New York: apartment
"Who did you say these guys were again?" Will said, voicing the question that everyone wanted to ask. Tessa had told them there were people who could help them, and now she had returned with three strangers waiting for orders.
"We need to rally what remains of the four Downworlder communities. Maia can gather the werewolves and these three have offered to assemble their own groups for us" Tessa answered.
"I thought you were a warlock though" Simon pointed out.
"I am in a manner of speaking, but because of technicalities the few warlocks that are left in the world don't really consider me a spokesperson for the rest of them. But not to worry, this is Edric Night" she gestured towards the male warlock. His skin was a mild purple colour and each of his hands had seven fingers, but apart from that he looked relatively human with his dark hair and average facial features.
"A pleasure" he said quietly to the others. Next Tessa indicated the faerie of the group. She was elegantly tall, with rich auburn/burgundy hair and eyes that sparkled like diamonds.
"Yvaine will help us with the faeries" Tessa told the others; the faerie woman remained silent but smiled slowly at the group. "And finally we have-"
"Colin" the third stranger interrupted, "Colin the vampire". Horace and Jocasta were trying desperately to suppress their laughter; Will and Helen weren't so lucky at restraining themselves. Tessa looked slightly angry, but when everyone burst into giggles she let it slip.
"So what do we do now?" Jon finally said after the laughter died down.
"Apart from our three guests and myself" Maia pointed out, "there are eight of you. Each of the four Downworlders should take two people as back-up and then we come up with a suitable meeting point".
"I'll go with Colin!" Simon announced, "gotta show some support for the alternate world vamps"
"I'll join you" Sebastian suggested.
"Are you coming with me Tessa?" Edric Night asked
"I'd better not; the other warlocks might be more reluctant to cooperate if they find out that I'm with you. You, Magnus, Ragnor and Catarina have always been the only warlocks to accept me. It's okay; I'll accompany Jon and Yvaine"
"Who said I was going with Yvaine?" Jon interjected
"I did, just now".
"Me and Horace will go with you, Edric" announced Jocasta, leaving Will and Helen to rally the werewolves with Maia. After agreeing on a place to meet up in a few hours (the nearest subway station) they all departed with their Downworlder representatives.
They were all so quick to trust each other.
No one remembered that Isabelle Lightwood was still alive and starting to wake up.
New York: subway
"Excellent idea taking the subway, Bro Zach" Jace muttered sarcastically, "no one on a highly used public transportation system will pay any attention to the mutilated floating hooded man with the unconcious near-death teenage girl and the two leather-dressed youths brandishing knives menacingly".
Brother Jeremiah took my favourite carriage, Jonathan, and there was no time to find a more discreet method of tavelling quickly Brother Zachariah whispered to their thoughts. While they argued, Clary was sat with Aline's unconcious head resting on her lap, urging her to wake up. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't wake her dying friend.
"Come on Aline" she said quietly, "we need you".
"What exactly do we need to do to cure her?" Jace asked Brother Zachariah accusingly, as so far he hadn't really told them anything. The Silent Brother took a deep sigh (at least Clary thought it was a sigh) before beginning.
If she is to live, she has to become an Iron Sister. There is no other way to cure her, but I'm not prepared to take her straight to the Adamant Citadel. This has happened before, but the person it affected was concious enough to choose that path for themself and was content in knowing that the people they loved most in this world would be safe in the company of each other. We must find your friends as among them is Helen Blackthorn, who Aline loves enough to trust with the decision of whether or not to turn her into one of the Iron Sisters.
"Aline loves Helen Blackthorn? As in les-" Jace began.
"That's all you took from this?!"Clary interrupted, "we should be focusing on the fact that Aline will either become an Iron Sister forever or die. I'm not sure which path is worse". She realised her mistake when it was too late, and before she could apologise Brother Zachariah beat her to it.
This is not a bad life, Clarissa. Aline will be able to know that the girl she loves is safe, whereas death only brings uncertainty and torment.
"But she'll have to see Helen die one day, and she won't be any older".
It provides contentment, to see someone you love die of old age, surrounded by people who love them, and living a long and happy life that you had always wanted for them.
"Guys" said Jace, worriedly, "we have company". During their conversation the train had stopped more than once, and at some point the person walking towards them had gotten on without them realising. The girl started to skip merrily in their direction, a sinister grin spreading across her face.
"That's impossible" Clary whispered, horrified, "in this world she should be human, why is she-"
"A vampire?" the girl suggested, "it was my reward for helping the creator of this world over the years. Now my job is to kill all of you, and for all my hard work Simon will be kept alive so that I can marry him".
"She knows?" asked Jace, "Maureen is one of the eight?"
"No silly" Maureen giggled, "but my master trusted me enough to tell me everything, and guess what?" she was now stood in front of them, leaning forward to whisper in their ears, "I know who they really are, and you'll never guess".
Maureen lunged at them.
Dungeons
"We shouldn't do this, Mr Bane" Max urged anxiously, tugged on Magnus' shoulder, "what if we get caught?"
"Well it's a good thing our captor left already, isn't it?" he ruffled the boy's hair to reassure him that everything would be okay before approaching the neighbouring cell. Magnus had known for a while who occupied the cell, but he wouldn't dare try to talk to him with the risk of being seen looming over him. "Ithuriel?" he whispered.
"Yes?" a tortured voice croaked from the other side of the bars.
"We need to end this" Magnus stated.
"There's nothing I can do"
"You're the one who gave them the ability to do all this!"
"I was forced; tricked. By my own- my own-"
"Your own child"
"No … no child of m-mine. A good child would never lock up their own- own f-father. If they're not stopped soon; if they succeed in killing the eight, this world will bec-come the only w-world".
"Which is why you need to help us". As Magnus waited for a response he realised that the angel was so close to death that a reply may never come. Before he could find out if Ithuriel had finally died, he ushered Max back towards the far end of their own cell. Max started to cry, but Magnus cradled his head and told him everything would be alright.
New York: apartment
"Wake up!" she cried at the lifeless form on the ground, holding his shoulders and shaking him in the hopes of him not really being dead. "Please, Alec. I need y-"
Isabelle drifted over, Jace a pace behind her. She was wearing a long black dress with boots and an even longer cutaway coat of soft green velvet, the color of moss. "I can't believe you did it!" she exclaimed. "How did you get Magnus to let Jace leave?""Traded him for Alec," Clary looked mildly alarmed. "Not permanently?" "No," said Jace. "Just for a few hours. Unless I don't come back," he added thoughtfully. "In which case, maybe he does get to keep Alec. Think of it as a lease with an option to buy." Isabelle looked dubious. "Mom and Dad won't be pleased if they find out." "That you freed a possible criminal by trading away your brother to a warlock who looks like a gay Sonic the Hedgehog and dresses like the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?" Simon inquired. "No, probably not."
"What the hell was that?!" she let go of Alec's body and stumbled up off the ground. "I … remember".