Max stood alone in the centre of the training room, squinting through the semi darkness at the target on the wall. It was an exercise Jace and Alec had had him doing since he had started training, turning down the lights and having him practise his aim in the dark. He used to hate it, used to hate not being able to see. Now, he found the solitude comforting.

Slowly, letting his fingers stroke the soft silver wood of his bow, he fitted and arrow, lifted, and let it fly. Despite the darkness his arm was steady and his aim was true, and he heard the satisfying thud as the point bit deep into the target. He grinned bleakly to himself and shifted his weight to reload his bow.

The lamps on the walls of the training room flared up so suddenly Max staggered backward, blinded by the sudden light. He heard his precious bow clatter to the ground, but before he could retrieve it a soft voice spoke out.

"You have to be ready for anything, at any time. A good Shadowhunter is never taken by surprise."

Max spun around, knowing the soft voice that spoke from the shadows instantly. "You're back." He said, just as Alec stepped forward into the pool of light. He looked even older than when Max had seen him last, just before he left for Idris with Magnus a few months ago. He was still skinny, his clothes a tad too big for his frame, but his jaw was harder, spattered with a line of unshaved stumble.

"Portaled in about ten minutes ago." He grinned as Max threw himself into his brother's arms.

"How was it? How-" Max faltered, something in Alec's eyes making him shut his mouth.

"The others say you've been hiding up here for days." Alec said quietly, narrowing his eyes accusingly.

Max shrugged. "Just training."

Alec ran a hand through his hair, a habit he and Max both shared. "You know," He said, walking along the wall lined with blunted training weapons and taking down a pair of swords. "I used to come up here to distract myself from someone, when I didn't want to face them."

"It was Jace." Max said with a smirk. Isabelle had told him before about Alec's 'Jace phase', and he had always found it inordinately funny.

"It was not Jace." Alec replied indignantly, tossing one of the swords to his brother and moving into the centre of the room.

Max raised his eyebrows disbelievingly and followed, adjusting his grip on the weapon.

Alec rolled his eyes. "Fine, it might have been Jace. But the point is, I get it." He held up his sword as Max adjusted his weight to face him, and then, the practise of years taking control of their feet, they fell into a rhythm of steps as familiar to Max as his bow. As Alec moved back, Max stepped forward, bringing up his blade to parry every blow. This was how it always was, Alec attacking, Max defending.

"Why did no one tell me about Eddie?" Max demanded as he ducked to narrowly avoid a blow to the ear.

Alec didn't ask what he was talking about, didn't pretend innocence like the others had tried to. "It's complicated, Max." He asked, a little out of breath. "The Clave don't want people knowing about her… curse. Do you know what would have happened to her if Jace and Clary didn't agree to take her in?"

Max shook his head.

"She would have been locked up in the Gard until the demon came for her, and when it did they would have killed her."

Max dived to the side as Alec struck again, twisting round to insure he always faced him. Rule one of battle, never turn your back to the enemy. Or in this case, the older brother with the sword.

"And here?" He demanded. "When the demon comes, we'll just slaughter her?"

Alec stopped attacking, wiping sweat from his eyes. He shook his head. "No. That's what we told the Clave, but no. You know we wouldn't do that. Magnus is working on a cure, Max. When she turns, we're going to cure her. Or at least, try to."

Eddie didn't go downstairs for dinner. At one point, Clary brought her a tray of food, telling her she had to eat something, but she hadn't touched it. She wasn't hungry.

She lay on her back across the foot of the bed, starring at a crack on the ceiling and hugging a pillow to her chest as if it were a teddy bear. She had had a teddy bear, once. She had slept with it every night, even leading up to the accident, but it had been taken by the Clave, just like everything else.

A sudden knock on the door made her jump. She sat bolt upright, the pillow falling to the floor. She hadn't seen or spoken to Max in three days. And he had been all she could think about. He didn't hate her, she was sure of that. But there had been fear is his eyes the night she told him about the curse, as she had known there would be. He was frightened of her. And the horrible thing was, she was frightened of her, too.

"Come in." She said, her voice hoarse from lack of use. The door handle turned, and the door was pushed open, letting in a shaft of light from the hallway.

"You haven't eaten." Clary stated, and despite her tiny body she seemed to fill the doorway. Eddie tried not to feel the sinking disappointment in her stomach.

"I wasn't hungry." She muttered.

Clary's face softened as she stepped into the room, a loose red curl falling across her face. "Eddie, starving yourself isn't helping anyone."

Eddie shrugged.

"Are you alright?"

Eddie shook her head.

"No, of course you're not." Clary said softly as she tucked the stray curl behind her ear. "That was a stupid question. Do you want me to leave?"

Eddie nodded.

"Alright." Clary said, rubbing her hands on her jeans. She turned to go, on hand resting on the door to pull it shut behind her, when she hesitated. "Eddie?"

Eddie looked up at met her sea green eyes.

"You- you know everyone here want to help you, don't you? That's why we took you. We're going to work this, OK? Together."

She nodded, though she knew there was nothing Clary could do. Eddie was beyond help.

"Alright." Clary said again, and she slipped out of the room.

Eddie was on her feet in a flash and padding across to the door. She reached out the take the cold doorknob, turned, and- the door stuck shut. She pulled again, but it wouldn't budge. She was locked in from the outside.

All of a sudden, the memories of all those weeks spent locked in the dungeons of the Gard rose up in front of her eyes. She remembered the darkness, the damp air cold and heavy. How she had screamed until her throat bled and clawed at the locks until her nails cracked down the middle and the skin peeled back over her knuckles.

Eddie pulled harder on the door, panic rising up within her. She scraped at the lock as she had all those weeks ago, desperate to get out to escape the walls that held her prisoner. She wasn't sure if she screamed, the rushing of blood in her ears was too loud. She shook the door even harder, leaned against it with all her weight-

The door swung open so suddenly she sprawled forward into the corridor, crashing into someone standing outside and knocking them to floor.

"Little hasty, don't you think?" Said a voice she'd never been so glad to recognise. Clumsily, she rolled to her feet.

"Sorry." She muttered, but she was grinning, with relief or happiness, she couldn't tell. Nor did she care.