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Characters belongs to Cassie Clare, except for OCs.

Enjoy reading.

Chapter XV

"Not so black and white anymore"

Luke was sitting next to Raphael, and both of them were looking expectantly at Magnus. The warlock was walking back and forth in the middle of the Throne Room in hotel Dumont. They were during establishing a new plan to destroy Jonathan Morgenstern. Yet, it wasn't as easy as they felt that it will be.

"We need to take the cup," Raphael spoke in a calm tone.

"The mortal cup?" Garroway asked uncertain. "How the hell you want to get it? It probably is in the Institute. They must have got it by now."

"They don't," Santiago replied, jumping off of the table. "Magnus has it." His black eyes moved towards the warlock. "Magnus, you do have it, right?"

"I do." He sighed, focusing on his magic. After feeding Raphael with his own blood his magic was weaker. He couldn't cast powerful spells, even conjuring was difficult at this moment. But, he did his best and conjured the tarot card from his room in the Institute. It was a miracle that it was still in there. Once the card was in his right hand, he passed it to Raphael and Luke. The werewolf was watching it stunned.

"I know this card. I've seen it before."

"Of course, you do." Magnus responded to him with a crooked smile. "It belongs to Jocelyn. If I recall, she made it for Dorothea."

"Where did you get it from?" Luke inquired again.

"Your daughter gave it to me." At that, his yellow eyes opened in a shock. "In exchange for waking Jocelyn up. She took out the cup and then she hid it in the card again."

"So how are you going to take it out now?" Luke demanded an answer, looking sharply at him. "Jonathan has Clary."

"Jocelyn will take it out." Luke didn't look convinced to this idea. Magnus couldn't blame him. He knew that she's been through a hell lately. Not only she found out that her son is a half demon, but as well as her daughter knows about the shadow world. Jocelyn never wanted Clary to find out the truth, she kept her in the darkness for all those years. And now, Clary not only knew about her shadowhunter's blood, but also she's been fighting along her devilish brother. "Fear not, Luke," Magnus came closer to him and put his hand on the werewolf's shoulder. "She'll just take it out and I'll send her to some safe place. I still have powerful friends around the world."

"Alright." He agreed with a loud sigh. "We should get going then. The sun will be up soon."

"Yes," Raphael added. "We need to find a new place to stay as well. The protection of Hotel Dumort is gone. Everyone can walk in now."

"Magnus if you're willing to cast a spell over my station, I can…"

"I'd rather not stay with all of your companions," the vampire cut him off. "I want to live till the next night."

"I will command…"

"Excuse me." They heard a new male voice in their minds. The three sets of eyes turned towards what used to be an entrance to the throne room and spotted a tall man in gray robes. The face of the man covered in red runes. "Hello, gentlemen."

"James…" Magnus addressed the man. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to offer my help." The rest of the men in the room looked at the two confused. For once, Magnus knew a Silent Brother and two, the Silent Brother wanted to help them. It was indeed unusual. "Tessa contacted me through a fire message. She knows that Jocelyn Fray is in danger, as well as Clary is. She asked for my help. She told me to find you, Magnus Bane."

"That's my girl," Magnus commented with a small smile on his lips. He missed the pointed look that the Silent Brother sent him. "Will you hide Jocelyn? In some safe place?"

"I'll send her to the Iron Sisters. She should be safe with them." the warlock nodded to this, along with Luke and Raphael. "Do you have the cup already?"

"I do."

"Do not ever let Jonathan Morgenstern have it. He has the Maellartach. He and Valentine had killed my brothers and stole it." Only Raphael didn't know what they are talking about. He looked at Magnus with a silent question. "If he will find the cup and mirror, we're all doomed."

"I won't let him have it. And no one knows where the mirror is, James. It has been lost for years now."

"Don't underestimate Valentine and Jonathan, Magnus." The silent brother warned him. Suddenly he turned his head to the entrance and then back at them. "Shadowhunters are coming. Be ready."

With that James left the room, and presumably the hotel itself. Indeed, Raphael confirmed that he's sensing two shadowhunters close to the hotel. Luke agreed with him, as he inhaled the air.

"Go for Jocelyn, Luke," Magnus ordered the man. Luke nodded and jumped off of the table. He took off his shirt and soon a gray werewolf stood before them. "Take her to my old apartment in Brooklyn. We'll meet you there."

The wolf bowed his head and ran through the burnt hole in the wall.

"Are you ready to face them? We're on our own, Magnus." Raphael stated, looking meaningfully at his friend. "We only have my fangs and your magic."

"I'm smarter than two children. We'll be alright."

In fact, they weren't alright. How could they? When one of them has been already too weak and the other was still hungry. Shadowhunters, on the other hand, were prepared.

Alec stood before Magnus with his bow, an arrow pointed at the warlock. Jace was holding his seraph blades in both hands and was ready to attack. The four of them eyed each other. Each of them waited for the move of the other. Yet, no one has made a move.

"You will die tonight, warlock." Jace spoke with a voice full of rage. "You killed my father and Robert. I will kill you."

"I didn't kill Robert nor Valentine." He tried to defend himself, looking at Alec. "Alec you know I didn't do it. You must know this."

"Stop talking to him." the blonde one growled.

"Alexander, I wouldn't hurt any of you. Not you nor your family. I did what I had to, but I am not a killer."

