, an emotionless husk.