Our Fate ➰Shadowhunters➰ [Jace]

➰Chapter Twenty-two➰

➰Chapter Twenty-two➰

"Leah!" Isabelle ran up to hug me tightly, once she saw us walking inside the Institute in absolute silence. "By the Angel! Are you okay?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. Not after everything that had happened after the last hour.

"Clary gave Lydia the Cup. Hodge is taking her to lock it up until she goes back to Idris." Jace explained, his voice sounding empty.

"Okay." Alec said.

"Okay? That's it, Alec?" Jace spat.

"I don't want to get into it."

"You almost killed me. You weakened our parabatai bond just to find me. You betrayed me!"

"You lied to me—"

"You attacked me when I was doing something we should've been doing together! I didn't betray you, Alec."

I was not in the mood to listen to this, so I drifted away and slowly walked into my room in the Institute.

Isabelle had brought in some posters and stuffed animals from my old apartment to make it feel more welcoming, but it didn't feel like home. The room felt empty, as I did inside. Every orphan kid dreams about meeting their biological parents, wishing they'd be movie stars, millionaires or some sort of heroes, in my case. What do I get? A mother who didn't recognize me when she found me again, a father who tried to kill me multiple times, a sister who is the reason my mother didn't take me in, and a brother who happens to be the wrong person to be with.

I stared at the Angelic Power rune on my forearm blankly. I didn't want this. I heard a soft knock on the door, and I sighed heavily when I saw Magnus leaning on the threshold, looking a bit more formal than usual.

"May I?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Come in."

He walked inside, inspected my stuffed panda bear and smiled. "I remember when I bought you this. You had accompanied me to speak to a friend of mine, and behaved so well, I couldn't say no when you asked me to buy you this."

"A panda seemed to fix every worry back then," I smiled sadly, recalling my happier childhood.

He sat down next to me on the floor. "You know, Isabelle was on trial today."

I gasped. "What? Why?!"

Magnus flicked his hand dismissively. "Nothing to worry about. They dropped the charges. You giving up the Cup saved her."

"I... I had no idea. Damn, I feel like such a jerk. She needed me, and I wasn't here for her."

"Don't beat yourself up. You're not the only pair of besties having issues lately," Magnus said. "Alec and Jace, Simon and Clary... These are tough times. But I have seen many Nephilim in my lifetime, and let me assure you, that the lot of you are true parabatai. True friends. That is something not even immortality can guarantee."

I smiled. "You think I could become parabatai with Izzy?"

"I think it would be a wonderful idea, and it'll give you something else to think about other than your troubles."

"I... I can't hide how I feel. How am I supposed to face them after what I learned?"

Magnus smiled. "If you care enough about him, you'll figure it out."

➰➰➰

"Hey. I—uh—I tried to talk to you last night, but you were already asleep."