Goddess - Alec Lightwood

9.

Waking up the next day, everyone was trying to come up with a plan to save Simon. Everyone was on edge but they were ready for the next phase. Artemis felt numb but she decided to put it aside for the sake of her nerdy friend. Everyone had gotten up and went to get ready so they could figure out a plan. They all knew that Simon had to be with the vampires of Camille and they needed a way to get in. Clary being Clary was becoming impatient and demanding to go to the hotel without a plan. After a sassy, and quite frankly stupid, little fit from Clary, Jace and Alec decided that they should go to the graveyard to look for more weapons.

"I get that we need more weapons, but why a graveyard?" Artemis looked at Alec for the answer. She had been unusually quiet since the breakdown, and Alec was still worried about her. She had been through a lot, but he knew she didn't want to look weak and tried to push her problems away. "The graveyard holds some servants of the clave, that gave their life to protect us; they are buried with weapons for us to use at anytime we need," Alec explained to Artemis. She watched him with her hazel eyes as if she was trying to save everything he was saying. He thought it was cute the way she scrunched up her nose when she didn't quite understand what he was saying. He would get lost in those eyes of hers, they held all the secrets that she had, but they also held her emotions, and he could know what she was feeling just by looking into her eyes. Alec found himself wishing he could get lost in those eyes, he wanted her eyes to be the first thing he sees when he wakes up and the last thing he sees when he goes to sleep. With a shake of his head, Alec let those thoughts go, he had a job to do, and he couldn't be thinking about the petite girl beside him, no matter how much she meant to him at the moment. " As they started searching for the grave, Izzy left to go see her fairy lover. Clary and Jace started to look together and Alec went to look towards the front of the cemetery. Artemis found herself walking towards the back of the cemetery. As she half-heartedly looked at the tombstones, she started to think about the things that she had to live through. She walked and walked, looking at the gravestones wondering what kind of life those people had. She wondered what her mother's name was and if she was buried here. Artemis wanted to know everything about the woman that sacrificed herself to save Artemis. She thought about how everything in her life was a lie. Art thought she knew herself, but she started to feel like she didn't know anything about her life at all. 

"Artemis! Art! Where are you?" Alec yelled out into the cold night air. He was so focused on fighting with Jace and Clary he lost sight of the petite brunette. He knew she walked to the back of the cemetery, but he couldn't see her anywhere. As he walked he saw a little clearing and in that clearing sat the beautiful girl. She just sat on a bench looking out into the night sky.  

She looked so beautiful to him. She was lost in her thoughts but she was just absent minding playing with the many little purple flowers around her. She looked like a goddess and Alec just watched as the beautiful girl remained in her mind. After waiting for a little bit, he finally stepped into her safe haven. "Art" was all that came out of his lips, and she looked up. She was startled but gave a small smile when she realized that it was her Alec. "Yeah?" she answered back still a little lost in her world. "I got worried, I couldn't find you," Alec said with a small smile. He knew she liked to wonder and it made him love her that much more. "Sorry, I just walked and found this beautiful little spot, it's amazing isn't?" Art said with a smile on her face. Her eyes were full of wonder and Alec wanted to give her the world so she could have that look in her eyes forever. "Do you want to go back to the institute with me?" Alec watched as she turned to him and with a smile nodded. He gave her his hand and she looked around one last time at the beautiful space that she had found. "Can we come back one day?" Art asked Alec as she grasped his hand with a tint of blush on her cheeks. "I'll bring you here whenever you wish," he said with a smirk on her face. Artemis laughed a small laugh and with that they headed back to the institute with smiles on their faces, both of them not knowing that there were cat eyes watching in the shadows with a smile on his face. 

After running to the institute and having the weirdest conversation with Hodge, Alec and Artemis were on their way to meet Isabelle. Apparently, the bombshell brunette had found a way to the lair without any vampires being noticed. As they walked, Artemis stopped. "Hey Art, you okay?" Alec looked back at her with worried eyes. As soon as those words left his lips, Artemis's eyes glowed blue and she whimpered as a mark was left on her neck. She immediatly knew that it was Simon that was hurt, and she groaned in pain. Alec ran to the girl. "Hey its almost over, just hold on a little bit longer." Alec told the girl has he helped her steady herself. As her eyes started to go back to the hazel green color, she nodded at Alec and they continued to their destination. When they got there, Izzy jumped out of the shadows. She looked badass with a skin tight red dress on and Artemis couldn't help but wish for the confidence to wear something like that. "Alright, time to save Simon" Izzy stated as the Alec ripped the door open and vampires slowly started to come in. With two blades, Artemis ran with the skill of a veteran shadowhunter. She fought with grace and used her petite stature to her advantage. She ducked and swiped, and as she did so, Alec and Izzy watched with astonishment. The girl in front of them had never picked up a blade, but yet here she was wielding two of them with ease. After their shock, the three began fighting the vampires. As they ran to get to Simon, they saw that Jace and Clary were already there. Artemis watched with frightened eyes as her best friend was being held captive by a vampire. She looked at Alec and he understood what he needed to do. He shot the wall and the vampire burst into flames with Clary safely away from harm. "Simon!" Clary yelled as Raphael took Simon away. Everyone followed and were trying to get Simon back. "We never wanted him, Fairchild, we wanted you!" he yelled at the redhead. "Well, you have me!" Clary burst out. With Jace telling her to stop, they finally were pushed out of the basement and Artemis saw sunlight. As she turned around, she saw Simon in perfect condition. Artemis smiled and let Clary and Simon have their moment. The two besties needed this because it gave Simon some hugging perks and Art knew he would be gushing about it for the next week. As she watched the two makeup, she didn't realize that Alec and Jace were fighting until she heard Alec say, "I'm not in your shadow Jace!" Artemis watched with a frown on her face. She knew that they were having a hard time since they came to the institute. Without a word, Artemis grabbed Alec's hand and lead him away. They walked in silence as Artemis lead him to the safe little haven that she found for herself. 

As they lounged on the bench, Artemis and Alec talked for hours. "How did you learn to fight like that?" Alec finally asked Art. She looked at him and sighed. "Something happened to me and I was extremely mad and snapped at everyone that tried to talk to me. I was still living in the orphanage, so I walked around until I came upon a building. I saw people kicking and punching things and I wanted to do that. So I joined the class and the trainer taught me. He had heard what had happened and knew I needed an outlet. It felt great knowing I could defend myself, after that I moved away, but still practiced." Artemis told Alec as she played with the flowers. Alec watched her as he put the flowers in her hair. She looked like a flower child and it made him smile. "One day, when you're ready, you can tell me about your past." Alec told Art. She smiled a grateful smile and laughed at him. They were so engrossed with each other's presence that they didn't realize a certain warlock was watching them with a smile on his face. He watched the two interact a little long and vanished into thin air. Artemis and Alec talked for the whole day. Alec kept putting flowers in her hair and she kept giggling at the man infront of her. The two were happy with their little place and at the end, Alec slipped her a quick kiss on the cheek and they walked hand in hand all the way back to the institute. Artemis still with flowers in her hair. 

I am so sorry that this took me so long to write. I'm trying to get school along with this book, it is just taking me a little while longer than I intended. I'm so happy y'all like this story, and I'm so sorry its a late update! I hope y'all enjoy this chapter, and if you want to give me any advice that would be great! Tell me if you feel like Alec and Art are moving to fast or to slow or anything you want to say! Thank you all for being so great! Until next time!