Heir || Alec Lightwood

08: A loyal friend standing in the shadow of the chosen one

Once the box is fully opened, it was filled with weapons which took me by a surprise. I took a seraph blade of course and swung it around.

"Don't touch that. You don't know how to use it." Alec said, taking the blade off my hand.

"What like at Pandemonium when I saved your ass from that shapeshifter?" I asked and he rolled his eyes in defeat. "Just like I thought." I smirked, I took the blade back.

"Obviously you saw her at the institute when she was with Hodge, so she's pretty damn good." Clary defended me as she grabbed a blade.

"Well then you, don't know how to use it-"

"I'll teach her, grab whatever you need there." Jace cut him.

As I wiggle my blade around, I saw the rune on my right hand. I stopped what I'm doing just to look at it. My head felt a bit heavy.

"Valerie."

I looked around and saw nobody, calling out for my name. I shook my head and thought maybe it was just because I was in the middle of a fucking cemetery in the middle of the fucking night.

"There's no bow here, I need one. I have to rune some arrows. That's back at the Institute. I gotta go." Alec announced and we all looked at him.

"Well, how are you gonna get back in the Institute?" Jace asked.

"Go in the back. Won't bother me if I'm alone." Alec was about to leave us but I stopped him.

"I'm coming with you," I said, putting the sword back before making my way to him. I need to do something. A book perhaps, on runes. I'm sure the institute has a library.

"No you're not-"

"Yes I am." I cut him off and started to walk pass him. He looked at me as I walked pass by him.

"You heard her," Clary said with a grin.

"Well are you coming or not?" I looked back at Alec who was annoyed of me.

➰➰➰

We were back in the institute, Alec puts his hand in the same place where Hodge did, then a rack full of weapons appeared. I watched as an arrow was scanned over the stele on Alec's hand.

"Can you not do that?" He sighed and I raised my brow.

"Do what?" Not leaving my eyes on the stele scanning the arrow.

"You know, staring." He said and I laughed.

"I wasn't even staring at you, geez." I said. I caught a glimpse of his lips forming a small smile.

"Alec, Valerie. Didn't know you were here." We turned our backs and Hodge was standing there.

"Yeah, no, I, uh..." Alec stammered.

"Alec needed someone to tell his stories to," I said with a smile, Alec looked at me weirdly. "Girl problems." I added and Hodge laughed.

"No, it's-"

"Don't tell me. I don't wanna have to report you." Hodge said, cutting Alec off.

"It's just that, you know, Clary is..."

"That girl is Valentine's.." Hodge groaned as the rune on his neck was searing.

"Hodge!" I walked up to him, making sure he was alright. I put my hand on his shoulder, as he groaned. Then my eyes darted to his wrist, his right wrist.

"The monster's daughter." He looked up to Alec. "There must be some reason why the roaches are coming out of the woodwork again, right?" He sighed. "I'll leave you to it." He said, putting his hands on the circle rune before walking away from us.

"Hodge?" Hodge turned around. "Thank you."

"You remind me of me, Alec." Hodge inhaled. "A loyal friend standing in the shadow of the chosen one." He said and I looked at Alec who was looking away. Hodge put his hand on the side of Alec's neck. "Don't make the same mistakes as I did, look where it got me."