Katherine saw Alec walk towards her and she placed the tablet down before looking at the worry on his face ''Maryse is still angry at me isn't she?'' she took his hand as they started walking away from the monitors and towards the hall that had everyone's rooms in it.
Alec shook his head ''No, she isn't angry at you....it's like dad said, she feels guilty about something.I saw it in her eyes.'' Katherine hummed and frowned in confusion ''But what could she feel guilty about? Now I feel guilty for making her feel guilty.''
''Hey.'' He gently raised her chin up until his eyes looked into her's ''Whatever it is...we'll talk to her about it together.'' She smiled at him as they stopped in front of Lydia's door ''We owe her so much, Alec.''
Katherine was grateful for what the woman had done for her and Alec, even if she hadn't at the first been the biggest fan of the envoy.
Alec smiled at her ''Yeah, we do.Without what Lydia did, we wouldn't be here.'' he looked at Katherine, taking in every feature of her's and wondered how he could have found someone so beautiful and kind.
Katherine shivered and blushed under his gaze ''Well, open the door, then.'' he snapped out of his daze and slowly pushed the door open. Her eyes widened as she saw the blonde woman laying unconscious on the floor .
''Lydia!''
Alec ran to the unconscious girl as Katherine gently took her head in her lap and checked for a pulse before sighing in relief ''She's alive.'' Alec pulled Lydia's sleeve up and activated her healing rune. Katherine placed the girl's head slowly back on the floor and looked at Alec ''I am going to get help.''
He nodded his head. Lydia opened her eyes and weakly looked at the two, ''You are gonna be okay.'' Alec assured her and Katherine nodded her head as she turned around to bring help to her but stop and froze when Lydia whispered something.
''Hodge.''
~*~*~*~*
Alec and Katherine walked towards where Izzy was sitting on a chair with a computer screen in front of her while Jace and Clary stood behind her.
The Fairchild turned towards them ''How's Lydia?'' Katherine sighed as she stood in between Alec and Jace ''She's better .'' ''Magnus is doing everything he can to help, but it's bad.'' Alec looked at Jace over Katherine's head ''And the Cup is definitely missing.''
Jace nodded his head before looking back at the screen ''So's Hodge.'' Katherine shrugged her shoulders ''Maybe he was attacked as well.'' Izzy nodded her head before she pulled up a footage as Clary leaned forward ''Maybe he was the one who attacked her.'' she looked at Katherine who shook her head as Izzy turned around in her seat to look at Clary.
''Hodge?'' her fingers flew on the keyboard ''No way.We've known him our entire lives.He would never do that to us.'' Izzy pulled up the footage of Lydia's attacker before zooming in and Katherine gasped in shock when she saw Hodge standing over the unconscious form of the envoy.
''By the angels.'' her eyes widened even further when they saw Hodge pick the Mortal Cup up. Katherine leaned back into Alec and looked up at him to see the same look of shock and betrayal on his face.
''We led him right to the Cup.'' Jace's eyes looked at the footage in disbelief ''We treated him like family.'' she laced her fingers through Alec's who tightened his fingers around her's ''How could he do this to us?'' all of their eyes were glued to the screen as Izzy pulled up another footage.
This one showed him standing besides Jocelyn's blue-green bubble. Katherine narrowed her eyes at something he twisted on his finger. ''That's how.What's that ring?'' Clary asked and the older girl clenched her jaw in anger ''Well it looks as if he's talking to someone.'' the footage showed Hodge lifting the cup in his hands.
''And I can tell you who it is.'' anger was clear in Jace's voice.
''Valentine''
They saw his punishment rune get deactivated ''Well that explains how he deactivated his punishment rune but it doesn't explain where he got the ring.'' Katherine sighed and ran her free hand through her hair ''You think someone smuggled it past the wards?'' Clary folded her hands across her chest.
Katherine nodded her head ''Maybe.'' Jace looked at her before looking at Alec over her head ''Yeah, Hodge wasn't the only ex-circle member around here.'' Izzy turned in her chair to look at him ''Look, I know I don't always see eye to eye with my parents but I know they are not traitors.''
Jace looked down at the dark haired girl '' Really? Isn't that what you just said about Hodge?'' Katherine gave him a sharp look as Izzy looked away ''It would have been someone we trusted but if there was an intruder inside the Institute we would have found them by now.'' she felt Alec lightly draw patterns on her knuckles as Clary turned around to look at them ''What about the forsaken attack?''
''No, we killed that thing and I didn't see a ring.''
''He didn't have one during the autopsy but-'' Izzy pulled another footage up ''Maybe there's something in the footage.''
Realization flickered inside Katherine as they all saw him fighting off the forsaken '' Hodge had stayed by the body. He could have taken the ring off of it.'' Alec looked at her before looking back at the screen ''Go to the other camera.''
