"How can Shadowhunters be better than mundanes if you can't protect two innocent people?" I asked annoyed as I led the other three into the main room at the Institute.

"Because we protect humans," Isabel reminded me.

"Humans," I repeated turning to look at her. "You protect humans? You left Simon alone in the van and you," I pointed at Alec. "You let my baby sister go off on her own. Great job protecting them when you aren't with them."

"There is some truth to the idea that human beings should have a modicum of common sense," told me and I scoffed while shaking my head.

"Alec, not now," Isabel snapped.

"Look, they won't do anything to Simon or Clary," Jace assured me. "They just wanted to draw you and your sister out."

"Then why take her?" I asked him.

"Incentive for you to give them the Mortal Cup."

"Why does everyone think I have the Cup?" I asked them. "My mother's lies are coming back to kick me in the ass. Oh, you know the one thing she didn't lie to me about was where she hid a magic cup, that she hid on Hawaii, but I guess I forgot to mention that earlier." I took a deep breath. "How do we get them back?"

"We have to report to the Clave," Alec told us while moving down the hallway.

"Great."

"They have to know what we've learned about Valentine."

"Like a certain biological fact that we all want to forget?" I asked him which stopped them in their tracks. "Go for it, but how does that help me get my family back?"

"Farah, it's all connected," Jace told me. "The vamps want the Cup."

"Why?" I finally asked him. "It makes new Shadowhunters. What good will that do them?"

"Nobody wants Valentine forming an army loyal to himself," Alec explained.

"Plus, it controls demons," Isabel reminded me.

"They'll propose a trade. Simon and Clary for the Cup," Jace told me.

"That'swhatthe one in charge said," I remembered. "The vampires will trade Simon and Clary for the Cup and Valentine will trade my mother for the Cup. Either way, I lose. Wish I could just do a toss-up and let them fight amongst themselves."

"So this doesn't matter to you?" Alec asked me.

"Way to pick and chose what words you hear, Alec," I told him sarcastically. "Of course this matters!" I turned to Jace. "I put my trust and my sister's life in your hands when you saved my life. Now it's time to return the favor. I can't become a Shadowhunter overnight."

"It's true," Isabel agreed. "She and her sister were raised as mundanes."

"What are you, her spokesman now?" Alec asked her.

"I'm pretty sure I can speak for myself," I told him. "What I don't have is a plan." I walked into the main room to try and find my sister and Simon. "One of these screens has to be able to help me. Do you guys even know where they could be?"

"Actually, no. That was Caille's outfit, right?" Jace asked the Lightwoods. "They're locals."

"They're at the Hotel DuMort, down in Gansevoort Street," Isobel said.

"If we already knew that, why did we come back here?" I asked them.

"We need a Clave resolution for that," Alec told me and I groaned.

"The four of us can't declare war on the vamps all by ourselves."

"And we can't react without considering our options," Alec said. "Downworlders are slaves to their impulses. We're not."

"Alec, you can't just jump on all the Downworlders," Isobel told him.

"Oh, that's right. Seelies have their charms, apparently."

"Right?" Both boys were giving Isobel a knowing look and I felt like I was the odd man out.

"What's a Seelie?" I asked them.

"Like fairies," Jace explained. "The Fair Folk. Add pixies, nixies, elves... anybody half-angel, half-demon. It's pretty much a catch-all term."

"Izzy can tell you all about them. She's got a thing," Alec said and I finally understood what they meant.

"We've all got our things, don't we?" Isobel asked him.

"I'm happy about your things, but I have to save my sister," I told them as I walked away from them.

"Farah, you're gonna get yourself killed."

"Don't care," I called out to him.

"How about your sister and Simon." At that, I paused before turning to them.

"Then help me get them back," I told him. "While we consider other options, my sister and friend could be suffering. Is this fear and worry an irrational mundane thing, or is that something that you three understand? Something makes me think you know exactly what I'm feeling."

