Namir watched as more and more people were gathered for Lilith's ceremony. Once she'd gotten over the destruction of her first disciple, Lilith had thrown away her caution again. She now had four new disciples, each having murdered one of their loved ones before arriving - the more they loved their victim, the more gruesome their death. Lilith proceeded to then slit their throats and add their blood to the altar, like you do. This new group seemed to make her feel a lot better and for get that whole thing about staying secret.
Namir rolled her eyes and went back to the room with her angel. He was still chained, sitting at a small dinner table with a plate in front of him and another at the other side. His food remained uneaten since she'd given it to him.
"It seems like your boy-toy isn't going to be joining us tonight," Namir crooned. "Shame. He was so looking forward to every moment that he'd get with you. I guess he's found the outside world so much better. Maybe he's trying to run, leaving you behind."
The angel said nothing.
"I wonder, do any of the angels know about you? Do you think they even care where you are right now? When Ithuriel was captured, they did nothing to come and help him, did they? But at least he wasn't a-"
"Shut up."
Namir smiled. "Oh, so that's what gets you out of your shell."
"He won't run. He knows he can't. Because you made him make an oath."
"I didn't make him do anything. I just raised the stakes a bit to be more persuasive. But I'm a woman of my word. You'll be able to see each other freely and not an angelic hair on your head will be disturbed. Well, sort of. But our little demon has to come and visit, of course."
"What do you even want?"
She sat on the table and took a bite of the second plate's noodles, the plate that should've belonged to Kandai. "That is the question, isn't it? Working with Lilith is boring as hell and she's got her own agenda that I couldn't care less about. You'll see in due time. For now, eat up, little angel. We wouldn't want our demon to come home to see you starving - well, even more starving."
She hopped off the table and sauntered out, leaving the angel to sit alone, staring at his uneaten meal in silence once more.
"It was just a freak power surge," Shu reported to the mundanes.
"A couple of tweaks to the grid and Con Ed said it shouldn't happen again," Luke agreed.
The nurse nodded and the two of them went to join the others. Magus, Alec, and Shu had rushed over after their operation when they'd heard the news, Isabelle had come from the Institute, being the only one there since she'd taken some overtime, and Luke had come with the NYPD and the mundanes. Caterina had been attempting to help a patient that had recently come in, but her magic had flared from the corrupted ley lines just as she was doing so.
"Is Mr. Harris okay?" Cat immediately asked.
"He'll pull through," Shu assured her. "He's gonna be fine."
"And everyone else?"
Shu looked over to Magnus who wore a solemn face. "A patient upstairs, on a ventilator."
Cat's face fell. "Oh, God…it's all my fault!"
"Caterina, you had no way of knowing this would happen."
"Out of all the thing you could do as a warlock, you spend your life saving and helping mundanes, Cat," Shu agreed. "You didn't mean for this to happen, you didn't mean any harm. What's happening is beyond your control and this was far from your fault."
"This proves Lorenzo's mansion wasn't the only place affected," Alec declared. "We have to get back to the Institute."
They each nodded and went their separate ways, while Shu stayed behind and gave Cat a tight hug. "We're gonna fix this, okay? For now, you should keep your magic on the down low, maybe take a few days off. Don't worry, Cat, you'll be back to healing people in no time. We'll stop whoever's responsible, I promise."
"You're gonna use the Angelic Core? Are you serious?"
"This is our only chance to stop the corruption," Alec declared. "We're gonna flood the ley lines with angelic energy. Put an end to this, once and for all."
"So your plan is basically divine Drano?" Clary asked.
Alec had no response (probably because he didn't know what she'd just said) and waved his hand above the mission table, a holographic image of the Institute and the ley lines near it coming up. "The only problem is the Institute is not built on any ley lines. At least, not yet. That's where Magnus and Shu come in."
Shu tapped the hologram and the Institute transformed into an image of the core as the ley lines shifted to change from blue to red. "We know a spell that'll allow us to temporarily divert the flow of the magic at the core."
"Once the ley line's in place, you'll tap into the core, and we can kiss the demonic corruption goodbye," Magnus finished, swiping his hand over the hologram to turn it blue once more.
