Alec opened the door to the library and walked in, fully intending to retrieve his bow that he had left there the previous day. He needed to go and patrol downtown due to a report of some demonic activity. However, the sight there made him curse and jump backwards abruptly, shielding his eyes.

"Jeez Alec!" Clary yelled at him, yanking her jumper down hurriedly. Alec blinked rapidly, hoping to expunge the scene from his mind. Why was it always him that had to walk in on people during 'intimate' moments?

"What the hell are you doing in the library?!" he shouted, still not looking in their direction, his eyes resolutely fixed to the opposite wall. He could already feel the heat on his face radiating with embarrassment and maybe a little bit of anger. "This is a public space! Anyone can walk in!"

"That was the whole point…" Jace said confidently. Even without looking in his direction Alec could tell he was smirking. Not embarrassed at all. He heard the force of Clary's hand smacking him and a small, chuckled "Ow" from his parabatai.

"This is no laughing matter Jace Herondale!" Alec found himself still shouting, rage bubbling inside him.

Why oh why were they on the desk? Couldn't they have at least used a couch… or even the floor?

This caused Jace to laugh even more. Alec really wanted to punch him in the face about now, but resisted the urge with difficulty, deciding it would be more awkward to have to face him while he was in a state of undress.

"Put your clothes on and get out! Both of you!" he told them, his voice still raised and prickly.

"Ok, chill," Clary told him calmly. "We just got a bit carried away – we're sorry." She had all of her clothes in place now and was stood just behind him.

"You may be sorry, but don't apologise for me. What have I got to be sorry about?" Alec could tell Jace was just doing it now to deliberately wind him up. He fumed silently, unable to speak for the rage. "And it's not like we all haven't had to endure you and Magnus…"

Alec wheeled and faced him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

How dare he?!

Thankfully, Jace was now fully clothed and retrieving his jacket from the floor. But he didn't look sorry or like he was joking.

"He's right," Clary said as she went over to her boyfriend and wrapped her arm around his waist protectively. "You guys are really loud sometimes."

"And Clary may have been spared, but there was that time me and Izzy walked in on you guys at Magnus' loft," Jace told him casually, still smirking.

That had literally been the most embarrassing day of Alec's life when that had happened. It hadn't been too long after the battle and the loss had still been very raw for all of them, especially his sister. Alec had, very selfishly, had left her with Jace and Clary for the evening whilst he and Magnus had spent some time together – practically the first moment they'd spent alone since it had all happened. They had their space at the Institute, but when they had all returned there, with severely fewer people than they had left with, all of them had found comfort filling the smaller rooms together as a group; sitting in silence or chatting and remembering or simply holding each other in tight embraces. He and Magnus had barely even slept those first few nights of the aftermath. They had stayed in the company of those they had been lucky enough to still have with them, so thankful they were for what remained and too sad to contemplate leaving anyone feeling alone and abandoned even for the briefest few hours.

He remembered he had felt excruciatingly guilty, as if he were palming off his sister on other people so that he and Magnus could be happy. As if they deserved to be happy in those first hollow days. But they had been so elated to have each other. So jubilant to still be alive, that he had taken up Clary's suggestion that he and Magnus should spend the night together alone with enthusiasm. It hadn't lasted though. Izzy had been so fragile at the time and yet appeared to be so strong to everyone else. But in truth she had suffered incredible pain at the loss of Simon and her mind had not fared well. She worked herself up into a frenzy that night when she couldn't find Alec and had insisted on going to the loft to check on them because she had been convinced they were in some sort of danger, despite Jace telling her they were fine.

Jace had reluctantly brought her to the Brooklyn loft so that she could see that her brother and Magnus were fine. Izzy had been in such a panic that they hadn't even knocked. It had lightened the mood somewhat. But Alec still resented that the tension of all that disaster and death had been lifted because of his and Magnus' sex life. It was so cringe-worthy, even years later, and he scowled at his parabatai as his cheeks flamed crimson.

"So yeah, pot – kettle – black. Believe the expression goes something like that." Jace shrugged his arm over Clary's shoulder and hugged her close to him defensively.

"That was different. We were in the loft. The Institute Library is not your bedroom!"

