Once again, sorry for the delay. I've been really caught up in writing a short story and I've been having issues getting into a Mortal Instruments mindset, which is why this is short and...might not quite work. Let me know if something reeks of hypocrisy, I'll try to make it right.

Also, starting tomorrow, my internet will be down for a week--which sucks--so I won't be able to upload. But as soon as it's back up, I promise you guys two chapters. Kay?

*insert standard disclaimer*

"It won't work."

Magnus looked up at the Queen, who gave him a quicksilver smile as if they shared a joke. But no, Magnus was the joke. The toy she tossed against the wall to see how long it would take to break. The spider whose legs she pulled off one by one. The army man she stuck in the microwave on defrost.

"What?"

"Each of you drinking half the potion," she said, and he could've sworn that she giggled. "It will not work. It is enough to save him, but not enough to save you."

Magnus found himself shrugging, as if he couldn't care less, though nothing could be farther from the truth. "I had to try." He looked back at Alec, and grabbed his other hand to hold him still. His eyes had rolled back into his head, his skin hot to the touch. Healing was messy. "Anyway, this is still what I would've picked."

"You will leave him," the Queen said, in a voice that left no room for question.

"I..." His face fell as his voice faded to a whisper. He found himself studying the lines of Alec's face, the ones he already knew so well. He wouldn't let himself forget them. "Yes. I have to."

An icy smile crept over her features, lighting up her eyes and chilling him straight to the bone. "Then my task here is complete."

Magnus couldn't help but raise an incredulous eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I told you before, all I want is to see the defeat in your eyes. It is..." she paused, and sniffed the air. In that moment, she looked completely insane, an animal, hunting for its prey. "A treat, to have all your despair seething through the room. It is something lovely."

Eyes widening, jaw dropping, Magnus let Alec's hands drop and rose to his feet, his eyes coming more-than-level with the faerie Queen. In fact, he was looking down at her. It was a strangely thrilling feeling. "You sick bitch."

"Do you wish for punishmet?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. For once, it was straightforward question, to which Magnus could answer yes or no. No tangled faerie half-truths or confusingly worded questions that twisted and knotted and doubled back on themselves.

Magnus shook his head, and took a small shuffling step backwards, which clashed with his next words. "You can't hurt me."

"Maybe not," the Queen allowed. "But him,"--she pointed one finger at Alec, who twitched in response, new lines scoring his face--"him I can hurt. And you don't want that, now do you?"

"Lay one finger on him," Magnus hissed, stretching out every inch of his beanpole frame, holding his arms a little to the sides and up, as if getting ready to throw a punch. The shadow he cast on the wall looked strangely like a bat, his messy hair like ears and the folds of his coat like wings. Anyone else probably would pissed their pants and coward in the corner. But not the Seelie Queen.

She simply raised an eyebrow, and lifted her chin defiantly. "Or you'll do what?" She laughed at him and his shoulders fell instinctively, chopping off a good section of his height as he slouched. You can't harm me. No one can."

Something crashed in the hallway, and far away, someone screamed. The Queen crinkled up her face in annoyance and waved an impatient hand.

"Uaithne, Eoghan, take care of it."

The knights marched away and the Queen turned back to Magnus, opening her mouth to speak...

CRACK!

The vine-door blew inward, greenery scattering in each direction, slapping the walls, perching on the heads of faeries like ridiculous toupees. Magnus found himself curled protectively around Alec, arms around the Shadowhunter's shoulders, his body positioned to shield him from whatever came. Alec had stopped convulsing, and lay limp in the warlock's hold, head lolling against his chest, eyes closed, breathing shallow.

Through the doorway stepped a woman--well, a faerie--with skin the color of cream and hair the color of midnight--not quite black, not quite blue. The curling locks shone like a raven's feathers as she threw back her head and laughed. A form-fitting dress sheathed her slim frame, the ends reaching out to brush the ground with tattered fingers. Wings knifed out from her shoulder blades, made of swirling black mist, of pain and sorrow and nightmares. Just being near her, Magnus felt the last threads of hope leave his heart. The Seelie Queen might be a bitch, but this faerie was evil.

Every faerie in the room seemed to wither, shrinking back into the corners. Even the armed knights didn't try to stop her.

"Did you really think you could stop me with such weak bodyguards?" she said, and her voice was like shattering glass, shrill and grating. She laughed, and threw something at the Queen's feet. The thing rolled forward to rest on what used to be a neck, and was now no more than shredded flesh and blood. It was Eoghan's head, his leafy hair plastered to his ghost-pale skin with his own blood, his eyes dull, staring into oblivion. Magnus through the Seelie Queen might've actually flinched. "Took a blink of my eye to destroy them."

The Queen got to her feet, her hands balled into shaking fists, anger written on her face in clear, bold strokes. "Rhiannon," she hissed, and another figure stepped from the shadows.

"Jace?" Magnus asked, staring in horror as the tall blond boy appeared beside Rhiannon, an angel blade in one hand, and an iron knife in the other. His face was wiped blank of emotion, except for his eyes, which met Magnus' gaze and conveyed without words what he wanted so desperately to say.

It's okay.

The faeries ignored him, staring each other down like two macho mundanes getting ready to brawl. Suddenly, Rhiannon smiled, and cocked her head to the side, like a curious bird. "Hello," she said. "Sister."

God, I'm sorry. This sounds like a bad soap opera. Stupid sleep deprivation, stupid teacher that gives me essay the first week of school, causing said sleep deprivation.

Next, we go back in time a little bit and figure out what the hell Jace is doing with the Seelie Queen's sister. And I'm just curious; can anyone guess who exactly she is? Anyone who does gets a virtual cookie.

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