"Right, and what happens if a demon shockwave hits while you're using your magic?" Raj asked skeptically. He waved his hand over the image and the core opened as the corruption of the ley lines spread to the image once more. "The core…will be totally exposed."
The hologram core exploded before the entire thing vanished. A murmur spread throughout the Shadowhunter group with worry.
"Well, that doesn't look good," Jace stated helpfully.
Raj gave a cocky look.
"If we're lucky, it'll only vaporize the Institute," Magnus said.
"But what if we're not lucky?" Isabelle asked.
"Better not to think about that."
"This is a risk we have to take," Alec declared.
"The whole point of building the Institute away from the ley lines was to avoid something like this," Raj argued. "Why not just quarantine the warlocks outside the city?"
"Because kicking innocent people out of their homes isn't going to solve anything."
"Neither will blowing up the Institute!"
"Who do you think you are by saying those things?!" "You can't just go around quarantining Downworlders!"
Isabelle and Clary began arguing together against Raj while the other Shadowhunters began to converse in concern.
"The corrupted ley lines can't be ignored," Shu shouted firmly. "Warlocks are just a caveat to the real problem. Something out there is using very dark magic to corrupt these ley lines, and if we just pretend that this isn't happening, they're power will grow until there's no stopping it or them. Quarantining people who have no control over this situation will do nothing but mask the real problem beneath the surface."
"This isn't just about the warlocks," Alec declared. "You know what happened at the hospital. Everyone is at risk. We are under siege by a Greater Demon. It is our job to solve this problem."
To that, no one had an argument.
"Evacuate the Institute. Essential personnel stay behind."
The others all did as he commanded, Raj doing so with a skeptical face.
Shu sighed. "Let's get going."
She, Magnus, and Alec all went down to the room with the core
"You sure about this?" Magnus asked.
"You got a better idea?" Alec responded.
Magnus shrugged. "I could try it on my own. It'd be far more difficult, but at least you'll be safe."
"And let you hog all the glory?"
Magnus chuckled. "Maybe."
"We fail, anyone surviving gets to hear an 'I told you so' from Raj," Shu pointed out. "Personally, I'd rather take the dying in peace option."
Alec tapped the control panel to open the core. "As long as you're here, we're not going anywhere. Right?"
Shu nodded. "Not getting rid of us that easily, Mags."
He shrugged and removed his jacket. "Well then, let's get started."
Magnus and Shu stepped forward to the window of the core, activating their magic and throwing each hand out to start pulling the ley lines towards the large mass of energy that was the Angelic Core of the Institute.
The room began to shake with the energy gathering as they pushed the ley lines forward.
"A little further!" Alec called.
They pushed the ley lines in and the core pulsed, a high-pitched whine beginning to ring out from the strain.
"Now!" Magnus shouted.
Alec pushed a button on the control panel and a beeping could be heard. Alec started tapping the screen, but nothing was happening.
"Alexander, we can't hold it much longer. Do it now!"
"I can't! Someone's locked me out!"
The energy began to grow beyond the restraining magic that Shu and Magnus were putting into it. Shu's end started to become unstable, the ley lines snapping and pulsing with the core. Shu ended up being sent back from the force, falling on the glass floor.
"Shu, what's wrong?!" Alec shouted.
"I can't connect to the ley lines!" She realized. "My angelic state's weakening my warlock magic!"
"Alec!" Magnus shouted, now holding twice the amount of energy as before.
"I need to release the energy manually!"
"Well whatever you do, do it quickly!"
Shu stood and helped Alec pull a panel off of the wall, revealing wires and a control board that Alec started messing with. He grabbed a handle and attempted to push it up, but it barely budged.
"ALEXANDER!" Magnus called.
"We're working on it! It's rusted!"
Shu grabbed the handle and pushed, still retaining her supernatural strength despite her transformation as the handle began to move. Alec released the handle and pulled off his jacket, activating a rune on his arm before helping her thrust the lever up and into place.
