Alec couldn't help but feel instantly relieved when he heard the perimeter alarm go off, he needed the distraction after having a god-awful day so far. First, he woke up to find Magnus had already left earlier that morning to talk with the Seelies which honestly Alec could do without (it also meant he missed out on his earlier morning Magnus cuddles, not that he's sulking or anything) then he arrived at the institute to Jace, Izzy and Clary pestering on what happened with the wolves and how Alec could find and get Clary and Simon back unharmed. Alec still stood by his ideals and refused to tell them; it was too much of a risk. Then, just to top everything off, Lydia Branwell appeared disguised as Valentine Morgenstern and started bossing everyone around. Who does she think she is just because the Clave sent her doesn't mean everything his family worked towards could go down the drain because one woman didn't like how things were run?
So instead of picking fights with the Clave representative, Alec stormed off to check the perimeter with Jace, Clary and Izzy. The moon was high in the sky as Alec slowly approached the area where the alarm was triggered with his bow and arrow out ready to shoot; he wasn't taking any chances. Not with Lydia, not with Clary, not with his family, and not with whatever was waiting for them in the dark.
"Stay where you are" Jace shouted when he spotted a figure in the dark. It seemed to be holding something, "And drop what you're holding".
Alec felt his heart freeze, Raphael was here, why the hell was Raphael here? The vampire hated the Shadowhunters. He only got along with Alec because, well, Alec showed that he was close with both Simon and Magnus and that he cared for the Downworlders whilst the other Shadowhunters didn't. But that didn't explain why Raphael was here. He wouldn't dare set foot near Shadowhunter territory unless something had happened. Alec let his eyes trail down to person Raphael was holding, his eyes widening as Raphael stepped into the moonlight to reveal just what or who he had. It was Simon. Pale, dead Simon.
They brought Simon and Raphael into the crypt below the institute, Raphael lay Simon's dead body onto the stone table. Alec didn't know what to think, his friend was dead. His best friend was dead, the one person who could understand and accept the two parts of his life, the one where he's a shadowhunter and the other where he is the High Mage of Brooklyn working with the High Warlock to protect their warlocks under their care and the other Downworlders in Brooklyn from the threat that the Shadowhunters and the Circle posed. Simon understood that, and now he was dead.
"What the hell happened Santiago?" Alec growled, pulling Raphael away from the others and towards the back of the crypt. His hand tight on Raphael's arm.
"Camille, she did this to him, she turned him," Raphael replied.
"I thought the clan overthrew Camille, why the hell would she go after Simon," Alec asked. That made little sense. Magnus told him that not long after Simon's original vampire kidnapping, the New York Clan revolted against Camille overthrowing her and put Raphael in charge of the clan.
"Revenge," Raphael said, it was the only reason he could think of for Camille to attack his boyfriend, "Simon texted me saying he was coming over to the hotel and then the next thing I know I hear him screaming and find Camille sucking the life out of him. I was only just able to get my blood into his system before Si… died,".
"Don't we get to hear this story, you killed Simon? Vampires broke the accords," Jace said, wrapping his arm around Clary, letting her cry into his chest.
"The vampires are not behind this, just Camille. She attacked Simon on her own" Raphael explained, he didn't want to deal with these shadowhunters, he had only brought Simon here so he could get to Alec, after all this time knowing Alec at the council meetings and through Magnus, Raphael never got Alec's phone number and considering Magnus wasn't here, Raphael couldn't go to him for help.
"This was your fault, you kidnapped Simon! For all, I know you drugged him and handed him right over to Camille" Clary screamed at Raphael before collapsing beside Simon like she was a weeping widow begging for Simon to come back.
"There is a way," Raphael said, he could only he hopeful that Simon's friend would go for it, well if she didn't then Raphael was in the right mind to take Simon's body and do it himself, Simon was his boyfriend, his significant annoyance and he didn't want to lose him to one girl's choice.
"A way what?" the blonde-haired shadowhunter said.
"To bring Simon back" Alec spoke up, he knew the process, if Camille was the one who drained Simon and if he died with Raphael's blood in Simon's veins then if the process went successfully, they could bring Simon back, he just wouldn't be a mundane anymore.
"You can do that? How?" Clary asked, looking from Alec to Raphael.
