"Habits are hard to break Magnus. Secrecy is the Shadow Hunters oldest habit. It's written into our laws, it is part of our mandate, to protect, but not be seen or known.
"Shadow Hunters protect mundanes, not downworlders Alexander. We see you, and since the Mortal Wars and the 10th accords vampires, warlocks, and werewolves have had seats on your council. More importantly Alexander, I am your partner. If something big is happening in your world. If it directly affects you, affects Us, I should know."
"It is not my secret Magnus."
"It is, if it will take you away from me."
Alec looked pained, but made no reply.
Magnus stood erect and took on the mane of the High Warlock of Brooklyn. "Where are Jace and Clary, Alec?"
"Gone."
"And the others? The countless other Shadow Hunters that are no longer patrolling the streets...no longer controlling the demons infiltrating our world? No longer fulfilling their mandate?"
"Gone"
Magnus erupted, "Where! Why! Tell me...tell the downworlders. We've helped before. Let us help. Let me save you."
"You can't, there is nothing to save me from."
"Oh, by the %#*! Why are you even here!?"
"To see you. To see you one more time. To see you last."
"Alexander, No. No, you are not going anywhere. You are still young. We just began. There are many more years before our good bye..."
"Shadow hunters die young Magnus. I never promised you years, only today and as many days as would follow."
"So you are dying? Some plague, some curse that you Shadow Hunters are too proud to ask for help with? You've all just decided to silently die and leave the rest of us to the demons. Is that it?"
"No, none of them are dead. At least they weren't when..." Alec's voice trailed away into silence.
"WHAT! When What Alexander!"
"You'll see...it's already begun. I came to see you last Magnus, to take your visage with me when...when it happens."
"When what happens? What has begun? This drama grows tedious Alexan-"
He was unable to finish for as Alec said, it had begun. Magnus finally noticed the barely perceptible trembling of Alec's hands, the sweat beading under his collar, the strain of his muscles - as if he were holding something in. "To see you last" Alec had said and his eyes were indeed locked on Magnus as the strain became too much, and the apartment was washed in a shower of blood. Golden blood. Two enormous wings had erupted from Alec's back. His runes, which had been a russet brown during their argument, completed their transformation to a shimmering gold. Standing before Magnus was not a nephilim but an angel, a being that didn't belong to this world, a being that was already fading away...away from Magnus. He'd always thought that the mundane half of Alec's blood, the half that made him mortal, would take Alexander away from him. He never imagined Alec would ascend.