Parabatai Found

Hours later, when night had finally fallen on New York City, Jace found Alec seating on a bench in a dark corner of the roof. He was looking at the illuminated New York skyline with the look of a lost child. The expression reminded Jace of the first time he met Alec when they were barely ten years old. Even then, Jace had been full of confidence, certain that there was no enemy and no battle that he couldn't conquest. Alec, who had been a rather small and scrawny child and who didn't reach his full height until much later, was insecure, unsure of himself, uncertain of his own skills.

In time, Jace had realized that his brother's insecurity came from the fact that his father was unusually hard on him and that Alec always compared himself to those around him whom he thought were stronger, braver, worthier. Yet, Jace also learned that under that uncertain exterior, Alec was the bravest of warriors and the most loyal of friends. Not once, not before, nor after they became parabatai, had Jace doubted that Alec would protect him, would be there beside him, would have his back. Jace knew that he was the Shadowhunter that he was because Alec always stood beside him. That fact had become even more glaringly evident in the last few weeks when Alec's absence had left Jace feeling uncertain, insecure and full of self-doubt.

Seeing his parabatai now, Jace realized how much he had missed him, how much he had needed him in the last weeks, how much he loved Alec.

"Hey, I have been looking for you. Have you been here since we came back?" Jace asked sitting beside Alec.

"No, I was in my room for a while, reading reports, trying to figure out what the heck is happening. I also talked to Jeremy and Kat. You have been keeping things from me," Alec replied. The words should have sounded harsh but they didn't.

"I didn't want the Clave to know that we were working with Catarina and Kat. They would have ordered me to turn them over, and we would have been more in the dark than we are now."

"And, you didn't trust me to keep the secret?" Alec asked turning to look at Jace. Jace wasn't sure whether Alec was mad, disappointed or sad. In any other situation, he would have relied on his parabatai bond to get a read on his brother's state of mind, but that bond was now so faint that he couldn't trust it.

"I trust you, you know that," he replied. "But I didn't know who was listening in."

"I get it," Alec said. "You also disobeyed direct orders. You didn't go after the vampires."

"Raphael and her pack are under control for now," Jace replied. "Hunting them would have been wrong, you know it. And, you would have never forgiven yourself if you hurt Izzy in such a horrible way. You know how she feels about Raphael."

"Yes," Alec said pensively. "She is very angry at me, isn't she? I went to her room but she wasn't there."

"She is spending a lot of time on guard duty at the Hotel Du Mort."

"It is only a matter of time before The Clave learns that we didn't follow their orders. They are bound to come and try to do the job themselves," Alec stated.

"Tell me about it," said Jace with a sight. "I just spent the last few hours trying to appease Inquisitor Dearborn. He is livid and insists that we surrender Kat and Catarina. The Clave is also demanding that you and I appear in front of the council and explain our actions. Dearborn is insisting on coming to New York himself; thankfully, he doesn't have access to a portal. Berg is dead and all other warlocks who used to help The Clave have either gone into hiding or are in custody. But it is just a matter of time. The fact that The Clave has closed the borders of Idris and have banned any travel in and out is the only thing we have going for us now. Alec, we cannot surrender Catarina, Kat or Magnus. They are our only hope to get to the bottom of this mess."

"What did you tell Dearborn about me?"

"That you were injured in Rome and that you are not yet ready to answer any questions. I also denied any knowledge of Magnus' whereabouts. Three members of your team survived the attack and are now in the Rome Institute, but I doubt any of them saw Magnus coming with us."

"Okay, that gives us some time then," said Alec, his eyes back on the illuminated buildings on the distance.

"Is everything okay, Alec?" Jace asked after a few moments of silence contemplation, unease evident in his voice and on his furrowed brow.

"You feel that our parabatai bond has weakened," said Alec, not a question but a statement.

"Yes, what happened?"

"I am not sure I can explain it but I think I know how to fix it. But I need your help," Alec stated standing up and pulling his stele out of his pants' pocket. "Something is interfering with the rune and I need you to fix it for me."