"I heard you were on the sofa…" Clary ventured and caused Jace to break down in fits of laughter. Alec sputtered with fury.

"Come on, grab your bow. I hear demons are not prone to suicide," Jace told him whilst sniggering. Alec narrowed his eyes at him in defiance but complied and grabbed the weapon from where it was propped up against a shelf.

"This is not funny and there will be serious repercussions," Alec warned them darkly as they sauntered out of the library, Jace still laughing under his breath. Clary did shoot him an apologetic smile and mouthed a 'Sorry' to him before she was dragged away by her boyfriend who was no doubt intending to have a quickie with her up against a wall before he left. Or in the elevator. Somewhere nice and public for everyone to see.

Oh god they have definitely done it in the elevator.

Alec shook his head vigorously in attempt to banish those kinds of thoughts and the now very accurate and real mental image of those two going at it.

It wasn't until they were all half-way to the subway that Jace finally cracked, tormented by Alec's silent treatment, and apologised to him.

"Just don't do it again," he sighed exasperatedly at his parabatai.

"Do what?" Peter enquired, though not sounding all that concerned.

"Nothing," Alec answered quickly, not wanting to scar the poor boy.

"Alec walked in on me and Clary – but apparently that is my fault," Jace told Peter nonchalantly. Alec stopped dead in his tracks and glared at him. Peter chuckled.

"You were in the library Jace!" Alec countered, not knowing what else to say.

"Grim…" Peter observed.

"It wasn't like it was the first time we had used the library," Jace reasoned, putting on an authoritative tone and trying to sound like Alec really should have known better than to walk in to a public space unannounced.

"I know," Alec bit out venomously. That was what was so infuriating: it wasn't even the first time it had happened.

They all remained silent on the Subway ride; Alec still fuming to himself, Jace avidly engaging with his phone (no doubt texting Clary) and Peter staring glumly at his shoes.

"Hey," Alec said to Peter as they were walking up the steps on the other side of town, attempting to engage him. "Are you ok?" Peter just nodded stoically, his lips pressed into a hard line.

"She pushes people away when she feel them getting too close," Jace observed with a shrug, making Alec's brow knit in confusion.

Peter snorted derisively. "Always the same lame excuse."

"Not saying it isn't lame. But it is the truth."

"I'm sorry," Alec butted in. "Who are we talking about?" Peter's cheeks flamed and Alec couldn't help thinking it was a rather good impression of himself. Jace looked away sheepishly. "Is this about Izzy?"

"Look, I'm sorry," Peter told him loudly, clearly in defence mode. Though Alec couldn't for the life of him work out what Peter was attempting to defend.

"Nope, still struggling to fathom out what is going on…" Alec attempted with a small smile, but Peter just looked distraught.

"You are dense sometimes…" Jace ventured with a slightly irritating smirk.

"Can it," Alec told him harshly and was very satisfied to see his parabatai jump slightly in surprise. "What's going on Peter? Has something happened between you and Isabelle?"

Peter's face said it all and it finally clicked into place for Alec. He didn't know whether to be concerned or angry or some other emotion.

"Oh." It was the only thing he was able to say as realisation dawned and an excruciatingly awkward silence ensued.

"I want you to know that I love her," Peter told him quietly and humbly. "I love her but she doesn't love me. She doesn't feel the same. And that is why I have to leave. I – I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Alec felt like he had been hit in the stomach with a sledgehammer.

"Wow – wasn't expecting that," Alec said honestly, desperately willing his brain and his mouth to catch up with the situation and process everything more quickly so he could respond and not just stand there gawking like a fool.

It was then the demons attacked from a heavily shadowed alleyway and all three of them had to break apart and into a formation, abruptly ending the conversation and Alec hated to admit to himself that sometimes demons showed up at the best possible moments.

The air misted around his lips where he breathed, warmth manifesting in steamy wisps in front of his face in the too-cold afternoon chill. His boots crunched along the sidewalk in long purposeful strides as Magnus walked to his appointment. He chuckled mentally as he hummed a funeral march in his head, trying to lighten the impending doom of his imminent encounter. He looked at the beautiful renaissance-style building with a deep sense of loss. No doubt, the inside was a mere shell like many of the abandoned buildings in the City, and there was no small amount of sadness that accompanied such places. How apt she would choose such a destitute and wasted place. And it also meant Magnus had to be on his guard. Such unfamiliar surroundings would put him at a distinct disadvantage if he felt the need to flee. So he took a while examining the outside of the building, mostly looking for exits, and thinking "she can wait."

