Brother Zachariah escorted her to the entrance of the Silent City and standing near the angel statue was Raphael. The sun's last beams of light were about to disappear into the horizon, and even though he didn't need it, he had an enchanted umbrella over his shoulder to keep up appearances. It was given to him a long time ago by a green warlock friend of his that he always spoke fondly of.

"What are you doing here?" Eva went right to the point. She was incredibly shocked to see him, especially since the Inquisitor threatened to use her against him. Enoch assured her the Inquisitor only said that to scare her, but seeing Raphael here was eerie. "How'd you even know I was here? I doubt the Inquisitor told anyone I was arrested."

"Apparently, whatever deal your Inquisitor was planning with Valentine went up in smoke," Raphael began. "She's gathering up the Conclave to fight Valentine's forces over on the East River—she told Isabelle you'd been arrested but since the Lightwoods are organizing the assault, they called their resident pet vampire to come fetch you."

Please don't say that, Eva touched his mind before pulling him into a hug. He sighed at the mental intrusion but wrapped his free arm around her. That's what the Inquisitor called you, and I hate her for it.

Raphael chuckled. "I hate her too."

Eva turned to look at Brother Zachariah, standing there as motionless as the angel statue. "Will you let me go?"

There has been no order formally releasing you, but I can assume you are no longer under arrest if the Inquisitor has seen the error of her ways, Zachariah said. And your parabatai is fighting in this battle; she needs you by her side and I will not stop you.

"And Enoch?"

I will handle him; I have been doing so for nearly a century.

Eva smiled at the Silent Brother, grateful for his understanding, and turned to walk down the path with Raphael. She hadn't gotten very far when Zachariah's voice touched her mind privately. She didn't know how she knew, but she did.

Do not let Valentine Morgenstern catch a glimpse of you, he said. By any means necessary.

Eva shivered. Why?

I cannot say.

"What's wrong?" Raphael asked, clearly sensing her heart rate increase. Eva simply squeezed his hand and shook her head in response.

Valentine was involved in this as well? How? And why?

Eva cast aside those thoughts. There was a battle rumbling and the conclave was readying up for it. She didn't even care to ask how Raphael got a hold of a black Audi and when he learned to drive a car. They didn't talk along the way, and she was thankful he was letting her brood. He knew her well enough to know she was in Shadowhunter mode right now, and whatever was bothering her—the oath, Valentine somehow being involved, the story of Marigold and Hodge—would reach his ears eventually.

Raphael parked around the corner of the Institute where they could clearly see Shadowhunters from all over New York running in and out of the building carrying weapons and gear and supplies into cars for the battle. Eva kicked open the door of the passenger side and flew out of the car. She didn't get very far; with his vampire speed, Raphael was around the car in a second, blocking her way, and brought her in for a searing kiss that left her breathless.

"Come back to me," he told her in a whisper only she could hear. "Te quiero con la vida."

I love you too, Eva said in his mind.

"Eva!" Izzy waved the moment she saw her running up to the Institute. "I have all your gear and weapons ready!"

Eva smiled, catching a gear jacket her parabatai tossed her way. "You're the best!"

"I know." Izzy flipped her ponytail for emphasis. Her dark eyes scanned Eva, silently checking her for any mistreatment she might've suffered at the hands of the Inquisitor or perhaps even the Silent Brothers—no one was safe from Isabelle Sophia Lightwood. Her keen eyes did pick up a subtle difference and she quickly took Eva's wrist before she could slip into the sleeve of her gear jacket. "What's this rune?"

It's the rune for the Language of Thoughts, Eva touched her mind. Izzy let her wrist go, allowing Eva to continue gearing up. Brother Enoch gave it to me so I can talk like them now. I'll explain everything to all of you guys later. It's a long story.

After Eva geared up, she left with the Lightwoods to the East River where boats were stationed ready to attack Valentine's ship floating like an enormous shadow. Demons were everywhere and ichor painted the deck in black. The glow of seraph blades and witchlight stones lit up the dark night like fireworks, enough to see the demons and the bodies of the fallen Shadowhunters.

Eva fought alongside Izzy in perfect sync; Izzy would wrap her whip around a demon and hold it still so Eva could slice at it with her chakrams.

Eva had just pounced on an Oni and made it disappear in a puff of smoke when she heard Izzy's voice cry out her name. When she turned around, a massive spider demon was crawling straight towards her. Izzy immediately threw herself in front of Eva just as it spit yellow poison from its fangs and struck her, sizzling her skin. In rage, Eva hurled a chakram into the spider's face and it vanished on the spot. Eva dove down and cradled her parabatai in her arms, the battle around her raging on but all she could focus on was getting her stele to carve perfect iratzes. Izzy was whimpering—Izzy who never showed pain even if it killed her.

"Isabelle!" Alec called, killing a demon on his way towards them with Jace in tow. Seeing the blood running over Izzy's jacket and staining her hair, Alec frowned darkly. "Get her off the ship! We'll cover you!"

Eva figured it was the adrenaline in her—Izzy was taller than her but she managed to carry her to the stairs at the end of the deck while Alec and Jace fended off demons for them. Izzy was strong enough to climb down the ladder with Eva at her heels and they managed to get to safety just in time. Valentine's demon-infested ship fell to pieces out of the blue, as if a bomb exploded from within its belly.

