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Alec approaches Jace, recently out of the City of Bones, to talk. “I know you’ve been keeping something from me, and whatever it is, it’s tearing you up inside. Let me help you. Talk to me,” he asks.
Jace shrugs and keeps training, Seraph Blade slashing, thrusting, blocking invisible targets. “Nothing to tell. I’m fine.”
“You’re not.” Alec argues, “It's me, Jace. Don’t hide from me, you can’t.”
“It’s nothing, Alec,” Jace grits out, voice hard. Defensive.
“ Jace ,” Alec stresses in his no-you-will-not-lie-to-me-Jace voice. “I’m your Parabatai, I can help.”
“No!” Jace shouts. “You can’t! No one can! I’m-” he cuts himself off. “If we’re going to have this conversation, Alec, it’ll be where no one can overhear it.”
“Fine,” Alec agrees, “we can go to your room.” Jace, knowing that he can’t get out of this, agrees, packs away his gear, and grabs a towel.
They navigate the halls of the Institute, winding their way towards Jace’s room. They get there and close the door behind them, placing a silence rune to be sure no one can hear them.
Jace sighs, “You’re going to want to sit for this,” he mentions over his shoulder before sitting on his bed. Alec nods, ignores the desk chair offered, and sits beside Jace, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Talk to me, please.”
Jace takes a deep breath, “While I was on the ship, Valentine told me something. Something that increases my freakness tenfold.”
“You’re not a freak, Jace, and anyone who says differently is wrong,” Alec attempts to argue.
Jace snorts, throwing himself onto his feet, “Valentine told me about his experiments, the experiments he conducted on his own children. I have demon blood in me, Alec! I’m a whole new level of freak!”
“...What?” Alec asks, stunned, thinking that he’d heard incorrectly.
“Demon blood,” Jace repeats. “He experimented on me by injecting demon blood.”
“Oh, Jace…” Alec breathes out, not sure how to respond to that. “Just because you’re different, doesn’t mean you’re broken. You’re still my Parabatai. You’re still one of the best Shadowhunters of the generation. You’re still my brother.”
Jace laughs tearily, “am I? Or am I just one of the creatures that Nephilim hunt?”
“You’re my brother, my Parabatai. Nothing will change that,” Alec reassures him while standing to pull Jace into a hug.