A pulse surged through the room as the Angelic Core surged. Magnus pushed the ley lines into place as the energy flowed through them and then out across the entirety of New York, cleansing the ley lines throughout.
The room went white and Shu screamed. Magnus fell back from exhaustion and Alec held his arm up to avoid being blinded. When the light began to dim somewhat, he dared a glance at Shu to see that she was glowing golden, silhouettes of golden wings at her back. Her dress and shoeless state from their operation at Lorenzo's mansion added to the effect of making her look like an angel, but it was the eyes that really completed the look. Her eyes were pupil-less, shimmering like metal.
The bright light faded, the silhouette of wings too, and her eyes returned to their normal state. Shu was left panting, sitting on the glass floor in shock, looking back to normal as though nothing had happened.
Alec quickly rushed over to Magnus and helped him sit up. "I did it."
Magnus looked up despite his exhausted state. "You did it?"
"Yeah!" He looked down and saw the 'Seriously?' look on Magnus's face. "Well, maybe…maybe I got a little help."
Magnus had enough energy to chuckle while Shu smiled. "Great. Does anyone wanna explain what just happened?"
Namir watched as Lilith performed her ritual, draining more blood from her disciples when the room began to shake with a surge of energy. The four humans turned as a wave of blue energy flowed through the abandoned church down the red ley lines.
Lilith threw her hands up and Namir held up her palm in a bored motion as a barrier went up to block the four disciples and the altar. The barrier warded off the cleansing of the ley lines in a small burst, candles blowing out, before the energy faded away and the church darkened to silence once more. Lilith instantly checked on the condition of the altar to find that the ley line cleansing hadn't affected it.
"What happened?" One of the disciple men asked.
"It's a minor setback," Lilith assured them quickly. "But the altar is safe. That's all that matters."
Namir took a deep breath as she felt her power humming. A red aura took over her, black silhouettes of wings forming at her back. Her eyes lost their pupils, drowned out in a murky blood red.
"You've completed us, little Shu. Well done."
Alec walked out onto the balcony with Magnus, handing him a drink as they clinked their glasses together and drank.
"Mmm," Magnus exclaimed at Alec's choice. "That's quite the drink."
"It's been quite the day."
"I'm guessing Raj and his friends didn't take their banishment well?"
Alec leaned against the stone railing. "Oh, Wrangle Island isn't banishment. It's more like…character building."
Magnus chuckled. "Lorenzo Rey could use a bit of character building. He's been taking all the credit for fixing the ley lines."
"Such an ass."
Magnus hummed in agreement.
"Whoever corrupted those ley lines is still out there. And Lorenzo has to stop blaming you for being Asmodeus' son. Help us track the demon who's responsible."
Magnus swallowed. "Alexander…about my father…I hope you don't think less of me."
Alec stood straight. "Are you kidding? I don't care who your dad is. I care who you are."
Magnus turned with doubt in his eyes.
Alec reach out to cup the warlock's face. "And you're the furthest thing from a Greater Demon."
He kissed Magnus to convince him he meant his words. But a lot of people had told Magnus so over the years, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to fully believe it.
"So, have you figured out what happened yet?" Magnus asked, walking into the work room where they usually took clients where Shu was standing, staring out the window.
"I believe so, however this development has instilled worry upon my being."
"What?" Magnus asked. "You're talking like a faerie. Something wrong?"
Shu turned robotically. "My angelic transformation seems to have advanced beyond normal capacity. My demonic origins appear to be entirely absent."
She held up a fist and closed her eyes, looking like she was trying to mimic some salute and holding as still as a statue.
After a long period of time, Magnus got worried. "Uh, you okay?"
"It's not there!" She suddenly snapped. Her eyes opened and she walked up to Magnus. "The soul bond lies not with me."
"What?"
"You cannot feel its absence?"
"No! If I did, I probably would've been a lot more worried!"
Shu turned while putting a hand to her chin. "That proves it, then."
"Proves what?"
"My demonic half is out there, she has escaped, she is free. She has taken the last shards of my demonic power, and in turn, she has given me her angelic power. We are polar opposites now, far from being a single being any longer. We are split."
