"Zee-" Jace stares across of me as we sat at our usual table for breakfast, "What happened with Jonathan wasn't your fault."
"He's still in New York, Jace." I dropped my fork, sitting back, "If I hadn't hesitated, he wouldn't be-"
"We have patrols canvassing the entire city." Jace reaches and grabbed my hand, "If he's still here, we'll find him- I promise."
I go quiet and lightly nod, looking up when Isabelle and Clary sat down with us, "Oh, hey-"
"Ugh, I'm so hungry." Isabelle immediately groaned when she sat down, taking huge gulps of her orange juice.
I looked at her, "Where have you been all morning?"
"So, I found a data chip inside Greenlaw's stomach- but, it's highly encrypted." Isabelle told us, reaching over and grabbing the rest of Jace's bacon off his plate, "It's going to take me some time to crack."
Clary drank some juice, "Let us know-"
"Hey-" Jace smacks her hand away when she had grabbed it, but she had already but the rest in her mouth, "Hands off my bacon-"
Isabelle remarks, "Guess you need to guard your food better-"
Jace's lips fell into a pout, as my expression went soft, pushing my plate toward him, "Take mine-"
Jace looks at me, "Really?-"
"Yeah, go ahead-" I squeezed his hand lightly.
"I love you-" Jace kissed my hand a few times, before grabbing the bacon strips off my plate and putting them on his.
"Hey-" Alec joins us, slowly sitting down at the table with Magnus, making me finally notice the eyes they were getting.
"Hey." Jace greeted them as they sat down, "Magnus, what are you doing here?"
"Uh, where do I start?" Magnus exhales deeply, "I just moved out of my apartment, but unfortunately, my real estate agent died a few hundred years ago, so finding a new place has been a bit of a struggle."
"In the meantime, he's going to be living with us for a little while." Alec lightly said, looking between us.
"That's great." I smiled lightly to make him feel more welcomed, "It's lovely to have you here-"
Jace squeezes my hand lightly, "Absolutely."
"Welcome to the Institute, Magnus." Isabelle held up her glass of orange juice with a smile.
Magnus held his up, "Glad to be here."
I looked down to my vibrating phone, grabbing it and answering the unknown call, "Hello?-"
"Zee." Luke's voice filled the line.
"Luke, hey-" I sat up a little, "Whose number is this?"
Luke exhales, "It's the precinct's."
"Oh?" I reply, "Got your job back?"
"Not exactly." Luke swallowed hard, "The vampires attacked the Jade Wolf- they killed most of the pack and the police think that I did it."
My eyes widen, "What? Luke-"
"There's no time to explain- I need you to tell the Shadowhunters what happened." Luke quickly said, "I gotta go."
I blinked, "Wait, Luke-"
"Don't worry about me, kiddo." Luke cut me off before I could continue, "I love you."
"Luke-" I began but he had hung up before I could get more than a sentence out.
"Zee?" Clary stares at me, "What did he say?"
"What is it?" Jace held my hand tighter, "What happened?"
-
"Your transport's on its way here." said the man with the door wide open of the room Luke was being held in, "You want something to drink?"
"I'm good." Luke's eyes were glued to Jace and I walking into the room quieter, glamoured.
Luke spoke the moment the door closed, leaving us alone, "I thought I told you not to come here."
"And let you end up in prison?" I cross my arms, "Who would I be to let that happen?"
"If I take the fall for this, this investigation ends with me." Luke stares at us, "If the police keep looking around, there's no telling how many lives could be in danger."
Jace crosses his arms, "There is another way, Luke."
I inhale, looking from Jace, back to Luke, "We're gonna have Simon encanto the lieutenant- just- call it all off before it gets any farther."
"Simon can't encanto the entire NYPD." Luke shot back, "You saw what happened with Ollie- I told her about the Shadow World and people died because of it, I'm not going to let that happen again."
I place my hands on the table, "So, you're just gonna take the punishment for someone else's crime? Come on, Luke, you don't deserve that."
