Chapter 4

                                    

                                          
Val's POV
                          
I turned to face my younger brother and glared at him. 
                          
"Don't even--" Izzy started.
                          
"Absolutely not." Alec said.
                          
"Hell no, Jace." I finally said after I realized I was the only one who'd make him second guess.
                          
"I'm not afraid of the Silent Brothers." Jace replied nonchalantly.
                          
"Who are the Silent Brothers?" Clary asked.
                          
I hardened my glare at my brother daring him to speak. "They're Shadowhunters with superior powers." I said before he had the chance. "And you're not afraid of anything other than my temper." I add.
                          
"Who possess the ability to recover memories." Izzy said as she placed a hand on my shoulder.
                          
"A process that can also kill you, so there's that." Alec added, following Izzy in trying to keep me calm.
                          
"Your bedside manner is abysmal." Simon said, looking at Alec.
                          
Alec looked at my brother who looked a little scared since my own parabatai wasn't here to get me to calm down, but both the Lightwoods didn't move from my side. "We've broken at least 18 Clave rules and now you want to go to the City of Bones?" Alec asked. "There's no way. We won't allow it." He added. 
                          
"This isn't our choice to make. This is Clary's decision." Jace said. 
                          
I shrugged off Isabelle's hand on my shoulder and moved further away from the group, but not far enough away that I couldn't hear what was being said since Alec wouldn't let go of my hand.
                          
"You can't ask her to do this. She doesn't know what she's facing. She's not prepared." Isabelle said.
                          
"If anyone can tell me another way to recover my memories and still get the answers we need, I'm listening." We all stayed silent. "That settles it."
                          
"See?" Jace said, causing me to turn back around to look at my brother. "I told you she was one of us."
                          
I rolled my eyes at my brother and hid a smile. The others leave the club while Alec and I stand there for a minute. "At least he cares about someone else besides himself." 
                          
Alec sighed knowing I was right, but I still had a bad feeling in my gut that I couldn't shake. We walked out and quickly got in the van with Izzy giving directions to the City of Bones.
                          
"Yeah this place isn't creepy at all." I heard the mundane say as we got out.
                          
"Don't tell me you're afraid." Izzy said, teasingly.
                          
"Are you kidding me? I was born afraid..." Simon told her. I smirked and muttered 'chicken' under my breath. "Which sounded a lot better in my head." Simon added, having heard me.
                          
"Let's check it out." Alec said. The both of us start checking the perimeter while Clary and Simon hang back and Jace quickly joins us. "Hey. If something goes wrong... if something happens to her, that's on us. You know that right?" Alec said to my brother.
                          
"Yeah. And you know exactly what'd happen if Valentine gets the Cup before we do. She's lost everything, Alec. I know exactly what that feels like." Jace said while looking back at the two best friends. I looked at the ground. "And what's your problem with her, anyway? Your family always used to welcome strays." Jace added.
                          
"You and Val were never strays." Alec said. 
                          
"The point is nothing's changed." Jace says looking at Izzy. "We're in this fight together. There's just... one more of us."