Ok, so maybe instead of hours I meant minutes. Hope you enjoy! The bonus section of this chapter will be up next! Give me a few minutes and it will be posted!

Disclaimer: I don't own Cassandra Clare's characters.


Chapter 16: The Surprise Reunion

The city of Krymméno Florr could not be described as anything less than a stunning, lively city. With the sunlight, laughter and music ensued, filling the air, despite all the heavy weaponry and ruthless training that never ceased. During daylight hours, energy, life, and light filled the land to the brim. When the sun went down, it transformed into a completely different place. In the twilight, all was quiet and at rest, with beautiful stars and even white blankets of snow, as though the land itself slept when the kingdom's citizens rested. The full moon above gave enough light to your path if you were traversing through the silent streets, and the stars danced in the heavens for all to enjoy. At the time between night and dawn, this silence occurred, when all were asleep and all was silent.

Until a large ball of fire flew into the center of the city.

Inside the grand castle, Kiara immediately shot upright when she felt the castle tremble and heard the crash erupt. Alyssa awoke beside her, slightly disoriented, but awake and alert. They glanced at each other for only an instant before a loud boom reached their ears. Wasting no time, the wives sprang out of bed, grabbed their robes and weapon belts from their bedside tables, hastily tugging them on while running out into the hall. They were met with their coupled guests, who emerged from their chambers' just as disoriented, half-awake, and alert as they were. All of them stopped in a group between their rooms, weapons in hand or magic already flickering.

"What's going on?" Jace asked, Seraph blade in hand. Just as the question left his lips, another huge explosion rocked the foundation with the force of an earthquake, creating large cracks in the stone walls and glass windows around them. Then came the heat. It was like being stuck in a vat of lava, smashing into them like a freight train. As the impact hit, glass shards and chunks of stone debris started to rain down, but Kiara blasted them away from her guests before they could inflict harm. When she lowered her hands, the queen looked worried and angry.

"I'm not sure, but follow me!" Kiara commanded, taking Alyssa's hand and began running through the hall. The Nephilim and warlock trailed close behind, all of them clutching their weapons or their lover's hand. As they ran, they felt the occasional tremor from an impact below, but there was considerable time between them. By this time, the rest of staff had awoken as well, and scurried about as they followed the queen. All of them followed Kiara, jostling maids and guards that scurried around them with weapons or first aid materials. Lady Hannah appeared from one of the multiple halls to join the group, battle gear already over her nightgown, remaining silent and just following the queen.

After an eternity, they reached the end of the hall, where Kiara blasted open the large glass window doors to the high balcony. Together, they ran out to the railing, gazing at the chaos at their feet. At their side, parts of the stone edifice burned a deep shade of red, as did some of the buildings around the wall. The heat was so strong sweat had already begun to form on their brows in beads. Smoke filled the sky rapidly with thick, ominous black clouds that blotted out the moonlight. Their only source of light was the orange flames that marred the landscape. As they looked over the edge of the balcony, a few of them caught sight of a few individuals with blue smoke swirling around them, trying to combat the ever growing flames, but a few others seemed to be fighting against each other.

In the distance, they heard something similar to a firework taking off. A great fireball appeared in the sky after, hurtling towards the castle at incredible speed. Kiara glanced at it for a moment before terror filled her eyes.

"GET DOWN!" Kiara commanded, tackling her wife to shield her just before the impact, the rest of the couples following suit.

The explosion hit all of them with the force of high-speed train, and the shock force they felt was much more potent than it had been when they were inside. It rocked the castle, causing more cracking and falling debris, and one of the towers crumble and collapse, showering the fire bellow with deadly chunks of stone. Shrieks of terror and pain combined in the air after the impact, notifying them that there were casualties. All of them were dazed and their ears rang from the power, but otherwise they were unharmed. The balcony rocked and cracked, the stone railing now jagged from missing chunks of stone, but it held fast due to the buttresses bolstering it from beneath. Once the initial shock of the impact subsided, they saw that the tower to their right was ablaze. The heat they felt before doubled instantaneously.

At light speed, Kiara stood again, hands gripping the railing hard enough to crack the stone further. Her face expressed so much anger it challenged the fire. The rest of the group struggled to stand, but soon were all up and leaning over the balcony with her. The destruction bellow was appalling.

"What was that?" Simon asked incredulously, struggling to stay on his feet. The fire was larger now, covering the gardens and nearly all the buildings directly around the wall. Kiara let out a humorless chuckle that made their blood freeze.

"It seems Helena has decided to give me a Christmas present prematurely," Kiara said darkly, turning back to peer over the now jagged stone railing. "I need to handle this before anyone else is harmed."

"What do we do?" Izzy asked with whip in hand, ready for action. Kiara glanced over to the smoke direction the fireball came from. She immediately began to shed her robe, leaving her in her sweatpants and t-shirt, and began securing her weapon belt more firmly.

"I saw the direction that projectile came from," Kiara said, as she pulled out a dagger. "And judging from the time between impacts there's only one weapon launching them. I'm going to handle it myself. The rest of you stay here and stay hidden. I don't want Helena knowing you're here."

"We can help, and quite frankly you can't do everything on your own. So what can we do?" Clary asked defiantly. Kiara glanced back, and after a moment, came to the decision not to argue.

