~Book Dedication~
For All the girls who've been treated like they were too hard to handle growing up. There is always someone fighting for you, believe that. It's okay to let yourself feel once in a while, your recovery means everything for the ones...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I wasn't gone. Completely. I could hear people talking. Discussing my life. Or lives. My body wasn't here. It was my conscious.
"Lena Fairchild."
The voices faded as I felt myself slowly materialize. I looked around seeing that I was in the cemetery next to the statue of the angels. I still had my runes. My scars were gone. The sun had come up.
"Izzy."
I took off running toward the Institute. I couldn't help the happy tears that streamed down my face. I felt different. I felt lighter than ever before. I felt normal.
I saw shadow hunters going back to the Institute. Most probably coming back from slaughtering Valentine's creations. They all probably thought I was dead.
Well, I was, sort of.
I could feel the pain in my chest as I got closer and closer to the Institute. I followed the crowd inside as everyone swarmed to look over the dead. To find their friends and family. My eyes scanned over everyone, but no one was up there. I ran down the stairs seeing Simon standing in the sunlight.
"Simon!" He was going to get himself killed. He turned smiling. He wasn't burned.
"Lena!" He moved around the fallen pulling me into a hug. "Holy crap."
"How are you alive? How are you not being burned by the sun?" I asked him looking from him to the sun coming through the stained glass window.
"How are you alive?" He asked. I just laughed a little.
"I have no idea."
"Me neither." He smiled. "I'm so glad you aren't dead." He pulled me into another hug.
"I'm sorry," I breathed.
"Why?"
"I didn't save everyone."
I looked down at the bodies of the downworlders. They'd all come together to stop him and they all died because of it.
"I think you are the last person that should be apologizing right now," Simon laughed. He grabbed my hand pulling me toward the back. "We have to tell Clary."
We came around the corner and I saw Luke sitting on one of the hospital beds. A bandage on his side from where Valentine cut him. Clary was sobbing as she gripped his hand.
"Are we crying?" I asked standing beside the bed.
"It's not funny Simon," Clary shook her head.
"Good thing that wasn't me," Simon laughed from the other side of her. She looked up at him and then realized. She turned and saw me.
"Lena!" She threw her arms around me as we held each other. "I thought I'd lost you. I thought—."
"I know, I did too," I breathed. "But I'm okay." We held each other tightly. She was my family.
