A Malec Story

Chapter 32: Twentieth meet - Where there is sorrow

Where there is sorrow

"I don't see them." Alec, casting anxiously around the room for his family, sounded as if he were a hundred miles off, or deep under water. "They should be here by now"

- City of Glass, p.289

When your brother dies, it is as if a part of you dies as well.

Because you are not a big brother anymore.

And you don't have a little brother anymore.

You'll never get that back.

Alec

Alec was searching the Hall, trying to locate his parents. People were running around, he heard sobbing and cries of the wounded. The crowd was so thick, it was hard to see. He thought he saw a familiar face with black hair at the dais and looked closer. Yes, there was Isabelle standing in the circle of his mother's arms. "There they are, over there by the dais" he said to Jace, pointing towards them and squinting his eyes. Why was Isabelle hugging his mom? And where was his father? "It looks like..." he didn't finish the sentence but started pushing towards the crowd. Izzy was crying, he noticed and he sensed something was very wrong. People parted for him and that's when he saw his father sitting on the ground, holding Max.

Robert's head was bowed down over Alec's little brother who was lying motionless in his father's lap. Alec froze for a second, Jace behind him almost bumping against him. "Alec," Jace said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. But Alec ran. Within seconds he had reached his father and fell on his knees in front of him. "Max" he called out and he took his brothers hand, which was hanging limp at his side. Max's hand was cold against Alec's. He turned it around hastily and searched his wrist for a pulse. Frantic he looked up at his father who hardly noticed him. Robert was staring into Max's face, whispering so soft Alec couldn't hear him. "Max," Alec repeated, his voice pleading, desperately. "Wake up."

But it was useless. Max's cold and lifeless wrist told Alec what he had known the first second he laid eyes on him. There was no pulse. There was no life. He was gone.

Alec felt Jace standing behind him but it didn't give him the comfort he normally felt, to be close to his parabatai. He felt a hollow ache in his chest, everything around him falling away. He could hear his father's whisper now, "My son, my boy." Over and over again, like a litany. Alec felt the tears prick behind his eyes. This could not be happening. This could not be true. He squeezed Max's hand, willing him to open his eyes. He looked at his face and noticed the blood trickling from his head onto his father's sleeve. Very slowly, because the blood was already thickening, clotting on the fabric of his father's coat.

Alec felt frozen in time, not able to move until a sound from his right made him lift his head. He saw Isabelle had sunk to the floor, she was weeping, her hands in her hair, pulling so hard that he was sure she was going to pull her hair out. His mother was standing next to her, her face as pale as Alec had ever seen it. It was then that Alec found his voice, "What happened?"

Maryse didn't answer, but Jace, behind him, did. "Sebastian happened."

Alec turned to look at Jace. His face was like a statue, carved out of stone. A hot anger burning in his eyes. "It must be," Jace said, "It's the only logical explanation."

Alec saw Jia and Patrick Penhallow appear, Aline following in their wake. And Maryse saw them too. She pointed a finger at Jia, her hand shaking. "You," she spat out, "You have invited that monster into your house and he killed my son."

Maryse was shrieking and Jia Penhallow looked awfully upset. "We didn't..." she stammered, "we didn't know, Maryse."

She held out a hand towards his mother but Maryse squatted it away. "I can't believe it! You must have known. He was allied with Valentine. What does that say about you!"