The Dark Side of the World (TDA)

*Chapter 15*

*** This chapter is really bad. I'm sorry, just keep reading, the next one's a bit better.

Livia's POV

"So, still no Jace and Alec then." 

That seems to be the main topic of conversation the next morning. When they're coming home. If they're coming home.

Though it seems to just be Tess, James and Amy. Sophie along with all of the grownups seem to either be ignoring it all together, or have decided it's not a big deal after all

The fancyness of yesterday's breakfast is gone today. Everyone just has Cheerios

After most everyone is done and starting to disperse to do whatever is in store for today, there's a loud sound off to the right. I'm ready to ignore it, wondering if shadowhunters have house pets like cats, and if that's the reason Mom never let me get one, but the others seem to have other ideas.

Everyone at the table jumps up immediately. Some even grabbing knives out of their pockets. Clary leads the way, looking as calm as ever.

"Come on." James mutters to me.

I'm confused at what I could possibly do to help if the shadowhunter equivalent of burglars are here, but he doesn't give my a chance to ask questions. Just grabs my arm and pulls me with him.

The bang seemed to come from the piano room I saw earlier, so that's where we go. I hear Sophie and Tess whispering ahead, but can't hear what they're saying. I look over at James for indication of how scared I should be right now, only to find his face as hard of stone.

When we reach the room, everyone comes to a stop at the door. Clary holds up three fingers, counting down to one before pushing to door open. 

I brace myself for any number of things, someone stealing the piano, some guy with a scary dark cloak, like they have in movies come to take us. Or maybe even the woman from before come back to take me with her. But whatever I was expecting, it's not what I find. 

Standing in the middle of the room is a man. No dark cloak or hood, no weapons on him but a bow sling across him back and a quiver half full of arrows. He has dark hair that sticks to his sweaty forehead, and deep blue eyes. His clothes are normal, jeans and a long sleeved blue shirt, but the sleeves are all torn up, blood staining them. He looks like he went through a hurricane.

Behind him is possibly the weirdest thing I've ever seen. A swirling mess of colors through which I can just see what looks like a battlefield. (I don't remember exactly how portals are described in the books, but that's what it is)

The room is silent, as his eyes rake over the new crowd, and I'm confused as to why nobody's doing anything, when Isabelle leaps at him. But not to attack him, in fact she drops the knife she'd picked up off the table. No, not to attack him. To hug him.

He hugs her back, stroking her hair. Slowly everyone else goes over to him, James too with my arm still in his grip, but I don't fully understand what's going on until I hear James whisper "Alec."

So this if who everyone was talking about this is Alec. Though the new information explains the hugging, it doesn't explain why he looks half dead or the swirling thing.

Clary is the first one to talk, unsurprisingly.

"Alec, what happened! And where's Jace? He's not...is he?" 

She doesn't seem to want to hear the answer, but before he can, someone else pops out, and the swirl thing closes. This man looks to be in about the same shape as the other, but all I can really see about him is his golden hair before he's tackled by Clary in a hug.