So, I'm sorry this is late, but I'm currently volunteering in a place with little internet. But anyway, this is the last chapter, and I hope you all like it. I think I set it up so it could have fit in with the rest of the series. I'm also going to be taking a short break while I figure out what I want to publish here next, so if any of you have preference: TMI, LoTR, or Pellinor, let me know.

Thank you again for reading, it's been a lot of fun writing this!

Epilogue

Clary

"Clary, Jace is here, and if I don't let him see you soon, he's going to break my front door down."

Did you expect him to stay away? Clary rolled over so that she was looking up at the ceiling of Amatis's house, and saw the sun casting shadows through the lace curtains. For a moment, she just wanted to sink deeper into the blankets and slam the door on the rest of the world, but the thought of Jace seemed to encourage her just a little.

"Is he alone?" she asked through the comforter, peeking at Amatis.

Amatis raised one eyebrow. "No, he's brought the Inquisitor and the Counsel and I think about twenty senior members of the Clave. Of course he's come alone!" She came into the room and tugged away the comforter from Clary's grasp. "He's here to see you, Clary; everyone wants to see you," she added softly.

It was true. After Clary had used the Soul Sword to work her rune, it was as if a spell had been broken over the Clave. As one, every shadowhunter felt the life go out of them, and slipped into a deep, unbreakable sleep, only to wake a minute later, feeling refreshed and strong and alive again. Valentine's power had been broken then, and he had watched while the empire he worked to create for himself fell apart. Clary had felt a blow like a fist in her stomach, and she had slumped forward, dropping the Sword, and gasping for breath. Moments later Jace had scooped her up, but she didn't know much more, as he had passed out and didn't wake for almost two days.

At the moment, neither Magnus nor the Silent Brothers had any theory as to what had happened to her. It was Magnus's suggestion that the sheer power of will it would have taken to cast the rune over an entire population would have done anyone in. After all, he had reasoned, the Angel had been the one to enslave the shadowhunters the first time, and what Clary had done would have required just as much energy and force of mind, only she was a mortal. Regardless, Magnus had ordered she be taken to bed and allowed to rest, uninterrupted by anyone, until she was herself again, and that was how Clary had found herself awake in a bed in Amatis's quiet, out of the way home.

"I don't want to see anyone but my mom, Luke, Jace, and the Lightwoods," she warned, as if Amatis was lying to her.

"Your mother would kill me if I brought the Clave here," she said gently. "I'll get Jace."

For some reason, Clary felt oddly embarrassed for Jace to see her; like she was some exotic, strange creature, and he was just there to stare at her. This is Jace, she told herself firmly. He's known about your rune power for months, and he never cared before. Stop worrying.

Maybe a small part of her was also nervous just for Jace to see her. After all, now that everything was said and done, she and Jace could finally be together. There was nothing stopping them from being happy, no one watching them, no reason for them to be afraid. Jace was her boyfriend now, and she was his girlfriend, and that meant…well, it meant a lot of things it didn't before: foremost, she had to accept that Jace was attracted to her not just that her father was making him stay with her.

He loves you. It's not just Valentine forcing him anymore.

There was a gentle knock on the door and Jace's golden head poked into the room. He saw Clary wrapped under a few blankets, looking slightly drawn and very nervous, and smiled slowly. He looked better than Clary expected, less tense and the lines of his shoulders more relaxed.

"Clary," he murmured, and came in closing the door behind him.

She found a smile, suppressing that nervousness she felt. "You look better."

He came across the room, settling on the bed beside her, and took her hand. "I'm fine. Everyone is fine. What about you, though? Magnus has been locked in his room with Luke and Jocelyn, and they won't let anyone see you…" his voice trailed off and Clary was surprised by how anxious he sounded. "I almost got in a fight with Luke about you. He wouldn't let me see you, and he kept saying I just needed to calm down and let Magnus work." He smiled ruefully. "But, I had a stele handy and Luke isn't an idiot."

