metanoia | alec lightwood

25

I stared at the box of my mother's things I had brought from her room, seated on the ground of my bedroom.

I put my hair behind my ear and pulled out a notebook, flipping through the pages to see all the drawings she had made.

My jaw was clenched, looking further into the box, my hands touching every single item that rested in it.

I held onto the necklace that she had given me when trying to bond with me, my grip tight on it, the chain wrapped around my hand.

I slowly grabbed one of her sweaters from the pile of clothes I had collected after having to clean out her room, staring at the material.

I hesitated, before slowly bringing it up to my nose, taking in her scent, my heart stilling.

I should've tried harder to get to know her.

I should've known better.

-

"Looks like Azazel's headed south." Alec walked over to Jace and I as we stood around the table in the Ops Cenger, "We just recovered four dead mundanes with his signature M.O."

I looked up at him, nodding once, reaching back to pull the pencil out of my hair that was holding my low bun, "Alright- let's go-"

"To catch a greater demon you summoned to the Institute, defying all protocol and common sense?" Inquisitor Herondale's voice made me drop my hand and turn to face her, along with Jace and Alec.

Alec cuts in, "Don't put this all on Zee."

"We had a part in this, too." Jace backs up as well.

"Look, if you want to bench your best fighter with a greater demon on the loose, I'm happy to indulge." I took a step closer to her, my fingertips pressing against the surface of the table, "But, I hope you know that I don't even need a team to take down a threat. Because I'm that good."

"No-" Inquisitor Herondale stares at me, "First- we vanquish Azazel, then I'll decide what to do with you."

"Yeah, have me clean up the mess, then punish me for it-" I eyed her once, then pulled the pencil out of my hair, turning around, walking past Alec and Jace, "Keep up."

-

"Azazel's attacks go as far south as the meat-packing district." Alec's arms were crossed, "And then the trail goes cold."

"It's no use just tracking the dead bodies." Jace said, "With his ability to dematerialize, he could be anywhere."

"Maybe we can help-" Isabelle's voice made us all look up as she walked over to us with a blond.

"Izzy!" Clary threw her arms around her, "We've been so worried about you. Where have you been?"

"Looking for Azazel." Isabelle clears her throat, then gestures to the man next to her, "This is Sebastian Verlac, from the London Institute- when the demon came after me, Sebastian saved my life."

"Oh, I simply lent a hand." Sebastian softly chuckled, his eyes falling onto me, seeming to be glued to me.

Isabelle nods after him, "Sebastian's an expert on all things Azazel."

Sebastian blinked and cleared his throat, "When I studied abroad at the Paris Institute, I specialized in greater demons."

"Thanks for saving my sister-" Alec reaches his hand over the table from next to me, shaking his hand, "I'm Alec."