"Liar." The boy finally spoke. His voice empty and cold as the hell. "You killed them all. You and your friend. And you will pay for this. I'll make you suffer, just like I suffered because of you. I'll make you regret coming up with a plan to use me as your sex toy, to get information out of me." A loud howl was heard somewhere near to them and for a moment, Magnus got distracted. In no time, Alec was behind him, holding a knife to his heart. The other hand of his was circling Bane, preventing him from making any move. "I will drive this knife, slowly through your demon heart, so you would feel the same pain my brother and father did, when you were murdering them."

Magnus didn't pay attention to Jace and Raphael. He didn't see, that the vampire got the boy pinned to the tree, with his fangs on his neck. He didn't see that Santiago was draining the boy. And he didn't see, that Alec threw the wooden stick straight into Raphael's back, right where his heart was. But what he saw, was his friend falling to the cold ground, with a loud scream of pain. The face of the vampire was getting grayish with every second. Yet, he wasn't bleeding to true death.

"What in the Angel's name…" Jace whispered, clearly confused. He was applying the Iratze on his neck, and a strength rune on his arm. "He should die."

"My magic keeps him alive, stupid boy." Magnus snickered, turning himself in Alec's arms. "Well then, shadowhunter? Kill me. Drive the knife through my heart. If you have the guts." He felt the tip of the knife slicing his sensitive skin. "Kill me, and let the true monster remain alive, among you. Let him feed you on lies. Let him play you, like he had been doing for all this time. You think us the monsters, but the real monster is closer to you."

Alec was silent. His eyes were burning holes in Magnus's head. He gripped the knife stronger, making Magnus hiss in a pain. If his heart beat quicker during that, he chose to ignore it. Magnus's words were spinning in his mind. He felt, that some part of them are true. He felt that Magnus couldn't be that cruel to him. After all, once there was something between them. Something deep and strong.

They heard the wolves growling behind their backs. Magnus cocked his head and spotted the familiar furs of Luke's pack. The wolves divided into a group of four. The first one circled Jace, barking and flashing their teeth at him. The other, was standing behind Alec, ready to attack.

"Fear not, Alec," Magnus spoke to him, calmly. "They won't attack, if I don't commend them."

"Why wouldn't you? Don't you want my death?"

"Pretty boys shouldn't die." He answered with his usual smirk, which soon turned to a soft smile. "I wouldn't hurt a person close to me. Whatever happened between us was real to me, Alexander. I'm a liar, I've betrayed you. Yes, that is true. But all those times, when we were together. Every kiss, every touch...it was real. It was the real me."

"Liar." Lightwood spit the word like it was the worst poison on the earth. "You played me. But this marks the end. Say goodbye to your life, Magnus Bane."

He pushed the knife a bit more into the warlock's chest. The blue eyes of his were full of pain and hesitation. Magnus had seen it, and used it. Blue sparks absorbed themselves around his hands, before they pushed Alec away from him. Bane took out the knife out of his chest and threw it to the frozen ground. Before Alec got the chance to get up, Magnus was next to him, kneeling, with both hands on his chest.

"I'm so sorry. I haven't killed your family. Jonathan did it. I'm so sorry that we had to be this way, my sayang." He pushed his sparks through Alec's heart and forced the boy to fall into a coma. He cradled his head and with one hand he stroked the pale cheek of the boy with a fondness. "Aku cinta kamu, my darling," Magnus whispered, before he got up and turned to Jace and Raphael. "Leave him. We must go." The warlock came closer to the blonde boy. With a simple spell he lifted him off the ground and bound his arms behind the boys back. "Tell your brother, that he played well, but we know the truth. I haven't killed your father, Jace. I'd love to do it, but it wasn't me. I haven't killed Max nor Robert."

"But your friend did." Jace pointed out, looking with rage at the vampire lying on the black ground. "And we will kill you. You can't hide behind magic and werewolves all the time. We will get you and Raphael. You will pay for what you have done to us, Magnus Bane."

"You're just a child. You don't understand anything."

"And you will pay for Alec's broken heart," he cut him off. "I know that my parabatai loved you. And you used him. I'll make you pay for this. I swear by the Angel. You will regret it, Magnus Bane."

For a moment, he and Jace shared a meaningful look. Magnus knew that the threat wasn't real. The boy could do nothing to him. Bane was too powerful. Yet, something told the old man that Jace will live to fill his threat. But Magnus Bane won't fear a simple child. There were bigger threats in this world. One, that was close to them.

The warlock finally released Jace and threw him onto the wall of the hotel. The boy hit it with his head and for a moment lost his consciousness. It gave him the time to gather his friend and leave the place. Werewolves were ahead of them, as he instructed them where to meet them. Magnus took Raphael's frozen body into his arms and whispered a spell to open a portal. Before he stepped through it, he glanced for the last time on the body of his beloved shadowhunter.

If only the circumstances would be different, he and Alec could have a happy life together. Unfortunately, the fate wasn't on the warlock's side. They both were the pawns in Jonathan's game. The most worrisome fact was that Magnus had no idea what would be waiting for all of them at the end of said game. And most importantly, who has which role in it? Who will survive it?

A/N: Did you like it?

Once again, I'll post the link to the poll for my Master's Thesis. If you're at least 16 you can fill it ;) It will be very helpful to me. (remove the spaces)
docs. google forms /d /e /1FAIpQLSdHcOF0_BP3g5-I5LvtM42viZSDh0SAhJmL-SurRzc0BUb8Eg/viewform
I'll try to come up with the new one asap.

Are you ready for more drama? 'Cause that's what I'm going to bring in the next chapters.
Review if you feel like to,

Intoxic