Thank you for all the new reviews, penxitalita, Kt, cresent 95 and whoever wrote the anonymous one.

I know my updates are not as often as they used to be... I wish I could post a new chapter everyday, but there is still school and work... I'll do my best.

Now I've reached a point where every chapter is just sad. There is no other word to describe this, and I have to tell you guys, this story won't end good. This is not a secret; everyone who has read City of Heavenly Fire (and I hope everyone of you has, if not, go read it) knows that there is no happy end for Aline and Helen. I want to keep this story the way it is, filling in the blanks in some way, and therefore prepare for a sad ending. At least it will give me a good start for another Heline story! :)

Enough of that, please enjoy the new chapter!

Helen closed the door softly behind her and slumped to the ground, burying her face in her hands. She sobbed quietly, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. Julian's voice could be heard out here in the hallway, as he tried to calm Emma down. The image of Emma, clutching the sword Cortana in her hands, appeared behind Helen's closed eyelids. She could still hear the scream that had escaped Emma's throat when Helen had told her about her parents' demise. Of all the things that had happened during the last few days, this had been the hardest for Helen, even though the memory of her siblings' arrival was still painful to think about.

The moment Aline had woke her up on the day of the attack and told her what had happened, she had leapt up, quickly dressed herself and dashed down the hallway to find Jia. The Portal had already been opened and a dozen Shadowhunters had gathered around it. Helen had dropped down to her knees, her heart pounding wildly in her chest and her face wet with tears. She had stared at the shimmering Portal, Aline's hand placed on her shoulder, and had done the only thing she could, wait. It had been the longest few minutes of her life, hoping and begging that her siblings were alright. People had been chatting around her, discussing things, but she had ignored all of them. The only thing she had been aware of was Aline's presence and the blue whirl of the Portal. She had finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Drusilla stumbling through the Portal, her arms wrapped tightly around Tavvy but her relief had been short-lived when she saw how terrified she looked. Immediately Helen had pulled both of them into her arms, sobbing. Tiberius and Livia had followed, holding hands, and she had embraced them too. They had all stared at the Portal, waiting for Julian or Mark to arrive, but nothing had happened. Helen's heart had skipped a beat and she had given a cry the moment Julian appeared, looking terrified, an unconscious Emma by his side.

What had followed was a blur to Helen. They had offered her siblings a room on the upper level of the Penhallow House and Silent Brothers had arrived to take care of Emma. Helen had tried to calm down Tavvy who had cried the whole day after they'd arrived. All this time she had forced back her own tears, not allowing herself to show her sorrow, but the encounter with Emma had been too much for her. She couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

"Helen?"

There were footsteps and the rustling sound of clothes as someone sat down next to her. She felt a hand brush her arm, but she kept her face hidden. No doubt it was Aline. Helen knew the sound of her feet and the smell of ginger that tickled her nose. Tentatively, she lifted her head and nuzzled Aline's shoulder. It was now eerily quiet. The noises coming from Emma's room had died away, and Helen knew that Jia had taken her other siblings for a walk.

She was surprised when Jia had offered to take care of them for a few hours. After the attack on the Los Angeles Institute she had spent most of her days up at the Gard, and Helen had been thankful when she had offered her help. Maybe she'd only done it to strengthen their bond, but Helen was already grateful that Jia had opened her home for her family.

Aline sat mutely next to Helen, one finger gently stroking her arm. Being in a relationship with Helen for months now had taught her that sometimes it was better to say nothing and hold her instead. Helen would talk eventually. Aline brushed a soft kiss to Helen's cheek and the half-faerie stirred. Their eyes met, and Helen's were still glassy with tears.

"Emma is devastated," Helen said hoarsely. "When I told her, she started to scream and then Julian brought her her sword she calls Cortana. Her screams stopped and she hugged the blade the way someone would hug a teddy bear. Her hand was bleeding and I wanted to stop her, but Jules wouldn't let me. It was horrible."

Aline placed an arm around Helen's shoulder and pulled the half-faerie closer. She dropped her head on top of Helen's, taking in her flowering scent, and murmured, "You didn't have to do this."

"Who else would have done it?" Helen retorted instantly, her body stiff against Aline's side. "I couldn't burden Julian with breaking the news to Emma. You can't expect a twelve-year-old to tell his best friend that her parents died, and besides me, there is no adult here Emma is familiar with. Since she doesn't know you or your mother, she wouldn't have talked to you and it would only have frightened her."

