Predator in disguise

Pulse

I stilled against the pillar, ignoring the throbbing in my wrists from my struggle to wriggle out of the bonds. My eyes searched JC's face, but there was no evidence there of any lies. He returned my gaze, eyes half-lidded and shoulders slumped in defeat. Still, I could not find the truth behind JC's words; I could not believe what he was insinuating about Alec.

I turned away and twisted my wrists against the restraints. "What are you talking about?"

"Jace, the killer we've been hunting," JC's voice, though still weak, escalated in volume, "has been right under our noses this whole time."

"Alec's not behind this," I said defiantly.

JC paused. "Well, I don't see him here. Do you?"

"Did he attack you and bring you here?"

"I don't know."

I rested from my attempt to get free. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"Something got thrown into the room that extinguished all our witchlights. I don't know about you, but the zap I got in my hand was pretty powerful. I've never heard of a Shadowhunter weapon like that, but a weapon created by a warlock..."

"Don't drag Magnus into this."

"I've been looking into this since before you showed up," JC hissed. "You don't know Alec as well as you think."

Suddenly I was at war with myself. Part of me desperately wanted to believe that my judgement of character was proof enough that Alec was not who JC was making him out to be. But another part of me brought up recollections: Alec being accused by another Shadowhunter, a witness, of murder; Alec killing the Shadowhunter; Alec insisting the two of us split up to find JC; Alec shouting my name from down the hallway, luring me...

I shook my head as if I could shatter the thought. I wriggled my wrists with renewed vigour. JC was silent for a long moment, though I could feel his eyes on me. A string of curses slipped past my lips as the bonds remained secure and tight.

"You know parts of Alec's life don't add up," JC said quietly.

"There's an explanation for everything."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Spock."

"Can you get your hands free?"

I watched as JC adjusted his posture, his shoulders bobbing up and down as he tested his bonds. His tongue slipped out as he concentrated, mopping up some of the blood on his lip.

Without looking at me, JC asked, "Why did you come back?"

Confused by the question, I remained silent and waited for him to continue.

"After Alec sent you away," JC clarified. "Even after all the times I threatened you and was a complete asshole to you, you still came back."

I sighed. "Alec saved my life. I trust him."

"You trust him? Even after he killed that Shadowhunter?"

I opened my mouth to reply but the words died on my lips. My blood frosted over as silence drifted through the room. To my knowledge, Alec and I had not told anyone what had happened in the basement of my apartment. We'd briefly mentioned "Bathtub Eddie", but we had not explained that he was a Shadowhunter. If neither Alec or myself had told Magnus or JC and the three of us had been together ever since, how did JC know?

When I looked over, JC had stopped struggling and was staring at me, his face stoic.

"We never told you Alec killed a Shadowhunter," I all but whispered.