Part 1 (revised)
No one knew Jace would vanish, nor did they know that Sebastian was alive. Alec was stressed, his parabatai was gone, missing somewhere with a murderous monster that dared called them related.
The worse part out of all of this? He felt a tad, minor spot of jealousy, though whether it was for Jace or Sebastian, he did not know and it made him sick.
He thought about how Clary had been freed from any crimes, how his mother insisted on keeping a close eye on him, as if he were going to run off to Sebastian's side. And finally he thought about how the council had made the search for Jace unimportant.
With frustration eating at him he departed for his room, ignoring his friends and family as he walked by them. He just needed to be alone for a while.
He opened his door and his eyes grew large, his mouth dropping as he saw Jace and Sebastian sitting on his bed, right there in front of him. As if they hadn't suddenly disappeared one night without warning.
"Hello—little brother." Sebastian said coolly and moved from the bed and over to Alec, pulling him deeper into the room and shutting the door behind him.
"Why are you here? And why are you in my room?" Alec demanded, recovering from his initial shock.
"Did you know, that in some cases, a parabatai will commit suicide when their partners die? It is rather interesting, isn't, Alexander? You see, with me and Jace bounded to each other, it would not do if you were to die and force Jace to end his life. So I need you with me. With you there near me I won't have to worry about my little brother dying now, will I?" Sebastian asked his black eyes meeting Alec's crystal blue ones.
Feeling threatened, Alec pushed over to his dresser, where he kept some of his smaller weapons and steles.
Sebastian smirked and grabbed a hold of Alec twisting his arm and holding him tightly. "Now, now, brother. You won't be needing to worry about steles or weapons where we're going." Sebastian said and with his free hand, he took Jace. Faster than one could blink, the three were gone.
Clary frowned, it was getting late and she was anxious. "Why is it taking so long?" she asked looking to Isabelle who had just reapplied some cherry red lipstick.
"These things take a time." Isabelle said wisely and moved from her vanity table as a knock echoed through the room. The door suddenly opened and Magnus walked in, his eyes scanning the room.
"Have any of you seen Alexander? He left the meeting early and is nowhere to be seen." Magnus asked looking disappointed when he saw that Alec wasn't in the room.
"Did you check his room? Or the roof?" Isabelle suggested, knowing those two spots were always places you'd find Alec at.
"Those are the first places I checked. Why would I come here asking if I didn't check there?" Magnus asked sounding annoyed.
"Maybe he left?" Clary suggested before she looked outside, frowning as she noticed the pouring rain.
Magnus shook his head. "Why would he go outside? It's raining cats and dogs out there and last I checked he didn't even have a coat on other than the council one."
"Maybe he was whisked away to a magic land where he's playing board games and dancing around like an idiot." Isabelle stated sarcastically earning a look from Magnus. "What?"
"There was a small trace of magical residue in his room. I didn't worry about it at the time when i saw it… but, what if Alexander was taken?" Magnus asked and Isabelle shook her head.
"Why would Alec get kidnapped?" Isabelle asked crossing her arms over her chest.
"Because... because he and I are related. And Alec is Jace's parabatai. If Sebastian has Jace with him, then of course he'd want Alec. We should see the Seelie Queen." Clary said frantically.
Magnus blanched. "That woman? If you want useless women I could find Camille for you and let you talk to her."
"I'm being serious!" Clary argued.
"Clary! The Clave's already questioned her. She'll just tell us the same thing she told them, it's pointless. Besides without an invitation—"
"I have one. The Queen gave me a bell, I ignored it because I didn't think I would need it ever." Clary said interrupting Isabelle. She then told Isabelle and Magnus everything the Queen had told her when she gave it to her.
"One problem down, but we still come back to the fact that the Queen will tell us the same thing she said before to the Clave." Magnus said with a frown.
"Maybe not. Maybe we just need to find the right questions to ask her." Clary said.
"So you two are going to Faerie?" Magnus asked.
"Well and Simon... wait, you're not going, Magnus?" Clary asked once she realized what Magnus was saying.
"I'd rather not, me and the Queen sort of have a feud, I guess? Anyway, we have history together and it would be better off if I stay out of Faerie." Magnus said waving his hand around dismissively.
