"AND HE spoke to you?" Indiana questioned shocked, holding the purple pendant trying to figure it out,
"He said my name. He said, 'Your mother for the Cup.' " Clary informed Indiana her tone scared,
"Who said that?" Alec questioned as he and Jace entered the room.
"Valentine." The twins answers together,
"He's with our mother." Clary continues,
"And he can speak to you through that necklace? Here, in the Institute?" Alec tried to clarify.
"It's like when I saw Dot." Clary said, as Indiana handed the pendant over to Jace,
"It's a Portal shard." Jace informed them, "That's why your mother made sure you had it."
"All I know is what I saw My mother's alive.
She's unconscious, but alive." Indiana keeps a straight face as she hides the relief that consumes her, it's still not too late, there's still time to save her.
"Where are they?" Alec started,
"I don't know." Clary stuttered,
"But you said you saw them. Were there any identifying characteristics? Equipment, weapons, photographs?" Alec pushes desperate for anything that could lead them to Valentine.
"I don't remember. It was awful." A frown covers Clary's face,
"Alec, lighten up." Indiana berates the Beta,
"I'm trying to get something we can use out of this. Clary, what did you see, exactly?" Alec's tone lightens up as he addresses the girl.
"Valentine has my mother. That's what I saw." Clary spits back. Indiana watches on in despair, the two boys had asked to court her last night before promptly disappearing and acting completely normal now. Indiana was confused.
"Emotions are nothing but a distraction.
You're ruled by them. We're taught to control them." Alec looks down on Clary with disdain,
"It is my job to protect the Institute.
If Valentine can see in, that's a door I have to shut. Now let me take a look at that thing. Now, it's in the proper hands." Alec strides out of the room, necklace in hand.
"Hey! Alec where are you going?" Clary shouts,
"To put this somewhere safe. Where no one could be tempted to use it." Alec ignores them and continues to walk quickly,
"We should use it. Alec, we should use it to get to Valentine." Indiana states, knowing her mother is alive was a huge relief but an even bigger pressure to save her before it's too late.
"If I were Valentine, I'd make you think that you could rescue Jocelyn. And then I'd lure Indi and Clary to me and leverage your lives for the Cup." Alec says crouching down and running bis stele over a rune on the floor.
"I like Indi's idea. We saved Simon from the vampires that way." Clary states as a long cabinet appears from the floor in front of Alec,
"Yeah vampires. Bored, decadent, self-involved vampires. Valentine is a real threat. He can't be handled by four-and-a-half Shadowhunters." Alec locks the cabinet and looks down on Clary,
"Five." She glares up.
"Whatever. Leave it there." Alec walks of, his Alpha following closely behind.
The twins share a complicated look that held happiness, anger and sadness all in one.
[][][][][]
"Hey, I'm sorry about the necklace but it was dangerous." Jace says to Indiana,
"I understand." She nods in acknowledgment,
"How about some training to make up for it?" Jace grins in hope eliciting a small smile and nod out of Indiana.
Clad in leggings and a sports bra Indiana stood opposite a shirtless Jace. He takes out his seraph blade and smirks as she uncoils her whip.
Rushing her Jace lunges forward with his seraph blade, diving to her left Indiana dodges, kicking her leg out. Jace jumps out it and Indiana quickly stand up, she recoils her whips noticing it's not correct for a close up fight.
Jace lunges again, Indiana throws her shoulder into Jace's, his grip loosens on his blade and Indiana takes the opportunity to kick his hand hard, the seraph blade goes flying. Their down to hand to hand.
Jace was shocked when Indiana took the initiative to run at him first. She swung at his head, he ducked kneeing her in the stomach. Winded but determined Indiana wrapped her arms around Jace's knee and pulled, sending him to ground. She quickly pinned him but as the stronger and more experienced fighter he quickly turned the situation around. He now pinned her down.
Indiana grinned,
"Draw." She said as she raised a small knife Jace was unaware she had to his neck.
Laughing Jace got up pulling her to her feet.
Jace drew Indiana's attention to a woman she did not recognise.
"Maryse. Hey. It's great to see you." Jace hugs the women,
"How's everyone in Idris? Where's, uh where's Max?" Jace questions, pulling out of the hug.
"No Max. Just Mom with her hair on fire." Izzy answers,
"I love how Shadowhunters share. A hidden brother, and a secret country, and a private Portal." Clary sarcastically adds as Maryse turns to Indiana.
"And who are you?" She questioned,
"Indiana Fairchild ma'am." She states holding her hand out respectfully, Maryse takes it with a firm grip as Alec joins the group.
