redamancy | jace herondale

5

I held the necklace in my hand after Clary had run into my room that night, "And he spoke to you?"

"He said my name." Clary nodded, "He said, your mother for the Cup."

Alec was in my doorframe, "Who said that?"

"Valentine." The necklace dangled between my fingers as my eyes tear away from it, looking at him.

Clary faces him, "He's with my mother."

"And he can speak to you through that necklace?" Alec walks further in, "Here, in the Institute?"

"It's like when I saw Dot." Clary told him.

"It's a Portal shard." I held the purple jewel in my palm, "That's why your mother made sure you had it."

"All I know is what I saw-" Clary inhales sharply, "My mother's alive- she's unconscious, but alive."

Alec walks over to us, "Where are they?"

Clary hugged herself, "I don't know."

"But- you said you saw them." Alec stares at her and pressed further, "Were there any identifying characteristics? Equipment, weapons, photographs?"

"I don't remember." Clary shudders, "It was awful."

"Wow-" I looked at him with slight wide eyes, taken back, "Alec, lighten up."

"I'm trying to get something we can use out of this." Alec shot at me, "Clary, what did you see, exactly?"

"Valentine has my mother." Clary snapped in anger, tears filling her eyes, "That's what I saw."

"Emotions are nothing but a distraction." Alec stares at her with what looked like hatred, "You're ruled by them, we're taught to control them."

Clary scoffs, "And how is that working out for ya?"

"It is my job to protect the Institute." Alec told her straight and was stern, "If Valentine can see in, that's a door I have to shut."

"Now- let me take a look at that thing." Alec held his hand out for the necklace, as I sighed, handing it to him, "Now, it's in the proper hands."

I blink, "What?"

"Hey!" Clary chased after him when he left the room, as I quickly followed, "Alec- where are you going?"

"To put this somewhere safe." Alec only walked faster, "Where no one could be tempted to use it."

"Hey- maybe we should use it!" I struggled to keep up with him, "Alec, we should use it to get to Valentine!"

"As reckless as you are, I know you are not dumb enough to do that." Alec knew me too well, walking up the steps of the training room.

"Alec!" I chased after him and came to a stop next to him, Clary right behind me.

"If I were Valentine, I'd make you think that you could rescue Jocelyn." Alec crouched and ran his stele over the rune tiled on the ground, "And then I'd lure Clary to me and leverage her life for the Cup."

I went to snatch the necklace out of his palm, but he sprang right back up to his feet, holding the necklace above his head, "We both know you're too short to even reach the necklace."

I glared at him, my fists clenched at my sides childishly, as I stood completely still.

Alec crouched once more and opened the safe, as I watched him do so.

"I like Zee's idea." Clary sides with me, "We saved Simon from the vampires that way."

"Yeah, vampires." Alec places the necklace on the glass and closed the safe back up, standing straight, "Bored, decadent, self-involved vampires."