Sweet Little Serena (Original)

Chapter 102

Serena and Alec were discussing something with Izzy in a deserted hallway in the Institute. They were guessing who Robert's mistress could possibly be after Izzy confronted her father about yelling at Max. The man claimed to have found the small child reading his private fire messages with the Inquisitor, and Izzy seemed to think that it was Imogen he was seeing.

Out of sheer discomfort, Serena didn't want to even consider the possibility.

"Baby? What's wrong?" she asked as Alec stood straight, opening and closing his hand into a fist.

"Something's wrong with Jace," he answered, and Serena grew worried.

"Where was he assigned to?" she asked.

"He asked that he and Clary be assigned to search Staten Island. Why?" Alec replied and Serena huffed before running off.

"I'm only surprised that you don't know your parabatai and brother well enough to know when he's bluffing you," she said to her husband.

"How do you know it's a bluff?" Izzy asked.

"We all know that Valentine's not on Staten Island. JJ wants to find Valentine, and he wouldn't have asked for Staten Island unless he was up to something and didn't want us in the way."

They all were rushing to Jace's room before darting by the open door to a library, the room a mess. Chairs knocked over, paper and maps scatting the floor along with shards of glass.

"By the Angel," Izzy gasped as she walked in.

"What the hell?" Alec asked as he saw the carnage and Serena moved over to the fallen glass on the floor.

"What happened here?" Izzy asked as her parabatai picked up a glass shard, studying the image in it.

"Is that a lake?" Alec asked as he leaned over her shoulder and looked through the glass.

"These look like portal shards, but they're not from any portal I've ever seen," Serena said as she handed over the shard and picked up another.

"So Jace and Clary are at this beach?" Alec pondered.

"Assuming they went through together, but none of it makes any sense. How were they able to create a portal inside the Institute?" Izzy asked.

"Clearly it wasn't a normal portal," came Robert's voice and the Lightwood's stood.

"I hate to agree with you, but it's not. I think Clary made it," Serena said as she faced Robert.

"What, you think she drew a rune?" Alec asked.

"Yep. It'd make sense. I mean, the wards didn't detect it and I've never seen portal shards like this before."

"Let me see," Robert asked as Izzy handed over the shard and Robert studied the image on the other side.

"This isn't a beach. It's Lake Lyn," he announced.

"The Lake Lyn? How can you tell?" Alec asked.

"Because Jace requested a Portal to Idris this morning. He thought he might have a lead on Valentine. But the Clave denied it," Robert answered.

"By the Angel! How could I forget?!" Serena swore as she smacked her forehead.

"Forget what, S?" Izzy asked.

"There's a cabin in Boreclind forest. Valentine used to take Jace and me there when we were kids, and he was Michael. Only we knew about it. It's a long shot but he might be there," Serena explained.

"We need to help him," Alec said.

"I'll try my best, but the Clave -"

"I don't care what the Clave says. Jace is in trouble," Alec cut him off.

"I agree," Robert said pointedly. "But as long as you two are Acting Heads of this Institute, you need to remain here.

"Jace is family. You can't expect Alec to abandon his parabatai anymore than Serena can abandon her twin," Izzy defended.

"No. Dad's right. We need to put the Institute first," Alec said and Serena whirled on him.

"If you think for one second that I'm going to leave my baby brother alone -"

"But!" Alec said loudly as he cut his wife off. "I'm not abandoning anyone. There's a benefit to Co-Heads of the Institute, only one of us is needed to run things here. So, I'm sending my two best Shadowhunters to go and rescue them."

Serena pressed her lips to Alec quickly.

"I'll try and get you a portal to Idris," Robert began.

"No. I'll do it. Imogen will grant it if she knows it's to save my idiotic twin. Robert, tell them about the lake. And be ready to leave in 30 minutes," Serena ordered before she marched out.