Aline sighed. "I know. I wish there had been someone else. You've been through so much these past few days."

The tears had dried on Helen's cheeks, and she ran her hands through her tangled curls before returning her gaze to Aline. Seeing the worried expression on her girlfriend's face caused her eyes to fill with tears again. She smiled weakly at Aline, pushing back the tears.

"Did you talk to Jia?" Helen asked almost choking on the words. She bit down on her lower lip and her eyes darted away from Aline, not wanting Aline to see her in tears again.

"I did," Aline said, "but they still can't track Mark."

A low whimper escaped Helen's throat and she pinched her lips together, wiping at a tear on the corner of her eye with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Helen, this doesn't mean he's dead. We would know if he wasn't alive anymore," Aline said as calm as possible, but that they were still unable to find Helen's brother scared Aline as well. She had seen Helen's heart break as the half-faerie had asked Julian about her brother and father, the Portal closing behind him with a final thump. Julian had shaken his head and more tears had streamed down Helen's face.

"What if it's even worse that he is still alive?" Helen said, sobbing slightly. "For all we know Sebastian might as well keep him as a hostage and torture him for information about the Clave. Maybe he's even torturing my-" Helen broke off, gasping for air. Once more she buried her face in her hands, shaking against Aline's side as she cried.

She didn't need to finish the sentence. There was only one more person left Helen would worry about. After her siblings had arrived, they hadn't been sure about what had happened to Andrew Blackthorn, but had assumed that he had either died or had been Turned by the Cup. Later, it had been confirmed by a group of Shadowhunters who had searched the Los Angeles Institute that no body had been found and he was presumed to have been Turned. Aline knew that this was even worse. She had fought against the Dark Nephilim at the Burren and had seen their blank eyes. All runes had been ripped from their skin and they hadn't been able to use their seraph blades anymore. They were no longer children of the Angel, but more of the demon.

"There's still hope for a cure," Aline said, and there was no need for Helen to add anything else. She knew what Aline was talking about. Ever since Jia had found out about the battle at the Burren she had been hiring warlocks to find a way how to cure the Turned ones, how to make them Nephilim again. She had even called upon the Spiral Labyrinth, but hadn't heard from them yet.

Helen was still shaking, but her tears had dried as she said, "I don't think that they can be cured. I think they are lost and gone forever."

"Why would you say that?" Aline asked baffled. "Don't you want to save your Dad? They'll find a way and -"

"No," Helen interrupted her, a harsh tone to her voice. "I don't want to get my hopes up just to have them crushed later on. I saw their faces at the Burren. They are no longer Nephilim, and I don't think they can be saved."

She turned her head to face Aline. They were so close Helen's nose almost touched Aline's cheek, and Helen was still propped against Aline's body. Her blue-green eyes were firmly on Aline, and she said, "I do wish that they find a cure, I really do. I want this to end and I want my father to come back, not only for me, but for my siblings. Who else is going to take care of them? But I can't allow myself to hope. I can wish for it, but not hope, because chances are slim that he'll ever return as the man he used to be."

Aline opened her mouth to say something, but words wouldn't come so she shut it again. They sat in mutual silence, staring at the opposite wall. There was nothing Aline could have said to cheer Helen up and she hated how useless it made her feel. She wanted to help Helen, wanted to ease her pain, but she knew there was nothing she could do. At least she had taken some pressure off Helen by getting her mother to go for a walk with the kids. Aline had been surprised by how fast Jia had agreed to do it, almost as surprised as she had been when Jia had offered the Blackthorns to stay. Inviting Helen into her home was one thing, but allowing her siblings to move in as well was an even bigger gesture, even if it was only temporarily.

Yes, these past few days had been full of surprises, Aline thought and was reminded of her father's reaction when he had learned about the attack. He had barely shown any hospitality towards Helen since she had moved in, but he had welcomed her siblings with open arms and had even agreed to take care of them if necessary. Patrick still avoided Helen, but what counted was that he finally took interest in his daughter's life and that he had opened up after all those weeks of cutting himself off from his family. Now more than ever Aline was able to understand the importance of family and it hurt seeing Helen's slowly falling apart.

"I was thinking about cooking something for tonight. Maybe it'll remind them of home," Helen said, her voice still hoarse, and quickly added, "in a good way."

