The Institute was quiet when Emily walked down in her training gear the next morning. Actually, it was a little to quiet, but she was too tired and hungry to actually pay attention to it. It was nearly impossible to sleep last night, and it wasn't until this morning that she realized she missed dinner, though her stomach reminded her in full force. The simple black tank top and spandex clung to her body as she burst through the kitchen doors, completely and utterly shocked at what she saw.

No one was there. Not a single soul was sitting at the table, the bar, or even in the fridge, where her father always seemed to reside. It was completely deserted, but Emily was fully aware of the note left on the fridge.

We're all down at Taki's for breakfast. Meet us there. It's Simon's idea, and don't you dare go up to the training room instead. We've got some things to talk about, so get down here as soon as you wake up.

Emily sighed at the note her mother wrote, and after contemplating about heading straight for the training room and ignoring the rest of the world, she decided that she didn't feel like getting a lecture when her mother got home. So she grabbed her leather jacket, slipped it on and headed to the restaurant on foot.

Taki's was something that never seemed to change. The building was the same as it was twenty years earlier, when her mother first went. It was still the hang out of the downworlder's. Fairies and werewolves were coming in and out in a hurry, nothing new. the smell emitting from the doors when it opened was intoxicating. According to Jace it still had the best food in all of New York City. Not that she would argue. The pancakes were to die for!

She burst through the doors, and saw her family quickly enough. Finding Jace's golden halo and Clary's fire was never difficult to begin with. After pushing her own curls over her shoulders, she made her way to the table. Luckily, it seemed like they had just gotten there, with only drinks in their hands. Jace and Clary sat on one side, facing Isabelle, Simon, and Chase, who seemed very uninterested in the conversation taking place between the adults. His chin was in one hand while he played with a spoon.

All eyes turned to her when she made it to the table and slid in next to her father without so much as a hello. "Glad you could make it," Jace said.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed a menu. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Isabelle lean into Simon, whispering something into his ear. Isabelle was dressed like she always was, in a red dress and her black hair was in a sock bun towards the top of her head. Emily wasn't stupid though. Her Aunt probably had all kinds of weapons hiding in that dress, no matter how tight it clung to her body. Simon had on some dorky, black sweatshirt with a logo from the mundane world that Emily didn't recognize, so she just ignored it and started looking for what she wanted to eat. "I didn't really have a choice, did I?"

Jace shrugged in agreement, but Clary leaned forward, glaring at her. "Emily, don't give your father the attitude. We're settling this right now, once and for all."

"What is there to settle?" Emily demanded as she slammed the menu on the table. The salt and pepper shakers shook with the force. "Chase and I hate each other. It's as simple as that and it's not going to change."

"You know, I'm right here," Chase uttered but nobody was paying him any attention.

"That's not the matter of discussion," Simon said. "We wanted to talk to you about something that Chase brought to my attention last night. Apparently, some rumors are going on that you two haven't been completely honest about, Chase specifically more than you. And I'm not saying that you have any information on it, but I doubt that you'd be kept in the dark which means your withholding information as well. Jace and Clary confirmed they knew some things this morning, and we're sure you have something that can help too."

Uh oh. "Like what?"

Without a word from the adults, Chase reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He handed it to Emily without even looking at her and she took it reluctantly, their hands brushing in the process. He just kept his head in his chin though, either bored or couldn't care less about what was happening.

After she read the message, she gave Chase his phone and her light green eyes met Simon's brown ones. "Okay, so Lady Lilith is pissed off. That's nothing we haven't known for twenty years. Hell, if I was her, I'd be pissed off too."

"That's not the point," said Jace. "We need to know everything you know about what might be happening. After what the demon told your mother and me, and after last night, we're all concerned something is really going on. We need to know if you have any information on the subject."

Emily bit her lip and looked away, which probably showed that she was guilty, but she was too busy thinking. Would Luke want her to tell? Her parents already seemed pretty deep in the situation anyway, so it's not like Clary would be freaking out for no reason. "All I know is that messages are being sent about Lady Lilith, a traitor, and other crap that doesn't add up. It's just demons and downworlders trying to cause trouble."

"We need specifics," Jace insisted.

Emily sighed and leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "Look, Conan has gotten some texts saying that the Shadowhunters are getting what's coming to them. That's the last thing I heard about the subject. Luke told me to keep quiet about it, so I did."

"Luke told you not to tell us?" Clary asked. The hurt was evident in her voice and on her face so Jace's hand descended on her knee, keeping her calm. "Why did Luke tell you and not Jace or me?"

Emily shrugged, but she knew the answer. It was more of a teenage gesture. "Maybe because you blow everything out of proportion and Dad tries to do everything on his own. Luke didn't want you two being stupid."

