Simon was dead, he was sure now. He was looking for Izzy, and he had to tell her about Maia. But what was he supposed to say? I'm really sorry, but I'm sort of dating another girl as well, and you know her?
'Clary, I need your backup,' Simon said.
'Alright,' Clary answered, 'But this is your mess and you'll have to fix it.'
'I thought you were on our side,' Simon exclaimed.
'I am on your side,' Clary said, 'And I'll be there, and talk when you need me to, but I can't do the talking for you, you have to be brave and face her yourself. And Maia after that.'
Simon sighed. Clary walked after him, and when he finally found Izzy, he was at a loss of words.
'Izzy, I have to tell you something,' he said, and suddenly his feet seemed very interesting. He really liked Izzy, but she was also terrifying sometimes.
'What is it, Simon?' she asked.
'Well... I'm seeing someone else too,' Simon blurted out. Everything was coming out now, and he felt relief, as long as it lasted. After he was finished talking, Izzy would be mad. 'I'm really sorry, but after I came back from Idris, she and you both started calling me, and it started as doing friend things, and then you both wanted to do boyfriend-girlfriend things. And I like you both and now I don't know what to do anymore and I was too afraid to tell you or her.'
He was finished, and looked up for one second, to find that Izzy didn't look angry.
'You should have told me,' she said, 'I really don't care if you date multiple people at the same time, so do I. But you should tell them, because you'll have to make up your mind someday, when it gets serious, and you can't get serious with two girls. Who is this girl anyway?'
Izzy wasn't mad, not really, but she wasn't happy with it either. 'Maia Roberts, you know, the werewolf girl from Luke's pack.'
'Maia who is coming here to represent Luke?' Isabelle asked, and now she sounded angry.
Simon nodded. 'Why didn't you tell me?' she asked, now suddenly angry, 'If I didn't know her, that would have been okay, but you can't date two girls who know each other without telling them!'
Izzy was like that sometimes, calm one moment, and angry the next.
'I'm sorry, I didn't know! I don't have much experience in dating, and I don't know all those dating rules everyone seems to know,' Simon said.
'I get that you don't have much experience, but really Simon, that one seems obvious, doesn't it?' Izzy asked. 'Right now I don't feel like talking to you, I'm going to look for Alec.'

Isabelle walked away. She was mad at Simon. Of course, she had dated other boys too, but not boys Simon knew. Didn't Simon know those dating rules? Right now, she didn't want to talk to him, she only wanted to talk to Alec. Isabelle had never liked needing other people. She liked it when people needed her, but needing people she always hated. She was the strong Isabelle Lightwood, not afraid of anything. There were only two people in her life to whom she'd showed she needed them: Alec and her mother. Alec needed her too, and that made it easier. Alec had come to her when he found out he was gay and in love with Jace, he had told her there was no one else he could trust with that, not even Jace. Isabelle had liked that, Alec only trusting her with that information, and when she really needed someone, she went to Alec. Therefore, she was looking for him now. That wasn't easy though, this castle was huge. Isabelle didn't know how Sawyer had gotten it, and suspected it was somehow magically constructed, hidden in some pocket dimension. Alec was wandering around himself, and that's how she found him.
'Izzy, are you alright?' Alec asked. Despite all her self-control, Alec had always been able to read her. Alec was particularly good at reading people, for one, and they had been close from a very young age, since there were no other kids around.
'I don't know,' she said, 'Can I talk to you?'
'Sure,' Alec said, 'Is it something Simon said or did?'
Isabelle looked at her brother. 'Do you know something?'
'What happened?' he only asked.
'Simon told me he was seeing Maia as well, and I'm mad at him. I think I can forgive him, I mean, he's an idiot, but he should have told me earlier,' Isabelle explained, 'How did you know it had to do with Simon?'
'I knew Simon was dating Maia,' he said, 'A few days ago I saw them together, and I told Simon he should tell you himself.'
Isabelle imagined Alec telling Simon something like that. She guessed Alec had threatened him. Alec had given up threatening every guy she dated long ago, because he couldn't keep track of all of them, and it was useless anyway. Usually, she dumped the guy herself when he started to bore her.
'It's just that I'm mad that he's such an idiot,' she finished, 'But I won't kill him or something. And you really shouldn't kill him either.'
Alec nodded. 'I wasn't planning to.'
'Good,' she said, 'Now I'm going to wait for Maia and tell her not to kill Simon.'
Isabelle was frustrated, but would forgive Simon, but she wasn't so sure about Maia, and she prefered to have Simon back in one piece in the end. She knew how dangerous angry werewolves could be.

Christabel had gone to a secret meeting and just returned. Sawyer had made tea for everyone, including the vampire, who could drink most drinks.
'The Wizard has a new plan,' Christabel said, 'A terrible plan. He has only a small army of changed werewolves, and some vampires and warlocks. I suspect he has more allies than it seems, but I don't know who else there are.'
'What about the Seelie Court?' Jace asked, 'Are they on our side or their side?'
'I don't know,' Christabel said, 'I am a banned faerie. I have no contact with the Court, or my aunt the Queen. But I know this: If she expects the Wizard to win this war, they will side with him. That's what the Queen is like. The Wizard hates shadowhunters, because they never helped him, and make him follow their laws. He hates most werewolves for siding with them, the Praetor Lupus is their enemie. He hates the warlocks that don't side with him, because they looked down on him. The Wizard is immortal, for he is half demon, but he has no magic, he is an ifrit, but as close to a warlock as an Ifrit could be. He has miss Darcy to do most of his magic, she taught both Sawyer and me. To gain an army, he made a deal with Lilith.'
Sawyer was shocked, and so were the shadowhunters. 'Who's Lilith?' Clary asked.
'She's the first demon,' Alec explained, 'Legend says she was Adam's first wife, but wouldn't obide God, and was therefor cursed. She was banned to Edom, and could no longer have children. Her blood dropped on the ground there, and because she hated God, the drops of blood transformed into demons. She is in a way mother of all demons, and is a very powerful demon, and very patient. But what is it she wants?'
'Her son,' Christabel said, 'She and her son will provide the Wizard with an army, but her son died. Murdered in the Mortal war. The Wizard must raise him, and he can, because of old laws. When someone on the side of Heaven is brought back from the dead, someone on the side of Hell may be brought back as well, but the counterweight must be there. It won't be easy, he needs two people, the Daylighter Simon Lewis, and the young shadowhunter brought back from the dead, Jonathan Herondale. Then the Wizard can raise Jonathan Morgenstern.'
All Sawyer's guests looked shocked. She had never met Jonathan Morgenstern, but she had heard of him. How he had pretended to be Sebastian Verlac, and had fooled the Lightwoods and the Penhallows, and then had murdered the Lightwoods' youngest son. She had fought in the Mortal war, paired with Collin. She had used glamours to stop people from finding her identity, and fought Valentine's demons.
'Wait a second,' Isabelle said, then, 'What did she mean when she said Jonathan Herondale was brought back from the dead? That's Jace, right?'
'Jace?' Alec asked, 'What does she mean?'
'I died. Valentine killed me before he raised the angel. The angel killed Valentine, and he offered Clary a favour, and she asked for me, and now I'm alive again. That's what she means. And it appears that Lilith knows. We have to make sure the Wizard and Lilith can't bring Sebasian back. If I kill myself-'
'No!' Alec screamed, 'I know you believe in sacrificing yourself, but that is madness. I'm not going to let you just kill yourself, forget it. And I know Izzy and Clary won't let you either.'