After going through the portal, while in Valentine's clutches, Simon fell unconscious. While he was fading in and out, he could sense someone tying his hands and feet to what felt like a wooden chair. Simon tried to get his eyes to open, but they felt like thick metal doors. After some more struggling, he got himself to wake up.

What he first noticed was that he recognized the room he was trapped in. It took him some searching but after a few minutes, he realized he was in Mr. Aldertree's office. He also noticed three shadowhunters in the room with him, one of them being Valentine. It was like Valentine could sense Simon's look because the minute Simon's eyes traveled to Valentine, he turned.

"I thought you were never going to wake up, Vampire," Valentine said in a rude tone.

"My name isn't Vampire, It's Simon," Simon said in the same tone.

"Well, Simon. You better hope that my daughters come through or else you might not be leaving this room," Valentine said.

"How did you even get in the Institute? Aren't circle members blocked by runes or something?" Simon asked, ignoring Valentine's statement. He knew Clary and Carly, especially Carly, would come after him. He was just hoping the rest of their friends would talk some sense into them.

"You're not as smart as you look. I have spies everywhere. You don't think I had someone waiting inside? We broke in with ease and took down anyone in our way," Valentine said with a smirk.

"So you killed them?" Simon asked.

"A few. But Madzie took out a lot more," Valentine admitted as Simon noticed for the first time a little girl sitting in the corner.

She had tanned skin, black braided hair, and the biggest brown eyes. She was wearing a t-shirt and pants with a scarf around her neck. Simon knew that Valentine had captured her when Iris told them but he never met her in person.

"You're making a little girl murder innocent people?" Simon asked with disgust.

"She is not any little girl. Madzie is a very strong warlock for her age. She can take down multiple people all at once without batting an eye. It's beautiful," Valentine said with a smile.

"You're a sick man, you know that?" Simon snapped.

"I might be sick but at least I don't drink blood to survive. The only way you survive is murder. You're sicker than I am," Valentine said as he nodded to one of his guards, "Take Madzie into the other room."

One of the circle members grabbed her small hand and led her into the other room. Before they vanished into the hallway, she glanced over at Simon. She was young and Simon couldn't tell but he thought she was worried for him. It kind of surprised him but made him feel just a little bit better.

"I have been waiting for almost two hours. I think it's time to send them a message they won't forget," Valentine said.

"Threatening them won't make them run to your feet. I told them to stay away," Simon said.

"You and me both know that did nothing. You're Clary's best friend and from the way, I saw you looking at Carly, I know something is there too. They will come for you but I think I need to speed them up," Valentine said.


After Simon was kidnapped, we went to Magnus' apartment. When we arrived, Jace told Magnus and Alec about what had happened. Even about what the angel Thuriel showed me. Alec was mad he didn't get to come and Magnus felt sympathy for our pain. After Jace finished telling the story, I just couldn't take it. I left the room and made my way to the balcony. Clary tried to follow but Magnus stopped her.

"Let me talk to her," Magnus said.

"Why? I'm her sister, shouldn't I be the one to talk to her?" Clary asked.

"Just give us a moment, okay?" Magnus said as Clary backed off.

With a deep breath, he made his way onto the balcony. "We'll get him back."

"How? We don't even know where he is. I might as well just give myself over now so he can kill me before I turn evil," I said with tears streaming down my cheeks.

"We're not going to let you or Clary go on a suicide mission. I can talk to Lucian about rallying up some downworlders. We can go in and defeat him together," Magnus suggested.

"And while you're attacking the castle, Simon will most likely be dead. I cannot lose him when I just got him. I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye," I whined.

"How far are your veins from your heart?" Magnus whispered so none of the others could hear him.

"They've traveled to my shoulder and I still haven't told them. I was going to tell Simon but then we had to rescue an angel and then he got kidnapped. I wanted to tell him first, but now, even if I tell the others, I'm a goner," I whispered.

"I can try the spell I used on you as a baby but I don't know if it will work. The other options would taint you even more. It's a shot but maybe it'll work," Magnus whispered, not feeling very confident and I noticed.

