"Cat." Isabelle answered her phone with urgency. While she usually would've have started with: "Hey, Cat. What's up?" She was forcing herself to get straight to the point in case something was wrong.

And a good thing too. The voice on the other end wasn't Catarina's.

"Izzy?" A tiny voice whispered.

"Who is it?" Jace mouthed, from his place on the sofa with Clary. He'd seen his sister frown. Izzy shook her head - she recognised the voice.

"Madzie?"

"Izzy?"

"Madzie, what's wrong?"

"Shh. It'll hear you."

"It? Madzie, where are you?"

Isabelle tucked her phone under her ear and started arming herself with the weapons supply they had brought over.

"At home."

"Where at home?"

Fully armed, Isabelle thumped Jace on the shoulder, shot him a urgent look and threw Clary her blades.

"Madzie, where at home?"

"In the wardrobe. Izzy, can you and Alec come?"

"We're coming. Jace and Clary are with us, you're gonna be okay. Do you know where Catarina is?"

"She won't wake up. Izzy, why won't she wake up?"

Jace registered the panic on Isabelle's face and mouthed: "Cat?"

Izzy nodded, and Jace promptly doubled his pace gearing up.

"Sweetie, I'm going to stay on the phone with you. We're leaving now."

"With Alec?"

Izzy was already next to him, who took the phone from her.

"Hey, sorceress. I'll be there before you know it." He was fumbling with his shoes, and as he slung his bow over his shoulder, he leant down and kissed his sleeping boyfriend on the forehead.

"Someone needs to stay with him," he said to Izzy quickly.

"I will," Jace called. "Clary knows Cat better than me, and Madzie wants you, Al."

A bang echoed from the phone in Alec's hand and he jumped. "Madzie?"

"Shh. It'll hear you."

Alec covered his mouth with his hand, as if afraid his breathing was somehow so loud it could be heard through the phone.

"Okay, it's okay. Alec, what do I do?"

"Clary, can you draw a Portal?"

"Yep," Clary called, as she ran in, her stele already swirling on her palm.

"She's at Cat's, in the wardrobe, in her bedroom."

A golden Portal grew from Clary's hand, made of long, potent strings of magic. The Portal insides were dark, but he could just make out Madzie's wide eyes.

"Alec, go!" Izzy urged.

"We're right behind you," Clary added.

Alec dropped the phone and jumped through the Portal.

He almost crushed Madzie as he landed, slamming his head on the wardrobe door, his long legs curling behind him. Isabelle followed, stopped from whacking her own head only by her brother, and then Clary, who was so small Alec barely noticed her arrival. The Portal was the only thing lighting up the cupboard, and Clary's rune disappeared the second she was through it. Seconds after that, Alec had reached for Madzie and hugged her tightly. The tiny warlock was shaking, dressed in soft blue pyjamas and nothing else. Alec rubbed her hands between his to generate some heat.

"How long have you been here?"

"I don't know. Cat didn't pick me up from school, so I walked back and she wouldn't wake up, and then the front door slammed and-"

"Shh."

Alec covered Madzie's mouth with his palm and hugged her tighter.

From outside of the wardrobe, they could hear the clatter of weapons. By witchlight in the dark space, Clary and Izzy were somehow communicating.

"Alec, stay with Madzie. We're gonna go find Cat. If you hear either one of us speak, come out too."

Usually Alec would have protested, but he was feeling way too protective of the baby warlock beside him. He nodded instead, and after applying Quietude runes, the two girls slipped out of the hiding spot.

"Are we in your room, Madzie?"

The little warlock nodded.

"Okay. Listen, if I have to go and help Catarina, then I want you to stay in- I want you with me. You're gonna hide behind furniture and project your magic to shield you, okay? I'll come and get you when it's safe to move."

Alec considered for a moment, and then reached inside his jacket pocket.

"Where's your hand?"

Madzie touched his arm and he put a tiny, wickedly sharp blade in her palm. "You only use that if you have to. Understand?"

She nodded again, and Alec briefly wondered if he'd done the right thing. He didn't have time to decide before a scream rang out. It was unmistakably feminine, meaning it belonged to either Clary, Izzy or Cat.

"Madzie.. Come on." Alec leapt out of the wardrobe door and blinked in the bright apartment lights. "Get behind that." He pointed to a dresser and once Madzie was safely tucked behind it, ventured into the corridor. He'd been to Cat's before, he knew the layout. Bow already positioned in his hand, he shouldered the kitchen door open and followed the sound through it. It was Cat's sound, his mind had already identified it as Cat's, and while a part of him was horrified, another part was relieved. It was not his sister in enough pain to make a sound.

"Alec!" That was Clary, from the living room. He appeared within seconds of her calling, and almost dropped his bow. An entire section of the room was on fire, almost melting, and dangerously near it, Cat. She was leaning on Izzy, blood dripping from her collarbone where a huge tear was, and thrashing with pain. Clary was quickdrawing Water runes over the walls, which now reminded Alec strongly of magma. The runes were helping, but he needed her attention elsewhere.

"Fray, leave the wall, help me with Cat." They both sprinted over and slung each of Cat's arms around their shoulders. She cried out as her wound was strained but as soon as they had left the hot living room and set her down in the corridor, she was quiet. Clary took one look at the wound and gasped.

"That's the same poison as Magnus." Alec checked and yes, the wound had the same black tinge around the edges, gradually dying the veins darker. Dammit.

"We need to alert all the warlocks."

"Why?"

He looked back through the doorway at the circular section of flames.
"The demon just left."

Hey guys! I know it's been a while (sorry) but I've been suffering a severe case of writer's block recently. My stories usually come to me in the middle of the night. I hope you enjoy the update, I'm honestly not sure how long this fic will continue for but I do aim to write a conclusion at some point. Reviews are always appreciated, thanks for reading!

N.A x