"So I guess we better get ready to leave. Plus you need an excuse to give Luke and your mother and we need to hide the fact that Alec's gone—at least for now." Isabelle said and put on one of her coats, offering one to Clary who took it and put it on.
"I'll be at my loft. If anyone asks I'll say that Alexander's there ignoring the stress this place gives." Magnus said and with that he left, Isabelle and Clary leaving as well.
Alec looked around the apartment Sebastian had dragged him through, he saw a large flat screen TV, multiple rooms, a kitchen and a mini bar. It was cozy, he had to admit. Sebastian let go of Alec and moved to the bar. "This was our father's place." Sebastian explained though he hadn't been asked.
Alec still hated to hear that Valentine was his father, but at this point he more or less ignored it by now. He moved to the living room area that Jace was in and sat down beside him. "Trust me, Alec, you'll love this place!" Jace said enthusiastically, his smile growing as Sebastian walked over carrying three glasses filled with a light brown liquid.
Alec frowned as Sebastian placed one of the glasses in his hand and moved to sit across from him. "Why'd you take me here? Why bother taking me at all?" Alec asked.
"I really need to raise your IQ points..." Sebastian muttered before he took a sip of his drink and sighed. "As I said before, Alexander. Jace and I are bound together, if you were to die being an idiot, I wouldn't want Jace to feel so upset he kills himself or dies of grief, so taking you away from the fighting all together is my safest option. I plan on taking our sister here as well." Sebastian explained.
Alec swore under his breath,. Clary, he had forgotten about her. Though as far as prisons go, this one was nice at least. "Can I at least have a stele while I'm here?" Alec asked, cursing himself for forgetting his own stele in his room.
"Why would you need one if you and our sister are avoiding the fight that is to come?" Sebastian asked and stood up, putting his empty glass in the sink in the kitchen. "You can borrow my clothes. Jace follow me and carry some of them to Alexander's room. Alexander, stay and read a book." Sebastian ordered as he left down the hallway filled with rooms, Jace following close behind.
"Read? I don't need to read. I need to know why I'm being kept here." Alec mumbled but went to the bookshelf and grabbed a random book off the shelf anyway.
Clary, Simon, and Isabelle walked over to Turtle Pond silently, their minds drifting to what questions they'd ask the Queen when they entered the court.
They held hands as Clary rang the bell.
It felt like they had all gone on a spinning ride and the ride was moving faster and faster. Finally they were still and slowly let go of each other's hands. Clary looked around, it was quiet, she started to think maybe it didn't work. "Hello? Anyone here?"
The curtain leading into the court rustled aside and the faerie knight, Meliorn stepped though. He looked the small group over frigidly. "One does not address the Queen of the Seelie Court with a barbarous 'hello', as if you were hailing a servant. The proper address is 'Well met'." Meliorn informed dryly.
"But we haven't met, I don't even know if she's here." Clary said.
Meliorn looked at her with scorn. "If the Queen were not present and ready to receive you, ringing the bell would not have brought you. Now come, follow me and bring your companions with you."
Clary turned and gestured to her friends before she followed Meliorn through the curtain of tortured butterflies, hunching over in an attempt to not touch the agonizing insects.
"Well met, Nephilim, Daylighter, daughter of Valentine, what brings you to me?"
"You sent your handmaiden to tell me to ring this if I ever needed your help." Clary explained, holding the bell out.
"And you told me you wanted nothing from me, that you had everything you had ever desired." The Queen rebutted.
"Things change," Clary said firmly.
The Queen stretched her long legs out luxuriously. "Very well. What is it you want from me?"
"I want you to find Jace—"
Isabelle elbowed Clary in the side as if to remind her of something.
"I want you to find Jace Lightwood and Alec Lightwood." Clary added and a long silence filled the room, the only sound being the agonizing cries from the Will-o'-the-wisps.
At last the Queen spoke. "You must think us powerful indeed if you believe the Fair Folk can succeed where the Clave has failed."
"The Clave wanted you to find Sebastian. I want Jace. And Alec is gone too. Besides, I know you know something, otherwise you would have never sent the bell." Clary said.
The Queen smirked. "Perhaps so,"
"I've noticed Fair Folk say "perhaps" when they know something." Clary said.
