ACT TWO: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT
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Whether this is real or not, Lyra was walking on thin ice while she trailed down the hall as pale as snow. Her eyes shadowed over and still in shock from what they just learned about Mercy's Crest; or the Sanguis Angeli.
Through her ears she only heard white noise as loud as static. The same as her group of friends who trailed behind him, all of them looking as though they were sick to their stomach. Yet, even as they waltzed into the briefing room, no one took notice of them.
Lyra's senses only flooded into her again when they stopped walking and turned to each other hesitantly. She looked at every single one of them, her stomach sinking further and further.
Their uneasy glances around each other didn't help.
"We can't draw attention to ourselves," Jace spoke first in a low voice so only they could hear.
Alec put his hands on his hips. "Do Mom and Dad know about—" He was shushed by Isabelle, whom had hit his arm.
"Don't say it," She warned him, eyeing everyone around them with distrust, "Someone will hear you."
"I am pretty sure they are already growing suspicious with this huddle." Henry glowered, with Rook sitting on top of his shoulder. "I need to wrap my head around this. Can we all just split up for now and meet again later?" He asked.
Lyra nodded in agreement.
"I can't," Isabelle quickly stated, "I'm helping Hodge with some weaponry adjustments."
"I have meetings to attend with my parents all day," Alec added.
"And I have some mission reports to finish out," Jace finished.
The three of them looked at each other with tired expressions, showing that they would be dreading the rest of the day.
Lyra swallowed down her nervousness. Her fingers fumbling as she thought to herself. "Okay." She decided after a small pause. "We can talk about this some time tomorrow. Until then, we have to keep this between us," She remarked in a serious tone.
Everyone looked to Alec pointedly, and he immediately guffawed with offense.
"I won't say anything," He defended himself in disbelief, "I still think we should leave this to the Clave, now more than ever. But I won't say anything."
"Well, look who's a good sport," Henry praised him in a sort of mocking way, to which Alec blushed and looked away.
Lyra took a deep breath. "Alright, let's go," She motioned for them all to scatter.
And they each turned in different directions before walking away from each other.
Right when Lyra turned the corner, her destination being the study room where the piano was, she almost bumped into Jace as he came from the other side. The two of them froze while looking at each other in surprise.
She didn't know why she chose to come here, not really anyway. It was the only place she could think of that wasn't going to be occupied in her mind. She figured she could get some time alone to think.
They haven't talked in a while. Seeing him now made her stomach all fluttery.
Jace glanced at the room, more so at the piano, before he shook his head. He turned to leave.
"Wait." Lyra stepped forward with a sudden urgency. She was relieved when he stopped, but his back was still turned to her. "Can you wait a second? I want to talk to you," She admitted nervously.
He looked at her over his shoulder. His expression unreadable as always. "I have to finish some reports," He quickly reminded.
Lyra frowned and glanced at the room. "Then why did you come here?" She asked.
Jace huffed, "I don't know." He turned to leave again. But Lyra was quick in darting forward and blocking his path. He stopped before he ran her small frame over and his eyes falling down to her unimpressed. "Lyra..." He tried to sound annoyed.
"I'm not moving until you talk to me," Lyra remained firm. She even had her arms barricaded out so he couldn't weasel his way passed her.
"We're talking. See," He fired back while motioning between them, "Great talk. Can I go now?"
Her frown became more prominent. "That's not what I meant and you know it. You've been avoiding me ever since the mission," She argued, though her voice wasn't angry sounding. It sounded more hurt than anything.
Jace caught it. And his eyes softened for the briefest of seconds, but turned unreadable again. He cursed under his breath then looked up and down the hallway, before gripping her hand. She stumbled into the study room after him, and he didn't let go until he had closed the door behind them to give some privacy.
The sun rays bled into the room, casting something of an afternoon glow. It was quite beautiful since the stained glass windows brought in a multitude of colors that decorated their bodies and the walls around them.
Lyra would never get tired of how beautiful this place was compared to her own Institute.