"Wait, so you're saying your Demon Queen half could be the one that's out there doing all this stuff with the ley lines and the possessions?"
"No, no, no. Well, yes, that is entirely feasible, but she would not be so blatant. She is intelligent, she knows when discretion is her wisest approach. This attention she has drawn is unlikely to be her doing."
"Can you connect to her in any way? Find out where she is?"
"You would be most capable of such a deed at this instance. I've broken my connections to her in my completed transformation, but you contain the soul bond - the bond to my demonic origins."
He sighed. "Well, I'm not sure that's a good idea. For all we know, she could end up possessing me because of that."
"As well as surveying our actions."
"We should tell Alexander."
"A tight leash may be put upon you should you do so."
"I promised no more secrets, no more hiding things. Come on, let's go."
As Shu passed the people within the Institute, staring at each one she passed. She saw each of them glowing slightly, a light aura of angelic energy. They were Nephilim, half-angel, half-human. Her angelic eyes were seeing their power, she realized.
"Where's Alec?" Magnus asked as they found his office empty.
Shu concentrated on the energy signatures she sensed within the Institute and seeked out the one she'd grown so fond of over time. "This way."
She led Magnus down the halls and to the weapons department where Isabelle now worked. There, Alec was standing at Izzy's desk talking about Shadowhunter stuff.
"There you are!" Magnus exclaimed. "Listen we think we figured out what happened to Shu."
"Your Institute's Angelic Core appears to have purged me of any demonic presence within my system," Shu explained. "Would I have once reverted from Raziel's interference before, now there is no reversing such a transformation. What's more, it appears that my demonic essence has transferred to the Demon Queen, a monstrosity of demonic power that may very well be the cause of the tainted ley lines. However, I know my own personality, my evil half, and I surmise she would not be so careless as to alert us of her presence before her plans are complete. We foiled a scheme by cleansing the ley lines, and these possessions are far too sloppy and draw much attention. I fear we are facing two opponents, and my counterpart is merely one. Though it is highly likely they work with separate agendas."
"On the bright side, the Core is off the ley line grid and free of demonic corruption," Magnus added.
Alec nodded, his mood already seeming down before they'd even arrived. "That's good to hear. Thank you for that information."
Alec looked down and Izzy stared at him as though urging him to share what they'd been talking about previously.
"What news do you possess in turn?" Shu asked.
"If it's not our business, we can make ourselves scarce," Magnus announced.
"We just got a fire message from mom, saying she's 'dropping by' for an impromptu 'family dinner,'" Izzy revealed using her fingers to make air quotes.
"Those are a lot of air quotes," Magnus commented.
"Mom doesn't just drop by for anything," Alec informed them.
"Yeah," Izzy agreed. "We're thinking it has to do with her and Dad. They're finally making their divorce official."
"My condolences," Shu said.
"It's for the best. Problem is, instead of just being sad like a normal person, she starts trying to fix everyone around her."
"Which usually includes grilling her children on everything she thinks is going wrong in their lives," Alec concluded.
Magnus got that thoughtful look on his face that probably suggested he was going to-
"So…where are you holding this suspenseful dinner?" He asked.
"Definitely not here," Izzy stated.
"The Institute tends to bring out her inner Inquisitor," Alec explained.
There was the 'Magnus has got a dumb idea but there's no stopping him' face. Shu could recognize it even without the soul bond and her confusing emotional state as an angel.
"How about our place?"
Alec looked to Izzy and then the warlock. "Magnus, you don't have to-"
"I insist. You can have the place all to yourselves."
"Wait, you should be there," Izzy suggested.
Magnus's face showed how he instantly realized his mistake and he shook his head no.
"Think about it," Izzy continued. "If Magnus is there being his usual charming self…" Magnus seemed to give in to the flattery. "…Mom won't have time to interrogate us."
Alec opened his mouth to protest, but couldn't find an excuse.
"I am charming," Magnus admitted. "But Shu can come too. She's great at distracting people."
"I can come with you, yes," Shu admitted.
She was capable of attending the meal, but was he considering her current condition?