However, when they arrived at the Institute, they were in for the surprise of their lives. Simon was walking in the sun as if he wasn't a vampire at all. He was standing by the gate of the Institute with Jace, Alec, and Clary. When he caught the bewildered expression of Izzy and Eva approaching him, he said in a whisper, "Jace let me drink from him so I could heal faster—I'm a Daylighter now like He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Oh, he'll be thrilled," Eva sighed and pointed over her shoulder at the Conclave members shuffling into the Institute. "Especially since everyone's seen you already."

"I don't get what the big deal is," Clary said. "It's not like they can drink his blood and become Daylighters...can they?"

"It's vamp politics," Jace rolled his shoulders. "They don't like things that are different and eliminate them if they are."

Simon seemed to pale more than he already was. Eva swatted her hand in his direction playfully, "He won't kill you, Simon."

"He'll just threaten you," Izzy shrugged. That didn't help Simon in the slightest; he still looked terrified. Izzy turned to her parabatai, snapping her fingers absentmindedly, "We're all here now, Eva. Do you mind explaining why Brother Enoch gave you the rune for the Language of Thoughts?"

"I was surprised when Alec told me you pulled that trick on him in the library," Jace said. "And hurt you didn't tell me."

"I could only speak in your head if I was touching you and it hurt my head every time I did." Eva rolled up her sleeve so they could see the strange rune on her skin. "When I went down to the Silent City, I heard all of the Brothers at once so Brother Enoch gave me the rune so I could control it better."

"Did they tell you why you can speak the Language of Thoughts?" Alec asked. "I'm surprised they didn't dissect you for answers."

"No, but Brother Enoch and Zachariah weren't surprised," she said and took a deep breath. "Apparently they're under an oath that some person put on them to protect me."

"Protect you from what?" Izzy immediately went rigid; a product of the bond between them. "Is someone trying to kill you?"

"I think it might be Valentine." Eva looked between Jace and Clary. "Brother Zachariah warned me not to let him see me. I don't know why I feel like this has something to do with Hodge and Marigold..." Eva trailed off, realizing they didn't know Marigold's story and quickly filled them in on what Maryse and Robert told her in the library.

"I remember the Seelie Queen said Jace and Clary were Valentine's experiments," Alec recalled. Simon shifted slightly in discomfort, and Eva could sense his bitterness. "Maybe you're related to Marigold somehow and he experimented on you too. That's why Clary can create new runes and Jace can jump out of a Malachi Configuration and you can speak the Language of Thoughts."

"The key is finding the person that placed the oath," Eva said. "If we can get to whoever that is, then the oath can be lifted and they might even know what Valentine did to Clary and Jace."

"Can you imagine if we're all related?" Jace grimaced. "I'll have another annoying sister."

"I am your sister, idiot," Eva jabbed him in the arm. "If that's the case then you're the middle child, which would explain a lot."

Eva's phone began to ring in her back pocket. When she whipped it out, she saw Raphael's name on the caller ID. Izzy leaned over to peek and raised her eyebrows, "Didn't you tell him the battle's over?"

"Yeah, I texted him and he responded..." Eva trailed off in confusion. Nonetheless, she flipped open the cellphone and answered, "Hey, Rapha."

"I'm hoping this idiot didn't drink from you, or I might have to commit filicide."

Simon let out a groan, throwing his arms up in the air. His keen vampire senses heard Raphael clearly. "How does he know already?"

Eva put the call on speaker as Raphael responded, "I'm head of the New York vampire clan; I know everything."

"He didn't drink from me," Eva reassured him. "You can relax."

"I'm glad to hear that, but it still doesn't save him from me."

"There's the threat," Izzy smiled proudly. "Thy people are my people."

"Please keep him locked up somewhere until sunset," Raphael asked nicely; it was obvious he was speaking to Eva. He always used a different tone with her. "I don't want to send my vampires out to hunt him down."

"I know your secret too, Raphael," Simon blurted out. Everyone's eyes widened at the same time, even Clary's. He seemed to instantly regret his words but continued with his false bravado nonetheless. "We're the same, you and I."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that—any of that," Raphael said, the disgust obvious even through the phone. Jace let out a snicker and Clary nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "Stay put, Simon Lewis. We'll talk tonight."

They all started to make their way through the Institute's courtyard, now empty of Conclave members that were either inside meeting with Maryse and Robert or had gone home. The doors opened for them like always and they all stepped through the threshold without a thought. When a cry erupted from their group; however, the Shadowhunters whipped around to see Clary holding onto Simon. The vampire was writhing in pain, crying out and lunging himself through the doors to the outside.

"What's going on?" Clary asked, bewildered as she watched Simon wincing on the steps of the Institute. "Raphael could walk inside! Why can't Simon?"

"Maybe he didn't drink enough of Jace's blood," Alec suggested.

"He almost killed me," Jace said. "He probably drank more than Raphael did—I'm flattered, really."

"The Sanctuary it is." Izzy walked over and helped Simon up, nudging him in the direction. "A word of advice when dealing with Dracula: never threaten him. I always find saying you'll tell Eva works wonders. You're going to kill me? I'll tell Eva! And he'll back off."