Wild Warriors: A Shadowhunters Fanfic

4. Everlasting Vigilance

          Isabelle, Alec, and I decided to return to the Institute rather than staking out another dojo to find in hopes of capturing a Circle member. We had gotten enough information out of the first one to know that all the other Circle members weren't going to be of any help even if we did find them.

Nobody in the Institute payed us any mind as we pulled the huge double doors open and walked inside. Shadowhunters were bustling around the lobby, much like the regular days, shouting out orders and standing at attention in front of monitors. Lydia and Aldertree were nowhere in sight, neither were my parents or the Lightwood parents.

"We should check the arial drones again," Alec said as he crossed the busy foyer.
"We've already tried that," Isabelle sighed. She sounded tired, exhausted almost, from the constant chasing of Jace. Alec made an irritated noise in the back of his throat and climbed the small flight of stairs at the front of the lobby. He turned the corner and started walking down the corridor leading to the residency wing.
"So we do it again," he said. "We check everything a second time-"
"Alec, I know you're upset, but-"
"You don't know, Izzy!" Alec stopped walking so abruptly that I almost crashed into him. Isabelle looked over her shoulder hesitantly before stepping close to her brother.

Alec leaned himself up against the wall and heaved a sigh. He was hidden from the sight of the other Shadowhunters in the Institute lobby, as he was now around the corner. He was allowing himself a moment of vulnerability, which was rare for him.
I suddenly realized how tired he looked as well. But when Isabelle showed physical fatigue, Alec just looked...jaded. He wasn't himself without Jace and he knew that.
"I need him," Alec whispered. My heart hurt at his words. I had never heard Alec sound so depressed or helpless before. I stepped closer to him and placed a soft hand in between his shoulder blades.
"I know," I whispered back to him. I rubbed his back and Alec pushed himself off the wall and started down the hallway once more.

Isabelle and I linked hands and followed the eldest Lightwood's footsteps. But we didn't get more than a few feet before a familiar voice stopped us.

"Isabelle, Cara!"
We turned around to see Jocelyn standing a few feet away, clutching something in her left hand. I frowned at the woman and then at the mysterious object she was holding.
"I think I have a way," Jocelyn said.
I frowned again and let go of Isabelle's hands to walk closer to Jocelyn. As I neared the woman, the object in her hand became more visible and it was only then that I realized just what it was.
My eyes widened and I stepped back half a step.

"Where did you get that?" I demanded to know. Jocelyn was still holding the Adamas stone in her fist, close enough for me to see what it was but far enough away from me to keep it safe. "Only the Iron Sisters have access to Adamas."
"Luke's sister is an Iron Sister," Jocelyn explained. My eyebrows raised in surprise.
Really?
"Okay? And?"
Jocelyn looked exasperated. "Luke's sister told him of an ancient way to communicate through the parabati bond," she looked at Alec, "through your connection."
Alec looked as if he was actually about to smile. He flicked his eyes to the ceiling and back down at Jocelyn in some kind of sarcastic humor.
"Oh, I see. You want me to help you find my brother...so you can kill him?" Alec shook his head and turned away from Jocelyn to continue walking down the hallway.

"No!" Jocelyn hurried to catch up to the three of us. "I want to use this to find Clary!"
That made all three of us stop and turn back around. My eyebrows were drawn together in a similar fashion as Isabelle's. My heart was starting to beat a little faster and the beginnings of anxiety were starting to swirl in my stomach, adding to the nerves and adrenaline I had been suffering from for the past couple of days.
"What do you mean 'find Clary'?" I asked slowly. "You can't keep track of your own daughter?"
The words were harsh, harsher than what Jocelyn deserved, but we didn't have the time to be chasing after Clary as well. Jocelyn nodded. "She was kidnaped by Dot about an hour ago just outside the Brooklyn Academy of Art. I'm sure Valentine is behind this."
"Of course he's behind it, which is why we told Clary to stay in the Institute! If she doesn't accept Shadowhunter help when it's being given, she doesn't get to ask for it when she's suddenly in danger because of her ignorance! We have a brother to find, not a lost kitten!"