"Actually, I do." Luke said, "I left my pack."
I shook my hand, "That- isn't justification for this- you had no choice."
"No, you always have choices, Zee." Luke replies, "If I'd been at the Jade Wolf when the vampires attacked, maybe things would've ended differently."
Jace places a hand on my back, "Yeah, maybe we would have lost you, too."
I inhale, "Luke, you can't blame yourself for what happened to the pack- alright?"
Luke looked down, his voice going quiet, "They trusted me and I abandoned them."
I go quiet, swallowing hard.
I slowly stood up straight, then came behind him and wrapped my arms around him from behind, holding onto him tight.
I don't say another word, I just hug him.
-
[ jace's pov ]
"Yo, Herondale." Aline's voice filled my ears, making me stop in the middle of the Ops Center.
"Aline, hey-" I walked over to her with a smile and gave her a hug, "It's good to see you- what are you doing in New York?"
Aline pulled back, "Hunting Jonathan."
I held up my tablet, "Yeah, aren't we all?-"
"According to the field reports, you almost captured him yesterday." Aline scanned my expression.
I exhale, "Yeah, almost."
Aline stares at me, "If it wasn't for the no-kill order, you would have stopped him once and for all."
"Well, it's not just an order, you know." I lightly shrugged, "Until we get that rune off of Zee, we can't hurt one without hurting the other."
Aline argued, "I understand, but we have no hope of defeating the bastard if we have to keep treating him with kid gloves."
"We don't have a choice." I stare at her.
"That's not true." Aline shot back at me, "After what he did to my cousin-"
"Believe me, no one wants to rip Jonathan's throat out more than me." I took a step closer to her and made myself completely clear, "But- I'm not going to let anyone hurt Zee."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Aline questions, "How many more Shadowhunters have to die trying to capture him? Exactly how many lives is Zee worth?"
I was firm, "To me, she's worth everything."
"And I'm pretty sure Jia would agree." I added in, "If it wasn't for Zee, Valentine would have murdered your mother at the Gard- you both owe her."
-
[ zee's pov ]
"Need a sparring partner?" A woman walked into the training room; where I was pounding my fists against the punching bag.
I looked back at her, putting a strand of my hair behind my ear, "Sure-"
"You're Consul Penhallow's daughter?" I knew who she was, pulling out my kindjals, flipping them in my hands.
"Aline." She introduced, "You're Valentine's daughter?"
"Don't hold it against me." I tightened my grip on my weapons, as we circled around.
"It's nice to finally meet you." Aline grunts when our swords came in contact from her swing.
"I'm guessing you didn't come all the way from Alicante just to train." I also grunted, pulling my kindjals back.
"I heard your brother was in New York." Aline swung again, "I was hoping you might be able to help me track him down."
"I won't be much help- I have no idea where he is." I blocked it, "I already told the Clave everything I know."
Aline kicks me back, "You wrote in your report that you're looking for a sword called the Morning Star."
"Yeah, he calls it a family relic." I stumbled back and grunted, "He thinks I'm going to help him find it-"
"Are you?" Aline pushes me to the ground.
I force myself back to my feet, "Am I what?"
"Gonna help him?" Aline's sword came in contact with my kindjals once more.
"No-" I shoved her back, "Why would I?"
"You did let him buy you a bottle of water." Aline reminded me, "Is it really that hard to recognize your own brother?"
I spun kick, "I was stalling for backup."
"Except when they got there, you let him go." Aline breathed heavily, staring at me dead in the eye.
"I didn't let him go." I clenched my jaw, swinging my kindjals toward her, grunting when her fist came in contact with my jaw, my body hitting the ground.
"That hurt? Good." Aline smirks, "I want Jonathan to feel it-"
I threw my kindjals to the side and got up, launching myself toward her, fighting her off, the anger inside me building stronger.
Within moments, I had knocked her on the ground, weaponless.
I could've stopped.
Because I had won.