"She's right," Jace told the other two and I smiled at him. He motioned us to lean closer and we did. "They made the first move. We're gonna take care of this ourselves, right now

"This is a bad idea," Alec told him. "I-"

"What, you have a better one?" Jace asked pair stared at each other for a brief moment before Jace went on. "Look, the vamps broke the Accords. They kidnapped a mundie. That's a bit no-no. The Clave will give us a big lecture and then they'll be glad we did it. Come on."

"Hard to argue with that."

"Even if we went ahead, I don't see how we get out of here without having to explain where we're going," Alec pointed out. "We need weapons, and we can't let anyone see us get them."

"I know where to get what we need," Jace told him.


I drove us all to a graveyard in Simon's van.

"Whose grave is it?" Alec asked as we all climbed out of the van.

"Mary Milligan, born January 10th, 1802. Died, January 10th, 1878," Isobel told him.

"All right, Alec, let's go," Jace told him.

"Why are we robbing a grave?" I asked them.

"We're not," Jace told me.

"It's a cache of weapons," Isobel said with a grin on her face.

"Stashed here with Mrs. Milligan," Jace finished.

"Must be cramped," I sighed. "Why are their weapons in a church cemetery?"

"Because all of the ancient religions recognized demons," Isobel told told me. "Or at least they used to."

"They forgot about the threat because we've been here to protect them," Alec said with some snip in his tone. "Typical mundane failure of imagination."

"Are you saying we did too good a job?" Isobel laughed. "You just can't let, can you?"

"You know what?" Jace asked turning to them. "Alec, why don't you go check out by the angel?" Alec left to look where he was told. "We couldn't gear up at the Institute, but we know our ancestors left a cache around here someplace. We'll find it."

"You know, I always wondered where my dad was buried so I could visit him. Some days I wished he was still alive, just so I could get to know him. Well, like they say, be careful what you wish for," I snorted while shaking my head.

"This isn't your fault," Jace told me quietly.

"He's coming after me and my sister," I reminded him. "This is my fault for not seeing anything. My sister started to see things differently on her 18th birthday. I was blind for a whole year." We heard a phone ring and Isobel answering it.

"Excellent." She hung up and smiled up at us. "He's home. I'm outta here."

"Where are you going?" I asked her confused. "I thought you were coming with us."

"Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world, but I gotta find out how to get into the vampires' lair," she told me before walking off.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Jace called out to her.

"Jace," we turned to look at Alec. "Over here."

"Yeah, coming," Jace told him before looking at me. "Are you gonna be all right?"

"I'll be fine," I told him. "Just give me a quick minute?"

"Okay." Jace left me alone but walked over to Alec so I could have a quiet minute as I looked for the right grave.

"Hey! Guys! I think I found it!" I called out to them while wiping some dirt off the grave to I could read it better. "Mary Milligan!" I wiped away the dirt from the engraving under her name and grew confused. "Beloved servant?" I asked as the boys joined me. "Who would want that on their headstone?"

"Someone who is in service to a cause greater than themselves," Alec said and I glared at him slightly. Why did I feel like was saying that very pointedly to me?

"At least she is now," Jace said wiping off the leaves from the grave and pulling out his Stele. "Abracadabra."

"Seriously?" I asked with a grin growing on my face. He just grinned at me before running his Stele over the symbol on the grave before he and Alec moved the top so it was laying sideways and Jace broke open the inner casket to reveal weapons.

"And where's Mrs. Milligan?" I asked them staring at the blades in front of me. I reached in and pulled out a sword staring at it in awe.

"Don't touch that," Alec ordered, taking it from me. "You don't know how to use it."

"I think we covered that you know nothing about me," I reminded him. "And, if I remember right, I held my own just fine at Pandemonium."

"You didn't kill-"

"Alec," Jace interrupted us and Alec turned to him. "I'm going to show her the right way to use it. Do you see what you need in here?" Alec looked back in the casket before shaking his head.

"No. There's no bow here. I need one. I have to rune some arrows. That's back at the Institute. I gotta go."

"Well, how are you gonna get back in the Institute?" Jace asked him.

"Go in the back," Alec told him. "Won't bother me if I'm alone."

