Magnus cut into his breakfast and took a bite. "Mmm! This is delicious. I haven't been this enamoured of French toast since…well, since Julia Child made me a petit dejeuner."

Shu pulled out her phone. "Hold on."

Magnus sighed. "Really?"

"Yes, really." She typed in the name and scrolled through the Google results. "Fine, you get a pass for now."

"I do my research."

"He's always lying about people he's met," Shu told Alec. "Like Julius Caesar. You wanna know who's met Julius Caesar in this house? It's not Magnus." She pointed to herself mouthing 'Me.' "Lotta blood that day he was assassinated. All the movies never add enough blood."

Alec laughed and Magnus rolled his eyes. "Well, it's good to see that you're feeling better. Is your transformation reversing?"

She sighed. "No. But I met someone."

"Someone?"

"Yes! Charon's daughter, a warlock. A nice girl who's going to come and meet her father - probably slap him, because what warlock doesn't want so slap their demonic parent? - and then become properly acquainted. She's pretty powerful too, might come in handy one day, and for now, she's helping me return to my normal state. Somewhat."

"That's good," Alec said. "Anymore allies are always welcome."

"She can enjoy Alec's cooking too," Magnus agreed.

"Maybe you should save the spatula I used for your little box if you like it so much," Alec muttered, drinking his coffee.

"He saw the box?" Shu sighed.

Magnus closed his eyes as he internally winced and Shu stood.

"On second thought, I'll eat in my room."

Magnus cleared his throat and set his fork down, wiping his hands on his napkin. "Alexander…if my mementos are still an issue for you, perhaps we should talk about it."

"No, it - it's my issue. It's just I-I got so…swept up that I…" He sighed. "…that I never stopped to think about the future."

"We fell in love. There's nothing else to think about."

"I can't stomach the idea that one day, I'm gonna be old…and feeble, and becoming this…burden to you."

"Look, there's no universe where you would ever be a burden."

"You say that now."

There was a long break of silence.

Magnus sighed. "Okay, maybe…the reason why you're having such a hard time processing this is because this is your first…relationship."

"Right, because the whole immortality thing, that's - that's no big deal. This is all just because you're the only guy I've ever been with."

"No, no, no. All I'm saying is…every relationship is complicated. Perhaps ours wouldn't seem so daunting if you would have been with at least one person before me."

"Oh. So…what, I should go sow my oats?"

"You're putting words in my mouth, that's not what-"

"And you're twisting this into something that it isn't," Alec snapped. "I'm not a child, Magnus."

"Then stop acting like one!" Magnus snapped.

There was a heavy silence between them before Alec dropped his napkin on the table. "Lost my appetite."

He stood and stomped away angrily while Magnus sighed heavily.

"You're saying this angel helped save Ithuriel's life?" Alec asked.

"Yes, and mine, too, probably," Clary said.

Clary, Luke, and Cleophas had all agreed that the man that saved Clary and Ithuriel needed medical attention. Cleophas had confirmed that the man was an angel, disguised in human form just like Ithuriel had been - so not glowing like a heavenly glowstick. Clary decided that telling Alec and having the angel receive treatment and protection in the Institute was for the best.

"I've told the others that he's a Shadowhunter that came out of nowhere and we're waiting for him to wake up to find out where he comes from," Alec explained. "No one should know we have an angel here, not until we figure this out."

"Agreed."

"What were you even doing, summoning Ithuriel?"

"I wanted to find a way to help Jace without him going to the Silent City and risking being deemed unfit for duty."

"Are you sure this isn't about…what happened when Jace died?"

Clary shook her head. "It's nothing like that, Alec. I just wanted help with his mental health issues, nothing more."

Alec nodded skeptically. "You know, angels aren't just there to be at your beck and call. Just because you have Ithuriel's blood doesn't mean you knew he'd not be angry at you for summoning him. Now that he was nearly killed because of you, he may never come and help us again. So I hope that you considered how serious this was before going this far. Now we just have to hope that when this one wakes up, he doesn't smite us for your carelessness."

Alec stomped out of the room, still angry at Clary's insistence for hiding the truth, and Clary sighed, looking at the beat up angel lying on the hospital bed.

They had cleaned him up - his dirtied hair now completely white - and his white clothes being washed to be returned to him. Clary looked at him in awe, never having gotten the chance to really examine an angel like this before. His skin might look normal if you weren't paying too much attention, but looking closely, it almost seemed to glow. Still, the doctors said that he was malnourished and injured, as though he'd been tortured, just like Ithuriel back when Clary and Jace had freed him. There were no signs of wings, maybe because he had them sheathed, but he was recovering from something, that was for sure.

Clary sighed and left the angel to rest, hoping that she hadn't just made a terrible mistake, like Alec had said.

I fell through the portal I was tossed through, feeling the wind swirl around. The air suddenly became heavy, weak, with less angelic energy, and I almost felt like throwing up on the spot.

