Not Just a Mundane//An Alec Lightwood Story

- 15 -

The creature loomed over Clary but didn't strike, instead letting out a low growl. Jace's hand tightened around the hilt of his seraph blade as he stared at the creature.

"Grandma," Jace muttered.

The shapeshifter turned towards him, retracting its grotesque jaw. In a swift motion, Jace unsheathed his blade and plunged it into the creature's chest. It let out a final, guttural sound before disintegrating into ash. Clary scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide.

" What the hell?" Clary gasped.

" Language. Not in front of Grandma," Jace quipped, still catching his breath.

" How did it find us?" Alec asked, scanning the area with narrowed eyes.

"That's the question of the hour," I muttered, just as a police cruiser pulled up nearby. The officer stepped out, but the glowing blue eyes betrayed its true nature.

"I don't know," Jace said, his voice steady, "but she brought friends."

Without another word, Jace turned and started walking in the opposite direction, the rest of us following close behind.

"How can you tell?" Clary asked, hurrying to keep up.

"It's like seeing through a glamour," Jace explained.

" You just have to pay attention to the details." I continued.

" You can see them?" Clary asked, glancing between us.

"Yeah," I said. "I thought you could too."

"No. I can't see anything," Clary admitted, glancing back at the now-shifting demon.

"Behind us," Izzy warned, her voice tense.

Clary spun around, clearly frustrated. "I still can't see them!"

"God, Clary..." I muttered under my breath.

Suddenly, more demons in police uniforms emerged, blocking our path. Their glowing blue eyes were unmistakable. The one closest to us had the same chilling stare as the creature we first encountered at Pandemonium.

Clary's voice trembled slightly. "Okay, there's too many people."

"I don't say this often, but I agree with Clary," Alec said, his voice hardening. "We've got to get out of here."

"Hey, this way!" Clary called, leading us toward a set of steps that descended into a tunnel beneath the city.

We followed her, arriving at a locked door. Clary turned, stele in hand. "What's the Unlock rune again?"

Before anyone could answer, Jace stepped forward and kicked the door open. "Open sesame," he smirked, rushing inside.

We followed him into a dimly lit hallway. I held my seraph blade at the ready, the weight of it familiar in my hand. Alec stopped beside me, pulling an arrow from his quiver and swiftly nocking it in place.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Jace asked, eyeing Alec's preparation.

"Holding them off," Alec replied coolly. "Take Clary back to the Institute."

"No," Jace shot back. "If you're staying, I'm staying. We fight together."

"I second that," I added, stepping up.

Alec's expression darkened. "Don't be stupid. If the demons get the Cup, we're all dead anyway. I don't want you two in any more danger."

I locked eyes with Alec. "I think I can handle danger, Alec."

"I'm not leaving anyone behind," Jace said, his voice firm.

"You don't have a choice," Alec countered, his gaze flicking between us.