Shout-out to:Lilietje99, chapiggy, and 4everallways for being awesome and reviewing the last chapter! Thank you!
"Magnus, we have to alert the Institute!", Tessa said. Magnus didn't say anything. He simply entered the room and walked around the dead fairy bodies.
"We can't Tessa," he said without looking at her.
"Why not?"
"The Nephilim of the New York Institute are not as kind as the Nephilim of the London Institute once were. The place is run by Lightwoods, and you know how they were back then."
"Magnus, have you forgotten that it was only Benedict who was unkind? Have you forgotten about kind Gideon or Gabriel? Have you forgotten that one of them married my sister-in-law?"
"Well, it doesn't matter. The Nephilim of this city's Institute are not warm or kind in any way."
"Magnus, that is a lie and you know it! Ever since I arrived in New York, those Shadowhunters have been nothing but kind and welcome! You don't want to contact them because you don't want to see Alexander Lightwood!"
"How do you know that I do not wish to see Alexander Lightworm?"
As soon as he had said Lightworm, Tessa remembered Will. That had to have been Magnus' motive. She had been reminding him of the love he had left and in return, he had reminded her of the love she had lost. She swallowed and looked down at the floor. "You had to bring that up?"
"Bring what up?! What could Lightworm possibly remind you of-" He stopped. He must have finally realized. "Remind you of Will. Oh, Tessa, I'm sorry."
"It's alright Magnus. It's been almost a century since he...left. I shouldn't still be in pain."
"Tessa, he was your husband. You will never stop feeling pain. But tell me this, how did you know of me and Alexander?"
"I've been speaking with Isabelle."
"Ah, I understand. Alright, Tessa. If you still wish to contact the Institute, go ahead.
Clary sat with Isabelle (who was currently cradling Church in her arms) in the library. Since Clary had explained to Jace that she thought someone was after Isabelle, he had insisted that at least one of them watch her at all times. So, here Clary was. Jace would take over in an hour or so.
"I'm gonna get some coffee from the kitchen, want some?", she asked. She was supposed to stay with Izzy, but she needed caffeine if her body was going to stay in one spot for a whole hour without being able to move.
"Sure, I could use some caffeine," Isabelle replied.
Clary got up from her chair and headed towards the door. When she opened it, she found Brother Zachariah about to enter the library. Perfect, someone would watch Izzy while she was gone.
"Do you want some coffee, Brother Zachariah?"
"You know that you can call me Jem now."
"Right. Force of habit, sorry."
"It's not a problem. And to answer your question, I'm fine." He looked past her and into the library.
Everything fell away. Jem couldn't see anything, hear anything. All that mattered was this cat, this beautiful cat that Jem had rescued so many years ago, in what felt like a different life. Seeing Church's face, Jem was back in London. He saw Charlotte cursing Church for ruining her rugs, Will making a big show of his bites at dinner, Tessa's startled face when the cat had interrupted them in the music room.
His heart stuttered. So much time had passed, so much had happened, but now he was with Church and he was going to meet Tessa in Central Park soon. They were the only two things he got back from his past life. The rest was gone, fallen away. Will was gone.
He forced himself to concentrate. Church had leapt out of Isabelle's arms and was running towards him. He smiled and held out his arms, and the cat threw itself into them. Holding him was like holding his past life, all the people he had loved, most of whom were not here anymore. He burrowed his face in Church's soft, blue fur.
"Church," he whispered.
"Meow," the cat replied.
Clary walked over to Isabelle. Izzy was just watching Jem with Church.
"Did Brother Zachariah just steal our cat?", she asked.
"I think so."
Jace soon called the three of them downstairs. There, he told them that he had received a call from Tessa. He proceeded to tell the group that she had been at the Seelie Court when she discovered a room full of dead fairies. The Seelie Queen had been among those fairies.
"By the Angel! A full room of dead fairies? And a dead Seelie Queen?", Clary asked.
"Hey, look at you saying 'By the Angel'," Jace said.
"So, wait. What are they going to do? Do they just get a new Queen?", Isabelle asked.
"I think so," Jem replied.
"I wonder who they're going to get to be the new Queen," Clary said.
"Isabelle, DUCK!", Jem shouted.
"What?", Izzy replied. Clary saw what was happening. She grabbed Isabelle and made her drop to the ground. When Clary eventually looked up, she saw what had exactly happened. Someone had thrown a fairly large rock through the window. It had to be the person who had constantly been trying to kill Isabelle. But it was strange that they knew that she'd be the closest to the window. Did they have a traitor under the Institute roof? And if they did, who was it? And why Isabelle of all people? And if they did get Izzy, who would their next target be? Clary knew one thing for sure: They had to get Isabelle out of the Institute as soon as possible.
Clary and Jace explained their theory to Isabelle and Jem. Clary finished off by saying that they needed to get Isabelle away from the Institute as soon as possible. Now, Clary waited for Isabelle's response.
"I agree. I need to get out of here. I can't stay much longer, or I'll be killed," she finally replied. "Who's doing this anyways?"
"My money's on a guy who killed your brother and who has demon blood in his system," Jace said.
"Sebastian. Of course," Izzy whispered.
"But where will you go, Isabelle? Surely Sebastian will find you at another Institute," Jem said.
"To a place where I know that turd could never get to me."
"Which is where exactly?", Clary asked.
"A place where only female Shadowhunters can enter. The last time I went there, someone there said that I'd be welcome to become one of them."
"Isabelle, you don't mean...," Jace began.
"I do Jace. I do."
"What? What place?" Clary asked, genuinely confused.
"I mean the Adamant Citadel. The home of the Iron Sisters."
"But wait, when you said that one of them said that you're welcome to become one of them, you mean that-"
"Yes, Clary. I do mean that. They said that if one day I want to be one, I could. That's the only way to escape Sebastian. I need to become an Iron Sister."
Woah, Izzy's going to be an Iron Sister! I hope that you guys didn't mind the little Jem and Church reunion. It was just something I really wanted to add.