ꜰʀᴀʏᴇᴅ |ᴀ.ʟ.| ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡʜᴜɴᴛᴇʀꜱ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ {ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴍɪʟʟᴇ ꜰᴀɪʀᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴛʀɪʟᴏɢʏ #1}

{𝕄𝕚𝕕𝕕𝕝𝕖 𝕊𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕝 ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜}

"Plant your feet wide" Alec instructs and I follow his instructions, balancing the staff on my chest as I tie my hair up into a ponytail

"Why did you let your Mom say all those awful things about Izzy?" Clary asks and I watch Alec's eyes roll, smothering a chuckle as I do so

Suddenly, Alec's staff swings towards me, not too fast but not safely slow either. I grunt lightly as I connect my staff with his, pushing it away.

"Good reflexes but don't step into the strike though, step through it." Alec comments before answering Clary's question, "Izzy was out of bounds. The law is hard but it is the law. Even I forget that sometimes"

"Spoken like a true - ugh! - politician" I groan, shuddering under the weight of Alec's blow but managing to push his staff back again.

"So you're just gonna let her send Jace out instead of you?" Clary interrogates, cocking her head to the side

"Good block. If I screw up I expect to be punished. I'm supposed to be a leader."

"You know what a leader does, Alec" Clary scoffs as I strike at Alec, remembering to step through it this time, "Makes decisions. You need to find Valentine and stop him. I need to find Valentine and help save my mother."

Clary's words seem to anger Alec and he forgets to go slow with me and starts striking and swinging violently. I manage to narrowly block them with each one stumbling me. Alec's staff catches mine on the floor, blocking me from moving it.

I think quickly and use my foot to kick his staff out of my hands. Acting on instinct, Alec grabs my staff and pulls it over his head, sending me flying over it and onto my back.

My breath leaves me in one gasp and I groan in pain.

"Cami!" Clary gasps, "Cami, are you okay?"

"Cami, I'm sorry, I just...lost my concentration"

"Mighty leader lose his concentration?" I scoff playfully, "There's something I never thought I'd see."

Alec smiles genuinely and I smile back as he offers a hand for me, I take the opportunity to grab his hand...and pull him down with all the strength I have. Catching him off guard, his foot slips on his dropped staff and he wobbles, falling on top of me instead of beside me.

All the breath leaves my body again and I gasp for air.

That was so not my plan.

"Sorry" Alec winces, laughing, "But that's what you get for trying to take me down...again."

I try and laugh with him but stop...because I notice how close he is. His eyes are so beautiful. Full of greens and blues and browns mixing together to form his hazel eyes. I also notice that he's looking into my eyes as well.

"Maybe I should've left the room" Clary remarks, eyebrows raised and Alec clambers off me, not offering a hand this time. I pull myself up from the floor and give Clary a warning look but she just shrugs and smirks at me as I roll my eyes.

"Sure you're okay?" Alec checks

"I'm fine" I roll my eyes again

"You need to work on your defense-"

"What do you think I was trying to do?"

"-But, for an amateur, you defended yourself pretty well" Alec compliments and I feel my cheeks heat

"Do you think we haven't been trying to find your mother?" Alec asks Clary, returning to the previous conversation as though nothing had happened

"Of course you have" I interject, picking my staff back up