Izzy's fingers flew across the keyboard and Katherine narrowed her eyes as she saw Hodge searching the forsaken's dead body. ''There.'' Jace pointed out and Izzy zoomed in to see Hodge pulling the ring off the dead body.
Jace looked at Katherine ''You were right then.'' she sighed ''Wish I wasn't.''
''So it wasn't a random attack.'' Clary looked at Jace and Katherine felt betrayed by the man she had along with Jace, Alec and Izzy called her teacher. She looked at Alec and saw the sting of betrayal reflect across his face as well and squeezed his hand.
''He was just the delivery boy.''
''If he gives that Cup to Valentine he'll create an army of Shadowhunters, with that kind of power behind him, he'll kill thousands.'' Alec looked down at his and Katherine's hands and unintentionally gave her hand a squeeze.
''He'll kill thousands just creating the army.'' Izzy sighed in defeat ''Most mundanes won't survive that.'' ''We won't let that happen.'' Clary assured.
''I'm gonna make sure of it.'' Jace stormed off in fury and Katherine looked after him in worry ''He's going to get himself hurt or killed....Alec we have to go after him.'' she tried to move but Alec grabbed her arm ''I will go after Jace. You'll stay here.'' she blinked up at him ''What?No Alec I-''
Alec cupped her face between his hands ''I will go after him Kate.'' She shook her head ''We'll both go after him.'' he opened his mouth to argue but closed it after seeing the look on her face and sighed in defeat ''Fine, but stay close by my side.''
Katherine smiled and pecked his lips in response.
She had changed into gear and was picking up seraph blade and daggers from the rack with Jace and Alec when Clary had walked up to them and tried to talk Jace out of hunting Hodge ....which didn't work.
And as Jace called someone on his phone, Alec looked at Katherine ''I'll be fine,Alec.This isn't the first time I have picked up a weapon in my hand.'' he didn't look revealed by that and she interlaced their fingers ''I swear, I'll be fine.''
~*~*~*~*~*~
Katherine saw Jace standing over Hodge with his blade raised, ready to strike when Alec ran past her and like Jace had done weeks ago, he slammed Jace down to the ground.She ran to where he had pinned Jace to the ground and picked the younger boy's blade up in her hand as Luke stood over Hodge whose hand Jace had cut off.
''It's over!'' Alec shouted at him.
Jace struggled against his grip ''It's not over!'' he looked at where Hodge was ''He's a traitor.He deserves to pay.'' ''You nearly killed him.'' Alec looked at Hodge as Katherine kneeled next to the two.
''Maybe I should have killed him! He sided with Valentine,Alec.The Clave let him go once before and look where that got us.''
''What are you gonna do?You are gonna kill every ex-circle member, even our parents?''
Jace again struggled against his grip ''Robert and Maryse aren't my parents.'' Katherine gasped in shock and Alec looked taken aback by what the younger boy had said ''You said it yourself.They are your parents, they raised you.''
Jace let his head fall to the ground in defeat as Alec patted his chest ''Just calm down.'' he got up and sighed at Katherine before walking over to Hodge and Luke.
Katherine sat down next to Jace, pushing his blade towards him ,he sat up and looked at the graffiti covered walls.
''You know, I hate Hodge too for what he has done.'' he nodded his head still not looking at her ''And I know why you did what you did.'' she gently pulled his face so that he looked at her. Katherine's eyes softened ''You might have been raised by Valentine but you are nothing like that man.'' the hard look evaporated from his eyes.
She shrugged her shoulders ''Sure you are cocky, and an idiot...but you're also kind, loving, and an amazing friend.'' Jace smiled at Katherine and she patted his cheek before she walked to where Alec was stopping Hodge's bleeding.
None of the three had noticed what Jace had done and what he was about and how that would send the younger boy down a road that they didn't want for him.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Alec and Katherine left Hodge with Jace near a graffiti wall and walked over to where Luke was talking to Alaric on his phone.
He placed his phone back in his pocket and turned around to look at the two shadowhunters ''How's Hodge doing?'' ''He'll live, it's Jace we are worried about.'' Alec shared a look of worry with Katherine who sighed ''Valentine messed with his head .''
Luke frowned ''What? At Renwick's?'' she nodded her head along with Alec ''Yeah.He went through a lot recently''.
Katherine looked back at Jace before looking at Luke ''He's been through a lot, we thought it was all fine now but something's clearly killing him from inside.'' ''And we don't know what it is.''
''This is all too familiar.I saw a similar thing with Valentine 18 years ago.'' Luke looked between them, Katherine shook her head ''Jace isn't Valentine.'' anger showed in Alec's voice and she ran her thumb on his knuckles, his muscles relaxed under her touch.
''Not yet.We gotta keep an eye on him.'' Alec looked away ''Alright.''
