Tainted Soul • Lightwood. [ON HOLD]

F I V E

"Justin?"

That voice he loved hearing made Justin stand up from his cell. "Alec? What- You're supposed to be resting. What are you doing here?" Justin saw Alec come to the dim light and admired his complexion, something he couldn't do when they were trying to bring him back.

"I came to see you."

Justin's heart warmed at the words. He never thought Alec Lightwood was going to do something like that. That's why it brought doubts to his mind. "I- you're not really allowed in here, right? I mean we are traitors as Aldertree likes to call us. You shouldn't be here."

Alec scoffed. "What? You don't want me around you, now?" Alec was staring at him with curious eyes. Wait, o. Of course I do, but not here. Maybe later at the Institute," Justin answered.

"Then don't doubt me or my intentions."

Justin woke up with a gasp, a name being whispered by him, while in the cell beside his, his sister's name was being yelped. "Clary!" Justin placed his back against the wall and put his knees against his chest. "You okay there, brother?"

"Jace? Justin?" The very familiar voice of Hodge Starkweather spoke. "Are you two okay?"

Justin couldn't believe he was even in the same space as the traitor Hodge Starkweather, and apparently Jace couldn't believe it either. "Hodge?"

"Try not to sleep. The silent brothers use mind control to haunt you with nightmares of those you've hurt the most." The words resonated inside Justin's mind. Was Alec someone he hurt? Was it because he left with Valentine, or was there another reason?

"You must never sleep," Jace said. The older hunter chuckled slightly. "You were right to take my hand, Jace. I never should have given the Cup to Valentine. Maybe someday you'll forgive me."

"I don't believe in forgiveness, Hodge. I just stand by my actions, good or bad, and I accept the consequences."

Jace's words do make a lot of sense to Justin, especially considering the actions the brothers' had done recently. "Unmerciful to the bone. That's what always made you the best. But this place...it'll bleed every ounce of defiance out of you."

Thanks for the words, asshole, Justin rolled his eyes at him. "We're nothing like you. They want me to bend, they can die trying,: Jace defended. "Wait until your trail. After what they do to you... you will be like me, both of you."

➰

After Jace came back from his trail, a little shaken up as Justin noticed, it was time for his. The Silent Brothers opened the cell door, and cuffed the redhead. They guided him through the hallways until they were standing in a big room, where Aldertree and his men were waiting.

He was placed on platform, in front of the Soul Sword and the Shadowhunters and waited. Victor stepped forward to stand I Justin's line of vision as two Silent Brothers took place at each side of the Sword.

"You stand before the sword, accused of treason against the Clave, as well as the murder of two Downworlders," Brother Jeremiah said as they picked the Soul Sword and positioned it on Justin's extended palms. "Be thee innocent or guilty, may the truth free thy soul."

"Have you anything to say before we start?" Aldertree asked him. "Facilis descensus Averno." It was something he has heard a couple of times, and something Jace even mentioned to him once when they were alone. "The descent into Hell is easy. I'm surprised you even know our sacred Clave motto."