Hello everyone!

This chapter's song is King For A Day by Pierce The Veil ft. Kellin Quinn. Whoever like hardcore, you should listen to it.

Thank you for your reviews Intoxic, , Artista321, and soul eater fan and mangaanima! I really aprecciate your support!

Just so you know, this chapter is longer than usual.

Disclaimer: I don't own TMI or TID.

Chapter 29

Magnus was at Jem's office along with its owner, Jace and Celeste. Jem was seated at his desk chair, Jace and Celeste at the chairs opposite the desk and the warlock was pacing the floor. "What's taking them so long?!" He asked no one in particularly running his hands through his hair and effectively ruining them. The past days he had spent in Hell, his hairstyle was surprisingly immaculate. Lucifer had given him his own chambers which he refused to use ever since Alec came there. But he still went there once a day just to take a shower and fix his make-up. Sometimes, he took Alec there with him, making everyone that saw them forget they were ever there of course. Lucifer's minions were dumb. They could be awfully easily influenced.

"Could you stop moving around? You're making me dizzy." Jace said rolling his eyes. Jace was worried too, but no so much, because he knew Izzy was going to talk to Alec and Alec always knew the right thing to say. Jace was not good at that. He knew only to tell the truth. But Alec had a way with words. He could tell you the truth, while making you feel better.

"There's nowhere to sit." Magnus said.

Jace only raised his eyebrow at him and said "I'm sure you could snap something."

"Fine." Magnus rolled his eyes and snapped a chair for himself. Once he took a seat, his mind started going on overdrive. What if Alec felt even more useless after he talked to his sister? What if he felt helpless and Magnus wasn't there for him? He knew the siblings needed the time alone, they had a lot to catch up on, but that didn't help his worrying mind. He just didn't want Alec to feel bad about any of this, since none of it was his fault. But knowing his boyfriend he was sure he would find a way to blame himself. He needed a distraction or else he wouldn't be able to stop himself from running upstairs. So, he turned to Jace "How is Clary?" he asked.

If Jace was surprised by the question he didn't show it. "She's better now. Izzy found a letter Simon left for her, and it helped. It gave her answers I couldn't." He was very grateful for that letter. She had become numb, and that letter gave her peace.

"What kind of answers?" Magnus asked.


Alec had been sitting here with his sister, listening to everything she's been through while he wasn't there, and after everything he heard, he was overwhelmed. His sister had been through so much and he hadn't had the slightest idea about it. He spent his time in Lucifer's cell practically doing nothing. He should have been faster. He should have focused harder on his task. But now it was no time to ponder these things, it was no time to feel guilty. He could only promise to himself not to repeat the same mistake twice, which started now. He was about to go downstairs and call the others to start working on the spell when his phone rang. He got it out of his pocket and checked the caller-ID. Immediately his throat dried, and he got nervous. His mother always had that reaction on him. He answered the phone. He barely had time to say hello when his mother's voice sounded through the speaker.

"Alexander, I'm at the warlock's apartment and no one's here. Where are you?" Her voice was firm and serious. She got to the point immediately. She never bothered much with pleasantries.

After everything that has happened, his mother still refused to call it their apartment or their home. Alec thought that maybe she still thought this was a phase and he'd probably go back to the Institute soon enough. "Uh… I'm at Jem's restaurant?" He meant to say that as a statement, but due to his nervousness it turned out as a question. Izzy was looking at him questioningly. He just mouthed her "It's mom" which put them both on edge.

"Since when does Jem have a restaurant? Never mind, just tell me the address I'll meet you there." Her voice was still the same. Even though her words expressed confusion, the tone of her voice betrayed nothing.

He didn't have another choice, but to tell her the address. He was a bad liar and he knew it. He told her the address and his mother hang up on him, probably already on her way here. He had to warn the others.


Jem had been listening to their conversation with mild interest, but now it reached its peak. "You don't have to tell us, if you don't want to." He said softly. He didn't want to upset Jace.

"You're going to find out either way. Lucifer told Simon to kill me, or he would kill Izzy. And Simon bought us time to stop him by getting himself killed." He didn't look at them as he was speaking. He didn't want to see the pity in their eyes, the blame for their friend's death. Simon was dead because of him, to protect him, and now he had to live with it for the rest of his life. He promised to himself he would make sure Simon didn't die in vain. He promised he would stop Lucifer even if it was the end of him. Simon deserved that much.

