It wasn't as difficult as I'd thought it would be to get Magnus as Izzy's advocate but, once the loophole had been pointed out to them, the Clave didn't refute.

Part of me wanted to believe this was because they had seen the error and accepted it but the pessimist part of me just knew it was because they thought a warlock could never convince them of anything other than their own thoughts.

The new Clave officiate, Inquisitor Herondale, was a strict and nasty woman. Though I'd not even met her, just witnessed her sitting on her angelic throne, I could tell I'd choose Lydia over this woman in a heart beat.

"Will I survive if I touch this?" Magnus questions suspiciously after Inquisitor Herondale instructs him to place his hands upon something she calls the 'Soul Sword' - something I was only vaguely familiar with since my first trip to the City of Bones

I was sat in the back seat, furtherest from the runed throne, Sword and the Silent Brother, having instantly acquired this month's 50th headache the second I stepped into the room.

Alec, noble as ever, had insisted I stay outside, keep my strength, not to worry about Izzy but the look on his face told me everything I needed to know - he may not need me, but she would.

"If you tell the truth" Herondale reasons

Magnus, thinking for a moment, grabs the sword with both hands. It reacts to his touch, a ruby glowing brightly at the top of the hilt of the sword and the Silent Brother begins to 'speak'

"By the power of this sword, do you swear to defend your client with integrity and honesty?"

His words ring through my head, adding a sledge hammer to the wrecking ball pounding my brain incessantly

"No argument from me on that" Magnus jests, hurriedly pulling his hands from the sword as soon as the Silent Brother gestures

"Make your case, warlock"

I snarl silently. The least they could do is use his fucking name, it's basic decency.

"My case is simple" Magnus begins, his tone and gestures one of a great lawyer, a great defender, "It is true that Isabelle Lightwood acted against the orders of the Clave by trying to free the Seelie, Meliorn. But she did not act against the interests of the Clave. Preventing the forced questioning and possible death of a Seelie may have saved the Accords."

"We're not here to speculate what might have happened if the defendant hadn't interfered" Herondale braces and I grit my teeth

"You mean what might have happened if she hadn't stopped the Silent Brothers from torturing a Seelie?" Magnus rebuts

"I await a valid argument" Herondale interjects, appearing bored, "Do you have one?"

"What you really want is the Mortal Cup" Magnus fires back, his anger flaring, "My client doesn't have it. Since this whole preceding isn't about what it's really about, I move to have this case dismissed."

"You are out of order" Herondale glares, her gaze slipping to me. I half-expect her to call on me about the Cup, to force me to turn it over but she's smarter than that, the Clave is smarter than that - threaten me, I don't care, threaten someone I care about? That's the true way to get to me or anyone with a decent heart.

Plus, the Clave like their rules and regulations. Trials are probably like playtime for them.

"No" Magnus hisses, "This whole thing is out of order. It's not Isabelle's fault, it's the Cup! Put the Cup on trial!"

His case made, Magnus takes a seat next to Izzy. Due to the reactions of the room, Magnus' statement had meant next to nothing.

Suddenly, Lydia stands up, having gotten some kind of prompt that I had missed. A huge wave of anger hits me and it's all I can do to pull my glare to a light grimace. I didn't even know she was here.

"You have led us to believe that you alone carried out this operation"

Alone?

Lydia's words shock the anger from my system and my eyes unwillingly dart to Alec but his eyes were already on me, knowing how I would react.

He shakes his head at me, urging me not to admit that I was there, not to take at least some of the blame off Izzy's shoulders, his mouth silently form the only words that could make me reconsider;

'You'll make it worse'

"But Clary and Camille Fairchild were seen near the City of Bones that night" Lydia continues, unaware of the silent conversation

"Maybe they were out for a walk?" Izzy suggests, feigning innocence

"And you expect us to believe that you distracted the guards, and escaped with the prisoner on your own?"

"Pretty slick, right?"

I both smirk and wince at her comment. Insulting the Clave with sass was not going to help this case.

"I suggest you think how slick it would be when Valentine uses the Mortal Cup to raise an army of rogue Shadowhunters" Herondale snarls

"I don't want Valentine to succeed" Izzy gapes

"Well, that's the first sane thing I've heard from you" Herondale sasses.

Well, look at that. The Clave can sarcasm. Who knew?

"You know what's insane?" Izzy growls, "Thinking we have the right to treat a Downworlder's life as worthless."

"Isabelle, I should warn you that everything you say here will be considered in the verdict" Lydia cautions

"Good!" Izzy yells, her voice raising, "Consider this! 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 as Valentine did. And just as he did...we will end up turning on each other."

"You think we're doing that to you?" Herondale inquires and I scoff lowly

"You have to answer that for yourself...Madam Inquisitor."

***

"I'd like to call Lydia Branwell to the stand" Magnus requests and my eyes widen.

Where is he going with this?

"I don't see the relevance" Herondale dismisses

"Well, that makes two of us" Magnus remarks, "I don't see the relevance of this whole trial. Ms Branwell? If you'll take the stand?"

Lydia gets up, moving for the chair Isabelle was sat on just before. Taking a seat, she places her hands in her lap, awaiting Magnus' questioning.

"I just have one question" Magnus assures, "Why are you prosecuting this case?"

Lydia buckles, her eyes flitting nervously to the Inquisitor, hesitating.

"Answer the question, Counselor" Herondale prompts

"Because the Law is hard but...it is the Law" Lydia recites, a broken record.

Magnus sighs, rolling his eyes but before he can say anything, Lydia continues.

"But that doesn't make it right."

The whole room lapses into an even deeper silence as Lydia rambles on.

"We're trying someone for being compassionate, thinking for herself. She saved a life that was being sacrificed for nothing."