"I'm sure they'd love it," Aline said, wrapping her arms tighter around Helen and pulling her even closer. Some time passed, Aline couldn't tell if it was only minutes or hours, and neither of the girls talked. They just held on to each other, Helen desperately trying to fit together the pieces of her broken heart.

The silence was disrupted by a child's laughter and they both leaped up simultaneously the moment Drusilla appeared at the far end of the corridor. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold outside and for the first time in days, a smile was on her lips. Her unmistakable Blackthorn eyes darted to where Aline and Helen were standing and she ran up to them, chuckling. She was followed by the twins and Jia who was holding Tavvy. All of them seemed to be in an unusual good mood, smiling brightly, except Ty whose expression was as blank as it had been since they'd arrived.

"Aline, look what I found," Drusilla said proudly, holding out a fir cone, and her eyes gleamed with joy.

"That's beautiful," Aline said, kneeling down to touch the fir cone. "I didn't know you could find these in Alicante. You are a lucky girl."

Drusilla smiled even more. Sometimes it was the little things that made one happy, and especially during this time the Blackthorn children needed something to distract them, even if it was just a fir cone.

"I'm sorry if I'm ruining the moment," Jia said, "but I need to talk to you, Helen."

All of a sudden the smile on Drusilla's face vanished, and Livia quickly grabbed Ty's hand as if to protect him. It was heartbreaking to see how easily you could startle them when otherwise they were brave and fearless like all Shadowhunters, but then they were still children.

Helen's and Aline's eyes met; the half-faerie looked distraught. Aline nodded slightly, stepped up to her mother and said, "I'll take care of the kids in the meantime."

"Thank you," Jia said and handed her Tavvy. The little boy instantly grabbed a strand of Aline's black hair and pulled at it fiercely.

"Ouch," Aline exclaimed and stared at the boy, waiting for him to chuckle like he used to when he played with her hair. There was nothing. Not even a smile flitting across Tavvy's face. He looked at Aline with big eyes, and then buried his face in her shoulder as if to hide from her. Aline gently stroked his back, brushing a soft kiss on his dark curls that were a replica of Andrew's, and she reached out to take Drusilla by the hand.

"Come on, let's go downstairs and find something to eat." Again no one responded. They all followed her silently, and Aline cast another glance back at Helen. The half-faerie had a wistful look on her face and she had to tear her eyes away, returning her attention to Jia.

"Did something happen while you were out with the kids?" Helen asked immediately. This was the first thing she had thought of when Jia had said she needed to talk to her. Her siblings were always the first thing that came up in her mind.

"Everything went fine, Helen," Jia reassured her. "Though it didn't change the fact that they are shattered about what happened at the Institute, but for a few hours they were allowed to be without worries. That's all we can hope for now, I'm sorry."

Helen nodded, unsure what to say. She was tired of talking, tired of telling her siblings the lie that everything will be alright. No matter how this all would end, her family would never be the same. The impact of the things that had occurred during the attack on the Institute was too severe to be ever forgotten. Her family had lost their home and two of its members all in on one day. Her siblings had been ripped away from Los Angeles, put into a surrounding they weren't familiar with, and Helen was the only thing they could hold on to.

"Maybe we should take a seat and get some tea," Jia offered and again Helen nodded mutely. Jia led Helen to the study where the half-faerie took a seat while waiting for Jia to brew the tea in the kitchen downstairs. She reappeared, carrying a tray, and put everything down in front of Helen. The sweet scent of tea filled the air and Helen recognized the smell instantly.

"How did you know that this is my favorite?" she asked astonished, but she could already think of the answer.

"Aline," was all Jia said, a fleeting smile crossing her face. She poured a cup for Helen and held it out to her.

"I have to apologize up front for what I am about to say," Jia said while she reached out for the sugar and dropped a spoonful into the steaming liquid. Helen gritted her teeth, her fingers wrapped tightly around the teacup. Helen knew that Jia was talking to her as Consul and not as the loving mother she was to Aline. Since Helen had moved in she had learned that Jia was a warm and open person, but once she put on her Consul robe, she was strict. Jia was someone who would obey the Law and act like she was supposed to. This was probably a good thing as it was a Consul's first priority, but sometimes Helen thought that the Clave was too narrow-minded, too bound to the Law to see things clearly and she was afraid that Jia had to follow suit.

Jia sat across from Helen, stirring her tea, and watching her patiently. Their eyes met momentarily, and then Helen averted her gaze, saying, "I take it then that you don't have any good news about Mark or my father?"

