I watch around me as everyone is slowly taking his place on the court and I go along with Isabelle to the front where we are supposed to be sitting.
A lady emerges and takes her place in the middle of the room, to the judge's chair.
My eyes land on Magnus, who turned out to be our lawyer, as he makes his way towards her , where one of the silent brothers is waiting for him along with a sword.
I swallow hard, trying to not let myself be intimidated by him and let fear creep in.
"Will I survive if I touch it?" Magnus questions with a humorous tone as he moves to touch the sword.
"If you tell the truth." The woman says with a stern look.
Magnus hands touch the sword who now shines with a bright red color.
"By the power of this sword, swear to defend your clients with integrity, honesty." The silent brother orders him and he shrugs casually.
"No argument from me on that." He takes a small look behind him before turning again to the front.
The judge sighs and waves her hand at him. "Make your case warlock. " she urges and Magnus just nods.
"My case is simple. It is true that Isabelle Lightwood and Sky Belcher acted against the orders of the clave by trying to free the seelie Meliorn." He starts, making me shift uncomfortably in my place by using my mother's name. "But they did not act against the interest of the clave. Preventing the forced questioning and the possible death of the seelie may have gave you points." He points out to the judge but she just rolls her eyes at him and sighs.
"We are not here to speculate what might have happened if they hadn't interfered." She says, looking at the warlock with squinted eyes.
"You mean what might have happened if they hadn't stopped the silent brothers from torturing a seelie." He corrects with a smug expression.
The judge however doesn't look pleased with his answer since she gives him a bored look. "I await a valid argument. Do you have one?" She Asks him and I swallow hard, trying to regulate my breaths.
Isabelle's hand finds mine and I give it a squeeze, letting her know that I appreciate the gesture.
"What you really want is the mortal cup and the power to control the institute. My clients don't have it. And Sky belcher certainly isn't looking to overthrow anyone. Since the whole proceeding isn't what it's really about, I move to have the case dismissed." He concludes.
There is a brief silence at the court, and I'm silently praying that the judge will back down but she just scoffs. "You are out of order." She accuses the warlock who doesn't seem that affected by her.
"This whole thing is out of order. It's not their fault, it's about the cup. Put the cup on trail." He snaps and moves back to his sit with no further words.
The anxiety building inside me is multiplied when I notice Lydia standing up. Anxiety and so many other emotions. Anger, frustration, sadness, confusion. I don't know what to think of the girl. I should hate her but I don't.
We are called to go to the stand and as we stand up I take a look of all the faces around us. Alec looks worried and his gaze is constantly moving from his sister to me and then back at her. Adam gives me an encouraging smile but I can still notice the rinkles that have formed on his forehead from the stress.
"You have led us to believe that you alone carried out this operation." She says and we confirm her words by nodding. "Clary Fairchild was near the city of bones that day." She says and anger flares up inside me as she accuses the girl.
"Maybe she was out for a walk." I shrug at her and she smiles back bitterly.
"What about Adam Belcher?" She questions and for a moment I can feel my heartbeat coming to a halt. As I'm definitely not in a position to answer Isabelle just gives her a wondering look.
"What about him? We are being trialed. Maybe concentrate on us." She shrugs and I relax a bit.
I spot Adam fidgeting in his sit, trying to not look suspicious. Alec is looking at him too with a warning look.
"You expect us to believe that you distracted the guards and escaped with the prisoner? Just the two of you?" She challenges and Isabelle gives her a smirk.
"Pretty slick right?" She Asks and I smirk too but it's quickly wiped off by the judges reaction.
" I suggest you think about how slick it would be if Valentine uses the mortal cup to raise an army of or rogue shadowhunters." She says and Isabelle scoffs at her and looks at her with a murderous look.
"We don't want valentine to succeed." She snaps and I nod beside her, tensed.
"Well that's the first sane thing I've heard from you."
"You know what's insane? Thinking we have the right to treat downworledrs lives as worthless." I snap back at the her and Lydia stands up again, giving me a small smile.
"Sky, I warn you that everything you say here will be considered in the verdict." She warns and I shut up but Isabelle isn't having any of it.
"Good. Consider this. Valentine didn't come out of nowhere. We use our angel blood to justify everything we do just like him. Like him we forget that we are not only angels. We are part mundane we can be afraid and fear makes us cruel and we turn our fear to downworlders just as Valentine did. And just as he did we will end up turning on each other." She concludes, leaving everyone in the court dumbfounded and I have the urge to stand up and start clapping for her.
