Why I Killed My Own

"Something doesn't make sense." Alec muttered to himself as he walked with purpose to Grey's defendant. He found the man looking over documents in another room, the man glad he didn't have to deal with the silent murderer. "Marcus, do you have the pictures of the crime scenes?"

The older man looked up with a start. "I really shoul-"

"Marcus, please." The strain in the Shadowhunter's voice caused the man to sit up.

"Alright, but don't let anyone know. I could get in trouble." He rummaged through his bag to find Grey's folder. "Here's all the pictures and statements."

"Thank you." Alec responded automatically. He quickly looked through the folder before nodding. "This is the sketch of the party before the incident, correct?" Marcus nodded. "Excellent, I'll be back." Before the defendant could stop him, Alec was already out of the room. Letting his feet guide his way, Alec was lost in thought; things weren't adding up. In all honesty, Grey's behavior over the last few years hadn't made sense. Everyone knew that she hadn't particularly liked Kaden before their engagement and still didn't make a whole lot of sense after. Hell his son had reacted so badly, it would have made him question even if the young lady had seemed happy. Something wasn't right.

As soon as he walked into the old Lightwood house, Alec called, "Magnus!" He didn't stop until he was in the grand library the family had almost lost after his parent's had been exiled.

"Yes, Alexander?" Magnus swept in still looking as young as he did when Alec first met him.

"Do you a have a book on curses?"

With a raised perfectly sculptured brow, the warlock replied, "Of course."

"May I see it?"

"Of course, but why?" Curiosity was always a weakness of his especially when it came to his husband.

"I have a hypothesis that I want to confirm."

"How intriguing." While Magnus looked for the book, Alec scoured through the pictures. They were missing something, something key to Grey's behavior. "Does this have to do with Grey?" They had all been hurt by her sudden deadly behavior. At one point they had all the same thought what if she had snapped and attacked them? Were they lucky she killed her fiance and friends instead of them? Or had the victims been targeted?

"Yes. Something isn't adding up."

"How so?"

Alec sat back in his chair with his arms crossed. "Why would she kill Kaden and their friends? We saw them today, they were happy."

"Or seemingly happy."

"Or seemingly happy. Back tracking, that relationship didn't make sense. She had always made faces or looked unhappy whenever he came to visit, especially when he started showing interest in her. I also know you've been thinking this too, Will's reaction to the news was extreme. If anyone would have known that she actually had feelings for Kaden, Will would have known. Nothing up to this point makes sense."

"Or you are trying to make up a reason because you care about Grey. There is a possibility that Grey did not have a reason."

"Whose side are you one?" Alec glowered.

"Devil's advocate. I do not want you hurt more than you are."

Alec's face softened as he let out a sigh. "I feel like we're missing something. Like there is a missing piece that would enable us to finally see the whole picture."

Magnus smiled gently before looking down at his book. "What do you need me to look up?"

"A curse that would mark a person's eye."

"What?!"

With knitted brows, Alec explained, "I had a stare off with Grey and something was off with her left eye. It's hard to explain. Everything about it was normal except there was a marking or something inside it. Have you heard of anything like that?"

"Yes, but that would be a powerful curse. They tend to imbed themselves in the person and almost grow in strength the longer the person is cursed. They are especially insidious magic."

"Please look into it. It might have to do with her silence."

"What will you be doing?"

"Looking for a motive? Maybe these pictures and sketches will tell me something."

A little while later, Raf walked by to find both his parents diligently working; his papa reading through a large tome and his dad through pictures. "Whatcha looking at?" He walked in to find crime scene pictures. "Are you supposed to have these?"

"Don't tell anyone we have them, we're trying to help Grey." Alec looked up at his son with serious eyes.

"I doubt you can, if she didn't want to be caught she wouldn't have killed them in the open." Both of his parents looked at him questioningly. With some exasperation, he explained, "Grey is one of the stealthiest Shadowhunters alive. She could have climbed into the rafters like a raven, shot, and disappeared before anyone realized it was her. I mean she protects from a distance for a living, half the time no even realizes it. She wanted to get caught. Whatever her reason for betraying our kind, she did it knowing and willingly with the intention of being caught."

The room was quiet before Magnus asked, "Why do you think she did it?"

Raf shifted in his spot, "I don't know, but she probably had a good reason. She wouldn't have done it if it meant hurting her mum, sister, us, or Will."

"Wait." With a frown Alec stood up and looked at the pictures again. The reason was staring him in the face, but it wasn't clear yet. He moved everything off the desk and placed the pictures of each victim where they would have died in the ball room. "Okay. What reason would Grey have of killing another Shadowhunter?"

After a few moments, Magnus replied, "To protect another. She is fiercely protective."

"Good."

"She's fiercely protective of family and friends to be more specific." Raf added.

"Okay." Looking at the pictures he asked, "Where's her mother and sister at this party?"

Raf looked through the pile of statements until he came across Lucinda Steren's. "She was over here with Trinity." He pointed to near his dad's shoulder. "On the seconds level about five hundred feet from where Grey stood."

Alec frowned, "She wasn't protecting her mother or sister then. Who else?"

"Will." Magnus and Raf said simultaneously.

"I know they're mending their relationship, but would she kill five people for him?"

Raf snorted, "Of course. Hell we were on a mission and Will got separated from us. She went back and made sure he got out without him knowing. I still don't think he knows."

"Alright, where was he?"

"Let's see, according to his statement... He was standing next to Kaden." He grabbed a pencil and placed it next to the picture of a deceased Kaden. He tapped his finger before placing another pencil down. "I was standing across from Faith."

"I was conversing with Thomas." Magnus put a ring adjacent to another picture.

"And I was near Michael." Another pencil was placed on the desk. The heart rates in the room started to escalate. "Before we jump to conclusions the last murder victim was killed in a room on the second floor in a corridor. Where was Max?"

Flipping through the statement Raf found his brother's. "According to this, Max was walking towards the party when Grey stumbled out of a room with what looked like a bloody dagger. She paused when she saw him, squared her jaw, and sprinted away with a bow in hand and a hand full of arrows. He checked the room to find Celia dead."

"I believe we found the why to her killing." Magnus stood up to look at the desk. "However, now we need to know why she found the need to protect us."

"The problem is, she isn't talking. I barely got a few sentences out of her."

"Impressive, you always were excellent at getting the kids to confess any wrong doing."

"I know." Alec frowned. "Do you think the possible curse has something to do with it?"

"Grey's cursed?" Raf's mouth nearly dropped to the floor.

"We aren't sure and Rafael, you are not to say anything. Understood? Not to your brothers or anyone."

"Yes, dad."

"I will have to see for myself. If it is a curse and the one I am thinking of, it could be dangerous to remove. She may die." Magnus warned.

"Either way at this point she will be tried and put to death. Go talk to her, she won't want to see me." Magnus nodded, gathered his things, and headed to the jail. "Raf?" His eldest son turned to look at him. "Do you know why Grey and Will never became Parabatai?"

Raf cocked his head at the change in subject. "No, Will never told me. He only said he and Grey didn't want that bond. I always found it strange, but they were always a little weird. Why?"

"She said the same thing. I always wondered why and I feel like it's also a reason for this mess."

"Maybe it is." Raf shrugged. "We won't know unless Grey starts talking." Alec doubted she would unless she had a good reason to.