Isabelle groaned as she opened her eyes. The dark, torchlit hall swimming into focus. The pain had started to fade, finally, after what felt like years, and the room felt cool against her sweaty skin.

Isabelle blinked, and when her eyesight started to focus she noticed a dark shape sitting beside her. She turned her head.

Alec. He was leaning forward, using his arms folded against the bed to prop himself up. He looked pale, and ill, his head bowed over his arms. Isabelle couldn't see his face.

"Shouldn't you still be in bed?" Isabelle asked, but the relief she felt was so acute it left her breathless.

Alec was fine.

She had always believed in him, but she would be lying if she said some part of her hadn't been so afraid of what would happen if her brother didn't live through this. If she lost Jace and Alec together. If she had to live without them.

Maybe that was part of why she had grabbed the goblet in the first place.

Alec raised his head sharply, surprise in his eyes. "Isabelle." Alec let out a long breath. "Thank goodness."

Isabelle smiled faintly. "Are you all right, Alec? Where's Magnus?"

Alec ran a hand through his hair, his deeply hollowed eyes narrowing at her. "Are you kidding me? I wake up to find you like this, and that's the first thing you have to say?"

Isabelle frowned. "Well that's a double standard, isn't it? You drank from the cup too. You didn't ask my permission."

Alec's eyes widened. "I–," he sighed. "I just didn't see this coming, Izzy. Do you really want to fight demons?"

Isabelle slowly sat up. All of her muscles and bones hurt, but she managed to struggle into a seated position.

"Alec…" she began, pushing her hair back from her face. "I think deep down you know the answer to that. I'm never going to be happy sitting here on the sidelines of this war, like some poor porcelain doll. And if anything… the fact that the cup choose me, should say it all, about what I'm willing to do."

Isabelle looked squarely in her brother's eyes. "You of all people should understand."

Alec's eyebrows raised a little, a question in his eyes, but he didn't say anything. Finally he just nodded.

Then a thought occurred to Isabelle. "What about Jace?"

Alec let out a breath and pressed his lips together. "Don't worry." He muttered. "Jace is fine."

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH AH!"

Metal rang like bells as Jace swung his sword into those of his men. All of them looking at him with brilliant shock and fear in their eyes as he moved like lighting striking out of the dark.

Alec stood in the archway on the side of the courtyard, watching as Jace moved between the lights and shadows of the torches that broke up the night.

"Jace," Alec called finally, drawing Jace's attention as he lowered his sword. "Give them a break, won't you?"

The men looked at Alec with a little bit of relief, and he understood it. There was a burned-ness to his entire body that he imagine they shared. A raw, new skin feeling.

Jace looked at Alec, his golden eyes so alight that it was unbelievable. So warm that they hurt to look at. Alec had never seen his best friend so alive. He wasn't sure anyone ever– in all the world– had looked so vivid as Jace did, glowing gold as an angel beneath the night sky.

"Alec!" Jace jogged forward and clapped his friend hard on the back, grinning at him. "I knew you would wake soon. I could feel it."

Alec took a breath. He knew what Jace meant. He had felt it too, when he woke up, and unexplainably knew what it was. That buzz of life that seemed tuned to his own.

"You're clearly adjusting well," Alec murmured, smiling. "Isabelle woke up…"

"I'll go see her soon." Jace promised, but he seemed distracted. "You have to try it Alec. You don't really feel the difference until you try to push your limits. Suddenly, speed, strength, endurance it's all–,"

"Fight me then." Alec said suddenly. His voice was hard but he was smiling. "It's not like I have to take your word for it."

Jace grinned, all teeth and confidence. "Right! Let's do it."

Jace moved back and tossed Alec a sword, which he caught like it was instinct. He jolted a little, surprised, and Jace's expression filled with excitement at the sight.

He raised his sword. "Ready?" He asked, challenging Alec with gleaming eyes.

Alec stood across from him, straightening his shoulders.

In that moment, looking at Jace, Alec felt something. So strong, so overwhelming it nearly took his breath away.

Accomplishment.

The challenge in Jace's eyes, the expectation…. Alec suddenly realized this was something he had always wanted.

He had always wanted Jace to acknowledge him. He had always wanted to be a challenge.

And maybe now…. Alec raised his sword. He could be an equal.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Magnus woke to the chiming of the clock, unsure of how many chimes it might have been in his groggy state.

He groaned.

He had come home before Alec had woken up again. Some part of him was afraid of facing the dark-haired new-shadowhunter when he was lucid. Not to mention Magnus was exhausted from lending his magic to help when the castle was trying to organize the great hall into an infirmary.

He had only made it as fair as the parlor before collapsing onto the couch. And that was why the grandfather clock was waking him.

Magnus sighed as he pushed himself up and stretched his back, swinging his legs off the couch so that he could sit up. When he vision started to clear, he raised his eyes to the clock.