I hit the ground hard, rolling onto my back upon impact and instantly regretting it as I felt my back cry out in more pain. I quickly rolled to my stomach and slowly gathered my bearings. Sheathing my wings and somewhat dulling the pain, and leaned against a tree and pulled myself to my feet.

The sky was so dark, the world so ugly. I had studied this world, sure, but coming here was a whole different experience.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to go home.

But I refused to let them beat me down further than they already had. So, I swallowed my sobs and blinked away my tears, walking forward.

I wondered if there was civilization anywhere nearby, and if I should search for it if there was. People of this world were supposedly cruel and rash should I stumble upon the wrong one. Yet I needed to find someone to teach me of this world, else I wouldn't last very long.

I held up my hand and felt that my powers were still working, but they were significantly weakened without the aura of Heaven constantly surrounding me and feeding me such strong energy. I would have to rely only on my own reserves and regular regeneration rate, which would all be significantly weaker than they could be since I've relied so heavily upon the power of my home up until now.

I made my way through the woods, which seemed to be relatively untouched by humans. I needed to find some kind of river with clean water, as well as find a source of food. Down in this world, my energy wouldn't be able to sustain me forever. It would be able to keep me satisfied for a couple weeks or even months, but it wasn't used to supporting me in such a way all on its own, so I would need at least a couple winters' worth of living this way for me to build up reserves and resistances.

When I pushed through a line of bushes, I came across a house. It was small, but I sensed a small bit of energy from it that definitely wasn't human.

It didn't seem to be harmful, so I walked up and knocked. The door, to my surprise, popped open upon the light push, and I slowly walked in.

"Hello?" I called, hoping not to scare anyone.

The door was unlocked, and it didn't even seem to have been properly closed. If they were so careless to allow in any passerby, along with wildlife, then perhaps it was best I not venture further, but when I saw what was inside, I reconsidered immediately.

The room the door lead into was my own, back from my own house. I never considered that I might never see my household again, but now it was right here. Someone had left it purposefully.

I closed the door behind me and locked the door, before walking further in past the living room and seeing that my workshop and lab were there as well, the inside of the house much larger than the outside had appeared. Every book was on the shelf, not a single thing disturbed since I had last been there.

I walked into the lab, checking all of the ingredients that I'd collected for potions and my research over the years was all still there. I took my work seriously, and so when I saw a small note was lying within my open journal that I had been working with, I instantly took notice.

Walking over, I picked it up and noticed familiar handwriting.

"Ren'ai. I apologize for the recent events surrounding your banishment. I know I cannot expect your forgiveness; however I hope that this is a proper way to show my intentions of sustaining our friendship."

I felt rage boiling within me at just the thought, crushing the small note. He had the gall to apologize to me after he was the one who got me banished in the first place. 'Sustaining our friendship?' As if he believes I'll ever want his 'friendship' ever again. Just because he gave me my home doesn't make up for what he's done.

I angrily took out a piece of paper, tearing it from my notebook, and scribbled my reply.

"You're right. I will never give forgiveness. There is no friendship between us. You forfeited your right to my comradery the moment you accused me of traitorous acts against the court of Heaven. My family shunned me, my friends looked down upon me, and not a single angel listened to my pleas. All because of you. Now, I am doomed to never see my home again. Your petty attempt at generosity sickens me. Never speak to me again. Never write to me again. I believe the words spat in my face at the ceremony were 'This is no longer your world.' You aren't a part of my world. I don't want you to be. Stay out of it."

I angrily used my energy to set the page ablaze, before I pounded the table, sobbing. I let out everything I'd been holding in since the moment the Angelic Guard had stormed into my house and put me under arrest, my best friend leading the charge.

I couldn't ever see my friends or family, I would never be able to walk with the angels, I would never have the life I loved again. I had pleaded that it wasn't my fault, I had begged them with all I had that I hadn't known. They looked into my memories, they saw that I meant no harm. But they still cast me out, sentenced me to a life in this place forever, never again to live as an angel.

They punished me with shame, a life of sorrow and hatred. They would've had more mercy if they had just killed me. But that's not how the angels worked. They would refrain from killing at all costs, and there were no records of executions to date.

Even the demon that had tricked me, he was being taken to the demons as a bargaining chip. The angels actually expected the demons to punish him? I'd bet my life that they were the ones who sent him to trick me in the first place. But even he got to go home.

And all I could do was sob. I could scream and shout, I could tear the pages of my work out - the very thing used against me that banished me in the first place - I could smash the jars holding all the work that I'd collected, hoping only to help, which had all gone to waste.

But none of it helped. I still felt as empty as ever.

The demon got to go to Hell, but in a way, so did I. Except this wasn't home to me. This was worse than any hell one could imagine. This was my hell.

This was my reality now.

Alec watched as tears fell from the closed eyes of the unconscious angel. He shifted in his sleep and pulled the covers over him tightly, nearly disappearing under the covers with his small frame and white hair matching the sheets.

