"After the night is through, you're gonna wish you had these," Magnus said, offering up drinks to Luke and Raphael (the latter having blood in his cup, not liquor).

And together they set the drinks down on the table.

"Just because you're not willing to face Alec sober, doesn't mean the rest of us shouldn't walk in this 'Emergency counsel meeting' levelheaded," Luke said.

"No need to be hurtful," Shu said, taking a swig of her drink.

For the first time in her life, she was actually letting the alcohol take effect, and it was actually working in calming the shaking in her hand, in her entire body, and it made the voice quieter. Maybe this was why people got drunk when they were having a bad time.

Luke sighed and shook his head. "You're right. Sorry. It was a long night with the new cubs."

"Where's Meliorn?" Raphael asked.

Magnus held his hand up defensively. "The Queen will be attending this very special meeting in this place."

"And exactly how do you know that?" Luke asked.

"She told me. And I'd suggest you both cozy up to her. Sooner rather than later."

"She's a fanatic."

"Valentine is a fanatic. The Clave is filled to the gills with fanatics. The Queen is simply a woman with a strong point of view."

"Does that 'strong point of view' differ from breaking the Accords? Because last time I checked, war with the Clave is the order of the day."

"Unless Valentine succeeds in raising Raziel," Raphael pointed out. "Kills everyone with demon blood first."

"In which case, she'd like to offer the entire Downworld protection in the Seelie realm," Magnus continued. "She insists the Court has been beyond the reach of the angels and their power for quite some time."

"So we live in safety as what?" Luke asked. "Her subjects?"

"Loyal guests is how she worded it when I brought up the same concern."

"Oh, uh-huh."

"And you believed her?" Raphael asked.

"I believe that Seelies cannot lie."

"But they don't always have to reveal all of the truth," Shu pointed out.

There was a moment of paused before Magnus sighed and set his drink down. "Look…no pressure, but I have already accepted her offer on behalf of the Warlock community in Brooklyn."

Raphael and Luke shared a glance.

"What's the catch?" Luke asked.

Magnus gave a worried look.

"You're gonna want that drink now," Shu said.

Alec, Izzy, Clary, and Jace all walked into the meeting room to find the Seelie Queen, Magnus, Shu, Luke, and Raphael all gathered.

"Where, oh where, is Simon?" The Seelie Queen asked.

"Your Highness," Clary said bitterly. "What an unpleasent surprise."

Alec looked to her nervously. "I'm sure she didn't mean to-"

"No offense, Alec, but I agree with Clary," Jace said. "Your Majesty, is this another one of your little games?"

"The Institute called an emergency meeting of the Downworld Council. I speak on behalf of the Downworld."

Alec's eyes moved to Magnus accusingly. "Magnus, is this true?"

"Henceforth, when you need anything from the Downworld, you shall address me, Mr. Lightwood," The Queen said. "Such is the nature of our new agreement."

Izzy gave Raphael a look, and he averted his eyes as well, though a little less proficient at keeping his face straight.

"Your Highness," Alec began. "Valentine believes the Institute has the Mortal Mirror, and he's not going to leave the city without it. I would like the Downworld's help in locating him."

"In order to capture him so that he might escape once again?"

"In order to execute him, so this threat may finally end."

"Why should we believe you?"

Alec gave a look to Magnus before sighing. "I understand why you might doubt my intentions after what happened with the Soul Sword. And for that, I am sorry. But I founded this council to make things more transparent between the Downworld and the Clave."

"And how has that been going?"

"It's been a bit of a work in progress," He admitted.

Magnus rolled his eyes and looked away once more, while the Queen stood. "For far too long, the Downworld has depended on the Clave - and your Institute - to protect us from men like Valentine. It's time we learnt our lesson and started fighting for ourselves."

"We can't do this alone. Valentine is a threat to all of us."

"The answer, Shadowhunters…is no."

She turned to walk around the table. "Come along."

Magnus and Shu followed her command, guided also by a pair of Seelie warriors.

Shu sighed as she and Magnus walked into the apartment. She went to sit on the couch, pouring herself a drink.

Magnus, however, was distracted by finding one of those photo booth picture collages, the four pictures of him and Alec smiling together drawing his eyes.

"Magnus!" Madzie called.

Magnus quickly set the pictures aside to go and hug her. "Sweat pea! It's so good to see you!"

"So many Warlocks all in one place," She mused.

She ran over to join some of the others, passing a woman with a bottle in her hand that was sitting on the couch. "Don't get comfortable, kiddo," She called.

"Yo, Cat," Shu called.

"My dearest Catarina," Magnus muttered.

She chuckled as he moved behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Why so tense?"

"I just pulled a double in the E.R.," She explained. "Mundanes. Can't seem to get out of their own way, can they?"

