"I don't get along with angels any better than demons, but I knew Ithuriel," Shu said. "I'd go and see how he's doing, but I don't think I'm welcome by the other angels."

"Perhaps they'll see a little more good in you for saving their friend."

"Angels don't bend so easily. I'm still dangerous to them. Demons and Downworlders are just slightly more lenient towards getting along with those of angel blood, but angels aren't so forgiving. I understand they have reasons, but I'd prefer to stay out of things."

"Considering how rarely angels are ever seen, I'd think you're doing a pretty good job."

"That's because the earth leans more towards demon territory than angel territory. Shadowhunters are only one race of angelic beings, while Vampires, Werewolves, Warlocks, Seelies, etc. greatly outnumber them down here. Over the generations, even Shadowhunter blood has become diluted. Such perfectionists."

"Glad to know you love us."

"Really depends on the person. As always. Even demons can have good interests."

"Like Valak?"

"Possibly. How would I know?"

"He keeps visiting you. The wards alert me of when he comes to the apartment, you know that right?"

"I know. Well, I've known him since I was young, as far as I'm aware. He's one of the greater demons that I get along with best."

"He seems to like you."

"Duh. What's not to like?"

"Well…"

She threw a pillow at him. "Shut up."

"Did you move the phoenix talons?"

"Right here."

There was a knock at the door before Alec walked in. "Hey."

"Hi," Shu said. "Magnus, toss me the diamond dust."

He did so and she moved to the cauldron she was working with.

Alec sighed. "My mother's back."

"Which means I'll make myself scarce," Magnus declared.

"No, I have something else in mind. How would you feel about throwing a party?"

Magnus smiled. "Have you met me?"

Alec had his 'there's a catch' face on. "It is for Max's Rune Ceremony."

And Magnus's smile faded. "I think I'll pass."

"Magnus."

"I'm sure I'll love Max. But Maryse? That woman hates me."

"That's sort of the point of the party. So that she can see that…this, us, it's…not going away."

Magnus swallowed. "You sure about this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Many reasons…" Shu muttered.

But Magnus looked to Alec's face and sighed, smiling with a nod. "Then I'd better get to work."

He patted Alec's shoulder before walking off, grabbing a book from the shelf along the way.

"Magnus!" Jace called.

Out on the balcony, it seemed Jace was being assaulted by a small horde of cats while he was working with a ton of books and scrolls.

"Aw!" Magnus exclaimed.

He looked to one of the cats and muttered some French. "You're new, aren't you?"

He waved his hand as it flared to life with magic, refilling all the cat bowls with milk. Seeing this, all of the cats instantly knew what had happened and made their way over to the bowls.

"I spoil them," Magnus explained. "I can't help it. It's the only way to win them over."

"Well, I guess when you put your mind to it, you can win over just about anyone, huh?"

Magnus gave a face of exasperation. "You're talking about Alec."

"Look, I've been there," Jace said as Magnus sat down. "I know it's a whirlwind fling that burns so hot all it can do is flame out."

"Is this what you think it is? A fling?"

"I don't know what it is, but I know my brother. He's sensitive. And now that you guys have taken things to the next level…"

"He told you."

"No, he didn't have to. We're parabatai."

Magnus gave a look of concern. He opened his mouth to say something, raising a finger, but in all honesty didn't wanna ask.

Jace's face suddenly took on his own look of panic as he quickly looked back down to his work. "No! No, no, no. No, it's not…it's not like that. It's…I can, uh…I can just…I can sense that he's happier."

Magnus nodded in relief.

"Look, I'll make this simple, okay?" Jace said, setting down the notebook he was writing on. "I'm never gonna let anyone hurt him."

"Then we have that in common," Magnus said calmly. "You think I'd invite Maryse Lightwood to my home for just anyone?"

Magnus raised his eyebrows with a smile, and Jace couldn't help but break his stoic demeanor as well and join him.

Jace sighed. "I hope this party has an open bar."

Magnus nodded in agreement.

"Alexander," Shu called.

