(( Disclaimer: Hi! Sorry it has been a while since I have updated. Schoolwork caught up with me, but today I have some spare time. Look for another chapter in a few hours! You guys know the drill. I don't own The Mortal Instruments universe or any characters indigenous to it. I do own, however, the plot line, the writing itself, and any original characters I insert into The Mortal Instruments universe. If you like what you read, please please review! :D Reviews make me infinitely happy! I hope you enjoy the chapter! And now, Ladies and Gentlemen... ))
"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio,
than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
- Hamlet ( I, v, 166 )
It had not been difficult to slip away once Alec Lightwood had shown up. Sebastian had stepped behind Jace, shrouding himself while they all chatted, waiting until he decided to separate himself from the group. There had been a moment, back on the balcony, where Sebastian fleetingly believed that the Lightwoods might help him, yet it was increasingly clear from Jace's hostility that the deal only went one way.
Sebastian held in his bitterness as he stalked the empty stone corridors of the Institute, trying to find his way out.
Though he knew nothing about it, Sebastian was not surprised that Clary went missing. He partied no direct knowledge of her whereabouts, but he certainly had known for a few days now that she was being pursued by an unstoppable force. They were siblings, this was true, and at one time in the recent past he wished to join together with her to strengthen their family, but Sebastian had spent too much time outside of his own body to remember what it was like to be himself prior.
Seven days ago he was part demon. Seven days ago he was rife with frustration and anger and a philosophy that brought with it every evil imaginable. Seven days ago Sebastian was the world's greatest fear, perhaps even Valentine's greatest fear as well. Seven days ago Sebastian had summoned an Angel, a feat on its own, and then sliced its wing off as a token of such a bold rebellion, sending it with a note of his intentions to the Institute. Now, here he was in the very same Institute, feeling the insurmountable pangs of doubt and fear in his gut. Feelings that were still so new to his body, his heart quickened in confusion.
Feelings no demon has ever been known to have.
The change still racked him with fear. It was terrifying to relive his life, memories that harvested nightmares within him each night, as what he was now. Rather, as what he was not.
He shook his head, trying, as he had been doing the past seven days, to rid himself of all these thoughts. Throughout the past week only one thing glimmered amongst the monochrome of his new life, and he was determined not to lose that something. If what Jace and Isabelle said about Clary and the drawing in her sketchpad was true, then the fact that the Portal's other end returned them to the Institute meant that-perhaps-the person Sebastian sought was right here just as they were.
His heart, an organ still constantly adjusting to keep up with all these foreign emotions, growled. Sebastian's chest felt warm. His eyes stung. He suddenly wanted to stop walking and press his skin into the cool stone wall.
Instead, he strangled the impulse and kept walking, livening his pace.
Jace reeled back to the punch the wall a second time, but was stopped by Simon's lanky arms. His vampire strength contained Jace with little difficulty, much to Jace's irritation. Simon stared down the blond haired boy, refusing to let go until he saw the anger diffuse from Jace's eyes.
"He can't have gotten far. Let's split up, find him. Now." Isabelle regarded them all with a pinched expression, but her eyes were alight. Simon let go of Jace, turning to her. "Alright, I'll go with you. Alec," he turned to the dark haired boy. "Why don't you go... erm," Simon paused, suddenly aware of everyone's eyes on him, "go watch our friend." He finished hastily, grabbing Isabelle's arm and leading them down the corridor without another word to Alec.
"What is he talking about? Does this friend know where Clary is?" Jace immediately bombarded Alec. The dark haired boy smoothed his expression, and began walking towards the west part of the Institute, where the bedrooms were. Jace followed him without protest.
They turned down the hallway that housed Alec's room, as well as Simon's. Alec finally acknowledged Jace, stopping to let the blond boy cross in front of him. "Before we go in here, I need to make something clear to you. I'm not saying this because I'm alright with it, I'm saying this because you need to know."
"What is it?" Jace did not hide his annoyance.
"Do not threaten her for Clary. And please, do not try to attack her. We will get Clary back, as long as you can remain calm. Can you do that?" Alec held out his hand for Jace to shake.
Jace ignored him, pushing his chest roughly aside and kicking the door open to Alec's room.
Standing in the middle, spinning slowly to face him, was a sight that nearly severed the muscles holding him upright. Jace grabbed blindly for the doorframe, catching its support on the third attempt. A young woman stood before him, her eyes shifting color as the earth's plates jostled, the debris coming up as two shimmering pearls sat on either side of her nose. Her mouth was neither full nor thin, but rather an uneven allure that burned with the possibility of words. He wished to hear them all. Jace kept his hand on the doorframe, dizzy as everything around him dissolved, leaving the young woman unencumbered by an environment. Her hair was long and the color of soft mud, curling and weaving and falling even as she stood still.
"By the Angel," he said breathlessly.
Alec had to peer over Jace's shoulder into the room. "Jace," he whispered into the blond boy's ear. "Jace."
"Well, isn't that interesting." The young woman finally spoke. Her arms were folded across her chest, appearing to Alec like two feathers that had curled around each other accidentally, still ever so light and ever so shimmering. He stepped under Jace's arm, squeezing into the room. It was then that he noticed the daze across the other boy's face.
"What have you done to him?" He tried to sound accusing, but as he himself moved closer to the young woman he felt a similar daze overtake him.
"I haven't done anything. It's him, and, of course, you." She smirked, uncrossing an arm to flick a curling strand of hair from her face.
Alec was entranced by the simple movement. He forgot his own question.
"Of course," the young woman started, moving her free hand to tug at the cut fabric where Alec had grazed his knife earlier, "your adrenaline will wake you up." She fiddled with the hanging patch, tucking it back into the sleeve after a moment. Suddenly Alec felt himself pushed against the wall with enough force, he surmised, to move a car. He grunted on impact, eyes immediately clawing for Jace in their view.
The blond haired boy was already fighting back. True to the young woman's words, the surge of adrenaline that Alec knew took over Jace, took over every Shadowhunter in battle, seemed to wake him from whatever daze had gripped him before. Alec could only see the blur of Jace's legs as he darted, chasing the zooming shadow of the young woman. She was painfully fast, far too fast for Jace to attack her, but he did not stop pursuing her as they clattered about the room, knocking over Alec's furniture. Jace shouted at the dark haired boy, "where's your stele? Give it to me! Do something Alec!"
At that exact moment Alec watched in horror as the young woman's dextrous frame landed just above Jace's head, and a hand lashed out and wrapped itself around Jace's neck. Time froze, and Alec could hear the crack of bone before it happened. He lunged forward, rage invading his injuries and converting the pain to adrenaline.
However, the young woman's hand only held Jace's stiffening body. She used her other hand to snatch up Alec the same. Now the two boys were dangling from her palms, and she smiled at them icily.
"Does no one here understand how an interrogation works? I am here to ask you questions. You answer them. This is not a stage for your pathetic rebellion. This is not a fight. A fight is fair. I do not fight with the weak. It is not in my creed. However," the young woman squeezed both Alec and Jace's necks, "I am not above collateral damage. No soldier is. You two should know that better than most." With that, she let both boys fall, opening her palms with a bored expression as they each collapsed to the floor with a thud.
Jace scrambled to his feet, scanning the floor for something to use as a weapon. Alec was slower to stand, but quicker to find a weapon. He was close to the edge of the bed, and just like every room in the Institute Alec's bed was a four-poster; grabbing one of the pillars with both hands, Alec ripped it from the bed frame. The top corner of the four-poster collapsed, no longer held up by anything, and the sound was enough to distract the young woman at the exact moment Alec swung at her with the pillar.