Magnus shrugged. "You would know more than most."

She chuckled.

"Thank you so much for coming, by the way."

"Hm. Our kind only rallies for birthdays and funerals. You're not in a suit, and there's nary a cake in sight. So…what's the special occasion?"

Magnus paused. "Remember when we bottled Malta during that god-awful demon attack?"

She smiled at the memory. "What are you trying to keep out of New York?"

"It's not what. But who. Two very bad Shadowhunters who cannot leave."

"Did the Clave okay this?"

Magnus shrugged. "Suffice to say…the common ground between the Downworld and Alicante is…shifting."

She nodded, a smile taking her face. "Then it's a good thing I wear comfortable shoes."

"Wards are in place," Shu reported. "No Nephilim shall escape on this day. Even Jonathan contains angel blood. Even he cannot escape, and whether Valentine takes a Warlock captive or not, no portals can be created."

"Ah! A hunt! All Warlocks, Vampires, Werewolves, and Seelies together, completely ignoring the Clave! This is what I'm talking about!"

"Well, at least you and I can agree on some things. Or maybe the alcohol is eating away at my mind faster than I thought."

"You're a beast inside, girl, admit it!"

"I still don't like the prospect of war, nor the fact that you broke up the best couple in this entire land! What will the fandom have to say about that?!"

"They were cute, darling, but it's more fun to see them fighting. That look of betrayal, disappointment, that look of pleading to make up for it, and the SHUT DOWN! This is like the best real life soap opera since Lilith and Sammael!"

"You are insane."

"But you're still smiling."

"I've been stuck with you for thousands of years. I think I'm getting back into the groove of dealing with your bull shit."

"A millennia since we were separated, I was banished to Edom to continue the reign of Demon Queen while you became soft. If anything, I'm a good influence you."

"Good?"

"Shu, what's wrong?"

"Hm?"

"You're staring at a wall. The ward screen fell ages ago."

"Sorry. Just having a conversation with myself. You know, if the Shadowhunters were in on this too, we'd have literally all of the Shadow World working together to catch Valentine and Jonathan. That would be bad-ass, if so many of them weren't jerks.

"Well, it's not as if they're not still giving it their all. It's just they're not working directly with us. I have no doubt that they're still trying, however."

"You know, I've hated the Clave long before you, but…you shouldn't be holding such a grudge. Alexander apologized with all his heart. He has hatred only for himself at the times he messes up. In his eyes, he's the one trying to win an immortal heart. At first, it started as a Warlock looking for his next love interest out of hundreds more in the future, but somewhere along the way, it became him afraid to lose you, not the other way around. You can't hate him forever, Magnus. Because if you do, all you will do is regret for the rest of your life. There are only so many years Alexander Lightwood will be in this world. Don't waste anymore."

"Jace defeated Jonathan, but Valentine is still missing."

"Great. Well, at least half the dynamic duo is dead."

"What are you doing here, anyway? Isn't this against your pact with the Queen to be helping Shadowhunters?"

"I never made that pact. Magnus did. I told her since we're soul bonded I am bound by the same oaths as him, but those are only soul oaths which are complex to say the least, and the Seelie Queen doesn't dictate my life. Never has, never will. I like the Seelies for their cunning and deceptive way of survival-"

"I taught 'em well!"

"-but that doesn't mean I'm always gonna ally with them, Alexander. Besides, Seelies can't lie, but they can't completely sense when you're lying. They're just…pretty good at reading expressions, tones, etc. to find out on their own."

Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket. "Luke and Simon need to meet me and Magnus for something. I gotta go. Oh, and Alexander? Don't give up on my brother. He's only hard-headed when he's hurt, and he only gets hurt by those he loves more than anything."

When Shu portaled in, she was just in time to hear frantic knocking at the door.

"What's going on?" Magnus asked, seeing Luke and Simon.

"Maia's gone missing," Luke explained.

"What?" Shu called.

"She disappeared from the Hunter's Moon and I think your bestie the Seelie Queen's responsible," Simon said frantically.

Magnus allowed them into the apartment. "What would the Queen want with Maia?"

"She has this…crazy obsession with me because of the whole Daylighter thing. And then, she invited me to live in her court, and I said thanks, but no thanks, and then she…she threatened to hurt the people I care about."

"She also offered shelter to every Downworlder," Magnus reminded them.

"That shelter comes with a price," Luke countered. "Loyalty to the Queen. Maia wouldn't go for that. And she wouldn't desert her pack."

"Maybe she found a lead on Valentine and is off hunting him down."

"Without telling me?"

"Come on, Magnus!" Simon snapped. "We're not making this up. She's got Maia."

