"Are you sure about this?" Isabelle asked.

Alec lay down on the bed as Jocelyn went to the door, closing it. He repositioned himself, looking up at Isabelle. "I can do this, Izzy. Don't worry."

"All you have to do is think of Jace and your bond. You find Jace, you'll find Carly and Valentine," Jocelyn explained, coming to stand on the other side of the bed.

Alec took the rock from Jocelyn with a nod. He closed his eyes as he squeezed, reaching out to Jace's mind. Alec thought of all the moments they shared. The first time they met, the parabatai ceremony, and every moment in between.

For the first few minutes, all he saw was darkness, but then something changed. Suddenly, Alec was looking through the eyes of someone else. The eyes scanned the street and focused on the nearby street sign. It was blurry at first, but then Alec saw.

"Jefferson … and … Th-ird," Alec mumbled

"Jefferson and Third," Isabelle repeated to herself as Jocelyn headed for the door. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going after them. Stay with Alec, he should be awake soon," Jocelyn said, running out of the room.

A few minutes later, Clary ran through the same door. "Where's my mom?"

"Alec found Carly and Jace's location, so Jocelyn went to save them. They're at the corner of Jefferson and 3rd. Be careful," Isabelle warned.

"Thank you."

Clary ran from the room as Isabelle watched Alec for a short while. She noticed his hand begin to shake. She grabbed the shaking hand and squeezed it tight. Seconds later, his whole body started convulsing, and blood ran from his nose.

"Alec!" Isabelle screamed as he became still once more.

Another shadowhunter ran into the room, who so happened to be Raj. "What's going on?"

"I need you to call Magnus Bane," Isabelle said with no hesitation.

"There are no downworlders allowed in the Institute unless given permission," Raj said as Isabelle took out her whip.

"He is my brother, and Magnus Bane is going to enter this institute to save him, got it?" Isabelle threatened, approaching Raj with fire in her eyes.

"You don't scare me."

He started to open his mouth to say something more, but before he could, Isabelle wrapped the whip around his throat. Not tight enough to kill him, but tight enough where it made breathing difficult. Her face got inches from his, fear reflecting in those once brave eyes.

"Get me, Magnus Bane, or I pull, and your head falls to the floor," Isabelle yelled as Raj gasped an okay. She removed the whip and Raj walked out of the room, rubbing his throat. Isabelle then went back to Alec's side and waited for Magnus to arrive.


After going through the portal, it led us to Maria's Pizza Palace just as Valentine had wanted. We stepped through onto the cement when I noticed Jace's eye was twitchy.

"Are you alright?" I asked, coming to stand beside him.

"I don't know. Suddenly, my eye just got really irritated," Jace said, rubbing his right eye.

"It's time to take out the vermin," Valentine said, clearing his throat. "The Pizzeria across from us is full of vampires. They have broken the accords by murdering human beings. I want you two to go in and find the coven leader, Maria. She needs to be taught a lesson."

"What about the others?" I asked.

"Once their leader falls, they will disperse and will be easier to exterminate. Now go ahead, it's your time to shine," Valentine said as Jace and I headed into the building.

The windows were boarded up, there were boxes everywhere, and only dim light seeped through. We made it halfway into the restaurant when we heard a creak coming from the storage room. Jace took the lead as I followed close behind. We came up to the door and Jace quickly opened it. I hoped it'd be empty, but I was sadly mistaken.

Inside were twenty dead bodies stacked up in a pile. Faces frozen in horror and blood staining every surface. Near the bodies were a few vampires who hissed in our direction. We were about to defend ourselves when Maria came up behind us.

"I don't think you were invited in," Maria said, grabbing us both by the back of our collars and throwing us across the room. She closed the storage room door and locked it.

"We can still get through a locked door," Jace said as we got to our feet.

"I know you can. But you won't be alive long enough … to try."

Maria rushed us, coming for me first. I dodged her quick enough where she ran into a bunch of crates. After shaking her head, she swung her arm at me, but I blocked it with my blade. Then Jace joined in, and we continued blocking her moves, until she suddenly vanished.

"Where'd she go?" I asked as Jace and I went back to back.

"I don't know," Jace replied as we both looked around frantically.

A box fell in my direction so we both turned our heads. Then within seconds, Maria had thrown Jace through a glass window and pinned me up against the wall. Her face filled with anger.

"Shadowhunters need to learn to stay out of my damn business," Maria yelled, baring her fangs.

"Stop breaking the accords, and we wouldn't have to step in," I said, kicking her in the shin and causing her to fall to her knees.

Jace ran back in, putting Maria's arms behind her back and taking her outside. I followed close behind as we made our way over to Valentine. He looked at her, nodded, and then turned toward us.

"Good job. Now I want you to kill her," Valentine ordered.

