"Yes, he's a Herondale. Valentine took the Herondales’ son and raised him as his own.” No matter how much Alec hated how Valentine treated Jace, the man was still his parabatai’s father in every way that mattered. Jace still thought of Valentine as his father even if he was still coming to terms with a legacy that he hadn’t known about. “No one except Hodge knew the truth. Even our parents thought that he was a Morgenstern. It’s complicated but it’s true.” Which was an understatement considering all the impossible things that had happened to them in the past few months.
Why didn’t Izzy know about his date with Magnus? She was the first one he’d told after he’d gotten back from Magnus’ loft. She’d helped Alec choose the right shirt to ‘match his eyes’ and then fussed over his hair before giving it up as a lost cause. Izzy had been the only one to know about the relationshipo but now she acted like the past few months hadn’t happened. Alec knew that Izzy had been angry over Magnus breaking up with him but she wouldn’t pretend that it had never happened. Even if she was, she’d been too proud of him finally coming out to pretend that the past didn’t exist.
Unless it didn’t for her.
He hadn’t met Magnus until recently...
It was one of those details that Alec couldn’t ignore. The type that he was learning that he needed to put into context and vocalize instead of letting his siblings take the lead. Like the word Edom that no one else had noticed and realized was more than just a colorful description. She thought he’d met Magnus when he was in his twenties, she didn’t remember the dragon demons. They all should remember that since everyone believed they were extinct until Jace had found a nest of them.
"I'm pure at heart. It repels the dirt.” It was a casual comment that Izzy had made after that hunt but she'd been so pleased by it, and by the fact that her brothers had ended up absolutely filthy while she'd been spotless. She wouldn't have forgotten that comment. Unless someone - something - had altered her memories. Like Clary or Simon.
Or she wasn't actually Izzy. There were other possibilities but if a shapeshifter wanted to pretend to be his sister, it would look like a seventeen year old Izzy, not a version of her that was older than Alec. Memory loss of some kind made more sense. Wishing that Magnus was here, he tried to think of some way to remind her of what had happened.
“Jace left with Valentine?” he asked slowly while he shrugged out of his leather jacket and hung it up next to the door. It almost slipped from his hands when she mentioned Sebastian. She didn’t remember. She had to remember. None of them would ever forget… Even if her memory had been altered, someone – Jace, their parents, Clary – would have told her about Max. They all missed him too much for anyone to simply forget to tell her about their little brother.
It felt like the floor went out from under him. Grief caught in his throat, choking him momentarily. Dread settled over him, like it had when he’d walked into the Penhallows’ house and instantly known that something was wrong. Pushing aside the grief and memories, he reminded himself that he had to be strong for his sister. He knew he was too pale, as he swallowed hard, forcing himself to take a deep breath. Izzy needed him. That was important now. Whatever had happened, they’d figure it out and he’d help his little sister.
Eventually, he’d tell her but not right now. Alec couldn’t just blurt that out in the entryway while he was dealing with his gear. “I’ll make some coffee and try to explain.” It was such a stupid, mundane thing suggest but he needed something routine to focus on while gathering his thoughts.
Hopefully he’d managed not to look like Izzy had punched him as he headed for the kitchen. Max wasn’t a subject he wanted to discuss yet. Not like this. Soon, he promised himself. “The wedding?” Looking over his shoulder as he puzzled that out, he assumed she meant Jocelyn and Luke’s. “I didn’t do anything embarrassing at the wedding. I thought they were past the whole ‘he’s dating a warlock’ issue. I was civil to Robert even if I was still angry.”
Alec had the feeling that wasn’t what Izzy meant. She’d been furious when he’d told her about his conversation with Robert but no one had been angry at him over what had happened. He hadn’t done anything worth getting angry over, unless their parents were still going to have fits because he refused to hide his relationship.
When he entered the kitchen, he turned toward his sister, studying her thoughtfully for a few seconds. Slowly he considered all the strange details of what she’d said. He’d met Magnus in his twenties. She didn’t remember the dragon demon hunt. She didn’t know about Max or Sebastian. It was like she was living in one of the demon dreams they’d all been caught in but she hadn’t broken free. Could that be what had happened to Izzy?
It had taken a shock, some detail that was so wrong that their minds couldn’t shuffle it into the fictional reality to bring them out of the dream. Maybe that would work now.
“No, I’m not stripping.” It wasn't the best attempt at a joke but he had to try to reassure her in some way that he was trying to fix this. Pulling up his t-shirt, he lifted the hem enough that the faint, jagged scars that ran along his chest were visible.
