There were three knocks. Jace knew exactly who it was.

He opened the door, "Jonathan."

"Sebastian, Jonathan," the white haired boy corrected coldly.

"Jace, Sebastian," Jace smiled slighty.

Sebastian was not his blood brother, but the way they'd been raised, together, gave them an unbreakable bond.

Jace sometimes wondered if he liked that.

"Come in," he offered, opening the door to his house. Sebastian followed him cautiously, as if someone was going to jump out at him as any time. His pale hand never left the hilt of his blade, Phaesphoros. Jace remembered the sword well. It's twin, Heosphoros, had been the one he'd bought Clary, a month after she'd joined the Squad. He grimaced; remembering his fight with Sebastian after Clary had walked in, twirling the blade that was 'meant to be his'. Heosphoros, the morning star, the sword blessed to the best swordmaster in the land, was Clary's- the tiny redhead with a crush on Jace and fumbling footwork, and Phaesphoros, its lesser brother, belonged to the boy who could take down a whole army single handedly and had been fighting, killing, since before he could walk.

"What brings you here, Sebastian?" Jace collapsed into the armchair of his chair.

Sebastian's glare was cruel, "Catarina told her everything?"

Jace sighed, "Indeed."

"Is Loss dead?"

Jace was surprised, "No?"

"Shame. Pathetic sniveling traitor," Sebastian sneered, "So is it true? The Great Magnus Bane was killed by your little girlfriend?"

"I don't think she'd be to happy with you referring to her as that," Jace twisted a leather armband on his wrist, "But yes. Scalped him and left him dead in a playground for a couple of kids to find."

Sebastian swore, "And do we know who she wants first?"

"No idea. Alec's was at Isabelle's last I heard from her, but she had to break the news about Magnus, and knowing Alec, he'll overreact and get himself killed… all I can suggest for you is to lay low and watch your back."

Sebastian ran his fingers along the barrister, "And what about you? You know she'll want to save you until last. Are you going to… lay low?"

Jace laughed sharply, "Unfortunately, I can't run. I have…other commitments to think about," he glanced up the stairs at a room next to the study. The door was closed, but the way his eyes soften when he saw it made Sebastian's harden.

"I live in a shitty caravan in the middle of nowhere," Sebastian ran a hand through his white-blonde hair, "But now she knows exactly where 'nowhere' is, and she's coming to the middle of it. And I can run all I want, but we all know she's going to find all of us. She found Roberts within days. She could be at my place already, waiting for me to walk in."

Jace brushed blonde hair out of her eyes, "I know we haven't spoken in a while, and the last time we did wasn't all that pleasant."

Sebastian stared up at the closed door, "She is coming, and she is coming to kill us. I'm not running from what I did…"

"Can't we just forget the past? We'll all be dead in a day if we don't…"

"…and I'm not running from her," Sebastian snapped, eyes sharp, "I'm not laying low. That girl deserves her revenge. And we…" he drew Phaesphoros a little way out of the scabbard, "Deserve to die."

Jace watched him in silence. Sebastian pushed the sword back into the leather, and looked up, black as coal eyes burning.

"But then again, so does she," Sebastian stood up, "So, I guess we'll just see, won't we?"

Jace sighed, "I guess this is goodbye then."
"Only if she doesn't hesitate," Sebastian opened the front door, "Because I am no a man of guilt. And if she hesitates, I will kill her to save myself."

Jace stood, "And why did you come here? I trust it wasn't a social call."

Sebastian smiled- a cold, emotionless smile, "I came make sure that you were ready for her."

Jace raised an eyebrow, "And am I?"

Sebastian moved so quickly that Jace only blinked and Phaephoros was at his neck, cutting into the flesh lightly, and Sebastian was laughing softly.

"Never," the Shadowhunter released Jace, scabbarded his sword and left without another word, leaving Jace's heart hammering and a trickle of blood running down his neck, staining the collar of his white shirt red.