Jasmine was oddly surprised to see Simon in the kitchen—she'd forgotten her was even there. Hodge, the Lightwood siblings, Jace, Jasmine, Clary and their newly gained acquaintance sat and had dinner, the conversation dead until Isabelle spoke.

"Well, I think it's kind of romantic," she said, in response to what she'd been told a few minutes prior.

"What is?" asked Simon eagerly. Jasmine cringed internally. He was so desperate for Isabelle's attention… Wasn't he supposed to be in love with Clary?

"That whole business about Clary's mother being married to Valentine," said the blue-eyed girl. "So now he's back from the dead and he's come looking for her. Maybe he wants to get back together."

"I kind of doubt he sent a Ravener demon to her house because he wants to 'get back together'," said Alec. Jasmine was happy to see him again, and she wasn't sure why. She'd brightened up instantly when he'd walked into the kitchen. She'd grown to really like the eighteen-year-old. Well, he wasn't eigtheen yet, but he would be soon.

"It wouldn't be my move," said Jace. "First the candy and flowers, then the apology letters, then the ravenous demon hordes. In that order."

Jasmine snorted. "No wonder you're single."

Simon snickered in satisfaction. Jasmine guessed that he probably didn't like Jace all that much, and even though she hadn't meant her comment (hell, there was no reason good enough for Jace to be single, she knew that much), but it had been worth the cheap laugh she'd gotten in return.

Jace lazily dragged his gaze over to her. "Are you sure that's the reason?"

Jasmine bit the inside of her cheek and awkwardly glanced away. No, that wasn't the reason. He could have been in a relationship, if Jasmine had just let him kiss her the night before. She was the reason why. When she glanced back up, she saw that Clary was looking between her and Jace with curious confusion.

"So why does Valentine want this Cup so bad, and why does he think Clary's mom has it?" Simon asked.

"You said it was so he could make an army," Clary said, turning to Hodge. "You mean because you can use the Cup to make Shadowhunters?"

"Yes."

"So Valentine could just walk up to any guy on the street and make a Shadowhunter out of him? Just with the Cup?" Simon leaned forward. "Would it work on me?"

Hodge squinted, as if to get a proper view of him. "Possibly," he said. "But most likely, you're too old. The Cup works on children. An adult would either be unaffected by the process entirely, or killed outright."

"A child army," said Isabelle softly.

"Only for a few years," said Jace insensitively. "Kids grow fast. It wouldn't be too long before they were a force to contend with."

"I don't know," said Simon. "Turning a bunch of kids into warriors—I've heard of worse stuff happening. I don't see the big deal about keeping the Cup away from him."

"You shouldn't ever turn kids into warriors," said Jasmine. "How would that even be remotely acceptable?" She frowned at Simon, who looked taken aback and maybe a little ashamed.

"Leaving out that he would inevitably use this army to launch an attack on the Clave," Hodge added, "the reason that only a few humans are selected to be turned into Nephilim is that most would never survive the transition. It takes special strength and resilience. Before they can be turned, they must be extensively tested—but Valentine would never bother with that. He would use the Cup on any child he could capture, and cull out the twenty percent who survived to be his army."

Alec looked horrified.

"How do you know he'd do that?" asked Clary.

"Because," Hodge said, "when he was in the Circle, that was his plan. He said it was the only way to build the kind of force that was needed to defend our world."

"But that's murder," said Isabelle, looking disgusted. "He was talking about killing children."

"He said that we had made the world safe for humans for a thousand years," said Hodge, "and now was their time to repay us with their own sacrifice."

Jasmine felt sick and furious at the same time. Her cheeks never turned red, not even when she was embarrassed, but they sure felt hot now. "Oh my God. That sick son of a bitch! Who gave him the right to decide that for the world?!" Tears stung at the back of her eyes, but to hide them she covered her face, as if she were trying to calm herself down. Why did she have to cry all the time?

Hodge pushed his plate away. "Valentine was insane," he said. "Brilliant, but insane. He cared about nothing but killing demons and Downworlders. Nothing but making the world pure. He would have sacriced his own son for the cause and could not understand how anyone else would not."

