𝑶𝑭 𝑩𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑫 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑩𝑬𝑻𝑹𝑨𝒀𝑨𝑳

MᏋᏘ MᏘXIMᏘ ᏨULᎮᏘ

"Oh my God. Lys..."

"And I don't know how to feel. I don't know if I should feel sad or angry or...I don't know. I mean I didn't even know I was pregnant until they told me the baby was dead.

I can't even feel angry towards Valentine who is the reason why my baby's is dead. All I feel is an emptiness and it doesn't help that Jace keeps tiptoeing around me. I just...I don't know. I just want to feel something, anything other than this emptiness." Luke looked at her sympathetically and pulled her in for a hug which she returned.

They remained hugging for some time before pulling apart. Just then Alyssa's phone went off, pinging with a message.

"Speak of the devil. It's Jace. Apparently, the Inquisitor wants to see us. I gotta go." Luke nodded.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay, alright. We'll work this out, alright?" Alyssa smiled slightly and nodded.

"Thanks, Dad." With that, she walked away from him to meet Jace.

Institute - Basement Cell

Valentine was locked into a chair in the cell which had a glass wall separating him from anyone outside the cell. Inside the cell were two guards on duty and Inquisitor Herondale who was activating the agony rune on his skin, forcing him to scream out in pain as his skin seared.

"Valentine, you and I both know the cup can control demons." Alyssa, Jace, and Clary walked into the basement to hear Imogen say to Valentine. "In the wrong hands, it could be catastrophic."

"In your hands, I'm a dead man." Valentine said back. The Inquisitor circled the man, speaking.

"Nineteen Shadowhunters died in your assault on this Institute, along with hundreds of Downworlders that you massacred with the Soul-Sword. Justice will be served."

Having said her piece, Imogen ran her stele over the agony rune again, making Valentine scream out in pain. Satisfied, Imogen walked out of the cell with the two guards, leaving Valentine glaring after them, and walked towards Clary and the married couple.

"How long can you keep torturing him?" Clary asked.

"As long as it takes," Imogen replied.

"If you want the truth, why not just use the Soul-Sword?" Jace asked with a frown.

Imogen looked at him displeasedly. "Are you telling me how to do my job?" she asked.

"No." Jace said.

"Yes." Alyssa answered, at the same time. Imogen turned her attention to her, glaring at the older Fairchild girl which didn't faze Alyssa in the slightest. "Don't get me wrong. I have no issues with you torturing the bastard. He deserves it after everything. But you said you retrieved the Sword after the attack, so why..."

"The rune your sister drew to deactivate the Sword ended up damaging it in the process. It's been sent to the Iron Sisters for purification." Imogen said.

"Right, of course it has." Alyssa said sarcastically but Imogen ignored her.

"You've all had a connection with Valentine one way or another, some more than others. Tell me what you know."

"Nothing. Haven't we proven ourselves? Valentine attacked the Institute. We captured him." Clary said defensively.

"At what cost? By taking matters into your own hands, you've planted seeds for rebellion in the Downworld. The Accords will be nearly impossible to maintain now."

"You Clave members are all the same. You never change. You don't like to accept the blame and prefer to lay it on someone else." Alyssa said, causing Imogen to glare at her but this once again didn't faze the older Fairchild at all.