"Go throughout the rings in the city and check for injured citizens or enemy forces," Kiara ordered. "It's unlikely that the projectiles are the only threat. Bring any injured citizens or enemies back to the castle infirmary. Put out the fires if you can, and take down any enemies. Can you handle that?" All of them gave a grim nod in affirmation, weapons and magic ready. Then, she waved her hand, a small stream of blue fire emanating from her fingertips. All of the couples then felt a burning sensation on their arms, lasting only an instant, before vanishing. On their arms now, each of them had a pair of tiger stripes and angel wings marked on their skin in black, rune-like markings.

"Those should protect you from my citizens, as well as any traps Helena may have set," Kiara explained. "If you find my citizens or encounter any of my guards, my seal will alert them that you are not a threat. They'll know you're on their side. May the Angel protect you." With a grim nod and a quick kiss to Alyssa, Kiara leapt over the jagged ledge and disappeared into the cloud of smoke and flames bellow.

Before they could charge into the fray as well, however, a small, meek voice interrupted.

"Daddy, papa," a small voice said from behind the group. They all turned to see Max and Rafael standing there with a tired, worried, slightly beat up looking guard behind them. The boys looked terrified. Max clutched a bright green blanket to his train pajama covered chest with one hand and his brother's hand in the other. Every time a noise erupted from the chaos, he pulled himself closer to Raff, practically glued to his big brother's leg. At his side, Rafael stood, looking rumpled in his red power ranger pajamas and a small cut across his forehead, trying not to look scared. He held his little brother's hand so tightly it began to turn white, and he glanced around nervously as the destruction continued.

"What's going on?" Rafael asked in Spanish, which he slipped into when he was scared. The next moment, another fireball rocked the castle, possibly the hardest yet. Max let out a terrified yelp and buried his face into his older brother's side, covering his ears with his little hands, tears pooling in his eyes. Rafael jumped a bit, letting out a yelp, pulling his little brother against him to shield him from whatever threat was coming. Due to the force of the blast, the remains of the glass doors shattered, sending deadly shards of directly towards them. However, the guard behind them quickly threw herself over the boys, while at the same time casting a spell that caused the larger shards to vanish, but the smaller ones still impaled themselves in her back. When the shaking stopped, the guard kneeled over them, injured, but not fatally so. The children were safe, but no less terrified than before.

Once they regained their footing and senses, Alec, Magnus, and the rest of the group rushed forward to the trio, the couple scooping up their sons while the others looked over the guard. Magnus and Alec could see both boys were shaken and scared, but, thankfully, they were otherwise unharmed thanks to the guard's selfless actions. Alec picked up Max, holding him close and stroking his hair, whispering soothing words in his ear as he cried into his dad's chest. Meanwhile, Magnus picked up Rafael, who had tears welling in his eyes as well, and softly sang one of his favorite lullabies to calm him down. Once the guard was stable and taken off for treatment by a couple servants, Magnus tapped Lady Hannah's shoulder, while still holding Rafael close.

"Is there anywhere safe we can take them?" he asked her, his tone all business.

"What's happening?" he heard Max ask timidly from Alec's arms. Alec just held him tighter and tried to calm him down.

"The housing district has more protective wards and security than any other area in the kingdom," the Lady stated in answer to Magnus' question. "There are tunnels under the castle to safe houses stationed in every district of the city. I can take them there and keep them safe for you."

"I wanna stay with dad and papa," Max whimpered pitifully, clutching Alec as tight as he could. Alec looked down sadly at his son, then to Magnus. The two of them then made a silent agreement.

"I'll come too," Alec said to Lady Hannah. "Then once we are at the safe house, you can come back and help with the invaders. You need to fight more than I do. I'll keep an eye on them; maybe keep an eye on the housing district while I'm at it." Lady Hannah nodded briefly in agreement.

Quickly, Alec placed Max down and thrust his arm towards Jace, who quickly drew new runes on his parabatai. Once the runes were complete, Alec gave him a nod in thanks and strapped on his quiver. Lady Hannah also handed him a strange looking stone, which she called a communication gem, allowing him to keep in contact with Hannah or any person he thought of, like calling on a cellphone but with his mind. Once he pocketed the stone, Alec scooped up Max again, took Rafael's hand, and pecked Magnus' cheek in reassurance. Then the trio turned and followed Lady Hannah back into the castle. Watching them disappear into the dark hallways, Magnus could not stop the feeling of worry that was filling his stomach. Something felt wrong.

However, Magnus pushed that feeling aside when Clary placed a gentle hand on his arm. Looking at her face, he realized he couldn't worry about them right now. Alec and Kiara were counting on them. He could not be distracted. Turning back to the group, it looked like they were ready.

"Let's head out," Clary said. Wasting no time, Magnus cast a spell that transported them to the burning city bellow. Upon landing, the group immediately split, searching for injured or enemies, but as he cast his spells to douse the flames, Magnus could worry about the churning he felt in his stomach. Something bad was going to happen. He just knew it.

But what?


Kiara raced through the burning city, using all her willpower to ignore the cries of pain and help coming from all sides. The heat seared her skin and the air was thick with smoke, making it hard to breathe, but she kept moving. If her calculations were correct, she was nearly at the launch site. Kiara quickly enhanced her speed, ready to charge subdue the threat.

She ran headfirst into a protective shield.

Dazed for a moment, Kiara stumbled back in shock, unable to feel the blood trickle from her forehead. Once that moment ended, she shook herself off and felt for the wall. Smoke completely shrouded it—hellmist, if she was not mistaken—but it was there, an invisible barrier protecting something, probably Helena's doing.

