Isabelle Lightwood was pacing restlessly in the kitchen at the Institute.
She moved from the fridge to the table, checking her phone, and back again. Finally she picked up the phone and moved to the dim lit hall. She sat on the stairs, eyes fixed on the door.
-Izzy what are you doing here?- Clary's voice made her turn and glare at the redhead.
-Do you know where Jace is?- She asked abruptly and looked as the girl turned paler and paler.
-Is he not in the Infirmary with Brother Zacariah?-
-No, they're both gone.-
-Maybe Alec knows.- Clary said hopeful, but Izzy shook her head.
-Alec's not in his room.- In her dark eyes flashed a shadow, was it worry or … fear?
Clary went sitting beside the dark haired girl, nervously biting her lower lip.
-Maybe they are together, don't you think?-
Izzy shook her head once again.
-I'm sure that when Alec went out Jace was still in the Infirmary, and I haven't heard Alec coming back since then.-
Izzy started patting her foot on the floor nervously and Clary was sure the other girl was about to storm out of the Institute looking for her brothers, when the door finally burst open and Jace ran insiade followed by the Silent Brother.
He didn't notice his sister and girlfriend sitting there, his hand rested on his shoulder caressing lightly the point where is Parabatai rune was and he seemed in pain.
-What the hell happened?- Izzy hissed making Jace jump in surprise. -Where have you been?-
Jace slowly turned to face the girls, who were now standing a few feet from him and Brother Zacariah, and showed his skin glowing dangerously.
His eyes were big in his face and he looked feverish.
Clary ran to him, but Jace jerked backward.
-Don't, not now.- He panted.
She looked at Brother Zacariah.
"Jace will be ok, don't worry." His voice echoed in their heads.
It was then that they noticed Izzy staring at the hand Jace kept against his collarbone. There was blood on his skin, and his shirt was soaked.
-No... please... no...- She was whispering and then she seemed about collapsing. -Please not Alec.-
She plead moving her arms around her waist as if she was breaking down in pieces.
Clary moved to support her and Izzy leaned over the shorter girl, she was shaking.
Jace moved the hand away looking in disbelief at the blood on his fingers.
Brother Zacariah moved closer to Jace and quickly examined his skin without touching it: the rune was still there, but it was crimson red instead of black.
"Alexander is alive." He told them.
Izzy fell on the floor like a puppet without strings and Clary collapsed beside her hurting her knees, but didn't say anything.
-Where is he? Where is my brother?- Izzy's voice sounded so broken that it hardly sound like hers.
-He's with...- The ring of Izzy's phone cut Jace off.
Clary took it from the other girl's shaking hand and opened the message.
-It's Simon, he says that Alec is fine, but he need to talk to you and he is outside.-
Isabelle stood up and ran outside, Jace had no time to stop her. Clary ducked her head and stared at his boyfriend asking silently to know what had happened. Brother Zacariah moved soundlessly to the Infirmary.
Magnus laid awake, his fingers moving slowly through Alec's hair. He knew Alec wasn't asleep either, even though he couldn't hear his breath. Alec didn't need to breath anymore, Magnus thought painfully.
The Warlock held him tighter feeling his lips pressing on the side of his own neck.
-Promise me you won't ever leave.- Magnus whispered.
Alec caressed the side of his face and smiled a little.
-I won't, if that's what you really want.-
Magnus took Alec's chin between his fingers to make him look straight in his eyes.
-Do you doubt me wanting you forever?-
Alec shook his head slightly, his blue eyes were so vulnerable that Magnus wished he could erease every pain from his soul, he wanted to see Alec's smile.
-It's just... It's just that I know I will always need to know you, everything about you, and I will always feel like you are shutting me out every time you refuse to tell me something about you.- By the end of his speech he was looking down at his hands.
-Look at me.- Magnus asked and Alec did so. -I have been alive so long that some things of my past are like old dreams, I cannot even remember whether they are true or not. Others are strong and painful. I was scared of telling you, scared of letting you in, because my heart has been broken so many times...- Alec moved so fast that Magnus had no time to react, even though he would have never moved away from him, and they were kissing.
-I missed this.- Magnus said softly.
-I missed you.- His boyfriend smiled and put his hand on Magnus' chest, right upon his heart. -I won't break it. It's too important to me, just like you.-
Isabelle found herself sitting on the stairs, again. The air of the night was cool, even though not cold, but she was shaking slightly.
Simon was standing in front of her with his eyes hidden behind his too long hair. Telling her what had happened had been one of the hardest thing he had ever done in his.
When he heard her heels on the marble slowly moved his head to look at her. Isabelle's dark eyes were rimmed with red, her face was wet, she had cried.
-I want my brother, I want to see him.- She said under her breath.
Simon seemed shocked.
