Strawberry // Magnus bane

Chapter 10 - This World Inverted

We walked into the institute still not talking to each other as we hear Alec say "Where the hell have you been?" as he comes up to us. 

I sighed and glared at him slightly "Where I needed to be. Away from you, your fiancée and all of the lies." I tell him. 

Alec sighed, crossing his arms ver his chest "Jace and Clary are on the run. I can't protect you if you don't tell me the truth." he pleads and I scoff. 

Izzy shook her head "I don't need protecting. Meliorn's alive. That's all that matters." she said walking away and I follow her. 

"Just... Hey, just" He grabs onto our arms to stop us from walking away

"tell me this. Is there any way that Raj could have seen anything incriminating?" He asks us both as we look over at them. 

"How is that possible? Nobody outside the Institute knew about the mission." We hear Lydia say confused. 

"It was dark. We couldn't see much. There were wolves, and the others were hit with vampires. But I swear, the one that got me... moved a lot like a Shadowhunter." He told her and Lydia looked over at Alec, Izzy and I. 

***

Izzy grabbed my hand as I walked through the main institute room, I turned to look at her with an eyebrow raised and she sighed "I trust you with everything, you know that. I didn't want you to get involved because you've had so much going on and this could have put you in an incredibly difficult situation with the clave." She said. 

I nodded "I appreciate that but when it comes to the downworlders you know I would do anything to make sure they're are treated equally. You knew If I heard I would have helped you. You used Magnus and made him lie to me." I told her. 

She sighed looking down, guilty "I'm sorry Bells. I made a mistake, please don't hate me for it." 

I looked at her and sighed "I don't hate you, Iz. I hate that you lied to me." I decided that although I don't forgive her completely I understand where she was coming from and hated fighting with her so I pulled her into a hug. She smiled and hugged me back tighter.

We saw Lydia, Raj and Alec walk towards us and we pulled away "Isabelle Lightwood, Isabella Branwell by order of the Clave, you are under arrest for high treason." She told us. 

Alec looked at her with furrowed eyebrows "What? On what grounds?" 

Lydia looked between the two of us "Only a handful of people knew about the Meliorn op."

Raj looked at us with a slight smirk "And everyone knows she's sleeping with him." he said nodding at Izzy "And she loves Downworlders" he says looking at me.

I shook my head "You know what, Lydia? You're no better than Valentine. But at least he had the guts to tell Downworlders to their faces he wanted them all dead. You hide behind the Law." I said with a smirk. 

Lydia looked at me "I don't hide behind it, Isabella. I simply follow it. Because it guards against one very important thing. Shadowhunters fighting other Shadowhunters." she said and I scoffed.

"If their convicted, they'll be stripped of their runes and banished. I can't let that–" Alec said while I shook my head at him giving Raj my stele and Izzy did the same. 

"Don't. It's not your fight." Izzy said as we walked away with Raj escorting us. 

***

Raj brought us to my room as Izzy and I refused to be in separate rooms and he gave in. We had ben in there for about five minutes when Alec walks in with his arms crossed looking annoyed. 

"Jace stole the Cup. " he stated looked at Izzy knowing I wouldn't have had any part of that.  "Izzy, did you know about this? My God, did you help him?" He said incredulously then he looked at me "Bella, please tell me..." he continued.

I shook my head cutting him off "I wouldn't have done that to you. You know I thought it should have gone straight to the Clave."

he sighed "The Cup is the only thing that can get you out of this." he said. 

Izzy turned around to look out of the window "Jace is doing what he thinks is right."

"What's right? He put the whole Shadow World in danger. He put you both in danger. We have to get him back here. With the Cup. It's the only thing that can help you both." He said moving to look at us both. 

I sighed "They've taken Meliorn back to the Seelie realm. You can't track him there." I said to him looking down. 

Alec shook his head "Not by any of the normal ways."

I looked at him with wide eyes as did Izzy "No, absolutely not. You cannot track Jace through your parabatai bond. It will weaken both of you. Or break the bond." I said with haste. 

Alec began walking out before turning back to look at us "Jace already weakened it. How does he think I can trust him after what he did?" he said.

I sighed looking at him "If I can forgive Izzy, you can forgive Jace." 

Izzy nodded "Please, Alec. Think about what you're doing." She tried to persuade him but he had already left. 

I looked at her with tears in my eyes "He needs to stop trying to protect us." I said while she just nodded. 

***

I had fallen asleep after some time as I was exhausted. I shot awake when I heard the door fly open and saw Alec walk in looking sad "What happened? Are you and Jace okay?" I rushed out. 

Alec shook his head "No. Our parabatai bond, it's just so weak. He's like a ghost." he said sadly.

Izzy stood next to me "Alec, what did you do?" She asked hesitantly. 

"Lydia and I thought we could stop the trial if we gave the Cup to the Clave." He said and my eyes widened. 

"Lydia helped you?" I asked shocked.

Alec shakes his head "It doesn't matter." he says sitting on my bed.

"She has no choice but to go through with the trial now." He continued looking down as we sit next to him.

"It's okay, big brother." I said grabbing his hand 

"We know you tried." Izzy said on the other side of him taking his other hand in hers.

"I'm sorry." he said quietly looking down. 

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