Chapter 9:
"What time is it?" mumbled Alaska into Jace's chest. After about a millisecond of kissing in the hallway, Isabelle yelled at them to get a room. So they did. They made out for a bit in Jace's room and then decided they were too tired to go on.
"Three thirty." Groaned Jace, taking a quick look at the alarm clock on his bedside table. They were lying on his queen-sized bed; his arm was wrapped sloppily around her waist and Alaska was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.
They both knew what was going on in the other's head, but only because it was going on in their head as well. They wondered what this meant for them. They wondered what they were. Alaska wondered if she was doing the right thing. Jace wondered if Alaska even really wanted this.
All in all, they were confused. But neither of them wanted to say anything. They were afraid it would ruin the moment. For now they wanted to enjoy each other's company. "It's actually three twenty-eight." Said Alaska more specifically after taking a look at the alarm clock herself.
"We should go to sleep." Said Jace. "But I don't want to." Replied Alaska. She knew that when the morning comes things wouldn't be the same. Izzy would ask questions, Jace would ask questions- Hell, Alaska would ask questions herself.
She just wanted to enjoy now. Even if now consisted of them lying on his bed saying and doing absolutely nothing. So they spent the next two hours doing exactly that. They spoke a couple of times, but never had an actual conversation.
"Wakey wakey!" Alaska and Jace both groaned in unison when little Max jumped on to the bed landing on their stomachs. "Max." she groaned as he giggled. "Mum made breakfast and it's already getting cold. You better hurry up if you want to eat it!" he yelled before he ran back out the door.
Alaska and Jace stumbled down the hard marble steps hand in hand. Nobody said anything about their intertwined hands, but that didn't stop them from smiling. Everyone but Alec. His glare never left Alaska, even as they ate.
He sunk his teeth into a corner of his hash brown, and Izzy was convinced that Alec was imagining it to be Alaska's face. Alec ripped the piece and chewed, his jaw moving with a speed that amazed Isabelle.
"Are you okay, Alec?" she asked quietly, so only he could hear. "Yeah, I'm fine." He said through his gritted teeth. "Alaska, you have mail." Said Maryse, walking into the dining room with dozens of envelopes and letters in her arms.
"You get mail here?" asked Alaska after swallowing a bit of her pancake. "Yeah, only from shadowhunters of course. We usually only really get from the Clave or friends from Idris."
Alaska nodded and thanked Maryse when she put the envelopes in her awaiting hand. "Who is it from?" whispered Jace into her ear. Alaska shrugged, if only she knew. One of the two letters was from Amatis, who was wondering how she was doing.
Alaska made a mental note to reply after breakfast. The other wasn't signed and was written in sloppy handwriting that Alaska had trouble deciphering. She mouthed the words as she read, but didn't make any noise. She had her eyes wide open by the time she finished. She dropped the letter and slid of her chair. Alaska was in complete shock
Jace grabbed her hand before she could get to far away from the table. "What happened?" he asked. Alaska didn't answer instead she shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She muttered before continuing her walk to the greenhouse.
Jace couldn't help but worry about his lady friend (he didn't want to call her his girlfriend, not yet). He picked the letter off the ground and read it with no trouble. "Shit." He said, before running after Alaska.
Dear Alaska Bellestern,
I know that you know that the fire that killed your mother was no accident. The fire wasn't meant for your mother, it was for you, Alaska. And you will die, just as your mum.