"You think we are doing that to you?" The judge asks us and Isabelle looks down.
"You have to answer that for yourself." I tell her and before sitting down I smirk and add "Madam inquisitor."
The woman tenses a bit but she doesn't seem ready to back down. However we are called to return to our seats. Magnus stands up again and moves to the center.
"I'd like to call Lydiard Branwell to the stand" he announces making the woman look at him with worry.
The judge shifts to her seat and coughs awkwardly. "I don't see the relevance." She simply says but Magnus nods.
"Well that makes two of us. I don't see the revelance of this whole trial. Miss Branwell you'll take the stand?" He gestures towards it, calling the blonde.
She doesn't hesitate long before standing up and taking her place. The silence in the court is painful, I think everyone has stopped breathing. I ignore my furiously beating heart and wipe my sweaty palms on my green dress.
"I just have one question. Why are you procecuting this case?" Magnus looks at her with a smile on his face as she struggles to answer.
"Answer the question counselor." The judge says with a pointed voice and for the first time this evening she seems a bit worried herself.
"Because the law is hard but it is the law." Lydia simply says causing me and Magnus to roll our eyes. Of course that would be her answer. It's all about the law.
"But that doesn't make it right." She suddenly says, taking us all by surprise.
Magnus turns back to us and we widen our eyes at him with confused expressions.
What the hell? Is she defending us?
"We are trailing them for being compationate. Thinking for themselves. They saved a life that was being sacrificed for nothing." She continues with passion lacing her voice.
I hold back a small laugh of surprise as I turn to look at Isabelle who is looking back at me with stunned eyes.
"That will be enough branwell." The woman shakes her head but Lydia presses her lips tightly and clicks her tongue.
"No it isn't. Looking out at the faces here, a brother and sister who disagree on everything except on how much they love each other and how loyal they are to each other." She starts and a small smile finds it's way to my face as I look at the siblings who are also smiling to each other. "A girl, who has been part of this world for such little time but didn't even hesitate risking her life for saving an innocent soul, for protecting the people she loves" she says and looks at Adam and then back at me, leaving me with the impression that she knows he helped too.
I can feel Alec's gaze on me and when I turn he offers me a small smile.
"A girl that you are trying to get rid off just because of her name, without even knowing how humble and loyal she is." She continues and I feel a warm feeling building inside me, and feel gratitude towards her.
"The man who took this case. Pretending to want payment in rare objects but who really believes that injustice towards his friends is intolerable." She says looking at Magnus who offers a small, discreet smile.
"Loyalty, decency, compassion,love these are the concepts we should consider to decide guilt or innocence in a case like this." She concludes , looking back at the judge.
Right now I can't even express how Im Feeling towards the blonde. I can't believe that she defended us that way, defying the law.
"Those are not the concepts of the law. Enough of this nonsense." The judge snaps with an angry expression, popping our happy bubble.
"I agree. The case is nonsense. I withdraw the charges." Lydia finally concludes and the court erupts in an applause.
I turn to Isabelle who smiles big at me and opens her hands to take me into a hug. I squeeze her tightly, so relieved with the outcome of the situation. Magnus comes towards us an I smile up at him with gratitude and move to envelop him in a hug as Isabelle hugs Alec. When we pull apart I feel a hand on my back and turn around, only to find a grinning Adam. I've missed him so much that I fall in his arms, suffocating him.
"Sky, oh my god, you are so brave, I'm so proud." He whispers in my ear and I tighten my hands behind his neck.
"Silence. Silence!" The judge orders, making us all pause and turn to look at her.
"They are guilty." She announces looking between me and Isabelle. Adam doesn't leave my hand as she continues. "The defence was correct. The clave wants the mortal cup if it is returned within 24 hours this ruling will be vacated." She says and then her eyes become harsh as she stands up. "If not Isabelle lightwood will be stripped of her runes and exile from the society of the shadow hunters forever. As for Sky Belcher, she will be led to the city of bones along with the silent brothers."
She doesn't need to continue for us to realize what the silent brothers will do with me.
Adam's grasp on my hand tightens as I feel my legs tremble. She leaves the room, along wit everyone else and we are left alone along with Isabelle, Magnus and Alec.
Isabelle turns to me with tears in her eyes but smiling. "Don't worry, Jace and Clary will bring back the cup. I trust them." She says but she doesn't sound completely convinced.
"Yeah, right." I answer quietly and move to steady myself on the chair.
"Sky, I won't let them do that. Never! You hear me?" Adam comes behind me, trying to get me to relax and I nod at him.
