Chapter 29

Magnus smiled slightly as he, Alec and Maia returned to the house. He and Alec had decided to keep that they were back together a secret for a while because they wanted to make sure it worked out. Maia had given them hopeful looks but they only told her they talked and weren't mad at each other anymore, but every time Magnus caught the Shadowhunter's eye he felt giddy and wanted to shout from the rooftops, that he was in love with a Shadowhunter. The feeling was replicated in Alec.

As soon as they entered the house, they were ambushed by Izzy, Jace and Jordan, and the hugging began. After they all were hugged twice (an awkward hug between Jordan and Maia – the other four began wondering about their relationship but dismissed the thought) they settled in the living room to discuss topics and to get the information for the next round.

'We're drawing with the bloodsuckers now.' Jace grinned, he was sat on the three-seater settee. 'We watched the mini-round on the TV and it looked fun'

'Especially the water flumes!' Izzy added, she sat by herself on the single bean bag.

'What is it with you Lightwoods and your weird perception of fun?' Magnus shook his head and frowned making them laugh.

'How much did you see?' Alec asked, he was sat in between Jace and Magnus on the sofa.

'Where Magnus face-planted the river and you got him out, then it went to the other contestants, then we saw the flumes and Magnus got hit in the head with a branch. The swimming and the zip wire.' Jordan explained. 'But, seriously Magnus, the branch was big enough to see, so why you didn't dodge it is beyond me.'

'I was thinking of other things…' Magnus rolled his eyes. The room plunged into darkness and his tone turned sarcastic. 'Yay. Projection time.'

'Shut up.' Maia growled, though there was affection and a teasing playfulness in her voice, she had grown fond of her team. The projection was shown in the middle of the room, this time it was a male vampire just stood. He had blood red hair that fell to his shoulders, his pale skin look even more surreal compare to it and his skin seemed to shimmer. His fangs was hidden from sight.

'Is he wearing my glitter?' Magnus whispered to Alec making him laugh.

'Hi there, contestants. Welcome to Round Two. Currently the Warlock team and the Vampire team are drawing with twenty points. The Fae team and the Werewolf team with fifteen. Well done so far.

'The next round is a Baking Round. So I hope you can cook. And I can reveal that, in the Vampire team has Shadowhunter Jia Penhallow, the Fae has Shadowhunter Tiberius Blackthorn and the Werewolf team has Shadowhunter Lazaro Nightshade. But for you, your competitor is Shadowhunter…'

The tension was thick in the room, Alec fully expecting it to be him as he competed with these in the first round. Izzy was thinking it was Alec, Jace wasn't too bothered and Magnus was relieved it wasn't him. Maia was planning training by baking lots and Jordan was hoping he could inspire the contestant with his culinary advice.

'Isabelle Lightwood.' The projection went out and Jace's laughter started.

'The Angel we're losing this round.' Jace laughed.

'No, we're not.' Izzy replied sternly.

'Yes we are. Iz, I'm sorry but you can't cook.' Jace replied. 'So, we should take volunteers for the mini-round. I volunteer and Iz should because she'll have messed it up.'

'We will win.' Izzy snapped back and she stood up quickly, her brown eyes blazing with anger. 'I can practise tonight and Jordan can help.'

'Not even the greatest cook of all could help you make something remotely edible.' Jace retorted. Izzy scrunched up her mouth, tears forming in her eyes.

'Thanks for the encouragement! Maybe if you didn't mock me every time I cooked I would have improved.' She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

'Well done Jace.' Alec spat at him as he got up and followed after his sister. The three Downworlders sat, giving the Shadowhunter dismayed looks.

'What! It's the truth. I'm going to sleep.' Jace replied as he left the room. The other three sat in silence.

The Angel, I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. Izzy repeated in her head as she punched her pillow over and over again. Why does he have to mock me? She then gave up hitting the pillow and threw herself down on the bed, curling into a 'c' shape and hugging her knees to her chest, her hair covering her face. She heard the door open and hid her face more.

'Go away, Jace.' She snapped immediately, her anger flaring up again.

'I'm hurt you think I'm that blonde idiot.' The familiar voice of her brother replied and she calmed down instantly. She felt the bed sink lower as he sat by her feet.

'It's okay if it's just you.' She mumbled. 'Not Magnus or anyone else with you.'

'It is just me.' He waited for a few moments. 'Iz, let me see your face.'