Jace scoffed. "And he thinks that telling you was a smarter idea?"

"Thanks for the confidence builder, Dad. But in case you forgot, Conan and I are close, that's why he told me. We actually care about each other. You hate Conan as much as Maia hates you so putting you two together is as suicidal as throwing Chase and I in the same room. Which you four," she pointed around the table, "have yet to figure out."

"I still don't understand what I ever did to Maia," Jace wondered aloud. Typical of him to ignore everything that didn't involve him. "She's hated me since she met me. I didn't even do anything."

Simon put his head in his hands, gripping his hair like he was annoyed. "You can't be serious, Jace. Maia hates you because you're an ass, which goes along with the rest of the world. The only two people who can actually tolerate you without ripping your head off are sitting next to you, and it's debatable about Emily."

Jace was about to argue back, something about his charm more than likely, but Emily's phone started going off, getting the attention of everyone at the table. "Who is that?" Clary asked.

"Conan," she answered when she grabbed her phone. "I have to take this."

"You can take it right here." Jace grabbed the back of her jacket as she started to get out of the booth and pulled her back down. "And put it on speaker."

"Just because you hate his parents, doesn't mean that he's a bad guy," Emily spat but either way, she did what she was told and put the phone on speaker. She glanced up at Chase, not sure why, but she now had his full attention, his hands balled into fists on the table. "Hey, Conan."

"Emily! Thank God I got a hold of you." He was slightly out of breath, like he'd been running. "We've got a problem."

She glanced to her right, where the entrance of Taki's was, but she knew that she'd never make it with the phone. Jace was going to figure out what was going on whether it was the easy was or hard way.

"What kind of problem?" she asked. She mentally hoped that he would ask to meet her before spilling whatever was going, but she knew that was a pointless thought.

"A Code Red. Luke is missing." Point proved.

"What?" Before Emily could stop her, Clary grabbed the phone. "What do you mean he's missing?"

There was a pause. "Clary? What are you – Oh, whatever. He's not at the office. Jocelyn said that he left this morning to meet the pack and never showed. He won't answer his phone. If that isn't missing, I don't know what is and my parents are freaking out."

"He's not at the bookstore?" Simon asked.

"Is that Simon? Okay, I'm guessing everyone is there. And no, Mom and Dad were just there. But I got another text, with four addresses on it from another stupid unknown number. It's like whoever is sending these messages are trying to play games with us. Either way, we need to check it out, find Luke, and kill whoever is doing this."

"I wouldn't mind killing someone right now," Jace inquired.

"Meet me at Taki's," Emily said as she grabbed the phone back. "Go grab my bow and arrow from your house first. I don't want to have to go back to the Institute."

"I've already got it with me and I'm on my way. I'll be there in five minutes," he answered and one side of Emily's mouth lifted in a sly smile. Jace didn't seem too happy about that and he glared at her before grabbing the phone and cutting the call. She just ignored him and started barking orders. "Here's the deal. Mom, Dad, you two will take the farthest address when Conan gets here. Chase, Simon, and Isabelle will take the second farthest. Maia, Jocelyn, and Jordan can take the third, and Conan and I will take the closest. We'll meet back here in an hour, and if you don't show up, we assume the worst."

"Hold on a second," Conan said as he rose to his feet. "How come you're barking out the orders?"

"She's smarter than you think," Jace answered. "Although you and Conan going together isn't something I'm a fan of."

Emily rolled her eyes and stood to her feet, sliding out of the booth. "Of course you're not. Well, I'm sure as hell not going with Chase."

"Of course you're not," Clary agreed, but then she betrayed her own daughter. "Chase is going with you."

Emily glanced as Chase once, and shook her head. "Yeah, you're funny."

"You heard me young lady," Clary said with a pointed finger. "You need another Shadowhunter with you, someone trained, which Conan isn't. You're not of age to be going at this alone."

"Conan is just as good a fighter as Chase. In fact, I've yet to be able to break his arm," Emily shot back.

"Do you have your stele on you?" Isabelle asked. Emily immediately wished that she would've had it, just to put a silencing rune on these people. "That's what I thought. Chase is going, end of discussion."

"This is just going to suck," Chase mumbled. Emily couldn't help but agree.

They left Taki's without even ordering, much to Emily's demise because her stomach felt like it was eating itself at this point. Outside the restaurant, they all started marking each other with their steles in the parking lot, getting ready for whatever they were going to face. It was better to be safe than sorry, but Emily thought they were all blowing this way out of proportion. It was an investigation, not a battle against a demon army.

