FROM THE SHADOWS

[03] A HOME-SCHOOLED SHADOWHUNTER

Neither Jace nor Alec had spoken much on the way back to the Institute, both noticing the bags under Mabel's eyes and how her feet were dragging the whole way. The girl was dead on her feet and they knew they could wait with getting to know her. It worried them how exhausted she'd been and their concern didn't lesson when they watched her fall asleep instantly in the uncomfortable chair beside Clary's bed the moment she knew the redhead would be okay. She was holding onto one of Clary's hands and rested her head on her arm, leaving her slumped forward in the chair.

"Okay, I can't watch this," Jace declared after five minutes of Mabel sleeping in the chair. He walked towards her and gathered her in his arms.

"Careful," Alec warned, as he helped make sure Mabel wouldn't wake up. Once Jace had her in his arms, Alec drew back the covers of the bed next to Clary's and Jace gently put her down in it. Alec pulled off the girl's shoes and Jace pulled the blanket over her. The two waited for a moment to make sure she wouldn't wake up. She didn't. She just snuggled deeper into the blankets and looked a lot more peaceful than they'd seen her as of yet. Not that this was surprising, they'd barely known her a few hours, but still.

"You two are adorable," A voice from the door broke them out of their trance. Izzy stood in the doorway with a smirk playing at her lips. "She's barely said more than two sentences to either of you or she's already got you wrapped around her little finger."

Jace threw a crumbled up piece of paper at her. "Shut it, Izzy." She dodged it with ease and kept smiling.

"Oh, that's right, she also kneed you in the nuts, so you two must be so close already." Izzy was never going to let him live that down and Jace knew it. He just rolled his eyes, but it reminded him of how Mabel had done the same to a demon so he smirked and shared a look with Alec, who seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"Jace isn't the only one who received that treatment."

Izzy raised an eyebrow, so Jace added, "She kicked a Ravener demon in the balls." His voice was filled with pride. Izzy's eyes widened and she laughed.

"Did it work?"

"Surprisingly, yes," Alec hummed.

Izzy beamed, her eyes landing on the curly-haired brunette. "She just keeps getting more and more interesting."

. . . . .

When Mabel woke up, she was surprised to find herself in an unfamiliar bed. She opened her eyes and saw Clary lying in the bed next to hers, a rune on her neck. Memories flooded back to her and it took all her willpower not to burst out in tears then and there. She swallowed back the tears and sat up in the bed, rubbing her eyes. She realized she was still wearing her make-up from the day before and now her eyes were all crusty.

"Morning, sleepy head. Or should I say afternoon?" Mabel looked to her left and found Jace leant back in one of the uncomfortable chairs she could've sworn she'd fallen asleep in. They must've put her to bed at some point before her muscles got all sore. It was surprisingly thoughtful of them.

"What time is it?" She asked as she pushed some of her lashes up when they stuck to her lower lashes. She really despised falling asleep with make-up.

"Four thirty."

Mabel blinked in surprise. She'd slept the whole day away. She slowly nodded and pushed the blankets off her, finding her shoes beside the bed and putting them back on. "Is there somewhere I can freshen up?"

"Yeah, of course. Izzy?" Alec, who was leaning against the doorframe, turned to the pretty girl from the Pandemonium, who was sitting beside Clary's bedside.