Monster or Angel - Alec Lightwood

20 - Off The Record... Aldertree Sucks

My fists fly forward into the punching pad that my father is holding. He grins at me as I strike and I laugh loudly. He encourages me to keep going, but after a moment I'm lowering my hands. We are both panting from the workout. Training with dad is always tough, but it's something I love doing.

"Maelys, you've gotten better," dad says proudly and I feel my smile grow.

"Because of you, dad," I say back. His hand lifts to my neck and he squeezes it gently in comfort. I laugh again as we stare at one another, happiness radiating off us both. He squeezes my neck again before his eye twitches. My smile slips from my face. I blink and my dad's appearance transforms from Michael Wayland and into Valentine.

I gasp and try and pull back. Valentine's grip tightens, holding me in place.

"You need to be fixed," Valentine hisses. He shoves a needle into my neck and I feel the pain all over again.

-----

My eyes open as I cry out. My hand lifts to my neck instantly and I pant so hard I think I'm about to throw up. A dream. It was just a dream. I blink a couple of times. A dream based off the sick reality that is my life.

I'm not sure at what time last night Alec sent me to get some rest. We had been searching for Jace so late last night yet we found nothing. No lead. No signal. Nothing. And I hate it. I don't want to leave Jace in Valentine's hands, I don't like it.

I climb out of bed and that's when I see the sweat covering my sheets and skin. I run my hands over my face, cringing when I feel the sweat for myself. At least I'm sweating the Yin Fen cravings away. I make my way to the en suite and take a quick shower. I need to get over everything that's been thrown at me these past days. I need to focus on what's important. All that matters is finding Jace. My issues, my problems, I have to just bury them.

After my shower, I get changed and head out of my room. My mind is focused for the first time in a while and I can't help but feel confident in myself. It's what I need right now. I turn the corner and find myself in the ops centre, instantly scanning the floor for Alec. As soon as my eyes land on him speaking with Izzy, Magnus and Lydia, I am moving again, catching their conversation as I get closer.

"I'm worried. I can't sense Jace through our Parabatai bond," Alec stresses.

"We'll find him, Alexander," Magnus says trying to calm him, but I know nothing will calm him right now.

I jog to them and the four turn to me. I scan their faces to see if they can tell me anything, but as soon as my eyes meet Alec's, he shakes his head. I sigh and run my hands over my face before migrating to my boyfriend's side of the table.

"Did you get any sleep?" He asks me and I shrug.

"I did, not well though," I reply and then turn to the others. "What do we know?" I ask them.

"When we arrested Hodge, he said Valentine was on a ship. They must still be over water if you can't feel him," Izzy says looking from me to her brother.

"Pull up the waterways around New York," Lydia says and Izzy follows her instruction, bringing up a map of New York in the middle of the table. I catch movement in the corner of my eye and I turn to see Magnus using his magic to try and track Jace with his jacket.

"Can you feel him?" I ask the Warlock. He turns to me, giving me a look of sympathy.

"Sorry," He replies.

"There's got to be something!" Alec yells. My eyes snap to Alec and I frown deeply at him.

"I don't see him," Magnus says. I lift my hand to Alec's arm forcing him to look to me again. I squeeze him gently, but it doesn't work, not that I thought it would. He shrugs my hands off him and walks away from us to address the ops floor.