"Shu, what are you doing here?"

"Well, first off, I was coming to look for tips on the Rune Ceremony thing. It's been a long time since I've been acquainted with Shadowhunter ways, and we really don't want to get anything wrong for this party. But, I also came because I needed to speak with you."

"Yeah, sure. About what?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but sighed. "I really shouldn't have to say this, but it's mandatory. And…well, Magnus is getting the talk from Jace, and I'm obligated to do so for you as well. Just…try not to hurt Magnus, all right? I have…never seen him so in love with someone. You've…had the conversation about all his exes, right?"

Alec sighed. "Yeah."

"You should really know that out of all the people he's ever loved or been in some sort of relationship with, I could count the number of people that even compare to you on my fingers. Not to mention the fact that a couple of them he never even made it to…where you are."

Alec nodded awkwardly. "He told you."

"He didn't have to. He told you about our soul bond, correct? It's like your parabatai bond, but even stronger."

Alec gave a concerned look, pointing to her and opening his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"I can weaken the bond when necessary!" She quickly blurted. "And I did! I'm not that invested in your relationship!"

He took a deep breath and sighed in relief.

"But you should know that if you hurt him, I will know about it. I have confidence things will work themselves out when they get bad. And yes, they will get bad here and there, but it's up to both of you to persevere through those moments. I believe you two are gonna be fine, but it won't be an easy journey - if the beginning of this relationship is anything to go by."

"Thanks. For supporting us."

"No problem. I play the role of both the protective sister and the bonded friend, so I have done my duties. Just be happy that I'm not threatening to break your nose, which I had to do for Camille. Both the threatening and the breaking of noses. And other bones. But…I don't think there's any need for that this time."

"Glad to know. And I promise you, I won't hurt him any time soon. Not of my own free will. If I do, I'll take any punishment you wanna dish out."

"Good. Now, onto those ceremony plans, shall we?"

"I think it turned out pretty well," Shu said.

"The night has barely begun, my dear," Magnus reminded her.

"Glass half-full, bro."

"I'm worried the empanadillas are soggy," He muttered. "I gave the chef specific directions to-"

"Magnus," Alec interrupted. "Everything is perfect."

"See? Even he agrees," Shu said.

Behind them, the door opened and Max and Maryse came through.

"Max!" Alec called. "Mother."

They came over, and Alec put his hand on Max's shoulder. Alec and Maryse gave awkward smiles to each other, Maryse and Magnus gave even more awkward smiles to each other, and Shu just smiled to Max.

"I heard you like to drink," Maryse said, offering a bottle.

Alec's smile began to sink into a 'Seriously?' look, and Shu let out a breathy chuckle, taking the bottle. "Welcome, Maryse."

"Max, this is your night," Magnus said, waving him forward to the party.

There were guitar players playing acoustic Spanish music, an ice sculpture of the angelic power rune and people milling about and dancing.

"You have exotic taste, don't you?" Maryse commented.

"Oh, the Spanish theme is in honor of you and your husband," Magnus explained.

Maryse's face seemed on the verge of a scowl but she was barely holding back. "Really? How so?"

"Alec told me that Robert proposed to you in Barcelona. I wanted to celebrate the joyous memory. Especially since he couldn't be here."

Maryse looked to Alec, who was smiling in agreement. Max and Shu were looking back and forth between the exchange, clearly expecting hell to break loose any second now.

"How sweet that Alec feels comfortable sharing our personal family stories with you. Especially considering your…disparate backgrounds."

And now Alec's face turned 'Seriously?' again.

"How about a drink?" Shu offered. "Sangria for the lady, a Roy Rodgers for the guest of honor. Magnus?"

The two of them walked off, and once they were out of range, Shu let out a deep sigh. "Times like these are when I might actually consider a drink for myself."

"I do not blame you, sister."

Magnus and Shu caught Clary storming out, her eyes and cheeks wet with tears.

"Hey, what's going on, biscuit?" Magnus asked.

She shook her head. "It's Simon. He poured his heart out about wanting to be with me, and then…then he hooks up with Maia."