"Mother. Welcome back. We didn't expect you." Alec says as he hugs his mother, but Indiana notices it's pitiful compared to the hug she gave Jace and wonders why.
"You should be prepared, whether you expect me or not." Maryse berates him,
"I am. We are." Alec corrects himself.
"We'll talk about the Institute later. Right now, we have a bigger problem. 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." Maryse states as she circles the group,
"I have Seelie friends." Izzy speaks only to be shot down by her mothers look of disdain,
"Yes, I know about your friends. Isabelle, we stay separate from the Downworld for good reasons. The wrong move, the wrong word. Do you think there is such a thing as harmless rebellion? Who knows what offends these creatures? Maybe you told him them something they shouldn't know.
Maybe you trod on one of their ridiculous customs without knowing it." Maryse lectures causing the girl to look down,
"Wait, wait. I don't understand.
You're laying all this on Izzy for having a friend in the Downworld?" Jace questions Maryse confused.
"When someone upsets the natural order, everything falls apart." Maryse dictates,
"Natural order? What are you saying?" Clary is ignored.
"I can help. I know how to talk to Seelies." Izzy steps forward again,
"She's right. She can visit with Meliorn and see what he knows. I could go with her if you want." Alec suggests, desperate to please his mother,
"I'd rather Jace goes along this time. Alec, you stay with the Fairchild girl. I want her under control. She's caused enough trouble already." Everyone notices she said Fairchild 'girl' not 'girls' and Clary steps forward,
"Maybe that's because I wasn't even a Shadowhunter until a few days ago!" Clary defends herself.
"And what an exciting few days it has been." Maryse mocks,
"The Clave counts on us Lightwoods to maintain order here." She continues,
"You don't need to tell me that. If the mission is important to the Clave, I would prefer to be the one who goes with Isabelle." Alec pushes.
"If it's any help, I also know how to talk to seelies." At Maryse's look she explains, "after finding out about this world I realised I had no knowledge so I've been attending the library to read up on both Shadowhunter and Downworlder customs." Indiana explains.
Maryse nods before turning back to Alec,
"I have given you your assignments, now carry them out. You, you and you, with me, now." She points at Jace, Indiana and Izzy before walking off.
[][][][][]
After a debriefing from Maryse Indiana found Alec.
"Hey, you'll keep an eye on my sister, right?" Indiana asks Alec seriously,
"Little Red, you have every right to be mad at me-" Alec starts,
"For what, you know what it doesn't even matters, but please, just do me one favor Swear to me you won't take your eyes off of Clary. I-I can't believe I even asked you that. You won't let me down." Indiana runs off to find Jace before Alec can even reply.
As she reached Jace, Indiana's phone begins to ring,
"Hello? Who is this?" Indiana asks the unfamiliar number as Jace stealthily activates his hearing rune.
"Indiana. Hi. It's Magnus. We met the other day. You know, with the demon." Magnus says and Indiana smiles slightly,
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, hey, what's up?" She asks, interested as to why the warlock had called.
"I was just thinking it was really nice getting to know you. You seem sympathetic.
Would you like to go out for a drink some time?" Jace's fists clench at Magnus' words and the small grin they bring onto Indiana's face.
"That sounds fun, um when?" Indiana asks and is shocked by his reply,
"How about right now?" Magnus is very forward.
"Um You know, now's not a really good time for me. Another time? Gotta go." Indiana says putting down the phone and turning to Jace to see an unimpressed look on his face.
"What?" Indiana questions, frowning at his anger. Jace stays silent.
"Jace, what's up?" She asks,
"What's up, you just agreed to meet an Alpha, who isn't me, for drinks." He growls out viciously,
"I don't get it?" She replies with confusion.
"Me and Alec asked to court you last night-" Jace started,
"Yeah and then you left before telling me what it really means or saying anything else about!" Indiana exclaims,
"Jace I don't know anything about this world okay, I'm gonna be slow with things like this. I need help to understand." She explains, more softly this time.
Jace closes his eyes and takes a few deep breathes.
"I'm sorry, sometimes I forget all you have are vague instincts and not experience or lessons." He apologises,
"But when Alec and I asked you that it meant that we would like to get to know you, so that you might become our mate." He trails off towards the end.
Indiana smiles sadly,
"But I don't know what being a mate means either." She sighs, "I'm not rejecting the idea okay because I like the sound of it, I just think that, maybe, we should hold off on courting until I've been part of the Shadow World a bit longer. I know a bit more and I fully understand what everything means. That okay?" Indiana panics thinking she had just screwed up everything.
