*this is an excerpt of the house fire scene from my story. This is from Kiara's point of view as she rushed into to fire to save her brother's youngest son, Max. I wanted to add this to show Kiara's personal side.*

Extra: The Fire

"MAX!" Magnus cried out as the house continued to burn. The others were too far away to be of any help, all other officials were occupied or wounded. Alec was injured badly and Magnus was nearly out of magic and strength, and with no strength, it seemed hopeless. Their youngest boy was trapped in there.

Suddenly, before he could react, a huge gust blew past him, and at the last second he saw his sister, bloody and beaten rushing towards the house. Before leaping through the flaming entryway, she turned and called "I'LL GET HIM OUT!" Magnus didn't even have time to call out her name in response. All he could do was watch as his little sister ran through the flaming doorway, and disappeared from the family's sight, into the maze of inferno.


When she leapt through the doorway, the heat slapped Kiara hard. Her bare, raw, aching feet landed on scalding wood that was already smoldering. The smoke in the room made her eyes burn and water immediately, obscuring her vision. But she didn't have time to let the pain and discomfort get to her. She had to find her nephew.

"MAX!" Kiara cried into the roaring flames, running through as fast and safely as she could.

"MAX, PLEASE ANSWER ME!" Kiara called out louder, her voice a bit raspy. For a few moments, Kiara heard nothing but the roar of the flames around her. Then, suddenly, her sensitive ears heard the faint sound of drowned out coughs. It was quiet, but there. It sounded like it was from above her.

"HANG ON MAX! I'M COMING!" Kiara ran through the halls, finding the remains of the now crumbling, flaming staircase. Carefully, Kiara leapt up and grabbed the only secure looking section of railing that wasn't burning. It singed her hands, but she used her momentum to flip herself up over the railing and onto the second floor.

Remembering her training, she knew she had to find Max quickly. The second floor could collapse any moment, and Kiara promised her brother to protect his son. No matter the cost.

"MAX! ANSWER ME!" Kiara called out, running down the hall and kicking open doors.

"Help..." Her ears picked up the helpless cry to her right, and took off in that direction. Her eyes were burning at this point and her feet felt like they were in boiling oil, but she kept moving. When she reached the final door, she entered the blazing bedroom.

"Max!" Kiara called into the room. In the corner of the room, behind a wall of fire, she caught a small glimpse of navy blue huddled against the wall. Wasting no time and backing up, Kiara ran up and flipped gracefully over the fire wall, landing softly in front of her youngest nephew.

The young warlock was huddled tightly in the corner, the only part of the room that wasn't completely consumed in fire. His eyes were wide in fear and tears, and his green pirate pajamas were singed and sooty, but he otherwise looked unharmed. Kiara kneeled down quickly, tenderly, reaching out to the young warlock. She hesitated when she saw him flinch, and resorted to just talking. Quickly.

"Max," Kiara said softly through the noise. "Take my hand. I'll get you out of here."

"I'm scared," the three year-old replied, eyes frantically looking at the flames. "I want daddy and papa."

"I'm going to take you to them," Kiara continued, trying to remain calm and patient in tone, even though inside she was screaming at him to follow her. Under her raw feet, she felt the floor become saggy.

"They're safe and sound. I am going to take you to them. You have to trust me."

Max looked at Kiara, then at the flames, and back to Kiara. Slowly, he extended his hand out to her, which she used to help pull him up. Quickly and gently, she picked him up, securing his arms around her neck and legs around her waist. Once he was secure and firmly in her arms, Kiara jumped through over flames, just before the floor they had been standing on began to give out. Not stopping at the collapse, Kiara bolted out the door and through the hall.

Running down the hall, she began to make her way back to the staircase, which was almost completely up in flames. There were only a few tiny patches left untouched, too small for Kiara to use. Grimacing, the girl scanned the area quickly, and came to an unpleasant conclusion. There was a way down, but not a fun way. But she could do it without hurting the boy in her arms. Quickly, Kiara leaned her mouth down to the top of Max's head.

"Hold on tight," Kiara commanded gently but firmly. "Don't let go." Max nodded once, his grip tightening around her. Then, Kiara jumped over the crumbling second floor railing. They would've landed in a pool of broken, flaming wood that was the stairs, if not for Kiara's quick reflexes and calculations. Quickly, she unwrapped one of her arms and grabbed ahold of one flaming, metal rod. Lightly yelping at the immense pain, she used her grip and fall force to swing over the pile and the two of them landed a few feet in front of the dangerous debris. Wincing slightly at the probable second degree burn, she wrapped her arm back around her nephew securely, and took off for the front door.

A few moments later, it was in their sights, and the two of them could see glimpses of their family outside. However, luck seemed to be against them. A few feet from the door, Kiara heard a cracking sound. She stopped just in time to avoid being crushed by the ruined upper walls and ceiling, which now blocked their escape route. Kiara only hesitated a moment, and the turned to find another exit, and fast. The floor and walls crumbling meant they had maybe a couple minutes before the whole house caved.