"You don't think it's too much?" Alec asked.
"'Too much' is my middle name," Magnus declared.
"I thought it was-" Shu began.
Magnus put a finger to her lips. "Shh."
Alec couldn't help but smile.
Magnus stepped forward and took Alec's hand. "Look, clearly this is important to you. Ergo…it's important to me. And Shu's never one to turn down an invite to help be an ice-breaker."
Alec chuckled and Izzy smiled knowingly at their relationship.
"I have no idea what it is, I've never seen it before," Magnus declared. "Is this an accurate drawing?"
"As accurate as Maia says she can get," Simon said. "She said it was basically this shape but blue and glowing."
"Shu! Simon's got a symbol, do you think you can ID it?"
He walked into the living room, seeing Shu staring out the window again. She was doing a lot of that recently.
"Hey, Shu."
She snapped out of her mesmerized state and looked over to him. "Yes?"
"Can you identify this symbol?"
He handed her a napkin with a crude pen drawing of what looked to be a backwards lowercase 'U'. Shu rotated the paper in her hand in an attempt to discern where she had seen the drawing before.
"Have you any symptoms of this mark?" Shu asked.
"Well…I-I mean I kinda blasted this werewolf when he tried to attack me with a bat and he's apparently no healing like he normally would," Simon admitted.
Shu tilted her head in curiosity. "Was the damage seven-fold his intended injury upon you?"
"What? H-How am I supposed to know? All I did was put my hands up to defend myself and he was suddenly thrown into a shipping container."
She reached to hold his head still and examine his forehead. She focused her vision and saw the invisible mark placed upon his skin.
"I see. You gained this mark within Faerie?"
"Uh, yeah, Seelie Queen did a ritual with a stick thing, burned it onto me."
"Raziel will be none too pleased to learn of this development."
"He…the angel's not gonna c-come down and smite me now, is he?"
"No, he'd not dare even try. Know this, Simon Lewis. None will do you harm so long as you bear this cursed mark."
With that, she turned back to the window.
"Wait, what?" Simon asked. "W-W-What do you mean cursed? I mean, it is from the Seelies and stuff, but what exactly did they do to me? Am I in any danger? Oh man…"
Shu remained silent, staring down into the city below.
"She's, uh…going through a phase," Magnus said. "Best to leave her alone. Sorry, Simon."
The vampire sighed and took his napkin and left. Magnus left his sister alone to stare out the window in peace as she watched Simon walk away from the apartment. No one was around when Shu next spoke.
"And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a Mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him."
Unfortunately, no one was witness to her explanation.
"Are you sure this is exactly half a cup?" Alec asked.
"Cooking is an art, not a science," Shu said, staring out the window.
She hadn't changed from her white dress even now, the fabric hugging her upper torso over her shoulders with no sleeves down to her hips and the skirt flowing down to her knees. She remained barefoot no matter where they went (which had gotten a few odd looks back when she had visited the Shadowhunter Institute) and her hair was now completely white, almost glowing with angelic energy. Even her skin seemed to shimmer slightly after her transformation.
"If that were true, then there wouldn't be…" Alec reached over to a small card with measurements. "…instructions."
Magnus hummed in amusement, drinking from a mug while he watched Alec cook.
"Now, this is an old family recipe," Alec explained. "Izzy and I found it right after my grandmother died. My mother was inconsolable…until the day we made her this stew. That was the first time that I saw her smile."
Magnus set his cup down. "Well, you're a sweet man, Alexander." He walked over and frowned, reaching up to Alec's head. "So adorable with radish in you hair."
He reached up and plucked the green stem from Alec's head with smile and set it on the table. The moment he turned back, Alec was suddenly shoving the spoon in his face and had him take a bite of the stew.
"How is that? Good?" Alec asked eagerly.
"Mmm, mm-hmm," Magnus hummed with a mouthful, nodding encouragingly.
The moment Alec smiled and walked past him, Magnus frowned as he cringed in disgust. Alec went into the next room to the sound of a phone ringing while Magnus spit out the stew into his mug and then moved to the pot.
"Oh, God…!" He muttered.