"That is fine, Alec said it was too soon, but after your near death experience my inner Alpha was, angry and possessive to say the least. So we can wait and when your ready, if your ever ready. Then you can accept." He expresses with a smile.
"Thank you for understanding." Indiana whispered pecking his cheek before walking off to find Izzy.
[][][][][]
Izzy entered the Seelies tent first
"Isabelle. I see you brought a friend." He said as Jace followed her in,
"More like a brother. Jace Wayland." She introduced before another Shadowhunter entered the tent.
"Diana." He greeted, "What a lovely surprise." He grinned taking her hand a placing a gentle kiss on it,
"Meliorn I had no idea you were the Seelie we were meeting with." She grinned back at him.
"Sorry, you two know each other?" Jace questions looking repeatedly from the Omega Shadowhunter to Beta Seelie.
"Oh yes, we occasionally see each other one on one but I met her through our time spent with each other at the Hotel Dumort." Meliorn explains,
"But you see Camille there." Izzy states confused,
"As does, or did, Diana." The Seelie tells the group causing the two Shadowhunters to look at Indiana in shock.
Meliorn looks between the three,
"Oh, they did not know. I hope I have not overstepped." Meliorn apologises,
"Not at all." Indiana smiles back, though she worries about her fellow Shadowhunters reactions.
Meliorn then changes the topic,
"Here to deliver a message?" He asks,
"Here to ask questions." Jace states firmly,
"So you do want something. Nice to know that some things never change." He looks at Izzy.
"But the information we want will cost you nothing." Meliorn steps towards Izzy,
"Sometimes knowledge is the most precious thing of all." He glances at Indiana as he said this,
"Ask away. We can discuss the price later. Perhaps, Diana could join us." He smiles coyly as she grins back.
"Is it true that your queen has broken off communications with the Clave?" Indiana asks Meliorn,
"You've heard that's the case?" He confirms indirectly,
"Yes. Does it have anything to do with the scouts you sent out after Valentine?" Izzy continues as the two girls stand opposite the Seelie,
"Is there another reason you can think of?" He raises his eyebrows at Izzy.
"Butterflies can mean only one thing Fair Folk are in mourning." Jace states stepping away from the curtains patterned in said animal.
"How do you know our customs?" Meliorn asks interestedly,
"Apparently, we're not the only Shadowhunter who enjoys the company of a Fair Folk." Indiana gestures to herself and Isabelle,
"Maybe if more Shadowhunters exhibited such good taste things would be different today." A look of anguish came onto Meliorns face.
"The scouts are dead. That's who you're mourning. Valentine killed them, right?" Jace assumed,
"If you know so much, maybe I should be asking you." Meliorn looked at Jace with a critical, and suspicious, eye.
"If that's true, Valentine needs to be stopped. Don't you agree? Why break the Accords now when there's a threat?" Izzy raises her voice in confusion,
"Izzy the Accords don't provide equal protection for all Shadow Realms.
And all the threats don't affect all aspects of the Shadow World the same way." Indiana explains for the Seelie, earning a look of gratitude from said Fair folk.
"Valentine threatens everyone." Jace says shocked at Indiana's words.
"Those who antagonize an enemy stand to lose more." Meliorn turns his back to the Shadowhunters,
"Which is another way of saying you'll side with whoever wins." Jace reads through the lines,
"I promise you, that will be us." He firmly informs the Seelie.
"I'm sure you believe that." Is all Meliorn says before leaving the tent.
Indiana's phone tings, she looks down before swearing,
"Damn it, Alec." Indiana grunts,
"What?" Izzy asks as she starts walking out of the tent,
"Clary snuck out of the Institute."
"And yet you're choosing to blame Alec. Fascinating." Izzy follows after Indiana, Jace right behind.
Entering her old house, Indiana notices it's derelict state but instead focuses on finding Clary,
"Where is she? Where's Clary?" Indiana states worriedly,
"She's gone." Is all Alec said.
"What do you mean, gone?" Izzy panics,
"She and Simon got arrested when I was securing the fire escape. I got distracted." He stuttered out,
"The mundane was here?" Jace begins to get worked up as Indiana's breathing picks up,
"Simon? He's gone, too?" The worry in the loft is now palpable.
"It was an unmarked car. I don't know where they took her." Alec panics not meeting Indiana's eyes even as she steps forward.
"What did you do, Alec?" She whispers and his heart breaks.
