𝐬 𝐞 𝐯 𝐞 𝐧 𝐭 𝐞 𝐞 𝐧

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 | 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐘 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄𝐒

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐗 | 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍

❀𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕❀

"You're sure the Seelies think Valentine killed their scouts?" Maryse asks.

"It's why they've broken off contract with the Clave. They're considering switching sides." Izzy says. Maryse looks at her.

"That's totally irrational." She says.

"It's self-preservation. They think Valentine can win. Seelies always want to be on the winning side." Izzy says. I just look between them as I don't want to make Maryse hate me.

"Never trust people who can't lie. They find much more inventive ways to stab you in the back." Maryse says making me nod in agreement.

"I suppose you find that attractive." Maryse says then walk away. I glare at her.

"The more she talks, the more you can see how big of a bitch she is." I say to Izzy.

"Moms in rare form today." Izzy says as we walk into Alec's room. I look at Alec's back side. Izzy slaps my arm since I'm checking out her brother.

"She's been different since she got back from Indris." Alec says as he turns to us.

"If you say so. Same old judgmental Mom with me. Have you spoken to Jace yet?" Izzy says. Probably not.

"He can all me when he's done chasing the little girl and—" Alec says.

"Alec, you need to call Jace." Izzy says.

"I think it should be the other way around." I say. Izzy glares at me.

"No "welcome home" for the old man?" Someone says. I turn around and see a man with a little boy.

"Max!" Alec says. The boy runs to him.

"Daddy!" Isabelle says to the man. Better hope he's her dad. They hug.

"What are you doing back so soon?" Alec says bending down to get in the same level of height as his brother.

"Got in trouble in Mumbai." His little brother said.

"Oh, what'd you do?" Alec asks him.

"Nothing" he replied.

"He started a fire with his stele during rune studies." Their father said.

"Max." Izzy chuckles as she walks toward her brother.

"I told you, I was hungry." He says. "I was trying to draw the Nourishment rune." He tells Alec.

"Those two runes look nothing alike, Max." Alec tells him.

"Well, they do to me." He says. He looks up at me. "And who is this?" He asks. I smile at him. I open my mouth to speak.

"She's a friend." Alec says. I glare at him.

"Yeah, and this friend can talk." I glare at Alec then turn to his brother. I look at him softly. "I'm Arielle." I say sweetly.

"How come you don't talk to me like that?" Alec says. I turn to him and glare.

"Wait, is she your girlfriend?" Their brother asks.

"Max, go up to your room, open the Gray Book and look up the Extinguish rune." Their father says. Max sighs

"Well, it was great meeting you." He says to me and walks away. He walks backward and shrugs.

"Well, you aren't Clary Fairchild, so where is she?" Their father says walking closer to us. "Your mother says she's missing."

"She's not missing. She's with Jace." Alec tells him.

"We can't have that girl out of Institute control. The entire Shadow World is looking for her. It's a security rist. Get them both back here now." Their father says. He looks at them and then walks out of the room.

"Well, I'ma go paint my nails." I say putting my hands up to inspect them.

"No, you're not." Alec says dragging me. He dials a number and then puts his phone to his ear. "You need to get back to the Institute." Alec tells, who am assuming is Jace. "No, I'm not messing around." Alec says. "You okay?" He then says. I roll my eyes and go on my phone. "Why would Magnus need us?" Alec asks. I look up.

"What? Let's go then." I say about to walk away but Alec grabs my hand. I sigh. I can't complain though. I smirk.

"No, I told you at the Wolf den, no more Downworlder business. We can't be seen as interfering with a pack alpha dispute. How can you even ask me--" Alec says on the phone making me glare at him.

"But it's Magnus." I whine. I hug his arm. Can't really blame me.

"That's exactly my point." I look up fast as he says that. "Not you." He tells me which makes me groan.

"How is my ship supposed to sail." I say. Alec looks at the wall. I look at it too. "What are we looking at?" I ask. He just rolls his eyes and walks away. I run and jump on his back. "Where are we going?" I ask.

"Your annoying." He says he says grabbing my legs.

"Only to you." I say bopping his nose. I put my chin on his head.

I sit on my bed as I paint my nails. I could feel Liv look at me now and then like she had something to say. I roll my eyes. "What?" I ask her. She looks at me and Izzy.

"Okay. You can't tell anyone. I felt like I should tell you since you showed me yours." Liv says nervously.

"Wait, am I missing something." Izzy asks looking between us.

"This stays between all of us." I say. They both nod. I make fire appear on my hand. Izzy gasps. I stop.

"Okay." Liv says. She grabs a glass of water. She puts her hand over it and the water slowly floats out of the cup.

"Whoa. I never knew that the rumors were true." Izzy says mesmerized making us look at her confusingly. "There was a rumor that a family of Shadowhunters had wizard blood in their family, and so they all received a power. They were called the Elementals. Although, nobody knows if it's true." Izzy tells us. "Many said they were killed because of their mixed blood."

"Wow." Liv says. We hear someone talking out in the hallway so we go and peak to see who. "It's not like Isabelle can do it." We hear Maryse say.

"You're too hard on her." Izzy's dad says.

"And you're too soft on her." Maryse says. "It has to be Alec. He'll adapt." Maryse says grabbing Izzy's dad's arm.

"Adapt to what?" Izzy asks them walking out of the room. I grab Liv's arm and pull her so they don't see us.

"It's not your concern." I hear Maryse say.

"Maryse, this is a family decision." Izzy's dad says.

"This is our only option. Get on board, Robert!" Maryse says.

"She a bitch." Liv mumbles.

"She's been like that all day." Izzy says. "What's going on?" She asks. I hear them walk to the door so I pull Liv to the floor. We crawl and go under the bed. All we can see are their feet. Izzy laughs.

"You know, ever since you were little, this has been my favorite part of coming home." Her dad says.

"Why?" Izzy asks.

"To see your face like that." He says. I can hear a page from a book being turned.

"You're trying to tell me something?" Izzy says.

"No, not at all. You're perfect." Her dad says. She chuckles.

"I love it." I hear her say. "But I'm still gonna ask you what that was about." Izzy says.

"If the Seelie's change sides, we have no hope of defeating Valentine." He says. I move making Liv squeal. I shush her.

"There has to be something we can do." Izzy says.

"You know the Seelie's better than anyone. I'm not judging you. It's a fact. It's an asset. You and I need to convince the Clave of what's coming. But... after all the unsanctioned missions that your brother authorized while we were away..."

"Alec was protecting Clary. We all were. That's what the Clave wanted." Izzy says.

"You went rogue. And now the Clave thinks our family honor is beyond repair. The Lightwood name only has meaning because of all the people who have fought for our cause, we were among the bravest. The best of the Shadowhunters." Her dad says.

"And now they think we're not anymore." She says. Theirs a pause. "We'll do better. Jace, Alec, And I, we'll restore the family name and our honor." Izzy says.

"Then you need to understand the honor comes the dead. It's not a simple proposition to restore it. It's gonna require a tremendous sacrifice." He says.

"Death?" Liv says making me slap her arm.

"Shush." I say to her.

❀