"It's fine. It will be fine." I say but he just shakes his head, his jaw tight and twitching.
I can feel Alec's eyes on me and when I look back at him I freeze. His eyes are filled with anger, sadness, guilt. He seems like he wants to say something but can't find the right words.
I turn away only when a hand comes in touch with my back.
"I'm sorry we lost the case." Magnus apologies but I wave him off.
"No thank you for helping, it means the world." I say and Alec nods beside me.
He coughs before talking.
"Yeah," He starts, his voice thick with emotion. "Just tell me what you want as a payment." He says to the warlock but Magnus just shakes his head, his eyes on me.
"If Clary And Jace are back with the cup and Sky is safe it's enough for me. I don't want anything else." He says, making me overwhelmed with emotions. I nod and move to give him another hug.
Suddenly a shadowhunter walks in, informing Alec that he is needed in the training room.
He turns to look at me one more time, before shaking his head and leaving.
"You know, don't see him like this. He is actually terrified of losing you."Isabelle says, looking carefully at me.
Embarrassment washes over me, since Magnus, who likes Alec, is here and I hide my cheeks who have become red behind my hair.
However when i look back up the warlock is smiling and nodding along with Isabelle. I give him a curious look and he shrugs.
"What? I'm not blind, I can see how he feels you know. And I don't mind. Yeah, sure I was attracted to him but I will survive don't worry. You on the other hand should do something to win him back." He says referring to the news of his wedding with Lydia.
Not knowing how to answer I smile up at him with a sad smile.
"I'm not so sure that's possible" I simply say but I'm interrupted by the door opening and a panting Alec entering the room.
"Jace and clary are back. They gave the cup to lydia. You are free to go." He announces quickly , stumbling upon his words but the point is clear.
Isabelle turns to me with wide eyes and a smile slowly makes its way to her face before she throws her arms at me with a shriek. I laugh too, with disbelief and hug her back relieved.
"Are you serious? Oh my god! Sky!" Adam exclaims, relief and happiness visible in his face.
He strides over to me and envelops me in a tight hug too, lifting me off the ground and turning me around as he laughs. I let out a squeal, slapping his shoulders, indicating him to let me down.
Magnus is clearly relieved too and nods at me with a big smile, caressing my hand with tenderness.
"Oh, guys." Alec's voice can be heard behind us and we turn to look at him. "He's back with the cup and...your mother. She is here, alive." He says looking mostly at me.
My breaths stop for only a second before Adam grabs me and turns me to look at him.
"Sky! Mom is here!" He says with excitement, his face practically glowing. I laugh at him, joy spreading throughout my body as I nod my head eagerly.
My mom is here! Safe!
In the first time in forever the feeling of not being able to breathe comes from the unbearable happiness I'm feeling right now. I don't know when I started crying but tears are making their way down my cheeks and when I look at Adam he is crying too.
Isabelle and Magnus leave the room, probably heading straight to the training room to find the others and Adam trails fast behind them. When I try to follow I feel a hand wrapping around my wrist. For a moment I freeze but looking up I find a torn Alec.
"Hey, I don't want to keep you from seeing your mother, I know how much you wanted her to be safe...." He starts and then stops for a moment to collect his thoughts and take a breath before continuing. "But, I just needed to say that... I know it may not seem like it, but the though of losing you, really...I couldn't..." He stops not knowing what to say.
My heart is beating like it's about to explode any second now and I don't know how I manage to nod back at him.
"I know." I say quietly and look into his eyes.
They shine with so many emotions hidden behind them , emotions that make my legs tremble and pain ripple through my whole body. His hands move to my waist and he pulls me to his body. Without even thinking it and ignoring the pain tugging at my heart I wrap my hands around his neck and rest my head on his shoulder,breathing his sent in. His hands tighten behind me and he squeezes me harder, making the distance between our bodies nonexistent. I am sure by now that he can feel my heart pounding against him, with so much force but I don't care.
We stay like that for a few moments before I tell myself that what I'm doing right now only increases the pain, before I can no longer stand the feeling that's taking over my stomach and I pull slowly apart.
He sighs and I can feel his breath on my lips, causing me to swallow hard and lick them. His eyes land on them for a few moments and he seems like he is leaning in but quickly stops himself. I detach myself from him and cough awkwardly, trying to hide my pain. He notices the look on my eyes and winces but nevertheless takes a few steps back.
"I should... I should probably..." I sound breathless and point towards the door, not being able to finish my sentence.
He just nods quickly and mumbles a small "yes." Before leading me out the door, towards my mom.