Unfinished Business • Alec Lightwood

Chapter 17 {Edited}

Rule number four of being a Shadowhunter is to never show fear, especially to the enemy, even if you are indeed terrified. Fear is the one thing that controls you, it holds you back from goals and dreams; it's a dark negative cloud hovering over you and it only takes over if you let it.

Now Maryse Lightwood wasn't a dark cloud or the enemy per se, but Leona knew that if the woman caught even a smidge of her fear while talking to her, she'd be done for.

The brunette wasn't always afraid of her superior, at one point she even thought of Maryse as another mother.

She remembers growing up alongside Isabelle, and back then her best friend's mother was a completely different person. She would take them all to eat and to Idris to see the new finest clothes the place had to offer. She would train with them, always complimenting them whenever they would accomplish a new skill.

It was back when Isabelle had a strong relationship with her mother instead of the distant one that they now held. It was yet another disadvantage of the life that they all lived.

When it comes to being a Shadowhunter and their duties, family wasn't just family anymore.

~

After being forced by Isabelle to get checked by the Institute's nurse who gave Leona a few painkillers and a small IV injected into her arm, her body felt as good as new.

Leona had also taken a shower, getting rid of all the dirt and blood on her skin, and sadly threw away her ruined clothes, knowing that they couldn't be saved with the amount of blood on them.

With the brunette being clean and fully healed, Leona went on to do her next task of the night.

She glanced at the door in front of her, a gold plaque with the name Lightwood bolted on the front of it. With a deep breath, Leona slowly brought her hand up and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Leona heard from the other side after a moment and the brunette opened the door to let herself in.

It wasn't the first time Leona had been in the office room, but every time she entered, she always felt intimidated.

The office was filled with a bookshelf on its left, both old and new material that she knew no one ever touched. At the center of it was dark polished furniture, one big desk with a chair, and on the opposite sides were two others, all the latest material, looking nothing less than professional.

There stood Maryse, her hands folded in front of her as Leona made eye contact.

"I'm here to give my report on the Paris mission," Leona said, fixing her posture as she tried to shake off her nerves.

"It's about time you showed up." Maryse sternly spoke, taking a seat in her chair before gesturing Leona to do the same. Leona politely nodded before sitting opposite the women. "I haven't seen any of you all day."

Leona gave the women a stiff smile, not wanting to risk giving away anything about what the team had been up to. She cleared her throat before changing the subject. "Shall we start?"

If Maryse had noticed the brunette's silence towards her statement, she didn't show it and took Leona's bait.

"From February 2016 to April 2016, you and twelve others took on the role of finding and either bringing in or getting rid of Valentine's followers." The Lightwood stated as she reached down from under her desk to pull out a stack of files. "These are the files of you and your team, as well as the traitors whom you've killed and/or captured."

Leona took a deep breath before starting. She first began to talk about the enemies, explaining to Maryse which traitors were found, which families they were from and when she and her team had encountered them.