more fanfiction, finally...if I'm going to be honest, I wrote this chapter, along with the next few a while ago, but the reason it took me so long to update is that I wasn't happy with my writing...so I tried to fix things up, but sorry if it's not satisfactory :(
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"You must learn to let go. Release the stress. You were never in control anyway."
― Steve Maraboli
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"Maia, do you remember anything? Perhaps, where Stephen might be located?" Jia asked. They were back in Idris, in the tall, marble room, questioning Maia about Stephen's whereabouts and plans. It was more private than the last meeting, with just Jia, Maia, Robert, Maryse and Jordan. Isabelle and Clary were too busy tending to Simon at the Institute. But Maia's mind kept slipping back to all the chaos that had went down at the Lightwoods' home and she was too focused on hoping Simon was alright rather than answering the questions the Consul was asking.
"Maia?" Jia pressed.
She blinked, opening her eyes wider to the people staring at her, "What? N-no...I mean...it was like a big garage. And there was garbage everywhere." Maia breathed in deeply as the memories came back to her, "He put this red rune on me. It prevented me from turning. Then, he injected me with this bluish liquid that enhanced my senses so that I was basically a werewolf without actually changing. He told me he was going to control me and he did. It was like there was this blackness surging through me and I felt as though I was stuck in my own body-" her voice hitched as her breath caught in her throat and she looked at Jordan for help.
He took in her signs and placed his hand on Jia's arm to stop her, "I think she's had enough for today. I mean, you didn't even give her time to recover from what happened."
Jia nodded as Robert sighed, "Right."
"You two can go home for now," said Maryse.
Jia agreed, "Thank you for your contributions."
As Maia got up from her chair, and grabbed Jordan's hand, they overheard the older adults conversing behind them, "She broke the accords by stabbing a mundane," said Robert.
"Simon is almost a shadowhunter," Maryse whispered, "that's a big deal."
Jia shook her head, "We cannot punish her for that because she was under the power of Stephen. That's not right-"
"Laws are laws, Jia." Robert whispered harshly, "And Isabelle would be devastated if anything were to happen to her husband. You know that. Maia should be punished-"
"Maia," Jordan murmured into her ear as he pulled her towards the door, "Let's go."
...
Clary had never been so worried in her life. Losing Jace and nearly losing Simon in the same day doubled her amount of stress, which was already a lot. But now, she felt even more upset because she hadn't seen her parents or her baby in over three days.
"Clary, you can go home; I know you haven't seen Leo in a while. Also, I think Jace and Magnus are in the Silent City now." Isabelle said quietly. They had been taking care of Simon for the entire night, and all Clary could do was check her phone for any new messages. The last one she had gotten was from Magnus earlier, saying that Jace had 'had an episode'. She didn't know exactly what that meant, but hoped that Simon would be stable soon so that she could go see Jace. Magnus, Alec and Jace hadn't been answering their phones and it was worrying her even more.
"No, I think I should wait until his fever breaks-" Clary protested.
Isabelle sighed, "Who knows when that will be. As a mundane, it's taking him longer to heal and obviously we can't ask the Silent Brothers for help. Magnus isn't answering his phone, but I'm sure his magic would kill Simon anyway-"
"Mommy, Daddy is bleeding again." Layla was tugging on Isabelle's arm. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying, but there was blood on her hands from trying to help Izzy and Clary with her dad.
Izzy couldn't believe how Layla was not squeamish. Obviously, she used to drink blood, so it wasn't that much of a surprise, but it was Simon. Her own father.
"Shit...really?" Isabelle hustled over to the bed, where Kaden was leaning over Simon. His chest was wrapped with bandages that were white only an hour ago, but like Layla had said, he was bleeding again, so the white was dripping scarlet.
"Simon?" Izzy's hands were shaking as she felt his neck and cheeks to get him to open his eyes, "Can you hear me?"
His lips were as white as his face, all the color washed out by the poison raging through his veins. The bleeding from the wound in his chest would stop bleeding temporarily, but then start up again, and the black lines spiking from around it had gotten longer and thicker since he had first been stabbed. Things weren't looking up for him.
Clary began to strip his bandages and sent Kaden away for new ones while Simon's mouth opened and he rasped in a breath, "Iz...I can see her."
Isabelle opened her mouth to respond, but her eyes were hesitant. Maybe he shouldn't be talking while he's that injured, "Who are you seeing, Si?"
"Our little girl." His eyes closed again and he smiled weakly, like he was seeing something that he hadn't seen in a while and was trying not to cry.
Isabelle was convinced that he was delusional. Everything around him probably looked ghostly, with a whitish fuzz. That's how things had looked to her when she had almost been killed by a demon once before.
"I'm here, Daddy." Layla whispered calmly at the foot of his bed.
But Simon shook his head, eyes still closed, "She looks just like you, Izzy. Long, dark hair, dark eyes. She's even got your smile." Simon started to chuckle, but his soft laugh soon turned into a harsh cough and blood spurted from his mouth and dribbled down his chin.
Isabelle was too mesmerized by his description of someone who seemed faintly familiar to wipe away the blood, "Oh...you mean Ava?"
He nodded, finally opening his eyes to look at her, "She's holding my hand and telling me to be strong." The warm chocolate eyes that Isabelle found herself in day after day clouded over with tears and darkness as he spoke his next words with a choked certainty, "I guess that means I'm dying."
...
