A/N: Hello,

Thank you for all reviews, follows, favorites.

Characters belongs to Cassie Clare, except for OCs.

Enjoy reading.

Chapter X

"The bittersweet revenge"

The night was the darkest of the nights in whole Alec's life. The thick, cold air was filling his lungs slowly, making it hard to breathe. He was walking warily behind his father, his parabatai behind him. He could hear Robert's quickened heartbeat and shallow breath. The older Lightwood was seething with rage, but Alec was the same. He was filled with rage and the wanting of revenge. He will kill Raphael Santiago and his companions. He will slaughter them all, and in the morning sun, he will watch their bodies burn to ashes. He knew that it won't less his pain at all, but it will give him a bit of satisfaction.

"They must hide somewhere close," Jace said quietly. "I can smell death."

"There's only the ruined hotel DuMont here," Robert added, his voice still shaky from all tears. "Unless they're hidden somewhere underground."

"Dad, let's go to the hotel," Alec prompted and moved closer to his father. He grabbed him by his elbow and led towards the ruined thing.

Hotel DuMont used to be the best hotel in New York, at least that's what the history books were saying. Magnus confirmed it too in one of his stories from his past.

Magnus…

In that very moment, the live image of his warlock lover hit his mind. He didn't even spare a moment of thought to ponder on the wellbeing of Magnus. He hoped, truly hoped that Bane was alright and not killed like Kylios have been. Magnus couldn't be dead, he was too strong.

Magnus was alive and well. Alec was convincing himself. He will find him when he'll be back at the Institute, once he'll kill Santiago. He will find his lover if he won't die tonight himself.

"Alec?" Jace whispered, gently shaking his arm. "Come on, we're going in."

Once Jace shook him out of his thoughts, he followed his parabatai and a father into the ruined building. But there was a surprise waiting for them. An invisible shield had thrown them back on the street.

"What in the angel's name?" Jace got up and tried to invade the place again, only to be thrown back for the second time. "I don't get it."

"It must be here," said Robert, coming closer to the entrance. "They are hiding inside. Some warlock cast a protective spell or so at this. It must be it."

"But who, dad?" Alec asked, scrunching his nose in displeasure. "Valentine killed Ragnor Fell, the old lover of Raphael Santiago. And there's no more warlocks here, except for Magnus. So it couldn't be either of them. Magnus has his magic bounded, and after Fell's death the spell would be done."

In that very moment, they heard some growling, coming from the darkness of the hotel. Alec reached for his bow on an instinct. Jace took out his seraph blade. The light of the blade enlighten a bit pitch black place. Alec came closer to Jace and his father. He stopped with his back pressed to Jace's. They heard some light sounds of steps but they couldn't say where it was coming from.

Then, a cold voice filled the place.

"You've made a mistake by coming here, shadowhunters." Alec tried to focus on the voice, but he couldn't tell where the owner of it was. "You will all die tonight. Mark my words. Especially you, Jace Morgenstern. You will be the first to die tonight. It'll be my sweet revenge for your father."

"Come out, Santiago! Come out and face me! You demon! You killed my child!" Robert shouted, getting angrier with every next second. Alec wanted to tell his dad to try to calm himself, so they wouldn't die too fast, before they will have their revenge, but it was pointless. Lightwood rushed at the magical barrier. The black haired boy expected his father to be thrown back, like they have been before. But he was surprised.

Robert was pulled inside.

"Dad!"

"Robert!" both boys shouted at once. But the only sound they heard was a maniacal laugh and growlings.

"Dad!" Alec screamed again, and ran to the barrier. Unsurprisingly, he was thrown back. "Dad!"

"Run home, Alec Lightwood," Santiago said through the darkness. "Or I'll break my promise and kill you as well." There was a small pause in his words, before he spoke up again. "Tell that scum that if he wants his loyal slave back, he'll have to come here and take him from me. For now, I'll have some fun with your father."

A dead silence surrounded Alec and Jace. The blonde boy stared at the magical barrier with a hand clutched on his seraph blade. Alec stared in there as well. Million thoughts were running through his mind. The horrible image of the lifeless body of his little brother. Blood on the white floor. The shallow breath of his unconscious mother. A cold shiver went through his body and Alec sank down hard to the floor. His hands moved automatically to his face and covered his eyes, to prevent tears from falling down.

Another image of Max filled his mind. The boy was running towards him, smiling widely. He was calling Alec's name, holding his arms out to him. The blue eyed boy wanted to catch him, but suddenly Max stopped. His eyes opened in terror as Raphael appeared next to him. The vampire smirked and slid his fangs out. He grabbed Max by his throat and lifted him. Alec wanted to rush towards them, but he found himself unable to do, he felt as he was glued to the cold ground.

A loud scream came to his ears. At first he thought that his mind is projecting Max's screams, but it sounded too real. Then he heard Jace's shouts.

"Robert!" Alec moved his eyes on him. Jace was trying to go through the barrier again, but was thrown back again. Raphael's laugh was cutting through the screams. The screams of Robert Lightwood. It pierced through Alec's heart. "Alec!" Jace turned to him. "We must call for father and John and Izzy. We must get your dad out, before that downworlder kills him!"

Alec was nodding, still hearing the horrible scream of his father. Absently he saw Jace taking out his phone and shouting to it.

