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This decision was the first one that had felt right since Jace had been appointed Head of the Institute by his grandmother. He knew it was the right decision to make. The way Alec had stood up to Inquisitor Herondale these past few days had been incredibly admirable, and this Institute needed that strength and morality at its helm.
Besides, being Head of the Institute wasn’t even a goal of Jace’s…and it was Alec’s dream.
Jace recalled many a long night studying in the library when they were teenagers. Jace consistently attempted to convince Alec to sneak out with him to hunt or spar. For Jace, being out in the field was the most exciting part of being a Shadowhunter. Although Alec also enjoyed fieldwork to an extent, he wouldn’t skip out on academics. “No, Jace, this research is important.”
“Why?” Jace closed his book pointedly, “We study for hours and then Hodge makes us write a dumb exam that only tests us on maybe three of the chapters! It’s stupid!”
“That’s not what it’s about.” Jace was surprised by the seriousness in his Parabatai’s dark eyes. “If we’re going to best serve the people in this city, we have to know our history. We have to know how to navigate tricky situations.”
“The only tricky situation I’m going to be in is ‘how to kill the most demons in a hoard while still making it out alive’…and I’m not going to learn that in a book.” Jace moved to exit the library but turned when his brother didn’t follow. “What, don’t tell me you want to be a politician,” Jace scoffed.
Alec was staring at his textbook, but he wasn’t reading it. “I…I know I’m not the best Shadowhunter at this Institute. Far from it. But…” he shrugged. Jace was amazed at how such a tall young man could make himself look so small. “I think I could make a difference. I think maybe I could…be a leader.”
Jace walked back to the table and put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. Alec looked up at him cautiously, almost as if he expected Jace to tease him. But Jace knew this was serious. He always assumed his Parabatai had the same goals, but he realized now how stupid that assumption was. Of course, Alec would make an amazing politician, with his stubbornness, level-headedness, and heart of gold. Jace chose his words carefully. “I can’t wait to work for you when you’re Head of the Institute.” Alec blushed.
Knowing Alec had been working toward this goal for most of his life was what made Inquisitor Herondale’s decision such a bittersweet experience for Jace. So, now that he had the power, he was going to make it right.
“You, Alec Lightwood, are now the Head of the New York Institute.”
His grandmother was going to be very angry about this, but any worry about that dissipated from Jace’s mind when he saw his brother try and fail to hold back a smile. He hadn’t seen Alec smile like that in a long time.
“I’ll always be a soldier. But you’re a leader, Alec.”
And he would follow him to the ends of the Earth.