He felt his senses prickle the way they did when he sensed very potent magic nearby as he slipped in through the thoroughly bolted and chained front door with ease. He didn't need to call out – all he had to do was follow the trail of magical residue. He felt like a magical bloodhound, but resisted the urge to bark loudly and instead hoped he would be able to sneak up on her. That was a foolish assumption on his part, though. He entered a large hall-type room that was extremely and fashionably distressed to the point it could all collapse and kill you at any second and she was there, gazing out of a full-length sash window.

The low sunlight bathed her in a bronze light that made her seem translucent. She was as beautiful as he remembered, with her long jet black glossy hair that cascaded down her back in perfect waves and fell carelessly over her wings, which she hadn't bothered to conceal or glamour. Magnus had to admit that he was ever so slightly jealous of his sister's dark wings, made of feathers that resembled an owl's, allowing her to fly soundlessly. She looked like a dark angel from a distance until you saw her face. Her eyes were identical to Magnus' and shone with the reflected glow of the sunlight. He supposed this was probably their only common feature and he had wondered from time to time whether Warlock marks were specific to the demon that had sired you. Eris had never showed him her stomach though, so he couldn't check for the lack of a navel. She also possessed sharp, predator-like pointed teeth, which made her smiles look completely terrifying and evil. Magnus was not sure whether her teeth had always been this way or whether she had filed them into points herself. She was crazy enough.

"Eris," Magnus announced. She didn't turn to face him, but he could spy her spikey grin as it spread to the side of her face.

"Brother dear," she said in her deep, silky voice. It was obviously an insincere nicety, but he refused to rise to the bait.

"Oh sister mine, the very embodiment of strife, how is life going? Still tediously empty?" he shot right back at her. He detected her false smile falter for a second. Small victories. And then she turned to face him. She was tall and slender like him, though her skin was cream-white and made her look like she was made from porcelain. She was wearing black. She always wore black. And Magnus couldn't help but grin to himself at his choice of a bright purple suit, sequined silver shirt and matching green glitter tie and boots. He had worn a long grey overcoat too to protect him from the icy weather, but he had let that flap open now so that his sister could be fully appalled by his choice of attire.

"Hello, Big Nuisance," she grinned menacingly at him.

This was something he and his sister did every time they had met: both had hated the name the other had chosen. Eris was the name of the Goddess of Strife and Discord and, although Magnus thought it apt to describe his sister, he felt it did somewhat inflate her ego. His name translated as 'Big Nuisance' in Latin and its selection had been completely intentional. Of course, neither of them went by their birth names and he didn't ever want to find out what hers was. Now she just went by 'Eris', much like Cher or Madonna, because Magnus suspected she thought it made her sound cooler.

"I see you got caught in another explosion at a paint factory," she quipped.

"And I see you were attending a funeral this morning."

"How accurate you can be sometimes, Giant Misery." Magnus felt briefly guilty, but then saw the gleam in his sister's eyes and instead was slightly repulsed by the reminder that she took so much pleasure in death.

"Yes, well, what do you want? I haven't got all day," Magnus snapped at her defensively.

Her smile widened into a ghastly expression. "Patience, patience little brother, I also have other… engagements," she told him, her voice sounding ever so close to a hypnotic hiss. Magnus arched an eyebrow at her expertly, a skill he had honed over the years that often caused mere mortals to flee at the terror of the snark that was to befall them. But Eris did not flinch. She walked towards him, almost gliding through the air.

"Has father contacted you recently?" she purred.

Magnus sighed dramatically. "Still pining over your daddy issues, Eris? How tedious."

She blinked, but the rest of her remained threateningly still. "How long ago did you speak with him?"

He gave another sigh, to really hammer home the point that he really didn't find her intimidating, even though he did. "About four years ago. The last I saw or heard from him was during the final battle of the Dark War. Why do you want to know?"

"Ah yes, when you allowed him to take away your immortality," she grinned. He didn't feel like pointing out that Asmodeus had also saved his life because to his sister a mortal life was worth nothing and she would have just laughed at him.