Wasting no time, Kiara began to cast a counter spell. Cracks began to appear in the sky, making it look like shattered mirror fragments. Sweat continued to build on her brow, her tired, fatigued body trembled from the energy needed to counter the spell, but she didn't stop. The cracks grew larger, distorting the clouds' image ahead, folding and breaking apart like a kaleidoscope. The cracks got grew faster, Kiara struggled to stay upright, until finally, the wall shattered like a windowpane and vanished. Kiara dropped to her knees for a moment, but shakily stood again after a second, knowing she had no time to waste.

Up ahead, through the smoke was a clearing that looked nothing like the surrounding kingdom. Rather than burning buildings and smoke, the area was calm, peaceful, undisturbed by the chaos. In the center of a plain, grassy field was a singular, catapult like device, but very modern and high tech. Cautiously, Kiara took a dagger in one hand, and slowly made her way to the machine.

It had a control panel that looked like it was from the Star Wars or Star Trek franchise. So many blinking buttons and switches were there, a timer indicating counting down for thirty-five seconds. On the launch pad/cup things, red hellfire burned to life, swirling together into a massive fireball.

"Launch time, thirty-seconds," the mechanical female voice informed. "Destination, homing district." Kiara wasted no time, running calculations and protocols in her head, trying to figure out how to stop the weapon. Knowing Helena, its construction and functions included magic as well as science, so it most likely had some sort of protective wards or counter spells for intruders. She would have to deal with those as they came.

"Twenty seconds." Kiara began pounding in commands, trying to stop the fire. She quickly cast a spell to try to diminish the hellfire, but it simply absorbed her magic and doubled in size. Her mind reeled, her body ice cold despite the unbearable heat. No countermeasures employed, but the timer and fire formation would not slow.

"Ten-seconds."

Panic filled Kiara, swarming over her. She started pounding the screen with her fists, trying to break it. Taking out a knife, she sliced the side of the machine, reaching inside and began pulling wires, but the wires slithered like snakes and seemingly came to life. Their unplugged ends bit into her, sending volts of electricity through her aching body. The shocks did not harm her as much as they helped her, keeping her awake and alert through pain.

"Five-seconds." Dozens of little snake-plugs sank their wire fangs into her skin, and Kiara knew the machine was not slowing down. Then, suddenly, an idea came to her.

"Three." Kiara summoned her fire.

"Two." It encased everything around her.

"O—" The machine stopped talking as the magic blue fire burst forth from inside the machine. Kiara felt the electricity recede as the wiring melting and the plastic burning. The peaceful atmosphere dissolved like a mirage, replaced by the fire and destruction of her city. In the center of the wreckage, Kiara was on all fours, panting like a dog in the heat, but feeling triumph. She stopped more death, but there were still more challenges to face.

"I'm impressed, your majesty," a cold, mocking female voice said from behind. "Honestly, I thought you wouldn't be able to stop that explosion, so I applaud you on that feat. However, you fell right into my hands."

Kiara's eyes widened at the familiar voice, ice in her veins and cobras battled in her stomach. Suddenly, the hairs in the back of her neck prickled, giving her just enough time to roll to the side. Three daggers whizzed by her head, barely nicking the skin of her ear before she was safe. Kiara stopped rolling and, using the force, flipped herself onto her feet to face her assailant.

She was a woman that looked around Kiara's age, which was to say she looked like a young adult. Her blond hair was half shaven off, covering the left side of her found face; the empty flesh marred with a red tattoo of the Chinese symbols for strength and power. Armor covered the majority of her skin, the black leather outlined with the faces of demons screaming in agony in their prison. Knives practically poured off her like a waterfall, and as she smiled, Kiara noticed her filed teeth that looked like shards of jagged glass. Her mismatched eyes were full of sinister delight and murderess pleasure. Kiara drew her dagger fans shakily as she looked at the soldier who had changed so much since they had met.

"Sasha," she said softly, almost as if she regretted it. Sasha barked out a harsh laugh, bending low to give a mocking bow.

"I'm honored you remember me, oh great pretender," she said. "Because you know the name of your killer." In a flash, she stood erect, multiple daggers in hand, and charged her former friend.


"That's all of them," Clary cried as she carried a small child out of one of the burning buildings. Behind her, Magnus waved his hands, and a vortex-like gust of wind swept away the fire, and most of the burning building with it. Magnus felt his legs quiver, and nearly dropped to his knees if Jace and Izzy had not been there to catch him. For a moment, he struggled to maintain even breathing, before nodding to them and standing tall again. The two Shadowhunters ran down the street to the next set of burning buildings, charging into them when they heard cries for help. Clary remained by Magnus' side, but not before returning the child to his mother, who took him and raced for the castle.

"Are you sure you're ok?" she asked hastily, scanning the area around them as she spoke.

"I'm fine," Magnus said, trying to stay on his feet. "Trust me; you know we've dealt with worse." He would have continued on, but a sensation made him hesitate.

Heat shot up both their arms, but it was not like the scorching flames. This one, though it burned, did not feel sinister, if that made any sense. It was by no means comforting, but not harmful. It felt weird, as if it tried to tug them in a certain direction. Clary glanced at the mark on her arm, which shimmered a shade of red. She looked back up at Magnus for an instant before her eyes grew wide with alarm.

