ᴜɴʀᴀᴠᴇʟᴇᴅ |ᴀ.ʟ| ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡʜᴜɴᴛᴇʀꜱ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ {ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴍɪʟʟᴇ ꜰᴀɪʀᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴛʀɪʟᴏɢʏ #2}

{𝕸𝖆𝖝}

Also BEFORE YOU READ AHEAD!! I'm thinking of doing a Matthew Gray Gubler short stories/imagines/preferences kinda book because he is the current LOVE OF MY LIFE! Like I'll always love Daddyario but MGG is ooh *chefs kiss* so would ya'll be interested/read that??
Lemme know!

***********

"Sorry I'm late" Izzy sighs, joining Clary, Jace, Alec and Sebastian at the table, "I've been looking everywhere for Max, has anyone seen him?"

"Have you tried the armoury?" Jace smirks, "Probably sharpening his blades for his first assignment."

"I checked."

"We have more pressing matters" Alec interrupts, leaning forward on the table, "Thanks to Dot's help, we now have the Mortal Mirror."

With no help from me.

After Sebastian's uncouth confession and the fight with Magnus, I'd barely been able to pull myself through the guilt ridden maze of hell to make my way here at Alec's call.

"And you have it at the Institute. And it's well guarded, I presume?"

Sebastian's voice elicits a not-so-subtle flinch from me and I thank my lucky stars no one seemed to notice - apart from him. Careful to keep my eyesight trained anywhere but the spot he's standing, I force myself to pay attention to Alec's next words.

"The Elite Guards are the only ones who know it's location. It's safest that way."

"Jonathan went after Elliot and Dot to get the Mirror." Clary reminds us, "Now that we've got it, he's going to come back for it."

"Agreed." Alec nods, turning to Sebastian, Clary and Jace, "Report back with any possible scenarios by which Jonathan and Valentine could attempt a breach."

"Okay" Jace confirms, the three of them leaving, with Izzy close behind, most likely off to try and find Max again.

"Okay, let's hear it" Alec speaks as soon as we're alone, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" I lie, but my face must give me away.

"You told Magnus about the Soul Sword" Alec guesses, "And it didn't go well."

"It went...terribly" I sigh, launching into the full story, the words said - including what he'd said about our relationship, how none of it would've been possible without him, to which a frown deepened Alec's forehead. All but for the kiss with Sebastian.

I knew the right time, the best time would be now, with no-one around, so soon after, no excuses to really be made but I just...couldn't do it.

What did it matter, anyway? It wasn't like I'd returned the kiss, right? And I'd set the record straight with him, so there was surely no chance of anything like it ever happening again.

So, no. I wouldn't tell him. Why hurt him with an unnecessary worry?

Before I could ruminate on the decision for much longer, an alert bleeps at Alec's phone and the second he check it, I know my time for honesty is up.

"Alec, what is it?"

"It's Max."

***

"What happened?" Alec demands, sprinting though the medical rooms door, by Max's side in a second. It was bad, whatever it was - blunt force trauma, lots of blood and Max had yet to come too.

"I found him like this in out room" Izzy panics, "I tried to use an iratze but...it won't work."

"Oh my God, Max" I breathe

"We should send him to Idris." Alec suggests, "See what they can do."

"The medic said that in this condition...he won't be able to survive the transfer"

"Max" Jace breathes, rushing into the room with Sebastian close on his heels, "We checked the Institute's security camera footage. Whoever attacked him is somehow covering their tracks."

"Has he been able to talk?" Sebastian asks nervously

"Not yet" Izzy sighs, "He's unconscious."

"I don't understand" I murmur tearfully, "Who would want to hurt him?"

As Alec wraps a comforting arm around my waist, I don't miss the look in Sebastian's eyes. Like all of his emotions apart from mild politeness, it doesn't last long, barely a flicker, but I still manage to spot it.

Maybe it's because I'm looking for it.

"I don't know" Alec answers me, tone hard, "But I'm gonna damn sure find out."

"Get Robert and Maryse here first" Jace says calmly, "The rest of us, we'll find out who did this."

"Yeah, I'll stay with Max" Sebastian offers quickly and I cover my suspicion, "If he regains consciousness, perhaps he can ID his attacker."

Ignoring the rest of the babble, I turn my head to Alec, lips close to his ear so as not to be overheard, "I'll talk to Magnus, see what he can do."

"Are you sure?" Alec whispers back, "I know-"

"I'm sure" I confirm, "If there's any way Max can be helped, I'm going to try it."

"Thank you" he breathes, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.

The rest of the duties are divided quickly after, and our answers found almost as quick - whilst searching the room Max had been found in, Clary and Jace had been led to Jonathan's momento box, tossed under the bed. The working theory was that he had managed to find a way to use the box to track Jonathan, had found him...and paid for his brilliance with an injury that was threatening his life.

Which meant my brother, the one I already cared for so deeply, may have possibly murdered Max, if he doesn't wake up - and the current prognosis was nothing but bad. Robert and Maryse had arrived, assessed the damage and chosen to enlist the Silent Brothers to attempt an incredibly rare procedure used in emergencies, like a rebooting of the brain but it had risks, one of them being the casualty rate.

It was almost as rare as the procedure itself for the injured to survive it. But there was no choice. If they didn't try, Max would be left in a permanent coma and there was no other option - not even warlock magic could save Max now.

But that still didn't dissuade me.

"Magnus, open the door!" I yell, banging harshly on the door, "I know you're in there, I know you're dodging my calls so it's open up or I conjure a potentially messy portal myself!"

No answer.

"That's it, I-"

The door swings open before I can even pull my stele from my pocket, revealing a very pissed off and...hopelessly sad Magnus.

"What do you want?" Magnus seethes

"I know I have no right to ask you any favours, to even consider reaching out to you without allowing you space to heal, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't urgent."

"Spit it out" Magnus' response is terse, but I don't miss the layer of worry and concern.

"It's Max" I sigh, eyes tearing up again and I watch as Magnus' face transforms from thinly vailed anger to one of outright worry.

"Tell me everything."