Brothers by Blood (Alec Lightwood twin)

Chapter 27

ALEC'S POV

Ben and I were sparring whilst Jace was training on his own. Ben and I both knew that, as an outsider, when we were sparring together no one (apart from Jace, Izzy, and Magnus) could tell us apart, especially if our runes were covered, like they are now.

I finally got Ben pinned to the ground, my forearm resting on his chest, when I saw him wince slightly. It was so quick that it would have been easily missed, but I could tell easily. I frowned and got off him.
"Are you ok?" I asked seriously.
"Yeah, fine." He replied quickly, not looking me in the eyes. That's when I knew he was lying.
Quick one word answers + not looking you in the eyes = "I'm lying".
"I can tell that you're lying Ben. I'm the last person you need to hide anything from." I said, getting up and helping him do so. "Come on, what's going on?" I asked seriously. He looked down.
"My wound from the demon. It still hurts sometimes." He confessed. I frowned.
"It's been over a week, shouldn't it be healed by now?" I asked, concern written all over my face.
"I know, but it isn't for some reason. I mean, it is, but I sometimes get pains in my chest." He told me. By this point, I noticed that Jace had stopped what he was doing and walked over to us.
"What's going on? I thought you two were sparring." He asked, a slight frown on his face.
"We were, up until I found out that Ben still feels pain in his chest occasionally from the demon wound." I told him, less than impressed with my twin brother. Ben rolled his eyes in the signature Lightwood fashion, but Jace looked at him in shock. Obviously, he was not expecting that information.
"Shouldn't it be healed by now?" He asked, concern and slight confusion in his tone.
"It is, but sometimes I get pain in my chest." Ben replied.

Before any of us could say anything else, I heard our names being called. The three of us turned our heads in sync towards the voice. Clary.
"Clary! You're back!" Ben exclaimed with a smile, obviously glad that something had interrupted his interrogation.
"Where's Izzy?" I asked.
"She's with Aldertree telling him what the Iron Sisters told us." She replied with a smile. She then saw the looks on Jace and my faces and her eyebrows rose. "What's going on? What am I missing?" She asked carefully.
"Ben is going to go to the Infirmary to get his chest checked out. Again. Aren't you Ben?" Jace asked, more of a statement than a question. Ben groaned and rolled his eyes.
"What's wrong with it? Are you ok?" Clary asked, concerned for Ben's wellbeing. Ben sighed.
"Remember when I told you that I didn't have any pain when you came to visit me the other day?" Ben asked Clary. She nodded, waiting for him to continue. I am pretty sure she could tell where this was going but she wanted to hear it from him. "I lied." Ben revealed.
"I know." Clary said simply. The three of us looked at her in surprise.
"How?" Ben asked in shock.
"I could see the pain in your eyes and I could hear it in your voice. Also, the fact that you wouldn't look me in the eyes when you said you were fine and no longer in pain." She told him as if she were stating the obvious. "I may be new to the Shadow world and not fully trained, but don't take me for a complete idiot. I can tell when people are lying to me. They always have a sign that gives them away, all you have to do is find it." She explained. "Plus, I'm also very good at reading people." She added. All of us were floored. Clary is a lot more observant than I originally thought. I mean, I knew she wasn't stupid, but I didn't give her nearly enough credit.
"You knew? Why didn't you say anything?" Ben exclaimed. Clary shrugged.
"I could tell that you didn't want to talk about it, and I wasn't going to force you to do so." Clary said simply. "Now, as Jace so kindly put it, you are going to go to the infirmary and get your chest checked out." Clary said, well, demanded would probably be the more accurate word. "Also, I'm coming with you to make sure you get there." She added. "Come on!" With that, she grabbed his hand and all but dragged him towards the infirmary without another word. Jace and I looked at each other with stunned looks on our faces. What just happened?

ISABELLE'S POV

Once I had finished with Aldertree, I walked out of his office and set off to find Clary and my brothers. As I walked past the infirmary I noticed something that made me take a step backwards and look in. Clary and a shirtless Ben were sitting on a bed in the infirmary whilst Ben was getting checked out by a medic, not looking too happy about it by the look on his face. I entered the infirmary and walked over o them.
"Twice in a week? You need to take better care of yourself." I said. Both Clary and Ben looked up at me, much to the annoyance of the medic who was treating Ben.
"He's been having pains in his chest." Clary revealed. I frowned at this. Shouldn't it be healed by now? Did I really injure him that badly?
"Shouldn't it be healed by now?" I asked, voicing my internal question. Ben looked away, but Clary began speaking again.
"It's mainly healed but he still sometimes gets pains in his chest." She told me. "He hasn't told anyone due to the fact that he didn't want to bother them." She added, unimpressed at his action. I looked at both of them in shock.
"Ben! You should know better than that!" I exclaimed. Before anyone could say anything else, Clary winced and held her head as if she heard something. A few moments later, she stopped, looking confused. She then looked up at Ben and I.
"Hey, did you hear that?" She asked, noticing that we were both looking at her with concern. By this point, the medic had left and the three of us were just sitting on the bed.
"Hear what?" I asked.
"That sound." She replied.
"What sound?" Ben asked.
"Nevermind." She dismissed it, but there was no way that my brother or I were letting this go.
"No, Clary, what did you hear?" Ben asked seriously.
"It sounded like someone crying out in pain or calling out for someone to help them. There were no words, just a cry of pain. It almost felt like it was in my head. Like the Silent Brothers." She explained. Ben and I looked at each other, concern on our faces. Clary obviously noticed this. "What?" She asked.