The Best Friend

27

We continued talking for a little while longer in Izzy's room, but stopped when Max walked in and interrupted. I could tell he had something to say, but became distracted when he looked over at Clary.

"Who is she?" He asked curiously.

"That's Clary, Jace's sister." I answered him.

"I didn't know Jace had any siblings." Max stated.

"None of us did, buddy." I said as I ruffled his hair. "Now what was it you wanted?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I heard strange noises coming from the library and I thought maybe someone was trying to contact the Institute."

"I'll go check it out, alright? Stay here with Clary and Alec. Izzy, come with me?" I said.

Izzy and I walked out leaving Max, Clary, and Alec behind. I knew if someone was trying to contact the Institute, it probably wasn't good news they wanted to relay. As we came closer to the library, I began to hear the noises Max had been talking about. Izzy and I quickened our pace and rushed into the library.

"It looks like there's a message on the hologram." Izzy said as she ran over.

"Play it!" I said urgently.

She clicked the button but no hologram appeared. The air where a figure was suppose to appear remained clear as I looked at Izzy in confusion. Suddenly a shriek rang through the receiver and I looked at Izzy in horror. I could tell it was one of the brothers who hadn't spoken in years by the way the shriek cracked and broke off at points. Just as the hologram started to shut off, a clear but distant cry for help came through. And then it was silent.

"We need to go, now." I said as I began racing back to Izzy's room with Izzy right on my heels.

"What the hell do you think happened?" Izzy asked.

"There's no doubt in my mind that it's Valentine." I said as I rounded the corner by her room. "He wouldn't really hurt Jace, though, right? You think Jace is okay?"

She didn't answer my question which made my heart beat faster and my anxiety rise. I opened the door and looked at Alec and Clary. Izzy was right behind me and she began telling Max we had to go. I beckoned for Alec and Clary to follow me out to the hall, and as soon as they were out of the room, Izzy ran and shut the door while Alec put a locking rune on the door.

"I hate to do this to him, but he wouldn't have taken no for an answer." Izzy sighed as we rushed to the weapons room.

As soon as the four of us reached the weapons room, I raced around loading up with as many weapons as possible before we again began to run around the Institute. We reached opened the front doors quickly and sprinted off towards the cemetery. It seemed to take years to get to the entrance to the Silent City, when in reality it only took about twenty minutes. I yanked open the gate and the other three immediately followed me into the darkness.

"Something is very wrong." I whispered as I looked around cautiously.

"I'll go first. Ali, follow behind me, then Clary, and Izzy bring up the rear." Alec said before we followed his orders and began to walk again.

As we descended further and further into the darkness, I began to smell what seemed to be rotting fruit, but I knew better than that. My hand stayed in contact with the wall on my left at all times as I mapped in my head where we were in the Silent City. My hand suddenly lost contact, though, and I realized we were standing in front of the room where I had my trial and where the soul sword was kept. There was a small amount of light in the room, the source unknown to me, but I was able to make out most of the room.