"Perhaps so." The Queen replied, looking amused.
Clary glared at the Queen.
"I do not trust you, Valentine's daughter. There was a time when I wanted a favor from you, but that time is over. Meliorn has his place on the council, I am not sure there is anything you can offer me." The Queen said, waving her hand around lazily.
"If you thought that, you never would have sent the bell." Clary said.
"Very well. I may be able to help you, but I desire recompense." The Queen said.
"Shocker." Simon muttered, his eyes full of loathing as he looked at the Queen.
The Queen ignored him and focused her attention on Clary. "There is a set of rings, they belonged to my father. I desire the return of these objects, for they are faerie-made and possess great power. They allow us to speak mind to mind, as your Silent Brothers do. At present I have it on good authority that they are on display in the Institute." The Queen said.
"I remember seeing something like that. Two faerie-work rings in a glass case on the second floor of the library." Isabelle said slowly.
"You want me to steal from the Institute?" Clary asked, surprised.
"It is not theft, to return an item to its rightful owner." The Queen said.
"And then you'll find Jace and Alec for us? And don't say 'perhaps' either, what will you do?" Clary asked.
"I will assist you in finding them. I give you my word that my help would be invaluable. I can tell you, for instance, why all of your tracking spells have been for naught. I can tell you in what city they are likely to be found in-" The Queen said.
"But the Clave questioned you, how did you lie to them?" Simon interrupted.
"They never asked the correct questions."
"Why did you lie? Where is your allegiance?" Isabelle demanded.
"I have none." The Queen said and gave a lazy smile. "Now that is quite enough for today, return to me the rings and we will speak again."
Clary turned to Isabelle. "Is this alright? Stealing from the Institute?"
"If it means finding my brother and Jace, then whatever it takes."
Clary nodded, she didn't want to mention there that Alec was technically her brother too. She turned back around and looked at the Queen. "I think we have ourselves a deal."
Jace and Sebastian had disappeared causing Alec to alone in the room. The black haired shadowhunter sighed sat on the couch with only books piled around him.
"If I wanted to piss off Raphael all I would need to do is hand him this book. Sparkly vampires, really? I feel like mundanes have the vampires confused with Magnus." Alec muttered to himself and set the book, Twilight, down and sighed. He was growing bored and yet Jace and Sebastian were still gone.
"Maybe I'll sleep or something until they get back, . I'm stuck in this room anyway." Alec thought and laid down, wondering if Magnus, Clary, Isabelle were all alright as he drifted away to a quiet slumber.
It was the next day, Magnus had lied saying Alec was sick and had gone to the meeting the Clave had scheduled while Clary snuck into the library and moved to the second floor with ease and stealth.
"You were right, Jace," came a horribly familiar voice from right below Clary on the bottom floor. "This place is deserted."
Clary covered her mouth and crouched down, afraid to utter a single noise. She peeked through the railing and saw Sebastian, he was looking books over. Beside him in a white t-shirt, jeans and a tan suede jacket was Jace, looking as beautiful and as perfect as Clary remembered. "I'm always right, Sebastian, you ought to know that by now." Jace said.
Sebastian looked over at Jace and smiled, a real, genuine smile. "So where are the books on summoning? Is there any order to this chaos?"
Jace shrugged. "Not really. It's not alphabetized. It follows Hodge's special system. Alec might know, but he never bothered with summoning books." Jace explained.
"Considering I'm leaving him out of this, I'm going to just say I check the top while you check the bottom." Sebastian moved to the stairs and Clary felt her heart begin to pound rapidly with fear.
"Wait, I found it, they're here. Filed under 'Magic, Nonlethal'." Jace called.
"Nonlethal? Where's the fun in that?" Sebastian purred, but moved back toward Jace.
"This is quite the library," Sebastian said reading off a few titles as he passed by them. "The Care and Feeding of Your Pet Imp. Demons Revealed." He plucked that book off the shelf and let out a long, low, chuckle.
"What is it?" Jace asked looking up, his lips curved upward.
"It's pornography. Look. Demons… revealed." Sebastian said.
Jace came up behind Sebastian and rested one hand on his arm as he read over his shoulder. "Okay, how can you tell?"