"Behind—"two figures interrupted her, tackling each of them to the ground. Clary's Shadowhunter reflexes kicked in, and as they rolled on the ground, she kicked the attacker off, stood and gripped her sword tight. Magnus did not have that luck. His assailant held him hard to the ground, keeping one arm pinned behind his back while the other was resting uncomfortably under his chest. The attacker breathed heavily, and Magnus could feel their hot, disgusting breath on the back of his neck. It smelled of blood and gingivitis.

"So this is the brother to the false queen," they said in a raspy, insulting female voice. "I knew I would be disappointed, but not this much."

"Sorry about that. Let me make it up to you," Magnus quipped before whipping his covered arm out and blasting her off him with blue fire. The woman let out a yowl similar to Chairman Meow's when Max stepped on his tail, and sprang back, allowing Magnus to get a closer look at her. Black covered the majority of her body, the faces of suffering demons moving along the fabric and armor. She had two large swords at her hips, but her fingers had claws protruding from the tips. Her eyes were feline and green, slits so small it was disturbing. She snarled at Magnus like an angry lioness challenged by her pride.

"That was a lucky shot," she said angrily, raising her claws.

"I wouldn't say that," Magnus replied, right before she pounced at him again. Magnus cast blast after blast of fire, but the soldier dodged them effortlessly with cat-like leaps and flips. At one point, she drew one of her swords and literally sliced one of his huge flames in half.

This game continued for a minute until Magnus began to tire from fatigue, but he tried to keep going. His aim became sloppy and his reaction slowed, something that his opponent immediately took notice of. After a considerably large blast, she rushed towards him and tackled him to the ground, pinning his hands to the ground with her feet. With lightning speed, she unsheathed one of her swords and held it to his throat, not enough to cut the skin, but to cut off his air.

"I'll go after your kids next," she said maniacally.

"Over my dead body, you bitch," a familiar, yet terrifyingly cold voice answered. An instant later, a huge tiger pounced on his attacker, forcing her off him. Its push sent the soldier rolling away, and for a moment, the striped predator turned to face Magnus, who was somewhat petrified, both by awe and terror. The tiger seemed to give him a smile before turning around to stand in front of him, crouching down into a protective stance and letting a deep, threatening growl emit from her throat. The soldier stumbled to her feet, but the impact left her too dazed to comprehend the amount of danger she was in. When the tiger finally pounced, the other didn't have any time to react before it began tearing into her. Its large claws shredded her skin until she was a bloody mess in the cobblestone. Magnus watched, as if time stopped around them and they were the only ones moving. The beautiful, dangerous cat tore the girl to shreds; her screams fell on deaf ears.

Eternity passed before the tigress ceased her assault, leaving the girl barely alive and gasping beneath her. Without a second thought, the tiger turned away from the shredded girl and slowly, almost timidly, stalked over to Magnus, stopping a few feet in front of him. It sat at his feet like an obedient dog, head slightly bowed as if waiting for punishment. His first instincts screamed for him to run while he had the change, but something made him hesitate. As he looked at his savior's furry face, he recognized a pair of stormy grey eyes, full of warmth and compassion, but also mixed with fierce protection and a tinge of sorrow.

"Alyssa?"

Slowly, the tiger shrank in size, stood on its two hind legs as the stripes and fur were replace by orange bathed skin. Tail, whiskers, and claws shrunk back into the body, as her form shrank and became more human. After a moment, Alyssa stood in front of Magnus nervously, and Magnus could see her blood covered hands fidgeting against the cloth of her nightgown, trying to wipe the blood off. She looked like she was about to say something when her expression shifted to confusion, then panic. Magnus then felt his arm start to burn, the strange sense of urgency from before return. Alyssa gave him a cursory look before she charged past him and barreled into three soldiers approaching from behind.

"Something's wrong," Alyssa said as she fought off another attacker. "Magnus, go find Kiara."

"Where is she?" he asked as he launched one of the three into a smoldering building.

"Let her mark lead you," the woman replied, just before a scream emitted from the woman she had just stabbed in the side. "It sounds dumb, but trust me. Her mark has a magic link to her; it'll guide you."

Magnus felt the tugging sensation return, pulling him in the direction of the armories and training grounds. Wasting no time, Magnus broke into a run, letting his feelings and the burning in his arm guide him. He raced past dueling soldiers and burning buildings, ignoring the fatigue he felt creeping up on him as he begged his body not to give out. He had to get to his sister.


Both women stood parallel, struggling to remain upright, both of them panting like dogs in the heat, each of them covered in blood, grime, and injuries. They stood there, both of them clutching their weapons, not breaking eye contact for a moment. Sasha's armor was in tatters, and most of her blades were scattered on the ground, broken, melted, or lodged into various crumbling structures. Kiara still held her fan blades open, her pajamas so torn that they barely covering enough of her skin over her personal areas. As they continued to pant, Sasha gave her a wicked smile.

"I must say, you have once again impressed me, usurper," she said. "You have lasted far longer than I thought you would."

"I should say the same to you," the queen replied as she stood up straight, gripping her fan tighter.

"However, I know you won't win," Sasha continued, standing upright herself, grabbing two wicked long daggers from the sheaths on her back.

"And why is that?" Kiara asked, remaining immobile, eyes planted on her opponent. "If you are half as good insulting me than you are fighting, then I deduce you have no chance at victory."

"You won't kill me," Sasha replied quietly, a maniacal grin marring her once kind and beautiful face. Kiara tensed a bit more, her bare toes digging into the hot dirt beneath them. Eyes widened a fraction so small it was barely noticeable, but Sasha could tell.

