Jonathan wasn't stupid, for when Cynthia wouldn't wake up the next morning, he knew there was something else amiss. The girl was curled up between his black covers, her eyes closed and a light sheen of sweat upon her forehead.

Being gentle wasn't in his nature, but he tugged her into his arms, sitting her up with his brows furrowed. "Still alive there?" he asked, raising a hand and moving the honey colored hair from her eyes. Cynthia opened them and met his own, nodding a little as she muttered out, "you're not getting rid of me that easily."

"Excellent" he replied, nuzzling his nose into her cheek without thinking. Cynthia smiled weakly and muttered "can I just stay in bed? My head hurts."

"It's fine. We're in Prague now and I have a meeting later tonight."

"A meeting with who?" Cynthia frowned, taking his hand into her own and playing with his long fingers. They were scarred and calloused like her own, but she didn't mind at all. He wasn't perfect, but he was perfect for her.

"Faeries" Jonathan just replied, tone still the same. His dark eyes were fixed upon her own, or more specifically, his ring upon her finger. He leaned forwards and plucked the ring from her finger, pushing it back onto his own with a "sorry my little love, but I need to borrow this. I swear that I'll get you your own back."

Cynthia's hand felt naked now and she muttered out "aren't you romantic."

"Well you're here all day Cyn. What if I need to make a quick getaway hmm?"

"Yeah, you're prancing around with faeries. Are you going to sit there and let the Seelie Queen braid your hair?"

"I'm rather sure she would much rather set my hair on fire."

Cynthia smiled sweetly at that. "I'd watch."

"Oh I know you would," Jonathan smirked, pressing a hard kiss to her cheek. Cynthia placed a hand upon his chest and pushed him away, laughing out, "I expect to be filled in tonight on what's going on."

Jonathan cocked his head at that, gazing at her unblinkingly for a moment. "You're brighter than I give you credit for."

Cynthia leaned forwards and took his chin into her long fingers, tugging him forwards until his lips were brushing her own, laughing out, "be careful, little demon boy. The facts you overlook tend to be the most important ones."

"Like how you've stopped drinking demon blood?"

Her hand slipped from his face, eyes widening in surprise. Jonathan smirked. "Yes, I noticed."

Silence fell and the demon boy just watched Cynthia get to her feet, running a hand through her tangled hair as she walked over to the wardrobe and tugged it open, saying coolly "it's no big secret."

Jonathan sprawled out upon the bed, shrugging a little as he replied "I was curious to see how long you'd last. Because how long has it been now hmm? Well over two weeks. You're doing well." Cynthia could tell he was staring as she tugged her shirt off over her head. "Yes. Almost a month."

"Which begs the question," Jonathan went slowly, "is how you're doing that. Because you're not a mess upon the floor, nor are you a demon."

"Clever, aren't I?" Cynthia snorted in amusement, snagging a fresh vest from the wardrobe and pulling it on. She turned around and jumped when Jonathan was stood there, snapping out "don't do that!"

Jonathan narrowed his eyes. "Tell me what you were doing those two weeks. Don't lie."

Cynthia took a step back, but Jonathan merely took one forward, pressing her back up against the wardrobe until she growled out "I was looking for a cure, okay?"

His expression didn't change. "Cure?"

She shoved at his chest. He didn't budge. Cynthia rolled her eyes. "You know… that the more demon blood I drink, the worse I get."

"Yes."

"Well… I found a solution. A temporary one, but still."

Jonathan narrowed his eyes, waiting for her to elaborate. Cynthia groaned "angel blood. The opposite of demon. I thought maybe… it could buy me time. I don't want to die."

There was silence and Cynthia rested the back of her head against the wardrobe, gazing into Jonathan's midnight eyes- they were unblinking and frozen. Deep in thought she could tell.

"Where did you get the angel blood from?" he finally said, not moving an inch. Cynthia sighed. "When I went to kill my father… it just hit me that maybe the Silent Brothers had some. And they did. Nothing major, just a few vials for ceremonies. But I took them. Once every week, I drank one." She laughed weakly. "They made me ill, angel and demon fighting inside my body, but… it helped I guess."

Jonathan nodded a fraction. "Did you take one today? This morning?"

"…I did."

"And? How do you feel? More Heavens than Hell?"

Cynthia glanced down at that. "I feel… I don't know. That one this morning was the last."