"Jace," Clary said reproachfully. "You shouldn't threaten the guy me mom's going to marry."

"Even if it's for you?" he raised his eyebrows, looking innocent and contrite.

She wanted to look serious, but Jace's smile, his bright eyes, the soft look he wore, was too much. "I suppose on certain occasions it's okay."

Jace bent over and gently brushed a kiss against her lips. "Certain occasions?"

"Those will be at my discretion," she said, but the tightness in his stomach was dissipating.

Jace sighed and sat back, but this time, he was holding her and she was pressed against him. "How is everyone?" she asked, enjoying the feeling of warmth emanating from his body. "Have you found Robert and Maryse?"

"Yes," said Jace, and Clary knew he was relieved. "Valentine was keeping them in the Gard with the rest of the rebels. Magnus was looking them over, but…we're not sure what to do about their runes. Valentine removed them permanently."

Clary cringed. "I could maybe…look at it. See if there's anything I could do."

Jace smiled at her. "I'm sure they'd be grateful, but that'll have to wait. Your mom isn't going to let anyone ask you for anything at the moment. When I said I wanted to come she thought I was planning on having you remove the parabatai rune."

The rune, Clary thought, recalling the mark that still bound him to Jonathan. "I'll have to fix that soon. I'm sure you and Jonathan are tired of each other."

Jace looked away, oddly uncomfortable. "I'm…not sure how I feel at this point, to be honest." When he saw Clary's look of horror, he said quickly, "I'm not saying I want to be bound to him anymore-I want Alec back-but I'm not sure it's right to just cut the connection. It could do considerable harm to him."

"You're worried about hurting him?" Clary asked in a measured voice.

"It's difficult to explain." Jace couldn't look at her, and Clary squeezed his arm. "He's done horrible things to my family, and I won't ever forget that, but there's a small part of him that could be different. I don't think he's completely gone, and I'm worried that severing the only connection he has to anything good might extinguish whatever good part of him is left."

Clary bit her lip. "I can't leave you with him."

"I don't want you to, but I'm worried that we'll be making something much worse when we do end it." Jace clutched his hands together. "When I was tied to him, I sensed everything about him: his hatred, his anger, his desire to see anything good burn, but a very small part of him welcomed my presence, like a very lonely person whose been locked away for a very long time, greeting an old friend. He's dangerous, believe me, and he's just as likely to kill us as he is to greet us, but some part of him wants to be good."

Clary saw, like it had just happened, Jonathan telling them that he wanted her and Jace, that the three of them were a good match, that they could do great things, and he would take them with him. "He wants us, Jace."

"I know," he said in a dark voice, and she was surprised by her serious, even worried he sounded. "I know he wants us, and that's my fault; I was the one bound to him, I was the one who was feeding my emotions and thoughts into him."

"That wasn't your fault," said Clary firmly. "That was Valentine."

The mention of the man they both called father brought them up short, and Clary felt a small blush tinge her cheeks, while Jace seemed to pale markedly. "We can't blame him for everything, Clary; there's going to come a time where, no matter what happens, we'll have to deal with the problems on our own."

"I hate him," said Clary with no inflection or tone. "He ruined so many lives, so many innocent people; he murdered the boy who would have been my brother. He kept us as slaves. I hope he rots in whatever cell they put him in."

Jace shifted uncomfortably. "The Clave is going to hold a trial, but he's going to be found guilty."

"What happens then?" Clary asked.

"They will strip him of his runes," said Jace softly.

"I bet he won't like that," she said, thinking of the man who had put such importance on being a shadowhunter. "Is he going to call witnesses? Is there anyone who is going to come forward?"

Jace laughed hollowly. "He is allowed to call witnesses, though who, I have no idea. I know he asked to speak to me, and Jocelyn, and Jonathan, but so far as I know, only Jocelyn ever went to see him, and then, just to tell him she was going to officially file for divorce with the Clave."

"You're not going?" asked Clary.