"Sasha," Kiara responded softly, pleadingly. "You don't have to do this. We were friends, partners, practically parabatai. We fought and trained together, had a bond so sacred that nothing could break it. This is not who you are, I know it. Helena has you brainwashed. I can help; I'm your friend."

"You are a liar and a thief," Sasha spat as she charged, swinging her daggers widely. Kiara jumped out of the way to avoid being hacked in half, but her leg received a long, clean cut that nearly went to the bone. The queen fell to the ground with a grunt of pain, but struggled to stand again. However, a heavy boot impaled itself into her back, forcing her face first into a pile of hot, jagged cement.

"Helena told me what you did to Melody," Sasha said icily, her voice trembling the slightest bit. "She told me how you were the one who killed her. You were there when those Shax demons attacked, and you did nothing. You did not save her. You let her die. Now, I will show you the pain I felt. I shall steal all you love from you: your city, your wife, your new friends. I won't be satisfied until you feel the same despair that I have been living with for decades."

"Yes, your sister's death was my fault," Kiara replied, her voice full of regret and sorrow. "I couldn't save her, but you must know that I have lived with that guilt for decades. This may mean nothing to you now, but know that I am sorry. She was a wonderful girl. I loved Melody almost as much as you did."

"Don't say my sister's name, you bitch!" the woman screeched, pounding her boot into the queen's head repeatedly. Kiara could not see the tears rolling down her cheeks, large as raindrops in a hurricane.

"Sasha—" Kiara began but was stopped short by another boot to the face, sending blood onto the pavement.

"You were never going to save her! You were the one who summoned the demons! You knew what was going to happen and it's your entire fault she's gone!" When she finished, Sasha drew her leg back, and kicked Kiara so hard she flew across the field like a rag doll. Kiara landed in the middle of the decimated field that, which was clear of any debris or flames. A small eye in the storms of fire.

"I never wanted her dead," Kiara choked out as she struggled to stand again. "I never planned to kill her or harm her in any way."

"STOP LYING TO ME!" Sasha roared. Kiara stood again with lightning fast speed and charged her friend. The two of them clashed together with so much force it could hve rocked the earth. Sasha had dropped her knife at one point, so she two of them were locked against arms, faces inches form each others.

"Listen to me. Helena is feeding your anger with lies. She is using you Sasha. I beg of you, please stop this. I can help you. Resurrecting Melody is not possible, but I can help you learn to cope with her passing. You're trapped in your grief, Sasha, and it's mutilated you."

"LIES!" Sasha roared. She pushed Kiara hard, sending her flying back a few feet. Luckily, Kiara landed on her feet and managed to roll away in time before Sasha's fist clashed with her head. Despite the dizziness and fatigue that crept upon her, something kept Kiara going. There was a sense of hope and light that was getting closer to her, but it did nothing to drown out the sadness and desperation flooding her heart.

"I know what it's like to be lied to!" Kiara yelled as she charged Sasha again, raising her arms to counter Sasha's ferocious attacks. She didn't move to counter, just blocked them and keeping them at close proximity so Sasha couldn't ignore her words.

"I've had people use those lies to fuel my anger and manipulate me against my will! She isn't telling you the truth, Sasha, and you know that! Don't let your anger blind you to the truth like I let it blind me for so many decades! I learned the truth and accepted it, I know you can to! Please Sasha, I don't want to do this!"

"SHUT UP!" Sasha roared, as she launched a powerful punch at Kiara. This time, the queen was struck in the face, back into the eye of the chaotic storm. She lay motionless on the ground once more. For a moment, Sasha stood panting, her legs shaking as they nearly gave out, but she remained standing. Her face was etched with anger and cold-blooded murder.

"Shut up," Sasha muttered once more as she made her way over, new knife drawn and pointed in front of her. Red in the face, her eyes wild with anger and denial and confusion and despair, Sasha ground out "I am trapped in grief…and it's all because of you! Because you killed her! You're a murderer! I can't believe I ever called you sister in battle! Do you—ACK!"

She stopped with a gasp; her body went rigid. A few drops of blood leaked out of her mouth. Looking down, she saw Kiara kneeling before her. In her hand, Kiara gripped the hilt of her closed fan; the blades of it were no longer visible. Sasha felt the cold metal lodged inside of her before she began to grow numb. Kiara was looking up at Sasha's face, deep into her eyes, tears swimming in them and pain written plain as day.

"I'm sorry," Kiara said pitifully before ripping the dagger out of her former friend and partner.

As Kiara ripped the knife from her body, Sasha fell to her knees, all strength fleeting rapidly. Before she could make contact with the boiling ground, Kiara grabbed her by the shoulders. Pulling the other woman into her chest as closely as possible, she cradled the dying woman's head in her lap with the tenderness a mother would show her newborn. The woman didn't have the strength to resist, or comment, as her mouth filled with blood. She just let herself be held by the mortal enemy of the woman she followed. Noise all around them started to disappear, as well as the feeling in her legs and torso, moving upwards. Her vision began to blacken around the edges.

"I hope you can forgive me, Sasha," she heard Kiara's voice say. "I hope you will see Melody again. You deserve to be happy." Something wet landed on her face, she could feel it. Using every bit of her strength, she willed her eyes open and to focus on something, anything. The last thing she saw was a pair of mournful, heartbroken cat eyes, overflowing with tears that spoke louder than words.