Jem shared a meaningful look with Magnus. Hearing about Lucifer's involvement was nothing new, but the extent of his obsession with killing Jace was shocking. There had to be a reason for that, probably something that had to do with the heavenly fire in his body, which Jace barely controlled. They had to look it up to know more, though. "It's not your fault."

Jace laughed without humor. "Isn't it though? He died because of me. He could have killed me. But instead he chose to go. If I was out of the picture, he would be alive. Clary would have her best friend and Izzy wouldn't be so heartbroken."

"We all know that's not true. Clary wouldn't be the same without you. She loves you." Magnus said. It was strange trying to comfort Jace, but he didn't mind. He was family to him and Magnus never let his family suffer.

"She can love again." Jace said shaking his head. The thought of leaving Clary felt like a seraph blade piercing his heart. It was like all oxygen was gone from his lungs and he was struggling to breath. Like he was drowning but there was no water around him, there was no sea to swim.

"Maybe. But Isabelle's already lost one brother. And she can't find another one."

Jace didn't have the time to answer as he saw Alec running down the stairs. He saw Magnus immediately getting out of his seat all the worry that had left his mind, now hitting him full-force.

"Is everything okay?" Magnus asked, worried about his boyfriend's well-being.

"Mom is on her way here." Of all the answers in the world, that was the last one they expected.

They all went upstairs to get comfortable and think about what Alec just told them. What did Maryse want with them? Had she found out about something? Was this a routine check? Did she have a job for them? Was she leaving again and wanted to say goodbye to her children? They had no idea.

Everyone sat on the sofas, except Alec who just started pacing the floor. Panic had crept inside him. What if she found out everything? What if Lucifer got to her and told her everything and now she was coming here to scold them or even worse stop them? What if she was coming here with questions Alec couldn't answer?

Jace looked at his parabatai and could see the panic he felt. He could feel it through the bond. His body was tense, his face was void of any color, and he was pulling his hair every now and again. He was acting just like Magnus did earlier. He rolled his eyes "No wonder you two deserve each other. Why don't you take a seat, Alec? Please?"

Magnus glared at him, while Alec ignored him and asked what was gnawing at his mind. "What are we going to tell her?"

Magnus stopped him and grabbed his hand. When Alec looked at him with a pleading look on his face hoping for an answer, only then Magnus started talking. "We don't know what she wants, Alec. She might be coming here for a totally different reason."

"But-" Alec started to protest but Magnus didn't let him. "Let's not jump to conclusions, darling. Let her come here, say what she wants to, and we'll figure it out."

"But what if she knows something? What then?" Alec insisted.

"Then we tell her the truth."

"But we agreed that the Clave wouldn't find out about this." He protested.

"Darling, she's your mother." Magnus emphasized.

"That's exactly the reason why we didn't tell her in the first place! She will probably tell them everything!" Alec exclaimed.

Magnus shook his head. "She won't." When Alec made to protest again he stopped him "Trust me, she won't."

Alec relented and sat beside Magnus, waiting patiently for his mother to arrive trying really hard not to panic. When she did, he tried to have an expressionless face. He must have managed it, since Magnus looked at him approvingly. Well, he did have practice perfecting that face for so many years just for his parents' sake and apparently he hadn't lost his touch.

Maryse found her way in the barbeque house, somehow. Maybe the years of experience of hunting demons might have helped her. She looked just as they remembered her. She wore her suit, hair pulled up in a bun, her face betraying no emotion. Maybe the wrinkles around her eyes had gotten more visible, maybe the spark in them had dulled. Either way, she didn't let it affect her. She was a figure of authority and anyone with eyes could see that. She looked around the room at the familiar faces and greeted them all individually, until her eyes settled on someone she's never seen before. "Alexander. Bane. I see you're all here. And who might this be?"

After everything that's happened, she still refuses to call his boyfriend by his first name. But he didn't let that bother him. There were other matters at hand, like how he could explain who Celeste is. "Mom, this is Celeste. Jem's acquaintance." He looked at Jem briefly and received a light nod.

Celeste smiled politely saying "Nice to meet you" but Maryse merely nodded.

Magnus decided to take the reins of the conversation. "So what do we owe this pleasure to, Maryse?"

Maryse was not one to stall. She took a folded piece of paper from her pocket and threw it at him. "Can you explain this? Maureen Brown, the head of the New York clan, was found dead earlier today with this note attached to her body. Do you happen to know anything about it?"