Katherine felt Jace's absence and turned around to see that he along with Hodge had disappeared in thin air. Luke followed her gaze ''Where'd they go?'' ''What do you mean?'' Alec's eyes went to her before he turned around and saw an empty graffiti wall.
''Damn it ,Jace.''
~*~*~*~*~*~
''Kate, hey.'' Alec caught her arm as she shook the dizziness off ''Jace's blocking me out....he doesn't want to be found.'' she looked up at him in worry and he sighed before putting his phone to his ear.
Katherine played with the charm on her bracelet absentmindedly as Alec placed his phone back in his pocket and growled in frustration. Before she could blink, Alec turned around and punched a wall .
''Alec!''
Katherine activated his irtaze and ran her thumb over the knuckles that had healed ''He said to help Clary, didn't he?'' he nodded his head and flipped his hand over, so that her's laid in his open palm.
Alec looked up at her in worry and defeat, causing her to sigh and brush a piece of his hair away from his eyes ''Well then let's help Clary.''
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Izzy had called Katherine and told her to come to Magnus's along with Alec.
And that is how Katherine found herself with Alec entering her father figure's loft after Izzy opened the door for them only to see him kissing Camille. She grimaced in disgust and the warlock pulled away to see the three standing a mere feet away from him.
''Well this is awkward.'' Katherine pressed her lips together ''To say the least.''
Alec looked at her, feeling as Magnus had said awkward at walking in on the girl's father figure making out with the vampire. He looked back at him and shrugged his shoulders, taking Katherine's hand in his own and further entering the loft ''Where's the book?''
Magnus looked at her and chuckled nervously ''It's complicated.''
Katherine gave him a sarcastic nod ''Well..that's clear enough.'' Camille looked towards the three shadowhunters with a smug look ''I have it.''
''And she is graciously offered it in exchange for her freedom.'' ''And her freedom requires a lip-lock?'' Izzy gave Magnus a look who pointed a finger at her that said really? which made Katherine roll her eyes.
''We don't negotiate with prisoners.'' Alec glared and took a step towards Camille who still had a smug look on her face ''Prisoner? I beg to disagree.'' Katherine walked until she stood on his one side while Izzy stood on his other side.
''You see, I am your only chance at saving the world.'' Magnus lifted a heavy ringed finger and rolled it against his temple before pointing at Camille ''You need me.'' Katherine snorted at that ''You sure about that?'' the vampire looked at her and smirked at Magnus before approaching Katherine ''So you are the newest Herondale in town, huh?''
Katherine saw the way Alec stiffened when Camille stood directly in front of her ''I still have no idea what you saw and see in the Herondales, Magnus.'' the Herondale smirked at her ''Charm and humor, both of which I might say you lack extremely.''
Camille chuckled ''Well I see she did inherit the Herondale sarcasm.'' she leaned in closer to Katherine who's hand went to her blade that was dangling at her waist ''Hmm....she even looks a bit like Will.'' the vampire ran a finger down her cheek.
Alec clenched and unclenched his fists but did nothing else as Katherine smiled mockingly at the lady vampire ''Well first of all I do look like William because he's my ancestor...and secondly...'' she pulled out her blade and held it against Camille's throat ''You might want to shut your mouth up.''
Camille chuckled and raised her hands in surrender.
Alec glared at her before looking at Magnus ''We don't have time for this, where's Clary?'' Katherine tucked her blade away as the warlock pointed in the direction behind him. She took a step forward but stopped when she saw Alec still glaring at Camille.
Katherine brushed her knuckles against his, pulling Alec's attention to her before she nodded in the direction Magnus had pointed out. He nodded and the two went towards where Clary was.
''Alec, Kate ,did you two find Hodge?''
Clary stood up as the two entered the room to see her along with Simon who was sitting on the bed. Katherine looked at Alec ''Yep, but Valentine has the Cup.''
''What?'' the younger girl's eyes widened in shock ''We're too late.Where is Jace? Is he okay?'' ''He went after Valentine by himself.'' Alec looked away before looking back at Clary ''It's like he's totally lost it.We tired to stop him but he didn't listen.''
''We need to find Jace.He's in a dark place, we don't know what he's gonna do.'' she moved to walk away but Katherine caught her arm ''Don't, Luke's already looking for him.'' ''And Jace wants us to stay on the mission.That means we have to find the book.'' Alec added
Simon stood up from the bed ''They are right. We have to wake up your mom.'' he looked at Clary ''It's our only way to stop Valentine.'' Katherine smiled at her before Camille entered the room Alec stiffened in response and the older girl squeezed his hand in comfort which sent soothing waves down his bones and he relaxed.
She held out a piece of paper to Simon ''Ready to sign?''
''Take us to the apartment, give us the book...then you can have your pardon.'' Simon demanded. Camille turned around to look at Clary, Katherine and Alec who all gave her smug looks before looking back at Simon.
''I wouldn't have it any other way.''
''Good.''