Sasha stopped breathing in Kiara's arms, and all the queen could do was sit there, cradling the body of a woman she had called friend for so many years. Kiara was numb, numb to the pain in her legs and aching body, numb to the scalding cement her bare legs pressed against, numb to the sounds of destruction and death all around her, numb to the feeling of hope and reassurance she had felt earlier in battle. All she could focus on was her former friend, the first one she had ever made, now dead by her hand. Another victim to the countless slaughter Helena had started. Only this time she had not dealt the fatal blow; she had let Kiara handle this one for her.

A soft noise drew Kiara out of her thoughts; she whipped her head around to see if she was about to be ambushed. Instead, she saw a pair of cat eyes that were identical to her own, full of sorrow and pain. The source of the hope and reassurance she had felt, bit he had come far too late. She turned her attention away from her brother, looking down at her friend, moving her hand to close her eyes. Kiara did not know how long she stayed there, or when Magnus had sat down by her side. She did not know when he draped his torn, bloody robe around her, or when he started saying one of the hundreds of prayers for death that he knew; all she could focus on was Sasha, hoping and praying that she would be gone to a better place. One away from Helena's corrupting influence.

"How much did you see?" she finally asked. Magnus did not turn to meet her gaze, just keeping his eyes locked on the dead woman his sister was holding like a precious jewel.

"Enough," was all he replied. Kiara nodded her head as if she understood, and she did. They stayed like that until they felt the earth shake and groan. Immediately after, a huge light emitted from the west, followed by a boom so loud it made their ears ring. Their ears were still ringing, but Kiara focused on the bright light ahead of them. An instant later, Magnus felt the stone in his pocket heat up immensely, nearly burning his skin. Pulling it out of his robe pocket, he saw it glow a bright yellow color, as if looking right at the sun. Kiara's eyes immediately widened in shock and horror.

"Alec's in danger," she said. "We have to get over there." Swiftly but gently, Kiara lifted her dead friend's body up and laid her down on a bench that was miraculously unharmed. She laid her best friend there before turning around and running in the direction of the fire, Magnus right at her side, while Sasha lay forever motionless on that bench in the city she once called home.


The two of them raced through the burning streets, Kiara clutching at the robe her brother had given her so it would not fall. Magnus was holding the stone in his hand, which was getting increasingly hot as they got closer to the homing district. By the time they reached the gates, they were horrified to see nearly all the homes inside were ablaze. The once beautiful neighborhood was the picture of death and destruction: children crying, people lying dead in the streets, houses collapsing. They didn't stop and stare too long, as the stone in Magnus' hand kept heating up, snapping him back into focus.

The siblings flew through the city, following the increasing heat and buzzes of the stone in Magnus's hand. If not for Kiara, he would not have known what it was trying to tell him. Soon, they were approaching a strip of houses that were catching fire, not completely engulfed in flames yet, but the flames were getting bigger. In front of it, they saw two figures, one with a quiver strapped to his back as he knelt to the ground, while a smaller one sat at his side, frantically turning back to the house while holding his leg. Between them sat a glowing stone, buzzing so much it was practically dancing on the ground, glowing a yellow so bright it was nearly blinding. The two siblings did not even need to see their faces to know who they were.

"Alexander!" Magnus called out before crashing into his ground struck lover. Alec pushed him away urgently, pointing to the house.

"Max is still inside," he said urgently, almost in a panic. "We got separated, and I can't leave Raff. His leg is broken, and I cannot risk using another stamina rune. It may wear off and trap us before I can get out."

Magnus turned back to the house, ready to run inside himself before he felt a huge weight force itself onto his entire body.

Not now, he begged. Give me the energy I need. My son is in there! It seemed that fate laughed at his plea, because his legs buckled and he fell to the ground, all of his remaining strength evaporated in one fell swoop. He fell onto his hands and knees, his arms shaking like jelly during an earthquake, struggling to keep him upright. When he finally mustered the strength to lift his head, he saw that the flames had doubled in size, and were close to consuming the entryway.

"MAX!" Magnus cried out as the building continued to brightly burn. The others were too far away to be of any help; all other officials were occupied or wounded. With the two of them too weak and injured to continue on, it seemed hopeless. Was their youngest boy going to die in there?

Suddenly, before he could react, a blur blew past him and at the last second. He saw his sister, bloody and bruised and beaten, rushing towards the house. Without hesitating, the woman leapt through the flaming entryway and inside, out of sight in moments. Magnus had not even had time to call out her name. All he could do was watch as his little sister ran through the flaming doorway, and disappear from the family's sight into the maze of inferno.

They stared at the entryway, unable to do anything else but wait and watch and worry. Unconsciously, Alec reached out and took his lover's hand, gripping it as if it was his lifeline. The three of them glued their eyes to the door, remaining tense and silent; they were unable to express the torrent of emotions raging through them, for it was too much to comprehend. Meanwhile, Rafael mustered the strength to scoot closer to Alec despite his broken leg. Silently, he sat in his father's lap, and Alec instinctively pulled his son closer to his chest, stroking his hair without averting his attention.

At some point, they registered the familiar pounding of Jace and Clary's boots on the gravel as they approached, but the adults did not, could not divert their attention from the door, feeling if they looked away for an instant the building would cave in. The two of them registered Jace's voice, but nothing he said processed in Magnus' mind. Alec's voice didn't reply to his parabatai's questioning, but Clary give a small gasp as Rafael told them about the situation. Soon after their arrival Izzy, Simon, and Lady Hannah approached. The standing couple informed the three of what was transpiring, and they became silent in shock as well. All of them stared at the door, waiting for Kiara to emerge with Max.