He looked at her bleakly. "He's…not really the man I'm most interested in visiting with right now."

"Are you going to testify at his trial?" she asked.

"No," Jace said, and faced her finally. "Technically, I'm not a member of the Clave yet, as I'm still seventeen. My account isn't important."

"It isn't important?" Clary demanded. "He raised you till you were ten, and he was awful. If anyone has a right to testify against him it's you! The Clave needs to know-"

"I don't want the Clave to know, Clary," Jace said practically. "It's bad enough that Jocelyn is going to be recounting our time in his household; I don't want the Clave knowing about everything else."

"What do you mean?" Clary felt panic setting back in.

"Your mother is testifying against Valentine, she's required to give an account of her time in his household, that means she'll be telling them everything she saw and heard. That includes us." His face was dark and his eyes shadowed. "I don't particularly enjoy having my life announced for all the Clave to hear."

"Is she going to tell them about what we are?" Clary asked at once.

"Probably," he answered, again, looking very unhappy. "The Silent Brothers will search her mind, and the Clave wants to know how you managed to free us all from Valentine's grasp. The rumor is already spreading. We're going to be a legend, you and I. The Children of Angels, it's what they're calling us."

Clary rolled her eyes, but it was about all the energy she could muster for the Clave at the moment. "I want to leave the city soon."

"You and me both. I think the Lightwoods will be leaving as soon as we can get Robert and Maryse right." Jace looked over Clary at the window and the city beyond. "You're welcome to come with us if your mother is willing to part with you."

Clary smiled ruefully. "We'll have to see about that."

"Well, it won't be a for a few days at least, and we'll just be going back to the Institute, so it's not like she won't know where to find us." Jace pressed Clary closer against him, and she tucked her head in the crook of his shoulder and neck and played with her hands. His thumb brushed over the ring he had given her. "I forgot about this."

Clary glanced at the ring, and the nervousness in the pit of her stomach bloomed anew. "We can just forget about that whole thing…it was just some joke on Valentine's part really. Here." She made to give him the ring back, but Jace smirked down at her and placed it back on her finger.

"You might as well keep it." He turned it so the light bounced off the band better. "I would have given you something eventually."

I would have given you something eventually. She swallowed loudly before speaking, "But the engagement-"

Jace blushed a little. "I wasn't going to bother ending it-but if you're more comfortable being my girlfriend-" Clary laughter cut him off.

"I never thought I'd see you embarrassed," she said with a playful look. Carefully, Clary levered herself up so she could kiss him on the mouth and when she pulled away, she was very serious. "I didn't even know if you wanted to be around me anymore, Jace, after what I did. Of all the things people are saying about me, the most obvious is that I'm not normal. I thought you might just want to end everything and I was fine with that! But I just wanted to-"

"I'm going to have to stop you there, Clary," he said, pressing two fingers against her lips. "You thought I didn't want to see you again? You thought you were the weird one?" He shook his head. "Clary, I am in love with you, and I would have married you in the end anyway, so keep the ring, keep the engagement." He paused, shocked at his own admission, but then kissed her hair and rested his head atop hers. "Keep me."

The knots in her stomach finally loosened and she felt herself relax against him. Jace's body was buzzing with heat and she could already feel a bit of tiredness seeping back into her. "I just want everything to go back to normal." She played absently with Jace's fingers but he loosened them from her grip and used them to tilt her chin up and kiss her again. "I guess there's still a bit of work to do."

Alec

It was difficult to look at his parents and not want to flinch at the sight, but he'd seen enough of chaos war brought to master the sickness in his stomach. "Jace spoke to Clary the other day and she said she might be able to help."

Maryse fixed him with such an intense stare he looked away, but her voice, when she spoke, was fragile and weak. "There might not be anything for this. The runes are gone, Alec."

"She's very good with runes," said Alec gently. "I think she's going to be able to join me and Jace together again." A little bit of his hope and happiness crept into his voice, and Robert glanced up approvingly at his son.

