-Alec

I needed air after everything Clary had told us. And I needed air after seeing Jace and Clary all over each other. I was jealous for two reasons. The first one was seeming to become more and more irrelevant everyday. I have been in love with my parabatai for years and seeing him with someone else was torture. I knew it was pointless because Jace was straighter than one of my arrows. The second reason was because they seemed to be so happy and in love and I wanted that. Simon had said that if he had let his longing for Clary go that he could have had what I have with Magnus. But the thing is, I don't even know what I have with Magnus.

That's when I see the flicker of a paper burning in blue flame and land on the ground in front of me. I pick it up and it is addressed to me and it is in Magnus' handwriting. My heart rate suddenly picks up and my hands feel clammy. I start to unfold the paper. It reads,

Dear Mr. Lightwood,

I am informing you of an upcoming visit I have planned for later this evening. If you would please meet me at the West Gates of Allicante, I would be sincerely grateful seeing that I have business in the city and I will need a shadowhunter escort. Hopefully, this will not be too much trouble for you.

-Magnus Bane; High Warlock of Brooklyn

Magnus is coming here? But why? Is it to see me? Or does he really have business here? And why was his letter so formal? "Ugh!" I grunt to myself. This is exactly what I am talking about. I have no idea how he feels about me. One minute he is serious and loving and the next, he acts like he doesn't care at all. Why does all of this have to be so hard?

-Magnus

The moment my door shuts when Madeleine leaves, I move into action. I send a fire message to Alec not giving any hint of emotion away. If he won't acknowledge me and whatever our relationship is, then I won't acknowledge him. I gather a few things and make a portal. I step through to see the familiar cottage in the hills of Idris. There is smoke coming from the chimney which means Ragnor is home. I stride towards his home and reach the front door. I raise my hand to knock and the door flies open to reveal my favorite green warlock. "Hello my dear little cabbage! Or was it my sweet peapod?"

Ragnor narrows his eyes at me before he turns around and walks into his home. I take this as an invitation to come inside, so I do, and shut the door behind me. "I regret telling you that every day of my damned immortal life." I know he hates his little nicknames his lady conquests had given him, but I do love to see him squirm. He needs someone like me in his life to poke fun at him or he would turn into a holy terror.

"What brings you here, Magnus?" Ragnor says as he has moved to sit at his kitchen table. "If it is another trip you want me to accompany you on, I only have one word for you. Peru."

I pull out the chair next to him and sit. "I am actually here to talk about the Book of White." I watch as shock crosses his face for a fraction of a second and then his features changed into understanding.

"What about the Book of White?" said Ragnor as he leaned against the back of his chair.

"Does the name Jocelyn Fairchild ring a bell?" I ask him. He shifts uncomfortably in his chair. "Yes, I am very familiar with all of the Fairchilds." he answered.

"You made a potion for Jocelyn about 17 years ago that would put her into a coma-like sleep in return for a few spells from the Book of White." I state this as a fact because I can tell by the look on his face, I am right.

"Who told you all of this? The only person who knew about this was Jocelyn and me and I certainly didn't go around telling anyone."

"Jocelyn", I start out, "told one person and that one person told me so I would help Jocelyn. She wants the antidote to the potion so she can give it to her."

"And what makes you think I would know where the book is? It was in Jocelyn's protection and care." Ragnor asks me.

"Because, I know you Ragnor. You know where that book is. Jocelyn had to tell someone where it was in case something happened to her. She was the last of the Fairchilds and couldn't trust someone else with the knowledge of it's whereabouts. Except for you. She trusted you enough to come to you when she could trust no one else."

Ragnor stands up and crosses the kitchen away from me and pours himself some tea that he had been making. I can FEEL him thinking. He starts to speak with his back still to me. "I sometimes forget that under all of that glitter and hair gel, and actual intelligent warlock is there."

"I think I will take that as a compliment." I tell him.

Ragnor turns to face me now with a sort of defeated look on his face. "Yes. I do know where the Book of White is."

'I love it when I am right' I think to myself. He looks at me pointedly in the eyes then and says, "But it will do me no good to tell you where it is because not even I can get anywhere near it."

"And why can't you get anywhere near it?"

"Because it is in the home of a heavily warded shadowhunter's home. I have tried many times over the years to find it, but the misdirection wards are too strong."

I lean forward and rest my elbows on the table. "And which shadowhunter's house would you be talking about, Ragnor?" He closes his eyes and seems to be having an internal debate on whether to tell me or not. He speaks up then. "If you can help me retrieve the Book of White, Magnus, how do I know you will not betray me and take it?"

Although it is a perfectly reasonable question and one that I would ask, I am actually offended when he says that to me. "Because, Ragnor. We have known each other for over 350 years and you know by now that I am not the person who would do that." I stand up then. "And I am willing to make the Unbreakable Promise of our kind. And if I break an Unbreakable Promise, I will be dragged back to hell with my father and that is somewhere I plan to never go."