Alec wondered, did angels dream? Was he in pain? Alec was really at a loss as to what to do. He didn't know anything about angels, he didn't expect this angel to be so…human. According to the doctors that Alec had specifically chosen personally, there was nothing suspicious about the angel at all - as far as they were concerned, he was a Shadowhunter. Maybe it meant that the angel was so weak that he could be mistaken for a Nephilim.

It still begged the questions of where the angel had come from, and who had left him in such a bad condition. It was known that Ithuriel had been captured by Valentine, but who else had such power? The Owl, maybe? Clary had told him that Ithuriel had said the Owl had a master, but they were interrupted before he could say who it was. Hopefully this angel had the same answers they needed.

"I got that roommate," Val reported.

"Oh?" Shu asked.

"The former Shadowhunter woman you said needed a place to stay?"

"Right, I know. But so soon? Wow, I told you about her once last time we met."

"Yeah, well the moment I left, I seeked her out and offered her a room at my place. I made sure that she had full control over the situation, of course - gave her a phone, showed her it was working, let her type in a number and be ready to call for help at a moment's notice should I betray her or whatever, but I told her I was your friend who'd been sent to help. Maryse is a nice woman who made some mistakes in her past, but she sure as heck didn't deserve being left out on the streets like that."

Shu sighed. "How's she settling in?"

"The girl's tough, but I can tell she's breaking on the inside - especially without her runes to help keep up that façade of hers. She looks at herself in the mirror, she looks at her skin, free of those runes all them Shadowhunters have, and there's so much sadness in her heart."

Shu nodded. "Maryse was a strict and tough woman, but it's because she was afraid. Afraid of herself, afraid of her past catching up to her, afraid of the future it could ruin."

"Adjusting to a whole new life isn't easy, but she'll manage. She said she was going to visit her children today."

"That's good. Alec needs a spirit boost in his life. He's a Shadowhunter, you see, Maryse's son, and he's dating my brother, Magnus." She took a deep breath. "But he recently came to that realization, you know? That he isn't immortal and Magnus…is."

"Ah, the daunting immortal love. That's the thing with immortals. If we find someone else that's immortal, we get tired of them, we have more than enough time to know that eternity awaits us. And if we find non-immortal lovers, then we just lose so many of them, face the inevitable end. If mundanes had…twice the lifespans, stayed young for twice as long, I have no doubt that things might be a lot better, but even then, if that were the normal standard, then it would still not be enough. Usually about 200 years is how long I can stay in a single immortal relationship. You?"

"A few thousand years was my first relationship. Then we broke up and my shorter relationships were only about 50 years since humans didn't live that long. They live a bit longer in modern days, but still."

"And Charon? How's that going?"

"I love being with him again. He's the only one that really understands me. We may have had out qualms in the past, but my gods, have I missed him. He's been passed out for far too long at this point and I'm getting kinda worried, but I can't heal him anymore, not the way that I am."

"You should check up on him soon. I can't wait to come over."

"For him or just to see my apartment?"

Val shrugged. "Both."

Shu chuckled. "Well, I'd be happy to let you over sooner, though Charon might get upset if you graffiti his face while he's sleeping."

Val laughed. "I'd assume so. I'll do my best to resist the urge, but now that you've brought it up…"

Shu chuckled. "I will advise you against it because he is still a Greater Demon, but beyond that, I'll just say, it's best not to, if you would."

"No promises."

Kandai dug around his daughter's room (it wasn't weird) looking for the ring. When Shu had come back later that day after he'd encountered the Shadowhunter boy that she lived with, he'd pretended to be asleep again as this 'Charon' dude who had apparently been using his face (he'd be miffed about that later).

He dug through every nook and cranny for the ring that he'd once worn as a wedding ring before Shu had taken it from him. He found a small compartment under a floorboard or two and had hope, however he just found a box full of random trinkets. Kandai had looked at each of them, labeled with notes infused with magic so they'd never age. There were names and numbers, along with hearts. These were items from those that she'd once loved in her long life.

But no ring.

He was instructed specifically to get that ring for its properties in transforming angelic energy into demon-safe energy. It was so that he and Ren could properly date without harming each other, with Ren having an opposite version - one that turned demonic energy to angel-safe. Ren was a genius, even by angel standards, and an alchemist. Those rings were each one-of-a-kind, and now the demon queen needed his ring to be safe from any angelic power.

Nervously, Kan summoned a wave of dark energy that transformed into a screen that contacted Namir. "You have it?"

"N-No. I can't find it. It's not in her room and it's not on her person."

"I told you to find it! Our deal says that your angel will remain unharmed so long as you do as I say, but if you can't bring me that ring, I will make him suffer!"

"I-I don't know where to look! If it's not with her, then where can it be?"

"That's for you to find out, not me. Now go and get that ring, now!"

"Y-Yes ma'am."

Ren woke up to a bright lights above him.

For a moment, he worried that he'd been brought back to Heaven. But no, they'd never take him back, no matter what happened. He never wanted to go back there anyway.

Ren tried to recall the events that led to his unconscious state. Saving Ithuriel from that demon, that monstrosity, and be protected by the mark. This was Namir's way of honoring her deal, Ren realized. Now, Ren would be impervious to outside harm - though miscellaneous objects and he himself could still do damage. Hopefully no one had tried to poke and prod him while he had been asleep.