"How is Jace?" asked Maryse, thinking of the son she hadn't seen or heard from in months. "Did he survive Valentine's wrath?" She made to reach for a glass of water on the bedside table, but her hand missed and slammed into the stand instead. She gasped and glared at her hand as if it were its own fault it had missed.

Alec handed her the water, pretending he hadn't seen, while Robert helped her to sit up in the bed. "He's as he always was. Well, I guess, technically, he was engaged, but that's up to him."

Maryse raised one eyebrow. "Engaged?"

"Valentine's daughter," Alec said, then corrected himself, "Clary."

Robert was quiet a moment while Maryse drank her water. "That's good for him. He's happy with her, I trust?"

Alec thought of the look on Jace's face whenever he saw Clary. "Yeah, he's happy."

"I'd like to see him," said Robert gently. "I never said anything before…" His voice drifted off and Alec nodded his head anyway.

"He wants to go back to New York, so the sooner we head back, the better, as far as he's concerned." Under both his parents' eyes, Alec remembered the look on their faces when they learned he was gay. He wondered belatedly if they still cared, if they were even then thinking of how he must have felt for Jace. "As soon as you're ready, we'll pack up and go."

"You don't have to answer questions?" Maryse asked, eyebrows raised.

"Luke is taking care of most of it," shrugged Alec. "The Clave isn't aware of the depth of my involvement, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"And Isabelle?" asked Maryse quickly.

"She's too young," said Alec. "The Clave is only interested in adults."

Maryse nodded to herself. "Where is she?"

"She-" Alec cut himself off and considered the last time he had seen Isabelle. She had been slumped against the base of a fountain in the city circle, surrounded by a very distraught Simon and Maia. "I think she's with Simon."

"The vampire?" Robert asked sharply. Alec glanced up at his father, a reply ready on his lips, but then Robert bowed his head. "You said he was with her in battle? A good thing, I suppose."

Alec relaxed and clapped his hands together. "I have to go meet with Jace and Clary; I'll see if I can't find Isabelle and send her over. She's probably staying with the Penhallows."

Isabelle

"How did you find me?"

"Your name has been whispered around this city more than almost any other in the past few days. Did you think it would be that hard?" Emma wore the same expression she had when Isabelle had performed below her expectations at the barre: patronizing affection. "I heard you and your brother fought bravely. I'm glad."

Isabelle nodded just a little, still nervous of her imposing figure. "It wasn't as much as people are making it out to be. Clary and Jace did most of the work, and Alec and I didn't even fight that much."

"I heard what you did to Malachi's house as well." Emma smiled. "Good work."

At that, Isabelle lifted her chin just a little. "That, he deserved." Emma merely smiled over her cup of tea and looked out the window of her house, down on the river that ran through the city.

The journey to Emma's house had taken a surprisingly short time from the Penhallows, and she had wondered how she had never passed it before, but it was small and tucked behind a much larger home. Emma had laughed at Isabelle's shocked expression when she had seen the house. Now, seated in a very warm kitchen, Isabelle was thinking she didn't want to leave. "Will you be staying in the city?"

"Not for long," said Emma thoughtfully. "I belong to the Institute in Rome, where I will be returning shortly. Should you or your family ever come to visit, you are more than welcome."

Rome, Italy? Isabelle's eyebrows raised at such a prestigious home. "We'll be going back to New York soon, and probably not leaving for a good long while."

"New York is a beautiful city at night," said Emma thoughtfully. "I would have liked to meet your family, though."

Isabelle smiled. "I think you would have liked Jace. He was always passionate about everything he did. He can play the piano, too."

Emma merely laughed. "What I have heard and what you have said…is there nothing this boy is incapable of?"

"Well, Clary says he can't draw…" said Isabelle, considering.

"A small grace then," chuckled Emma, and then met Isabelle's soft look with another fierce, sharp smile. "So you are leaving soon? Perhaps you know what is to become of Valentine?"

"A trial," Isabelle hedged. "Nothing I'll be involved in."

