Eᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ 8 ~ Lᴏᴠᴇ ɪs ᴀ Dᴇᴠɪʟ
★ ★ ★
Izzy stands surrounded by Eloise and a group of vamps in the dark alley. She looks around, her body shaking and sweating.
"What do you need, Shadowhunter?" Eloise asks.
"Look, I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just need a little... venom." Izzy says timidly.
"Someone's been a naughty girl." Eloise and some vampires laugh. "All out of yin fen? That's okay. You can have a little venom... I'm just gonna need a lot of blood." The vampires start hissing and come closer. They grab Izzy who tries to pull away, realising how much danger she's in.
"You're quick, but not quick enough." Eloise smirks.
"Forget the venom." Izzy states harshly.
"Too late, pretty thing." She smirks evilly and goes to bite Izzy. Just before her teeth pierce the Shadowhunters' neck, the vampire is pulled back by Raphael.
"Release the Shadowhunter. On my orders." He commands making all the vampires run off. Izzy falls down into Raphaels' arms. Her hand begins to shake once again.
"I thought you hated me." Izzy asks.
"Call it an intense dislike." Raphael smiles slightly.
"So why are you helping me?" Izzy asks confused.
"I don't know." Raphael responds just as confused as she is. He pick Izzy up and places her on a car hood beside them.
"The pain... it's everywhere." Izzy winces.
"What did you think yin fen would do to you?" Raphael asks rhetorically.
"I need something... something to stop it." Izzy states, stuttering.
"What you need to do is sweat it out. Okay, over time, you'll be better off. You need to be strong." Raphael tries but Izzy shakes her head.
"I can't." She complains.
"You have to." Raphael tries again but Izzy shakes her head. She grabs Raphaels' jacket.
"I swear, I'll never ask again." She says. Raphael hesitates.
"Just this once." He says quietly and looks up at the sky. "Forgive me."Raphael bites in Izzy's wrist making the Lightwood sigh in relief and comfort.
After getting out of her bedroom, Alisha and Alec decide to train. The hybrid felt too uncomfortable to continue which Alec respected completely. They decided to do something else. Neither of them know what happened to Izzy, both of them didn't even think of it.
Luke storms into the Jade Wolf, Clary and Jace following close behind him. Angel Itherial showed both Jace and Clary a vision of the how to destroy the soul sword after they saved his life.
"How could you not tell me that?" Luke reprimands.
"The Downworld would be in total chaos if they knew what the Sword could do." Clary states.
"There would be uprisings everywhere." Jace adds. Luke quickly turns around and faces the two shadowhunters.
"So you're saving the Downworlders from themselves? We never asked." Luke shouts.
"We didn't even know that Valentine could activate the Sword until we realized he had an Angel. Luke, I didn't want you to worry." Clary tries.
"Well, it's too late for that." He says. "Do Jason, Alisha and Isaac know?"
"Alisha does, I don't think her brothers do." Clary says making Luke scoff.
"Look, you don't understand, all right–" Jace begins.
"No. I do understand. He has my sister." Luke says. Jace and Clary share a look. "What else aren't you two telling me?"
"The Angel, he... he showed us something." Clary says slowly.
"Just now, on the rooftop, he showed us both a vision of a demon that could destroy the Sword." Jace says.
"How do you know that's what he was telling you?" Luke asks, more calm that before.
"There's no other explanation. When the demon touched the Sword, he and the Sword both disintegrated." Clary states.
"Luke, it was a demon I'd never seen before." Jace says.
"Then go find it. I'll head out and see if that bastard left any clues for us to track him down." Luke says and begins to walk out. Clary goes to say something but Luke has already stormed out.
In the institutes Ops centre, Alec is replaying a video of the night before. Alisha and Izzy stand beside him, also watching the video. He pauses it and points to a flicker of light in the sky.
"There. They said that was the Angel." Alec states. Alisha looks closer at it whilst Izzy frowns.
"It could have been a shooting star." She says, still not convinced that it was an angel.