Magnus read the note. He recognized Lucifer's handwriting. This was definitely not good. He shared a look with the others, who they had all understood what was going on, and he decided to bait her, she how much she knows. "Like what?"

"Do not play stupid with me, Mr. Bane. I know Lucifer is your father, and apparently there's something going on I am not aware of. So, what is it?" She said in a clipped tone.

Alec looked at Magnus for a moment and when he nodded, he gestured to the couch and said "Mom, why don't you take a seat? This might take some time."

Maryse sat on the only unoccupied armchair in the room. She sat and listened. They told her most of what they knew. They told her Lucifer was after Magnus. That he was planning on starting a war to take over the world, because he thought he deserved it and because he wanted to spite his brothers. They told her they had made a deal with Leviathan, to fool Lucifer into getting Magnus's look-alike and leave them alone, but due to several changes in the circumstances it was not possible. They told her how they had figured out another way to defeat Lucifer by performing one of Magnus's spells. They finally told her how they had to perform the spell as soon as possible because in two days Lucifer will attack the city.

They didn't tell her how Lucifer was obsessed with killing Jace. They didn't tell her that Satan was helping them out. They knew Maryse was superstitious and if she found out about it, she would try to stop them and possibly report them to the Clave. They didn't tell her who Celeste really is. They thought it best for her not to know. They didn't tell her that Magnus had been kidnapped from their own home and that was why they weren't living there anymore, at least until all of this is over. They didn't tell her either that Alec followed him there, to help him. They didn't tell her the reason why Simon died and why they were missing from Simon's funeral was because they were in Hell. They didn't tell her everything. They couldn't trust her that much and it was not safe for her to know everything either.

She listened to them patiently and was more shocked by the minute. There were no words to describe the way she was feeling right now. It was as if their life had taken the plot of a novel. It was as if she was living in another era and somehow she ended up here, at the time when the Angels refused to obey God's orders and fell, when they made their revolution. It was a lot to take in, but she managed. She realized that no matter what she thought, her children had grown up and she was not a big part of their lives. They had their respectable partners and sometimes they got into trouble. It was not unheard such disputes between or against warlocks, but not with Princes of Hell. She didn't protest, though. She didn't tell them they were lying or that they were trying to fool her. Her kids knew enough to not play games with matters of war. She thought about what they said but something didn't add up. "Then why did his note say 'you're welcome'?"

Magnus answered when he saw Alec was out of words. "He probably considered Maureen as a threat to us. So he eliminated her supposedly for our sake and expects us to thank him for it." Sometimes she was surprised at his own ability to lie.

"Mom, I know it's a lot to take in. That's why we're not asking anything of you. However, we need to hurry. Lucifer needs to be stopped." He looked at the others and they agreed. "You do not have to be a part of this. You can stay or you can leave." Alec looked her in the eyes.

"What are you talking about, Alexander? We will notify the Clave! They need to know!"

Magnus was ready to protest, but Alec beat him to it. "No, mother. You are not in charge. You have been trusted with information, that you are called to keep to yourself. If you can't do that then I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you to give me your steele and every weapon you have on you. This is our battle. Not the Clave's." He spoke as formally as one could talk to their mother. Everyone in the room was staring at him with wide eyes and pride. He was finally able to stand up to her, the one who he was never supposed to fear, his mother.

Maryse was shocked at her son's tone. He had never spoken to her like that before. She tried to suppress the anger. Her son was grown up, and she needed to understand that. He was an adult, she couldn't control him anymore. She pressed her lips in a tight line and said "Fine. Then, I'll stay."

"Okay." Magnus said. "Let's see what we know and then I'll summon Leviathan."

Alec started talking then "We know Lucifer is going to attack the city in two days' time. That's why we need to do the spell tonight. We need to lure him out to where the first battle is going to take place and Magnus and Leviathan will take care of the rest. We need to be there in case Lucifer doesn't come alone. The spell should not be interrupted for any reason. Magnus and Leviathan will perform it and we need to make sure Lucifer doesn't go anywhere."

"I'll make sure he stays where he is," said Jace. "I have the heavenly fire."

"But you can't control it." Isabelle said.

"For tonight, I can."

"Okay. I'll have his back either way. The rest of us will make sure the spell is performed and no demons get near Lucifer or the ones performing the spell. Can we count Clary in?" Alec asked Jace. When he nodded he continued. "The only thing left is how we're going to lure him out."

"Well, he must be looking for you two, right?" Isabelle asked.

"Probably. Why?" Magnus said, not seeing where she was going with this.

