Overwhelmed [3] 《SHADOWHUNTERS》

Chapter Fourteen

Andina had spent an unexpectedly tranquil morning in Magnus' apartment. She enjoyed the serenity offered by his ability to soak in the sky with her and the quips he shared often about the colorful characters they had run into the evening prior. The smear of dark, sparkly charcoal that makeup wipes refused to wash away was rough around the edges, but it brought more life to his floating eyes than Andy ever found amongst the crowds she'd gotten to know him in. The dream never lasted long, hastily shattered by a text from Isabelle that alerted the eldest of their mother's intention to return home that day for an impromptu "family dinner". 

It weighed on her quickly and heavily, not a thought spared toward the idea that she and Alec had the authority on whether Maryse could even be allowed entry into the building. Instead, apprehension tightened Andy's neck as she pondered the current affairs of the city they were meant to be safekeeping. She did not enjoy the thought of Maryse discovering how full their hands had become, certain it would be coupled with an assertion of not meeting her adoptive mother's expectations.

However, Andy discovered she was nowhere near as worried as her partner when she found Alec once she had arrived back home. The soft, brown cardigan he may never be able to steal back from her brushed against his arm, inciting a flinch when she turned up at his side in mission control. Turmoil had already sunken deep into his brow, further enhanced by the blue light offered by the monitor within arm's reach. Andy peered over at what he was doing, and Alec's attention was too muddled to close the previous night's mission statements before her eyes could skim them.

His mistake was made evident by her high-pitched voice, her features pinched. "You told me it wasn't anything to worry about," she twined as her gaze leapt over alarming descriptions. Alec didn't need to wait long to find it on him. She was not enthused about the damage done by their hunt, to the city or to themselves. But mostly, she was hurt from being left out.

"We took care of it," Alec pushed aside her offense with a shielded shrug. The vast room rolled with an eager and anxious energy, and not just from the tense raven-haired Head of the building. Every possessed murder the Nephilim successfully stopped seemed to be made up for by the demon that stole their streets in mere hours. This creature was ruthless, and Shadowhunters were spurred to search for answers, regardless of if they were technically on duty. Over the large table monitor across the room, Clary and Isabelle went through the largest map they had access to, trying to catch up the system's markings to the most recent damage done by the demon. Jace scribbled down numbers in the corner as he ran through an exhausting amount of security footage from a bank. Alec's hand flailed up just slightly from the counter he and Andy stood by, a desperate plea for her to accept his reasoning as he pointed out, "You had a night off."

The eye roll he knew way too well cut its direction back to the screen. Andy knew she had recently been yelling out in pain on Magnus' couch, but she resented the idea of being pushed to the side or taken care of. "I'm not weak," she stated with a cutting stare, a fact he needed no reminder of. Although he became worried Jace had shared a few words with his sibling that Alec believed would remain between the two of them.

"No one said you were," he lied, and her indignant huff at least offered him the relief that his parabatai hadn't blabbed to her. She would've been a lot more vicious

Andy offered one last glance to the screen as Alec moved his hand back to its fingerprint-dusted surface, closing up the reports and signing out of the administrative account. The woman's mouth shifted. "I just don't like the idea of you guys running off without me when we barely know what it is," she mumbled the admission reluctantly as a shrug took over her shoulders. Her dark brown hair hung into her face, left matted down from a night in satin sheets and well in need of a haircut to even the rugged edges that skirted the middle of her back. There was a stern edge to her stance, and while part of Alec was glad that Andy had been nowhere near the fight last night, he was fairly certain they would have taken down the creature much more quickly with her assistance.