He snapped and waved his hand over the stew, his magic whooshing and fixing it up. Alec came back a moment later and Magnus quickly started stirring innocently.
"Izzy…texted," Alec reported, walking over to shove Magnus out of the way. "Out, out, out, out. She's going on mission with Clary and Jace…which means it's just me…tonight."
"Just…us," Magnus clarified. "Okay?"
There was a knock on the door and Alec tensed up. Well, tensed further. "Okay, remember, my mother's on edge and that means avoiding any sensitive subjects, like my dad, or like that I turned down that job at the Clave-"
"Or the fact that you're dating a dastardly warlock?" Shu added.
Alec sighed. "I'm sorry. Am I being terrible?"
"No, no, no," Magnus assured him. "You're just tense." Magnus looked behind him at the table and grabbed a glass of wine. "Here, drink this."
Alec took the glass enthusiastically and jugged the whole thing down, handing the glass back. "I'm okay. You're okay?"
"Oh, I'm okay," Magnus said.
"Okay."
"You're okay."
Alec rushed over to the door, clearly not okay.
Shu took the glass from Magnus's hand. "It appears Alexander similarly indulges in alcohol as I do when under pressure. Come. Let us see if I can retain my social skills when in my angelic form."
They followed Alec to the front door as he opened the door to Maryse, looking nothing like the Maryse Magnus and Shu were familiar with. She didn't have her hair in a pony-tail, and it appeared she had cut it a bit so that it didn't go down to her waist. It still was pretty long, going beyond her shoulders, but still it was a notable difference. On top of that, she was wearing a maroon-colored dress, way more color than Shu was expecting from the strict Shadowhunter woman, and she was holding a bottle of wine in her left hand with her jacket on her right. Shu hardly recognized her by looks alone, but she sensed that this was Maryse Lightwood…to a certain extent…
"My boys!" She exclaimed with a giggle, opening her arms and walking in to embrace Magnus, to the warlock's surprise.
"Oh, uh…" Magnus stuttered, but Maryse had already moved on to Alec. "I'm…far from being a boy, but…I appreciate the sentiment."
"My apologies," Maryse said, handing the bottle she brought to Alec. "I should respect my elders." She giggled again and turned to Shu. "And here's my girl! Oh, sorry, woman."
Shu accepted the hug from Maryse with a smile. "Hello, Maryse. I am glad you were able to visit."
"Oh, I was happy to come! Aren't you just a lovely little thing?"
"My thanks."
Maryse walked further into the apartment as Alec closed the door behind her. "Can I get you a drink?"
She turned with her arms held open. "How bout a round of Magnus's famous cocktails?"
Magnus shifted, taking the bottle from Alec. "This is your mother on edge? Hmm."
The dinner ended up going extremely well, all things considered. Though all of them had been concerned about Maryse, Magnus was easily able to make small talk, enough to make him more comfortable before he started breaking out many of his regular socializing skills without fearing Maryse's wrath or stoic demeanor. It was quickly deduced that Maryse had most likely been drunk before she had even arrived, and she was consuming ever more during the meal even if she wasn't.
Alec barely had to do any talking and even seemed slightly concerned with how well the warlock was getting along with his mother, while Shu simply smiled and watched. She was having trouble reading human emotions lately, even having trouble feeling her own. She was concerned, of course, but she found no way to resolve her dilemma. Instead, she merely took this opportunity to observe the light-hearted interactions between Magnus and a drunk Maryse.
"I'm serious," Magnus was saying. "Truman Capote was a total closet warlock. And he never knew when to leave." Maryse laughed as Magnus did his best impression in a high-pitched voice. "'I'd like to stay here the entire night drinking cognac, and regaling you all with all my stories.'"
Maryse set her glass down. "Well, you do know how to host."
"Oh, please," Magnus said in his regular voice. "Tonight…was all Alec."
"Really? That stew was incredible. Who knew you could cook?"
"Well, I've made that for you before," Alec said with a smile, though it almost seemed forced.
