in the end ~ d. malfoy

Chapter Fifty-Eight

"She had every right to stop. To back out." Maryse snaps at her, "Your daughter knew exactly what she was doing when she threw herself into this mess."

"Spare me the lies, you coward." Nandini scoffs, "You and your family took advantage of her righteousness. Isabelle and Alec knew that she couldn't stand the injustices that were happening to this community — that could have happened to Magnus and everyone else she cares about. You were perfectly happy to let Maya run around with them for the Cup until it started reflecting badly upon you. If your life hadn't fallen apart in a matter of days, we both know you would've never stopped this madness."

"You are insane." Maryse scoffs, staring up at Nandini in shock, "I don't even recognize you anymore."

"Maybe you never did." Nandini scoffs, "Because clearly—" She looks Maryse up and down before stepping back, the air around them charged and thick with a tension Maryse can't describe, "People can change."

"What's your point?" Maryse sighs, rubbing her temple in exhaustion.

"Fix this, Maryse." Nandini snaps, "Or I swear on Raziel—" Her green eyes fill with a rage that makes Maryse's blood turn to ice, "I'll raze this place to the ground until not even your ashes are left ."

The slam of the door behind her feels like a slap to Maryse's face as Nandini storms out of her office.

The first thing Maya sees when her eyes flit open are the white walls of the Institute's hospital wing.

The ornate paintings come into focus on the ceiling as light pours into the room. There's a certain fogginess in her head that she can't explain, and as Maya lifts up her hand, she sees an IV taped to it, a tube with clear liquid running to a bag that's placed in a stand above her head. She swallows, her mouth dry as she sits up, and Maya catches sight of her reflection in a nearby window — someone's changed her into a hospital gown, dark hair brushed and combed out of her pale face, the color not quite returned. But something drops into her stomach as she sees the thick bandage wrapped around her neck, and Maya realizes, with bated breath, that there's no way out of this.

The Shadowhunters know what she did. And without a doubt, they're going to make her pay for it. Nausea rises up in her throat, and as the remnants of whatever's left in her stomach start to resurface, she hears the door open, "Maya?"

"You're awake. " Alec looks as though he's just gotten out of bed, hair sticking up in all directions as his wide eyes catch sight of her. A visible sigh of relief goes through him as he walks into the room, attempting to hug her, but something makes Maya jump at his touch, and he freezes, pausing, "How—how are you feeling?"

"I — um — " Maya stutters, softly, turning her eyes to the tiled floors beneath her, "—I — "

"Maya?!" comes another shriek, and Isabelle runs into the room, chest heaving, "Oh god, you're okay."

"Izzy—" Alec stops her, but she runs to a nearby dresser, pouring water into a glass from the pitcher on top of it.

"Drink." She thrusts the glass into Maya's shaky hands, before moving behind her to tie her hair out of her face, "You'll need the electrolytes after the amount of blood you lost."

"Oh." Maya takes a shaky sip, "So you saw it."

"You couldn't exactly have missed it." Alec mutters, "What, with all the blood trailing from the front door and you lying in the hall."

"How — how did you find me?" An inkling of doubt creeps into Maya's chest, but she pushes it down.

"After you ran last night, we had no idea where you went." Isabelle breathes out, shakily, "We searched everywhere, Magnus's place, The Institute, Pain. Then Dad called and said Nandini'd just landed at JFK, so we assumed you went home to tell her, and — well — "