Then, they all caught sight of a familiar navy blue, growing larger towards the door. It was only briefly and vanished quickly after, but they knew that shade of blue all too well to deny it. For a moment, they gasped and their hearts filled with hope. However, moments before the two figures inside could make it the exit, the ceiling over the patio covering the entryway collapsed. The rumble and embers obstructed their view of the two inside, and the crash and crackle clouded out any other noise. The hope withered and the panic returned instantly.

Please, Magnus found himself praying. If any sort of heavenly deity can hear me, I beg of you…please bring my son and sister out of there. It is too soon for me to lose them. For any of us to lose them. Gods, angels, Raziel, I am begging you. Please save my family.

Again, those who controlled fate decided to torture him once again. A huge blast of heat that seared his skin brought Magnus out of his thoughts. He looked at the house, which exploded into a mountain of flames so high they seemed to stretch to the heavens. The walls blew apart, glass fragments shattered into dangerous glitter, and the fire engulfed the building. They all jerked instinctively to shield themselves and each other from the dangerous debris, but only Magnus did not move to protect himself.

"MAX!" "KIARA!" "NO!" A chorus of yells and silence filled the air. The explosion rocked them in many ways. All of them stared at the crumbling, collapsing building, feeling helpless and terrified. Questions they were thinking could have been visible above their heads. How had there been an explosion? Where were Kiara and Max? Did they make it out or had there not been enough time? Magnus felt his body go numb, the entire lower half of his body losing feeling, his legs giving out. He remained on the ground, his hands on the ground being the only thing keeping him upright. At his side, Alec rocked a panicking Rafe close, trying to whisper calming words, reassuring the boy that his brother and aunt were probably fine. The words were not convincing due to the trembling and thickness of his voice.

Behind him, Clary held back tears, trying her best to convince herself that Kiara and Max were all right, that they had gotten out. Jace pulled her close, eyes still glued to the ball of fire, his face stony in contrast to the pain and panic in his eyes. Lady Hannah remained silent, moving to kneel beside Alec, close to Rafael. At his side, she held one hand over the child's injured leg; her hand emitted blue flames that seeped into his skin. The odd angle straightened out, but if Rafael noticed, he did not respond, too busy trying and asking his dad where Kiara and Max were. Behind him, Izzy stood as a statue; her eyes reflected the flames, hands gripping her whip so tight it nearly broke the leather. Simon remained at her side, staring at the flames as well, wrapping a comforting arm around his fiancé, but remained silent.

At one point, Magnus could have sworn he heard his sister's voice calling out to him, but it was so faint and small he dismissed it as a hallucination. Then, another noise reached his ears, one he knew was real.

"Daddy! Papa!" Max's voice.

Magnus's head whipped around fast as lightning, just a millisecond before everyone else's, eyes wide with shock. As he took in what he saw in front of him, he felt the world under his feet fall away and come together all at once.

Kiara was standing a few feet away, the robe he gave her charred and scorched, but still intact. She was leaning on one leg, while the other had a few drops of blood rolling down from the cut she had received earlier. Her skin was inflamed and glistening from sweat and burns, and one of her hands was a nasty, angry shade of red. However, his attention focused on the blue bundle she was carrying.

His youngest son was safe in his sister's arms. Max was looking at them, fidgeting and struggling against his Aunt's hold, tear tracks leaving darker navy blue lines down his face. The train pajamas he wore were horribly dirty from soot and small holes, but Magnus didn't care so long as the boy wearing them was alright. Kiara struggled to hold him as he squirmed and tried to make her let go. Finally, with what seemed to be great difficulty, she knelt forward to place the little boy on the ground, and he started to run towards his family.

Magnus didn't know where the strength came from, but as soon as his youngest son's feet were on the ground, he found himself sprinting towards him, not being able to get to him fast enough. It felt like forever to get to him, but his youngest son was in his arms a moment later, and Magnus was picking him up and hugging him so close to his chest it nearly hurt. Alec and Rafael joined him an instant later, both of them with relieved, thankful smiles and their faces wet with tears. That was when Magnus became aware that his face was wet too, and he probably looked like one of those terrifying creepy children you saw in the mirror in horror movies, but he could not care less. He was too busy looking over the younger warlock, babbling all sorts of things he was not even able to understand, a slew of praise and thanks and worry and joy. He placed kisses on his son's head repeatedly, and Max just hugged him back.

Alec was glued to him, trying to hold his son as well, while Rafe was trying to climb up his papa's leg to reach his little brother. He ended up giving up on climbing Magnus's, and instead moved to somehow successfully climb up Alec's legs, and Alec instinctively held the boy to his chest, unfazed by being used as a ladder. Alec moved Rafe close to Max, and the older brother reached out to his little one, pulling him into a hug so tight the two parents feared they couldn't breathe. To their surprise and amazement, he placed a small, brotherly kiss on the blue boy's head, something he rarely did, such as when Max had a nightmare or hurt himself. It melted the two dad's hearts, and the four of them huddled together for one big hug.

"We love you so much Max," Alec said quietly, his voice thick and scratchy from holding back tears. "So, so much, blueberry. We are so glad you're safe. It'll be ok." Alec continued to ramble on quietly, seemingly unable to stop himself, but Max just nuzzled closer into his family's embrace.