She complied and sat up, looking at him in his beautiful blue eyes, she was jealous he got their mother's eyes and she got their father's boring brown ones. His eyes softened, she was red-faced and had tears in her eyes - he pulled her into a hug and she relaxed into it. 'Let it go, Iz. You can cry I won't judge you.'

'Crying makes us weak.' She murmured feebly.

'No, it doesn't.' He responded, his voice soft in that big brother way, it relaxed her and he gently rocked them back and forth. She gave up trying not to cry and let it go. A few moments later Izzy withdrew from the hug and looked at her brother's face, he put his hand out and wiped the tears from her cheek, 'See? You cried but you're still the same strong, badass, little sister, I love.'

She laughed shakily as more tears fell down her cheeks. 'I guess.'

'Well, I know.' Alec smiled kindly, his gaze then turned serious as he studied Izzy. 'What got you so upset this time? Normally you argue or hit him or shrug it off. What changed?'

'I just… It's because, before the games I got sick of his constant jibs at my cooking so I read some cookery books and I've been learning to cook from them ever since, there are lots under the bed.' She confessed, her cheeks slightly pink. They both leaned over the side and looked at the huge mountain of cookery books.

'Have you cooked anything from them yet?'' he asked.

'No, not yet.' Izzy looked at the duvet and started picking at the design, butterflies.

'And, what else is wrong?' His question caught her off guard and she panicked, her eyes widened.

'N-nothing.' She looked up at him. His eyebrows were raised and his eyes were sceptical, she knew she wasn't getting out of this.

'Why I don't I believe you?' He queried.

'I don't know, it's completely true.' She tried to cover.

'But it isn't.' Alec grabbed her foot, his grip was firm but gentle in that way he always did when he sparred with her. 'Start talking or I'll tickle your feet.'

'Do it.' Izzy dared him, this was a common scene from their childhood. Alec would tickle her till she told him what he wanted to know. She squirmed and started laughing as he tickled her feet soon she was begging and bargaining for him to stop the torture. Alec grinned triumphantly – it always worked, always.

'Now are you going to tell me?'

'Y-yes.' She replied breathless from the struggle. She got her breath back before she started to talk. 'There's this guy…' she trailed off expecting Alec to sigh or roll his eyes but he remained interested. She carried on. 'And, we dated a little and I had fun, he isn't the usual guy I go for because he's a bit nerdy, but he's sweet and he treats me differently than the other guys I've dated, which I like. It's like he sees me as a person with a brain and not just my looks like most guys. We enjoyed our time together because it was always fun.

'But then the games were announced. And, I told him I was going in and I may have mentioned your relationship with Magnus, and then he thought it was the best thing since waterproof mascara. And then, he wouldn't tell me why it was "oh so amazing" he said he couldn't but wouldn't say why he couldn't, so we argued and I told him I never wanted to see him again and I guess, we broke up. We didn't communicate until I got this letter from him, telling me to be careful, there was something big going to happen and that he was sorry. But I don't know how I feel about it, it's been on my mind a lot.'

'You like him right?' Alec asked, he saw how the look in her eye changed when she had talked about him, she was fond of him which was unusual. Actually, the whole talking to him about a guy was unusual. That's how Alec knew the answer already.

'Yes.' She said cautiously, frowning at the bedspread, 'I think I do.'

'And he apologised?' Alec asked again.

'He did.'

'Then give him a second chance.' Alec replied. 'It's probably not that big of a deal, he's probably just overreacting. Besides, if you like him why not give him a second chance? The worse that could happen is you get hurt a little, but Izzy you will heal again.' Believe me I know, he thought, I did it.

'But once you heal you're never really whole again because they have a claim on your heart and as long as they have it, you're never really the you, you were before them, are you?'

'You may have changed a little but that's what we do.' Alec replied. 'Look at me for example, before Magnus, I was scared, selectively mute and unhappy. But now, I'm not scared, I can speak and I'm happier. And, another example Jace and Clary, Clary isn't as shy now she had Jace and Jace is still Jace. Besides, you might like the you you are after him better than the you you were before him.'

'I guess.' She smiled. 'Thank you, Alec. I love you.' they hugged again, Izzy feeling better than she had before.

'I love you too.' He replied. 'Now, let's go get Jordan and Magnus and you can practice baking.'


W/M: What do you think? This is a filler-chapter because I think we needed some Lightwood sibling bonding. I'll put the practice-baking in the extras.

But can you believe Cassandra Clare? I've been told she put the release date of COHF back. If it's true then I'm mad.