Alec made his way through the Institute with Patrick's hand wrapped in a towel, on his way to the infirmary. Part of him was hoping Magnus wouldn't be awake. Not because he knew Magnus didn't want to see him, but because he didn't know how Magnus would react to the severed hand.

He was out of luck, it seemed.

Catarina was at Magnus's side, talking, but Alec couldn't make out what she was saying from the doorway. As he moved towards the two, Catarina moved towards him.

"He doesn't want to see you, Alec."

"I know.. I know, but I've got what we need to unlock the collar."

Catarina eyed him curiously, then looked back at her friend. Magnus nodded, and they both went to him.

"This may be disturbing, Magnus, but I assure you it is the only way."

"It can't be more disturbing than being tortured," Magnus said quietly. Alec could tell how reluctant he was to speak to him.

Alec unfolded the towel and revealed the hand. Catarina gasped.

"Is that-?"

"Patrick's," Magnus said, then looked Alec in the eyes. "I'm guessing the only way to get it off was with his touch. And you decided to cut his hand off to do it?"

"I wasn't about to let him anywhere near you again. This was the best option."

"That's sweet, Alexander," Magnus's tone was biting. "But if you don't mind, I'd like to use the damn thing to get my magic back and heal myself."

"Right." Alec brought the hand to Magnus's collar and it immediately opened at the touch.

Magnus breathed in air as he felt his magic stirring again. He grimaced, as if in pain.

"Magnus, what is it?" Catarina asked.

"It's weak… not strong enough to heal. It will take a while before I'm at full power."

"I've got you," Catarina said, and put her hands over Magnus's chest, blue flames emitting from them.

Magnus let out a breath of relief as his wounds stitched together, pain disappearing. He looked down at his chest and frowned, seeing the scars there, marking him as Valentine's property. Alec knew what he was thinking.

"Valentine was killed," he said.

"I heard."

"And I'm going to kill Patrick."

"You? The boy who always follows the rules, you're going to kill a man instead of giving him over to the Clave like a good Shadowhunter?"

"I'm doing this for you, Magnus."

"For me?" he scoffed. "You're doing it for yourself. You want your revenge on Patrick and you hope I will forgive you if you kill him."

"You mean you won't?"

"You're the one who hurt me, Alec, not him. Not really. I don't know if I will ever forgive you. I just...I need time…."

Alec bowed his head. "I understand."

"Alec," Catarina spoke. "I think you should go." And she gave him a look that said, I'll look after him.

Alec took the hand with him when he left, disposing of it on his way back to the holding cells. He met Jace on the way.

"I heard you cut off Patrick's hand!"

"Yes."

"And you got Magnus his magic back?"

"Yes."

"Then what's wrong?"

"He still hates me. He said I only want to kill Patrick because I want him to forgive me."

"But that's not the reason?"

Alec stood tall, towering over his parabatai. "That monster deserves to die, Jace. After what he did to Magnus, there is no way I am letting him out of this Institute alive. Do I want Magnus to forgive me? Of course I do, but that is not the reason I am going to kill Patrick."

Jace placed both hands on Alec's shoulders. "You have every reason to want that man dead, and I'm not going to stop you from killing him. But if you're not careful and Maryse finds out… just, don't get caught, okay? She probably doesn't even know you cut his hand off."

"Right…. Jace, will you help me? Patrick deserves more than just death, and I plan to give him it."

Jace nodded. "What do you need?"

Patrick knelt on the cold floor, holding his bloody arm and sobbing through the pain. Yet, he didn't regret what he had done, not fully. All his torture meant was that he wanted to hurt Alec Lightwood even more.

He composed himself as he heard footsteps outside the door, stopped his tears from running and tried to ignore the pain when Lightwood stepped into the room.

"How are we holding up, Pat?" Alec said conversationally.

If looks could kill, Alec would be dead.

"Nothing to say?"

Patrick was silent.

"All right. Jace!"

Alec's parabatai entered the room with two large buckets. Patrick could only guess what was in them. After all, he had used this method on the Warlock.

"This is Jace." Alec said. "We talked about him, remember?"

Patrick was silent.

Alec delivered a kick to his already bruised ribs

"I said, remember?"

Patrick nodded his head with a gasp of pain.

"Do you want to know what Magnus felt?"

Patrick was silent.

Alec gestured to Jace and suddenly Patrick's back was on fire where he had been whipped. Patrick screamed, just as Magnus had. But Alec didn't smile.

As he got used to the pain, Patrick started to laugh. Alec frowned.

"You seem angry. I take it he hasn't forgiven you? I wouldn't, if I were him."

Alec kicked him again but Patrick only laughed again.

"It's a shame," he said, "that you lost your boyfriend. He was a great fuck."

Instantly Alec had hold of Patrick's arm - the one without a hand. He brought him to the other bucket of salt water and submerged it inside.

Patrick was in more pain than he had ever felt as he thrashed and turned about, trying to free himself from this agony.

When Alec finally let him up, Patrick had no more laughter in him.

"You hurt my family," Alec said. "For that, I'm going to kill you. But you don't deserve a quick death, no. What do you think, Jace?"

Patrick noticed that Jace looked uncomfortable.

"It's your game, man," was all he said, and he may have not agreed with everything Alec was doing, but he stood beside him as a good brother would.

"I don't know… I think I'll let him bleed out."

Before any of them moved, Alec had a small knife in his hand. Without further warning, he shoved it into Patrick's side, careful not to puncture any organs. Patrick wailed.

"Without treatment, you will be dead within a few hours," Alec told him. "I hope you think what you did to Magnus was worth it."

Patrick grunted as he spoke what would likely be his last words. "It was worth it, because he will never forgive you, and that hurts you in more ways than I ever could."

Alec brought his boot down on where Patrick's hand used to be, then gave him one final kick before turning to leave.

"Enjoy your time in hell," was the last thing Patrick heard.