"I love you, too," he whispered back.

Finally, the family of four registered that there were other people surrounding them, all of them crowding together. Clary and Jace were by Alec's side while Izzy and Simon were glued to Magnus's own. All of them took turns reaching out to Max for a hug, but Magnus made it clear he wasn't letting go of the toddler any time soon. Therefore, every time one of them went in for a hug, Magnus would loosen his hold enough to where Max could turn and reach out to hug them back. He got a hug from everyone, even Jace, who was not much for hugging.

However, as the hugs went around, Magnus noticed that he had forgotten something. He turned to look at where Kiara had been standing, but she was gone. Glancing around, he finally caught a glimpse of her further down the street, Lady Hannah at her side, both of them staring at the burning city. Slowly, carefully, he began to walk towards her, feeling some guilt seep into his chest at the fact he had been so engrossed by his son's safety he had completely forgotten Kiara and what she had done for him.


Kiara had just finished pondering what she was going to do when she heard a small cough come from behind them, and turned to see Magnus standing there, holding Max, along with the rest of the Shadowhunters. He then turned to Alec and passed Max to him before turning back to his sister. For a moment, he just looked at her. Then, the next thing she knew, the taller man was pulling her against his chest, arms wrapped so tightly around her that she struggled for air for a second. After the shock wore off, she then wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face in his chest as he rested his head on top of hers. He started to rub her back in a brotherly, comforting sort of way, and despite the anger and pain, she felt on her burning skin, she smiled.

"Thank the Angel you're alright," she heard him mutter so only she could hear. Her grin widened a tiny bit, and she let herself be hugged by her brother, thanking whatever holy being for keeping him and his loved ones safe. Soon Max was reaching out to be part of the hug, and Alec walked him over, holding the boy out to her. When she saw her nephew, she pushed her brother away and reached out to him. Simon handed him off to her, and she held him gently, giving him a kiss on the forehead as well while he wrapped his little arms and legs around her.

Soon, Rafael wanted a hug too, then Clary waned to join in, then Izzy, who then pulled in their boyfriends, and soon Magnus pulled Alec in. All of them were huddled together in a massive group hug, none of them saying anything and just holding each other. Nevertheless, the moment ended when Lady Hannah cleared her throat.

"I truly apologize for interrupting this lovely family moment, but there are still areas under siege and intruders in our city." When hearing that, all the adults wiped their faces and set their minds to focus. It took them a moment to compose themselves, but soon they were ready to enter the fray again. Jace and Clary immediately took off in the direction of another burning building that had a small group of shadowy figures fighting in front, while Izzy and Simon ran in the opposite direction, towards the growing number of people who were laying injured on the street. Then there were six.

"We need to get them out of here," Alec said as he picked up Rafael again, eyes scanning around them for danger. He was honestly surprised that nothing had tried to attack them while they were distracted by the burning house and reuniting with Max. Lady Hannah nodded her head.

"Yes, and I am so sorry," she said gravely. "It seems they've taken down the wards for this district, and even though not nearly as many soldiers have entered this area compared to the rest of the city, there were still enough to cause devastation. Unfortunately, there is nowhere safe to go."

"Then we'll stay here," Alec said. "You said not as many soldiers were coming in, so this is still the safest place to be. We just need to find a place to rest and hide these two."

"This time I'm not letting any of you out of my sight," Magnus continued in a tone that indicated no room for argument. Lady Hannah nodded her head before leading the four of them deeper into the neighborhood. Kiara watched them go before turning back around and charging back into her burning city.


Dawn nearly bloke by the time the chaos subdued. Over half the buildings were destroyed by fire damage, and the other half were badly damaged. All the soldiers lay either dead or in chains, snarling at their captors. People flooded the streets, women, children, the occasional husband or son, all of them occupied. So many injured lay on blankets and sheets that had been salvaged, thousands of warriors that had fought for their home, and not enough healers for all of them. Even more were the dead, ally and enemy alike, and all were brought to one area. The enemy bodies were separate from the bodies of those of Kiara's kingdom, but they all were set on the ground the same way, as if they were lying in coffins to be put in the ground.

As Kiara stood in the middle of her scorched home, she heard soft footfalls approaching behind her. Lady Hannah wordlessly stopped at Kiara's side, taking in the sight of Magnus and his family, as well as the devastating destruction.

"My queen," Lady Hannah said softly, turning her head. "What are we to do?" Kiara didn't turn her head, didn't move an inch. She just stood there for a moment.

"This has gone on too long," she suddenly spoke, her voice gentle as a breeze but potent as a cobra's venom. "For centuries, we have been at war with each other, killing, destroying homes, ruining families, and for what? Divided perspective. Helena has committed many sins, but I was not willing to retaliate for fear of the casualties to my people. This…this is genocide. I cannot hold back from this."

"I will follow you to the end, my queen," Lady Hannah's voice replied. "What are your orders?"

"Rescue survivors, treat the wounded, honor and bury our fallen; that is all we can do today. Tomorrow, gather our able fighters, weapons, and prepare for battle." Kiara turned her gaze to Lady Hannah, her face full of beautiful rage and her eyes glowing.

"Helena's tyranny will end before the month is over. We are now at war."


Tada! What do you think? Do you like it? Please let me know! Please comment! I like comments! Does that make me a comment whore?

Love, KiaraBaneTMI