"Are you saying you don't believe Jace and Clary? I thought you'd be impressed." Alec says gaining Alishas attention.
"I'm not saying I don't believe them. It's just that no one's seen an Angel in hundreds of years." Izzy closes the holographic screen.
"It was an angel. I heard it's screams too." Alisha states making Izzy believe slightly more that before. Suddenly, the youngest Lightwood, Max, comes running in.
"Hey, you guys." He smiles at his siblings and waved at Alisha who waved back.
"Hey, buddy. How are you doing?" Alec asks as he steps towards his brother.
"Max! I missed you so much!" Izzy says and she kneels down to give Max a hug. "You look so handsome. What are you doing here?" Maryse walks in just after Izzy finishes speaking.
"Alec. Isabelle. Alisha. It's good to see you three." Maryse says with a Curt nod. Alisha nods back respectfully but still doesn't like Maryse after being told what she said about her to Alec.
"Really?" Izzy scoffs. Alisha grips her hand gently in attempt to calm her down but nothing works.
"Izzy–" Alec also tries but is ignored.
"'Cause last time you were here, you turned your back on all of us. Especially Jace and Alisha." She spits. Alisha puts her head down slightly, wanting to be anywhere but where she is now. Alec wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.
"I was following orders. I had no choice." She states emotionlessly. Maryse takes a deep breath then continues speaking. "Max has some big news. Tell them, sweetheart."
"I passed my last trial. I'm ready for my Rune Ceremony." He states proudly making everyone beam at him.
"Congratulations." Alec smiles.
"That's amazing Max." Alisha congratulated him with a hug which the Lightwood boy gladly returns.
"So you finally perfected your roundhouse kick?" Izzy says as the two pull away from each other. Alisha returns to her place in Alec's arms.
"Yeah, and I knocked out two different instructors." Max states rather proudly making the teens smile at him.
"Sadly, your father won't be able to attend. So, Alec, as the eldest male in the family, you will be in charge of Max's ceremonial party." Maryse says. Alisha, noticing how sad Max looks by this, quickly kneels by the youngest Lightwood and tries to teach him how to play rock paper scissors.
"Ok so rock," Alisha creates a fist to show him how to show rock "beats scissors," she then separates her middle and index finger to show him how to show scissors "and scissors beats paper," she places her hand flat in the air to show him paper "and finally paper beats rock. You get it?"
"Yeah." Max smiles.
"Okay then. Rock Paper Scissors shoot." Max creates rock whilst Alisha creates scissors.
"Yes! I won!" Max smiles.
"Well done. Now ready?" Alisha says and they play again, Alisha winning this time. She continues to do this whilst the three shadowhunters have a discussion.
"What do you mean he won't be here?" Alec asks his mother, every so often looking over to see his brother and his girlfriends happy faces.
"He's tied up with the Valentine task force in Idris." Maryse answers her son.
"I can't believe Dad would miss this." Isabelle says shocked.
"He doesn't have a choice. We're all on high alert, especially after what that demon did to both of you... and Jocelyn." Maryse says carefully, knowing it's a soft subject for the both of them.
"I was surprised not to see you at the Rite of Mourning. Dad called to see how we were." Izzy walks away quickly.
"Isabelle..." Maryse follows her daughter leaving Max, Alisha and Alec.
"Yay! I won again!" Max beams making Alec smile.
"Your really good at this, you sure you haven't played before?" Alisha asks playfully. Max shakes his head, smiling even more.
"What you two doing?" Alec asks as he kneels beside his girlfriend.
"We're playing Rock Paper Scissors." Max answers.
"What is that?" Alec asks confused.
"It's a mundane game. I'm sure Max will teach you, he's amazing at it." Alisha smiles when Max nods his head rapidly. "Okay, I'm going to see Magnus. Bye Max, bye Alec."
"Thankyou." Alec whispers to his girlfriend before she leaves, knowing that she stopped Max from hearing all the fighting. Alisha just smiles and kisses Alec before leaving the institute.