"Lift your sleeve up," Clary instructed as she placed her stele on Emily's arm. Clary's runes were always more powerful, so Emily did as she was told, letting her mother draw on her skin. The burning sensation took over and she watched as the black lines showed up as the stele moved across her skin, like a ball point pen flowing ink out the tip. She looked up to see Jace marking Isabelle, Simon talking to Chase, and Emily's smile showed when she saw Conan's green pickup truck pulling into the parking lot.

Conan hopped out of the driver's seat, looking like he always did except for the two 9 mm pistols in his hand. He glanced up, saw Emily, and quickly made his way over to her, tucking the pistols in his jeans under his navy t-shirt.

"Is everyone ready?" he asked as he approached. He was looking around, like he was nervous, and Emily realized why when his eyes met Jace's, because Jace looked like he would be willing to take the seraph blade in his hand and stab it through Conan's heart.

Clary finished the rune and dropped Emily's sleeve. "Yes," her mother answered. "You three know where you're going, correct?"

Emily nodded and Conan frowned. He looked at Emily. "Three? I thought it was just the two of us heading to the warehouse."

Clary walked away, heading for Jace while Emily shook her head and pointed a finger at Chase. He was now holding his sword, twisting it in his hands as he talked to Simon. "That asshole is coming with us."

Conan's eyes darkened. "You've got to be kidding me."

Emily wished she was. Her parents might have thought that this was the best thing for them, but it was only going to cause a bunch of disasters. Three of them were going, but Emily had a feeling that only two would be walking out, while Chase cradled the floor with a broken arm for the third time.

After everyone was set, Jace sent everyone off without so much as a good luck. They did as they were told, and before long the three teenagers were the only ones left, heading to the car.

"How come the dog gets to drive?" Chase asked. Emily felt Conan stiffen next to her. "Shouldn't he be in the back with his tongue sticking out?"

"You know your parents are gone. I can easily leave your ass here," Conan suggested as he opened the driver's side door. Chase, unfortunately, had to slide in after Emily in the front seat, the three teenagers situating themselves side by side. "And Emily would be more than helpful in making that happen."

Chase let out a breath mixed with a laugh. "Her daddy wouldn't be too happy about that."

"Actually, he finds your pain pretty amusing," Emily smiled and Chase finally shut his mouth after one last glare at Emily. Conan started the truck, and they were on their way.

The drive to the warehouse was quiet, thankfully, and by the time they approached Emily was itching to send an arrow through something's heart. Chase's arm kept brushing hers at every turn and bump, and it was really starting to get on her nerves. So when they made it to the warehouse location, Chase jumped out as fast as he could, which Emily was actually happy about. For once, something he did was actually helpful. There was a first time for everything.

Emily hopped gracefully in the bed of the truck, looking at the weapons thrown everywhere. There was anything from chakrams, to swords, to the bow and arrow Emily needed. She strapped the quiver over her shoulder, full of rune arrows, and jumped out of the back with the bow in hand.

Chase's curiosity must have peaked when Conan hopped in the back, because his brown curls peaked over the edge of the bed, looking inside. "Since when does a werewolf own so many weapons? Don't you guys just transform and use claws? And what's with the guns? They can't be used on demons."

Conan, with a sword in hand, looked down at Chase. His hands were both gripping it, and with the way the sun was rising behind him, his black hair flapping in the wind, he looked ridiculously gorgeous, like a dark warrior in one of her mother's paintings. He had the size, the muscles, and the dark eyes that fit the image in her head. Where Chase was barely taller, Conan's muscle outweighed him by a landslide.

Conan didn't answer, biting his lip as he hopped down, and he and Emily made their way towards the building, Chase right behind them gripping seraph blades in both hands.

The warehouse wasn't anything spectacular. It looked abandoned and rotten. Rust was forming on the metal beams. All kinds of plants were starting to grow on the side, taking over the walls as if they were trying to reach for the sky. The two story building wasn't too big, maybe fifty yards long and only twenty yards wide. Glass windows lined the walls on all four sides, some of the glass broken and shattered around the edge. When they approached the door, Emily pulled out her sensor.

"How many you think?" Conan asked as he looked at the screen.

As the sensors evolved over time, they got more and more accurate, indicating not only the demon activity, but how many were there, or are currently there. "The sensor says there are three demons inside, one… one being a greater demon."

Chase sucked in a breath. "A greater demon? And you want to fight it?"

Emily looked over her shoulder, and saw that he was genuinely freaked out. "You're not scared of a little Greater Demon, are you?"

Conan just laughed. "Maybe the two of us should go. Chase can go take the truck and get help if he's too scared."

Apparently, that hit a nerve. Chase gripped his blades and pushed past Emily and Conan, shoving them to the side as he approached the door. He kicked it open loudly, not even trying to be stealthy, and all hell broke loose.

