Halestorm: A Shadowhunters Fanfiction

6.

Flashback
6 months ago
Alicante
Alyssa
•••
"Mom, they can't do that!" I yelled. My moms back was turned towards me, locking the door behind us. She turned around. Her eyes glimmered with tears and her mouth was a thin line. Archer came out of the hallway, his gear halfway off.

"They can and they will, Lyss. I deserve it. I'll take the punishment." I balled my hands into fists at my sides and felt my whole body tense up. I was enraged with nowhere for this feeling to go. I didn't understand what had just happened or why it was happening. I just knew it wasn't fair.

"They're wrong. All of them!" I continued. I opened my mouth to say more, but my mothers cold grasp on my shoulder stopped me. I turned to look at her.

"Alyssa Renee, your brother went against the Inquisitor. He must face what he's done." She said. She looked at Archer but his eyes were glued to the wooden floor.

"But the Inquisitor-"

"Alyssa." Archer said. He was looking at me now, tears rolling down his cheeks. Our sister unlocked the door and pushed it open. She flew inside before slamming the door shut behind her.

"Archer Mathias Hale how stupid do you need to be to speak out like that during a trial!" She shouted at him.

"Alexandra, don't! You don't know the situation!" I walked over to her and grabbed her. She looked bewildered, her eyes flashed with anger. She pushed me off and paced towards the fireplace.

"He could get exiled, Lyss! He spoke out and questioned the Inquisitor! Now he's-"

"Enough! All three of you! What's done is done. Fighting isn't going to solve our problems." Our mother shouted. Silence fell over the cottage. I looked at my brother, who was looking back at the floor. Alexandra looked at our mother and sighed.

"I'm sorry. I'm just scared and confused." She said quietly. We were silent for another moment.

"If he goes then so will I." I said.

"No. Absolutely not." Archer looked up. He walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders. I looked up at him.

"I spoke out. Me. I'll take what's coming, but you had no part in this. This is mine alone." I shook my head.

"I was there when it happened too. Caden is innocent. It was a Downworlder who broke the Accords." I whispered.

Archer
•••
I awoke to the sound of soft thunder booming outside. Rolling to my side, I looked out the window to see the gloomy skies of a storm rolling in. I sat up and looked around my new room. There was a giant bookshelf off to the corner on the wall, a fireplace straight ahead. The walls painted a dark grey with big windows to bring in the light. I got out of bed and walked into the closet, which was bigger than our old apartment. I had borrowed some clothes from Alec as well as brought some. I grabbed the first pair of clean pants I laid my eyes on and sleepily put them on. Throwing on a grey t shirt, I slipped out of my door and shut it behind me. I walked down the hall and stopped at my sisters door. Knocking, I waited for a moment and wondered if she was awake.
"Just a second" she said softly from the other side. I checked my watch. It was just after 7 in the morning, she hadn't been up this early in months. Alyssa opened up the door fully dressed. She smoothed down her white sundress before looking up at me.

"You're up?" She asked me. I nodded. She moved so I could come in. I looked around her room. Even though it was a room that was already here, it felt like her. The walls were a light brown with dark brown wooden trim. A 5 window bay window sat at the back of the room, complete with a white wood bench and throw pillows. A patterned rug laid underneath the nicely made bed. A burgundy blanket draped diagonally across the corner of the bed. She sat back down at her vanity and looked at herself in the mirror.

"I couldn't sleep much." I said. I sat in her bay window and looked back out at the rain sliding on the window. She nodded in agreement. She pulled her hair into a pony tail and fastened a necklace around her neck. I looked at her in the mirror, my eyes falling to the pendant.

"You're wearing it again." I pointed out. Alyssa's hand went to the small square shaped ruby. She looked back at me.

"Isabelle and I were talking last night in her room and I noticed she has one exactly like this. I decided to wear mine again." She explained. Her necklace was a demon indicator. She got it for her 12th birthday and wore it religiously until we were banished from Alicante. I hadn't seen her wear it since. Alyssa gave herself one last look in the mirror before standing up.

"Spill it. Something is bothering you." She said and sat next to me. I sighed and leaned my head against the cool window.

"I thought about that argument we all had the night before we got..you know." I said. She looked out the window and sighed.

"Why?" She asked. I shrugged.

"I wish it went differently. I regret standing up for Caden sometimes, but other times I know I did what I believed what was right. He didnt do what he was accused of and now hes-"

"Being held in prison. I know." She finished my sentence. Her gaze traveled back to me and she placed her hand on my arm.

"We can't change what happened. We can only change our outlook. I know what you're thinking. Please don't." Her eyes changed to a pleading stare, her hand tightening slightly on my arm. Twin telepathy was going to be the death of me. I couldn't get away with anything.

"What if-"

"No. You got yourself banished for him, Archer. You put yourself in the line of fire and you got burned. You did what you thought was right and it bit you. Don't make things worse." She said in a hushed tone. I pulled away from her grip and leaned my head on her shoulder.

"When did you become so level headed?" I asked, smirking. I heard her breathy chuckle rise from the back of her throat.

"Trying out some new things." She said. I rolled my eyes. We sat there with each other in silence after that, each of us lost in different thought.