"Why are you so concerned about whether I've heard from him lately?"

"No reason," she told him with a knowing smile that meant she certainly did have a reason. With that, she swept past him and out into the hallway.

"Hey!" Magnus yelled as he ran after her. "Tell me what you know! What is he up to? Why that cryptic warning to my friend at the hospital?"

"My, you ask a lot of questions," she told him, stopping where she was and turning to face him, her horrid smile still etched on her pretty face.

"You requested to see me, Eris. So you answer my questions," Magnus told her authoritatively.

"Fine – what do you want to know, pest? So that we can both get on with our day," she said, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"Ok, firstly I want to know what the hell you are doing in New York, then I want you to tell me what exactly you suspect Asmodeus is up to and to also let me know why it concerns me and why I should be 'careful' and why you have suddenly acquired a concern for my wellbeing. I also want you to tell me what you know about a Vampire named Camille." She was looking at him with an infuriatingly bemused expression and Magnus fought down the urge to blast her with his best hex. It wouldn't do to get into a battle with Eris, he would probably lose.

"I am in New York on business, Huge Annoyance. You do not need to know any more than that. I am certainly not here to visit you, if that is what you are concerned about."

"I shall sleep peacefully knowing you won't turn up on my doorstep at 3am asking if you can crash on my couch then," he interrupted. Eris glared at him and he could swear he felt the temperature in the building drop by a few degrees. Magnus held up his hands and bowed his head in apology and she continued.

"If our father has not tried to contact you recently then it is best you keep your head down and not concern yourself. I have no desire to involve you in this if I don't have to. If he hasn't been in touch with you then this is a good sign and you had better hope it will completely pass you by – let the real Warlocks deal with this one." Magnus couldn't help tutting when she implied he wasn't a real Warlock because he was no longer immortal. He could still use his magic and was perfectly willing to use it on her if she kept up with the snide remarks.

"And a Vampire named Camille? Was this not the same Vampire you were shacked up with not so long ago?"

"Not so long ago? Try nineteenth century," he told her with disdain.

She sighed dramatically and gave him a small smile. When she smiled with her mouth closed and didn't bare her teeth she was very beautiful. Like one of those man-eating plants. "Centuries all meld together for us immortals," she mocked. "I would have thought you remembered at least that."

"What do you know of Camille?" he repeated, emphasising each word to demonstrate how frustrated she was making him.

"I know of no 'Camille'. What does this Vampire look like?" she asked huffily.

"About 5"3, light blonde hair, green eyes, cold heart…"

"Girl or boy?" his sister asked him with a smirk.

"A woman," he corrected with good amount of firmness.

"Ah she is one of yours then. I thought as much."

"Quit pretending you're a mysterious omnipotent and tell me what you know. I don't have time for your games. Camille died over four years ago." He could feel himself getting angry now and tried to subdue it. His sister would not respond to threats and she could always just not tell him anything to annoy him.

Eris' eyes glazed over a little, as if she was daydreaming. "Ah," she said excitedly. "But what is death to one already dead? It is not difficult to kill the dead, Magnus. They long for it. They pine for it. But to make the living become dead is hard, as it should be. Killing rips into your soul and you can never be truly whole if you have taken an unwilling life. To make the dead become living should be the opposite of that, don't you think? A redemption. A healing salve for your torn and beaten soul. Giving back life in payment for those you have taken. Ah yes, there is poetry in that."

"Are you actually insane? Because I can't tell with you, you're such a good actress," Magnus told her with a sarcastic roll of his eyes.

"I know of the one you refer to as 'Camille'. And you should know that she is safe and that no harm has yet to befall her," Eris told him almost nicely. It made him wonder why she was being so friendly and he immediately became suspicious.

"She's alive?" he asked her, averting his gaze from her familiar eyes. He already knew the answer.

"Oh yes," Eris told him with a hint of relish in her voice. He would have thought she was mocking him, but Magnus was the Master of Sarcasm and he just knew she wasn't.

"Where is she? I want to see her and check she is ok."

"Your friend is under my protection now. If she needs help you will be the first to know."

"She has already asked for help. Tell me where she," he demanded.

