Predator in disguise

The Messenger

Silence swarmed the air between Alec and I as we stared at each other. My eyes flicked down to the dead Shadowhunter at my feet, and, very slowly, I crouched down and pulled the seraph blade free of his body. I watched thick droplets of dark blood drip from the blade before glancing back down at Alec.

The other Shadowhunter watched me carefully, his blue eyes critical. As he pushed himself to his feet, he raised his hands in surrender.

"Take it easy, Jace," he said slowly.

Before he could utter another word, I was crossing the room to pick up the discarded throwing knives and seraph blades. I tucked the knives into my own weapons belt and kept two of the seraph blades, but I handed the third to Alec. He took it hesitantly, as if it surprised him that I was giving it back.

"Jace," Alec began, "I didn't kill anybody--"

"Shut up and help me."

After sheathing my weapons, I bent down and grasped one of the deceased Shadowhunter's arms. I draped it across my shoulders and straightened my knees. The man was heavy and I wobbled slightly as his body slumped against me.

Alec remained where he was and asked, "You don't believe him, do you?"

"Seriously, Alec," I snapped. "Shut the hell up and help me."

Alec looked taken aback by the sharpness of my tone, but he stepped forward and draped the man's other arm around his shoulders. I let out a breath as my muscles relaxed from the eased strain. Without a word, I turned us around and headed towards the basement door. I opened it enough to peer through and check for witnesses before pushing our way through. We climbed the stairwell as quietly as possible, our eyes darting around wildly to check for the opening of any other doors.

When we reached my apartment, I opened the unlocked door and rushed inside. Alec gave me a quizzical look as he kicked the door shut behind him.

"You don't lock your doors?"

I met his gaze. "There's nothing in here worth stealing."

With my directions, Alec steered us down the hallway and into the bathroom where we deposited the body in the bathtub. The two of us stared down at the man, panting slightly. Alec looked at me and opened his mouth to say something, but I snatched the navy towel off the towel rack and stormed out of the bathroom, wiping angrily at the blood on my hands. I could hear Alec's heavy footsteps follow me.

"Are we going to talk about this?" he questioned.

"Talk about what?"

Alec stopped and I turned to face him.

"There's a dead guy in your bathtub," Alec said, incredulous at my behavior. "And that dead guy made some pretty ludicrous accusations about me."

"I don't want to talk about it," I growled.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know what the hell to think!"

Alec's blue eyes narrowed. "Do you honestly believe I'm the one murdering Shadowhunters?"

"I. Don't. Know."

He watched me silently as I threw the towel down on the floor and slid it around with my foot, wiping up the light trail of blood. When I finished I kicked the towel across the floor and, feeling Alec's eyes on my back, turned to glare at him.

"I don't want to believe it was you, but..."

"But what?" Alec prompted.

"I have no idea what you were doing before we met, nor during the time we were apart." I set my hand on the hilt of my seraph blade absentmindedly. "Not to mention you seemed a little too calm while he was accusing you of murder, and you didn't seem too hesitant on sticking a blade through his chest."