Burning Sky // Alec Lightwood ➰

Until it does.

"Did you know you were a Belcher?" Lydia finally asks after a number of questions about Valentine's whereabouts.

"Yes." My mom answers, gaining surprised and questioning looks by everyone. "They told me when I learned I was a shadowhunter. My parents, Evelyn and Harry, knew of their existence. I actually met Rose and Graham when I was seventeen. Some months before I joined the circle." She says, looking embarrassed about the last fact.

Noticing how nobody says anything, she continues.

"They didn't want the shadow-world to know I was their descendant. So we started this rumor, that Valentine experimented on me, he agreed to help. He was different back then." She doesn't elaborate on it and nobody asks her to.

Lydia just nods, seeming to know this herself.

"Did they ever tell you why they gave you up?" Isabelle asks the question that's been tormenting all of us for the past months.

"They were powerful. More than the usual shadowhunters. People didn't want them in control, they were afraid of them, of what they could do if they wanted to. They didn't feel safe when they had all this power. So I guess they were in danger. And I was too. Or I would be if people knew I existed. They wanted to protect me, to protect their name, to ensure that our family wouldn't be erased from the map." She finishes and everyone nods at her words like they make sense.

However she lets out a bitter laugh, like it's all a bad joke.

"They were though." She adds.

I look confused around in the room and notice how everyone wears the same expression, all of them , especially Lydia and Alec look tensed.

"What do you mean?" Alec asks her.

"I highly doubt that the fire was an accident. Have you ever heard it before? A fire at the most powerful institute? And in my parents' part of the building. Their office and their bedroom."

She looks almost sad talking about her parent's death and it makes me wonder how much time she got to spend with them, how well she knew them. Was it better than I know her?

No, don't be stupid.

Everyone nods at her words, only now seeing how weird the whole situation was in the first place. Isabelle coughs, looking around her suspiciously.

"It makes sense. But who could have done it though?"  She asks , gaining pointing looks by everyone, as they are all wondering the same thing. However mom just shrugs.

"I have no idea. I guess someone who wanted the power. But by then the circle days ended and your parents were there to save the day." She points gently at Alec and Isabelle.

Her words seem sarcastic but her expression and her tone indicate that she actually means them. The siblings, not knowing how to react, just nod respectfully.

Lydia seems satisfied with everything that she's learned for now , so she just thanks my mom and walks away, telling us she has to report this and that she will catch up with us later.

I mentally roll my eyes at her last statement, thinking of how much better it would be if we didn't actually see her later. Or ever again. I'm being unfair though. Lydia isn't to blame about anything. Me and Alec and our incredible ability to fuck things up is the only things worth the blame.

I snap out of my thoughts when Adam suddenly raises his voice.

"Somehow you seem to always be the only one left standing, in every scenario."

His words are loud and angry and he gains some dirty looks from the people working around us. Looking at them, and the room in general, I only now realize that everyone else left and now it's just me, Adam and mom.