"He's a fledgeling, it's a state of transition. We can resurrect Simon" Raphael said. Clary let out a relieved breath whilst the other two shadowhunters protested.
"So, I could have Simon back? Alive and breathing?" Clary asked, this time looking at Alec for an answer, Alec shook his head.
"Fray, the Simon you knew is dead, but as Raphael said, he is in a state of transformation. If you continue with the process, then Simon wouldn't return alive or breathing, but as a vampire, like Raphael, like Camille," Alec explained.
"You can't do that to him, Clary" Jace said, but Alec held his hand up.
"Don't interfere, Jace, this is Fray's decision. Simon is her friend," Alec said, shooting a look at his Parabatai.
"Sunrise is approaching, we must turn Simon into a vampire tonight or staked through the heart" Raphael said even though he didn't want these bastards to kill his boyfriend, he just didn't know what to do. Simon never discussed with him about turning. For all Raphael knew, Simon would hate the idea of being brought back to live an eternal life as a vampire.
"And if I don't," Clary asked. She had tried so hard to keep Simon out of her shadowhunter life, but no matter how hard she tried, it led to this. A choice between saving Simon or killing him. If she killed him, then Clary would lose her best friend forever, but if she saved him if she turned him into a vampire, then Simon might still be out of her reach.
"It will trap his soul in his body for eternity," Alec said, looking at Clary, who was about to burst into tears again, "people will wonder what we found outside the perimeter. You three should return to the others. They might get suspicious if Fray is missing, tell them that whatever was here had disappeared by the time we got there,".
"No, I want to stay will Simon," Clary said. She wasn't leaving her best friend's side.
"No offence, Fray, but he's going anywhere. You need to decide whether you are going to turn Simon or kill him, you need a change of scenery to make that decision. I'll stay down here with Raphael to make sure he does nothing. Just tell Lydia that I've gone after the person who tripped the wards or had some errands to run" Alec said, crossing his arms over his chest and stared at Clary. He wouldn't change his mind of this decision plus he didn't think Raphael would want to be trapped with Clary acting like she was the most important person in Simon's life when that was far from the truth. Clary stared at Alec before storming out of the crypt with Jace and Izzy following close behind her, Alec could only guess the interrogation he was going to get when everything was over.
"You didn't have to stand up for me," Raphael said when the other shadowhunters left the crypt.
"I did, you're important to Magnus and Simon and they don't understand the hardship Vampires go through, especially Fray. She believes in the glamorous vampires like those Twilight weirdos, she sees our world through the tinted lens of the fantasy books and films she grew up within the mundane world, she's not ready for the dangers of our world yet," Alec said, Jace and Izzy might see Fray as this amazing person to come into their lives but Alec saw her for who she really is, a self-centred person who doesn't care whether she hurts other people because it was for her own gain. Alec honestly didn't understand how people could like her, let alone get along with her.
"Simon understood me for who I was," Raphael said, "and now I may lose him altogether,".
"Raphael, you're Simon's boyfriend. You have more right to decide whether you want to resurrect him as a vampire or let him pass on to the next life. And if you want, it's still nightfall we can take Simon and leave Fray behind" Alec said because it was true. Raphael deserved to decide what happened to the man he loved, not some pathetic girl whose only priorities were getting her mother back, playing football with Simon's self-esteem and making Alec's life a living hell.
"I'm scared that Simon will hate me if I bring him back as a vampire," Raphael confessed.
"He wouldn't," Alec said the conversation he had with Simon at the Downworlder rave fresh in his mind.
"How would you know! Simon hasn't ever spoken about whether or not he would want to become a vampire" Raphael said, Simon was the best thing that had happened to him ever since he was turned into a vampire. He couldn't lose him, but it scared Raphael that if he turned him, then he would lose Simon. Becoming a vampire was traumatic, the sudden urgers for human blood and the life and death situation with sunlight. It wasn't an easy and glamorous life to live.
"He does," Alec said, "The night I got engaged to Magnus and the attack on the warlocks, I spoke with Simon. He was planning on asking you to turn him. He said that his link to the mundane world is gone now, considering Fray is a part of the shadowworld. He wouldn't hold it against you if you turned him. He wanted it, Raphael, Simon wanted to be with you forever as a vampire,".
"Really?" Raphael said, his non-beating heart filled with hope.