Jace turned to her after a few moments. His jaw clenched. He ran a stressed hand through his blond hair, ruffling it up messily.
And Lyra found herself blushing while watching him.
"You don't get it." Jace began which brought her out of her daze. "When you fell through that floor and down into the basement, it's because we were messing around. We weren't focused on the mission. I wasn't focused and because of it, you got hurt and it could have been worse," He pointed out in a stern tone.
Lyra looked down at her ankle where the swelling had gone down tremendously. She wiggled it around for a moment before shrugging. "I'm fine, see? You shouldn't blame yourself. It was my fault," She remarked in a soft voice, guilty.
"I'm the best Shadowhunter here. I've trained my whole life for this. I don't make mistakes." He stepped forward to her with conviction. "And in a split moment, I forgot all of that training because you were there. That was a mistake," He now stood in front of her, to which she looked up in surprise.
Her heart pounding in her chest at how intensely he was looking at her. "I'm..." She was confused, "...a mistake?" She couldn't quite grasp at what he was saying.
She looked so cute, that Jace couldn't help but release a small laugh, even if he was serious. "Lyra, no." He hesitated to continue. "I meant that, I saw you smile and laugh that night and suddenly I didn't care about the mission. I've never had that happen to me before," He explained in a sudden softer tone.
Lyra stared up at him in realization. Her eyes slightly wide and lips parted. "Oh," She breathed out.
The two of them stood there for a few moments. Neither really knowing what to say. They were staring at one another with red cheeks and their words hanging in the air between them.
Suddenly, Lyra began to smile bashfully which made Jace do so too. Then, they began to laugh.
"Jace..." Lyra held her hands behind her back innocently as she took the slightest step closer, "...I'm okay. What happened was an accident, and it won't happen again." When he looked ready to refute, she held a hand up to his lips to quiet him.
Jace stopped, looking down at her finger against his lips. His lips curled into a flirtatious smirk.
Lyra smiled back at him. "I'm going to train harder. Starting with this," She poked his hard chest, "As the 'best Shadowhunter', do you mind helping me hone some of my skills?" She questioned, biting her lip as she fought to not look down at his.
"You want me to train you?" Jace asked her, a hint of humor in there.
Lyra rounded him slowly, heading for the door. She smiled over at him when he followed her movements. "That is if you aren't too busy with paperwork," She taunted him, before slipping out of the room.
Chase me—is what the silent action said.
And Jace got that loud and clear, as he chuckled to himself. He ran out of the room to head after her.
Okay, so, maybe Alec might have made a complete U-turn after they said they would all split. And he might have went straight after Henry when he was sure no one was looking.
Here's the thing; Alec didn't exactly announce his presence as he trailed after Henry. He wasn't even entirely sure why he was chasing after the other without saying anything. It was just something that came over him.
When he followed Henry upstairs into the large sparring room, he didn't know what to expect as he took post behind a pillar. He was out of sight just enough to keep hidden if he stayed quiet enough.
Alec peered over, his heart softening in some odd way as he watched Henry go over to the bo staff's rack. How contemplative and serene he looked.
He really couldn't understand these feelings he had towards Henry. He wanted to be alone with him, be near him, and just hear his voice all the time. He even began dreaming about him—little instances, like the night they danced with those girls and stared at one another.
Henry was all he could think about, and it was making Alec lose his damn mind.
Speaking of losing his mind, Alec's eyes widened when Henry began to unbutton his dress shirt real slow, facing toward him as luck would have it. The interesting thing was that the glamour wasn't activated, so as his torso began to come into view with each pop of a button, his scars were becoming visible.
Henry never showed his scars to the public eye. He'd said it himself that only Alec knew about them. Which only meant one thing that made Alec's heart stop...
Henry knew Alec was watching him.
So, why did he keep unbuttoning all slow like that? Why wasn't he acknowledging or calling him out for watching him? And dammit, why the hell did Henry look so damn good?
