Monster or Angel - Alec Lightwood

25 - Heart Taker

I'm not sure how, but Alec coaxes me off the floor. And it's only when I'm on my feet, hands clinging onto Alec's arm, that I realise Izzy and Clary are stood with us. I sniff as I look at them, but Izzy doesn't give me a chance to over think anything. She runs to me and throws her arms around my shoulders. She holds me tightly and I wrap one arm around her, my other continuing to cling to Alec.

"I love you so goddamn much, Izzy," I whisper to her. She lets out a breath and her grip tightens.

"I love you, too, Mae. I'm sorry you felt- I'm sorry I made you think-"

"Don't do that," I say, stopping her stammering. "I can't thank you enough."

Izzy draws back, her face contorting into an expression of guilt which doesn't do anything to put my mind at ease. "Don't thank me yet," she mumbles. I study her expression, unsure about what to make of her words. Though Alec wraps his arm around my back, offering me his other to cling onto, which I take into my grip immediately.

"Let's talk in your room before Aldertree says something else," Alec says gently as he presses on the small of my back to get me walking. I only take the one step as I sniff and wipe my face with my free hand before looking up to Alec.

"Aldertree's said something?" I ask. He meets my eye and gifts me a small smile.

"Nothing bad. I promise you, Mae," Alec says. He walks right beside me, his hand on my lower back and his arm in my grip. Izzy joins my other side to further encourage me to walk. But before we can Clary is speaking, drawing all of our attention onto her.

"I'll see you guys later," she says, sending a smile my way before turning and walking away. I'm glad she's leaving because I have no energy to tell her to get lost. She's seen me cry enough in the past days to last a lifetime. She isn't getting anymore.

Izzy takes my hand in hers and she and Alec guide me back to my room. I hold onto them both tightly, and my grip doesn't loosen in the slightest as we make it through the door. They sit me down on my bed and Alec removes his arm from my hand so that he can close the door, letting Izzy sit next to me. My eyes follow Alec as he walks away from me and a wave of relief hits me. Seeing him move without a moment of hesitancy or pain reassures my mind that he is truly okay.

The door clicks shut and he turns to face me again. He moves towards the bed, but instead of sitting next to me, he lowers himself onto the floor in front of me and Izzy. He stretches his legs out in front of me and he taps his foot against mine. At first I'm confused about why he's sat in front of me and not to my side, but then I notice how his eyes scan over my face as if he is assessing me. I can't blame him for looking at me like I'm the most vulnerable person in the world because in this instant I feel exactly that.

"Are you okay, Alec?" I ask.

"I'm okay, Mae," he says softly as he leans forward, "I'm not going anywhere."

"So, Jace?" I ask and Izzy tenses beside me which causes my gaze to shift to her.

"I had to make a deal with Aldertree. He allowed me to portal Jace to Alec but in return, after Alec woke, he sentenced Jace to the City of Bones," Izzy says. My stomach drops and my eyes fall to the floor. Izzy clings to my hand as my other moves to hold my head as if she's trying to stop me from falling into despair.

"I can't take this anymore," I breathe. "This is too much for me to deal with, I can't-"

"Hey, it's okay. When Jace goes under the Soul Sword they'll realise that he's not the traitor they think he is. Everything will be back to normal," Alec says trying to reassure me. But it doesn't. Not everything will go back to the way it was, it never will.