Smoke filled Kiara's lungs, and she felt Max coughing harshly into the robe her brother had given her, but she didn't stop. Her vision continued to blur as she ran through the lower floor, searching for a door or window that wouldn't crush them or injure them if they used it. Kiara normally would've charged through a flaming opening and gotten out, but she didn't want to risk harming her three-year-old warlock nephew, and she didn't have the strength left to douse the flames enough for them to get out.

When Kiara reached the kitchen, she thought they were at a dead end. All around her, flames roared and as she turned to go back, the entryway collapsed, sending cinders flying and onto Kiara's arms. Looking around frantically, Kira scanned her surroundings. When her eyes landed on the large gas tanks by the stove, she began to panic. The flames were nearly touching them, and if they burst...

Quickly, Kiara glanced at the window over the sink. Glancing down at Max, and seeing his wide, frightened eyes, she made up her mind.

"Hang on tight, Max," she told him as she ran in that direction. She launched herself at the fragile panes, curling her body around her nephew's to allow her back to take the impact. In one go, the two of them burst out of the building and only the dewy grass outside. Kiara's back burned and ached with glass and hot metal, but the important thing was that Max wouldn't get any injuries. And a moment later, the gas tanks caught fire.

The explosion made Kiara's body ache. The noise caused her ears to ring and temporarily lose her vision. But just as it went off, Kiara kept her body curled around Max, hands covering his little head and back, legs curling up to block flames from hitting his little legs.

For a few moments, Kiara laid there, holding a crying, shaking Max close to her. When she was sure the immediate threat was over, she slowly opened her eyes and looked down. Max, though shaken, was unharmed save for a few scorch marks on his clothes and a small burn on his left arm. Letting out a relieved sigh, she let her limbs flop to the ground around her like dead weight, and Max climbed off her chest. As the ringing ceased and her senses began to clear, Kiara slowly sat up, turning to Max, who sat at her side, seeming afraid to touch her from fear of hurting her more.

"Are you ok?" She asked her nephew softly, reaching up to brush his blue curls away from his face and horns. Shakily, he nodded his head a couple times.

"You're hurt," he said worriedly, looking at her hand, which was a deep shade of red, and then down at the long cut on her leg that was still dripping fresh blood. Kiara's heart broke as she looked at her nephew, thinking no one should have to go through what he just had, especially a child his age. And even after that traumatizing experience, he was worried about her rather than his own. That sweet innocence and care of a child was one thing that Kiara would never tire of, and was one thing that made all the physical pain worth it.

"Don't worry," she said gently as she began to stand up again. "I'm tougher than I look."

Once she regained her footing, she leaned down, despite the pain it brought on her searing back, and opened her arms. He rushed into them, wrapping his arms around her neck again, but this time without the tight, tense fear from before. She placed one arm underneath his rear and her other, injured hand gently around his torso, hand resting on his soft head. Desperately, she tried to keep her body from jerking when his hand brushed the burn against her back, but he felt the tension and immediately let her go, looking guilty. Taking the one arm off his back, she placed one of his hands gently on her shoulder, indicating she was ok, and he tentatively, timidly wrapped his arms around her neck again, not squeezing at much this time. Placing a gently, loving kiss on his head, she whispered to him.

"Let's get you to your dads," she said. Slowly, Kiara began to limp away from the burning house. A bit shakily, she carried her nephew across the neighboring back yard, as the sides between the neighboring houses were filled with flames and broken glass. Glass littered the ground, like dangerous party glitter confetti, which cut her feet nearly to the bone, but she couldn't focus on the pain, for Max's sake. Crossing a neighboring back yard, she gently whispered soothing, soft words to him, rocking him gently as small tears and shaky breaths escaped his mouth. As she emerged from the far side of the neighbor's house, she took in the scene as she slowly, less steadily approached.

The rest of the gang had arrived, and we're all in a state of shock and grief and worry. Jace was holding Clary, who was trying not to cry, and speaking hopeful, encouraging words to her. Simon had his arm wrapped around Izzy, who was tense as she stared at the flames, her face a mask blank emotion while her eyes screamed the fear she concealed. A worried, fearful Alec was holding Raff, who was trying not to cry as well, but failing miserably as tears slipped down his cheeks and his breath came out in harsh gasps. Lady Hannah was at their side, her hand hovering over Rafael's leg, glowing blue. Her face was hard, void of any emotion, but her movements were stiff and controlled. And Magnus...he was crumpled on the ground, his face a mask of heartbreak and terror as he stared at the house in front of him.

"Magnus," she gently tried to call out in, but her voice was so hoarse from the smoke it was a whisper. But when Max hear his papa's name, his head shot off her chest and turned around to look for his papa. Max looked around, and when his eyes landed on his father, tears began to stream down his face again. Immediately, he began to struggle to get loose and be let down.

