The Lost Lightwood

Chapter 7

A/N: I can't stop singing The Internet Is Here by Dan and Phil - I love it so much!

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      Isabelle and Clary were waiting for the lift in the institute to arrive on the floor when the doors in front of them opened. Inside the doors was a portal and a woman with black hair, who looked a lot like Isabelle but older, walked out.
"Isabelle." The woman said. "Dressed to impress I see." She looked Isabelle up and down and obviously didn't approve of the short dress Izzy was wearing. Clary could see Isabelle looked a little upset so she introduced herself.
"Hi I'm Clary Fray."
"Clary Fairchild." The woman replied. "You look just like your mother. We know all about you in Idris."
"Idris?" Clary was confused.
"The Shadowhunter homeland." Izzy explained. "If you think the Institute is well-hidden, wait until you see that place."
"How's Max?" Izzy asked the woman. "We all miss him."
Then she turned to Clary to explain, "Little brother. Cute but clingy. Kinda Simon-ish."
"Robert's picking him up at the Mumbai Institute." The woman replied. "Where's Jace? We have a situation that has to be handled now." The woman shoved passed Clary and Izzy.
"Well, that's my mom." Izzy told Clary as the woman walked away.
"Is your mom always like that? She didn't even hug you." Clary said as they walked to the training room, where the woman was watching Jace train. She looked very proud.
"Shadowhunters aren't big huggers." Izzy replied.
When Jace finished training, he looked over and saw his adoptive mother standing there.
"Maryse." He smiled and walked over to hug her. Clary looked at Isabelle who looked a little upset. "Hey. It's great to see you. How's everyone in Idris? Where's Max?" Jace said.
"No Max. Just Mom with her hair on fire." Izzy walked over with Clary.
"I love how Shadowhunters share." Clary said. "A hidden brother, and a secret country, and a private Portal."
"Mother." Alec walked in with Amelia and Evie.
"Hey Maryse!" Amelia said.
"Welcome back." Alec said.
"You must be Evie." Maryse smiled at Evie.
"Yes. Nice to meet you." Evie shook Maryse's hand.
"We didn't expect you." Alec told Maryse.
"You should be prepared, whether you expect me or not." Maryse said.
"I am." Alec said. "We are."
"We'll talk about the Institute later. Right now, we have a bigger problem." Maryse started saying. "The Seelies have stopped communicating with the Clave and won't explain why. My guess is they're still upset we asked them to send scouts to look for Valentine, but no one in their realm will talk."
"I have Seelie friends." Izzy told her.
"Yes, I know about your friends." Maryse said, referring to Meliorn. "Isabelle, we stay separate from the Downworld for good reasons. The wrong move, the wrong word. Do you think there is such a thing as harmless rebellion? Who knows what offends these creatures? Maybe you told him - them something they shouldn't know. Maybe you trod on one of their ridiculous customs without knowing it."
"Wait, wait. I don't understand." Jace said. "You're laying all this on Izzy for having a friend in the Downworld?"
"When someone upsets the natural order, everything falls apart." Maryse said.
"Natural order? What are you saying?" Clary asked.
"I can help." Izzy told Maryse. "I know how to talk to Seelies."
"She's right." Alec said. "She can visit Meliorn and see what he knows. I could go with her if you want."
"I'd rather Jace and Amelia go along this time." Maryse replied. "Alec, Evie, you stay with the Fairchild girl. I want her under control. She's caused enough trouble already."
"Maybe that's because I wasn't even a Shadowhunter until a few days ago!" Clary stuck up for herself.
"And what an exciting few days it has been." Maryse said. "The Clave counts on us Lightwoods to maintain order here."
"You don't need to tell me that." Alec said. "If the mission is important to the Clave, I would prefer to be the one who goes with Isabelle."
"You are all so eager to do what you would prefer. It's time to face the truth. Life is not about what you want to do, it's about what must be done. I have given you your assignments, now carry them out." Maryse was starting to get annoyed. "You three, with me, now." She pointed at Jace, Amelia and Izzy before walking away and they followed her.
"Well, that was a window into the weird." Clary said to Alec. "What did you do to piss off your mom?"
"I'd guess, for a start all the unsanctioned missions on your behalf didn't go over that big with the Clave." Alec said before walking away from Clary, not wanting to be around her.

"Isabelle." Meliorn smiled as Isabelle walked in. And then Jace and Amelia walked in too. "I see you brought some friends." Meliorn looked a little disappointed.
"More like siblings." Izzy told him. "Jace and Amelia."
"Here to deliver a message?" Meliorn asked.
"Here to ask questions." Jace replied.
"So you do want something." Meliorn said as he walked over to Izzy. "Nice to know that some things never change." Jace walked over to some delicate curtains, decorated with butterflies.
"But the information we want will cost you nothing." Izzy said.
"Sometimes knowledge is the most precious thing of all." Meliorn said. "Ask away. We can discuss the price later."
Amelia walked over and stood next to Jace.
"I can't stand another second watching them make love eyes at each other." Amelia laughed a little and Jace laughed a little back.
      "Butterflies can mean only one thing Fair Folk are in mourning." Jace said to Amelia.
      "But who are they mourning?" Amelia asked.
      "That's what im trying to figure out." Jace replied.
Just then, Amelia's phone started to ring so she looked at it. It was an unknown number.
"Let me just answer this." Amelia said to Jace and walked a few steps away.
"Hello? Who is this." Amelia asked when she answered.
"Hi Amelia." The voice came through from the other end of the line.
"Raphael? How did you get my number?" Amelia questioned.
"Isabelle gave me it." Raphael told her.
Amelia looked at Izzy and Izzy looked back at her. "Of course she did. Typical Izzy." Amelia laughed. Izzy caught on and smirked at her. She gave Amelia a look as if to say 'you're welcome'. Amelia rolled her eyes at Isabelle before talking to Raphael again and Isabelle carried on talking to Meliorn.
"So I was wondering if you wanted meet up tonight?" Raphael asked.
"Um yeah. Sure that'd be great." Amelia replied.
"Great! I'll see you then." Raphael replied.
"See you then." Amelia said.
"Bye." Raphael said.
"Bye." Amelia replied.
Amelia walked over to Jace and Izzy. Jace had gone to stand back next to Izzy and was questioning Meliorn.
"The scouts are dead. That's who you're mourning." Jace was saying to Meliorn. "Valentine killed them, right?"
"If you know so much, maybe I should be asking you." Meliorn answered.
"If that's true, Valentine needs to be stopped." Isabelle said. "Don't you agree? Why break the Accords now when there's a threat?"
"Perhaps the Accords don't provide equal protection for all Shadow Realms." Meliorn replied. "Perhaps all threats don't affect all of us the same way."
"Valentine threatens everyone." Amelia pointed out.
"Those who antagonize an enemy stand to lose more." Meliorn said.
"Which is another way of saying you'll side with whoever wins." Jace said. "I promise you, that will be us."
"I'm sure you believe that." Meliorn replied.
Jace looked at his phone when it went off. "Damn it, Alec." Jace said.
"What?" Amelia asked.
"Clary snuck out of the Institute." Jace told them.
"And yet you're blaming just our brother? Not Evie as well? Fascinating." Izzy said.