"I don't want you wasting your magic on me. If it probably won't work then I don't want to get my hopes up. All I want to do is save Simon and defeat Valentine. If and when I go dark then at least I did one last good thing before I turned evil," I whispered.

"You have to tell them or I'll do it for you," Magnus whispered.

"Once you save Madzie, tell Jace. He'll understand the most. But wait until then. I want them to focus on the mission and not me," I whispered.

"Carly…" Said Magnus

"Please Magnus. Give me this."

"Okay, but once Madzie is safe, I'm telling Jace," Magnus said as I nodded and we headed back into the living room.

Once we returned, we got to planning. We decided to do what Magnus said and rally up downworlders for the fight. Magnus made a few calls and arranged things. As he did, my phone began to buzz. Confused I took it out of my pocket and realized I was getting a video message, from Simon. I told the group and they all got close so they could see the message. I clicked accept and found Simon tied to a wooden chair with Valentine behind him.

"Simon…" I said with worry and fear.

"I have been waiting and no one has contacted me. I've decided to give you guys a little more motivation," Valentine said as he took a shadowblade from his sheath.

"Leave him alone. Don't you put a hand on him," Clary snapped as she worried for her best friend. He had always been by her side and now that he wasn't, it hurt more than anything.

"You need motivation, so why don't I give you some," Valentine said as he grabbed Simon's hair, pulling his head back.

Then he took his shadowblade and slid it across Simon's throat. A line of red followed the blade and leaked down onto Simon's shirt.

"Simon!" I yelled as tears burst out of my eyes. Seeing him hurt so severely without me being able to help him right there and now, hurt. A lot.

"Come to the Institute and come willingly. He has about 45 minutes to live and I don't think you want him to die. Hurry, the clock is ticking," Valentine said as the call ended.

After a few moments of silence, I decided to head for the door. Before I could get close, Alec blocked my path. He knew what I was about to do and he wasn't going to let me do it. He's never really liked me or Clary but that doesn't mean he wants us to get hurt.

"Carly, don't."

"I have to go to him. If I give myself over then I can save him. Anything that happens after that doesn't matter as long as he's okay," I insisted.

"We need a plan before we jump into action," Isabelle said.

"I told Lucien and Raphael where Valentine is. They are preparing and will meet us at the front of the institute. We go in first and once we give the signal the rest will follow suit," Magnus said.

"So what is our part in your master plan, Magnus?" Clary asked curiously

"Something Valentine won't expect," Magnus said as a knock sounded at the door. We all turned as the door swung open and an unlikely friend emerged.

"Ethan?" I asked as I walked up and hugged him. I hadn't seen him since he went back to his parents to explain his disappearance. It felt like ages ago when it was merely weeks. I pulled away as we smiled at one another and I continued with another question, "What are you doing here?"

"Isabelle told me that you guys were going up against Valentine and I wanted in. That bastard kept me captive for weeks. It's time for a little payback," Ethan said with a smile as he made his way over to Isabelle.

"What is your part in this plan?" Alec asked, curious and a little annoyed that Isabelle brought her boyfriend. He was annoyed but she was ecstatic.

"Oh, you'll see," Ethan said as more planning began.

I wanted to go out there right now and rescue Simon, but I knew that planning everything out was the only way. As everyone talked, my arm started to burn once more. It was spreading even faster than I thought. If I calculated it correctly, I might only have a few hours before everything changed.


Valentine's goons untied Simon and carried him to the couch. They knew even if he tried to escape, he wasn't going to get far. Valentine was making a few calls as Simon gasped for air. His vision was going dark and he knew if he didn't get blood soon, he wouldn't wake up. It was difficult but eventually, Simon got himself to speak.

"Y...ou know Th….ey arrrrr...not com...ing alone, rrrrr….ight?" Simon gurgled.

"I'm not an idiot, Simon. I know they're planning on bringing friends. I have Madzie and an army behind me. They can try, but they will fail," Valentine said as a knock sounded at the door.

