Our Fate V ➰Shadowhunters➰ [Jace]

➰Chapter XXVIII➰

➰Chapter XXVIII➰

The more time Leah was out of their sight, the more Jace worried. Instead of getting their heads together and coming up with a plan to figure out how to find her, everyone wasted their time fighting with one another over petty, stupid things. And now, Isabelle and Alec weren't even in the Institute anymore and Jace was stuck with Magnus, Clary and a whole awful lot of stress.

The worst case scenario definitely flashed in his mind. What if Dahlia had gotten Leah, too? Probably not, now that he truly thought about it. If Dahlia had gotten to her before they could apprehend her, she probably would have slipped up and told them by now. However, Dahlia Lovelace wasn't the only danger out there, and Leah hadn't really been herself lately. There still was a huge possibility that, even if it wasn't Dahlia's doing, it could've been Christopher.

"Jace, you need to breathe," Clary told him, as he probably noticed how uneven his breaths were starting to get.

"No one has seen her in over a day, damn it!" Jace retorted harshly. "It's too dangerous out there!"

"I agree, but you won't find her by losing it, either," Clary responded, and even though he was about to have a panic attack, Jace knew she was right. 

"Besides, knowing Leah, she's going to be fine. She's a tough person to kill, in case you haven't noticed," Magnus added.

"But what if--" He couldn't finish, before his blue eyes landed on the two people walking into the Institute from behind Magnus. 

He didn't question it before his feet took him straight towards them. Once he was close enough, his arms wrapped around Leah while holding onto her as if afraid that she'd disappear at any given moment if he didn't hold on tight enough. 

"Thank the Angel."

"Hi there," Leah said, her voice muffled because of her mouth being covered by Jace's shoulder.

"Where were you? Do you have any idea of how worried I was?"

"Leah!" Clary and Magnus soon joined in as well. They both seemed as relieved as Jace was, although neither actually voiced it. "What the Hell were you thinking?"

"Did Dahlia hurt you?" Magnus asked with a frown.

"Dahlia? Why would she..."

"She's working for Christopher," Jace explained shortly. Leah gave him a sad look, and he could already tell what she was thinking: that he felt hurt about the betrayal. Sure, it wasn't the best news ever, but he had a lot of other things to worry about at the moment to allow himself to feel bothered by her actions. "She has been going around murdering Shadowhunters at the Institute."

"By the Angel!" Maryse gasped. "Are Alec and Izzy alright? What about Max?"

"Alec is with Izzy, while Max left a few hours ago with Andrea. They're alright," Jace assured her. "Damn it, Leah. Don't ever scare me like that again."

"I'm sorry. I had no idea all this craziness was going on around here," Leah said, as her eyes left his to stare at the floor. "I just needed to clear my mind."

"What happened that made you leave like that?" Jace asked, cupping her face gently while rubbing her cheek with his thumb. As angry as he was a few moments before, he could never bring himself to stay that way around her. "This isn't like you."

"Leah and I were at the hospital, actually," Maryse interceded, making everyone widen their eyes with surprise. "She was attacked by Christopher's men last night. I found her just in time and made sure she was alright."