"Honestly, I wouldn't lie about this. Simon would sacrifice his ability to walk in the sunlight or eat normal foods just to be with you because Raphael, that is how much Simon loves you,".
Alec didn't like that Raphael had left the decision to whether to turn Simon or kill him to Clary. Like Alec had said to Raphael, Raphael was Simon's boyfriend, and Simon had previously asked about being turned into a vampire so he could stay with Raphael, but Alec didn't have the choice to argue. After the conversation with Raphael, Alec left him alone so he could at least have his final moments with Simon just in case Fray chose the wrong decision although Alec was quite close to going rogue and helping Raphael smuggle Simon's body out the of the institute before Clary even had the chance to decide. Unfortunately, Alec didn't have the time to dwell on that idea for now as Izzy and Jace were marching towards him. He knew this was coming, but just like everything else, Alec wished he had longer to prepare for it.
"Spill," Isabelle said, "You know more about the downworlder traditions than a normal shadowhunter does. How?".
"That doesn't concern you," Alec snapped.
"For Angel's sake, Alec, we are trying to understand you! You've shown no interest in downworlders before, yet somehow you know when the warlock funeral is going to take place something that we didn't know and somehow you know about the transformation process for Vampires, something kept from us Shadowhunters for years. That on top with your current grouchy behaviour and constant disappearances. It times you are honest with us Alec," Izzy said, she was sick and tired of her brother lying to her, they were family, he was meant to share his secrets with them as her big brother according to their parents was meant to set an example for them.
"You want me to be honest Isabelle, fine I'll be honest," Alec started, "I hate shadowhunters. I hate what we stand for, I hate that we believe that somehow, we're better than the Downworld when news flash we aren't. If all four species of downworlders decided that they wanted to get rid of the shadowhunters then they would be able to, they are stronger than us and that scares the Clave which is why we force them behind these stupid Accords just to save our own skin. We should be equal to the Downworld, yet we are far from that,".
"I hate how for some reason you need to know every intricate detail about my life, but as I said before, if I dared ask you, you would rip my head off. I'm sick and tired of being treated like dirt, like something you can use and then throw away. I'm tired of being constantly walked all over because for some unknown reason you both seem to believe that you're untouchable and can get away with anything whilst the rest of us must deal with your mess. You want to know why I'm so strict to the rules, it because after your last set of unsanctioned missions, the clave decided that as the leader of this team I would be de-runed if this ever happened again. You're lucky that our parents could prevent that from happening then and there but consider you're letting Fray running around the city without knowing what's she doing, I'll be lucky if I keep my life," Alec said, it was something he didn't want to think about, he never told Magnus nor Simon that he risked becoming a mundane because his siblings couldn't follow the rules.
"Whilst we are on the subject let's talk about Fray, you know Valentine's daughter," Alec said, he kept talking, refusing to let them have the chance to interrupt him, they wanted to know what he was thinking then they better listen "I'm all for seeing the good in people and finding redeemable qualities considering the people closest to me have demonic or mundane blood running through their veins but I can't stand her. You both follow her around like she is some great gift which has fallen from the sky when in fact all she has done has been risking our safety looking for her mother and gotten Simon killed. It wasn't Raphael's fault; it was Fray's and Camille's. So, you really want to know this Isabelle, Jonathon. I'm keeping my life private from you because I have reached my breaking point where I can't trust you anymore. Not with my life and certainly not with my secrets. Sometimes I wonder how I'm related to or parabatai with such reckless and irresponsible people,".
"If that want you to think of us Alec then fine be like that, we don't need you anymore," Jace said, blocking his parabatai rune for the first time since they were connected at their parabatai ceremony, it felt wrong like he was incomplete because he couldn't feel Alec but Alec had been clear that he hated them and Clary, "Clary's decided on the mundane".
"Good," Alec said, pushing past his family and walking back down to the crypt. He could only hope Clary had made the right decision.
Unaware of what was happening underneath her institute, Maryse Lightwood knew what she needed to do to save her family and their family reputation.
"Ms Branwell, may I have a moment of your time. I have a proposition for you which could work out for the both of us" Maryse said approaching the other woman, Lydia looked up from the computer she was working on to look at the head of the New York Institute.
"Which is?" Lydia asked.
"Come to my office and we will discuss it," Maryse said. She didn't need the others overhearing it until they put everything in place.