herondale | shadowhunters

9

"Welcome to the Cornwall Institute." Alec says to Jace, pulling a genuine smile. Jace gazes around the training room and rolls his eyes. He laughs.

"But Alec, did your realise it is believed that the first Nephilim arriving here with the Cup were wielding the Holy Grail?" Jace says, smugly.

"I did not." Alec says, laughing. The two of them look at each other in the eye. "I missed you." Jace pulls Alec in for a hug and I watch them awkwardly, still in disbelief at my brother, stood there right in front of me.

"So, Maddie..." Jace says my name as if it is a foreign language. "You've been training?"

"Yes-"

"Maddie wanted to see a Seraph blade in action. She dropped it in shock when it activated," Alec says laughing. Jace smiles a little, and looks at me in the eye.

"You don't look like me," Jace says. This was definitely not what expected him to say this after 2 minutes of us meeting.

"You know what, Jace? Madeleine looks like William." I jump at the sound of Magnus' voice from right behind me, he seemed to have silently appeared out of no where.

Magnus stands before me, watching Jace and I.

"This is not quite the family reunion that I had expected, well union, I should say." Magnus says.

"What do you want us to say-"

"Alec, I think we should give these two some time alone." Magnus interrupts Jace.

Alec nods, cautiously looking at Jace and then back at me. They walk quietly out of the room together and my heart starts racing. I am stood here in front of my brother who I have never met before and I have no idea what to say.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Jace says.

"I just don't know what to say."

"Alec says you've been training well."

"I don't think Alec likes me-"

"Alec doesn't like anyone. Well, I mean, nobody new. He was the same with Clary at first." Jace says, thoughtfully.

"Magnus told me about Clary." I tell him.

"Clary wanted to come here and meet you, Maddie. When she found out that I had a little sister, she wouldn't stop asking questions about you. She'd love to be here right now, but we've got other priorities as head of Institute in New York. I hope it was worthwhile me coming." Jace says with a laugh. "Clary knows what it's like to be in your position." The way Jace speaks about Clary I can tell that he adores her. "I suppose Magnus told you about Sebastian and the Dark War."

"Yes." I say, unsure of what Jace is going to tell me.

"I don't think any of us are ever going to quite comprehend the scale of it all." Jace says, quietly. "You're lucky."

I nod slowly, not knowing what to say.

"I just can't believe you're my brother and I'm meeting you-"

"You say that but you're able to believe everything else you've learnt this past week?" Jace says, with a laugh. "Mundanes."

"What?"

"Forget it." Jace looks past me and laughs. "You know, you seem more clueless than I thought was possible."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I seethe. I like to think I have a good judgement of character, and despite Jace being my brother, I feel I'm already taking a disliking for him.