"I give myself over to the Clave. Punish me how you want, but killing me goes against what the Clave stands for … peace," Maria announced, struggling within Jace's grasp.

"I'm not one for peace," Valentine said, walking up to me. "Kill her."

"You want me to kill her?" I exclaimed.

"Jace and I have killed before, but you have not. You're innocent, and innocence can get you killed. So it's time you experience death firsthand," Valentine said, backing away to give me space.

Meanwhile, Clary had discovered our location, so she called Simon to accompany her. They portalled in nearby and ran the rest of the way. When they arrived, they hid behind a parked car and watched the events that unfolded.

"I'm not a killer," I said as my feet moved toward Maria without my consent.

"Everyone has the capability to kill, even you," Valentine said as I looked down at my blade.

"You're the good guys You don't kill," Maria begged as I got closer.

"I'm so sorry, I can't control myself," I said only loud enough for Maria to hear as I shoved my blade through her chest. She screeched, her ashes exploding into the sky.

As Maria died, Clary and Simon had watched me kill her. They were going to sneak up and get closer until they saw Jocelyn with a crossbow pointed at Jace, Valentine, and I.

"Mom!" Clary yelled as she and Simon ran toward Jocelyn.

She glanced toward them, but kept focused on her target. Jace and I looked toward Clary and Simon as they ran toward my mother, who had a crossbow pointed at us. Simon knocked it out of her hands, but not before she unleashed an arrow. Valentine jumped through the portal just in time, but Jace and I were too slow.

Suddenly, I felt a hot searing pain as I looked down and noticed the arrow sticking out of my shoulder. The moment I saw it, I collapsed onto the ground groaning in pain. Valentine came back through to notice my injuries.

"Get her up. Once we get back to the boat, I'll have my warlock heal her," Valentine said as Jace got me to my feet. He put my arm around his shoulder as I gasped in pain. My sister started to walk toward me, but stopped as she noticed what my mom was doing.

Simon started taking Jocelyn back toward the Institute when she broke out of his grasp and took out a gun she had hidden in her waistband. Valentine noticed, and so did Jace and I. My mother shot off 4 bullets, luckily missing all four. Valentine went through, and then Jace carried me through next. The portal closed behind us as Clary confronted mom.

"What the hell was that!?" Clary screamed as Simon handed Clary Jocelyn's gun.

"I was doing the right thing," Jocelyn muttered.

"Right thing? You shot Carly with an arrow and almost put a few bullets into Jace. And you call that the right thing? They're your children and my siblings. What the hell is wrong with you?" Clary exclaimed with intense anger.

"Clary…" Jocelyn began.

"Why?" Clary asked with frustration. "Why would you try to kill them?"

"I have been protecting Carly since she was born, but now that she is in Valentine's hands, I can't let him have her or Jonathan," Jocelyn explained.

"Why?" Clary asked, crossing her arms over her chest as Simon quietly listened.

Jocelyn sighed as she continued to explain. "Carly and Jonathan were experimented on when they were babies. Valentine made them into a weapon. I protected Carly from his clutches, but if he gets them to turn to his side, things will get ugly."

"What did he do to them?" Simon asked.

"He injected them with demon blood," Jocelyn said, her eyes meeting Clary's. "Carly and Jonathan are part-demon."

"You're lying," Clary denied.

"I'm not. Your sister and brother have darkness in them. It's monstrous," Jocelyn sighed with a sad look.

"That doesn't make them monsters. That doesn't give you the right to kill your own children," Clary said as she and Simon started back toward the Institute.

"Simon, you have understand my actions," Jocelyn pleaded, starting to follow.

"I'm sorry, Jocelyn, but I don't," Simon said with a shaking head.

"Clary…"

"Don't Clary me. I have to go find my sister without trying to kill her," Clary spat, looking at her mother with disgust.

"There was a tracking device attached to the arrow," Jocelyn admitted as Clary turned to face her.

"Thanks, I'll let Izzy know, and we'll get them back … without you." Clary snapped as Simon and Clary headed back to the Institute, leaving Jocelyn in the dark.


After we made it through the portal, I collapsed onto the floor, feeling weak. My heart pounded in my eardrums as I watch my blue shirt turn purple with blood. I rolled my head to the side to find Jace squeezing my hand, which made the pain dull just a little.

"Carly, look at me."

I rolled my head in the opposite direction to find Ethan sitting next to me. He looked my injury over, and his worry grew. It was comforting and yet also alarming, but my vision was blurring, and my thinking was fuzzy, so I didn't feel as concerned as I probably should.

"Is she going to be okay?" Jace asked as Ethan finished his examination.

"She will be after I get this arrow out and seal the wound," Ethan said, looking down at me to get the okay.

"Do it," I said, gasping in pain as Ethan wrapped his hands around the arrow.

"You might want to bite down on this," Jace said, sticking a roll of gauze in my mouth.

"One, two, three."