Sugar and Spice

Thirteen

Thirteen

*~*~*~*

"There's nothing a Shadowhunter can't do in heels." Izzy smirked as she joined Clary and Jace, holding the Cup in her hands. I only raised a brow at my friend's antics, having just joined the rest of them after cleaning myself up.

"Alec, what are you doing?" Jace asked, joining Alec in front of one of the monitors. "You can stare at this monitor all you want, they need angel blood to get past the wards. You know that. No Downworlder can come into the Institute."

"Not without an invite by a Shadowhunter." Izzy chimed in.

"Don't forget, Valentine is a Shadowhunter." I reminded them.

"The Cup is not safe here." Alec crossed his arms. "We have to give it back to the Clave."

"Give it back to the Clave? No." Clary shook her head. "Not after everything we went through to get it."

"My brother is right." Izzy said, causing me to raise my brows in surprise. Usually it was Alec and I against Jace and Izzy. "The Cup is extremely important."

"Are you agreeing with me?" Alec asked, just as shocked as I was.

"I'm full of surprises." Izzy shrugged.

"I'm with them." I agreed with the siblings. "The longer it just sits around here the longer Valentine has the chance to try and get it."

"This Cup is the one chance I have at getting my mom back." Clary reminded all of us.

"I agree with Clary." Jace sided.

"Of course," I muttered under my breath.

"We can't give the Cup to the Clave, not now." Jace continued, either not hearing my comment or choosing to ignore it. "We need it. It's our only bargaining chip."

"Look, I know how powerful this Cup is." Clary glanced between Alec, Izzy, and I. "It has the power to create new Shadowhunters, control demons, and even kill a mundane if they drank from it. But I promise you, I will not let that monster get his hands on it."

"There you go. You have her word." Jace nodded.

"Follow me." Alec sighed, leading Clary away, towards the vaults.

"What's your problem?" Jace asked me once Alec and Clary were gone.

"Excuse me?" I frowned, really looking at him for the first time since I'd joined them.

"What's your problem?" He repeated his question. "You've been quiet ever since you got back. Why?"

"Wow," I shook my head.

"What?" He frowned at me.

"Nothing Jace." I told him. "Absolutely nothing."

"What the..." Alec trailed off as he came back into the room, noticing the monitor beeping. At the sound I joined him, frowning at the sight of something approaching the Institute, setting off the alarm.

"There's something outside the perimeter." Jace stated the obvious.

"I told you-" Alec began.

"Don't say it." Jace cut him off.

"What's happening?" Clary asked.

"Looks like someone's trying to break in." Izzy sighed.

"Could be the Circle." I suggested as we all headed towards the doors, our weapons already in hand.