"I need to punch something," said Jasmine, her breathing slightly more shallow than it usually was. Clary laid a hand on her shoulder, but it didn't help a bit.

"He had a son?" said Alec.

"I was speaking figuratively," Hodge said, using his handkerchief to dab at his sweaty forehead. "When his land burned, when his home was destroyed, it was assumed that he had burned himself and the Cup to ashes rather than relinquish either to the Clave. His bones were found in the ashes, along with the bones of his wife."

"But my mother lived," said Clary. "She didn't die in that fire."

"And neither, it seems now, did Valentine," said Hodge. "The Clave will not be pleased to have been fooled. But more importantly, they will want to secure the Cup. And more importantly than that, they will want to make sure Valentine does not."

"It seems to me that the first thing we'd better do is find Clary's mother," said Jace. "Find her, find the Cup, get it before Valentine does."

"That was the plan before. Why should it be any different now?" asked Jasmine.

"Actually, that wasn't the plan at all. The plan was to do nothing," said Hodge. "Leave it to skilled, experienced Shadowhunters. This is not just about Jocelyn anymore—it's about saving the human race. It wasn't a good idea to take this in our own hands before, and it especially isn't a good idea now."

"Hodge is right," said Alec. "Valentine is dangerous. He's one of the best there ever was. It took a huge battle to bring him down."

"And he didn't exactly stay down," said Isabelle. "Apparently."

"But we're here," said Jace. "We're here and because of the Accords, nobody else is. If we don't do something—"

"We are going to do something," said Hodge. "I'll send the Clave a message tonight. They could have a force of Nephilim here by tomorrow if they wanted. They'll take care of this. You have done more than enough."

"I don't agree with this," said Jasmine stubbornly, shaking her head. "This is our responsibility as well. Especially since my fa—Amir," she corrected, "is involved as well. I want to help bring him, well, them down."

"Sounds like somebody had a troubled childhood," Simon muttered. Jasmine felt her eye twitch in annoyance, but before she could open her mouth, Clary had shot him a warning look and he quickly looked down at his plate.

"Jasmine, I am not in charge of you so I can't tell you what to do, but I can give you a word of advice. You are only sixteen years old. You don't stand a chance against Valentine and his men," Hodge said, not unkindly.

"Not alone, I don't," said Jasmine.

"What about my mother?" Clary demanded. "She can't wait for some representative from the Clave to show up. Valentine has her right now—Pangborn and Blackwell said so—and he could be…"

"Hurting her," Simon finished for her. "Except, Clary, they also said she was unconscious and that Valentine wasn't happy about it. He seems to be waiting for her to wake up."

"I'd stay unconscious if I were her," Isabelle muttered. Clary ignored her.

"But that could be any time," said Clary. "I thought the Clave was pledged to protect people. Shouldn't there be Shadowhunters here right now? Shouldn't they already be searching for her?"

"That would be easier," said Alec, "if we had the slightest idea where to look."

"But we do," said Jace.

"You do?" Clary asked quickly. "Where?"

"We start with Magnus Bane," said Jace, obviously pleased with himself.

Isabelle, who had been hunched over her plate, sucking tapioca pearls through a straw, suddenly straightened her back, her dark eyes big and alert. "It can't be—but I'm almost totally sure—" Isabelle got up and started digging through the purse on the counter. She pulled out a folded piece of blue paper. "Look at this."

Alec took it from her, unfolded it and shrugged. He passed it to Jace. "It's a party invitation. For somewhere in Brooklyn," he said. "I hate Brooklyn."

"Don't be such a snob," said Jace. Then, just as Isabelle had, he sat up straight. "Where did you get this, Izzy?"

"From that sprite at the Chelsea market today. He said it would be awesome. He had a whole stack of them."

"What is it?" Clary demanded impatiently. "Are you going to show the rest of us, or not?"

Jace turned it around so they could all read it. It announced a gathering at the humble home of Magnus the Magnificent Warlock, and promised attendees "a rapturous evening of delights beyond your wildest imaginings."

"Magnus," said Simon. "Magnus like Magnus Bane?"

"I doubt there are that many warlocks named Magnus in the Tri-state Area," said Jace.

