Alec didn't want to answer. He wanted to protect his parabatai for as long as he could but it wasn't fair to Jace. He had to know, especially if he thought he was crazy because of those memories.

Slowly, he coaxed him down to sit beside him, not letting go of Jace but maneuvering them so that their backs were braced against the desk. It reminded Alec of when they were kids and he'd found Jace hiding in some dark corner of the Institute and Alec had clung to him until he finally began to accept that someone in the world cared.

Still hugging Jace, Alec kept rubbing his parabatai's back, keeping is breathing slow and steady so Jace had something to focus on. "You're not crazy." Taking one of Jace's hands, he placed it over his heart. "I'm right here. We're both here no matter what he did."