𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐋𝐄

The harsh truth

Kade stands around the gravesite next to Rafael as Clary burry's Simon and Jace watches.

"What happened?" Rafael quietly questions but doesn't move his eyes away from The hole dug in the ground in fear of showing his true emotions.

Kade clears his throat and looks towards the tree line. "What do you mean?"

"Cut the crap Lightwood. She was my friend too, she talked to me a few weeks before with plans of visiting and never showed up. Next thing I know, there's rumors Everywhere talking about her death. You disappeared, Jace disappeared, Jocelyn was still untraceable." He takes a deep breath to calm himself. "How did she die?"

Kade hesitates for a moment before pulling his sleeve up and holding his forearm in view of the vampire.

"I'm not too familiar with Shadow ruins." Rafael raises an unimpressed brow.

Sighing Kade explains. "It's our parabatai ruin."

Rafael's eyes widen in shock and if his heart was beating he was sure he'd have a heart attack.

"She's still alive." He breathes out in realization.

"The clave think it's Valentine messing with my mind by somehow keeping the ruin there." Kade states, his facial expression becoming blank.

"And how do you know they're not right?" Rafael looks towards him with sympathy. Anyone who knew the two at the time knew he loved her.

"Because I can feel her pain." Kade bluntly states before walking forward to join Clary and Jace.

Jace stares at the man next to him with a clenched jaw having heard the last few sentences of their conversation. "You didn't tell me you could feel her pain, that you were 100% sure she was even alive."

"I didn't want to give you false hope." He simply replies.

"If Valentine has her we have to get her back." Jace's face scrunches in anger.

"You don't think I've tried. You don't think thousands of circle members have died in the past almost two decades. I wasn't off on a vacation, I was searching for her. Every clue was a dead end and it tore me apart each and every time." Kade spits out. Closing his eyes to take a breath he slowly opens them again. "Listen Jace, I'm trying to be calm and patient with you I really am. I get it, your confused, angry, upset, but so am I. I have been for years."

A hand shooting out of the ground ends their conversation and Clary throws herself to her knees.

"Simon!" She yells in panic.

"Back away!" Rafael yells at them all. "He's going to need to feed, he'll be in his most primal state."

After watching Simon call himself a monster and Rafael chasing after him he brings Clary and Jace back to the institute.

"I'm sorry." Jace's voice stops him from walking towards his room. "I know I've been hot and cold since I've found out about it all... I'm just so angry, at her, at Valentine, at you..."

Kade sighs and turns around to face the boy. "Jace, if we ever get her back... she probably won't ever be the same person she was before. Who knows what she's going through, has been through. I never lost hope though, and that's going to be my biggest down fall. Dont let this tear you apart, leave that job to me. I'd happily take that burden."

"She's not just some burden!" Jace argues.

"No she's not. She's beautiful. She's amazing. She was my life. But the burden of the constant hope and let downs. The hope that this was all just a nightmare is a burden. A burden I've carried with me for years. There are constant memories of her within these very halls. Exactly where you're standing is where she told me she was being married off. Right over there." He points towards the training room. "Is where I almost told her I loved her for the first time but she hit me with a staff and cheered for ten minutes about winning. But you're young, we don't know if we'll ever find her and she wouldn't want you spending your whole life in that dark hole of what if's. Just know that she loves you, she's proud of you, and she wants you to live your life." He states before walking away.

Jace shakes his head in anger and denial but mostly sadness.