Sweet Little Serena (Original)

Chapter 44

Jocelyn had woken. And since then, Serena had done everything in her power to avoid her.

She knew she had to meet her at some point, but there was no way she could look at the woman who gave birth to her and her brother without wanting to kill her. Because every time she saw her, she couldn't help but think about the brother that had sacrificed himself to save her.

The brother she knew was in pain. Chalk it up to a twin bond, or an unusual angelic ability like Clary's drawings, but Serena was always aware of whenever her brother was in severe pain. It was this little click in her right knee that only seemed to sound whenever Jace was in pain.

And who knows what Valentine was doing to him right now?

Alec wasn't doing too hot either. He couldn't sense their parabatai bond, Valentine still likely on his ship over water, making them unable to track him.

Magnus had been a frequent visitor to the Institute, him trying to use his magic to track Jace and help with surveillance.

Serena had contacted every Downworlder she knew to try and help find her brother, but so far, they were met with nothing.

Lydia was still acting head of the Institute, having taken back the job from the Lightwoods once she was well again.

But little did she know that she wouldn't be Head much longer.

Serena now stood with her parabatai and Lydia, amongst the assembled Shadowhunters as they listened to Maryse make an announcement.

"Valentine has the Mortal Cup, for which he is no doubt, raising a new army, and one of our own has joined him," she said, voice echoing across the Institute as Clary, Luke, Simon and Jocelyn ran into the room, Clary making her way to the trio while the others hung back in the corridor.

"Looks like the Queen has taken back her kingdom," Izzy commented.

"For how long is the question," Serena pointed out. "Who do you suppose he is?" she nodded to the brown-skinned man standing behind Maryse that was flanked by two men.

"Beats me," Lydia said, scrutinizing the man with her stare. She'd actually become quite good friends with everyone, even Serena, as she helped search for Jace.

"As a result, the Clave has declared a state of emergency at the Institute. Their first priority is to replace the current leadership, who they have deemed, wholly ineffectual," Maryse informed as she stared straight at Lydia who gave Maryse a sarcastic smile.

"It is an honour to introduce, the newly appointed Head of the New York Institute, Clave representative, Victor Aldertree."

The man, Victor, stepped forward.

"I don't like him already," Serena announced as Aldertree smiled over them and Maryse walked down the stairs.

"Did you know about this?" Alec's voice asked from behind Izzy and Serena, neither of them flinching at his sudden appearance.

"No," Izzy answered as Alec straightened.

"But maybe it's why Robert went back to Idris," Serena said.

"Maryse went behind my back," Lydia said, a little hurt, and Aldertree began to speak.

"My fellow Shadowhunters. It's an honour to be here with you all. We have to find Jace Wayland. He's a Shadowhunter and we don't leave our people behind. The answer to his location may very well lie in this room. So, I want to speak to everyone who went on the mission where Jace disappeared, starting with his twin," and his gaze pinned Serena as she stood straighter, her glare subtle but deadly as Alec slipped his hand into hers to help calm her, Izzy's body hiding their union.

Victor was about to leave before he remembered something and said, "One last thing. Effective immediately, the Institute is on lockdown. But it's only temporary. Let's turn this Institute around."

And he walked off towards his new office that had likely been emptied of all of Lydia's stuff already.

As the Shadowhunters began to disperse, Clary turned to Serena and Izzy.

"Wait, if we're on lockdown, who's out there looking for Jace?"

"I have every Downworld contact I know searching," Serena said tiredly.

"Don't worry," Izzy said to both girls. "We'll find him. And Jace is tough. Valentine will never break him."

"Funny enough, looking for Jace isn't my biggest problem right now," Serena murmured as she stared off in the direction Aldertree had walked.

"What is?" Alec asked nervously.

"How you guys are going to bust me out of the Gard for killing the new Head of the Institute."

And with that, she left the Shadowhunters as she went to meet with Aldertree.