𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 ━━ ISABELLE LIGHTWOOD

62

KADE GROANED AS HIS fingers tightened around the glass of water, his grip becoming uncomfortably firm. The screams in his head grew louder, relentless and disorienting. It felt like someone was calling out for help, but the voice was muffled, distant, impossible to understand. He couldn't make it stop, couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Every time it happened, they only grew louder, gnawing at his mind. Like they were trying to break free. The screams were overwhelming even though they wouldn't last. He'd hear them every now and then, every time louder and clearer than the other.

He exhaled, forcing himself to breathe through the noise, until it finally faded. "This better be worth it," he muttered, eyes locked on Isabelle, who stood in front of the screen. "I was resting."

"You can rest later," she replied, her tone clipped as she gestured toward the screen. Her gaze flickered past him just as Clary and Alec approached.

Alec dropped down beside Kade, settling with a sigh. "What did we miss?"

Isabelle didn't even glance at them as she answered, "The citadel was breached. Magdalena's dead. Cleophas is missing."

Kade rolled his eyes at the information. "Valentine needs to take a break," he grumbled, the weight of the situation wearing on him. Clary gasped at the news, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my god."

"Aldertree's heading to Idris to meet with the Council," Isabelle added, her eyes scanning the data. Alec nodded, already processing the information.

"I'll go check with ops," Alec muttered, standing up and walking off without another word.

"Izzy," Clary began, her voice a little uncertain as she approached her. "There's something I need to tell you about Sister Cleophas."

"That you told her about your new rune?" Isabelle interrupted, her voice laced with disapproval. Kade's brows furrowed in curiosity. "New rune?"

Clary looked taken aback. "How did you know I—"

"Does it matter?" Isabelle cut her off sharply, her tone growing bitter. "You should know what it feels like when the people you care about shut you out."

"Izzy," Clary said softly, taking a cautious step closer. "Jace told me it would be dangerous for anyone who found out."

"So now I need to be protected?" Isabelle shot back, her voice thick with frustration. She exhaled sharply, her composure cracking for a moment. "I welcomed you in, Clary. Saw you through training, rescued Simon every time he got into trouble—which is basically all the time—and after your mom. . ."

"Izzy, I'm sorry." Clary's apology was genuine, though it didn't seem to ease Isabelle's mood.

Kade leaned back, silent, watching the exchange unfold. He didn't care enough to ask about the details—he could feel that there was more beneath the surface, but he didn't have the energy to care right now.

Clary sighed, her voice softening again. "We both care about the Iron Sisters. We need to find Sister Cleophas. We can do it together."

Isabelle's face hardened, her frustration peaking. After a long silence, she muttered, "I'm kind of over this whole togetherness thing." Her voice cracked, and Kade could see the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She turned quickly, walking toward the door, desperate to escape the conversation.

Kade didn't hesitate. He pushed himself off the table and followed her, his concern deepening. There was something else going on here, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. It wasn't just her mood—it felt like something deeper was gnawing at her, something she was hiding. He couldn't ignore it. He needed answers.

He found her in her room, the door shutting quietly behind him as he stepped inside. He didn't waste time. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing," she answered quickly, not meeting his eyes as she reached for her hairbrush, pretending to focus on something else.

"You're not fine," Kade said, his voice low but firm as he dropped onto the bed. His gaze never left her, searching her face for some sign of truth. "There's something off about you. I can't tell what it is though."

"I'm just tired—"

"Nope," he interrupted her with a shake of his head. "It's not that. Something else." He leaned in a little closer, sensing the distance she was putting between them, but he wasn't backing down. "What is it?"

She tilted her head slightly, locking eyes with him, her expression unreadable for a moment. "What makes you think there's something?" she asked, challenging him to put the pieces together.

Kade didn't reply right away. He was still searching for that thread he could pull, trying to figure out what she wasn't telling him.

Kade's gaze never wavered as he stared at Isabelle, feeling an unsettling energy ripple through the air. There was something more—something that went beyond her silence, beyond her guarded expression. His mind buzzed with the same familiar voice, the one that was growing louder again, but it wasn't just that. There was a distinct feeling in the air, something so subtle yet sharp, it made his skin prickle.

His senses were heightened—far more than he let on—and he could feel it now. The pulse of something foreign coursing through Isabelle's veins. He didn't know how he knew. It wasn't something he could see or touch, but he could sense it—an energy, dark and invasive, tainting her. It was subtle, hidden beneath the surface, but it was there.

He could feel the Yin Fen. It was as if he could trace its trail, its corrupting touch, weaving through her blood, disrupting her natural flow. It was like something wrong, something twisted, lurking just beneath her skin. The demon in him stirred, recognizing the energy, and for a moment, the primal instinct to possess flared inside him—demon blood thrumming against his ribs, fighting for control. He wanted to stand up and leave the room, he had never felt like this before. But while he couldn't understand what was happening, he managed to keep it in check.

He shook his head, trying to focus, to keep his composure, but it was harder now. He could almost taste the faint, bitter trace of it on her skin, like a lingering aftertaste he couldn't rid himself of. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before, something darker but somehow felt familiar. He didn't know what it was exactly though. 

"You're on something," Kade said, his voice a low murmur, though the intensity of his words hung heavy in the air between them. "Aren't you?"

Isabelle's eyes flickered, and she froze for a split second—long enough for Kade to know he was right. She quickly regained her composure, but it wasn't enough to hide the tension that had suddenly gripped her.

"I—I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered, her voice tight. How did he know? She wondered.

Kade stood up from the bed, his movements deliberate as he closed the space between them. His eyes darkened, his senses on high alert. "Don't lie to me," his tone was sharp, but there was an undercurrent of concern he couldn't completely hide. He swallowed thickly, "I can feel it—what you've been taking. It's in your blood."

She took a step back, her hand tightening around the hairbrush, her usual defiant posture faltering for just a moment. He could see it in the way her eyes darted away, the subtle way her body tensed. She was hiding something.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice quieter now but no less intense, "talk to me."

Her jaw clenched, and for a moment, she said nothing. Her eyes were downcast, and Kade could feel the weight of her emotions pressing down on them both. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, her throat working as if she was trying to swallow down the words she couldn't seem to let out.

"I'm just tired. . . Look, I have to go." She turned around and walked off before he could get another word in.