"That doesn't sound like Simon," Shu admitted.

"Are you sure you haven't had too much sangria?" Magnus asked, holding out his glass and looking at it. "It's strong. I made sure of it."

She sighed. "Please, all right? I just need to leave."

She turned to go but Shu grabbed her wrist. "Hey, don't. We'll figure out what's going on with Simon, but tonight's about Max. And Alec and Izzy. You'll never forgive yourself if you're not there for your friends. Okay?"

Clary sniffled and wiped her eye. She looked back to the party and pursed her lips before walking back in.

"I don't see anything," Max said.

"That's because you're not looking hard enough," Magnus said, holding his hand out.

He snapped and waved his hand quickly before a present appeared in his hands.

He passed it to Max. "Congratulations, young Shadowhunter."

"What do you say, Max?" Alec asked.

"Thank you," He said weakly.

Shu gave a weak smile and Magnus stood, ruffling his hair.

"Where's your Warlock mark?" The boy asked.

"Max…" Alec warned.

"You were just as curious at his age," Maryse reminded him.

"It's okay," Magnus said. "I only share with my closest friends."

Magnus let his cat eyes show, and Max flinched in surprise. "How much of you is a demon?"

"Max, enough," Jace said. "It's not how we treat our friends. Apologize to Magnus."

"You can't tell me what to do."

"Hey, just because you're getting your first rune doesn't mean you can talk to your brother like that," Alec scolded.

"Jace isn't my brother."

Now even Maryse looked concerned.

"Max," Alec snapped.

"Mom says you're not even part of our family."

Magnus and Shu slipped away awkwardly, Max ran out after then, Maryse tried to explain to Jace, but he stomped off as well.

"Once again, another nice chat with the Lightwoods," Shu muttered.

"At least we didn't show him your Warlock mark," Magnus said.

"Ho-ho, that would've been fun."

"Oh, great, there's Clary again."

"Still pissed off."

"Slow down, hotshot," Magnus said, blocking her from Simon.

"Get out of my way, Magnus."

"Oh no. I'm not letting you make a scene. This is an elegant affair, not an episode of the Real Housewives of Idris."

"Tell Simon that because I can't stand here while he hits on Maia right in front of me!"

Magnus and Shu turned to look, but Simon was hanging out with another of the Shadowhunters and talking over their drinks.

"I think we have a different idea of courtship," Shu said carefully.

She looked over to the side to find that Jace was showing Izzy how Maryse was KO'd in his room after she tried to kill him.

"I can't stay here, okay?" Clary said. "Everyone is acting completely insane! I have to leave!"

Shu grabbed her wrist. "Not while you're hallucinating."

They pulled her to the side of the room.

"Stay right here while we figure out what's going on," Magnus ordered.

They walked off, but of course Clary walked off the moment they were gone.

Magnus and Shu slipped into Jace's room to see the knocked out Maryse. "Okay, the sangria may have been too strong," Magnus commented.

"She just tried to kill me, Magnus," Jace said.

Shu kneeled down and began waving her magic over Maryse's face. "This will help."

"She just threw an ax at my head. Okay. It's stuck in the shelf right there. See for yourself."

"Jace, there's nothing there," Izzy said.

"It's right there. Why can't you see that?"

Shu and Magnus looked up from Maryse, but there was still nothing.

Maryse gasped and opened her eyes. "Mom, are you okay?" Izzy asked.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't let her up," Jace protested. "She's out of her mind."

"Jace, I came here to apologize to you," Maryse protested, getting to her feet and wiping herself off.

"She just said it, don't you hear her?"

"Listen to me," Magnus said. "Nobody's trying to kill you. You have to believe me. Someone's playing with our minds. Feeding into our insecurities…"

"Alec! Alec, no!"

"That was Clary," Shu muttered. "Oh my gods, that came from the roof!"

She rushed out of the room with the other following behind. She sped through the party faster than anyone should have been able to run, going up the stairs to the roof just in time to find Alec standing at the edge of the roof, Clary trying to coax him down.