"So what? We share the book?" Ragnor scoffs at me.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Ragnor." He is staring at me with intensity and I can see him coming closer to agreeing to my terms. It is quiet so long, I almost jump when he speaks again.

"It is in Wayland Manor."

I immediately start to laugh and Ragnor looks at me like I have lost my mind. "What is so damn funny to you, Magnus?"

I take a deep breath to calm myself so I can speak. "I am laughing because I happen to know someone who knows exactly how to get into that house with no problems. The whole thing should be a piece of cake."

-Clary

I am so glad to be done with everyone's questions. I was dreading going to the Clave and telling them everything, but Jace suggested that we wait till tomorrow to do it and everyone agreed. I just want to have a day with my family and friends before the silent brothers start picking my brain apart. I need a breather. I also wanted a day to plan Simon's escape, which was going to be tricky. Jace had fully explained what happened and what the Inquisitor is trying to get him to stay. To say that I was angry was an understatement. The Inquisitor should be punished for what he is doing and I will make sure that he is.

Now Jace, Luke, and Izzy are swapping demon killing stories while I sit comfortably snuggled up to Jace. We have been in constant contact with one another. We are holding hands, or Jace has an arm slung over my shoulder or wrapped around my waist, or I am tracing circles on his leg. I don't think we can bear not to be touching one another. It was forbidden for so long and it was like slow, slow torture not being able to touch him. And now we couldn't be separated. But this did create a problem. Luke could not stop watching us. This one time when I leaned in for a kiss from Jace while we were on the couch, we locked lips and Jace slowly trailed his hand up my leg and I slid my hand under his sleeve to touch his back. When we pulled away from each other, Luke had this look on his face that was a mixture of shock, horror, and worry. I don't know if it was because he thought we were brother and sister this morning or if it was because we seemed so comfortable and loving towards each other. He is basically my father and he is probably worried Jace will de-flower me. I wonder what he would say if I told him he was already too late? Better not chance it, though.

Footsteps and laughter break into my train of thought and I look up to see Aline and Max walking into the room. Max looks like he is high off of sugar. His eyes are blown wide and he can't seem to stand still. Izzy notices the crazed look in her little brother's eyes and looks up to Aline. "What on earth did you and Sebastian do to my little brother?" she says.

Aline holds up her hands, palms out, and says, "Don't look at me. It was all Sebastian. He bought him enough candy to feed an orphanage."

Max smiles hugely and chimes in with, "And I ate every single piece and I didn't even get sick!"

"Speaking of Sebastian. Where is he?" Izzy asks.

"He said he wanted to go visit a friend that lived around the corner." Aline offers. She then looks over to me and Jace and I lean into him a little more and place my hand on his inner thigh just to prove my earlier point that he is mine. She gives me a sheepish smile and takes a deep breath before she says, "Clary? Can I talk to you for just a sec?"

I instantly turn and look at Jace and he looks at me like he thinks this is a horrible idea. I turn back to look at her and say, "Sure." Turning towards Jace, I see him give me a panicked look just before I give him a quick but sensual kiss and jump up to go talk to Aline. She pulls me around the corner and into another room and then turns to face me. She actually looked nervous.

"Listen, Clary. I just wanted to say that I am the one that kissed Jace and not the other way around." she starts saying. "I could tell that he wasn't into me but I figured that if I was going to be into any boy, it would be Jace. I had no idea what was going on between you two. And when Izzy explained what happened between you and Jace, I felt pretty bad for practically throwing myself at him while he was being tortured because he thought he was in love with his sister."

I immediately feel bad. I mean, who wouldn't throw themselves at my boyfriend. (I do an internal happy dance every time I say that he is my boyfriend and not brother) He is the sexiest man alive. "It's okay, Aline. How could you have known?" I tell her. "I guess I kind of overreacted."

We both look at each other then and give a small laugh. "Not in a million years would I have guessed what was going on with you and Jace." Aline says with a smile on her face. I laugh then at the absurdity of it all and stick out my hand in a peace offering.

"I don't think we have been officially introduced. I'm Clary." She smiles a warm smile and takes my hand. "And my name is Aline. It's nice to finally meet you, Clary. I have heard SO much about you. I mean, Jace never shut up about you." And we start giggling. Just then I see something move out of the corner of my eye and turn to find Jace standing in the doorway. His eyes widen while his eyebrows scrunch together before he says, "I came to check and make sure you two weren't killing each other and I find you both giggling like little girls. I don't know if I should be glad or horribly terrified." Aline and I both lose it then. If feels so good to laugh after so much fear for the future and pretending over the past week. I look at Jace and he is backing away slowly looking wholly horrified and like he is afraid to move too quickly for fear of scaring a wild and dangerous animal. I decide I have had enough fun at Jace's expense and walk over to him and give him a quick peck on his confused face and pull him back to everyone else.