"Papa! Daddy!" Max cried out to them. The older warlock's eyes widened, and his head whipped around at light speed, nearly flying off his body. Everyone else did the same, Alec just as fast. All of them stared at Kiara and Max for a moment, in a state of shock. He struggled for a moment before Kiara gently placed him on the ground, and he ran towards his parents and brother as fast as his little blue legs could take him. Magnus himself stood and launched himself at his youngest son, along with Alec and Raff, who followed closely behind. As Magnus scooped up Max, tears streaming down both their faces as Magnus clutched his youngest son, incoherently babbling between thanks for his son's safety and frantically asking if Max was ok. Alec and Raff were glued to Magnus' sides, both of them talking for Max and asking if he was ok, tears also cascading down their cheeks. At one point, Magnus placed kisses all over the top of his youngest son's head, and Raff climbed up into Alec's arms, and hugged his little brother, even placing a small kiss on Max's forehead as well. The rest of the group swarmed around the little family, each trying to touch or hug Max in some way, all their voices a mesh of gratitude, relief, panic and receding shock.

Through the whole scene, Kiara just watched. Watching her brother interact with his son so lovingly, with so much joy and relief that it racked his being, Kiara was a mix of emotions. Shock entered her mind first. In all her years, Kiara never thought that Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, four hundred-year-old flamboyant, free spirited party master, lover of all things glittery and expensive and extravagant, would ever be brought to his knees by pure emotion that wasn't sadness or lust. But as she watched her brother, she thought he nearly looked like a completely different person. Another emotion she felt was happiness, not just that Max and his family were alright, but that Magnus had opened his heart and loved this child so much, and had other people who loved him as well. She felt slightly embarrassed by the display, as she was not used to seeing her brother look so ragged and emotional, but it was minute compared to her happiness. But unfortunately, among these positive feelings for her brother, envy creeped inside. She watched as all these people, these Nephilim, crowded around these two Downworlders, checking if they were alright, treating them as decent people rather than inferior. So many Shadowhunters treated Downworlders like demons because of their afflictions or patronage, and she knew so many of her people that had fled from their wrath in order to find a place of acceptance. However, it wasn't that that brought forth envy.

Looking at her brother and the way he interacted with the young warlock, his Shadowhunter love, and his other Shadowhunter son, she felt a mix of envy and sadness. Her mind involuntarily uncovered the many times Helena had seemed to care for her like this. She still had Hannah, reconciled with Magnus, and gained new friends she was hoping to consider family in the near future, but Helena's scars still remained. For centuries she had viewed Helena as her mother, the one who saved her, but in truth she was a snake who had used her for gain. Hannah believed that Helena did care for Kiara, but not in the way that she wished. The queen's heart ached as she watched in quiet jealousy and regret.

Deciding to avert her eyes, Kiara looked around her kingdom, and felt more sadness and anger consume her. All around her, houses burned, people lined the streets, some laying out and being treated by officials, others huddled together in tears. Smoke and sirens filled the cloudless night sky, turning it black in a dark haze. She stood there as her officers worked, staring at her people, who she had worked so hard to protect. As she looked around, a sound caught her ear.

Turning around, she located the source of the noise. It was a little sobbing girl, around five, maybe six. She looked of Asian descent, and was clothed in a dirty, soot-stained Disney Princess nightgown. She was sobbing beside a dark figure that was laid unmoving on the street in front of her. As Kiara silently approached, she received a better look of the figure.

It was a woman, in her twenties she estimates, laying on a dark blanket, blood soaking the right leg of her sweatpants. Kiara felt anger continue to burn inside her, and then sadness when she glanced back at the sobbing child. As she examined closer, she noticed she had the same facial structure and hair as the child. Silently, she crept closer to the weeping girl, and kneeling down, placed a gentle, loving hand on her back, rubbing tiny circles in. When the girl looked up at the contact and turned around, she looked afraid for a moment before she gasped in shock.

"Your majesty," she said quickly, making her way to stand, but Kiara stopped her with a gentle hand. From where Kiara was kneeling, she turned her attention to the wounded woman. She was unconscious, breathing shallowly and raggedly as she lay there. When Kiara pulled up her pants leg to look at her injury, she took one look and placed it back, her stomach full of ice and needles.

Slowly, she reached forward and placed her hands on the woman's leg. Then, chanting softly, they began to glow, blue flames dancing and her cat eyes glowing. The girl stopped sobbing, staring at Kiara as she worked. When she stopped chanting, the flames soaked through the cloth and vanished. Without another word, Kiara stood, looking at the girl who still had tears rolling down her cheeks.

"She'll be fine," she told her softly, and turned away, walking now back towards her family. Behind her, she heard the woman moan in wake, and the little girl crying "momma" in shock and thankfulness. Kiara just kept moving, looking around her kingdom. Looking around, Kiara knew one thing was certain. She was not going to allow Helena to continue this rampage. This was the last straw; the final time she was going to allow this to happen. This meant war.


So, what do you think? I have no idea when my next update will be, but I am already working on the next chapter. Please comment and let me know about what you think! Love you all!

Love, KiaraBane TMI