He didn't know, how much time passed, but suddenly there were a pair of familiar, warm arms around him and a smooth voice whispering to his ear.

"Alec."

"Izzy...dad...mom...Max…"

"Silent Brothers healed mother. Magnus is by her side." His mind trailed to the lovely warlock. "He's good," Izzy whispered again. "He was unconscious, but has no real injures. He's good."

At least one good news, Alec thought. He moved his eyes at Valentine and his both sons.

"...We can't pass the barrier. It's some magical thing. Powerfull."

"Fell's magic? It would be gone now, same as the filthy warlock…" This was followed by a loud growl from inside.

It was only a moment, a brief second. Then everything happened. As mundanes' say all hell broke lose.

Raphael and a few of his vampires rushed outside the hotel. He grabbed Morgenstern by his throat and pulled inside. But, to Alec's surprise it wasn't Valentine who was pulled inside, but Jace. Isabelle, John and Valentine moved to attack other vampires. They quickly killed them off, after all, they weren't much threat to Morgensterns. Everything was strange. No one was attacking Alec. Not the vampires, nor the werewolves who came to their help. They were avoiding him, which was too strange. Suspicious. Maybe Raphael planned something or him as well?

Suddenly he was hit with the body of his parabatai. Jace was thrown out of the hotel, with shivering body. At that, each hunter ran towards the blonde boy. Jace was squirming in pain, he couldn't stop screaming. Once Alec got to him as well, he realized two things. One, Jace was bitten hard, a few times by a vampire - most likely Santiago himself - and two, werewolves disappeared. It was strange.

Isabelle took out her stele, but Alec stopped her. He took out his instead. Runes applied by the parabatai were stronger.

"Draw an Iratze, Alec" John instructed him, like he wouldn't know. Alec turned Jace's head to expose his neck, where the bite was. He drew the rune and waited for it to work. But it didn't. Jace screamed in a pain.

"What in the Angel's…" Valentine started, but was soon cut off by John.

"He poisoned him! We must take Jace to the Institute, fast." He quickly took the other boy in his arms and instructed rushed as quickly as he could. The others followed him closely.

Alec sat next to Jace and his mother in the infirmary. He watched every movement of brother Jeremiah and Zachariah as they attended the wounds of his parabatai and mother.

"This must be some demonic poison. It may come from the blood of a greater daemon, but I can't tell which," Brother Zachariah said. "I sense a trail of warlock's magic in Jace's wounds. But I can't comprehend how Raphael Santiago was able to use it."

"He used to be with Ragnor Fell." Valentine responded in his stoic voice. "He must have granted him some magic potions, created with blood."

"Yes, this must be the truth, Valentine Morgenstern. Yet, I am unable to heal Jace. I can't heal magic." brother Jeremiah popped in. "You need a strong, magical healer, if you want your son to be alive."

Valentine turned to Isabelle, who was standing next to her mother. "Call for Bane."

A few moments later Magnus walked inside after Isabelle. Alec glanced at him. His face was filled with weariness. He bowed his head to Alec, before turning to the Silent Brothers.

"Brothers."

"Magnus Bane," they responded in union. "You were brought here to tend the wounds of Jace Morgenstern."

"I am to be his nurse? Really? I can't apply runes if you forgot," he turned to Valentine. "I can't help the boy."

"You used to be a warlock. You know magic. Heal my son. It's an order."

Magnus glared at him and turned to the bed, where the boy laid. He waved Alec off with a small smile and told everyone but brother Zachariah to leave. He stated that he needs someone with a brain to work with. Everyone seemed to understand it and left the place.

Once outside, brother Jeremiah turned to Alec and Isabelle.

"We shall move to the Silent City to bury your brother. Your servants can be buried in the local cemetery."

Bury. Brother. Max's funeral. He wasn't sure if he could survive this.

"We need to find a solution to get Robert out. If he's still alive…" Valentine's voice filled the hall. "I can't believe that Santiago had a nerve to capture Robert and attack my son. I thought that the kill of his lover would teach him a lesson…"

Then, something broke in Alec. A wave of rage went through him. He got up from the floor and launched himself at Valentine. He was punching him right in his face.

"It's your fault! Max is dead! Mom and Jace are dying! Dad can be dead too! It's all because of you!" he was throwing punches on him. "You killed the warlock, it's all because of you!"

"Alec! Alec!" Isabelle tried to pry him off of Valentine. "Alec!"

"You should be dead instead of Max! You!" he shouted and pushed the man at the nearest wall. Then he turned to his sister. "I'll find a way to get into Hotel and rescue dad. Stay with mom, Isabelle."

Alec went back to Hotel DuMont and waited for the dawn. He was sure that Santiago knew about his presence. He called him out once. And for once, he was successful.

"I think I told you to go home, Alec Lightwood."

"You killed my brother. My mother is dying. My parabatai as well." he snapped at him. "I will kill you."

"I'm not the devil in this game, Alec Lightwood." They were eyeing one another, waiting for the other to attack. "I haven't killed your brother. I could never walk into the Institute. The devil is close to you, but you are all blind. The devil is inside your den, Lightwood. Just realize it."

With that, he disappeared back in the hotel, leaving Alec in the darkness of the night with a heart broken in a million pieces and a confused mind.

A/N: Did you like it?

In the next one I swear I'll give you some sweet Malec's moments. I swear on the Angel ;)

Review if you feel like to,

Intoxic