"Damn it. She's not showing up. You need to parabatai track." Indiana pants holding a singed piece of Clary's art,
"Alec, concentrate. Alec!" Jace shouts spurring him on,
"I'm doing it. She's not showing up." He speaks through his teeth,
"Just like I thought. She wasn't arrested." Izzy states as she ends the phone call she was on.
"It was your job to look after her." Indiana softly says, disappointed rather than angry, and to Alec that is so much worse,
"Clary snuck out. I went after her to protect her. I did nothing you haven't done a thousand times before." Alec defends himself to Indiana,
"Yes, you did. You lost her." Her eyes hold sadness,
"Enough, both of you." Jace snarls.
Running off ignoring the shouts of the three Shadowhunters behind her, Indiana makes her way to the police station. Almost there a growl alerts her to four wolves behind her, they started to close in. Flinging our her whip, she slashes one across the chest as the others leap, pulling out a seraph daggers she cuts another wolf, but shes tiring quickly trying to keep the four wolves at bay. One wolf disappears only to come back as a human he grabs her as another's wolf disappears and comes back human. They continue this tactic until four humans surround the beat up Shadowhunter. Hauling her over a shoulder despite the fact she is still kicking and screaming they quickly shove her into a car.
Arriving at some kind of pier, they get out of the car. Two of the men grab her arms tightly, as another steps behind her and one leads the group.
Entering a restaurant the one at the front announces,
"We got the other one. Be careful she's a kicker." He states as the two let go of her.
Seeing Clary and Simon seated at a table. Indiana stays silent simply looking round, her eyes land on a man opposite Clary and she tilts her head,
"Your the Alpha of the pack." She states, no questioning tone. Then at lightening speed a seraph blade is flung at his head, he ducks and the blade only nicks him. The werewolves jump on her.
"Now, I'm angry, so we're gonna try it my way." He gestures behind the two seated at the table,
"What? Hey, hey." Simon exclaims as they haul him up,
"Tell us where the Cup is or your funny friend dies and your sister die." The two are pulled through some doors.
"Take a few swings at the redhead for your Alpha." Someone informs them and suddenly Simon and Indiana are lead down different path ways.
Shoves into a simple concrete room, Indiana tries to pull away but their too strong. Shoving her into a a wall they secure her wrists with handcuffs that bite harshly into her skin. A door is slammed shut and the Omega turns her head trying to glimpse her captor, a head of blond hair is all she sees before a grip on her hair forces her to face the wall again. Indiana suddenly feels the presence of a cold metal at the base of her neck, slowly it travels down, ripping her top open as it goes.
"Such beautiful unmarked skin." A low voice says accompanied by a hand feeling her back,
"So sad that has to change." The man taunts before laughing.
A whistle is heard before a whip violently hits her back, Indiana wants to scream so bad, but she has nothing if not pride and so instead she feels blood trickle down her chin as her lip bursts from the pressure of her teeth.
The crack of the whip becomes louder as each hit, has more force than its predecessor. The bloody welts on her back a bed and on the seventeenth hit she screamed.
Clary shot up in panic, begging to know what was happening, Jace from the other end of Simons phone call started to panic.
And the werewolf behind her simply laughed, with glee.
Indiana heard the sloshing of water behind her and closed her red and aching eyes.
The water hitting her back was more painful than any of the welts had been. The ice cold water seeped into the cuts as she screamed in agony and did not stop until until her throat was raw. The tears rolled down her face freely now as she mentally begged for it to stop, no matter how.
The blaring of a fire alarm stopped the man from picking up his whip again, the Alpha of the pack entered the room and smiled grimly,
"You really did a number on her. Now go, I'll take her." Picking up the beaten girl, she did not fight back as he pulled her on his shoulder, black swimming into her vision.
Indiana was faintly aware of Clary shouting her name as the Alpha of the pack grabbed her too. Clary's eyes teared up at the damage done to her sister. Opening a storage lock on the pier he pushed Clary in before tossing Indiana haphazardly to floor, a scream escaped her throat as she landed on her back.
The door slammed shut and Clary crouched crying over her unresponsive sister. Pulling out a witch light Clary shined it over Indiana's back.
"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." She reappeared on a loop, begging for the slightest reply.
Clary moves from her sister and toward the door, pulling out her stele, she drew what she thought was the unlock rune but was proved wrong when it lit on fire.
The fire's light showed the full extent of Indiana's injuries and Clary began to sob.
The door handle twisted from the outside and the door flung open.
"I finally found you, both." Luke states before seeing Indiana, cut up badly on the floor,
"Clary! What happened to her?" He shouted as Clary crouched protectively over Indiana.