He held his arms out, and then leaned backwards.

"Alec!"

Shu held her hand out and Alec was surrounded by her magic, stopping him from his fall. Magnus walked out and waved his hand, Alec glowing with his magic as well as being pulled back to safety and sedated.

The two of the hurried over to him while Izzy and Jace came up next. "What happened?" Izzy asked.

"All of a sudden he started talking about how I hated him for killing my mom," Clary explained.

"Alec?!" Maryse called.

"It's okay," Shu said. "We sedated him when we pulled him from the ledge."

"You know what, you stay away from him," Jace said to Maryse. "You can't be trusted."

"I can't be trusted?" She demanded. "Now you see why I was wary of having a party at a Warlock's house."

"Wow, what-what's going on here?" Simon asked, coming up.

"Oh, what do you care?" Clary asked. "Maia is at the bar."

"Yes, and Alec's on the ground," Simon said, confused at her harsh tone. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"You're all gonna be okay," Magnus said, standing. "Everyone just stay here. I'll be right back."

Magnus walked downstairs and went into his cabinets, opening a crest and pulling out a book before hurrying back up.

"What did you say to my son?" Maryse demanded to Clary. "You don't think Alec feels guilty enough?"

"You talked to Clary, did you?" Simon demanded to Jace. "That's why she's acting all weird."

"Listen, I did nothing-"

"You brought him up here."

"I did not bring him up here! I-"

Simon, Jace, Clary, and Maryse all began arguing louder and louder while Magnus flipped through his book. Shu sighed in exasperation before joining him in flipping through the pages and then pointing out a spell.

Together, the two began speaking a French incantation before then waved their hands around the ground and grabbed a wisp of magic, the Shadowhunters (and Simon) all silencing.

They all began to look around, confused.

"Mom…" Jace muttered.

"Jace…"

"You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Um, what's going on?" Simon asked.

"Simon…I am so sorry, I…" Clary began. "I-I know you didn't kiss Maia."

"You thought I kissed Maia?"

"It seems a Warlock's has been having a little fun at our expense," Shu explained.

"Is he okay?" Maryse asked, kneeling next to Alec.

"What happened?" Simon asked.

"Alec," Clary muttered.

Magnus closed his spellbook, before it disappeared in his hands. "Someone has taken my spellbook," He announced.

Shu waved her hands and the wards activated around the entire building, shimmering to life with extra power.

"You're putting your wards up?" Clary asked.

"Nobody leaves until we get back," Shu said firmly. "I'm going to be punching an uninvited Warlock tonight."

"I was this close to lining up a three-way, and you guys let yourselves get spelled?"

Magnus finished his scan and rolled his eyes. Alec shoved Raj out of the room.

"Is he the last one?" Jace asked.

"It appears we're the only two Warlocks here," Magnus said, waving his hands as the wards around the building fell.

"Magnus, what happens if we don't find your spellbook?" Clary asked.

"That's not an option you want to explore," Shu muttered.

"That book can undo every spell I've ever cast," Magnus explained. "From the elementary to the complex. In new and old lang…uages…" He paused in realization. "Champenois."

"It's an old French dialect," Shu explained.

"Chat roux…"

"The red-haired cat?" Shu asked.

Magnus waved his hands and the wards around the building rose once more.

He walked off and the others followed in confusion. "Magnus, what cat?" Alec asked.

He put his fingers up for silence as they walked into Magnus's bedroom and looked around. Everyone scattered about the room, before they found a lump hiding underneath the bedsheets.

Magnus nodded to Jace, who pulled the covers up to reveal a screeching red-haired cat. It tried to bolt, but Shu shot it with a reversal spell and it revealed Iris.

"Duratus!" She shouted, sending out a freezing spell.

Magnus and Shu blocked the spell, but the other Shadowhunters (and Simon) were all frozen in place.

"I hate party crashers," Magnus muttered.

"I was always more of a dog person," Shu agreed.

