An Uncertain Present

Chapter 24: Incident Report

****Clary's POV****

"Wait, so you're saying this has been happening all over the globe?"

Clary had not known what to think when her parabatai called her into the office this morning. Her stomach, which had been rumbling for some breakfast, was now weighted with dread as she listened to Isabelle's words. Izzy was dressed in one of her orderly dresses. The material was a mix of purple and gold, and Clary knew there were more than enough places for in it for weapons to be stashed away. Out of touch but not forgotten; ready to use in a heartbeat's notice.

"Yes. I just got off the phone with Jia about it. So far twenty Institutes have filed a missing person's report. The numbers are climbing up towards the hundreds now." Isabelle had a grim expression on her face, her hands folded on the desktop.

"Do we know the cause of them yet?" Whenever she was this nervous, Clary had the inexplicable need to walk around. Clary doubted her pacing across the room was doing them any good, but she could not just sit around and listen.

"No. We don't. Jia was asking if we were missing any Shadowhunters."

Clary braced her hands on the desk, coming to a whirling stop. Her hair flapped with the jerking movement. A red strand went right over her mouth. She blew it away. "She has evidence the culprit will come here?"

Izzy shrugged. "I don't know. I think she worries they might've already came. With New York being involved in so many incidents over the past few years, I think she was wondering if we were at the epicenter of this new problem."

Some air left her lungs. "But we're not, are we?" She did not know if the relief dredging up in her soul was a good thing or not. Whatever was going on could still come to New York.

"For once no. And before you ask, Alicante hasn't been targeted either. So Magnus and Alec are safe." Izzy seemed relieved to say this. Clary could hardly blame her, both men had enough going on right now without having to deal with this.

"So then what can we do to stop this?"

Izzy sighed. Her dark hair curtain her face as she looked down at the still lit tablet in front of her. The air conditioning turned to the lowest level continued to whir. "I don't know Clary. Until something happens here, Angel forbid it does, but until anything happens, we just keep on with business as usual."

Something was niggling at the back of her brain, desperately wanting to be asked. "And what about Sara?"

"What do you mean, what about Sara?" Izzy sat back up. There were shadows under her eyes, barely noticeable with the makeup the Lightwood wore.

"Well, did you or Alec tell Jia about her. She did say she wanted to burn down the world. I think that's pretty ominous." Clary could picture another person saying the exact same thing. Jonathan loved destruction, apparently Sara did too. Just what happened to her in the other world? Why is she like this?

"I know. But, it's not my place to tell Jia anything. Alec will talk to her when he's ready. And besides, despite all her crazed talking, Sara hasn't done anything as of yet."

"She did kill that fallen angel though, and hurt her twin brother."

She remembered the looks of shock on Pippa, Daniel and Harry's faces at Sara when she returned. None of them had saw it coming. For winged nephilim who had seen centuries of life, who had fought unspeakable horrors, Clary had never thought anything could still surprise them. But I was wrong. I just hope I'm not wrong again. Sara has looked so much like her own parabatai, it made her shiver just thinking about someone wearing Izzy's face doing unspeakable things.