Sebastian shut the book and lightly hit Jace on the shoulder with it. "Some things I know more about than you. Did you get the books?"
"I got them." Jace scooped up a stack of heavy looking books from a nearby table. "Do we have time to go by room? If I could get some of my things..."
"What do you want?"
Jace shrugged. "Clothes mostly, some weapons."
Sebastian shook his head. "Too dangerous. We need to get in and out fast. Only emergency items."
"My favorite jacket is an emergency item. Much like myself it is both snuggly and fashionable." Jace said.
"Look we have all the money we could want, buy clothes. And you'll be running this place in a few weeks. You can run your favorite jacket up the flagpole and fly it like a pennant." Sebastian said.
Jace laughed. "I'm warning you, that jacket is sexy. The Institute could go up in sexy, sexy flames."
"Be good for the place. Too dismal right now." Sebastian grabbed Jace's current jacket by the back and dragged him to the side. "We're leaving now, hold onto the books." Sebastian glanced down at his right hand, where a silver ring was, with his thumb he twisted the ring.
"Hey," Jace said. "Do you think—" but Jace broke off. Clary bit her lip, she had the rings, so why was she not moving? She cried weakly as Sebastian and Jace left and curled up, she felt so pathetic.
"Alexander, wake up and get changed. We're going out for lunch." Sebastian exclaimed and shoved Alec off the bed.
"Okay, sheesh. I'm up." Alec muttered getting up from the floor and heading to the door only to be stopped by Sebastian.
"Where are you going?" Sebastian asked, his hand gripping Alec's arm.
"What?" Alec asked with a frown.
"Change out of those rags." Sebastian said and went into the closet, pulling out a thin, dark blue v-neck shirt, a pair of black skinny jeans, a black leather jacket, and handed them all to Alec.
"These aren't really my..." But before Alec could Sebastian had pulled Alec's sweater off and held it gingerly as if it were trash, and drew a fire rune on it, giving Alec no choice but to wear the shirt Sebastian had picked out for him.
"Now, take those horrid pants off so I may burn them like that thing you called a shirt." Sebastian told the black haired shadowhunter, his expression full of annoyance.
Alec glared but took his ripped jeans off and put on the ones Sebastian had picked. "Keep the shoes you had, put them on and follow me." Sebastian said and dragged Alec out of the room after Alec slipped his sneakers on.
"Hey! You actually don't look homeless for once!" Jace complimented, grinning at his friend.
Alec shot him a glare as the three of them left the apartment.
Clary met up with Isabelle, and Simon, her eyes brimming with tears as she got through the portal she had made. She told them what happened, explaining everything to the best of her abilities.
"And you're sure it was him?" Isabelle asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Yes. I'm sure." Clary repeated looking annoyed.
"And the rings? Did you get them?" Simon asked.
Clary sighed. "I never got them. I saw Jace and I freaked out and made a portal out of there without grabbing them." Clary lied, luckily for her, though her friends believed her.
"Well, we can't go to the Queen now." Isabelle said.
"It's probably for the best. She's not that trustworthy." Simon said crossing his arms over his chest, glad he didn't have to see the Faerie Queen again.
"Yeah, but she might have told us where Alec and Jace are." Isabelle countered.
"Sebastian said something about Alec, how Alec was staying out of this, so is Alec being held captive?" Clary asked worriedly.
"I doubt he'd go willingly. But why would Sebastian keep Alec away from everything, just what is he planning?" Simon asked.
"Wait… if Alec is actually being held captive by Sebastian… maybe Magnus can track him?" Clary suggested.
"If Jace couldn't be tracked, what are the odds that Alec will be easier to?" Isabelle asked crossing her arms over her chest.
"We might as well try tracking Alec. It wouldn't hurt to do something." Simon said softly.
Isabelle sighed heavily. "Fine, we don't have anything else to do anyway."
The three left Turtle Park and walked through a portal Clary made leading to Magnus's loft.
Thank you so much Karen Hikari for being my awesome beta! Without her help I'd be so lost ^.^'
Also thank you so much for being so patient! Part 2 is really almost done! Thanks again for being awesome and I'll see you next chapter I hope!