"What if we give you to him? You can get him right where we want him." She said pointing to the imposter.

"You're right. I'll send the imposter wherever he is, talk to him through it, and get him where we're going to be. I can do that." Magnus said impressed.

"Good. Magnus summon Leviathan. Jace call Clary to meet us there. The rest of us, we can take weapons from here. Take anything you want. Be ready to leave in ten." Alec dismissed them.

Magnus, who was standing next to him, leaned to his ear and whispered "You know, you're so sexy when you take control."

"Shut up." Alec mumbled, blushing furiously, moving to get his weapons, leaving a chuckling Magnus behind him.

"Guys?" Celeste asked shyly. "Can I stay this one out? I don't think I'm going to be of much help on the battlefield."

"Okay." Alec said. "Are you sure you want to stay here alone, though? Maybe one of us could stay with you?"

"No, I'll be okay." She smiled kindly. "I'll just take care of the restaurant until Jem comes back." Alec agreed and she left to get to work.

Magnus summoned Leviathan and told him their plans. He informed the warlock that he would meet him there with Satan to finish Lucifer once and for all. When they were all ready to leave, Magnus freed the imposter of his cage and took him with them.

They reached an open space outside New York, right were the first battle was supposed to take place. It was a big valley big enough that a new town could be built there. It was full of green, no trees though. They could see night falling. The sky here was so clear. You could even make the constellations if you looked hard enough. When they found Clary waiting for them, they were ready.

"Mag, are you ready?" Alec whispered beside him, holding his hand.

"I was born to be, darling." He said nervously. Even though he kept his façade for the other, Alec knew him and could see right through it. He let his magic engulf him and travel to the imposter. He sent him right where Lucifer was.


"Where on earth are they?!" Lucifer yelled. He was in his office staring down his petty followers who couldn't even do a job right. All he asked of them was to locate any Shadowhunter activity, and they come up empty handed! How is that even possible? How is it possible that the Shadowhunters are not outside killing things, playing God as usual? Since the Shadowhunter and his son escaped, they'd probably be trying to find a way to stop him at the moment. To do that, they'd have to obtain information. To obtain information, they'd have to catch demons and torture them to tell them everything they know. He had some of his most intellectually able demons strolling at the streets of New York. Why hadn't they tried to catch one of them? Why was it so hard to find them? The Institute was empty, the warlocks apartment the same, and 'Riverside' was residence for just one Shadowhunter. He didn't care about that one at the moment. He cared about the warlock's boyfriend. It was time for him to die. Otherwise, Magnus would never be dedicated enough to his cause.

He was trying to think of a way to locate them, when he was surprised by a specific presence in the room. "Magnus?"

Magnus was trying really hard to concentrate. He could see through the imposter's eyes, he could feel what he felt, he could move with his body. It was a foreign feeling, but he did everything as planned. "Hello, Father. I heard you've been looking for me."

"And where did you here that?" Lucifer asked.

He couldn't waste his whole energy on this. He needed to save it for the spell. He needed control of the conversation. "Here and there. But I also heard you were looking for Alexander." He was taking a big leap of faith saying these things. Hopefully, he was right. "And that is a mistake."

"Why's that?"

"Because you know you won't get to Alexander, unless you go through me first." Magnus smirked and so did the imposter.

"Is that so?"

"I'm sure you can follow me. Let's end this." Magnus said and got the imposter back to where they were. All they could do, now, was wait for him to show up.

Lucifer took the bait. He thought that his demons could preoccupy the warlock while he went for the Shadowhunter. He had to be close. Magnus wouldn't leave his side. But when he arrived he was in for surprise. The Shadowhunters, the warlock and his two brothers, Leviathan and Satan were standing in front of him in a half-circle formation. The demons were standing behind him. "What is this?!"


So... what do you think? Will they manage to perform the spell? Will they stop Lucifer or will he get away? Will they stop the war or is it inevitable?

Any thoughts, any signs that you are still reading this story is appreciated! So, review, follow, favorite!

A little spoiler for the next chapter:

Alec was on his one side and Leviathan on his other. The plan was a go. "Everyone, take positions!" Leviathan and Satan moved behind Lucifer, in such way that the two of them along with Magnus, formed a triangle. The Shadowhunters took their fighting stance, waiting for the demons to be released. Magnus looked at Jace. "Oh, and Jace. While I do the spell, don't you dare look at him in the eye."

"What? And you're telling me now?!"

Thank you for reading!