Ren didn't recognize the place he was in, but he knew that his head was pounding from an overload of angelic blood. He tried to sit up and winced, feeling pain surge through his skull.

"Whoa, take it easy there," A voice said.

Ren looked up and saw the slight glowing of a woman. She definitely wasn't an angel, but she almost smelled like…Raziel.

"Nephilim…" Ren realized.

Ren moved to jump out of the bed he was in, but instead tumbled onto the floor. He quickly scrambled to his feet and took up a defensive stance.

"Nephilim!"

"Hey, hey! It's okay!" The woman said, her hands up in surrender. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm Meg, I'm here to help you. Just…calm down."

Ren sensed more Nephilim in the building. Dozens of them. All smelling of Raziel's scent. "No, what did you do, Razz?"

"Someone get Alexander," Meg whispered to another man.

Ren didn't know who Alexander was, and he didn't ever want to learn. He jumped to life, surprising Meg as Ren surged past her out of the small room he was in and down the hall.

An exit. He needed to find an exit.

He sprinted down the halls, passing and scaring some more Nephilim, but he didn't care. He needed to get out of here. Right now. He saw an elevator, but knew that would simply lead him into an ambush when he arrived at whatever floor he needed to be on. Stairs, he needed stairs.

He looked for a picture of a zig-zag line that seemed to mimic the basic design of stairs and rushed through the door. Deciding that there was nothing wrong with going up (and down wasn't exactly going to help if he overshot and went below ground level), he rushed up the stairs. The doors each had some sort of symbol that Ren assumed were numbers categorizing which floor he was on, but when the small short symbol changed to be some word, Ren took the chance to assume that it was pointing out the main floor.

He pushed through the door, surprising even more Nephilim as he surged past them down the hall. Finally, he found a room that had a hall with doors leading outside. The room was filled with technology and more Nephilim - some of which had weapons for training but others had weapons as they all started to suspect that Ren was an escapee from the prison block.

Ren hoped to make it through the room without being stopped, but people who were both concerned for him and suspicious of him began to swarm him. Ren could hear their voices, but he could also hear their thoughts of him. He heard all the voices mixing together, echoing through his mind on top of the overwhelming sensation of their angel blood pushing against his mental walls. He staggered back, his vision blurring. Ren put his hands to his ears but it didn't help.

"STOP IT!"

The weapons throughout the room began to glow with angelic energy, even ones that weren't being touched by the Nephilim, and all of them began to shake violently as they began to overload with angelic energy. They glowed brighter and brighter before they suddenly exploded. Shrapnel of the weapons were sent everywhere, and Ren held up a small barrier around himself before sprinting for the exit.

He shoved the doors open to be met with the blinding sun. It had been a long time since he'd seen the sun, so he was blinded as he sprinted forward into the mundane city. He bumped into a few people as he ran, trying to get his bearings. He ran into an alley outside of the normal flow of mundanes, but ended up bumping into a werewolf. Sensing the demonic curse upon the man, he instantly turned and ran back into the crowd, pushing his way through before he suddenly heard the loud honking of a horn and dodged a large metal contraption that a human was inside - a machine of sorts. Ren realized he seemed to be in a street filled with them, running to the other side and passing a few more honking cars before rushing into another alley.

He reached a dead end with a fence, falling down and hiding behind a trash bin. He curled up into a small ball, hoping not to be seen, and started crying. He didn't know where he was, he didn't know what to do, he didn't know if Namir was going to come and imprison him again, but it was preferable to being lost in this unfamiliar world, all alone and afraid.

"Your control has stabilized," Namir reported. "He should act more normal around his companions now, be a little more convincing."

"Good. Were nearing the final stages, we need everything to be perfect for my son's return."

"So, am I still allowed to borrow him once Jonathan's up and running? I have a few people that would just hate to see what the poor sod has become, screaming 'I know you're in there!' It will be so beautiful."

"Once my son's revived, you may play with him as you please. Make him burn his world, destroy all he loves, and make it painful."

"My pleasure. Still. One more disciple to go. Let's hurry this along."

"What of your angel?"

"The spell I cast combined with the mark on him will ensure that he can be harmed by no one, not even himself or inanimate objects, unless I deem it so. If my demon steps out of line, no matter where the angel runs, there will be no escaping punishment."

"Excellent. I will give Jace his orders. Once you have that ring, you may proceed."

"What happened?" Alec demanded.

"The guy woke up and seemed terrified," Meg reported. "He kept saying 'Nephilim' like he was afraid of us."

"It's possible he could've been the descendant of a rogue Shadowhunter - still a Shadowhunter with all the capabilities of one, but he doesn't know of his origins, or worse, was raised to be afraid of and/or hate Nephilim. We need to find him soon before he gets himself into trouble."

"Yes sir."

Alec sighed. This was far too much for just one day. This on top of the Owl, Jace, Clary, and…Magnus…all of it was adding up.