Valentine opened the door and the guard whispered to him. Valentine smiled and then nodded in agreement. Seconds later, two guards came into the room. They were half dragging, half carrying someone. Simon couldn't tell at first but then he realized who it was. The mystery person was me.

As I was dragged into the office, Simon was the first thing I saw. After the guards escorting me into the room let go of my arms, I went to Simon's side. His throat looked even worse up close and from the blood that was soaking his clothes, I knew I didn't have time to waste. I went over to Mr. Aldertree's desk and found a throwing knife. I grabbed hold of the handle and put the blade on my skin. I quickly moved the blade across my wrist while pushing down. I clenched my teeth as I struck the vein. I pulled the knife away as blood, my blood, starting seeping from the incision.

"Carly…" Valentine warned.

"Don't. The least I can do is save him before you kill me," I said teary-eyed.

I made my way back over to Simon. He gasped for air as I sat next to him on the couch. I was not going to let him die, never.

I lifted my wrist to his mouth and spoke. "Simon, I'm here. I need you to drink."

"No." Simon said in a raspy tone, shaking his head.

"Simon, I'm not going to let you die and this is the only way to save you. Drink, please," I said, putting my wrist near his mouth once again.

This time he looked at me and saw my pleading eyes. He didn't want to hurt me but he knew if he died, it'd break me, which he also feared. Simon made a decision as his gaze went back to my bleeding wrist. His eyes glazed over and he bit down into my flesh.

I had never let a vampire bite me before but I now knew why people got addicted. At first, the pain was unbearable so bad I shed a tear. But then within seconds, that faded to complete bliss. It was euphoric and wonderful. The best I had felt in a long time. As he continued to feed, I noticed how heavy my eyelids were becoming and I knew soon I'd go unconscious.

"He's taking too much," Valentine said with sincere worry, "Stop him!"

His goons quickly made their way behind Simon. Each took an arm and yanked him back. With this he broke out of his haze and scanned me with worry. I took out my stele and activated a rune just above his bite. Before everyone's eyes I morphed back into my true self. Shocking everyone, especially Simon.

"Jace. You cloaked yourself," Valentine said as Simon still had a shocked expression on his face.

"I learned from the best," Jace said, getting to his feet. He was a little wobbly but he had enough strength to stay standing.

"No, you didn't," Valentine said, turning away, "I would never let a vampire drink from me. Never would I contaminate myself in such a horrid act."

"It may have been horrid but I protect my friends. Even if I have to get a little dirty," Jace said as he looked over to Simon.

Once grabbing Simon's attention, Jace looked over at one of the guards and nodded. Simon got the hint and nodded back. While Valentine was facing away, they attacked. Jace tackled Valentine onto his back as Simon went for the goons. Now Simon was far from a skilled fighter but he did know how to throw a punch. After everyone was unconscious, Jace grabbed a shadowblade and Simon took a normal knife from one of the stands. They gave each other a look and then headed out the door. But what they didn't realize was Valentine was still awake.


As they fought their way through, Magnus, Clary, and Ethan were just arriving. Magnus portalled them into the backyard of the Institute. They stayed in battle stance as they approached a side door. Clary opened it and Ethan took out the guard on the other side. Once inside, Clary headed out and Ethan began to, but Magnus grabbed his wrist.

"Before you meet up with Isabelle I need you to tell Jace something," Magnus said.

"Of course. What is it?" Ethan asked.

Magnus leaned forward and whispered into Ethan's ear as his eyes went wide. They both pulled away and Ethan's expression turned serious. Ethan went one way while Magnus went the other. Ethan went to find Jace while Magnus searched for Madzie.

After travelling through a few hallways, Mangus noticed a trail of bodies. He followed them to the x aka Madzie. She was standing at the end of the hall ahead of him. She was looking down at her feet but he could tell she had been crying. She was scared and was only trying to protect herself. As he got closer, she sensed Magnus and turned around to face him.

"I'm not an enemy. I'm just like you. See?" Magnus said as he showed off his cat eyes.