"That's good then. It's time you were free of this place." She looked out at the city again and her eyes darkened. "I'm leaving soon as well, and that's really why I wanted to find you." She returned her gaze to Isabelle. "To say goodbye and good luck. You have a long life ahead of you, and I don't think all of it will be easy. But, you've shone unusual resourcefulness and determination, and I think it will serve you well." Isabelle waited another moment, wondering if she would say more. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Isabelle Lightwood, and while this is goodbye for now, I hope we will meet again."

Isabelle met her hawk like gaze. "I'm glad I met you, too. I think mine and Alec's life would have been much worse had you not been in it."

Emma merely smiled. "I think you would have found your way."

Jace

"It's about time," growled Jonathan, but Jace didn't miss the edge to his voice, and it sounded a lot like nervousness. "I'm sick of dragging you and your girlfriend around."

"I hardly consider fighting to be dragging around," Jace shot back, and he shot a sly smile over at Alec, but then turned to Clary. "Think you got the rune?"

"Time to find out," she said bracingly, and gestured the three boys forward.

Jace and Alec came together, but Jonathan hung back, looking at the three of them. "Your plan is just to slice the runes off me and Jace? Like Valentine did?"

Clary stared between them. "Well, if you've got another way to go about it."

"Aren't you concerned that you might hurt one of us?" Jonathan taunted.

"Who?" Clary asked at once. "Jace will be bound back to Alec, and then you'll be free again."

"Not worried you might hurt me?" Jonathan pressed, eyes glinting. "Or I suppose I just don't matter in this case. I am, after all, just a demon boy"

Jace saw Clary looking shocked at Jonathan's outburst, and he said quickly, "That's not why we're doing this."

Jonathan's gaze snapped around to Jace. "Then why are you? Tired of me?"

"Alec and I belong together," said Jace even though he could feel strange emotions spreading from his connection with Jonathan. They were possessive, desperate, groping.
"We were parabatai long before you and I were. It's where I belong."

"How quickly you dismiss our friendship," Jonathan sneered, and Jace felt Jonathan reaching at out further. "And you, Clary, I'm your brother. This is how you would seek to treat me?"

Clary closed her mouth with a snap. "I'm not trying to treat you-"

"Yes, you are," Jonathan said swiftly. "Jace, how could you let her?"

Jace felt his mouth go dry, but Alec spoke for him. "You and Jace have nothing in common, nothing shared, nothing alike. Why do you want to stay bound to him?"

Because he's not alone as long as he's with me, thought Jace, but he didn't say it. Instead, he waited to see what Jonathan would say.

His dark eyes bore into Alec until the other boy looked away. "Because Jace and I are Valentine's sons, because we were raised by the same man. You are not worthy of being his parabatai; you can't fight, you can't defend yourself, you're hardly worthy of the shadowhunter name."

"Stop it," hissed Jace when Alec flushed.

"Why?" He turned his whole body to face Jace. "You know it's true. I know you enjoyed fighting with me. I know I was better than Alec."

"I don't care," Jace said, but he saw Alec's eyes resting on him. "Just give her your arm so we can-"

"In such a hurry to be bound back to the freak?" Jonathan continued, speaking over Jace. "Of all the people you could choose, you had to pick the boy who loves a war-"

Clary brought the handle of her stele down on back on Jonathan's head before he could finish the sentence, he had collapsed forward, unconscious. Jace stared up at her in shock, but Clary's face was flushed angrily and her eyes were pinioned on her brother.

"Jace, give me your arm," she said tersely, hand out.

"What?" he asked, still staring at Jonathan.

"Your arm, and yours too, Alec. We can do this quickly while he's still unconscious." Clary knew she sounded harsh, but there was very little she enjoyed about her brother, and didn't want Jace tied to him anymore. "Come on, quickly."

Jace tore his eyes away from Jonathan's prostrate body and met her eyes. "Clary, is it a good idea to just sever mine and Jonathan's bond so quickly?"