Alec took a deep breath. Jace was going to the Silent City for treatment today, so hopefully that would be resolved soon. Not to mention that Maryse was here today and Izzy should be inviting her to dinner at the Hunter's Moon. He needed a break, he needed to comfort his mom, and a dinner with the family might be what he needs.

Of course, Izzy had said that Magnus should come since he was a part of the family too, and Alec just didn't have the heart to tell her what had happened. This was for Maryse. Enduring a night with Magnus was nothing compared to what he owed her.

Alec sighed. He needed coffee. Might as well get out and take a walk to prepare for this.

"It all happened so fast," Clary reported as Magnus looked at a vague sketch of the demon that had attacked her and Ithuriel. "I-I wish I had gotten a better look at it."

"Well, I've seen lots of demons in my day, but…never this," Magnus admitted.

"The last thing I remember, it touched its claw to my chest. I still don't know why it didn't kill me."

"Powerful demons often leave an imprint, traces of their unique energy. If I can tap into the spot where it made contact with you, perhaps we can get a better sense of what we're dealing with."

Clary nodded and pulled her hair back and out of the way. Magnus snapped and waved his magic over her chest, touching his hand to the base of her neck as she began to glow with a red energy. Magnus cringed as the red magic crawled back up his fingers and tainted his magic. Magnus quickly pulled his hand back with a grunt.

"What is it?" Clary asked worriedly.

"This energy signature, it's…the same as the one that corrupted the ley lines. It seems that we're chasing the same demon."

Magnus took the sheet of paper Clary had drawn her sketch on and began writing a message with his magic. He set it ablaze and then tossed the fire message away.

"What are you doing?" Clary exclaimed.

"I'm sending a message to an old contact. He has access to information far beyond my resources. Hopefully, he's willing to help us…identify the beast."

Clary nodded. "I should…tell Jace."

Magnus nodded, but saw that Clary still looked uneased. "Biscuit? Is everything okay?"

"I tried to tell Jace about all of this earlier, but…he was acting…strange."

"Strange how?"

Clary sighed. "Maybe I'm being paranoid, but…he didn't exactly seem happy to see me. I tried to hug him and it just, it felt…odd."

"Relationships. They can be exasperating, can't they?"

Clary nodded. "Yeah."

"Sometimes, it's best…just to be patient. Jace has been through a lot. He probably just needs some time."

Clary looked like she was about to say something, but Magnus pushed her out of the way of a fire message that came flying back to Magnus's hands.

"Ah, we're in luck. Brother Zachariah says he's willing to meet. Tonight."

"Yo, what's up, losers?" Shu announced as she sat down beside Alec at the table. "Maryse, it's good to see you again. My friend Val told me she offered you a place."

"Really?" Alec asked.

Maryse nodded. "She was a kind warlock. She's also setting up all of my mundane credentials to make life a little easier. She's constructing a whole backstory for me."

"That's great to hear," Izzy exclaimed. "Thank you so much, Shu."

"I can't take much of the credit, considering she told me what she'd done after the fact, when I hadn't even asked her personally. I think I was talking about Magnus and then talking about Alec and then mentioned Maryse once and she still remembered what I said."

"A good listener, always a strong quality," Maryse commented.

"And she's got a good memory, so there's that too."

"Where's Magnus?" Jace asked.

"Oh, don't know. Last I saw, he was at the loft sulking his little heart out like my brother always does." She gave Alec a glance but quickly turned back to the others. "He's dramatic, that one, but a bit stressed from his new lifestyle of clients galore. Then again, he loves helping people, and the rush only makes things more invigorating. I'm sure he'll be here soon."

"And Isabelle, where's your friend?" Maryse asked.

"What friend?" Jace asked, frowning.

"Friend?" Alec asked. "Wait, you have a new boyfriend? Why am I the last one to hear about this?"

"Oh, no. Alec, I haven't heard about this one either."

Isabelle frowned at each of them. "Okay, he's not my boyfriend. We've only been on one date."

"He's a doctor," Maryse whispered before taking a drink of her wine.

"Well, what is he?" Alec asked. "Is he a werewolf? A warlock?"

"He's a mundane," Izzy revealed.

Alec looked around to the others to confirm if he'd heard that right. "Seriously?"

"Mom, that's new," Jace commented.

"I'm practically a mundane at this point," Maryse pointed out.

"But you're a former Shadowhunter," Shu countered. "That makes you still way better than any mundane. No offense to this guy. Does he even know about the Shadow World? He better not if he's a mundane, but I'm just saying."

"Okay, you all have to promise to behave yourselves."

"Us?" Jace asked skeptically.

"What?" Alec asked, still in disbelief.

Izzy looked over as a man walked into the Hunter's Moon and closed the door behind him. The look on her face told them everything they needed to know.

"Oh, Isabelle," Maryse sighed. "He is handsome."

"Mom…" Izzy muttered in warning.

Jace looked up and him and almost seemed intrigued. "Can't wait to meet him."

"So, w-what kind of doctor are you?" Alec asked.

