Secrets (Alec Lightwood)

Maryse Lightwood

CLARY'S POV.

I stood by Jace as he examined my necklace. I told him everything about Valentine last night.

"And he spoke to you?" Jace asked me.

"He said my name. He said, "Your mother for the Cup."" I told him.

"Who said that?" Alec voiced from behind us as he walked in and we looked at him.

"Valentine." Jace and I said simultaneously.

"He's with my mother." I added.

"And he can speak to you through that necklace? Here, in the institute?" Alec asked me, looking at me.

"It's like when I saw Dot." I said before looked at Jace, remembering something Valentine told me, "Valentine also said something he wanted. Um, some princess of Aqua, Aqui, Aquier-"

"Aquina." I hear a voice say from behind us and we turned to see Thea standing by the doorway, "The Princess of Aquina."

"What, who?" Jace asked as she walked into the room.

"She has been missing from her kingdom for almost 11 years. Her family died in a Circle ambush, and she was the only surviver. Every soldier is looking for her, but nothing has popped up." Thea told us and we looked at her confused.

"How to you know all this?" Jace asked her.

"From books and rumors going around." She said plainly. Weird... She then looked at the necklace, "It's a portal shard. That's why your mother made sure you had it."

"All I know is what I saw. My mother's alive. She's unconscious, but alive." I told them.

"Where are they?" Alec asked me sternly.

"I don't know." I answered.

"But you said you saw them. Were there any identifying characteristics? Equipment, weapons, photographs?" He asked me, but I didn't remember.

"I don't remember. It was awful." I snapped at him.

"Alec, lighten up." Jace told him.

"I'm trying to get something we can use out of this. Clary, what did you see exactly?" Alex asked me calmly this time.

"Valentine has my mother, that's what I saw." I replied.

"Emotions are nothing, but a distraction, you're ruled by them. We're taught to control them." Alec said and Thea rolled her eyes next to him.

"And how is that working out for ya?" I asked him.

"It is my job to protect the institute. If Valentine can see in, that's the door I have to shut. Now let me take a look at that thing." Alec ordered and Jace gave the necklace to him, "Now it's in the proper hands."

"Hey! Alec, where are you going?" I asked as Alec walked through the institute with us following him.

"To put this somewhere safe. Where no one could be tempted to use it." Alec said as Jace tried to stop him.

"Alec, we should use it to get to Valentine." Jace told Alec.

"If I were Valentine, I'd make you think that you could rescue Jocelyn and then I'd lure Clary to me and leverage her life for the Cup." Alec told us as he bent down and took his stele out and traced the rune on the floor.

"And the princess of Aquina." Thea added, crossing her arms.

"I like Jace's idea." I said as the tile raised and Alec traced the rune on the side, "We saved Simon and Thea from vampires that way."