She placed the teacup carefully down on the table between her and Jia, her hands trembling slightly.

"Unfortunately I don't," Jia said apologetically. "This is about your siblings, and before you say anything else I want you to know how sorry I am about all this. Helen, I welcomed you and your family into my home not only because you are my daughter's girlfriend, but also because I think you have suffered an incredible loss and you need someone to take care of you. If I could I would protect you from what is about to happen, but I can't. I am after all the Consul and I need to do to what the Law asks me to."

Helen tentatively lifted her head. Her father had taught her to look into people's eyes while talking to them to show respect and sympathy, but looking at Jia tore at her already damaged heart. She could tell that Jia was torn between doing the right thing as a Consul and doing the right thing as a person.

Helen said nothing and stared blankly at Jia, waiting for her to continue speaking.

"There'll be another Council meeting tomorrow," Jia said, "but I already know the outcome. The majority will ask for an emergency Clave meeting and I will agree to it. I already sent out messages to all Institutes, asking the Conclaves and Enclaves to get to Idris as soon as possible. Six Institutes have already been under attack; I don't want to risk anyone else getting hurt."

Jia paused, took a sip from her tea and put the cup down on the table. Helen's gaze was still firmly on her and she could sense the half-faerie's discomfort.

"Jonathan has torn down every single Institute he attacked, has either killed everyone or taken them with him as part of his army of Endarkened," Jia continued, and Helen's eyes narrowed down on her, wondering where this conversation was going. "Helen, there are no witnesses, except-"

"No, you can't do that! You'll torture them!" The words had escaped Helen before she could think them, and she clamped her mouth shut with one hand. Jia remained calm, not seeming to be bothered by Helen's outburst, and patiently waited for Helen to regain her composure.

Helen leaned back in her chair, her gaze steady on Jia. She knew exactly what Jia had been about to say and she hated the idea. Her siblings had been the only survivors of Sebastian's slaughter and she had feared this moment ever since they had arrived through the Portal. She knew the Council would want them to testify and tell them the truth about what had happened. This also meant that they would have to hold the Mortal Sword during the process as this was the Council's way to ensure the truthfulness of the words. Usually they wouldn't use it on children, because it drew strength from the person holding it, but it seemed like this time would be an exception.

"Jia, please, I beg of you," Helen said pleadingly. "You can't allow that. You need to tell the Council... They can't possibly want that. Please, they have suffered so much already."

Jia looked as if she was in deep pain, her face contorted, and she said, "I am sorry, Helen, but there is nothing I can do. The Clave will ask for it and it's their right. We need to question the only witnesses we have, otherwise we've already lost against Jonathan."

Helen opened her mouth to object, but she knew there was nothing she could have said to change Jia's mind. It wasn't about changing Jia's mind, but more about convincing the rest of the Clave that this was not the right thing to do.

Helen slumped back in her chair, shutting her eyes to escape the cruel world around her for a second. She concentrated on the constant dripping noise of the rain that had started to fall minutes ago without her noticing it and was now knocking on the windows of the Penhallow House. Images of her siblings popped up behind her closed eyelids and her heart ached for them. She tried to picture Drusilla or the twins holding the Mortal Sword, but she couldn't. Julian was probably strong enough to carry its weight, but he would probably break under the mental pressure it caused. Helen hadn't testified with the Sword before, but she had heard enough stories to fear it.

Helen opened her eyes, and they met again with Jia's, the same color as Aline's.

"You know I am going to fight this tomorrow, right?" Helen said exasperated. "I won't allow them to just torture my family."

Jia nodded. "I know you will, and that's why I told you. The Law binds me to treating every Shadowhunter equally, no matter what connection I share with one, but it was never mentioned that I can't help those I love a bit more than the others."

Helen was startled at the word love, but then she had been surprised so many times during the last few days, and this was a nice surprise for a change. Jia's expression softened and she smiled at Helen. Consul Penhallow had vanished, and now she was the loving and caring person Helen had gotten used to. Helen returned the gesture and smiled at Jia weakly. She couldn't come up with any more than that.

"Thank you for everything," Helen said and slowly got up from her chair. The teacup was still where she had put it, untouched, and she felt embarrassed for not appreciating Jia's effort. She didn't seem to mind though, and only nodded at Helen as she left the study, heading off down the hallway to find Aline.