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

{𝕋𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕝, 𝕋𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟 & 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕤}

It wasn't as difficult as I'd thought it would be to get Magnus as Izzy's advocate but, once the loophole had been pointed out to them, the Clave didn't refute.

Part of me wanted to believe this was because they had seen the error and accepted it but the pessimist part of me just knew it was because they thought a warlock could never convince them of anything other than their own thoughts.

The new Clave officiate, Inquisitor Herondale, was a strict and nasty woman. Though I'd not even met her, just witnessed her sitting on her angelic throne, I could tell I'd choose Lydia over this woman in a heart beat.

"Will I survive if I touch this?" Magnus questions suspiciously after Inquisitor Herondale instructs him to place his hands upon something she calls the 'Soul Sword' - something I was only vaguely familiar with since my first trip to the City of Bones

I was sat in the back seat, furtherest from the runed throne, Sword and the Silent Brother, having instantly acquired this month's 50th headache the second I stepped into the room.

Alec, noble as ever, had insisted I stay outside, keep my strength, not to worry about Izzy but the look on his face told me everything I needed to know - he may not need me, but she would.

"If you tell the truth" Herondale reasons

Magnus, thinking for a moment, grabs the sword with both hands. It reacts to his touch, a ruby glowing brightly at the top of the hilt of the sword and the Silent Brother begins to 'speak'

"By the power of this sword, do you swear to defend your client with integrity and honesty?"

His words ring through my head, adding a sledge hammer to the wrecking ball pounding my brain incessantly

"No argument from me on that" Magnus jests, hurriedly pulling his hands from the sword as soon as the Silent Brother gestures

"Make your case, warlock"

I snarl silently. The least they could do is use his fucking name, it's basic decency.

"My case is simple" Magnus begins, his tone and gestures one of a great lawyer, a great defender, "It is true that Isabelle Lightwood acted against the orders of the Clave by trying to free the Seelie, Meliorn. But she did not act against the interests of the Clave. Preventing the forced questioning and possible death of a Seelie may have saved the Accords."

"We're not here to speculate what might have happened if the defendant hadn't interfered" Herondale braces and I grit my teeth

"You mean what might have happened if she hadn't stopped the Silent Brothers from torturing a Seelie?" Magnus rebuts

"I await a valid argument" Herondale interjects, appearing bored, "Do you have one?"

"What you really want is the Mortal Cup" Magnus fires back, his anger flaring, "My client doesn't have it. Since this whole preceding isn't about what it's really about, I move to have this case dismissed."

"You are out of order" Herondale glares, her gaze slipping to me. I half-expect her to call on me about the Cup, to force me to turn it over but she's smarter than that, the Clave is smarter than that - threaten me, I don't care, threaten someone I care about? That's the true way to get to me or anyone with a decent heart.

Plus, the Clave like their rules and regulations. Trials are probably like playtime for them.

"No" Magnus hisses, "This whole thing is out of order.  It's not Isabelle's fault, it's the Cup! Put the Cup on trial!"

His case made, Magnus takes a seat next to Izzy. Due to the reactions of the room, Magnus' statement had meant next to nothing.

Suddenly, Lydia stands up, having gotten some kind of prompt that I had missed. A huge wave of anger hits me and it's all I can do to pull my glare to a light grimace. I didn't even know she was here.