He lifted his jacket and Jace couldn't help to gasp when he saw his brother's side. A thick and jagged scar, red and not yet completely healed, interrupted the flow of the parabatai rune that, since their teenage years, had linked Jace and Alec. It looked like someone had repeatedly drawn a line that cut the rune in two, each attempt leaving a burn over older burns. Jace resisted the temptation to shudder when thinking about how much pain Alec must have endured as the burns were inflicted.

"I need you to redraw the missing links in my parabatai rune, Jace. Can you do that?" Alec asked, his voice not louder than a whisper.

"Oh Alec, what happened? Who did this to you?" Jace asked, his voice barely containing his astonishment and outrage. Who would hurt his brother that way? Who could be so cruel? Anyone would know that parabatai runes were almost impossible to erase or alter while the parabatais were both alive. Whomever did this to Alec, thought Jace, must have known how painful the drawing and redrawing of the line over the rune would be.

"The Inquisitor's idea of health care," Alec replied with a sad smile. He then handed Jace his stele and taking a witch light from his jacket pocket, lighted it so Jace could see better what he was about to do.

"Alec, are you sure? This is going to hurt," Jace said looking at Alec, hoping that his brother wouldn't make him hurt him in that way.

"Yes, I trust you. Besides, I don't want anyone else to know what the Inquisitor did and I don't want him to know that you fixed it."

"We can call Catarina," offered Jace. "She can do something about the pain."

"No, this has to be our secret for now," Alec replied, determination evident in his voice.

Jace took a deep breath before he brought the tip of the stele to his brother's skin. As the tip touched the wound, Alec took a loud breath himself and the hand holding the witch light trembled and wrapped itself tighter around the stone. But Alec made no noise, and uttered no cry of pain, as Jace redrew the rune. With each millimeter, he reweaved his bond to his brother, until it regained its original strength. As their bond restored, Jace got to share on some of Alec's pain, and he felt as if tendrils were reaching from his own parabatai rune and towards his brother. For an instant, Jace could see that Alec felt a pain that was deeper than the one caused by the wound on his side, a pain more profound and the result of wounds that Jace couldn't see or explain.

A profound fury began to spread through Jace's whole body. He couldn't fathom why anyone would cause such pain to his brother, such physical and emotional suffering to his brother who was nothing but good, honest and loyal.

"What happened to you?" Jace asked Alec once he was done. He stood up and, for some unexplained reason, felt a compulsion to put his hand on Alec's chest, right above his heart. Alec stopped him by bringing his own hand to the spot.

"Magnus Bane and Inquisitor Dearborn happened to me," he replied, his voice steady. "But that doesn't matter now. We have more important things to worry about.

"I am going to kill the Inquisitor," Jace stated between clenched teeth, bringing his hands to his sides and closing them in tight fists.

"Not if I kill him first," said Alec, his tone dead serious; so serious, in fact, that it unsettled Jace. Alec had never been violent but now the words and the look in his eyes betrayed a deep-seated anger that was unlike him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jace offered.

"No," Alec decidedly replied. "We have other things to worry about."

"Do you want to talk about Magnus?"

"I especially don't want to talk about that," Alec stated, taking a deep breath and pulling down his jacket. Jace thought he saw a hint of white and silver under the jacket and the color reminded him of the white the Nephilim wore when in mourning. However, he didn't press his parabatai for any more details. Alec would tell him when he was ready.

"Okay, but let me say just one thing," Jace told Alec. "I think you should hear what Magnus has to say."

"I read Jeremy's report on your interrogation. I know about Berlin and about what Annaliese Fen is trying to do. That is all I need to know for now. We need to figure out our next move."

"Yes, but…" Jace started to say. But, just at that moment, a huge yawn escaped him and he rubbed his eyes trying to dispel the webs of exhaustion that were clouding his thoughts.

"But before we do that," said Alec, patting Jace on the back. "You need a good night sleep. Go get some rest, it is an order. I will see you in the morning."