Maryse sighed in delight. "Ah, how could I forget? Alec and Isabelle made this for me when they were little kids. To see the looks on their faces when they brought it to me…it still warms my heart. But that stew, I still have nightmares."
"I…I thought you loved that stew," Alec said, his face growing concerned.
"Well I do now! Whatever you've done to the recipe, it's unrecognizable!"
Alec glanced over at Magnus and he averted his gaze. "Would…anyone care for a digestif?"
"Mmm, no, thank you," Maryse hummed. "I'm probably embarrassing Alec as it is."
"Oh, we're just happy to see you in such good spirits," Shu explained.
"We thought you might be upset…"Alec began. "…what with the…divorce…and everything."
Maryse fiddled with her bracelet but kept the smile on her face. "I've made my peace with that." She pursed her lips. "But your instincts are right. I do have some unpleasant news. I wanted Isabelle and Jace to be here, but…you need to know."
Alec sat forward and listen intently.
Maryse took a deep breath. "In light of Malachi's coup, the Clave has reopened its investigation of former Circle members."
"You had nothing to do with Malachi," Alec declared.
"Still…based on a review of my actions in the Circle, the Clave has reclassified me a traitor."
"What?" Alec snapped.
"They're stripping me of my runes. In a few days, it'll be announced that I have been exiled from Alicante."
Alec leaned forward. "This is completely unjust. You've given your life to the Clave!"
Magnus opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't figure out what. Maryse sat forward, dropping her head and slipping her hands to her neck to lean on her arms.
"I'll go and check on the desserts," Magnus said. "Shu, care to join me?"
"Yes, perhaps I will," She said.
The two of them stood and left the room.
"This is total hypocrisy," Alec snapped. "What about the Pangborns? The Blackwells? Do they keep their positions? W-What about - What about Dad?"
"He was assigned to the LA Institute as part of a deal."
"That is exactly my point! He gets a slap on the wrist, not exiled!"
"Please, don't make this harder than it already is," Maryse begged.
Alec took a moment to compose himself before sighing and rubbing his forehead. Maryse stood and walked around the table to Magnus's former seat beside Alec.
"My punishment is more severe because my crimes were too." Alec looked up in interest and Maryse turned to face the table, crossing her legs. "Back in the days of the Circle, I was convinced Valentine had all the answers. I recruited many good people…including your father. And together with Valentine, I orchestrated all the bloody details of the Uprising."
Alec hesitated. "But you got out."
"Only after I knew we were doomed. Once I saw Valentine for who he really was, I couldn't believe what I had done. I vowed to devote the rest of my life to the Clave. But the charges against me are just."
Alec internally sighed, turning to face Maryse. "That's very noble of you, Mom. But if you're not going to fight this thing, I will. Even if that means stepping down from the Institute."
"No," Maryse instantly countered firmly. "Seeing what you've accomplished as Head of the Institute…nothing has made me prouder. The Clave's always had its faults. My generation nearly destroyed everything in our passion to fix it. Yours will have to be wiser."
Alec looked down, but didn't have an argument left in him.
"Maryse has always been a strict one," Shu said. "But that was all because she was overcompensating for her mistakes of the past."
"I never liked Maryse," Magnus admitted. "Even for Alexander, I was still hesitant about her. But now, seeing her like this…"
"How could we not see it? All the pain and regret? She was quite the actor when she had to be. To handle such fear all her life. Truly, she is admirable, a woman caught…as they say, between a rock an a hard place."
Magnus chuckled. "That's the understatement of the year."
"We must aid her. She knows little of the mundane world. Does she have an identification? Mundane currency? Where might she find a job? How will she fare for even a day among the chaotic society within New York? No, I must remedy this situation. If I cannot appeal to the Clave, I shall use my resources to assist Maryse Lightwood in her plight."
Magnus smiled. "It seems you've still retained your feelings after all. Good to know you're still in there, Shu."
"Thank you…again," Maryse said as they walked her to the door. "Tonight couldn't have been nicer."
"You are welcome any time," Shu declared.
She nodded to the siblings and turned to Alec. "And, um…I'd appreciate if you could keep our conversation between us. I'd like to tell Isabelle and Jace myself."