Hands came down from the inside of the door, gripping Chase's shoulders as he stepped inside and yanking him up. He didn't scream but dropped one of his blades, gripping the monkey-like hands as he was pulled out of view, his feet disappearing on the inside of doorway as he was yanked upward.

Emily and Conan exchanged a quick glance, and charged in quickly, jumping through the door as they readied their weapons. Emily looked down her sight of the compound bow, turning to look above the door as Conan watched her back, and was shocked at what she saw.

Chase was up against the wall, hands around his throat as it was being squeezed. The demon holding him was a Scorpios Demon, its barbed tail whipping back and forth on the walkway on the second floor as it hissed at him. Chase didn't even seem to notice the demon hissing at him. His eyes were darting back and forth, and Emily could see a little trickle of blood falling down the back of his head.

She readied her weapon, and let the arrow fly. The arrow hit the demon in the back, causing it to scream out and drop Chase. He missed the walkway, falling to the floor after the two story drop with a sickening crack, and didn't move. It didn't even look like he was breathing. But she couldn't focus on that. Emily grabbed another arrow, readying it when the Scorpios demon turned it head, glaring at her and jumping down to the floor level, stalking towards her.

"Emily." It was Conan, and he sounded worried. "We have a problem."

"I have a problem of my own, Conan," she shot back and she flew another arrow at the Scorpios demon, hitting it in the chest this time. It reared back, grabbing at the arrows sticking out from its body and Emily turned, buying enough time to help Conan. But it was too late.

There was a sudden grunt, and Emily turned in time to see Conan flying through the air, his back hitting one of the metal pillars. His sword flew from his hand and he twisted in the air before falling to the concrete floor with the same cracking sound as Chase had before. His sword came to a stop next to him, but it wasn't going to do him any good.

Emily was on her own. The Drevak Demon's smell was rotten, like garbage, as it approached her from the front. It seemed to be smiling, but she couldn't be sure and didn't have time to really think about it. The Scorpios demon had recovered from the arrows, throwing them to the side as it stalked towards her from the back, its tail whipping back and forth with anticipation. No scenario in her head that she played ended well for any of them. Chase was unconscious, while Conan was now gripping his leg that was more than likely broken. Blood was pouring out of it quickly, dangerously quick. And he was a werewolf, so a stele was pointless for him. Not to mention he seemed to be fading in and out of consciousness as well.

She needed more than the eleven arrows she had in her quiver. The sword at Conan's feet would be helpful, but the Drevak demon was blocking her path. She reared an arrow back, ready to fire at the nasty smelling creature, when it stopped and looked at her, really looked at her. The demon's hand came up and suddenly, the Scorpios demon froze as well. Emily heard it slither away, back to Chase, and the Drevak demon looked down at her.

"I have a message for you, young Shadowhunter," it said.

Emily kept the bow up, not letting her guard down if the demon wanted to talk. "Then spit it out."

"I'll tell her."

The Drevak demon barely registered the fact that someone came up from behind him. It was a boy, slightly older than Emily but not by much. His hair was light, beach blonde to the point it was almost white. He was dressed in Shadowhunter gear, with his hands in the pocket of his black pants. Two sword handles were strapped to his back as he approached with a smile on his face, but it wasn't kind. It was the kind of smile that people gave when they knew something someone else didn't. Emily was vaguely aware of the Drevak demon moving to hover over Conan, and the Scorpios Demon hissing next to Chase.

The boy was only a few feet from Emily when he stopped. She had a faint recognition when she got a clear view of his face, but she knew that she had never seen him before.

"You're Emily Herondale," the boy said with his head cocked to the side. "Are you not? You have your father's arrogance about you. And you look just like your mother."

"I am," she answered proudly, though she was genuinely confused. Conan groaned to her right, and she was pretty sure she heard the Drevak Demon hit him again to shut him up, but she willed herself to focus on the threat. Running to his side would only cause more trouble. "What's it to you?"

"Do you know who I am?" Emily shook her head and it only made him smile more, which made her stomach twist. His eyes were like black holes as they looked at her. No, through her. "That's not what I expected to hear from my favorite niece."

"Niece?" She repeated, and it hit her. She refused to believe it, but it's obvious who this person was. Her parents had told her plenty of stories of him, and when he pulled his hands out of his pockets, crossing them over his chest, Emily's stomach fell. She had nightmares about the boy in front of her, and they were all coming true. "Jonathan."

Jonathan Morgenstern smiled, nodding once. "So she's smarter than she looks. Let's have a talk, shall we? I'd like to discuss your parents."

Let me know what you guys think! I'm trying too add as much of Jace, Clary, and the others as possible but obviously the story is going to center around Emily. Reviews are encouraged, and suggestions are welcome, although I can't promise anything.