metanoia | alec lightwood

39

"Zee, what the hell?-" Alec's voice pulled me out of the trance I was in of numbing everyone and everything out, barely being able to make out that I was in the Institute, "What happened to you?-"

It's like I barely heard him, his voice muffled, caught in my own thoughts, breathing slow, my mind somewhere else.

"Zee- hey," Alec grabbed my arms and stopped me, eyeing my appearance, as I had shown up after disappearing for over a day, covered in dirt and blood, leaves in my hair and dried blood on the side of my face, "Are you okay?"

I blinked, looking at him, "Alec-"

"Hi-" Alec brought a hand up to my hair, pushing some out of the way to look at the wound on my head, "Where on earth have you been? You've been gone all night- I was worried-"

"I- thought I got a lead on the Owl- I lost him." I lied, swallowing hard, "Where's Jace?"

"He's gone to the City of Bones for treatment." Alec held my chin in his hand, examining the small cuts that I had just noticed, "Are you alright?"

I nodded once, "I'm fine-"

"Are you sure you're alright?" Alec put his hands on my shoulders, "You seem so out of it."

"I'm okay." I nodded again, trying my best to assure him, then changing the subject, "Were all the calls worried calls or- did you need to talk to me?"

"Mostly worried calls." Alec puts a hand on my back and walks down the hall with me, "Come on- let's get you all cleaned up-"

-

"I've been through all the Institute archives, and thought of everything Valentine's taught me, but- I can't seem to find anything on this demon- it's nothing I've ever seen before." I was on the phone with Luke while getting ready to go look at some apartments with Alec, "I don't know what else to do-"

"Ithuriel said the Owl has a master before he was killed and this has to be who it is, and- it's powerful enough to kill an angel." I tied my hair up into a low pony tail, "I don't have any more options- I have to let everyone know-"

"You do that, and it unravels everything about Raziel and the wish." Luke shot back at me.

"And? I don't care if the Clave locks me up, Luke." I put the phone back to my ear, "This is serious."

"Well, I do- so does Jace, and Alec." Luke pointed out, "If Alec knows, he'll be in violation for not telling the Clave if he decides to hide it- and what about Jace? He carried that same lie- he'll be in trouble just like you."

"That is the only thing motivating me right now to keep my mouth shut." I huff, "Alright, I have to go- I'll call you later-"

When Alec walks into the room, I hung up on Luke, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah-" I gave him a fake smile, grabbing my jacket, "Let's do this-"

-

"I really liked the last one." I told Alec when we walked through the Institute, "The kitchen was big-"

"That's your reasoning?" Alec looks at me, a small playing at his lips, "The kitchen?"

"What?" I look up at him, "You could wake up to me- cooking- or something-"

Alec looked unamused, "You can cook?"

"No." I point at him, "I can learn."

Maryse Lightwood's voice cut our conversation short, "I'm just here to see my children!"

"Is that my Mom?" Alec's attention was caught, as he and I started heading toward the commotion.

The guard was replying to Underhill, "This woman's been excommunicated by the Clave- she's not allowed to enter."