"That will be enough, Branwell" Herondale interrupts, her tone polite and casual but, beneath it, was a hint of warning. She did not like what she was hearing.

"No...it isn't" Lydia disagrees and my eyebrows skyrocket. Lydia refusing an order? That was like Alec failing to hit a target - unthinkable, "I'm looking out at the faces here. A brother and sister who disagree on everything except for how much they love one another and how loyal they are to each other. A man who took this case pretending only to have done it for one, but who really believes that injustice towards any of his friends is intolerable. A new friend, someone new to this world, it's expectations yet willing to lay herself on the line, put herself in danger, under suspicion just to be there to support someone she barely knows yet cares for so deeply."

Lydia's eyes flit from Isabelle to Alec to Magnus as she speaks, her eyes landing on me with her final sentence and, despite myself, I feel a smile tug the corners of my lips up.

She was doing something I would do, something Clary would do. Standing up against injustice, fighting for the good and right instead of the typical rule-abiding prejudice.

Maybe she really is related to me after all.

"Loyalty, decency, compassion, friendship...love" Lydia concludes, "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" Herondale barks, slamming her hand on her throne, "Now, enough of this nonsense."

"I agree. The case is nonsense" Lydia snarls, standing from the chair defiantly, "I withdraw the charges."

The crowd erupts into applause and I stand from my seat, momentarily forgetting my pain as I run towards Magnus, leaping into his arms happily.

"Thank you so much Magnus, really"

"It was my pleasure Buttercup" Magnus beams, "But by the sounds of it, you, too, inspired this turn of events"

"Yeah, sounds like you're a big old softie, too"

"You know me too well, Buttercup. Too well."

"Silence! Order! Silence!" Herondales pitiful pleas penetrate the air, the gavel smashing repeatedly on it's wooden pedestal. The room falls silent again and everyone turn to the Inquisitor, smiles dropping, "If you think refusing to prosecute exculpates the defendant, you are wrong. She is guilty."

Inquisitor Herondale stands from the throne, a face of brute defiance plastered to her weathered face, "The defense was correct. The Clave wants the Mortal Cup."

"Then you'll get it" I speak up and the group around me gapes at me, some with warning looks, others with faces of fear

"Ah, yes, Ms Fairchild. I have heard you know of the whereabouts of the Cup"

"I do" I admit, "And I will give it to you...if you vacate this ruling and declare Isabelle innocent."

"Silly girl, that is not how we work here" Herondale snarls, "You have 24 hours to give it to me, or I will declare Isabelle Lightwood guilty and strip her of her runes"

"It will have to be if you want that Cup back" I growl, low in my throat, "I don't have it with me right now, it's with someone I trust so you're 24 hour rule will also have to go"

"Cami, what are you doing?" Isabelle whispers

"Saving your life"

"But you and Clary fought so hard-"

"I don't care. We've screwed up your lives enough as it is. I won't let this happen." My eyes flicker to Alec as I speak, recycling the words he'd spoken to me and my sister many a time.

He grimaces slightly but his eyes tell me everything and I see the thanks for helping his sister behind them.

"I will not bend to the regulations of a mere Mundani who has been in this world for less than five minutes!" Herondale spits

I guess word gets around then.

"Mundani or not, I belong her and I'm staying" I threaten, "And if you want that Cup back, you will adhere to my 'regulations.' Oh, and don't go sneaking behind my back and exiling Isabelel, de-runing her, whatever you people do because I will find out and if you do...trust me when I tell you that if I don't give it to you...you will never see it again. Clear the charges. Now. I want your word."

Inquisitor Herondale glares, her jaw tightening as she stands, rigid and immovable. Finally, clearing her throat she says, "Isabelle Lightwood is clear of all charges"

"Your word?" I insist, raising an eyebrow and she gives me a look of such hatred I may as well have been some gum stuck to her shoe

"You have my word I will not go behind your back and that Isabelle Lightwood will not be targeted again."

"Great!" I chuckle cheerfully, "Oh and just so you know, that goes for everyone else standing here. Alec, Magnus, Jace, my sister...Lydia. Target them and I will make damn sure you never lay so much as a glance on the Cup, got it?"

Inquisitor Herondale says nothing but nods brusquely before turning on the spot and whisking out of the room, a trail of fire behind her.

"That was badass!" Izzy squeals, "No one has ever stood up to her like that before!"

"I have the power in this situation, she doesn't" I shrug, "And if this world has taught me anything so far it's that the one with the power is the one in control."

**************

I LOVE BADASS CAMI!!!!

I know originally there's a whole sub-plot point behind getting the Cup back in time to save Izzy but it just didn't fit with Cami's charachter, she can't just sit there and let everything happen, especially when she has the Cup and especially because she doesn't care about it.

I don't know if you've noticed Cami's coldness when it comes to her mother but her dismissal of the Cup has everything to do with it. Clary wants the Cup to get to her mother whereas Cami's not as fussed - not a great character trait, I know, but what's a character that's all good? Boring af.

Also I know there's a lot of scenes I'm skipping that are in the show and explain things going on with the other characters (like the upcoming jace and alec argument about what happened between them at the COB which in my story is the confrontation of Cami and Alec) but I'm not adding these because, primarily, this is Cami's story and she's not there for that nor even needs to know about it or have it explained so basically i'm skipping them.

Besides, I'm assuming if you're reading this then you've watched/are watching the show which I recommend doing if you haven't or even reading this book with the episodes of the show to refresh your memory and fill in the blanks that the story doesn't cover because it's unnecessary.

It's tricky to write a book off an already made book turned show but I'm doing my best haha. Hopefully? it's making sense.

Happy Reading guys!! xx