Equilibrium - Alec Lightwood. (ON HOLD)

Chapter Twenty Five

Simon's POV

The scream that I heard rip through the restaurant would be forever scarred in my mind. I had tried so hard to get out of this stupid fucking cell the moment I heard Amara crying from the other room and the words that Theo was saying.

But I couldn't do anything, and it was torture.

It felt as though someone had ripped out my heart because I had never felt so hollow in all my life.

I was yanked from my thoughts of self-hatred the moment the metal bars above me were violently ripped from the wall, and Izzy's stunning face peered inside.

"I'm getting seriously tired of saving your life." Her melodic voice echoed into the cell, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"I am not! I can't leave yet. I need to get Amara." I begged, and that was all it took for Izzy to slip into the cell with me before kicking open the locked bars and making her way into the restaurant, glancing at me over her shoulder.

"Let's go get our girl," She remarked, and just like that, we took off in search of that familiar head of angelic hair, but we didn't have to look far.

The sound of coughing caught my attention, and I looked towards the noise, but I almost wished that I didn't. I felt my heart stop as I laid eyes on my sister, who was in nothing but her undergarments, leaning against the wall, coughing raggedly into her arm.

"By the angel... Simon, grab that table cloth." Izzy demanded as she pulled off her own leather jacket and slipped Amara's arms into it, giving her back some of the dignity that had been so cruelly ripped away from her.

"What did they do to you," I murmured as I pulled the blanket around her shoulders and scooped her up into my arms, praying that this time, she would be ripped away from me.

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Alec's POV

When we found Clary, I had been thrilled, but that relief vanished when she said that Amara wasn't with her, and the look on her face told me that whatever happened while they were held captive was horrific.

"Clary!" I heard Simon's voice call out, and I wiped around, nearly dropping my bow as I scanned over the well-covered body in Simon's arms.

"Simon! Oh, my God... is she okay?" Clary asked what I couldn't even begin to articulate.

"Honestly, I don't know... I-I don't want to talk about it." He answered, looking as though he was about to cry, and the look of devastation upon my sister's face had me thinking the worst, but what could the worst really be?

"Izzy, what happened?" I demanded softly while Simon and Clary spoke in hushed tones, but my sister hesitated.

"Izzy, please tell me she's not dead," I begged, and finally, my sister relented, looking towards the floor before peering up at me with wet lashes.

"She's alive, but Alec... Somethings are worse than death, especially to a woman." She admitted, and I frowned, not understanding what she was saying, but then it hit me like a freight train, and I found myself shaking my head in horror.

"No, no... t-this is my fault," I whispered, feeling the urge to vomit, but Izzy quickly put her hands upon my face, pulling me down until my forehead was resting upon her own.

"Alec, none of this is your fault. Amara needs you to be strong. Can you do that for her?" My sister asked, and I nodded vigorously. I would do whatever was needed to be done to get us out of here, to get Amara to safety.

"I hate to break up this little reunion, but we got a bunch of werewolves trying to kill us, so maybe we should get going-" Jace interrupted, and I couldn't agree more, but there was something that I had to do.

That I needed to do.

"Wait, wait, the box. My backpack. I think I left it at the loft." Clary exclaimed, but I was quick to toss her the backpack.

"No, we've got it. I didn't screw up everything." I mumbled, but I was stalking towards Simon with purpose.

"Simon. I need to tell me which man is responsible for hurting her." I spoke lowly, and Simon paused, looking down at his sister and then back to me.

"Don't need to tell me twice." He agreed, looking around the group of wolves that now had us surrounded.

I was beginning to think that the culprit had fled, but then Simon's gaze fell upon a man walking through the doors with a feral gleam in his eyes.

"Him."

I knew what the man was about to do, but before he could shift into his wolf form and heal, I notched an arrow and let it cut through the air, burying deep into his knee cap. He let out a scream of pain, dropping down onto the other knee.

"Alec-" Jace called out, but I wasn't listening to anything he said. Letting loose another arrow, I watched with sadistic joy as it landed painfully in his shoulder, blood staining his already filthy shirt.

"Alec, you need to stop." Izzy tried to pull me back to the group, but I shrugged her off, drawing back another arrow, one that I planned to plant right between his eyes.

"Let me guess, the bitch is yours?" The Alpha laughed, coughing up blood as he stared at me with hatred.

"You're right, that woman is mine, and you signed your own death warrant as soon as you touched her. There is no mercy where you're headed, and I hope, no I pray, that your soul remains in eternal agony for what you've done." I vowed, but before I could inflict any more pain, he phased into his wolf's skin came barrelling towards us.

I was more than willing to cut his throat no matter what form he took, but just as I drew out a dagger, another wolf came flying past, slamming into the Alpha without hesitation.

"He's challenging the alpha," Jace remarked, all of us watching the two wolves brawl.

"He's helping us!"

"Or cutting in line to kill us."

I could hear the conversation, but I wasn't actually listening. I had abandoned my position and made my way towards Simon, who still had Amara held tightly against him.

"May I?" I asked, gesturing towards Amara's prone body, and after a moment of staring into my face, Simon relinquished his gold on her and let me take her body in my arms.

The fight had long since ended, but I could bring myself to care about what was happening. All I could O was look down at Amara's beautiful, tear-stained face and hope that she would wake in time.

A wound like this didn't heal like a normal one, it would take time and patience, and I had plenty of both. There was not a thing I wouldn't do to help her, and if that meant staying at her side in the Institute, then so be it.

"Jace, we need to report back to the Institute. Amara needs a medic," I demanded, looking up at my Parabatai, but he was already glaring at me.

"Do whatever you want. I'm helping Clary." He stated, emphasizing the redhead's name. I knew what this way about now wasn't the time to talk about.

So, Izzy and I watched as Simon, Clary, and Jace lifted the unconscious man into the car, but Simon paused, looking over at us with indecision.

I could see the struggle he was having; help Clary and her family, or help his sister, who was his family. It wasn't a position I would ever want to be in, but predictably, Izzy stepped in to help the worried boy.

"It's okay, Simon. We'll look after her." Izzy promised, and just like that, he was put at ease and clambered into the driver's seat. Shouting out that he would be by as soon as possible.

"Are you two okay?" Izzy questioned after a moment of silence, and I sighed, not knowing how to answer.

"I don't know."

But I did know that Amara needed me more than Jace did, and I was going to see that she was looked after. I wouldn't fail her. Not again.