*edited*
ALECS POV
I looked at my phone again hoping to see a message from Lena, but there was nothing. She hasn't called. Texted. She hasn't said anything to anyone. I even tried Magnus, but he doesn't know either.
"Wait so she's just off the grid?" Isabelle asked. I let out a long sigh as I nodded. "Maybe she's just on a long patrol. I know she and Jace are going after the owl with everything they have."
"Yeah, I know that's what worries me, Iz. Lena isn't at her best right now," I put my phone in my back pocket. We moved down the stairs.
"What do you mean?" She asked. "About her memories?" I nodded. "Alec," She grabbed my arm. "Lena will be fine. You've seen her fight. We all have. I can't feel anything wrong with her. Anything alarming at least for now, she's probably tracking a lead and forgot to tell us."
"It's Lena, Iz," I said. She squeezed my arm.
"I know. I want Lena to be safe just as much as you do. She's my parabatai, but I don't see why we should monitor her like a child. She can handle herself for now. If I feel anything is wrong, I will start to track her, okay?" She asked. I let out another long breath, but yelling caught my attention.
"I'm just here to see my children!" Mom. She was at the door speaking to the guard.
"Is that Mom?" Isabelle and I moved forward. The guard wasn't letting her in.
"Show some respect," Underhill snapped.
"This woman has been excommunicated by the Clave. She's not allowed to enter," He reasoned.
"This woman is Alec Lightwood's mother. Allowances can be made," Underhill said.
"It's fine," Mom said.
"Hey!" I got the guard's attention. "While I'm in charge, Maryse Lightwood is allowed in the New York Institute, understood?"
Mom walked in around the guy. I gave Underhill a nod as we moved down the hall with her. She hugged Isabelle and then we moved into a more private area.
"I'm sorry, I should have called ahead," She walked a few feet away from us and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"No, it's no problem," Isabelle said.
"Mom did the—did they de-runing hurt?" I hesitated. Isabelle stared at me from the side.
"Not at all," She turned around with a pleasant face. It was fake. "The adjustment has actually been easier than I expected."
"Have you found a place to live yet?" Isabelle asked.
"Stay here if you'd like," I said. "We can make that happen. I meant what I said. You are always welcome."
"Thank you, but I've actually found a place," She moved forward letting out a joyful sigh. Fake. "All I want right now is to spend some time with my wonderful children." I gave her a tight smile. She looked behind us. "Speaking of which where is Jace? Lena?"
"I'll explain Jace's situation later. Let's get you settled in," Isabelle explained. Mom looked at me.
"Lena on a mission?" I nodded. "She's always a driven hunter."
She came forward giving me a tight hug. She'd called Lena one of her children. If she had been here to hear that it would have made her smile. I pulled my phone out sending Lena a text message just to check in. I just needed to know that she was okay. Almost immediately she responded.
'Sorry long hunting trip. I think I'm onto something, but I'll let you know more later.' I clenched my jaw and slid the phone into my pocket. It felt wrong. Something felt off, but if she was fine then I was fine.
I told Isabelle to take Mom for a while so that I could go for a walk. The walk was actually me looking over the city for Lena and maybe Jace since he disappeared. He was supposed to be getting treatment, but our bond was quiet. Too quiet.
The whole way around the city I couldn't find anything from Lena. I'd gotten myself a coffee to distract me while I waited for Lena to message me back. When I left I saw Jace standing on the sidewalk staring at the people on the sidewalk.
"Hey," I touched his shoulder. He turned surprised to see me. "What are you doing here? I thought you were at the silent city?"
"Yeah—I—I was. I completed my treatment," He smiled. He was flustered.
"Already?"
"It's crazy, right?" Jace smiled. "The silent brothers work fast." He was acting like he couldn't even believe what came out of his mouth. "But I'm good. I'm great." He did look better and he sounded better. He pointed behind him. "I was just on my way to the institute to share the good news."
"Yeah," I said.
"What are you doing here?" He looked at the cup of coffee in my hands.
"I'm uh—going for a walk." I clenched my jaw as my eyes scanned every face on the sidewalks. She had to be around here somewhere.
"Taking a walk?" Jace echoed. I grimaced. "Since when do you take walks."
"Just trying to clear my head while I worry about Lena," I said. Jace nodded.
"Right, but she's alright, I mean you've seen her fight," He patted my shoulder. I nodded.
"Right, forget about me." I hugged him. "I'm glad you're feeling better. You know, Mom's back." I smiled. He nodded. "She'll be happy to see you."
"Oh great," Jace smiled.
I nodded and walked with him back to the institute. Lena still hadn't responded to my messages. I'd left her two now.
***
ALEC POV
"Jace is the owl. How is that even possible?" Isabelle asked.
I stared at the tablet in front of me. He was off. I knew he was off. Lena even commented on it before she went missing. She's been no contact for a few days now, but I don't even know where to start.
"This whole time it wasn't his mental health," I rubbed my forehead. "He was possessed."
"By an extremely powerful greater demon, who gave him the ability to turn mundanes into demonic creatures," Magnus added.