But I didn't.
Instead I got on her and started throwing punches repeatedly, grunts leaving both of our lips with every hit I landed on her face.
"Zee, hey!" Jace's shout sounded from behind me, before I felt his hands grip my arms and pry me off her, snapping me back into reality, "What are you doing?-"
I breathed heavily, stumbling back when he let go of me, looking at what I had done, my eyes widening as I took a few steps closer, "Aline, I'm sorry-"
"Hey-" Jace grabbed my arms and lightly pushed me back, my eyes snapping toward him, hurt crossing my expression at the look on his face and his reaction, looking at Aline, "Are you alright?-"
"Do I like alright?" Aline stood up, wiping his bloody mouth, glaring at me.
Jace looked at me again, his eyes scanning my expression, his expression dropping, "Zee, wait-"
"I-" I took a few steps back, my eyes filling with small tears, "I need some air-"
Jace took a step, "I'm coming with you-"
"No." I raised my voice at him, pointing at him, my voice falling quiet again, "I need to be alone."
Then I turned, and booked it.
-
"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Jonathan's voice filled my ears from behind me, making my heart stop.
I turned, "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Funny, I was gonna ask you the same thing." Jonathan slowly took a few steps toward me.
I stare at him, "Is this some kind of trap?"
"I don't know, you tell me." Jonathan kept coming closer, "I find it hard to believe that our meeting here is a pure coincidence."
I stay silent.
"I had no intention of stopping here tonight." Jonathan came closer, "I have my own business to take care of, and yet, as I was walking by, I felt a sudden urge to stop- and here you are."
I remain silent.
"You must've felt it, too- it seems that our rune has brought us together." Jonathan stopped a few feet away from me, "I was worried about you earlier."
I held my hand out, "Don't come any closer."
"Whoever you were fighting, they must've gotten in a few good shots, didn't they?" Jonathan took another step closer to me despite my warnings.
I pulled out my phone, "You come any closer, I will call the Institute."
"Shouldn't you have done that already?" Jonathan remarked, "Or are you enjoying this conversation as much as I am?"
I clench my jaw, "Shut up."
"We're destined to be together." Jonathan stood directly in front of me, "Our meeting here tonight proves it."
"This isn't destiny, Jonathan." I shot back, scoffing, "It's the rune."
"You love me, Zee- I can feel it." Jonathan said to me, "It's why you let me go yesterday and why you won't turn me in now."
"Come with me." Jonathan held his hand out for me to take, "I know a part of you wants to."
I don't take it, staring at him, "No part of me wants anything to do with you."
"For now." Jonathan backed away, smirking just lightly, "I've got that appointment to keep."
-
I sat alone in my room, staring at the fire place that burned, keeping the room warm for my cold body to soak in.
I felt like I was locked in another trance, as I slowly got up and walked toward the fire.
I crouched and temptingly reached my hand over the flames, letting the heat scorch my skin, watching as it burned my palm.
Yet, I didn't pull away at the pain.
I endured it.
"Zee!" Jace's voice rang once again, feeling his hands on my arms, pulling me away from the fire and out of the trance, making me gasp, "Hey!-"
A gasp left my lips, the pain coming all at once, Jace setting me down on my bed, using his stele over my Iratze, healing me.
Jace held my hand, kissing my previously scorching palm, "What were you thinking?-"
"I- I don't know." My voice was shaky, before my expression went straight, my free hand pulling my shirt to the side, "The rune-"
"We need to get you to the Silent Brothers." Jace exhales, looking up at me, "Right now."
I nodded slowly, before pulling my hand away and wrapping my arms around him, my body practically begging for comfort with how tight I held onto him.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay-" Jace rubbed my back, kissing my head, holding me close, "I got you- it's all gonna be alright."
authors note:
zace >>>
i'm gonna start feeling bad for jonathan soon with his 'you were supposed to be my princess' bullshit, i can already tell
but, thank you so much for 41k !!
go read redamancy !
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