"Pediatric surgeon," Charlie explained.

"You work with children," Jace clarified.

"Yeah, well, kids love to break their arms, run into coffee tables." He got a round of laughter from the table. "And…not everybody heals as fast as Isabelle."

Izzy touched her forehead where she had apparently gotten stiches from Charlie since she had to keep up appearances. She'd long since healed with Iratze, but it seemed Charlie remembered.

"Yeah," Izzy chuckled. "The magic of makeup."

Charlie nodded. "Anyway, Isabelle told me about the family business."

"What…exactly did she tell you?" Alec asked.

Izzy opened her mouth to explain, but Charlie cut in. "Is the jewelry thing a secret?"

"Oh…jewelry," Alec chuckled. "She told you we're jewelers?"

Maryse put her hand on Alec's to cut in. "We prefer to think of ourselves as artists."

"They're brilliant all right," Shu giggled. "They…could make anything with just some random stuff they have around their house. There was this jewel that broke from Isabelle's necklace - she fixed it and turned it into that bracelet you see on her now."

"And what is it that you do?" Charlie asked.

"Me and my brother are…philanthropists. We help all who call for our aid."

"You donate?"

Shu nodded. "Yes, that's totally what we do. Our father runs this…big company and whatever - he's practically a prince," Shu explained, hearing Alec nearly spit out his drink as he laughed. "Prince of Hell, more like it, he's not exactly warm and fuzzy."

Alec pretended to be choking on his drink in his laughter while Jace patted his back asking if he was okay.

"But we have learned to be better than him. We use the money made to go out and help any people we find with any problems they have."

"Oh? You specialize in anything?"

"We like to consider ourselves the…jack-of-all-trades siblings. We do anything and are always happy to learn more. Why, we can practically do magic."

Maryse was smiling and Jace was chuckling now while Izzy was trying not to look nervous.

"Is…there an inside joke I'm not getting?" Charlie asked.

"Ignore them, they're all idiots," Izzy snapped.

"Hey!" "Are not!"

Alec and Jace replied indignantly.

"But they are," Shu confirmed.

"Hey, you're not innocent in this either," Izzy hissed.

"What? But I'm an angel."

Alec and Jace now completely laughed out loud.

"All idiots," Izzy declared. "The lot of them. My family's a mess. Sorry. Ignore them like your life depends on it."

Charlie simply laughed. "Noted."

Alec's phone rang with a text and he pulled it out to find it was from Magnus.

'Held up with client. Give Maryse my best.'

Shu's phone buzzed and she pulled it from her dress pocket (still in her white dress, but at least she'd put shoes on for this event). She also had a text from Magnus.

'Going to see Jem. Wanna come? ;)'

"What, no fair," Shu whined.

"What?" Charlie asked.

"A friend of mine, uh…" She debated on what to call him. "Zachariah, he's…in town and my brother, Magnus, is going to visit. We rarely get to see Brother Zachariah since he's always…on duty."

"Brother?"

"Y-Yeah, you know, like in…church…?"

Charlie nodded in understanding.

"I, uh, need a refill," Alec announced, standing and walking off. "Excuse me."

He went over to the bar and got a drink. Shu was becoming concerned with the amount of alcohol Alec was consuming the moment that Magnus was brought to mind.

"Can I get a refill?" Alec asked Maia who was working tonight. "Make it a double."

"Tough day at the office?" Underhill asked beside him.

Alec shifted. "You could say that." Alec realized that he was getting caught drinking and his instincts kicked in. "I don't usually…" He waved at the drinks.

"Oh, hey, hey," Underhill said, putting his hands up in surrender. "No judgement here. I mean…if anyone deserves a drink, it's…gotta be the Head of the Institute, right?" Alec nodded dismissively while drinking from his glass. "I can't even begin to imagine the kind of…stress that would bring." Alec nodded again, but didn't say anything. "So, uh…where's your better half?"

Alec pursed his lips. "Busy."

"Oh. That's too bad. You know what? I'll just, uh…I'll leave you to you and your drink." Alec chuckled weakly. "You have a…you have a good rest of your night, okay?"

"You too," Alec called lightly as Underhill walked away.

Shu also saw Simon and Maia were here that night as well, with Simon looking paranoid and Maia calming him down. The Hunter's Moon was luckily a place that Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike could get along.

"You wanna go meet your friend?" Charlie asked Shu.

"Oh, no, I'd hate to run out on you all. And besides, I can catch up with them later."

"Oh, it's no problem."

"Who's up for some dessert?" Maryse suggested.

"Oh, I am!" "Sure, yeah." "Definitely."

"Maryse Lightwood. At the Hunter's Moon."

They all looked up to see Luke standing at their table. "Lucian…" Maryse muttered in surprise.

"We…should get another round," Izzy announced.

Everyone stood up and left the two of them alone. Shu walked over to where Alec was drinking alone.

"You know, I first liked you because you weren't a drinker," She stated. "Magnus really has a bad influence on everyone around him. Hell, he's even gotten me into drinking recently. This world's gonna be drowning in alcohol because of him and him alone."