-He... he is at Magnus'... I...I don't...-
-Will you come with me, or should I go by myself?- Isabelle cut his stammering off. Simon shook his head.
-I'll go with you.-
Isabelle started walking in the direction of Magnu's apartment, all too aware of the girl at his side who was not looking at him.
He had known that Isabelle would be shocked, but the idea of being the reason why she seemed so shattered made him felt sick.
More he kept repeating Alec's words in his head more he felt he had been wrong, he hadn't saved Isabelle, he had just hurt her.
They walked in silence and they did not talk while they were on the underground, they did not exchange a word until they reached Magnus' loft.
-Is he still my brother, isn't he?- Isabelle seemed so scared, but that did not take Simon by surprise, after everything that had happened with Jace. He nodded.
-He asked me to tell you he was alright, that sound like Alec, doesn't it?-
She nodded absent mindly and rang the buzzer.
Magnus' sleepy voice answered, Isabelle just told him to let her in. Simon watched her enter and brace himself for the waiting.
Brother Zacariah was looking outside one of the window of the infirmary, while Jace and Clary were sitting on the bed.
Jace had not allowed her to touch him yet, so she was just waiting for him to speak.
-Alec was hurt during a fight.- He finally whispered. -He was hurt and I wasn't with him.-
Clary sighed silently.
-Don't try to tell me it wasn't my fault, Alec is a good fighter I know, but I should have seen how broken he was, even though he played strong around us, I should have known that he was suffering for Magnus. When he realized he was dying he asked Simon to Turn him, he refused to be taken to Magnus, he said Magnus would have died in the process of saving him and he couldnt't let him.-
Jace hid his face in his hands so he did not see Clary's eyes widen nor her hands on her mouth to stop her shaking breath.
-Alec is no more a Shadowhunter, he is something else.-
-A vampire?- Clary forced herself asking. Jace shook his head.
-No... He is one of the Fallen, and I don't even know what it means, because all I cared was fight and I always let the books and the studies to him, all I know is that when I told him he had been a fool, that he shouldn't have gave his life away, he snapped at me and called me a pretentious fool who never consider how his problems turn to be others' problem because he never thinks.-
-I am sure he didn't really think what he said, I guess he was just upset.-
Jace shook his head still without raise his head.
-He thought every single word, and he was right too, it's just that he never told me before, he is my...- He suddenly seemed to be chocking -He was my Parabatai.- He whispered staring at nothing in particular his eyes wide and unfocused.
"He is your parabatai Jace." Brother Zacariah voice said. "He chose not to leave your side, otherwise the rune would be gone by now."
Jace touched the parabatai rune on his skin and turned to look at the silent brother.
-How do you know he chose that?-
"I saw it in Alexander's eyes, he gave up his mortal life, but he never gave up his soul."
Clary looked from Jace to Brother Zacariah for a moment before asking
-Have you ever met others like Alec, the Fallen?-
"I have." He replied. "But they were not like Alexander, those were people who had been corrupted, greedy men who despised human life and longed for power and immortality. They sold their souls and turned into empty shells condemned to feed on blood and hatred until the darkness would consume them."
-Alec... he...- Jace looked horrified. Brother Zacariah moved to his side.
"His soul is one of the purest I have ever seen. He sacrificed something for the people he loves, there is nothing wrong in this."
Isabelle was sure she had never seen Magnus looking so awful as he looked while he was waiting for her leaning agaisnt the door-frame.
Even though he wore no make-up and no glitter, what really scared the young Shadowhunter were his eyes, it seemed he had been crying for hours and Isabelle felt her heart skip a beat while she ran.
When she was just in front of him she realized the Warlock was also deadly pale.
She fought the urge of snapping at him to move away and let her in, Magnus gave her a little apologizing sad smile, but Izzy didn't see it because her eyes caught the glimpse of black hair and pale skin. Magnus moved aside and she ran inside flying in her brother's strong arms.
Alec wrapped his arms around her slim frame and held her tight, Magnus shut the door and met his boyfriend's gaze.
They stayed like that for a while, the only sound was Isabelle's voice repeating Alec's name on and on.
-Shh Izzy it's all right, I am here, I won't leave.- Alec whispered in her sister's ear, but she just held on to him stronger.
-Simon told me what happened...- She sighed. -Jace's rune was bleeding I thought you were gone even though Brother Zacariah told us you were alive, and when Simon told me everything... I just needed to see you.-
Magnus came back with three cups of coffee and put the tray on the coffee table, Alec gratefully smilet at him.
-Come on little sister.- He whispered kissing Izzy's hair, and took her to the sofa.
Isabelle refused to leave her brother's side to the point that she forced him to put an arm around her shoulders, something, Alec knew, she would never allowed in any other circumstance.