Jasmine blinked. "The what?"

"New York, New Jersey and Connecticut," Jace explained.

"Does that mean we have to go to the party?" Alec asked.

"We don't have to do anything," said Jace. "But according to this, Magnus Bane is the High Warlock of Brooklyn." He looked at Clary. "I, for one, am a little curious as to what the High Warlock of Brooklyn's name is doing inside your head."

"Guys," said Jasmine. "I know Magnus. On a professional level, anyway. He helped me get to New York. He was in Amsterdam for business, and one of my friends introduced him to me. When he said he lived in the States, I asked him if I could Portal here with him. He didn't charge me too much. I think he felt bad for me or something."

"Wait, you're from Amsterdam?" asked Simon.

Jasmine nodded. "I must have mentioned that at least three times today."

"Oh. Well, that's awesome. Marijuana's, like, legal there, isn't it?"

Jace sighed exasperatedly, but said nothing. Jasmine didn't offer a reply, either. Simon's question had been so out of place and just plain dumb that it left her speechless.

"So, we could just knock on his door tonight?" asked Clary.

"We could," said Jasmine. "I don't think he'd be happy about it, but we could. But if you're willing to wait a day, then we'll just go as guests at the party tomorrow."

"The latter sounds like a better option," said Jace. "He might offer us more information that way."

"Alright, so that's that," said Alec, looking only half-satisfied.

"So, what do we do tomorrow? During the day, I mean," Jasmine said to no one in particular. "I was going to go shopping for—"

"I'll come with you," said Isabelle quickly. "I mean, I don't have anything else to do. Might as well keep you company."

"You do have money on you, don't you?" asked Hodge. "If you don't, I could ask the Clave to support you financially."

"I've got money on me," said Jasmine. "But it's in Euros…"

"I'll give you some money on behalf of the Institute," said Hodge.

Jasmine smiled gratefully, and turned to Clary. "Since it's a girl thing, typically, to go shopping together—would you like to come?"

Clary looked taken aback. "Me? Uh, I don't know… I'd rather go back to Simon's place. You know, take a break from all this."

Jasmine shrugged. "It's up to you," she said. "But, I don't know, it might be dangerous to go around the city on your own now that Valentine's looking for you."

"She won't be on her own," said Simon. "I'll be with her."

"Like you'd stand a chance against demons," muttered Alec.

"Whatever, just take a weapon with you. Just in case," Jasmine said. "If you change your mind, we leave tomorrow morning."

Clary turned to Simon. "Is it all right if I spend tonight at your place?" she asked.

"Of course. You know you're always welcome," Simon replied. Isabelle rolled her eyes.

o000o

The next morning, Isabelle was dressed and ready to leave before Jasmine was even properly awake. To kill time, Isabelle went down to the library to get the money from Hodge while Jasmine took a shower. The curly-haired girl left her face bare for the day, and dressed in pants and her dark red, quarter-sleeved top. She slid her stele into the tight pocket of the pair of skinny jeans, and hid her dagger in her right combat boot.

The two girls took the subway to Manhattan, having decided to get breakfast in the city. Isabelle seemed to be glowing, which was something to see, honestly. She looked genuinely happy, and Jasmine wondered if it was because she finally had a… well, a friend to share the 'joy' of shopping with. Girl time. It was such a mundane thing, but Shadowhunters, though part angel, were still human.

They walked the streets of Manhattan, looking for a coffee shop, or a bakery. As they paid for their breakfast—Isabelle for a waffle and a tall cup of coffee, and Jasmine for a buttery croissant and freshly squeezed orange juice—conversation started flowing.

"I'm starting to get used to this life," said Jasmine light-heartedly. "I mean, with you guys. I think leaving will be difficult."

"Do you have to leave?" asked Isabelle casually as she bit into her waffle.

"I don't think I have a choice," said Jasmine with a sigh. "Now that my father is the enemy, I'm definitely not going back to Amsterdam—unless somebody else takes over the Institute. The Clave might decide that I'd be better off living somewhere else. Somewhere in Asia, or Australia. As far away from Idris as possible, or as close as possible. I don't know. They probably want to keep an eye on me, though. To use me as bait, or get information."