Eris shook her head softly in response. "Magnus, Magnus, Magnus. Do you not trust me? I tell you now with honesty that nothing bad has happened to her. I do not know what is to become of her but you have my word that I will protect her."

"And why would you do this for me?" Magnus asked suspiciously.

"What makes you think it is for you? I do not like to see my masterpieces damaged in any way."

With that she melted from his view in a sudden flash, disappearing through a portal that Magnus either hadn't noticed was there or she had managed to conjure in a split second. She was gone and the portal disappeared as she did.

He felt his stomach give a lurch as the door opened and he thought spitefully that he really should stop behaving like such a lost little puppy where his fiancé was concerned. But he couldn't help it: Magnus' very presence caused his body to prickle with anticipation and delight and even though he would often scold himself mentally, he couldn't control himself.

With a resigned sigh and a small smile because he secretly liked the way Magnus made him feel – ok, maybe it wasn't a secret – he rushed to the Warlock and embraced him, breathing him in and holding on tightly.

"And you're trying to suffocate me because?" Magnus asked him in a strangled voice. He let go immediately, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks as he looked at his fiancé sheepishly.

"Sorry," he told him softly, stroking his shoulder affectionately. Magnus smiled at him and captured his hand and then brought it to his lips where he kissed across Alec's knuckles in a gesture that the Shadowhunter thought resembled some old-fashioned greeting.

"How did it go?" Alec asked, trying to not sound too eager to learn what information Magnus had managed to get from his sister.

"She's just as mental as I remember," he told Alec, his eyes still focussed on the Shadowhunter's hand. "She said Asmodeus was up to something but wouldn't tell me what."

Alec pulled at his jaw a little with his other hand so that he could look into the Warlock's eyes.

"Are you ok?" he asked, knowing that Magnus was never really 'ok' where his father was concerned.

"Of course," he said with a smirk. "Aren't I always?"

Alec frowned, earning a throaty chuckle from the other man. "And what about you-know-who?" he asked. Magnus raised an eyebrow in question, but Alec stared him down, knowing that the Warlock knew exactly who he was referring to.

"Camille is alive. Eris confirmed it. Which probably means she had something to do with her resurrection and that, indeed, that note is likely to be genuine." Magnus' face was stoic and unmoving and all Alec wanted to do was hug him again and tell him everything would be alright. But he wasn't sure what to make of this news, or how he or his fiancé should react to it. Magnus had been close to Camille once. He had grieved her passing, even though their relationship had turned less than amicable in the end. And now she was back and asking for help. More precisely, Alec's help and not Magnus'.

"So what do we do now?"

"Nothing for the time being I would suggest. Let's wait and see if Camille gets in touch again. If she does, then I will ignore Eris and try to locate her. But Eris promised that she would look out for her and she seemed fairly sincere. And let's face it; we don't really need Camille back in our lives at the moment."

"Good point," Alec agreed. "So we don't do anything? Just wait to see what happens? Isn't that a bit cowardly?"

The Warlock shrugged and let go of Alec's hand in order to grip onto the Shadowhunter's hips. He pulled Alec towards him, so that their bodies were touching and warming each other.

"There are slightly more pressing matters," Magnus informed him and Alec's mind immediately jumped to the obscene, his body responding quickly to the idea. Magnus laughed heartily. "I didn't mean that!" he exclaimed. Alec felt himself blush as he tried to move away, but the Warlock wouldn't let him, his grip firm. "Your sister had an odd request for me – cornered me this morning before I left in fact."

Alec looked up at him in puzzlement.

"She asked me to open a portal for her tomorrow so that she could go to Alicante. Said she was visiting Jocelyn and Luke. I texted Clary and she knew nothing about it."

Well that was odd. He had had no idea his sister planned on leaving them again so soon. The situation with Peter really couldn't be that bad, could it?

"Magnus, you and Clary live under the same roof. Why do you feel the need to text her?"

"I was on my way out," he protested.

"It's laziness," Alec told him, not able to hide the slight smirk on his face.

"And it is also not the point. Why is Isabelle going to Alicante so suddenly? Did you know about it? Has the Council summoned her?"

"No, I didn't know anything about it," Alec admitted. "But I did find out that Peter has a crush on her and that she hasn't taken kindly to his attentions."

