ALTHEA - DISCONTINUED

27

Thea entered the Institute and saw Alec talking to a little boy. She approached them making Alec smile at her before saying, "This is Max, my brother. Max, this is Thea, my girlfriend."

"Thea, hi!" Max exclaimed, "you're pretty. If Alec ever dumps you, you know where to find me."

"Okay," Thea chuckled while Alec glared at Max before fixing his eyes on Thea, "you were right about the mund—well not so mundane anymore, becoming a vampire.'

"I'm hardly wrong." Thea said with a smirk making Alec roll his eyes as Max said, "you think you could get me my stele back?"

"They took it away because you nearly burned down the Mumbai Institute." Alec replied making Thea look at Max, "wait so that was you?"

"Yeah. He's a troublemaker." Alec said making Max sigh, "How many times do I have to say it was an accident?"

"Look, Max." Alec crouched down to his level, "somebody very important is coming to visit. All right? You think you can stay out of trouble for just a couple days? If you do, I promise I'll get your stele back."

Just then the slide doors opened, revealing Valentine who walked into the Institute. Alec fired an arrow at the same time as Thea threw a blade at him. Valentine caught the arrow before it could hit him but he couldn't catch the blade which buried itself in his stomach. He weakly managed activated a rune on his arm and transformed into a woman.

Lydia Brandwell.

"It will show you to play with glamour." Thea muttered as she walked towards the woman before asking, "where's your iratze?"

Lydia pointed to her left arm as Thea traced the rune, and watched as the wound she inflicted healed itself. She then helped Lydia stand up.

"That reaction time was abysmal." Lydia said before looking at Alec and Thea, "except for you two. I'm Lydia Brandwell, envoy from the Clave."

"Good thing I don't give a fuck about the Clave then." Thea muttered which was inaudible to everyone.

At the same time, Maryse and Izzy entered the place. Lydia noticed her and approached her, "Maryse. The Clave has ordered me to take temporary control of this Institute."

"Wait a minute." Maryse frowned, "Nobody informed us."

"The Clave doesn't need to." Lydia replied, "and, to repeat myself, it's temporary. Nothing's been decided yet. But I do need full clearance in order to assess how this Institute is running." She activated a command code on a monitor with her stele, "Where is Clary Fairchild? I would hope someone here knows."

"She's in the field, training." Alec replied keeping an emotionless face on.

"You're telling me she's just... out and about in the streets of New York? Valentine's daughter?"

"Yeah, that's what he meant. Why? Do you need to hear it in spanish?" Thea asked, raising her brows at Lydia who shot her a glare, "who are you?"

"The name's Althea."

"Isn't Clary also your cousin?" Isabelle asked with a smirk which made Lydia shot her a fake smile, "Distant cousin."

"She's with Jace." Alec said making Lydia look at him, "The same Jace Wayland who decided to lead an unsanctioned raid against the Vampires? I've read reports."

"If you've read them then why bother asking?" Thea questioned and saw Maryse's lips twitch upwards slightly before she cleared her throat and kept a straight face before she said, "Jace might be unconventional, but he's our best soldier. If he's with Clary, then she's in good hands."

"I hope so. And for your sake, all of New York. All of your jurisdiction better be well protected." Lydia said seriously while Maryse began showing her around the Institute.

Isabelle, Thea and Alec watched as she did so.

"I don't like her." Isabelle and Thea said at the same time. Alec glanced at them both, "jealous?"

"Please." Thea scoffed, "have you seen her and," she pointed her finger between Isabelle and herself, "us? What's there to be jealous of? She can't even be compared."

"I love you." Isabelle said, winking at Thea who smiled. Isabelle then smirked at Alec, "so what's your current relationship status? Single or taken?"

Alec rolled his eyes at his sister before replying with, "taken." Isabelle's eyes widened as she pulled her brother for a hug then Thea, "oh my god! I'm so happy like I can screa—" Isabelle was cut off by Alec's and Thea's phone which beeped with messages.

Thea frowned at the images that Luke sent her. He also sent her a text asking her to come there as soon as possible. Alec, who also received the same pictures walked over to where Lydia and Maryse were, "I have something you need to see." He pointed to the monitor, "something attacked the Jade Wolf." Alec showed pictures of the Forsaken.

"The werewolves' headquarters? Where did you–" Maryse was cut off by Lydia, "Where did you get these?"

"My sugar daddy," Thea replied as she stood next to Alec. Lydia rolled her eyes at Thea who said in a serious tone, "leader of the New York wolf pack. Where else?"

"You're friends with Lucian Graymark? An ex-Circle member?" Lydia questioned, raising her brows at Thea.

"Jealous?" Thea smirked at Lydia who clenched her jaw and was about to say something but Maryse beat her to it, "How about we send Thea, Isabelle and Alec to investigate? I'm sure this is linked to–"

"Valentine." Lydia cut her off, "I need to see it for myself." She started walking and stopped before looking at Alec, "Are you coming or what?"

"He will in a while. You can leave in the meantime." Thea said nodding towards the exit. Lydia was embarrassed but she straightened herself and walked away.

"Was someone jealous?" Alec teased smirking at Thea who rolled her eyes, "we talked about this."

"Yeah. Let's go?" Alec asked to which they nodded and were about to walk away when Maryse stopped them. "Wait. Is there something that I should know?"

"Oh yeah," Thea smiled at Maryse, "your son and I are dating."

Maryse was taken aback by the newly found information, "oh...wow...I wasn't expecting this. I—" she breathed out a smiled genuinely, "congratulations. We'll talk about this later for now, you two have something to deal with."

The two nodded before leaving for Jade wolf.