Angels and Warriors // A.L

Chapter 18

I couldn't sit and watch Clary cry all day, so I left her with Jace and Raphael, and headed up into the Institute. I'd told her my opinion on the matter, which was the same as those of Alec, Isabelle and Jace, but she'd screamed at me to stay out of it.

I wandered up to the training room and saw that some targets were already set up but weren't being used. I unearthed the bow I had first tried to shoot with, and collected some arrows, walking back to the middle of the room. Loading the bow, I pulled back; ready to aim, when I felt Alec come up behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know it was him. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "That's not how you do it." He slid his hands around my waist, adjusting my stance, then held my arms up and with a kiss on my cheek murmured against my skin, "Now release."

I let the string of the bow slip from my fingers and watched as the arrow hit the heart of the target. I turned around to face him with a grin on my face, and saw him smiling down at me, eyes twinkling.

"Alec!" We stepped away from each other, both looking down to see a little boy who looked about eight or nine running over.

"Hey buddy," Alec bent down with a kind smile, enveloping the little boy in a hug. He tilted his face back up at me and said, "This is my brother, Max," before addressing his brother, "Max, this is Samara, she's very special to me."

Max stuck out his small hand and I shook it, "Then I like her too," He said. I saw Alec watching the exchange with a heart-warming smile. "Can I hug you too?" He asked. I nodded and bent down, allowing him to run into my arms. I picked him up and rested him on my hip, handing the bow to Alec. Max looked at his big brother, "Alec, you think you could get my stele back?"

We started walking down from the training room as the conversation continued. "They took it away because you nearly burnt down the Mumbai Institute," Alec reprimanded but with a small smile.

Max faced me, "It was an accident," He insisted then back to Alec he said, "How many times do I have to say it was an accident?"

Alec sighed, "Look, Max. Somebody very important is coming to visit all right? You think you can stay out of trouble for just a couple days? If you do, I promise I'll get your stele back."

I looked at Alec with a frown and mouthed, "Whose coming?"

He was about to answer when the front door swung open and in walked Valentine.

Alec reacted faster than lightening, pushing me - still holding Max - behind him, loading the bow I'd handed him, and shooting. I put Max down and ushered him behind me, giving him an extra layer of protection.

Valentine was too quick though, and his hand shot up and grabbed the arrow. The second I realised he'd stopped it and was still advancing; I reached down for a throwing knife and sent it soaring towards him. He tried to duck, but because my aim had been dead center, it still him in the shoulder.

He flickered slightly and Alec and I looked at each other confused, before the glamour fully faded, and a girl about our age, if not slightly older, stood there in his place. She winced and pulled the knife from her shoulder, activating her healing rune.

"That reaction time was abysmal," She said, before pointing at Alec and I, "Except for you two." She walked towards us. "I'm Lydia Branwell, envoy from the Clave." She moved straight past us and went for Alec's mother, who was descending the stairs with Isabelle. "Maryse," She greeted, "The Clave has ordered me to take temporary control of this Institute."

Maryse looked confused, "Wait a minute, nobody informed us."

"The Clave doesn't need to," Lydia replied sweetly, "And, to repeat myself, it's temporary. Nothing's been decided yet." She tapped a few times on one of the screens until it came up with a red message reading declined. "But I do need full clearance in order to assess how this Institute is running. Where are the Fairchilds?" A moment of silence caused her to raise an eyebrow at us all, while some people glanced awkwardly to me. "I would hope someone here knows."