metanoia | alec lightwood

29

"Hey- are you alright?" Jace came to my side when I walked through the Ops Center, "You've been on edge ever since Valentine escaped-"

I haven't been on edge since Valentine escaped, I've been on edge ever since I took off his Circle rune.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I put my hair into a low bun, walking towards our friends, "Don't worry about me."

Before he could say another word, I stood at the table, "Any word from Magnus or Luke?"

"No." Alec shook his head, "With Valentine free, the Downworld Cabinet has been holding secluded meetings at the Seelie Court."

Jace sighs, "Well, that's not good."

"You think anything good happens in the Seelie court?" Clary remarked, looking at Jace.

"Don't be a bitch to him because you're pissed at yourself." I snipped at her, then looked at Alec, "I'm guessing the Clave isn't gonna let this one go?"

"The Inquisitor's sent an envoy to assess the situation." Alec replies, "Chances are they'll be the ones replacing me as Head of the Institute."

Isabelle shook her head, "Not if we can recapture Valentine- Sebastian and all available personnel are searching."

"We already know Duncan managed to hijack the portal." Jace said, "If he was Luke's accomplice, he could have been orchestrating the secret transfer all along."

"No- I don't know." I stared ahead, deep in thought, "I don't think that's it."

"Listen- I appreciate the effort, but- Valentine escaped on my watch." Alec put a hand over mine, "I deserve to take the heat for it."

"What? No- this isn't your fault, it's mine." I interjected, "I was the one in charge of the transfer team- and I lost him. I'll take the fall-"

"You're always so quick to take the fall for one of us." Jace shook his head, "Not this time- it was you, Izzy and I."

I sigh lightly, as Jace spoke, "Look Alec, you are a good leader- you can't just let Imogen fire you over something you didn't do."

Robert Lightwood's voice filled all of our ears, making us look at him, "Alec will do as he's ordered."

Isabelle's eyes widen, "Dad?"

Alec looks at him, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the Clave's envoy- and we need to talk." Robert's words shocked us, "Because they think that Zee did it."

-

"Duncan was the one who escaped with Valentine- just because she was in charge of the transfer, does not mean she was the one who orchestrated his escape." Alec was stood up, raising his voice at his father at my defense as I sat between them on the couch, my hands folded, "Zee didn't do this."

"Why would she have been the one to bring him in if she was on his side? Why would she be fighting along side us if she was helping him? Wouldn't she have gone with him if she was the one who helped him escape?" Alec kept going, "She has gone through too much- and made so much progress to be degraded that way-"