Magnus hesitated, swallowing and shuffling the things in his hands. "My Warlocks are on the roof, holding the wards up to keep Valentine in the city. I have to go help them. But the next time I see the Queen, I will inquire."

He quickly rushed up the steps.

"Taking on the Seelie Queen is a dangerous game," Shu said. "I've got some stuff to do as well. But if you wanna start war with the Seelies during this time of unity between the Downworld, give me a call."

"You know, smoking isn't good for you."

"Healing factor of over 9,000, darling. It's not doing anything but keeping you in control. I'll admit, I've never been one for smoking."

"I see I've done well in bringing out the worst in you."

Shu smacked the water where the Demon Queen's image was, causing her image to ripple, but she was obviously unaffected.

"Well, at least we're making progress in uniting our souls. You're beginning to accept me, if only through coping mechanisms that keep you stable. If anything, you're making this easier."

"Easier for both of us. You and I get our souls ever closer to each other, agreeing on more and more, before the lines of Demon Queen and Asushunamir blur completely. Once there, neither of us can guarantee victory over the other."

"Perhaps."

"Yet you still do this, knowing that you won't be guaranteed a win."

"You make me whole, darling. You are me. For the past millennia I've ruled over the demons, felt more empowered than ever. And yet there was always something missing, a piece of me that I was going insane without. Well, more insane than usual, anyway."

"But me? I went through that first 600 years because Charon was there, looking out for me. Sort of."

"Oh, don't be daft. He didn't just spend time with you to take your memories and keep you stable with his demonic aura canceling out my absence. He did it for love, a stupid concept when under demonic rule, but ever a possibility. Even demons fall in love. Just like your father."

"Asmodeus? I wouldn't call a bunch of flings love necessarily. Liking of his children isn't really love either, since he's killed most of them off for the sake of his realm."

"Not that father, dumb-dumb. Our real father. The one even I consider a father figure."

"Kandai? The face Charon wears?"

"Yes. That poor sod was an ostracized Greater Demon who fell in love with an angel of all creatures. Everyone warned him that angels don't love demons unconditionally. They're deceptive, only care about their own kind, and love is impossible for them. But Uncle Kan didn't listen. Fell in love with this guy…Renèe? No, no, that's not right. It was fancier than that. Ah! Ren'ai. And angel who couldn't help but fall for a demon. They even married for heaven's sake, eloped and ran back to the mortal world to hide out and pretend to be humans. Honestly, what were they thinking?"

"I never knew Kandai was a demon, a Greater Demon, in fact. I suppose I always assumed I lived in a town in Edom where humans were brought."

"Oh no, your mother was the only human allowed to go unpunished in Edom, at least until you were born. After that, the demons could play with her all they wanted, and she went insane, taking it out on you. But they obviously kept her alive, made sure you had somewhere to put your rage, and waited until you eventually snapped."

Shu probably should've felt offended, but maybe it was the cigarettes that just made her feel barely annoyed at her vulgarity and bluntness, and yet nothing more than that. Then again, her soul was coming closer to Shu's, meaning it was getting harder to distinguish the Demon Queen's feelings from hers.

When she heard a knock on the door, she waved her hand and the bathtub water disappeared. She threw her cigarette in the tray and headed over to find Magnus answering the door before her, finding Alec.

And then, without a word, Magnus moved to close the door again.

"Magnus!" Shu scolded, grabbing the door and pulling it open once more.

Magnus rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Shadowhunter? Is it about the demons?"

Alec sighed. "There's something you need to know, about the Queen."

"Well, if you've come to tell me that she made a deal with Valentine, I already know."

He moved to shut the door, and now Alec stopped him. "Wait. Izzy has located the rift that the demons are coming from."

"Oh, and you want us to seal it. What a surprise."

"We need a Warlock to seal one this severe."

"Duh."

"Magnus," Shu muttered, whacking him on the arm.

"Demons don't discriminate between Downworlder, Shadowhunter, mundane," Alec reminded him. "They kill them all."

"He's right, Mags. Can't just let people die and do nothing about it. Besides, our Warlocks are working hard to keep the wards up and contain the monsters within the city, but with so many, they're being strained."

Magnus hesitated, but swallowed. "We'll seal the rift. But not because of you or the Shadowhunters. Because it'll save lives."

With that, he finally closed the door.

"I just spoke with Imogen," Izzy reported. "Despite her requests, there have been no troop movements in and out of Alicante since. When she went to Malachi to see what the hold up was, she was told he'd left suddenly."

"So she believes Consul Malachi is actually a spy for Valentine?" Magnus clarified.

"Ooo, spies are high up these days. They're almost as good as demons."

Izzy sighed. "There is no other explanation."

"Jace and Clary are in Lake Lyn with Valentine, who knows how many Circle members and no military support," Alec recapped.