"Okay, good. Go. I can finish up here." I turned away from them and started running through my former drills.

"Hey," I heard Alec sigh. "I understand what we need to do. And I trust you, parabatai... but don't ever doubt me. No matter what I said."

"Its already forgotten," I heard Jace tell him. I turned in time to see them clasp hands. "I'll see you at dawn."

"At dawn." Jace and I stared at each other as Alec walked away from us. I turned back to the sword in my hand as I heard Jace walk up behind me.

"Let me show you how to use this thing."

"I've had training with weapons before," I said smirking at him from over my shoulder.

"I doubt you were trained with this," he said and I nodded slightly.

"You're right. Glowing swords weren't on the itinerary back then," I joked.

"It knows you're a Shadowhunter, so it wants to respond," Jace told me, wrapping his hand around mine and the sword. "But you have to be firm with it. Let it know who's boss. There." He controlled the sword and my arm slicing through the air. "You make it a part of yourself and it a part of you. Now, the blade never dims." He held up the blade, showing me the glow. "It's saying you belong together."

"How does it know we belong together?" I asked him.

"'Cause you're part angel, Farah, like all Shadowhunters," he told me. We pierced the air and a pulse released from the blade. I stared at the blade wide-eyed. I'd never seen anything like that before. "You understand?"

"I'm beginning to," I said turning to him. I hadn't noticed how close our faces were until I did that. I stared into his blue eyes, nearly forgetting what we were doing, before I turned away.

"You'll get there," he told me, slicing through the air again. "It's not something you understand in your mind. It's something you know because it's pulsing through your body." I barely noticed when he let go and backed away from my body. I stabbed the air and a pulse went out making me smile.

"I couldn't do this without you," I said shaking my head.

"You just did," he told me and I turned to him, finally noticing the distance between us.

"It didn't feel like that," I said. "It felt like you were still right here."

"I am. I will be." Jace cleared his throat. "We... we will be... there for you." He walked away from and I chuckled at him before joining him at the grave again.

"You seem to trust they'll come back," I commented.

"Who? Alec and Izzy?" I nodded. "We were raised together. They're basically my brother and sister."

"Alec hasn't actually kept it secret that he doesn't like me. At all," I commented.

"Alec doesn't like anybody," he defended.

"Ok, but if he doesn't like me or my sister why would he help us?"

"Did you hear what he called me just then?" he asked me and I nodded. "We're parabatai." Jace replaced the top of the grave back into place so no one would know we'd taken them.

"You know I don't know what that means, right?" I asked him.

"There's no human bond that compares to what Alec and I have," he explained. "We're bound together for life. Bound to fight together, to protect each other. In battle, our hearts beat as one. If one of us were to die... a part of the other would die inside as well. He'll be here, Farah."

"Ok," I said. I might not understand it completely, but the emotion behind the words, that I could understand.

"Are you ready?" he asked me.

"More than ready," I told him.

"You look ready." He grinned at me and we set off for our next destination.


We made our way to a dingy bar in an alleyway.

"Why are we at a biker bar?" I asked Jace confused.

"We can't move on the vamps until sunrise," Jace explained. "Plus, there's something I need in here."

"What, a drink?" I joked.

"I don't drink."

"What underage?" I asked him and he just gave me a look. "Look, we need to save Clary and Simon, not hang around posers." Jace chuckled at my words and I gave him a confused look. "Did I make a joke I don't know about?"

"It's kinda funny," he said and I scoffed.

"Shouldn't you be teaching me the finer points of fighting vampires or something along those lines?" I asked him, getting annoyed.

"Do me a favor," Jace told me before pointing to a couple. "Look over there. What do you see?" I stared at the couple noticing something... off about them. I looked to everyone else noticing the same thing.

"A lot of people," I sighed. "Waitress, couples. Are we doing this to point out my distinct lack of a love life, cause if so I'm going to hit you."

"Focus on the couple." I stared at the couple that seemed highlighted in red. "Now concentrate on seeing through."

"Through what?" I asked him.

"There are layers to reality. You can peel them away," he explained. "See the Shadow World."

