{𝕬 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝕻𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖘}

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"Mags" I huff into the phone, finally picking up after call number 50 - yes, really, 50, "What's the problem? I'm kind of in a rush here!"

"You need to come help me. Now" Magnus demands, no trace of the usual bubbly humour in his voice

I halt in my tracks and Jace instinctively stills, round back the extra three steps ahead to face me, eyebrows knitted together with concern and confusion.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is Alec is looking for his missing sister and seems to think I have the answers. I have no doubt he will be knocking down my door any minute now."

The sound of a distant knock reverberates through the phone and Magnus huffs.

"Ok, what do you want me to do about it?"

"You need to come here, now, and explain everything, I told you not to keep this from him. You didn't listen. So, now, you need to fix your mistake. I'll send a Portal."

The line goes dead in an instant, leaving no room for argument. I sigh, pocketing my phone only to face Jace's questioning expression, his face expectant as he waits for an explanation.

"Problem with Alec, Mags is sending a Portal any minute"

"Good" Jace nods, standing straighter, "I didn't want you with me anyway. Valentine doesn't need only Clary, you know..."

"I know. Best to keep me away."

Just then, a Portal appears by my side, it's pull almost magnetic. Magnus was definitely desperate.

I sigh, glancing to Jace.

"Good luck" I smile warmly at him, hoping against hopes that he would make it in time.

As I disappeared through the fizzing cocoon of magic, I could've sworn I heard Jace whisper

'You too.'

***

"You said you know where Izzy is?" Alec's voice reaches me before the sight of him does, the Portal reaching ahead to Magnus' apartment before my body could catch up

"Well, not exactly" Magnus mutters, "But she might..."

I emerge into the room as if I'd stepped through a door rather than a magical vortex of energy. The tension in the room was palpable and my addition to the room only caused it to grow further.

"Cami?" Alec frowns, confused, "Why would she know where Izzy is?"

"I don't...in theory" I cringe, dropping my eyes to the floor

Alec's voice suddenly loses all warmth, his tone becoming acidic, "You know, I expect this from Aldertree...but not from you."

I sigh, reluctantly dragging my eyes to his.

"What's going on? And why do I seem to be the last person to know about it?"

I open my mouth to speak but no sound come out. Alec raises his eyebrows, waiting for me to spit it out.

"A couple days ago...when we were at the Citadel...Izzy failed the purity test. At first, we were all confused about why that would happen but it quickly dawned on me that her recovery from the injury was quick...to quick. After that, I started following her and realised that she was using yin fen...she tried to buy some at the Hunter's Moon, where Magnus caught her-"

"She told me she was undercover but Cami quickly revealed to me that was a lie" Magnus interrupts, "I told Camille to inform you but, quite clearly, she hadn't, so I called her here."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Alec accuses, his voice raising. He'd never spoken to me so harshly, not since we'd gotten together. Even when I was pushing him away, refusing him, lashing out at him, he was always the voice of reason.

Putting myself in his shoes, I pictured Clary...addicted to yin fen, searching high and low for another fix...

Damn.

I suck.

"I...I..." I stammer an excuse, a reason, anything...instead, I opt for the truth, "I don't know"

"What do you mean you don't know?" Alec growls, "This is Izzy, my sister, and you didn't think this knowledge was something I should be privy to? Yin fen is dangerous!"

"I know that" I cry, "But there was just so much going on and I thought maybe she'd stop on her own..."

"Oh, yes, because yin fen is so easy to just give up!"

I hang my head in dejected silence, letting the misery wash over me, coating my bones, my soul, my being.

"The reason I called you both here" Magnus speaks up, "Is because I think the addiction has taken a turn for the worst."

"What do you mean?" I interrogate, suddenly fiercely protective

"Something Meliorn said at the Downworld meeting made me think...Well, I think she's getting it straight from the source."

A strangled gasp traps itself in my throat as I process the words. Yin fen was dangerous and highly addictive, that was for sure but potent vampire venom straight from the fangs of a live, hungry vampire?

That was altogether worse.

"Where is she?" Alec growls

"Raphael's" Magnus sighs, guilt saturating his expression, "She's at Raphael's"

***

Alec was ahead of us too quickly for either one of us to catch up until Alec was hovering over Raphael, his fist streaked with blood, pounding without pause into his face.

He was an avenging angel, dark and beautiful and deadly...and terrifying.

"Stop" Izzy pleads, her voice weak and frail. I hurry to her side, gripping her arm in my hand, giving her a quick once over to ascertain that she was unharmed...when I pulled my hand from her wrist, it was dotted with blood...

Oh God, no.

Alec was still relentlessly pounding Raphael's face and I snap into action, rushing over to them, shouting back to Magnus to take care of Izzy, make sure she's okay.

I grab Alec's shoulder, pulling him with all my strength. Alec whirls on me, his elbow retracted, ready to strike but I expected it and ducked it easily, though narrowly. I slipped my nimble foot in between his legs and knocked him down to one knee, grabbing his blood stained fist in the air, holding it away from myself and Raphael.

"Alec, stop!" I scream at him as he stands back up, poised to strike at Raphael again

"This is my family!" he shouts back, "If you had told me about the yin fen, none of this would have ever happened!"

"I didn't know it was this-"

"You knew enough" he cut me off, malice, anger and betrayal glinting in his usually loving, soulful eyes. I flinched away from the hazel depths, cringing at the floor, "We're leaving."

It was clear the plural did not include Magnus nor me, but him and his sister.

His family.

Alec grips Isabelle's arm harshly, practically dragging her towards the door. I bite my lip, forcing myself to choke back the words that would discourage him from handling her so roughly after such a short time from being bitten but held back.

This would not help my case right now.

Maybe nothing could.

I'd just stood between my boyfriend and his sister, let her addiction get so bad she'd turned to a vampire for help.

I didn't deserve him, I was bad - no, horrible, for him - and it looked like he was finally realising that.

ᴜɴʀᴀᴠᴇʟᴇᴅ |ᴀ.ʟ| ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡʜᴜɴᴛᴇʀꜱ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ {ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴍɪʟʟᴇ ꜰᴀɪʀᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴛʀɪʟᴏɢʏ #2}Where stories live. Discover now