ALTHEA - DISCONTINUED

26

An alarm in the Institute started beeping loudly. Thea, Jace and Izzy look at the screen.

"There's something outside the perimeter." Jace spoke making Alec look at him with a knowing look, "I told you–"

"Don't say it." Jace cut him off as Clary ran towards them, "What's happening?"

"Looks like someone's trying to break in." Thea replied.

"Could be the Circle." Jace informed to which Alec smirked, "told you so."

"Too soon." Jace muttered as the five shadowhunters grabbed their weapons and walked outside. Outside was foggy. Thea spotted the figure of someone carrying something.

"Don't move." She ordered and the figure stiffened before Alec added, "Drop what you're holding. Put your hands up."

Raphael stepped in front of them, allowing them to see his face and a dead Simon in his arms making the shadowhunters lower their weapons.

"Oh, my God, Simon!" Clary gasped, tears filling her eyes.

**

THE INSTITUTE, BASEMENT

"People will be wondering what we found outside the perimeter." Jace said making Alec look at him, "I'll go. I'll tell them we didn't find anything. Nobody will come down here."

He glanced at Thea who nodded before he pecked her lips and walked away.

"I might be a vampire...but I was raised a good Catholic." Raphael made the sign of a cross.

"The Vampires breached the Accords. Killing Simon is grounds for war." Isabelle spoke up making the vampire look at him, "the Vampires were not behind this. Just Camille. She attacked Simon on her own."

"And how do we know you're telling the truth?"

"He could have gotten rid of him, but instead he brought him here." Thea replied to which Raphael shot her a thankful nod before he said, "I don't want trouble with the Shadowhunters—especially not Thea."

"Smart decision." Isabelle muttered.

"I warned the mundane to stay away..." Raphael began, "but Camille gave him a taste of her own blood, and like an addict... he came back wanting more."

"The only reason Simon ever tasted Camille's blood is because of you! You kidnapped him! You drug him to the Hotel DuMort. You..." Clary gritted her teeth at the vampire, "you delivered him to Camille!"

"Enough." Thea said in an emotionless and cold voice which shut Clary up instantly. "The only reason Simon ever tasted Camille's blood is because of you. If your mundane friend didn't interfere in this world, none of this would've happened."

Clary was quiet. She knew Thea was right.

"I never meant for this to happen." Raphael spoke quietly.

"Simon. Simon, please come back, please!" Clary sobbed as she clutched to Simon's body.

"There is a way." Raphael spoke making Jace frown, "a way what?"

"A way to bring Simon back."

"You can do that?" Clary raised her brows, "how? How?"

"He's a fledgling. It's a state of transition." Raphael explained receiving a warning glare from Thea, "your friend can be resurrected."

"No." Thea and Jace said at the same time while Isabelle shook her head at the redhead, "Clary, no."

"So I could have Simon back? Alive and breathing?" Clary asked to which Isabelle replied, "That's just it. He won't return alive or breathing. He'll be a vampire."

"And not the sexed up, romantic kind. The ugly, bloodsucking, coffin-dwelling kind." Jace said making Raphael frown, "That's offensive. Coffin implies wooden box. We have caskets now. They're made of 14-karat gold."

"My bad." Jace muttered as Raphael spoke again, "It's almost sunrise. Simon must be turned into a vampire tonight or staked through the heart."

"And if I do neither?" Clary asked to which Thea replied, "His soul will be trapped for eternity."

"You have till sunset to decide." Raphael added, "The clock is ticking."

"Clary, listen to me." Thea approached the redhead who watched her curiously. "You can't do that to Simon. He will feel different—he will consider himself as repulsive. He won't be the same Simon you know."

"You don't know that." Clary shook her head at Thea, "I don't want to lose him. I won't be able to live without him."

"Don't think about you! Think about him. Would he want that? Would Simon want to become a vampire?"

"I'll do anything to bring him back. You don't know how it feels like to lose someone!" Clary snapped at Thea who clenched her jaw, "shut the fuck up, Fairchild. I know all about that so called feeling you're talking about cause guess what? I've lost my parents, my whole family, my best friend, my siblings, my parabatai. So yeah, you don't get to say shit to me. You know what? I don't care what you do. Don't say I didn't warn you when things go wrong." Thea then turned around and left. Clary felt a stinging sensation in her neck but she waved it off.