The Banhee (An Alec Lightwood Story)

Chapter Nineteen

Maryse stood in Alec's room, staring out the window, watching the sun start to rise over the city. Her face was cold, trying to keep her emotions buried under the layers of her stubborn and tuff demeanor. But the thoughts kept flying though her head, a never ending cycle of torment for herself. It was only a few mere hours ago that she'd seen her son, Alec scream, banishing the demons away from the Jade Wolf, nearly costing him his own life. But somehow he survived, she'd seen it with her own eyes. He was alive, safe. The others like him were not though. They were all dead, murdered by Valentine, used as science experiments until they screamed themselves to death by what they heard in their own heads, by what they saw. Maryse suddenly felt all the guilt for all her actions in her time in the circle. How she and all of her fellow members, under the command of the mad man Valentine, used the charred bodies of Downworlders to lure the Banhees and Banshees into the hands of their leader so he could study them.

Maryse's thoughts were interrupted by a brief knock at the open door. She turned around to see Lydia standing in the doorway, starting to make her way over to the Lightwood woman. Standing side by side watching the colors of the sun start to paint the city Maryse didn't need to guess as to why Lydia was here.

"Inquisitor Herondale has left for Alicante; she's agreed to keep quiet about Alec." Lydia spoke quietly for fear that someone may listen to what was said. The mole, who's identity they had yet to uncover. "She said that the Clave didn't need to know about your son or what happened."

"It's for the best." Maryse tried to keep her voice calm but Lydia could tell she was upset, hurt, feeling guilty for what happened.

"Maryse, you can't blame yourself for what happened. We couldn't-"

"But I do." Maryse cut Lydia off, her voice was sharp and raised. "I helped Valentine nearly wipe out every single Banhee and Banshee the circle could get their hands on. I was part of that geocide, and I believe every single word that came out of the mad-mans mouth. How they were the demonic shadowhunters. That they were just demons. Robert doesn't even know about Alec, only the angel knows how he'd react, if we'd hadn't of gone along with the geocide of their kind, then maybe Valentine wouldn't have nearly succeeded in killing my son." Lydia saw out of the corner of her eye a tear escape Maryse's eye. Nothing she could say would make the woman feel better.

All the guilt she'd been carrying for all of these years about her actions in the circle had bubbled over with this event. Nothing was said, silence took off the room as the two women watched the light of the sun make its way over the buildings in the view before them.

************

The tapping of Magnus' foot against the floorboards echoed throughout the apartment, looking at Clary, Jace and Isabelle sitting in his living room and frankly starting to get on his last nerve. His usual kind and warm demeanor has started to vanish over the last twenty four hours. Since they'd saved Alec and stopped him from dying by his own scream. But Alec needed to rest, he was still weak from what the serum did to him. They'd taken him to Magnus' place the moment he could stand on his own two feet with Alec not wanting to be near the institute. Bombarded with questions and looked at by fellow shadowhunters like some freak. Now Alec was sleeping peacefully in one of Magnus's spare rooms, everyone else decided to crash at the Warlock's place to watch over their friend which, to say the least, annoyed Magnus.

"Please feel free to leave at any time." Magnus' voice dripped with sarcasm, glaring at the three shadowhunters who stayed silent. Not looking at the warlock who just rolled his eyes. "You three hovering around here isn't going to make him wake up any faster."

"But what if Valentine tries to come after him again?" Isabelle protested, wanting to stay with her brother.

"May I remind you that there are wards surrounding my home to prevent any intruders coming in so this is the safest place he could be." Jace started to open his mouth to protest their argument to the warlock, who shut him down. "And if I have to leave on business I will call Luke or one of you to watch Alec if he is still asleep or awake." After that, no one dared to open their mouths. Seeing how they all were still concerned, not wanting to leave, Magnus sighed. "Follow me then."