"My mother might want to take you in," said Isabelle. "You know, being your aunt and all."

"The Consul might not let her." She shook her head.

"Well, what if we found a way to make you stay?"

Jasmine's eyebrows arched. "I'm open to suggestions."

Isabelle cast her eyes skyward. "Oh, I don't know… Become my parabatai?" she joked.

Jasmine grinned. "Awesome idea," she laughed.

Isabelle's grin faded and her eyes rounded slightly. "Really, though. They can't separate parabatai," she said, and now Jasmine's laughter was gone as well.

"Iz… No, you can't be serious. Being somebody's parabatai is heavy. It's for life."

"Well, you're my cousin," said Isabelle. "Blood is for life, too."

Jasmine snorted. "Have you forgotten about my father?"

"Well, there are exceptions…" Isabelle blew a piece of hair out of her face. "I'm serious. It's just a rune. I didn't plan on being anybody's parabatai anyway, so it's not like I'm wasting a chance. If we're parabatai, then no one can take you away."

Jasmine thought about it. "It's not a bad idea, but it's a big decision. Are you sure about this?"

Isabelle shrugged and sipped her coffee. "Eh, I guess."

Jasmine's laughter was back. "Alright, then I guess I'm here to stay."

o000o

Jace and Alec were in the weapons room, doing… well, nothing in particular. They were mostly just fooling around with bows and arrows and seraph blades. Marking regular daggers, testing out steles, etc. They had been in that room since ten o'clock, it being four in the afternoon at the moment. Alec kept looking over at Jace every so often, opening his mouth as if to speak, but then closing it.

"What?" Jace drawled, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well, I was just—" Alec cut himself off. "It's nothing."

Jace shrugged, and focused back on the short sword in front of him. Alec sighed, shook his head, and tested the chord of the bow at hand.

A giggle—a familiar giggle—was heard outside the door. Two figures entered the room, both grinning from ear to ear. Jace was surprised to see Jasmine and Isabelle getting along like sisters. Well, sisters who liked each other. Not the kind of sisters who lived to get under one another's skin.

Isabelle never played nice with other girls, especially pretty ones, but with Jasmine everything seemed different—not just Isabelle's attitute.

It was no wonder Jace hated the way she was distancing herself from him. He'd never met anyone like her. She was something else, the way Pangborn had described her aunt Darya to be something else. Jasmine was a gentle soul with a serious attitute, but she was sassy when he'd least expect it. She was a hardhead, but also easily persuaded when it came down to it. She was sensive, but strong and motivated. She was all kinds of things.

Apparently, she was also a big spender.

Jasmine was carrying four shopping bags in one hand, and two in the other. None too small. Jace wondered how much money Hodge had given her.

"You're back," said Alec.

"Indeed we are," said Isabelle airily.

"I see you've bought all of Manhattan," Jace deadpanned, taking one of Isabelle's many bags. Inside it was black lace lingerie. He handed it back to her, deciding that he'd seen enough.

"Yeah, we were thinking about buying Brooklyn as well, but we ran out of money," Jasmine laughed, her eyes glittering under the harsh TL lights of the weapons room. "Anyway, I just came to say hello. I'm going back to my room now. Change into gear."

"You going to the training room?" Jace asked before he could stop himself.

Jasmine nodded. "Yeah, I need to keep up the physical activity." She made a move to leave. "I'll see you guys later."

The three teenagers stood in silence for a good three seconds, until Jace breathed in sharply. "Well," he said, "there's no point in letting her train alone. She probably needs someone to—"

"Just go," said Alec wearily, shaking his head. "You don't need to make excuses."

Jace grinned. "I was only informing you," he said innocently.

"Sure," said Isabelle, rolling her dark eyes.

Alec mumbled something under his breath, but Jace didn't catch what it was, because he was already in the hallway, on his way to the training room.

OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY. I KNOW I PROMISED YOU MAGNUS BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT WOULD TAKE MORE THAN 3300 WORDS. I promise he'll be in the next chapter. Also, yay. Good for me for writing this chapter so fast. Usually it takes me multiple days. I wrote this one in an hour or so.

Woop woop pls reviewww :*