His throat grew dry as his eyes trailed down Henry's body as the red button-up slipped to the floor, leaving the man bare in all his glory. His lean muscles rippling under his scarred skin in such a beautiful way that sent butterflies through Alec's stomach. Perfect, is the only word that came to mind.
Henry sighed loudly as he closed his eyes and began to roll his shoulders back. He raised his arms up to stretch and his abs tightened, making Alec's mind grow haywire.
He shouldn't be looking, especially now that he knew Henry knew he was there, but he simply couldn't look away. He was so mesmerizing.
Henry grabbed two bo staffs from the rack. "Are you just going to stand there watching me, or would you like to join?" He called out loud, back still turned.
Alec's heart skipped a beat. His skin rising with goosebumps as he was called out so loudly. A part of him still search around in hopes that he had been talking to someone else, but nope. He was definitely caught. Slowly, he stepped out from behind the pillar while looking around.
They were alone.
Henry turned around to face him, his intense cat eyes landing on him. They were so challenging and teasing.
Alec blushed madly, looking him up and down briefly. "I wasn't—I didn't mean to—" He tried to stammer out some reasonable explanation that didn't exist. And thankfully, there was no need for one because Henry tossed him a bo staff which he caught with fast reflex. His lips shutting as he looked quite surprised.
"Look alive," is all Henry said as he twirled the bo staff in his hand in a smooth action.
He looked down at the bo staff in hand. "What—I'm not going to fight you," Alec fired back.
"Don't tell me you're scared," Henry taunted with a smirk. He swept his shirt off the ground and began to fold it. "Here, I'll even make it easy for you." He proceeded to tie the fabric around his eyes to create a blindfold, masking his vision completely.
"That's not fair," Alec stammered out, eyes widen.
Henry didn't even flinch. He simply raised his bo staff in a prepared motion. "My father taught me and my brothers how to fight through sensory deprivation techniques. He would blindfold us, deafen us..." He even tapped his nose, "...He once had us sever the nerve which gave us our smell before using iratze to heal it," He explained as if that were normal.
Alec's heart shattered as he stared at Henry completely horrified. "Henry, that's not training, that's entirely different. It's not even remotely okay," He spoke in disbelief.
Henry's smirk died a little, but he didn't falter from his position. "Training or not, it's all I know." He nodded gently. "I told you to stay away, but you're here now. So can you at least help me get my mind off of all of this, please?" He pleaded, suddenly serious.
Alec frowned deeply.
He didn't want to participate in something like this since he didn't consider it training at all, but Henry's pleading had worked over him. Made his mind all fuzzy.
Hesitantly, Alec got into a fighting stance with the bo staff firmly in his grip. His eyes peeled on Henry who was only a few feet away. "Are you sure about this?" He asked uneasily.
"You're so cute when you're worried about me," Henry countered in a soft voice.
Alec's cheeks grew redder. He stepped forward and began swinging the staff with careful hits. And to his absolute shock, Henry blocked the first hit with amazing accuracy, then the next and the next.
He was blocking all of the hits in fact.
"You're going too easy," Henry smacked his staff away and began to circle Alec like a predator, "Come on, Alec, what's it gonna take for you to hit me?" He taunted.
"This isn't a joke. I could hurt you," Alec countered seriously.
Henry snorted, then gave a pout. "It's adorable that you think that you can."
It was a challenge.
Alec huffed. He barely had time to react when Henry began swing at him with sharp and strong swings that almost got him off balance. Each clash of their staffs echoed off the walls while the strength backed Alec each step.
He finally manage to gain the upper-hand by ducking low during one of Henry's swings. His bo staff swung at the other's feet.
Was he really surprised when Henry somehow spun up in the air, completely dodging the swing? No. But he was surprised when Henry landed gracefully in front of him and swung his staff, halting just inches before Alec's face.
Alec froze, breathing heavily as he looked up at the other in disbelief.
"I didn't want to hurt that pretty face of yours," Henry stated, smirking once more.
