I found Alec, he was sitting on the ground, his back resting on the stone wall of the warlock's home. "Hey." I managed to let out.
Alec glanced up, surprised to see me there. "I'm not in the mood to argue, Mia." He said before looking down again.
I was slightly offended by the fact he thought all I wanted to do was fight. "I wasn't going to."
"Really?" Alec's eyes met mine again. "So you're not here to blame me for your best friend losing her memories forever?"
I sighed, walking over to him. "It's not your fault." He watched me as I sat next to him, my back leaning against the cold wall. "I mean, technically it is..." I considered. Probably not helping... "But I know you didn't mean to do it."
"Yeah." He breathed out. "But you have every right to be mad."
"Well I'm not." I told him. And it was the truth. "You were just shocked, that's all. Jace finding out how you feel-"
"Don't." He cut me off short. "You don't know anything about that."
"You can't deny it, Alec. It's out in the open now." I reminded him. "You're in love with Jace, it's okay, there's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I'm not." He snapped, his eyes meeting mine. "I'm not..." He searched for the word.
I decided to help him out. "Into guys?" I raised my eyebrows at him.
He sighed, looking away. "I like girls too." Somehow that was good to hear, I wasn't sure why, it just was. He shook his head. "This will ruin everything between us." I knew he was talking about Jace, their relationship as friends was at stake, but knowing Jace, he probably didn't even make the connection.
I placed a hand on his arm, urging him to look my way. "Alec, it's normal for you to love him. He's your best friend."
"He's my parabatai." He corrected.
"Exactly." I didn't question the whole parabatai thing, I never understood it much, although Luke explained it to me once before. "He won't think twice about it."
"You figured it out." He pointed out, turning to meet my gaze once more.
"I guess I'm just exceptionally smart." Not really, but it sounded better than letting Izzy take the blame.
He let out a laugh. "Izzy told you, didn't she?" He realized.
Well... crap.
"...Maybe." I avoided eye contact, my shoes were suddenly very interesting.
He sighed. "I'm going to kill her."
"No you won't. Because you love her, just like you love Jace. There is nothing strange about any of this. So stop torturing yourself because of it." My hand left his shoulder as I stood up. "Now, do you want to stay here and moan over this or come back to the Institute with us and forget about it?"
A smile tugged on Alec's lips as he stood up to face me. "Thanks."
I frowned. "For what?"
"Understanding." He replied.
"Anytime." I smiled back at him, our eyes still locked on one another. There was a silence between us, not an awkward one though, a comfortable one.
"Guys?" It was Izzy who broke the silence. "We have to go." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, suddenly realizing how close we were standing.
"Right." Alec spoke, his voice seemingly distant, stepping away from me and walking towards his sister.
I followed, meeting Izzy's suspicious face as I passed by her.
•••
"What's up with you two?" She questioned me when we were back at the Institute. It was just the two of us now, in the entrance corridor.
"With who?" I shot her a confused look, although I had a feeling I knew where this was going.
"You and Alec." She spelled it out for me.
"What? Nothing." I brushed it off.
"Really?" She gave me a don't-shit-with-me look. "You two seemed pretty close when I came in."
"He's in love with Jace, remember?" I blurted out. It was the first thing that came to mind.
"Perhaps. But that doesn't mean he can't have feelings for anyone else." She shrugged. "And I saw the way you looked at him back at Magnus's apartment..."
"You know I really like this wall." I pointed at the wall in front of me, trying to stir the conversation in a different direction. "It's very... pretty."
Nice one, Mia.
"It's white." Izzy retorted.
"White's a great color." I observed. "Did you know it's all the colors merged together. Isn't that funny?"
"What I find funny is that you can't handle this conversation." Izzy replied, smirking.
"...About the wall?"
I thought I was handling it pretty well.
"About Alec!" She exclaimed.
Oh.
"...I have no idea what you're talking about." I crossed my arms. "We're just friends."
She scoffed. "You two are the furthest thing from friends I have ever seen. And I think you know that."
I was about to reply something. Not sure what yet. When thankfully Clary stormed in. "Alec's a dick." She uttered, frustrated.
Of all the people she could have brought up in the conversation... Why.
"There's a shocker." I mumbled.
"What did he do this time?" Izzy asked Clary, ignoring my remark.
"He took the only way I had to see my mother." She explained further seeing the blank looks on our faces. "The necklace. The one my mom gave me."
Apparently Izzy knew what she was talking about but I still stared at her cluelessly. "Not following."
"She gave me this necklace that when I touched it and thought of someone I could see them." Clary disclosed. "It's how I found Dot." Before Valentine took her... A sad look washed over her thinking of the witch who had been taken. And was most likely dead. "And I managed to see my mother. She was with Valentine. But Alec just took it and put it somewhere I can't get to."
"So, Alec blew right by you and did what he wanted." Izzy gathered. "I'd be angry, too."
"Yeah no kidding. The asshole." I crossed my arms, irritated. What right did he have to take Clary's stuff?
"Well I guess the necklace was dangerous." Izzy pointed out.
"I'll take that risk on my own." Clary responded.
"But you're not on your own." She replied. "You're with us now."