Watching her carefully, he began to speak, letting the fabric fall when he was sure Izzy realized how dangerous the injury had been. “When I was seventeen, I stepped in front of Jace when a Greater Demon attacked him. The wound was mortal. I would have died if Hodge hadn’t asked Magnus for help. He saved my life. I met Magnus before that but everything changed that night. As soon as I could sneak out of the Institute, I went to his apartment to thank him and I asked him out. Is that how you remember me meeting Magnus?”
no subject
Why didn’t Izzy know about his date with Magnus? She was the first one he’d told after he’d gotten back from Magnus’ loft. She’d helped Alec choose the right shirt to ‘match his eyes’ and then fussed over his hair before giving it up as a lost cause. Izzy had been the only one to know about the relationshipo but now she acted like the past few months hadn’t happened. Alec knew that Izzy had been angry over Magnus breaking up with him but she wouldn’t pretend that it had never happened. Even if she was, she’d been too proud of him finally coming out to pretend that the past didn’t exist.
Unless it didn’t for her.
He hadn’t met Magnus until recently...
It was one of those details that Alec couldn’t ignore. The type that he was learning that he needed to put into context and vocalize instead of letting his siblings take the lead. Like the word Edom that no one else had noticed and realized was more than just a colorful description. She thought he’d met Magnus when he was in his twenties, she didn’t remember the dragon demons. They all should remember that since everyone believed they were extinct until Jace had found a nest of them.
"I'm pure at heart. It repels the dirt.” It was a casual comment that Izzy had made after that hunt but she'd been so pleased by it, and by the fact that her brothers had ended up absolutely filthy while she'd been spotless. She wouldn't have forgotten that comment. Unless someone - something - had altered her memories. Like Clary or Simon.
Or she wasn't actually Izzy. There were other possibilities but if a shapeshifter wanted to pretend to be his sister, it would look like a seventeen year old Izzy, not a version of her that was older than Alec. Memory loss of some kind made more sense. Wishing that Magnus was here, he tried to think of some way to remind her of what had happened.
“Jace left with Valentine?” he asked slowly while he shrugged out of his leather jacket and hung it up next to the door. It almost slipped from his hands when she mentioned Sebastian. She didn’t remember. She had to remember. None of them would ever forget… Even if her memory had been altered, someone – Jace, their parents, Clary – would have told her about Max. They all missed him too much for anyone to simply forget to tell her about their little brother.
It felt like the floor went out from under him. Grief caught in his throat, choking him momentarily. Dread settled over him, like it had when he’d walked into the Penhallows’ house and instantly known that something was wrong. Pushing aside the grief and memories, he reminded himself that he had to be strong for his sister. He knew he was too pale, as he swallowed hard, forcing himself to take a deep breath. Izzy needed him. That was important now. Whatever had happened, they’d figure it out and he’d help his little sister.
Eventually, he’d tell her but not right now. Alec couldn’t just blurt that out in the entryway while he was dealing with his gear. “I’ll make some coffee and try to explain.” It was such a stupid, mundane thing suggest but he needed something routine to focus on while gathering his thoughts.
Hopefully he’d managed not to look like Izzy had punched him as he headed for the kitchen. Max wasn’t a subject he wanted to discuss yet. Not like this. Soon, he promised himself. “The wedding?” Looking over his shoulder as he puzzled that out, he assumed she meant Jocelyn and Luke’s. “I didn’t do anything embarrassing at the wedding. I thought they were past the whole ‘he’s dating a warlock’ issue. I was civil to Robert even if I was still angry.”
Alec had the feeling that wasn’t what Izzy meant. She’d been furious when he’d told her about his conversation with Robert but no one had been angry at him over what had happened. He hadn’t done anything worth getting angry over, unless their parents were still going to have fits because he refused to hide his relationship.
When he entered the kitchen, he turned toward his sister, studying her thoughtfully for a few seconds. Slowly he considered all the strange details of what she’d said. He’d met Magnus in his twenties. She didn’t remember the dragon demon hunt. She didn’t know about Max or Sebastian. It was like she was living in one of the demon dreams they’d all been caught in but she hadn’t broken free. Could that be what had happened to Izzy?
It had taken a shock, some detail that was so wrong that their minds couldn’t shuffle it into the fictional reality to bring them out of the dream. Maybe that would work now.
“No, I’m not stripping.” It wasn't the best attempt at a joke but he had to try to reassure her in some way that he was trying to fix this. Pulling up his t-shirt, he lifted the hem enough that the faint, jagged scars that ran along his chest were visible.
Watching her carefully, he began to speak, letting the fabric fall when he was sure Izzy realized how dangerous the injury had been. “When I was seventeen, I stepped in front of Jace when a Greater Demon attacked him. The wound was mortal. I would have died if Hodge hadn’t asked Magnus for help. He saved my life. I met Magnus before that but everything changed that night. As soon as I could sneak out of the Institute, I went to his apartment to thank him and I asked him out. Is that how you remember me meeting Magnus?”