quick as lightning

56. Cold shoulder

"So what are we looking at?" Alec asked, our group of five joined by Luke who flicked images into the table.

"at first I thought it was a regular murder, wife with a stab wound to the neck, missing husband. But then I saw the black capillaries around the wound."

"You think whoever did it was possessed?" Izzy confirmed and Luke nodded in acceptance. I shuddered feeling the looming danger which I had felt after the whole valentine was over. It was just my paranoia, I was making mountains out of molehills.

"The wreath demons are gone which makes sense." Alec suggested.

"Who are we looking for?" I asked and Luke slid another image into the screen. A man in blue scrubs and a kind smile appeared, blue eyes and brown hair complementing his pale skin. He looked like a nice person, he probably was. "Tim Dempsey." I read at the bottom of the image.

"Works at the hospital." Luke placed his hands on the table and the image disappeared. I tucked back the front pieces of my red hair and Alec's eyebrows rose.

"Magnus has a friend Caterina who works there, maybe we can talk to her and see if anything was up." Jace nodded before walking with Alec and I looked between Clary and Jace.

"I'm going to canvas the neighborhood." Luke informed me and Izzy nodded before Clary was abrupt to join him. Glad that I was wearing a tank and jeans I used my fingers to comb back my hair into a bun at the top of my head.

"What's up with them?" Izzy asked and I shook my head, a frown settling into my features.

"I have no clue." And that was the honest truth. As we began walking the four of us headed towards the subway, Alec and Jace bickering in the front while Izzy and I listened. My phone saved me from intervening and I spotted magnus's name gleaming at the top.

"Hello?"

"Pipi! How are you? Have you been eating well?" He asked and I rolled my eyes and felt my stomach growl. No.

"Of course." I lied, "whats up?"

"I had to hear second hand that you might be leaving for idris, you and Alec both? Why didn't you tell me?" He asked and I closed my eyes pressing my fingers over them before looking to make sure Alec was out of hearing distance.

"Because I don't really know if I want to go." I whispered and there was a pause.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"No, no nothing like that. It's just...I love being "princess Diana" and all but that's not really...I don't.. I don't want to rush into all of these responsibilities that quickly. I just want to live a little, stay with my family which is here." I admitted the truth and signal got spotty.

"I myself don't want you to go but it is your life-oh I'm get in a call hold on." Magnus beeped our and I shut my phone and sat beside Izzy. Alec took a seat beside me and I smiled softly and he intertwined our fingers.

My heart pumped quicker at the contact, also at the fact there was wall building between us. Lies. The most dangerous weapon poised in my hand and it was cutting into both of us.

"What's wrong?" Alec asked, his hazel eyes shadowed by dark lashes. I smiled shaking my head before leaning my head on his shoulder.

"I'm just a little tired." That was true  jace looked at me and we met eyes. There was no good way to hide coming from the dead and no good way to lie about it, the truth was much more scary.

————

At the hospital Alec assumed leader of the mission role and suprisingly, Jace gave in easily. He seemed more tired than usual, shadows nder his eyes making the brown and blue pop. Isabelle was serving as amusment by beating the crap out of a vending machine. I had changed out of idris clothes and back into more casual clothes, if casual was darks. Black leggings with combat boots, a backless blue fitted tanktop and my hair in a bun. I ran my fingertips over the skin of my  back feeling a thin line down my shoulderblades. sucking in a breath i turned to face jace to hide it.