"That doesn't mean she can't keep her own necklace." I defended Clary. "Besides-" I was cut off short by the Institute door swinging open to reveal a woman in her late thirties, coming out of a portal I presume.
Clearly a Shadowhunter, she had features that reminded of Izzy and Alec.
"Isabelle." She said as she walked in. "Dressed to impress, I see. And you've been playing with the family heirlooms." She referred to the ruby jewel Magnus had given Izzy.
"Hi, I'm Clary Fray." Clary presented herself as the woman reached us.
"Clary Fairchild." She corrected. Um, rude. "You look just like your mother. We know all about you in Idris." Her gaze then landed on me. "And who is this?" She raised an eyebrow. "Not a Shadowhunter."
Well no duh. "My name is Mia." I told her, holding my head high.
"She's a werewolf, mom." Izzy explained to the woman. Oh, mom. That makes sense.
Isabelle's mother eyed me. "And why is she in the Institute?"
"She's my friend." Clary spoke up, before I could, knowing fully well my reply wouldn't be half as polite. "She's helping me."
"Right, with all your unauthorized missions." The woman scowled.
Okay, that's it. Bitch was about to get smacked.
"How's Max? We all miss him." Izzy tried changing the subject. Nice save, Izzy. "Little brother." She turned to me and Clary. "Cute but clingy. Kinda Simon-ish."
"Robert's picking him up at the Mumbai Institute." The woman replied. "Where's Jace? We have a situation that has to be handled now." With that, she passed right by us and into the training room.
"She seems nice." I commented sarcastically. I guess that's where Alec gets his attitude from.
"Is your mom always like that? She didn't even hug you." Clary wondered.
"Shadowhunters aren't big huggers." Izzy brushed it off as we entered the training room as well. To find her mother hugging Jace.
"Not big huggers huh?" I glanced at Izzy, who simply looked down, clearly upset.
"Maryse." Jace smiled. "Hey. It's great to see you." He said as he retreated from the embrace. "How's everyone in Idris?"
"I love how Shadowhunters share. A hidden brother, and a secret country, and a private Portal." Clary listed all the things she didn't know about as we moved to stand beside Jace.
"Mother." Alec arrived, kissing her on the cheek. I tried my best not to leer on him, seeing as Izzy was watching me like a hawk, waiting for me to slip up so she could harass me further. "Welcome back. We didn't expect you."
"You should be prepared, whether you expect me or not." Well isn't she just wonderful... I rolled my eyes at her reply.
"I am." Alec stated, then glanced at Jace and Izzy. "We are."
Maryse flashed him what seemed like a fake smile. "We'll talk about the Institute later. Right now, we have a bigger problem." She started, walking around us like she was deciding who to eat first. "The Seelies have stopped communicating with the Clave and won't explain why. My guess is they're still upset we asked them to send scouts to look for Valentine, but no one in their realm will talk."
"I have Seelie friends." Izzy piped up.
"Yes, I know about your friends." Maryse emphasized the last word, edging towards her daughter. Who just so happened to be standing beside me. "Isabelle, we stay separate from the Downworld for good reasons." Her eyes flickered in my direction. "Do you think it's wise to have a werewolf living in our home?"
I clenched my jaw, restraining myself from clawing at her face. "She's under our protection." Alec spoke up, which made Maryse turn her attention away from me and to her son instead. "The Circle is looking for her."
"We don't protect Downworlders." Maryse snapped. "This girl can protect herself. Can't you?" She turned to me again.
I glared at her. Trying to pick between the dozens of ways to kill her. I had a wide imagination. "Sure." I replied through clenched teeth.
"Then it's settled." She flashed me an evil smile. "You can leave the Institute. I'm sure your pack can take care of you."
Bitch. I scowled at her back when she moved away. "But-" Clary tried to argue with her, but it was futile.
"You'll soon learn, Fairchild girl, that when someone upsets the natural order, everything falls apart." Maryse interrupted Clary. I couldn't stand to listen to this. Natural order? What the hell?
I glanced one last time at the three Shadowhunters; Izzy and Jace were looking at me with sorry looks on their faces, whilst Alec avoided my gaze. I couldn't even bear to look at Clary. I didn't want to leave her here alone. But I had no choice.
I had outstayed my welcome.
I turned on my heels and rushed out of the training room and through the front doors, dropping to the ground. That bitch. I wanted to scream, frustrated and tired.
I didn't even know where to go.
The apartment? What if another demon in the shape of Luke was waiting for me?
NYPD? That's where most demons would be. Or Circle members disguised as police officers.
I pulled myself up from the ground.
There was only one place I could think of where I wouldn't be found. A place most people didn't even know the existence of.
Plus, I was hungry.
_____________
Hello there.
Back with a new chapter, hope you like it! Introduced Maryse to Mia.. they seem to get along well *wink wink*
Anyways... thanks for the comments and votes! I really appreciate it.
I'm craving ice cream so badly rn :( also, I finished shadowhunters and I need another tv show to watch. any suggestions? preferably something really easy to watch with like max 2 seasons since exams are coming up & I plan on finishing it by next week... or two days...