"Maybe you can," I told him. "You and Clary and all the others. But if I could I would have been seeing it for a year now."

"Don't just use your mind," he instructed. "Use your whole self. You said you were a fighter, so push through the glamour. Relax into it." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. I gasped at what I saw.

"They're vampires." We moved to another part of the bar.

"Check out that guy," Jace said pointing at the door. I turned to see the biggest tool in the world walk in. "He's got something."

"What?" I asked giving him a look. "Fleas?"

"Now, now," he said with a grin. "Bet you can't handle his charm?"

"He has charm?" I asked with a look. "You're joking. Why does it feel like you're trying to get me to do something?"

"You really wanna help find Clary and Simon?" he asked me and I sighed. "Go on, go compliment him on his motorcycle." I gave him a look. "They like that."

"I really don't wanna do this," I sighed before going to the vampire. I smiled at him, attempting to flirt.

"I'd been wondering who owned this ride," I told him, tilting my head to the side to give the bike a long look before looking back up at the vamp.

"Well, hey, baby." I cringed. "You like to ride?"

"Among other things," I told him. He raised his hand and moved his fingers and I felt something taking over. I saw him change as, suddenly, he was my sole focus. I forgot about my sister, Jace, my mom, Valentine, everything.

"You know you smell like a friggin' angel, right?" he asked me and I smiled. "But without all that Shadowhunter rune crap all over you. Much better look, right?"

"You'd be surprised," I chuckled.

"I don't know what the hell you are, angel doll, but you're one tasty treat," he chuckled and, for some reason, I did the same.

"Thank you." He placed his hand on my waist and I felt my skin crawl as he moved his head to my ear and whispered in it.


The vamp moved behind me, his arms around my waist, and he continued to whisper in my ear.

"You wanna go for a ride, baby?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I agreed with a smile on my face.

"Careful," he told me as I climbed on the bike.

"Hey," I looked away from the vampire to see a familiar face. "Having fun with my girl?"

"Piss off, Shadowhunter," the vamp told him.

"We're going to go for a ride," I told Jace. I was staring into his blue eyes.

"Yeah, not going to happen," Jace told him.

"You heard the lady," the vamp told him. "Step aside." The vamp pushed Jace back and he chuckled.

"Don't move Farah."

"Not planning on it," I told him as Jace walked closer to the vamp. The vamp punched at him but Jace disappeared. The vamp looked around confused before Jace appeared behind him.

"Yoo-hoo, Romeo." The vamp gasped as he turned around. Jace punched him making him fall back while throwing the keys into the air. Jace caught them as the vamps in the room started to gather around us. "As you were." Jace jumped on the bike in front of me.

"What are you-"

"Hold on." I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist as he started the bike and sped off. I laughed as we seemed to keep going faster until everything seemed to pass in a blur.

"Why did you let him do that to me?" I asked Jace.

"I couldn't exactly dig around in his pockets for the keys," Jace pointed out.

"So you were okay with him turning me into a vampire to get his keys?"

"Don't you trust me?" he asked before throttling the engine.

"Always."

"Better hold tight, this bike runs on demon energy. It's pretty mean."

"But if this one does so do the others," I commented.

"Why do you think I picked this one?" he asked me. "It's been modified."

"But we still have to find-"

"Clary and Simon. Yes, we'll find your mundie and sister. You got a good grip."

"You don't need to keep asking me that!" I shouted over the bike and wind. "So long as this bike is moving I'm not letting go!" Suddenly, the bike took off into the air and I gasped in shock before we started laughing. "Why didn't you start with flying?" He didn't answer, just continued to laugh.


We landed on the Hotel DuMort roof and got off the bike.

"What that vamp did to you back at the bar, it's called encanto," Jace told me as he drew a rune on my shoulder. Of course when I saw draw, what I mean is burn.
"That was just the first step. It's kind of like what a cobra does to a mouse right before it strikes. This will keep you safe just in case you tun into Mr. Fascinating again."

"You're the one who threw me into his arms," I reminded him as he patted my arm when he was done with my shoulder.