A pause and Jonathan walked out of the room without a look back.

Cynthia just blinked- the hell was he up to?

-LightInYourNightmare-

Cynthia spent the day in the training room practicing her archery to take her mind off the blood problem. It didn't work. She screamed in frustration, yanking a blade from the side and swinging it so it caught the head of the dummy and beheaded it.

As the head of the dummy hit the floor, Cynthia had a sudden image of her father. His demise. The sword dropped from her hand and she just stood there, her eyes wide in utter horror- had she really killed her father? Just because she wanted revenge?

Cynthia felt cold and suddenly lonely as she sank to the floor, sitting there alone with the weapons all around her. A monster she just thought, I'm a monster. Just like Jonathan.

She didn't want to be one though. No, never. Cynthia just wanted a life where she could be normal.

The girl just curled up upon the floor of the training room, staring at the blank wall before her. Suddenly, the future looked more than bleak.

Cynthia got to her feet, swaying as if she was drunk for a moment. In silence she stood there, the last of her confidence slipping away. The angel blood had given her hope, but even that was gone now. She'd be dead before the month was out… a living, breathing monster.

A demon with her face.

There were tears pouring down her face by now as she strolled back into the main part of the apartment, the silence deafening but for her sobs. They escaped her at random intervals, followed occasionally by a hiccup. Cynthia was cursing herself for giving up hope, but there was nothing. Her end was coming. Even Jonathan knew it, she was sure.

Cynthia rifled through Jonathan's bedside drawer, ripping the top page of a word pad. She thought she saw the words To my beautiful one but ignored it. She snagged a pen and two sheets of paper, sniffing back more tears as she began to write. Two letters. One for Jonathan. One for Jace. After she was done, she carefully folded them up and set them on the bedside cabinet. Only if the worst came to pass would she allow them to read them. And she hoped that was never.

Such desperate times called for desperate measures.

-LightInYourNightmare-

When Jonathan returned that night, he was alone. And Cynthia was waiting, lying upon the sofa watching a DVD on the flatscreen. The fireplace was lit, the warmth spreading through the room.

"How did it go?" Cynthia asked as soon as he closed the door. A pause and "well, we have the faeries on our side."

"What for exactly?" she got to her feet and blocked his way to the stairs. Jonathan sighed "another time."

"Nope. Right now. I'm not in the mood."

Another sigh "Fine. I'm making another Cup."

Cynthia stared at that. "Come again?"

"You know" Jonathan mused, shrugging off his coat and tossing it onto the sofa, "another Mortal Cup. But this one will be demonic in alliance."

Cynthia raised a hand and set it to the young mans cheek, frowning. "Why, my dear Jonathan? The world is a beautiful place. Why do you want to destroy it?"

"I don't want to destroy it," Jonathan mused, raising a hand and setting it over Cynthia's own. "I just want to rule it. The Shadowhunters will fall, Cyn. A new age will begin."

"With you as king?"

"And you as queen."

Cynthia felt uneasy as she slid her arms around his midriff, hugging him into her with her cheek pressed to his shoulder. "I just love you Jonathan. I don't want you to die again."

"I don't plan on dying again either," Jonathan chuckled, smoothing the girl's honey blonde hair back gently, closing his eyes. They stood there for a long time, just holding each other. Cynthia noticed he smelt like nighttime. She liked it.

"You're not dying either" he told her softly, sliding his hand down to her lower back, other one catching the back of her legs, picking her up into his arms. Jonathan had always wondered what adoration looked like, for his father had spoken of it many times. The way his Circle members gazed at him during his speeches.

He knew what Valentine had meant now, for the girl was gazing at him with such love in her eyes that it actually unnerved him. And then he noticed something…

Cynthia's eyes. They were a shade lighter than before. No green, but more alive. That was for sure.

"Take me to bed" she murmured out against his lips, raising a hand and cupping his cheek. Jonathan was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Anything you want Cynthia, you can have it. Just one thing first." A pause. "The answer from last night. Tell me."

"No Jonathan," she whispered against his lips, tugging at his bottom lip between her teeth, letting them go and adding "I won't marry you."

"The temptation to just drop you on the floor right now is overwhelming."

"Do that and I'll castrate you as you sleep," Cynthia replied sweetly, trailing her hand down until she reached the front of his jeans. Jonathan rolled his eyes at that. "I hate you."

"I hate you too my love."