Alec sighed and dropped his head. "Look, Shu…"

"You are like a brother to me, Alexander. I don't wanna lose you any time soon. I've had to tell this to many people I love, but if you focus too much on the future, then you're never going to enjoy the present. You'll wear yourself thin with worry, concern, and cause yourself unnecessary pain. The future is inevitable, I know that better than most. But that's why I know that I have to make the most of the present. You will never be a burden to us, Alexander, but at the moment, even by your standards, you still aren't. Just take a deep breath and stop worrying. And make up with my brother. If you two break up because of something as stupid as immortality, then I guess you were never meant to be in the first place - but I know you two are perfect for each other. Please don't give up."

He looked to her and took a deep breath. "I'll try," He promised.

She patted him on the arm. "I'm gonna go and catch up with Magnus and Brother Zachariah. Oh, and please make sure no one knows we we're meeting Brother Zachariah. He could get into trouble for helping us and making house calls."

Alec nodded. "Of course."

"Thanks."

"So…where is your friend?" Clary asked.

"He should be here," Magnus assured her, pacing around the park where they were to meet.

Nearby was a statue signifying an entrance to the Silent City where Brother Zachariah would come from.

"Magnus…" Clary began while they waited. "Are you okay?"

He nodded unconvincingly. "Yeah."

Clary scoffed. "I've been so focused on my own problems, but…I can tell, something's going on."

"Alec and I had a fight," Magnus admitted. "A bad one. We both said some things we didn't actually mean."

"I'm sorry. But…there's nothing you two can't work out."

He nodded and put his hand on her arm. "I hope that's true."

Shu came speeding into the park, quick and quiet like a vampire. "Hey did I miss him?"

"No, he hasn't arrived yet," Magnus informed her.

"Magnus Bane," A telepathic voice called.

They looked over to see Jem - Brother Zachariah - had appeared, holding some books and scrolls in his hands and covered in the normal Silent Brother robes.

"It has been too long."

"Indeed, it has," Magnus agreed.

"Way too long," Shu stressed.

"I'm sorry to call on you like this. Clary, this is Brother Zachariah."

Clary looked at him. The man standing before her still looked to be a normal boy, his eyes open and blinking, his mouth unstitched, simply held closed by normal means. His hair had stripes of white within his black locks and he wore the tattered robes of the rest of the Brotherhood, but beyond that, nothing looked off about him. Underneath his robes, he had some of the special runes reserved only for Silent Brothers, but of course, they were covered.

"You're a Silent Brother?" Clary asked in disbelief.

"I know I appear unlike the others…" Brother Zachariah began. "But that is a tale for another day. These texts contain information on long forgotten demon forms. They may hold a clue to your creature's identity."

He handed the books and scrolls to Magnus.

"You understand, if the Brotherhood discovers I helped you with this…"

"No one will know you were here today," Shu promised.

"Thank you, for your assistance," Magnus added.

"Any friend of Will Herondale is a friend of mine."

"We're your friends too, Jem," Shu declared, pulling him into a hug that he tried to resist. "I don't care what the Brotherhood says, what you say, what anyone says, you are our friend named Jem who we love regardless of anything else. Got it?"

Jem smiled. "Still stubborn as ever, dear Shu."

"You better believe it."

"Wait, Herondale?" Clary asked.

"We all were close with Jace's ancestor," Magnus explained.

Clary shifted from foot to foot. "I-I know I shouldn't ask this, but…did you help with Jace's treatment? He's been…acting differently, since he got back."

"We received his treatment request. I would have been happy to oversee it."

"'Would have been?' What do you mean?"

"Jace Herondale never came to the Silent City."

Alec watched Underhill play billiards as he had another drink. At this point, Alec had had a little more than he'd planned. Alec smiled and nodded as he saw Underhill sink one of the shots.

"Hey…" Underhill called. "You wanna play?"

"Oh, no, no, no," Alec stressed. "No, I'm, um…" He set his drink on the pool table and leaned against it. "I'm good."

Underhill gave a skeptical look. "Are you…good?"

"Yes. Yeah. Well, there is a chance if I try to get up from here, I'm…I will fall over." Underhill chuckled. "Yeah, apparently I don't have the tolerance of a…800 year old warlock."

Underhill nodded, using the chalk to smooth his pool cue. "Right."

"And you know, this is - this is your fault," Alec slurred. "Because you told me I-I should drink as much as I want."

"Well, that's funny cause that's not exactly how I remember it."

Alec hummed with skepticism and Underhill chuckled.

"Do you, uh…need help back to your table?"

"No. No, no, no. Uh, ha…my mother cannot see me like this. And Jace. And Izzy. They will…never let me hear the end of it."

"Right," Underhill nodded. He looked around. "I got an idea. How bout I help you through the back? I'll hail you a cab. And then when I come back in, I'll just tell your family that you got…called in on Institute business."

"You'd do that?"

He nodded. "Sure."

Alec smiled. "Thank you."