"Give me your arm." I did as he said.

"What are you burning into my skin now?" I asked him.

"This is for silence," he told me.

"The vamps won't hear us coming, but we can't disguise the scent of our blood from them," Jace explained before putting away his Stele once he was done with the rune. "Once we enter the building through there, they'll know something's up. But if our plan works, we'll have time to find Clary and Simon. The mundane world is all into vampires. I don't get it. They see everyone else as an animated sack of meat."

"I never saw the romance in vampires personally," I chimed in.

"That's cause now you know it's all real," Jace told me. "Still, you gotta hand it to them, though. They know how to frame a narrative." I snorted at his joke.

"So, how do we find my sister and Simon?"

"They'll be in the most secure room in the building. Trust me, we'll know it when we see it."

"What if they do an encanto on them? Will they turn into a vampire?" I asked him curiously.

"No, you have to drink vampire blood for that. Even then, there's more to it. It's an overly involved process, if you ask me," Jace told me.

"But what if a vampire bites them?" I asked.

"They won't drain them right away," Jace told me. "They like to take their time."

"How thoughtful," I said sarcastically.

"Vampires are real gourmets."

"Clary'll be terrified," I sighed worriedly.

"Actually, she'll feel kind of high, kind of like she's in love," Jace told me.

"With the one who bit her?"

"Yeah."

"That's disgusting."

"It's disgusting?" Jace asked me and I nodded.

"Why would you want to feel in love with the person killing you?"

"Guess I wouldn't know," Jace shrugged.

"You've never been bitten?" I asked before realizing what he meant. "You've never been in love."

"The point is it wears off. Just like love."

"Love doesn't just wear off," I told him as he walked away from me.

"What the deal with you, your sister, and that guy, anyway? He seems kinda-"

"Watch your words, Jace," I warned.

"Unworthy of the two of you? How's that?" he asked me.

"You really think you have us all figured out, don't you?" I asked him.

"I do."

"You were raised believing that emotions are a weakness. It's no wonder you don't understand us."

"Really?" Jace asked me.

"You said Alec is your parabatai."

"Alec would die for me."

"As would the three of us," I told him. "That's what being a family is, Jace. Willing to die for the ones we love."

"The sun's coming up soon," Jace said and I smirked before looking into the dark sky. "Remember how to use the blade?" I nodded. "Keep your arms steady and don't overestimate what you know. They can be tricky. We'll try and keep them off you as much as we can."

"Where are Alec and Isabelle?"

"Being distracting."


Jace and I snuck inside and walked through the building keeping an eye out for vamps as we go. I grabbed his arm to stop him from walking forward.

"Wait, I hear something."

"Hold up," Jace told me drawing his sword. We heard vampires shrieking. That must have been Alec and Isabelle. We continued through the building, away from the vamps, and kept trying to find Simon and Clary. We entered a room where an old "friend" was waiting for us.

"Farah!"

"You!" Jace stepped between me and the vamp from the bar only to get tackled by two others. The vamp wrapped his arms around my upper body, pinning my arms to my chest, and holding me to him.

"Just ran 30 blocks to get here before I freaking burned to death in the sun!" Brad, the vamp, complained. "You missed your ride, angel doll." He spun me so I was facing him. "Why'd you go with him, huh? You really know how to hurt a guy."

"What can I say, the better man won." I headbutted Brad before kicking him in the nuts. "Guess you were right. I really do know how to hurt a guy."

"Farah, look out!" The warning was too late. Brad wrapped his hand around my throat and slammed me into the wall.

"Bitch, you're finished!"

"The blade!" Jace called out to me. I tried to go for my blade, but Brad took it out of my hand burning his own.

"Damn it!" He threw me to the ground before growling at me. He grabbed my arms and pulled me towards him and spun me around and pulled me to his chest. I saw Alec pointing an arrow at us.

"Okay," Alec said before pointing his arrow somewhere else and firing. Brad screamed and I managed to get out of his grasp before he burned in front of me. I picked up my blade and went to the vamps Jace was fighting. One of them attacked me but I managed to duck before sliding my sword through his guts.

