Into The Shadows • Shadowhunters

• Chapter Five •

"I am." Alec said. "We are." He looked at the other four.

"We will talk about the Institute later." Maryse said, watching the younger Shadowhunters stand in front of her. "Right now we have a bigger problem."

"The Seelies have stopped communicating with The Clave and won't explain why." The elder woman walked up and down, looking at each of them sternly. "My guess is that they are still upset that we asked them to send scouts to look for Valentine, but no one in the realm will talk."

"I have Seelie friends." Isabelle spoke up quietly.

"Yes, I know about your friends." Maryse answered her eldest daughter. "Isabelle." She stood in front of her. "We stay separate from the Downworld for good reasons. The wrong move, wrong word; do you think that there is such a thing called harmless rebellion?"

Isabelle looked at her mother and stayed silent, turning her gaze to the floor.

"Who knows what offends these creatures. Maybe you told him..." Maryse then corrected herself. "Them something that they shouldn't know." Maryse held a firm gaze with her second eldest, the rest looking at Isabelle silently with apologetic eyes.

"Wait." Jace interrupted. "I don't understand. You're laying this all on Izzy for having a friend in the Downworld?" He asked which caused Maryse to step closer to him.

"When someone upsets the natural order, everything falls apart." She answered.

"Natural order? What are you saying?" Clary looked at the elder dark haired woman.

"I can help." Isabelle said, causing Maryse to shift her gaze back to her daughter. "I know how to talk to Seelies." She finished.

"She's right. She can visit with Meliorn and see what he knows." Alec looked at his sister then to their mother. "I can go with her if you want."

Maryse looked at her eldest before patting Jace's shoulder. "I'd rather Jace go with her this time."

"Alec, you stay with the Fairchild girl. I want her under control. She has caused enough trouble already." Maryse looked at him.

"Well maybe that's because I wasn't even a Shadowhunter until a few days ago." The red head looked at her.

Aaliyah looked between Clary and her mother nervously while Allison shook her head with a slight smirk.

"Bitch move." The blonde female muttered under her breath.

Maryse, unphased by Clary's comment, looked at her. "And what an exciting few days it has been." She answered sarcastically, silencing the girl immediately.

Turning her attention back to the group, Maryse spoke again. "The Clave counts on us Lightwoods to maintain order here."

"No need to tell me that." Alec said. "The mission is important to The Clave, I'd prefer being the one going with Isabelle." Maryse closed her eyes, giving an unamused smile at her son.

"You are all so eager to do what you would prefer." She replied sternly. "It's time to face the truth. Life is not about what you want to do, it's about what must be done." She raised her voice slightly. "I have given you your assignments, now carry them out!"

She pointed to Jace and Isabelle. "You and you with me now." And turned on her heels, walking off with Jace and Isabelle in tow.

The last four watched them follow Maryse. Allison sighed heavily.

"Maryse is definitely back." She said softly as she kept her eyes on her twin.

Clary looked at Alec. "That was a window into the weird." She frowned. "What did you do to piss off your Mom?" She asked him.