I leaned back and crossed my arms. Clary's eyes were watering. Jace had dropped her off at a building.
"We've defeated greater demons before. We will do it again and free Jace," I muttered. "Find Lena."
"This is not just any greater demon," Magnus shook his head as he pushed a book forward. "Clary drew an image of the beast. It matches this image from the Silent City archives. The demon is Lilith. Queen of Edom. Adam's first wife."
"Adam, as in the garden of Eden, Adam?" Isabelle asked. I stared at the image on the table.
"The one and only," Magnus nodded.
"So what does that mean?" Simon asked. I clenched my jaw feeling the pit in my stomach twist.
"She's the mother of all demons," Magnus said.
"She's more powerful than anything we've ever encountered," I shook my head. My best fighters were either missing or possessed. "But of all people, why Jace? And where is Lena? We can assume she's dragged into this as well."
"She always is," Magnus breathed. Clary blinked as more tears formed in her eyes. Everyone stayed silent.
"Alec," Clary muttered. "Isabelle. What you felt that night—when your parabatai runes disappeared." She blinked tears leaving her eyes. "You were right. Jace did die," She nodded. I stared at her. "Lena did die. Valentine killed them both."
"I knew it." I said.
My hands were clenched at my sides as I tried not to yell at her. I knew something was wrong and she wouldn't tell me. Lena wouldn't know, but Clary knew. Clary had known this whole time. Isabelle put a hand to her stomach as she leaned farther onto the table.
"But," Simon said. "If they died. How did they come back?" Magnus tilted his head.
"Because I made a wish to Raziel," Clary admitted.
"You made the wish?" Isabelle repeated back to her.
"I had to," Clary cried. "I had to. It was the only way to bring him back." I shook my hand in the air.
"You said a wish?" I repeated. She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. She made one wish.
"I could only choose one," She cried. Her eyes didn't meet anyone else. "But it made him vulnerable. To this beast that is powerful enough to kill Ithuriel." She shook her head.
"What?"
"Because of me," She cried. "Because I summoned him. Because I wanted to help Jace." I clenched my jaw.
"You chose Jace over your own sister?" Isabelle muttered. I glanced at her seeing her eyes were squeezed shut.
"I could only choose one," Clary cried.
"And you didn't choose your sister," Magnus said. Her tears only made my anger worse. She was crying over the decisions she made. Things she decided to keep from all of us. "Does she know?"
"How did Lena come back then?" Simon asked. Clary shook her head.
"I don't know," She cried. "One minute I was holding Jace's dead body and then next Valentine had thrown her into the water." She shook her head. Her hands gripped the table. "When I made the wish I was only thinking of Jace. He was the one I could see. I thought that maybe Lena was alive and she was—."
"She wasn't!" I said. "She died." Clary shook her head.
"Who resurrected Lena?" Simon asked again. Clary shook her head again. She could barely hold herself together. The guilt had eaten her from the inside out.
"I don't know, but thank the saints someone did," She wiped her cheeks. "I could only choose one. You should be happy I chose Jace. He would be dead otherwise."
"I'm not going into this with you," I sighed. She still doesn't choose her family. "She was there because of you. Because you both summoned her there. None of this would have happened if it weren't for you." Her shoulders shook as she sobbed.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn't have kept this from you," Clary said.
"Do you have any idea what your sister has been going through?" Magnus asked. Clary didn't look at him.
"I'm sorry Alec, but I'm trying now. I've been trying to save him." Clary explained. "I know what position this puts you in with the Clave. So if you want to send me to the Guard, I understand."
I wanted to laugh at her. Send her to the guard. I wanted to kill her for being so stupid, but I had Jace. They were both alive. I just couldn't get over the rage that kept coming up when I looked at her. She sacrificed her own sister again. Time and time again.
"Clary no," Simon muttered.
"Stop," I shook my head.
"He was your parabatai," Clary cried. I held up my hand making her shut up.
"Clary stop."
"Let's just help Jace and find Lena. I'm not going to be the one to leave either of them behind." I glared at her. "When we get Lena back. You are going to be the one to tell her."
Clary nodded her head. Isabelle left the room without another word. Magnus left soon after her. I pulled out my phone moving after them as I called Lena again. "Please Linny. Please." It went to voice mail, he voice laughing as she told me to leave a message that she would never listen to. "Fuck!"
"We will find her," Magnus said. He was pacing back and forth. "Lillith has to have both of them by now."
"Yeah, but why Lena? What does she have to do with any of this? She was vulnerable, but not like Jace was, right?" I rubbed my forehead.
The love of my life and my parabati. I was angry at Clary, but in that situation, I wouldn't have known who to choose either. I've thought about saving Lena first and then making the wish to save Jace. Killing Valentine instead of trying to comfort Jace. I didn't know, but her leaving her sister behind was disgraceful.
Lena has been left behind her whole life and she knew that. She was used to it. She has thrown herself into danger thinking that no one would miss her. I would. Izzy would. Magnus would. She was everything to us. I couldn't even look at Clary for now. Seeing her crying, while Lena was someone unconscious or dead by now. She hasn't answered for days. I knew something was wrong. I knew it.