She was a little nervous but she knew what cat eyes meant. Madzie slowly crept forward into Magnus' arms. He hugged her tightly as she dug her face into his shoulder. Madzie started to sob but having a wet shirt was the least of Magnus' worries. He pulled her back so they could look into each other's eyes.

"I'm going to get you out of here, okay? Some place Valentine will never find you. Take my hand and I'll protect you," Magnus said as her small hand latched onto his. He stood up and they ran out of sight.

Meanwhile, Alec, Isabelle, and I were fighting our way through the halls. After getting thrown around and punched at, we made it to the main room. We had cuts, messed up hair, and rapid breathing. Once we entered, we hid behind some monitors so we wouldn't be spotted until we had to be. I looked over the monitors and saw the soul sword connected to some sort of power source. My guess is it needed angel blood and a little bit of a boost.

Suddenly, there was a commotion. Clary had been taken by Valentine. Jace and Simon were supposed to knock him out but I don't think it went as planned. Valentine grabbed Clary's wrist and started pulling her toward the sword. While this was going on I noticed Simon and Jace on the other side of the room. Simon looked terrible but at least he was standing.

"Hey, about what happened back there. I've heard of bloodthirst. Felt it even. But never that badly. Once I started feeding I couldn't stop. I'm really sorry," Simon said as Jace and Simon stood hidden near the main room of the Institute.

"Don't apologize," Jace said, covering his wrist with his shirt. There was a look that Simon never saw on Jace. Sadness.

"I would've killed you," Simon said with regret in his eyes. He didn't like Jace that much but he also felt terrible for almost killing him.

"I would've let you." Said Jace

"Jace, I…"

"Quiet. Someone's coming." Be prepared."

They turned around only to have Ethan run into them. As he did, Simon noticed Valentine out of the corner of his eye. He was surprised Valentine was awake but he didn't have time to think. Valentine grabbed Clary's wrist and brought her to the soul sword. When her hand was inches away, Simon attacked.

Jace told him to wait, but Simon didn't have the patience. He ran into the room using his vampire speed and tackled Valentine to the ground. Jace was about to go after him when Ethan held him back.

"What are you doing?" Jace asked.

"Magnus told me to pass on a message. The demon blood in Carly's system is slowly consuming her. Since she punched that bathroom mirror the blood started to circulate. Any minute now, she'll go dark," Ethan explained.

"I didn't even notice she was hurting. Why aren't you telling Simon or Clary this? They're closer to her than I am," Jace said.

"Magnus told me to tell you because you won't stop her from destroying the sword. If it doesn't kill her, she'll go dark. She wanted Magnus to tell you so when the time came you would do the right thing," Ethan said as he let go of Jace and both of them joined the fight.

Jace went for the biggest man while Ethan began throwing fireballs at anyone who got close. Battle ensued and Alec, Isabelle and I joined in. Simon helped Clary up and she started fighting Valentine while the others took out his goons. Sometime during the battle, Alec and Izzy held and captured Valentine.

During the chaos, I noticed everyone was distracted so I knew what I had to do. I ran up to the sword and got in position. After all Valentine's guards were taken out, the rest noticed how close I was to the blade. Simon tried to stop me but I wasn't going let Valentine win. I looked Valentine in the eyes with disgust as I wrapped my fingers around the hilt.

At first, there was nothing, then suddenly pain surged throughout my body. Every part of my body felt like it was on fire. I tried to hold back but the pain was too much, and I screamed. Simon tried to convince me to let go but I wouldn't budge. As this happened, the whole group noticed the blade start to crack. That's when Valentine got free of Alec and Isabelle's grasp. Right after, a bang went off and everything went silent.

Clary turned around to notice Valentine with a gun. She tore it out of his hands and looked back with everyone else in horror. I looked where they were looking and I noticed blood seeping down from a wound in my stomach. I backed away from the sword and collapsed into Simon's arms.

"I never really liked guns. It makes things too easy. But when you need something done fast it's the perfect backup plan," Valentine said with a grin.

"Oh, shut up!" Jace yelled as he suckerpunched Valentine as hard as he could. Blood spurted out of his nose as Alec and Isabelle held onto him once more.