"We need to go help them."

Alec sighed. "I can't leave when the city is under assault."

Izzy looked to Magnus and Shu with worry. "What have you got?" Shu asked.

"We've identified the demons as a rare sub-species as Edomei."

"Ah, Edomei."

"You're familiar with them?" Alec asked.

"They're from Edom. Tenacious little devils."

"So we've noticed," Izzy agreed.

"And remarkably intelligent, capable of creating carnage in any number of ways."

"Yet they haven't attacked once," Alec muttered. "What are they waiting for?"

"They work in hordes," Magnus said. "Perhaps they're increasing their numbers to reach a critical mass."

"That's my boys! You go cause mass destruction like bosses!"

"All the more reason to get this rift closed as soon as possible," Izzy concluded. "Their entry point appears to be here."

She moved her hand over the table with a satellite view of New York, pointing to a beach.

"Near Croton Point."

"How long will this take?" Alec asked. "Jace and Clary are alone in enemy territory."

"Not long," Magnus promised.

"We need to move," Izzy ordered.

They came out of the portal onto the beach that Izzy had shown them on the map.

"This is definitely the right place," Alec said, before looking down at a dark patch of sand. "What is that?"

"Blood," Izzy informed him. "Where did all the demons go?"

"They sense me. They'd never dare approach their queen without permission."

"I'm not sure," Magnus admitted. "They just don't normally fly off into the sunset."

They walked over to a large hole leading down to a fiery hell of Edom, where all the demons were coming from.

"Well, let's not stick around until they make an appearance," Alec recommended.

"The amount of energy required to seal a rift from Edom is substantial. It's not just the flick of the wrist."

"It'll take some time, but it's entirely doable," Shu agreed.

Magnus walked to one side of the portal while Shu walked to the other.

"You gonna be okay?" Alec asked Magnus.

He shrugged. "I'm the High Warlock of Brooklyn."

The two of them waved their hands and their magic began spreading over the portal.

"Well this is rather anticlimactic. How about we spice things up a bit? Oh boys!"

Two dragon Edomei could be seen as mere specs down below, but as they screeched and began ascending, everyone took notice of them.

"Uh oh," Shu muttered.

The two dragons soared up and out, one smacking Izzy back with it's wing.

"Izzy!" Alec called.

"Go! I'm all right."

"Cover me!" Magnus ordered.

Alec nodded, running past him to face the dragons while the two Warlocks began throwing their magic in ever faster and pulling the rift closed.

Alec ran up and nocked an arrow, taking aim and hitting one of the demons and disintegrating it, but the second roared and came swooping in. Alec realized the danger and began running back.

"Magnus!"

The portal was now half the size in diameter and shrinking under the magic surrounding it.

"Magnus!"

"Help him, I got this!" Shu called.

But Magnus gave a ticked off face and pushed his energy into closing the hole faster.

The dragon began firing blasts of lava and fire at Alec, which he barely managed to avoid.

"Magnus!"

Finally, Magnus turned around and used his gathered energy to fire a heavy blast of magic at the demon, throwing all his rage at Alec and the world as well as the large amount of energy he was using to close the rift into the attack.

Alec ducked as demon guts began flying around him, and Magnus went back to assisting in the final push to closing the portal. The four little demons that came out of the remains of each of the dragons began running forward to Alec, but he shot down five of them, and Izzy came in to kill the final three with her whip.

As the portal was finally sealed, Magnus fell to his knees and Shu panted, putting her hands on her knees to lean on them.

"Magnus!" Alec called, rushing up to him. "Magnus."

Magnus looked up to him. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

"All Edomei stand down! You'd best take shelter before you're destroyed, because the portal is closed. No more are coming. I shall return with what you seek later, but you must take shelter else you all shall be hunted."

"Any word from Jace and Clary?"

"No, but they should be arriving at Lake Lyn by now," Alec said.

"Strange. The aerial sensors show no demonic activity," Izzy reported.

"Yeah, there's nothing on the ground either. It's like the Edomei completely disappeared."

"I never heard of that," Magnus said. "Once they pass through the rift, the demons are here to stay until they're properly banished."

"Then where the hell are they?"

Alec suddenly gasped in pain. He coughed, holding his hand over the side of his stomach.

"Alexander, are you okay?" Magnus asked.

Alec pulled up his shirt to reveal his parabatai rune glowing with a dark orange.

"It's…Jace - AH!"

He grunted in pain, screaming out as he fell against the table and then down to the floor. Magnus was instantly at his side as he took deep breaths and gasped, holding his hand over his rune. He pulled his shirt up to reveal that his parabatai rune was fading, and they watched it disappear before their eyes.

"I…I can't feel him. He's dead."