Sweet Little Serena (Original)

Chapter 48

Alec still refused to talk to Clary. Serena said a few words to her but was less inclined to speak with her after she found out that Clary kept Jace's warning from them back at Camille's house and that Clary was how Jocelyn found Jace.

Clary wasn't just being shut out by her friends, Lydia and Aldertree refused to let her help find Jace. But Lydia was on their side, she was the only reason that Alec, Izzy and Serena were now allowed to help track Jace.

Valentine had been kidnapping men from local gyms and dojos, finding these experienced fighters to be better suited for the Cup's transformation.

If they found a potential target, they could find a Circle member and get to Valentine, and Jace before he was killed.

Clary begged to tag along, Alec refused but Izzy and Serena let the redhead down a bit more gently. She couldn't come, if she did and they got caught, they'd never be able to save Jace.

Izzy, Alec and Serena were then on their way to an underground fight club.

"They say that the best fighters in the city come here," Alec said as he pulled the door for his sister and his wife.

"Well then, that's a good thing," Serena commented.

"It's only a matter of time before Valentine hits this place," Izzy finished as they watched the current fight.

The men that were duelling were made of muscle and were ridiculously tall.

But one, a man half-covered in tats, won as he punched his opponent into the floor, knocking him out and accepting the money he won.

"You got some moves," Izzy called to him and he smirked as he saw the two girls.

"Yeah? How about I take you both home and show you some of those moves, up close and personal?"

"That's funny. You really think you have a chance with either one of them," Alec commented as he casually leaned against a support beam.

The fighter looked to Alec, unintimidated as he smirked, "And who are you?"

"I'm the guy who's gonna put you down if you don't shut your mouth."

"Why don't you come up and try pretty boy!" he challenged, voice getter lower as he subtly, not-so-subtly, flexed his muscles.

Serena, however, held Alec back.

"We got this," Izzy assured her brother who backed off and the girls' eyes ran the man up and down.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go," Serena said as she and her parabatai walked onto the mat, Alec getting comfortable against the beam as he prepared for the show.

The fighter's eyes never left their asses as he said, "I don't fight girls, especially hot ones."

The two grinned at each other, ready to put their bond to work.

"Then I guess this is going to be really one-sided," Izzy smirked and Serena struck first.

Her heeled foot struck his left hip while Izzy's got his right knee, forcing him to the ground as Serena's next kick hit him in the cheek as he doubled over on his hands and knees.

Izzy then walked up to him as she kneed him in the face, landing the man who was at least four times the girls' size, on his back.

Serena gave her husband a quick wink as he watched, a sympathetic look on his face as Izzy's sole pressed to his throat, pushing down lightly and Serena said, "Still wanna take us home?"

And the crowd cheered.

But their victory was short-lived.

Because later when everyone had cleared out and the circle member came for the man Serena and Izzy bested, he'd killed himself before they were able to get him to talk.

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Meanwhile back at the Institute, Clary was done with her mother lying to her, so she left her stele and ran. But before she did, she forgot to activate her anti-tracking rune, so it was only a matter of time before Jocelyn and Luke showed up.

But when they did, Clary ran again, only to run into Dot.

Dot whose veins were black as she portalled Clary to Valentine's ship.

Jocelyn on the other hand was wrought with worry, so much so that Luke gave her an Adamas stone that's he'd gotten from his mother. Adamas being the substance that seraph blades were made out of and something that would allow Alec to track Jace through their parabatai bond, but it was extremely dangerous.

Alec lay shirtless on his and Serena's bed as she held his hand, listening to the risks of this as Izzy stood in front of Jocelyn.

"The parabatai that initiates contact, it can be taxing on his body, on his mind," Jocelyn explained as she held the black stone.

"It's fine," Alec piped up.

"I'm not liking the sound of this," Izzy countered.

"Neither am I," Serena agreed. "Taxing how?" she asked Jocelyn with a glare, this was the most they'd ever spoken.

"We're not sure," the older woman said. "Of the few people who tried it, not many have come back to talk about it."

"Forget it. He'd not doing it," Izzy said.

"Don't listen to her," Alec protested.

"You're not doing this," Serena said, eyes lining with tears. By the angel, she was tired of crying. "Alec, you could die doing this. And I want to find my brother as badly as you do, but not if it costs me you. I will not lose you too."

"We've already lost both parents to Idris and a brother to Valentine. We're not losing you," Izzy said.

"Izzy, you said it yourself. We have no choice," Alec pointed out.

"That was before we knew you could die!" Serena exclaimed.

"Get up," Izzy ordered.

"He needs me," Alec said sitting up. "And I... I can't live without him."

Alec laid back down and Serena moved closer to him, cupping his cheek as she said, with tears running down her face, "And we can't live without you. I can't live without you. So, if you do this, you better come back to me. You better come back to us."

He kissed her, with what might've been their last kiss.

"According to Luke, you need to stay near the surface. If you go too deep, nothing can bring you back," Jocelyn explained as Alec got comfortable and Serena took one of his hands in hers as she sat next to him, Izzy behind her and Jocelyn on his other side.

"If you go too deep Alec, by the Angel, I will kick your ass when you get back," Izzy promised and Serena had to laugh despite the tears running down her face.

"That makes two of us," she smiled at her parabatai as she took Izzy's hand and Alec held his hand out for the stone.

Izzy and Serena became each other's support pillars as they clung to one another, Alec holding the stone with both hands as it glowed.

Then he began to convulse.

His eyes closed and his nose began to bleed as Serena began to scream, the wedded union rune on her wrist burning as she fell to the floor in pain.

Izzy was torn as she tried to stop Alec from seizing, knowing that if they stopped his pain, they'd stop Serena's, but it didn't look good as the stone fell from Alec's hand.

And Izzy could nothing but watch.