Alec nodded. "Of course."
She smiled and hugged her son.
"I suppose we'll be seeing more of you?" Magnus asked.
"I'd like that," Maryse agreed.
"We will never turn you away, Maryse," Shu declared. "One way or another, you are family."
Maryse smiled and relaxed, allowing Shu to give her a hug. She then turned to Magnus. "I may have had my prejudices in the past…" She looked to her son. "…but seeing you stand by Alec? It's what every mother wants for her children." Magnus was taken back and at a loss for words. "Thank you, for loving my boy."
Magnus smiled and as Maryse hugged him, he happily reciprocated.
Maryse gave one final goodbye before opening the door and departing. Magnus and Alec shared a warm smile as Magnus sighed and headed back into the apartment to clean up.
Namir watched as the Wayland/Lightwood/Morgenstern/Herondale (what the fuck was this boy's last name now?! Whatever, he was blond and a Shadowhunter) boy returned. He reported the loss of one of the girls, Lilith snapped, and then lamented the loss of her beloved son, declared she'd make Jace pay with his life for killing Jonathan, and then sent him to recover the lost disciple.
"So, can I play with him just a little before we kill him?" Namir requested. "I have a few plans that'll require that boy."
"Do as you wish, but his death will be mine to execute. I will make him pay for what he's done to my son."
"No! I've lost the connection again," Lilith hissed.
"His love for the Morgenstern girl," Namir realized. "That's what helping keep his wits. Love. The nightmares aren't enough."
Lilith leaned against the altar as she thought. "Perhaps I have underestimated his care for this girl. Is your pet project awake?"
"Not yet. Poor sod's too weak to even stay conscious. I'll kick him into gear if you can't handle the Herondale."
Lilith took a few deep breaths of rage. "No, I will handle this myself. He will be back soon and he shall accomplish his task."
Shu stared at the demonically possessed woman locked in the cage. However she sensed this was no longer a simple demonic possession. No, the woman would still be a mortal. Now, Shu saw nothing but a dark smog surrounding the woman, making her barely visibly to Shu's angelic eyes.
Shu put her hand to the glass and kneeled. "Who wishes for thy pure heart to darken so?"
The soundproofing on the room was still active, but Shu knew that the woman was shouting for her sister, desperate to kill her loved one. This was the 11th victim this week of what the Shadowhunters had dubbed 'The Owl' demon. But the face they'd drawn was no demon Shu knew of. It was simply a glamour. If she could've been present when this woman was possessed, if she could've met this Owl in person, she could've identified the man or woman beneath the mask.
Shu could sense the aura of demonic presence around the woman. She got a sickening feeling, a reminder of a foe she couldn't defeat but knew of well, a rage of a pointless battle to an enemy she knew the name of, but the syllables refused to form upon her tongue. The scent of demonic presence summoned a memory that refused to fully form. It seemed that with the loss of the rest of her demon half, she also lost the majority of her memories.
This was what it meant to be an angel - able to sense demonic presence, but unable to differentiate between one or the other. She could sense the stronger demons versus the weaker ones, but beyond that, all looked the same to her. Though as powerful as the very angel that created a race of Nephilim called Shadowhunters, she felt more powerless than ever. This was why the angel chose the mundane blood to make the Shadowhunters - the mundanes could learn, adapt, could separate demons from Downworlders.
Even now, her own brother began to become blurry with darkness. All Shu could see clearly were the eyes - the cat eyes of a Prince of Hell.
Shu stood straight again, turning to leave just as Alexander and Isabelle were arriving.
"You okay, Shu?"
She cringed and held her ears. Humans spoke with their voices, angels spoke with their minds. Humans were loud. "I am in good health," She reported. "I simply tire with my new state. I smell the demon the woman has been transformed by, but I cannot discern the name, the source. It frustrates me to no end. I know of the creature yet the name refuses to reveal itself to me."
Alec sighed. "Don't strain yourself. Go out and take a break, okay? Go to a restaurant or a bar or whatever you think will help clear your mind."
She nodded and entered the elevator. A place to clear her mind? Where would that be?