Eᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ 7 ~ Hᴏᴡ Aʀᴇ Tʜᴏᴜ Fᴀʟʟᴇɴ
★ ★ ★
In the spare room in Magnus's apartment, Jace lies in bed, a Seelie, Kaelie, is sitting on top of him naked. Not feeling safe or happy in the institute, the blonde shadowhunter went to Magnus asking if he could stay. The high warlock not having the heart to turn away his new friend agreed to let him stay. Kaelie points to one of his runes on Jace's chest.
"What's this one do?" She asks. Jace glances at the tune and answers.
"Flexibility." He smirks and picks her up, lying her on her back on the bed so he's on top. Knowing the blonde shadowhunter wouldn't respond to the alert he was sent, Alec took it upon himself to retrieve the stubborn shadowhunter. He walks into the room after been let in by Magnus. Kaelie points to another rune.
"And this one?" She asks and Jace is quick to answer her question.
"Stamina." He says making the female Seelie smirk.
"Ooh, I like the sound of that." Her comment makes Jace smirk and lean down to kiss her. Alec, whose standing at the door, coughs awkwardly whilst rolling his eyes.
"We have orders. Let's go." He states, obviously fed up with his brother.
"I'm a little tied up." Jace says to alec after pulling away from his heated kiss with Kaelie.
"Not yet, you're not." The Seelie smirks and begins to sit up, looking over at Alec. "You're welcome to join us." She smirks. Jace grimaces whilst Alec groans.
"I'm good." He states looking anywhere but the couple.
"Your loss." She says and then looks at Jace. "I'll give you two a minute."Kaelie leaves the room just as Alec throws some clothes at Jace.
"This is your solution? Hiding out at Magnus'?" He asks whilst Jace puts on the jeans Alec threw at him.
"I wouldn't exactly call this hiding." Jace replies.
"We have obligations." Alec replies.
"Obligations." The blonde scoffs. "Aldertree wanted me gone and I'm gone."
"So you got demoted. So what? You'll work your way back up." Alec states with a shrug of his shoulders.
"You don't understand." Jace sighs.
"Then tell me. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad." Jace stays quiet. "So you're just gonna turn your back on us? On Isabelle? Alisha? Clary?"
"I told you I'm not discussing Clary." Jace spits.
"She's your family. Your sister." Alec reminds the shadowhunter who stands up aggressively.
"I don't need a reminder." He states. "You know, you should go. We don't want you getting benched, too."
"This isn't you." Alec comments, shocked by Jace's attitude. He quickly leaves the Morgenstern alone and rushes to the institute.
Once noticing his girlfriend, Alec rushes over to Alisha giving her a soft kiss as they walk into the institute side by side. Clary stands on the other side of Alec, feeling like Alisha was mad at her. As the trio walk through the training room, they notice some Shadowhunters training.
"Any idea what this is about?" Clary asks Alec who nods his head, his hand on Alishas hip.
"Heard a big storm's moving in. Always increases demon activity." He says.
"And Jace is–" Clary begins but is cut off by Alec.
"Not here." Alisha wraps her arm around Alec's waist, knowing how Jace distancing himself is affecting him. He smiles in appreciation.
"He's totally shut me out. He's not answering my texts. I don't understand what's going on." Clary says confused.
"Me neither. Come on." He states, removing his arm from Alishas waist and gripping her hand instead. The three walk into the Ops Centre and towards Izzy. The female Lightwood grabs her wrist because it's shaking again as the three walk over. Alisha smiles at her parabatai who returns the gesture.
"What did we miss?" Alec asks as Alisha hugs Izzy. After they pull away from each other, Izzy begins to open up the holographic screen.
"Let's see" she begins. "The Citadel was breached. Magdalena is dead. Cleophas is missing."
"What?" Alisha asks, feeling sorrowful about what happened.
"Oh, my God." Clary gasps. "Valentine?" She questions.
"Who else could it be?" Izzy asks with a slight attitude. "Aldertree's heading to Idris to meet with the Council."
"I'll go check with ops." Alec says and kisses his girlfriends cheek before rushing off. Alisha walks beside Izzy as they begin to walk off but are pulled back by Clary's voice.
"Izzy. Alisha. There's something I need to tell you both about Sister Cleophas." She states making Izzy laugh sarcastically and Alisha scoff.
"That you told her about your new rune?" Izzy begins.
"That you saw in a vision?" Alisha finishes.
"How did you know I–" Clary begins but Izzy is quick to cut her off.
"Does it matter?" She states. "You should know what it feels like when the people you care about shut you out."
"Izzy, Alisha, Jace told me it would be dangerous for anyone who found out." Clary tries to convince the parabatai's but they both scowl in response.
"So now we need to be protected?" Alisha asks and Clary shakes her head going to say something but Izzy beats her to it.
"I welcomed you in, Clary. Saw you through training, rescued Simon every time he got into trouble, which is basically all of the time, and after your mom..."
"Girls, I'm sorry. Look, we all care about the Iron Sisters. We need to find Sister Cleophas. We can do it together." Clary says but Izzy scoffs.
"I'm kind of over this whole togetherness thing." She says gesturing her and Clary. She struts off leaving Clary and Alisha alone.
"I'll help you, but not for you, for Cleophas." Alisha says making Clary smile. "Don't mistake this for me forgiving you."
After storming away from the Fairchild, Izzy rushes to Aldertree's office in search for some yin fen. She checks if no one is looking and then walks in. From above the fireplace, she grabs the box that contained the yin fen tins last time she was here. She lets out a relieved sigh when she finds a tin, only to groan when she finds out it's empty.
"What are you doing in here?" A shadowhunter, Lindsay, says making Izzy flinch.
"I'm here on Aldertree's orders. What are you doing here?" Izzy lies.
"Oh, I was just walking to the Ops center, and I heard something." She says and Izzy nods.
"Well, now that you know it's just me, get back to work." Lindsay nods and walks off, leaving a shaking Izzy.
In a dark alley, Cleophas steps out of the building she was in with Valentine, a seraph blade in her hand. She brings the deathly weapon to her stomach and presses down harshly. Blood spews from the fresh cut she inflicted on herself.