At this, Magnus took a step backwards, a surprised expression on his face. "Whoa, what? Peter Hawkswood?"

Alec nodded. "He told me that he loved her but she didn't feel the same and that he wanted to leave here because of it."

"And what did you say?"

"Not much. We got attacked by some Iblis so didn't really get the chance. Plus, Jace was really pissing me off so I didn't stick around afterwards."

"What has he done now?" Magnus asked him with exasperation.

"Really don't want to talk about it," Alec muttered, which only made the Warlock more interested.

Alec was just finishing off telling Magnus all of the gory details (Magnus was trying and failing to suppress fits of laughter), when the man himself walked in.

"Jace!" Alec yelled at him loudly in annoyance as his parabatai just strolled into their room unannounced. They could have been doing anything…

"What?" Jace said, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Don't you ever knock?!" Alec asked him incredulously.

"Ha. You're a bright one to talk," he huffed, a smug smile playing on his lips. "Besides, the door was unlocked."

Alec narrowed his eyes at him, hoping to convey how thoroughly pissed off he was.

"Anyway," Jace continued as if he had been rudely interrupted. "I couldn't wait a second longer to tell you all the drama that's gone down." The smug smile was now fully formed. Alec wanted to thump him.

"Oh no, please don't tell us…" Magnus pleaded sarcastically.

"Clary's mom is pregnant," he told them with a thoroughly pleased-with-himself grin that would have made even the most accomplished gossip proud. Alec felt his jaw drop but quickly recovered himself out of politeness.

"Wow, that's great news," Magnus said with a genuine smile.

"Not according to Clary," Jace told them with an amused raise of his eyebrows. Alec wasn't sure why Clary wouldn't be happy about the news of a brother or sister. He guessed it had something to do with the bad experience of her last sibling, but there was no chance this child would turn out anything like Sebastian; he didn't think Luke was the type to inject a baby with demon venom.

"Thought I would let you know," Jace said with his attention on Magnus. "Because Clary is going to Alicante with Isabelle tomorrow."

There was a bit of an awkward silence. "You can go now," Magnus told Jace irritably.

"Fine, I'll get out of your way," Jace conceded with a good amount of grace that was a little out of character for him and then turned to face Alec. "I'm sorry about earlier by the way," he said. He sounded sincere enough and it really was hard work to stay angry at Jace.

"It's fine," Alec told him with a smile to indicate there wasn't any grudge.

"So… is there anything else?" Jace asked Alec expectantly.

"Go away Jonathan, I want to make mad, passionate love to my fiancé and I am not in the mood to perform for an audience," Magnus told him forcefully, whilst maintaining a withering, almost lazy gaze.

Jace huffed and legged it out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Does it bother you that he still acts like a teenager but will be twenty one in a few weeks?" Magnus asked him.

"Not really, it's just Jace being Jace. You have lived with him for four years now – I would have expected you to have got used to it by now."

"So Jocelyn and Luke are to have a sprog – I wonder how they feel about Isabelle staying with them."

"Hm?" Alec asked, now a little distracted as his mind had started to wander ever since Magnus had told Jace that he wanted to 'make mad, passionate love'.

"Isabelle said she was going to Alicante to stay with Jocelyn and Luke," Magnus explained slowly, as if Alec were a particularly stupid child or a particularly intelligent chimp. "You think they will be ok with that now they've found out they're pregnant?"

"Why would it make any difference?"

"Some people get very weird when they have a child," Magnus shrugged, wrapping his arms around Alec's neck.

"I can't see why being pregnant would make you that weird. Probably a bit emotional, but not to the point where you don't want friends coming to visit. And besides, Jocelyn has already had children, so that counts for something."

"Your understanding of the female psyche astounds me," Magnus told him playfully before leaning over him and kissing him gently on the neck. It sent shivers right down to the tip of his toes. "Thank god you are a man and a homosexual," he said as he bit down on a pressure point, causing Alec to whimper.

"Lucky for you I guess," he sighed as he melted into Magnus' embrace.

Apologies this one is so bitty! And nothing actually seems to happen in this one, but it is needed in order to set up some of the following chapters! Bear with me - we have a lovely wedding in the next chapter :-) xx