"Don't know if I'll ever get used to killing people," I told Jace as he stared at me.

"He was already dead," Jace pointed out.

"Plus, he wanted to kill you," Isabelle pointed out. "Remember that. She did great, right?"

"Yeah, you did. You should be proud," Jace told me.

"I am, but it's not about me," I reminded him. "Let's go find Clary and Simon."


We walked into a room to see the vampire from before holding Clary and Simon in his hands.

"Clary! Simon!"

"Farah! That's not gonna do any good," Jace said, stopping me from rushing towards them.

"Listen to him, Farah Fairchild. Put it away. I've more than enough of your friends for one day. I'd love to cut his throat. Either way, I still have one hostage. Don't give me a reason. Put it away!" the vamp ordered and we did so.

"Clary, you okay?" I asked her.

"I'm fine," she told me but I could see the near-invisible tear tracks on her face.

"Simon?"

"I wouldn't say all right-"

"Stop talking!" the vamp ordered. "Now... if you would all just follow me. Let's go!" We followed him up towards the roof, him keeping a hand on both Simon and Clary. "Come on, let's go! Up here now!" He went through a doorway and stood in a corner as we passed him. "That's right, get down there now! Get down there or I'll kill them right now!" Jace made sure I passed the vamp quickly and stayed between the two of us.

"Look, all I want is my sister and friend. We won't hurt you," I tried telling him.

"I'm glad you do. We don't! We wanted you."

"Well here I am," I told him and Jace had to stop me from going after him.

"I said, "wanted". Not my idea," the vamp told us. "Now, get out! Go!"

"Not without them," I said motioning to the two he held in his hands. He threw Simon to us but kept Clary in his hands.

"I've given you one of them, now open that door right now or I'll kill her right here," the vamp ordered.

"Listen to him!" Jace told the others.

"But Clary will die if-" the door opened and the vamp whimpered before hiding behind Clary and pipes.

"Farah, go," Clary told me. "I'll be okay."

"Go! Go! Go!" Jace ordered and the Lightwoods and Simon were the first ones out the door.

"Go! Take her! Go!" the vamp said pushing Clary to us. Jace caught her and she turned to the vamp.

"I don't know how to thank you."

"Don't thank me," the vamp told her. "This is about Valentine and the chaos he can bring.

"Come on!" Jace ordered shoving my sister into my arms.

"Jace Wayland!" I turned to the vamp as Jace did. "Remember who your friends are." Jace was the last one in the sunlight and he slammed the door behind us. We all stood around on the roof catching our breath.

"Shouldn't we get the hell out of here?" Simon asked us.

"Why, Simon?" Jace asked him.

"They're right downstairs."

"Let them come after us," Jace told him. "They'll just turn into a bunch of fried eggs out here. I thought you said you watch movies." Jace and the Lightwoods went up the small stairs next to where I was standing and Clary finally took a deep breath.

"Oh my God. Oh, my God, it's over. It's actually over." Clary pulled me with her to Simon and the three of us shared a group hug.

"I was so afraid I was going to lose both of you," I sighed. "But it's true, you're actually here."

"You know I'd do anything for the two of you," Simon said keeping Clary close to him.

"You don't have to die!" Clary sighed.

"I'd rather not do that," he said and I had to laugh.

"I couldn't live without you," Clary said as she pulled him into a hug.

"Say that again," Simon begged her.

"I couldn't live without you, Simon. You two are all I have left," Clary said holding my hand in hers. "Our whole lives just disappeared. We're supposed to... be this other thing, live this other way. You're my best friend." Clary kissed him on the cheek and I wanted to make a face or noise at the friend-zone she just placed Simon in. "Don't you ever, ever let yourself get into that kind of trouble again. Got it? Yeah?" he nodded and kissed her cheek and held her close.

"Alec, stop!" We looked up at Jace shouting at his parabatai. He stared down at me before looking at Alec again. He and Alec shared more words before Alec walked away. Jace and I stared at each other until Clary pulled me away to talk about what we'd done to get them away from the vamps.