•Chapter 29•

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"You have led us to believe that you alone carried out this operation but Clary Fairchild was seen near the City of Bone that night." My heart dropped. Shit, I hadn't even thought of the possibility of any of us being seen too
"Maybe she was out for a walk." Izzy said from her spot on the stand. I grabbed Magnus hand, tightening my grip due to anxiety. If this goes south then I'm considering grabbing Izzy and making a break for it, Jamaica is nice this time of year, right? I bit my lip, listening intently.
"And you expect us to believe that you distracted the guards, and escaped with the prisoner on your own?" The inquisitor asked, no emotion on her face.
"Pretty slick, right?" Izzy asked with a smirk, making me internally scream. Isabelle was my parabati and I loved her to death, but sometimes she made it hard. With her smartass mouth she might just make this worse, and while I think it's one of her best abilities, some people don't.
"I suggest you think about how slick it will be when Valentine uses the mortal cup to raise an army of rouge shadowhunters." The inquisitor snapped.
"I don't want Valentine to succeed."
"Well, that's the first sane thing I've heard from you." Isabelle looked conflicted, but I saw the determination shine in her eyes.
"You know what's insane? Thinking we have the right to treat a downworlder's life as worthless." Izzy said, making my step-sister of sorts panic slightly.
"Isabelle, I should warn you that everything you say here will be considered in the verdict." Lydia warned. Izzy just looked at her.
"Good."
"Oh, shit." I muttered, deeply considering my plan.
"Consider this," Izzy said loud and clear, "Valentine didn't come out of nowhere. We use our angel blood to justify everything we do, just like him. Like him, we forget that we are not only angels, we are part mundane. We can be afraid, and fear makes us cruel, and we turn our fear to downworlders just like Valentine did."
"Shut up, shut up, shut up." I cried softly, my eyes wide as I locked eyes with my idiot parabati. She smiled slightly at me.
"And just as he did we will end up turning on each other." She finished, sitting back down from her standing position.
"You think we're doing that to you?"
"You have to answer that for yourself madame inquisitor." And with that, Izzy both slayed my entire existence and made me fear for her life. Izzy was a strong willed and incredibly smart woman, that's for sure, but sometimes she did things that made me question her intelligence.
Magnus stood up, approaching the stand as Izzy came back to her seat beside me. We locked eyes, and smiled.
"Izzy, you are so dead." I muttered, laughing slightly when she faked an appalled look.
"I'd like to call Lydia Branwell to the stand." Magnus said, catching my interest.
"I don't see the relevance." The inquisitor said.
"Well that makes two of us, I don't see the relevance of this whole trial." Magnus sassed, making me bite my lip to suppress my laugh.
"Ms.Branwell, if you'll take the stand?" Magnus asked, buyer all knew he wouldn't take no for an answer, "I just have one question."
Lydia got up from her seat, made her way to the stand and sat down.
"Why are you producing this case?" Magnus asked, stumping my stepsister.
"Answer the question, counselor." The inquisitor said, noticing her hesitation.
"Because the law is hard, but it is the law," Lydia said, making me sigh loudly, "but that doesn't make it right." I grinned, sharing a look with Magnus.
"We're trying someone for being compassionate, thinking for herself. She saved a life that would have been sacrificed for nothing." Lydia said, my faith in her being restored.
"That will be enough, Branwell!" The Inquisitor  exclaimed.
"No, it isn't. I'm looking out at the faces here, a brother and sister who disagree on everything except how much they love one another and how loyal they are to each other. A man who took this case pretending to want payment in rare objects, but who really believes that injustice towards his friends is intolerable," Lydia said, now standing up. "And a woman who has gone through the worst imaginable things, yet still believes that there is good out there. Loyalty, decency, compassion, love, faith. These are the concepts that we should consider to decide guilt or innocence in a case like this."
"Those are not the concepts of the law. Now, enough of this nonsense." The inquisitor said, anger evident in her glare.
"I agree. This case is nonsense,  I withdraw the charges." Lydia said, making everyone celebrate. But I knew it wasn't that easy, and sat there as my parabatis celebrating was cut short.
"Silence! Order!" The inquisitor yelled, banging her gavel, "silence! If you think refusing to prosecute exculpates the defendant, you are wrong. She is guilty, the defense was correct."
I scoffed, everyone knew the truth. I felt her glare at me and rolled my eyes.
"The Clave wants the Morta Cup, if it is returned in 24 hours, this ruling will be vacated. If not, Isabelle Lightwood will be stripped of her runes and exiled from the society of the Shadowhunters forever." She gave a final bang of her gavel, closing the case.


It felt so good to write this, because even though I'm not the best at writing it's an escape of sorts.

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