It was eleven at night.

"One hour." Magnus told himself, taking a deep breath. "I had better go get ready."

Magnus pushed himself off the couch and snapped his fingers, immediately appearing in his own bedroom. He walked into his washroom and hot water began to immediately bubble up inside the tub, already filling with bath salts.

Magnus quickly changed out of his clothes, tossing the into a basket near the door before sinking into the bath.

All his muscles started to relax.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated," Magnus wondered to himself as the hot water sunk into his bones.

He closed his eyes.

When he was satisfied with cleaning himself, Magnus walked back into his bedroom and dressed into a silk robe. His hair falling long, and smooth, like streams of wet ink.

Magnus sat down in front of his vanity, running a brush through the strands. As he did, blue sparks danced from his palms, drying the hair as he brushed it.

Magnus glanced at the clock.

Half passed eleven.

"It's still too soon…" Magnus reminded himself firmly, looking at his own reflection in the glass. "He's my servant. Nothing more. And after what he's been through, I should send him straight to bed."

Magnus set down his brush and his shoulders lowered.

"This had better be the right thing," He muttered to himself.

He felt too wired, all of the sudden. Too energized. He only had a half hour before he would have to act calm, collected, and– more importantly– aloof. But at the moment he wondered if he would be very convincing.

Magnus considered his options for a moment before finally snapping his fingers. A bottle appearing on the vanity beside him.

"A drink will calm my nerves." Magus told himself, popping the cork. He snapped his fingers again and a glass appeared.

He moved back onto his bed, lounging across it with his glass in his hand, propping a book open on his lap.

Magnus took a long swallow, glancing at the clock again.

Eleven thirty-five. It was going to be a long night.

It was suddenly like there was less weight in the world, Alec thought, as he moved around the courtyard.

All of his strikes were quick as a snake's, all of his steps graceful. It was like the difficulty had been taken out of moving.

"Come on, push harder!" Jace called, a thrill in his voice. "We can do more, I know it!"

Alec panted. "Be patient, Jace. It's only the first night."

"We're capable though!" Jace looked feverish. "It's like we don't have any limits anymore!"

Alec felt cold at that. "Jace, that's not…"

Just then Alec felt something burning against his wrist.

Jace stopped. His eyes going to the blue flames that had lit up on Alec's wrist.

His expression soured. "Your master's collar?" He asked, coldly. And Alec frowned.

"Jace–,"

Just then the fire started to spread up his arm.

Alec's eyes widened, frightened for a moment, until suddenly a thought occurred to him.

"What time is it?" He asked, and Jace looked baffled.

"I don't know… It's late. Maybe close to midnight…"

Alec felt understanding wash over him, and he relaxed as the fire started to spread.

"I have to go then." He told Jace. "I'll be back when I can."

Jace's expression grew cold at that. "I don't like the way he controls you."

Alec frowns. "It's not your choice." he replied, and it was the last thing he said before he disappeared into blue fire.

When Alec materialized again, he was confused at where he was.

It was a lavish bedroom, more so than the one he'd woken up in two mornings ago, and it was radiant with color.

Alec looked around in confusion for a moment, before he noticed Magnus. Who was asleep, and lying a top the bed in nothing but a red silk robe, with a book and a spilled glass lying next to him on the bed.

"Crap!" Alec sputtered, grabbing the glass and looking around frantically until he found a towel in the washroom. He came back and tried to start soaking up the alcohol that had sunk into the bedspread.

He sighed, realizing it was hopeless and stood back. He would just have to figure out how you were supposed to wash stains out of silk tomorrow…

Alec set the glass down and reached for the book next. He was ready to help Magnus get under the covers so that he could sleep, but when he picked up the book and placed it on the table, Magus groaned and started to stir.

At first, Alec had thought he had woken up. But when he looked back, Magnus just rolled onto his side, causing the robe part and start to open over Magnus' legs.

Alec's eyes drifted to the now bare skin and he blushed bright red.

He shook his head violently.

Alec started tugging at Magnus' blankets, trying to pull them down so that he could get Magnus under them.

All he achieved, though, was causing Magnus to groan grumpily.

"Chairman Meow, stop pulling on the sheets." He complained, rolling over in the other direction. This caused the robe to fall even more so that the entire back of his legs were exposed.

Alec's cheeks darkened again.

"I'm sorry, Magnus." Alec said finally. Too uncomfortable to try to handle this on his own anymore. "It's actually me. You're going to get sick if you don't cover up."

Magnus let out a breath.

"Alec?" He mumbled, and his voice was sloppier than it usually was. "You're back. Here, come lay down with me."

"What?" Alec demanded, but then he noticed the band on his wrist start to burn.

You must do anything I ask….

Alec's eyes widened.