She threw a blast of magic at Iris, sending her out of the room and into a bookshelf. She managed to pick herself up from the rubble, but Magnus closed the doors before she could bolt. The two began throwing waves of spells at her, closing off the other exits to the room and blasting a bit of concrete in the process.

Iris threw her own spell, and the two ducked out of the way as it hit a light and sent out a shower of sparks. Iris threw another, but Magnus blocked it and it bounced back towards her and she dodged out of the way.

Shu gathered energy together and sent out a powerful wave, capturing Iris and squeezing her tight. "Do not test my patience, Iris! You nearly killed my friend, broke into my house, and now you've made me break a nice vase. I think you know I'm notorious for breaking a few other things when people cross me."

Magnus sent out his own energy to join into the fray, raising Iris off the ground as she struggled to even scream.

"You haven't changed one bit since the last time I saw you crawling from the ruins of la Bastille," Magnus muttered. "Old French spells. Your favorite." He pulled his hands apart and strained Iris further. "Where are my counterspells?"

"Valentine!" She strained. "He has Madzie too. If I don't go back, I don't know what he'll do to her."

"What does Valentine want with my counterspells?"

"I don't know."

Magnus twisted his hands and pushed one of Iris's arms at a bad angle while pushing her other at an opposing one.

"I don't know!" She shouted. "All…all he said was that I had to get them for him. And I wasn't to harm Clary, or he'd make Madzie suffer. Magnus, please. I'm all Madzie has. Have mercy."

"After everything you've done?" Shu demanded.

"Release them," Magnus said, nodding towards the room where the others were.

Iris sighed and held her hand out, and a moment later, the others walked through.

"Clary Fairchild…you made a blood oath," Iris strained. "Find Madzie."

Magnus threw his hand forward, and Iris went flying through a portal. "She's the Clave's problem now," He said.

"This is why my counterspells book is warded against anyone else's magic," Shu muttered.

"Okay, what is Valentine up to, anyway?" Alec asked.

"I don't know," Clary said.

Jace caught that look in Clary's eyes that said she was going to go doing something stupid.

"It's too dangerous," Jace warned.

"Jace, they're our family. They need to know."

"Know what?" Izzy asked.

"So, you haven't told them yet?" Shu asked. "You Shadowhunters are the wisest of all creatures, all right."

"The angel Ithuriel," Clary began. "Valentine was going to use him to activate the Soul Sword. He needs someone with pure angel blood to activate it."

"Well, that doesn't sound good," Simon muttered.

"It's not," Jace said. "With the Soul Sword activated, Valentine could decimate the entire Downworld. The angel showed us a vision of the demon who could destroy the sword. If we could find that demon, we could stop Valentine."

"How did you two save the angel?" Magnus asked.

"I was there," Shu said. "I snuck out and broke the shackles around Ithuriel while you were preoccupied."

Jace and Clary were sharing a look, Jace shaking his head no.

"I also used a rune," Clary admitted. "The angel gave me some."

"New runes," Jace agreed grimly. "Ones no one's ever seen before."

"Why did he chose you?" Izzy asked.

"I have no idea."

"I might," Shu said.

"Years ago, a Silent Brother told me about a special connection the original Shadowhunters had with the angel Raziel," Magnus agreed. "That they could communicate from afar through…visions. Because they were created from his blood."

"I met the original Shadowhunters," Shu said. "They were certainly different from the Shadowhunters today. Farther from the angels' power. Though it is entirely possible that Clary may have a blood connection to that angel, to Ithuriel, and that must mean she has pure angel blood."

"That's why Valentine wants Clary unharmed," Jace realized. "Clary can activate the Soul Sword."

"Can you activate the Soul Sword?"

"I've got enough pure angel blood in me that it's entirely possible. Just half of my essence - the demon half - would be burnt away in the process. Which would really fucking hurt. Not that Valentine needs to know that. Keeping all our aces together in one places is probably the best option. Clary is the main target, and I'm just the girl standing at the sidelines until I'm needed."

"Let's hope that works out for us."