We all sit and talk a while. Izzy, Jace, and I sit around the coffee table and tell Aline about New York because she has always wanted to go. Max has monopolized Luke and is asking him about what it is like to be a werewolf. As it is starting to get dark, Luke stands up and stretches and looks towards me.

"Well kids." Luke says. "I think it is time for us to go. My sister has probably already made us dinner by now." I look up at him confused and say "ALL of us?" He gives me a humorless smile and replies, "No Clary. Just me and you." Awful dawning horrible realization sets in. "But I don't want to go, Luke. I am staying here." I say in my most whiny teenage voice.

He instantly begins to shake his head. "You want me to leave you here, unsupervised, with your boyfriend overnight? Your mother would kill me ten different ways if she ever found out that I let you do that." I turn back to Jace to look for backup and find none. "It's okay. I can come back with you and stay till it's time to go to bed." Jace tells me. I glare at him because there is no way I can argue with Luke and win when Jace agreed with him. Luke smells defeat then, and smiles a victorious smile. Jace and I stand up to leave when Alec comes in the house with Magnus trailing behind him.

"Magnus?!" I almost shout at him. "Biscuit!" he replies and I go and give him a hug. Jace looks surprised but manages to ask him what he is doing here. Magnus holds up a finger and looks at me to say, "I was so glad when Alec told me you had escaped and were back. I have been so worried about you. And when none of my tracking spells didn't work...You don't want to know what I thought then."

"Well, here I am." I say matter of factly.

"And I am glad that you are because I need to talk to you and Jace, pronto. Alone." Magnus says in a serious voice. I look to Alec in question and he shrugs his shoulders. I then turn to look at Luke, and although he looks hesitant, he gives a slight nod. Aline steps forward then and tells us to follow her where she leads us to an office and closes the doors behind her as she leaves.

Jace turns to face Magnus then. "Okay, Magnus, what is with all this cloak and dagger stuff?" Magnus walks around the desk in the office and sits in the chair and props his feet up as he leans back. He looks at me before he says, "I know how to wake your mother up."

"You what?!" I almost yell at him.

"I got a visit from one of your mom's old friends and she told me a story that led me to another friend and that friend led me to here." He tells us this as he is inspecting his nails and picking invisible things off of them.

I look to him with a confused look on my face when he blows out an exasperated breath. "It a long story." Magnus says with a wave of his hand. "I will explain it later, but right now, I need the both of you to do me a favor."

Jace steps forward and asks him "What does any of this have to do with me? I get that Clary would want to know, but I still don't understand why this has to be a secret and why you would need me for anything."

Magnus kicks his legs off of the desk then and stands up to walk over to where we are standing. "The potion that your mother took came from a very powerful spell book called The Book of White. And inside that book is the antidote and I know where it is but do not have the means to get it." He turns and pointedly looks at Jace. "And that is where you come in, Jace."

"Me?" He says in a shocked voice. "I don't know anything about this white book." Magnus makes a show of rolling his cat eyes before replying, "You have seen it a million times, Jace, and never knew what it was."

I speak up then. "Okay Magnus. Now that I am thoroughly confused, would you stop being so cryptic and tell us what the hell you are talking about?"

Magnus huffs and says, "You mortals have no patience." His head swivels to look at Jace. "Jocelyn hid the Book of White inside another book at Wayland manor where you grew up. I can't get there because there are misdirection wards to specifically to keep downworlders out. Hence the two of you are needed to collect the book so I can give Jocelyn the antidote. "

"And we are just supposed to hand over this, in your words, very powerful spell book when we get it?" Jace asks suspiciously.

"Well I never said I would heal Jocelyn for nothing, now did I?" and Magnus smiles a beautiful smile.

I quickly turn to Jace and begin to plead with him. "Jace, we have to do it. My mom can't be under that spell for the rest of my life. It wouldn't be fair not to help her if we could." He looks back at me with concern and pity in his eyes. "Please Jace. We have to. It's my mother we are talking about." I grab his hand and hold it tightly pleading with him.

He finally breaks. "Fine. We'll do it. But I had better not regret this, Magnus." Jace says warningly.

The smile that Magnus gives back is so big, he almost looks like the Joker from Batman. "Oh, you won't." Magnus then moves to the wall and says "Give me just a few minutes to set up a portal."

Now it is my turn to smile wickedly at Magnus. "There's no need for that Magnus." I turn and hold out my hand to Jace. "Babe. Could you hand me your stele?"

He reaches into his pocket and hands it to me while he says, "I have been waiting to see this." with a huge smile on his face. Magnus looks at me with a curious look on his face before asking, "Waiting to see what?"

Jace looks incredibly smug when he says, "Just watch and see how amazing my girlfriend is."

Fair warning again. The next chapter will have smut of the Clace variety.