"Your secret's safe with me."

Alec chuckled. "At least until Shu finds out - and she will find out. That girl's a mind-reader."

"There's usually cabs here," Underhill muttered, he and Alec outside the Hunter's Moon.

"Magnus and I had our first date here," Alec announced. "I asked him if he thought we were too different to be together." Alec pursed his lips. "We never really got around to answering that question. And now…now it's come around to bite me in the ass."

"So that's why you got all tense when I brought it up. I'm sorry. I-I didn't-"

Alec held his hand up. "Just…forget I said anything."

Alec turned and held his hand up to try and hail a cab and sighed in relief when one actually noticed them and pulled up.

"Look…" Underhill began. "I may not know all the details, but…I think I can guess what you mean when…you talk about your 'differences.' Magnus…isn't a Shadowhunter. He may not understand our ways. Nephilim…love once, fiercely. Whatever you're feeling…I-it's okay. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Alec chuckled and shifted nervously from foot to foot. "Right…" He held his hand up as he thought of what to say, but then simply stated, "I gotta go."

Underhill stepped forward. "Just, uh, here, let me get that."

Alec raised his hand to protest, but Underhill had already grabbed the cab door and opened it for him. Alec slipped inside as Underhill closed the door. Alec shook his head lightly before taking a deep breath and then having the cab driver take him home.

Shu, Clary, and Magnus hopped through a portal back into the city.

"If he wasn't in the City of Bones, then where the hell was he?" Clary demanded.

"I'm sure there's an explanation," Shu assured her, holding her shoes and barefoot once more despite the pavement. "Maybe even a good one. Maybe."

"We were supposed to be in this together! You don't…lie to someone you love!"

"Wait," Magnus said, halting their walk. "You said Jace was acting cold towards you earlier? Detached? As if he didn't have any feelings for you anymore?"

"I don't know…I guess?"

"Around the time that Jace was…preparing to go to the Silent City, a woman came to see me. She requested an elixir that would make…a person fall out of love. There was something off about her. I couldn't put my finger on it, but…what if she was simply…masking her power? And…oh my gosh, how could I be so blind?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Shu was there, but it wasn't Shu. She was Shu's demonic half - she has the soul bond with me, she was easily able to override my thought process, make me turn a blind eye to her and that woman! That's why she looked normal. She looked like regular Shu before her transformation. And then afterwards, I barely even thought twice about it."

"You would've easily be tricked by her," Shu agreed. "She would practically be able to string you and your emotions up like a puppet if she was that close to you."

"That woman with her, what if she was the demon that attacked you, disguised in human form?"

"You really think that's possible?" Clary asked.

"To complete the potion, a sliver of soul is required from the object of affection," Shu explained.

"And you wondered why…the demon only touched you, instead of just…killing you," Magnus concluded.

"But why?" Clary demanded. "Why would this woman give this elixir to Jace?"

"We need to find him."

Clary pulled out her phone and dialed a number, putting it up to her ear. "Luke, you at Hunter's Moon?"

There was a pause.

"Is Jace there?"

After hearing Luke's response, Clary's face showed that the answer was negative.

"Come on," Shu shouted, running forward. "Come on!"

They arrived just in time to catch a woman being taken over by the Owl's virus in an alley.

"STOP!" Clary shouted, wielding her duel kindjals.

Clary got the Owl's attention, but the woman - a police officer that worked with Luke - was already possessed.

Clary flipped her two blades and tossed them both from long range, the Owl jumping and avoiding one while grabbing the other and turning it back on her. Magnus jumped into the fray, deflecting the weapon back into the side of a dumpster. The Owl snarled, building red energy in the palms of his hands while Magnus summoned his magic.

The two of them worked to attack each other, but Magnus severely underestimated the amount of force needed in his attack and was blasted back into some trash cans behind him.

"Magnus!"

Shu ran up kneeled in front of Magnus, checking if he was okay. She then stood, dropping her heels to the ground beside her.

"Clary, cover your eyes."

She did so just in time as Shu began to glow white with angelic energy. Shu held her hand out as her blinded opponent staggered back as she blasted him with a beam of energy that shook the ground. He was thrown into the wall at the other end of the alley, his demonic power burning away at her angelic blast, but oddly enough his mask remaining - meaning that it wasn't connected to his demonic power - before Shu's power then started to fade.

"No, not now, what's-?"

The Owl had gotten back up, hissing and charging up his power before Shu was blasted to hit her head on the metal staircase behind her as she was thrown back.

"Shu!"

Shots rang out in the alley and the Owl suddenly collapsed, revealing Luke behind him with his gun drawn. The Owl stood once more, though now his mask finally faded away to reveal-

"Oh my God," Clary muttered. "Jace…it's you?"

He looked back to Luke behind him, before then running to jump up the side of the alley. Luke cocked his weapon but didn't fire, looking down to the police woman he'd infected before hurrying out of view. Said police woman then stood, her head tilting to the side with a small snap, before she then disappeared out of sight, running fast as a vampire.

"It was him…all along," Clary murmured.