"Do you want to be his parabatai?" she asked incredulously.

"No!" said Jace sharply. "Of course not, but he'll be furious when he wakes up, and he'll blame you."

Clary spared a glance for her brother, but when she looked back up again, it was to see Alec looking forlornly at Jace, and Jace looking haggard. "I'm not scared of him."

Of course you're not, Clary. You're not scared of anything. Jace smiled at her in a tired way and nodded to Alec. "It'll be over before we know it."

Clary took Jace's arm and ran her hand up it until her fingers brushed over the rune. Jace wanted to watch her, but just like before, the moment Clary began to slice the rune off Jace's arm, he felt a sense of loss, like gravity had no control over him and he was floating upward. At first, he felt sick to his stomach and wanted to retch, but slowly is changed and was blissful, limitless freedom. He thought for a moment that maybe it was because Clary was lovingly and carefully removing his rune, not severing the connection between him and Alec crudely like Valentine, but, regardless, when next he felt Clary's hand, it was as she etched the new rune into his arm. Jace felt something tugging him back down, felt the inertia of his own body falling, and then something else.

Warmth spread through him all the way down to his toes and something in the back of his mind whispered, Home.

When Jace opened his mind next, he was looking at Alec, who was smiling back at him. "You alright?" he asked.

Jace felt his hand move unconsciously out to Clary, who came into his arms, and then clapped Alec on shoulder. Everything was falling back into place, he could feel it, and he was ready for it. It's time this was over.

"Better than ever."

Valentine

The cell's darkness was nothing, nothing next to the anger that was even now fueling Valentine's thoughts. He knew there was precious little time left before he was put on trial, precious little time for him to plan a strategy. What he needed was help, not the kind that could win wars, no, he could get that back given time; the help he needed was the kind that could spread doubt or fear among the court.

But none of those cowards will come for me, thought Valentine, glowering at the door before him that held him prisoner. They have fled to the disgraced Clave: my Clave, my Inquisitor, my friends, my wife, and my children. The last was the most irritating. It's all Clarissa's fault. She corrupted Jace and she convinced Jonathan to turn against me. A worthless brat, a traitor; when I get my hands back on her she's going to wish she had died in that war. Valentine's hands clenched into fists and he heard a knuckle pop. I'll flay her within an inch of her life.

Valentine leaned back so his head was propped up against the wall and he closed his eyes. I need an ally.

"Not looking so well, Father."

Valentine's eyes snapped open and he turned his sharp gaze to the door where Jonathan stood, watching him curiously. He didn't know why Jonathan had come, and he wasn't going to give anything away until he knew.

"These things do happen when one is imprisoned," Valentine answered.

Jonathan surveyed the cell. "Not quite as luxurious as the town house, but it does remove any distractions. Have you had time to think?"

Valentine raised one eyebrow. "I haven't had a need. I've known what I was going to do since I was brought here."

"Have you?" Jonathan asked, but Valentine continued to stare and Jonathan smiled. "I received your summons."

"A little late," said Valentine simply.

"Well, times have changed," Jonathan said evenly.

Valentine smirked. "Still on the outside looking in?"

"No," said Jonathan waspishly.

"Oh?" Valentine chuckled. "Jonathan, did you really think they would take you in? The shadowhunters could never trust you; you're a demon, boy. Did you think your sister would forgive you?" He peered closer. "Did you think Jace would treat you as a brother? Didn't I tell you once that no one but I could ever love you?"

Jonathan's face hadn't changed during Valentine's speech, but something in his eyes had moved. "I'm not looking for love, Father."

"Then what do you want?"

Jonathan smiled narrowly. "I want revenge."

"That, I can help you with," said Valentine with gleaming eyes. "Clarissa betrayed you, didn't she? She convinced the others to turn on you? And your mother, she lied to us both. Let me help you."

"Clary severed the bond between Jace and I," said Jonathan casually.