A few minutes later, Jaced was walking down the corridor towards the Institute's living quarters. The place was unusually quiet as if, for the first time in weeks, the Shadowhunters who were not on duty were able to get a decent night of rest. It is the effect of having their leader back, thought Jace, realizing how much more secured he felt now that Alec was in the Institute, how his brother's presence quieted his own anxiety. Yes, he thought, his hand resting on the place where his own parabatai rune was located, it was good to have Alec back, not just his physical presence but also the feeling of their bond.

Jace walked past the kitchen and then took a turn towards the dormitories and there, halfway down the corridor, he saw the tall figure of Jeremy Pineshade, his arms wrapped around Kat's slim waist, his lips on hers, the kiss suggestive and full of passion. Jace stopped and considered turning, leaving the same way he had come in, not wanting to interrupt. But, grabbing Jeremy by the front of his shirt, Kat pulled him into one of the bedrooms, Jeremy's bedroom, and they were gone, completely unaware of Jace's presence. Jace smiled as he walked past their door and, for the first time in weeks, he heard himself whistling as he walked towards his own bedroom.

When he opened his door, Jace realized that his room was unusually quiet and dark. Since the death of Valentine, he had grown accustomed to Clary's comforting and calming presence in his space. He liked walking in and finding her either coming out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her hair, or seating on an armchair, a book or a sketch pad on her lap and a look of concentration in her face. She would hear him come in and she would look up and smile, one of those lovely and sexy smiles that immediately made Jace feel warm all over, no matter how cold it was outside.

Tonight, however, his bedroom was dark and cold. There was no light coming from the bathroom, and no sound of music or movement. Jace wondered when was the last time that he and Clary had had a moment to themselves, a moment other than a quick kiss when they run into each other in the corridor, or when Jace found her in the greenhouse before their mission in Rome. They had been sleeping at separate and irregular intervals since the whole crisis began. In fact, Jace had barely slept at all, and Clary had spent whole nights in the Institute's archives, working with Jeremy and Kat. He, on the other hand, had spent countless hours in Alec's office or in the situation room, in endless communications with The Clave, studying reports and trying to figure out what to do next. They had not spent any quality time together in weeks, Jace realized and turning back, he closed his door and headed down the corridor and towards Clary's room.

Jace knocked but received no answer even though he could see light coming from underneath Clary's door. "Clary?" he called as he opened the door and let himself in. The room was, as usual, tidy and bathed in the soft light of a the lamps on the night tables. A sketch pad rested on a table, a box containing brushes and paints beside it. A canvass covered by a white piece of fabric stood on an easel by the window, and while Jace was curious, he didn't lift the fabric to see what Clary was painting. He knew that she didn't like to show her work until it was finished. He turned when he heard sounds coming from the bathroom and, just at that instant, Clary walked out wearing a white terrycloth robe, her hair wrapped in a towel.

"Hey," she said and her smile illuminated the whole room and the darkest corners of Jace's heart. "I didn't know you were here."

"I just walked in," he said, feeling momentarily and unaccountably shy. Jace realized how much he had missed these quiet and intimate moments with this woman he loved so much, this woman who somehow completed him, who gave him more peace than he ever thought possible to have with anyone. "I thought you wouldn't mind having me in your bed tonight," he said and smiled suggestively.

"Really? What makes you think that?" Clary said, a playful smile on her face.

"I know I have been preoccupied for the last little while, so I thought I would make it up to you." Jace took a step towards Clary, his hands yearning to reach and undo the knot in the belt around her waist.

Clary smiled and, also taking a step closer, looked at Jace with those intense eyes of hers; those eyes that, even in the darkest of times, had haunted him and brought him hope. "What did you have in mind?" she whispered and pulling Jace by the belt loops of his jeans, finally closed the distance between her body and his. She then kissed him deeply and passionately.

Jace reached and unwrapped the towel that trapped her hair and her red curls fell down her back, still wet, reminding Jace of a waterfall. He then entangled his fingers in the coppery silk and imagined himself melting into Clary's body.