"You stay away from us!" She spat out,
"Don't be afraid. I traced Alaric's car to the pier when he didn't return my calls. I'm here to help you." He pleaded for her to see the truth, and quickly. He glanced at Indiana a tear slipped out his eye.
Clary ignored this,
"I heard what you said at the precinct. You told those creeps the last 18 years of your life were a lie. That you didn't give a shit about me or mom or Indiana." She shouted savagely,
"Those were Valentine's people. I lied to them to protect you." He stepped forward,
"Don't come any closer. You want the Mortal Cup, just like everyone else." Clary held up her stele defensively,
"You know you can't cast spells with that thing?" He points out,
"Yeah, but I already stabbed one demon with it. I'm sure it hurts a lot worse on a man." She smirks before he speeds over, handcuffs her and takes the stele away,
"Hey! You need more training. And we gotta go. Now!" He pulls her along, bending down to pick up Indiana and placing her as gently as he can on his shoulder.
"What? Hey! Where are you taking us?" Clary questioned for the both of them,
"Someplace safe. These people aren't messing around. They will kill you." He walks forward only to be confronted by two Shadowhunters.
Pulling Clary away Jace shouts,
"Alec!" As he kicks Luke, who looses his grip on Indiana,
"Got her." He shouts catching a now falling Indiana.
"Put her down!" Jace says as they move away from Luke,
"I can't. Clary what happened to her?" Alec asks and it's now Jace looks properly at Indiana he sees her top is missing and her back is covered in welts.
"She needs medical attention!" Alec panics,
Jace quickly takes out his stele and draws an iratze, healing rune.
"This will have to do for now." He notes, they quickly keep moving trying to find Simon and Izzy.
"Clary!"
"Simon!" The two quickly reunite before Simon catches a glance at Indiana,
"Oh, my God."
"I hate to break up this little reunion, but we got a bunch of werewolves trying to kill us so maybe we should get going." Jace points out calmly despite his inner turmoil of desperately wanting to get Indiana to safety.
"Wait, wait, the box. My backpack. I think I left it at the loft." Clary panics at thought of her sister undergoing torture for nothing.
"No, we've got it. I didn't screw up everything." Alec informs her,
LLet's get out of here, then." Simon tries to run but is quickly stopped by Izzy.
"Wait, Simon! Whatever you do, do not make any fast moves." Izzy says as wolves start to growl around them,
"This can't be good." Jace states the obvious as the Shadowhunters get out their weapons, preparing for a fight.
Arrow notched Alec turns around,
"We're surrounded. Everyone, stay together." He suggests,
"Believe me, I'm not going anywhere." Simon tries to diffuse the tension unhelpfully,
"Everyone, get back, that's the alpha leader." Jace stands opposite him, putting himself at the forefront of danger.
"Jace, behind!" Clary warns as a wolf leaps from behind them towards the Alpha. The two wolves wrestle round.
"He's challenging the alpha." Alec figures out,
"He's helping us!" Clary guesses,
"Or cutting in line to kill us." Simon panics
"The alpha's dead." Izzy states.
"Oh, my God, Luke." Clary says shocked as the live wolf from the wrestle transforms back to human.
The wolves start to howl in unison. Before transforming human and kneeling for their Alpha.
"What? What is it? What's happening?" Clary asks.
"When a werewolf kills the alpha leader, he becomes the new alpha. Your friend Luke's the leader of the pack now." Clary glances at Luke who nods,
"Clary I promised your mother I'd always protect you." Are his words before he falls, crashing to the concrete.
"Luke! Oh, my God!" Clary panics,
"Hey we need to get Indi and Clary back to the Institute and stay out of Downworlder business." Alec states gesturing to the unconscious girl in his arms.
"Why don't you stay out of it? I'm going to help." Jace takes Indiana out of Alec's arms despite his protests,
"We have to report back to our mother." Alec tells Jace what Jace already knew,
"You and Isabelle can do that. Look I'll be fine on my own." Jace steps away from Alec,
"His wounds are deep. Only a warlock's magic can cure an alpha's bite." Jace tells Clary,
"We have to get him to Magnus." She worries,
"Hey, that's exactly what we're gonna do. Maybe he can help Indi too." He says
"Clary, we gotta go." Simon says struggling under Luke's weight,
"We have to get him to his car." Jace says giving one shoulder to help Luke and keeping Indiana firm on the other.
"Here, I'll drive. I'm the only one with a mundane license." Simon informs them,
"I never should have doubted you." Clary apologises,
"We never should have lied to you." They place him in the car.
Jace looks back at Indiana and begs that she'll be okay. But part of him know, that it's too late for that.