Once Simon's bleeding slowed and he was asleep again, Isabelle and Clary could finally sit back and rest. Layla and Kaden had fallen asleep in an extra bed hours ago, although the dawn sun had been peeking past the horizon when they did so.
"He's really fighting," Clary whispered from across the room. She was sitting on a small love seat with a blanket thrown over her shoulders to keep her warm. The warmth seemed to have been sucked out of the room along with the life, "For his life, I mean." She said sadly, "He wants to live. And I don't blame him. I wouldn't be so quick to leave my family, no matter how much pain I was in."
"Simon is Simon." Izzy said, "And ever since he realized he loved me and I loved him back, he never put himself first. Even though self sacrifice is the greatest kind of sacrifice...he wouldn't leave us." She laughed softly while wiping quickly at her wet eyes, "I know in this situation, it's not actually his choice. But I'm positive he won't miss out on the twins and Liam growing up. I just can't imagine my life without him."
The redhead nodded her agreement, "I can't either."
"Clary..." Izzy muttered sleepily from a chair next to her husband. One of her hands was playing nonchalantly with Simon's hair while the other one rested on her stomach, where Liam seemed to be sleeping, too. "I heard Jace was getting moved to the Silent City, but why don't you go check for him in the infirmary just in case?"
Clary nodded, "Right. Maybe I should have when Simon first stopped bleeding..."
Izzy rolled her eyes, "I told you to."
"Whatever," Clary stood up and was about to leave the room when she turned and looked back at her friend, "How is Liam?"
Izzy shrugged, taking her hand off of her stomach, "I don't know. He doesn't move a lot anymore."
"If Magnus is still with Jace, do you want me to ask him to come check on you?" Clary offered.
"That would be great."
...
Clary wasn't even gone for two minutes before Isabelle recognized her high pitched scream from about an entire floor away. It jolted the twins out of their sleep and even though they were dazed and disoriented, they knew what they heard.
Isabelle stood up, gesturing for them to stay quiet, "As soon as I leave this room, lock the door behind me, do you understand?" She instructed them.
Both Layla and Kaden got up to follow her to the door and even though they did as they were told, Isabelle still turned around to draw an extra locking rune on the door. As soon as it was finished, she hurried up the stairs and towards the infirmary, only to find Clary standing in the middle of an enormous wreck. The beds were all crushed and there were some smudges of blood and cracks on the wall.
"Clary..." Izzy stepped into the room, her boots crunching shattered glass.
"Jace had one of Stephen's runes." Clary whispered, voice strained and quiet, "I think-"
"Magnus?" Alec's voice drifted over to them from a nearby pile of splintered wood and ripped cloth that looked as if it had been a bed.
"Alec!" Izzy cried, running straight for him.
His hand popped out of the rubbish and Isabelle grabbed it, pulling him out. He flopped on top of her and she held him in her lap as he coughed and spluttered through the a rising cloud of dust.
"Alec, what happened?" Izzy asked, cupping his face gently between her palms. He felt incredibly cold and clammy, but when he spoke, his voice was strong and unwavering.
"Jace took him," He whimpered, "He took Magnus and I don't know where. He knocked me out, but when I heard Clary scream just now, I knew." Alec struggled to sit up against her, "Jace said stuff about needing a faerie next." His eyes brightened, "I heard Maia broke free of Stephen's curse. What happened to her? Maybe we can break Jace's-"
Izzy's eyes darkened, "It's a long story."
They both turned around to see Clary speaking rapidly into her phone, "Yes, Jace got Magnus...No, he didn't kill anyone! Not that I know of, at least..."
Izzy sighed, "You should get some rest. Since the infirmary is wrecked, I'll help you to my room, where I'm keeping Simon-"
"What happened to Simon-"
Her patience snapped and her next words were a drawling growl, "It's a long story, Alexander, but if you let me take of you, maybe I'll tell it to you."
...
"We have to at least try, Isabelle-" Clary argued.
"The Silent Brothers aren't going to treat a human!" Izzy shouted back, but she was so frustrated and stressed out that trying anything basically seemed like their only immediate plan, "Whatever. Go ahead and summon them, but I've been in this world a lot longer than you and you would think I know better."
Clary glared at her friend, but stalked into a far corner to do what she thought was right.
Alec's arm went around his sister's shoulder and he leaned in to kiss her temple, "Isabelle, you're right about the Silent Brothers-"
Her phone rang at that exact moment and she groaned, knowing it was probably Jia or one of her parents, "Jia, I can't talk right now-"
"Isabelle, this is important. We need to speak with you and Simon. Also, if Alec and Clary are there, we'd like to speak with them, too." Jia spoke hurriedly.
"My husband is in critical condition and I need to take care of him." She ran a tired hand through her hair and sighed as Jia continued to speak in a very reprimanding tone.
"I need to speak with you and your husband to know what happened-"
"Fine. You can ask me any questions you want, but Simon is still unconscious, so I'm not sure you'll get anything out of him."
"No, we need everyone in Idris now." Jia said firmly.
"I'm not putting my husband through a portal, he's dying." Izzy protested.
Jia paused on the other end of the line, but when she spoke again, she sounded vicious and unapologetic, "Fine. But if anything happens to anyone else, it's on you."
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wow this chapter was incredibly boring and uneventful. sorry about that :/
let me know what you thought, though.
I promise, the next chapter is much more interesting and happy...kind of
thanks for reading!