Somehow, she deepened the kiss and an involuntary groan rose from the depth of Jace's throat, which she rewarded by quickening her breathing and pulling him with even more force towards her. Giving up any pretense of restrain, Jace wrapped his arms around her waist, surprised once again by the strength emanating from her small figure. Clary was deceptively strong, sturdy and self-assured, and every time they made love, Jace felt that he was coming home, like Clary was the family, the kinship that he had been missing for so long.

With surprisingly shaking fingers, Jace untied the knot that held her robe in place and slowly pulled it off, exposing her beautiful shoulders, which he kissed slowly as the robe fell half way down her back, finally giving him the access to her soft skin that he had been craving since he walked into her room. A breath caught in Clary's throat when his fingers finally touched her skin and she sought his lips again. But instead of kissing them, she bit then gently but forcefully, provoking another groan to rise from Jace's chest. Clary run her hands down Jace's back until they reached his buttocks and with another show of strength pulled him to her, as if she wanted the heat from their bodies to melt the fabric of his pants and shirt.

"I should take a shower," Jace whispered, breathless, his heart beating at a blinding speed in his chest. "I have been working all day."

"Later," Clary whispered back, her breath tickling his ear, causing the hairs on the back of his neck and on his arms to stand on end. A shiver run through his whole body and he knew that he couldn't step away from Clary even if his life depended on it. "I want you in my bed," Clary said and gently but surely pushed him backwards until Jace felt the edge of the bed against the back of his legs. He sat down and she sat stride on his lap, Jace's arms firmly wrapped around her waist.

Jace wanted Clary with an intensity borne of days of separation and worry. Yet, he didn't want to rush. He wanted to take his time exploring her body; savoring her lips and her skin slowly and unhurriedly; inhaling the clean scent of her skin; admiring her beautiful body, her body that she offered to him so freely. In turn, he wanted to offer himself equally freely and without disguises or protections.

He would not remember later how long her mouth explored his, but soon his hands began to make their way up and down her back, urgently and decidedly. With one hand, he rounded her behind and she rewarded him with an exquisite moan that he felt in his groin and in the very center of his being. He grew harder and harder against her, his breathing gaining in speed; hers responding in kind.

At one point, Clary began to slowly peel his clothes off until Jace was naked for her. All throughout, she demanded his unwavering attention and his mind obeyed leaving behind, at least for the moment, any concern for anything other than her mouth on his, her teasing tongue, her soft skin, and her beautiful eyes that seemed to see right into him.

That night, Jace run his tongue through every inch of Clary's body, buried his face over and over in the jungle of her red hair and lost his soul in the depth of her eyes, until he felt the muscles in Clary's body tighten and she regaled him with the most exquisite climax, calling his name, beckoning him to lose himself in her. He let go then, and felt himself explode inside her, and for a second, his soul abandoned his body, and took flight reaching almost to heaven before falling back to earth, back to this room and this bed, back into his body still wrapped around Clary.

"We should spend more time apart," Clary whispered after a while and smiled. "It seems to do wonders for our lovemaking."

"Oh, you have no idea," Jace said and searched for her mouth once again, renewed hunger in his voice.

"I thought you were tired," she said.

"The night is young and I am just starting," he replied. "I have a lot to make up for."

"I love you," Clary said as she entangled her fingers in Jace's hair, her body responding with surprising speed to Jace's renewed desire.

"I love you too, more than I could ever express."

"You can try," she said, her voice playful and light, her eyes full of yearning, and Jace thought that he was the luckiest man in the world.

Hours later, as Jace was falling asleep, contented and in peace for the first time in weeks, in his office, Alec felt a sudden sensation of harmony come over him, a peace he had not felt since his parabatai bond was severed. The sensation was familiar; it was the sensation he felt every time Jace experienced joy of any kind. He had missed the sensation and was glad to have it back. The feeling wasn't enough to quiet his own turmoil, but was enough to give him hope. Perhaps as long as there were happy people in this world, there would be hope, he thought, as he continued reading the report on the tablet in front of him. His thoughts, however, were only partially on the task; part of them wandered somewhere a few levels below the building in a cell that, at that moment, was in darkness.