Alec's jaw clenched, his heart racing in his chest. He knocked his staff away with a slap of his hand, standing up once more. "Stop flirting with me," He ordered in a dead serious tone.
"Does it bother you when I compliment you, Alec?" Henry tilted his head cutely. "When I call you handsome or when I tell you that I like your pretty eyes..." He listed off.
His heart was now going a mile a minute. He kept looking around paranoid, as if someone would hear them. "Stop it, Henry, it's not funny," Alec snapped.
"Am I laughing?" Henry asked in turn, no humor in his tone.
No, he wasn't. But that's what scared Alec the most.
Alec swallowed thickly, his face filling with fear that Henry couldn't see. "This is all a joke to you, isn't it? The flirting and that eye thing you do and the games..." He breathed out, suddenly feeling his chest tighten with fear, "...Well, it's not a game to me. You need to stop," He ordered, almost begged.
Henry didn't say anything for a long while. He only dropped his bo staff to the ground then reached up and yanked his blindfold off, finally opening his eyes to look at Alec with eyes filled with danger. Like he was daring the other. "It's not a game to me either," He snapped back which made the other wince, "I told you to stay away, yet you followed me here anyway. So, why are you blaming me?"
Alec's lips parted to speak, but the other began stepping toward him which instantly made him take steps back. His eyes darting around them.
It was then that Henry suddenly understood, like he had just realized the problem. And his face instantly filled with some type of hurt.
He looked away as he released a humorless chuckle. "Wow..." Henry shook his head, "...Are you seriously that scared?" He questioned.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Alec fired back. His jaw clenching.
Henry's eyes hardened. "Don't pretend with me. I hate liars," He instantly said.
Alec's expression never lightened. He couldn't do it, grasp at that part of him that wanted Henry. It was so strong but so was the overwhelming fear.
What did that make him? What would the others think—Jace, his parents, Izzy?
"Stop," Alec barely whispered, his eyes begging for the other to just end the talk.
"What are you so afraid of?" Henry asked in turn, still walking forward. His face filled with understanding and all of that. "Alec, take it from someone who knows, this life would be a hell of a lot easier if you stop worrying about what others think about you," He stated.
"That's not it," He fired back in an angry voice, "Henry, whatever you're implying, just drop it, okay? You're wrong!"
But Henry just kept stepping forward. "But I'm not, Alec, and you know that. I know you feel what I feel, and—" He was now in front of him.
"You have no idea what I feel," Alec fought back.
"—if you would just let me explain it then maybe I could help—" Henry reached for the bo staff in the other's hand.
Alec's gripped tightened around the wood. "No, I'm not like you!" He yanked the bo staff away from the other, so hard and by some insane accident the bo staff knocked right into the side of Henry's jaw.
Henry actually stumbled back from impact, and drops of blood spat out onto the ground.
Silence reigned over them.
Alec's eyes were wide as saucers, completely frozen.
Henry was holding his jaw, head still turned to the side. His head slowly turned to reveal his busted lip and the blood covering his teeth. His eyes wide and just as shocked as Alec's.
"Oh my god," Alec dropped the staff and stepped forward with worry, "Henry, I didn't mean to—" And then, something happened that absolutely broke Alec into pieces.
Henry flinched.
Not a small one, a full on defense mechanism and his arms even raised up to protect himself. His entire face paled and filled with some type of terror.
As if he expected to be hit again.
That right there ripped Alec to shreds.
Alec froze. His hands going up in surrender, quickly shaking his head. "Henry," His voice croaked, "I'm so sorry. It was accident. I didn't mean—" Tears welled up in Henry's eyes, and he began stuttering. "—No, don't cry. I'm sorry, Henry, wait!" He called when Henry ran out of the sparring room.
Alec's own eyes teared up. He was frozen to the floor. His head still shaking. "I'm sorry—I'm so sorry," He chanted repeatedly, trembling violently, "I'm so sorry."
But Henry was already gone.
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thoughts?