"I'm not surprised to hear it," Valentine said. "Help me out of here, Jonathan, and we can punish her together."

Jonathan merely laughed. "I have my own plans for Clary and Jace, and, unfortunately, they don't really involve you, Father."

"Then why have you come?" he asked sharply.

"Because you did this to me," said Jonathan emptily, gesturing at himself. "Clary hates me because I'm part demon, my mother hates me because I'm part demon, everyone hates me-"

"No me."

"-And it's your fault." Valentine heard a grinding noise and knew that Jonathan had unlocked the door. "I told you I wanted revenge."

Valentine betrayed no fear, but he did stand. "Killing me will only make it harder to escape the city."

Jonathan shrugged. "I'm willing to accept that risk. What else do I have to lose?" His smile widened and Valentine tensed, ready to lunge for the door Jonathan had left conveniently open.

"I don't want to fight you, Jonathan, you're my son." Valentine held out his hands in a placating gesture.

"There's not going to be a fight, Father," Jonathan answered, and moved forward like a shadow.

Valentine raised his hands for the fight, but it was pointless.

"So, am I going to be able to catch a ride back with the rest of you?" Simon asked casually as he sat in beside Isabelle in the Penhollows living room. "Magnus mentioned he was going to make you a portal."

"We're leaving tomorrow," said Isabelle. "Clary, your mom said you could go back with us, right?"

Clary was seated beside Jace occasionally toying with the ring on her finger. "Yes. She thinks it's best I leave before people start asking questions. I'll stay at the Institute until my mom and Luke come back."

Simon nodded and noticed Jace looked slightly pleased with this. "What about Jonathan?"

The question hung in the air before all of them. He truth was that no one had seen Jonathan since Clary had severed their bond, and she was slightly worried. Clary had taken to creeping into Jace's room at night to sleep, scared that she might wake up to her brother. Now, she wondered what might become of the half-demon boy.

"We're not sure. I think the Clave wants to speak with him." Clary felt Jace's eyes on her and fell silent.

Simon nodded. "How are you parents coming along?" he asked Alec.

Alec's eyes jumped from his hands to Simon's face. "They're better. They're not in bed anymore, and my mom is interested in Clary's help."

"Have you heard about the Clave?"

Alec and Jace exchanged a look. "Not really."

Simon was quiet while he thought. "I'm thinking my mom is going to freak when I finally come home. I've been gone for months."

"Magnus can take care of it," said Isabelle in an offhand way, but Clary was looking at Simon hard.

"Don't you think it's about time you told your mom the truth? I mean, she's going to find out no matter what you do. There's no way she's not going to notice you've stopped eating, and stopped drinking, and stopped aging."

"I'll cross that hurtle when I come to it," said Simon, but Clary's sharp, green gaze lingered. "Listen, Clary, if you can think of a way to tell her-"

"Clary!" Everyone looked up to see Maia hurrying toward them, her face dark.

"What is it?" she asked once Maia was closer. "Is someone hurt?"

Maia gave a grim laugh. "You could say that. Your mom needs to see you right now, and Jace, you better go as well."

"What happened?" Isabelle said harshly.

"It's-" Maia broke off, looking panicked. "Valentine's dead. The Silent Brothers found him in his cell. Strangled to death."

Clary and Jace both exchanged horrified looks. "Who killed him?"

"Jonathan," she said evenly.

"You can't know that," Jace said as reasonably as possible.

"Valentine's hand was clutching a fist full of white hair." Maia shuddered. "Looks like Jonathan's gone as well. No one's seen him in days."

He'll blame you, Clary remembered suddenly what Jace had said about Jonathan. He would wake up angry and blame her. Her hand strayed out and took Jace in a firm grip. "Where's my mom? Is she with Luke?"

"Yes, back at Amatis's," Maia said faintly.

Clary and Jace were already up and to her side when Isabelle, Alec, and Simon struggled up. "We're coming too," said Alec, and was happy when Jace didn't protest.

The group made their way quickly to Amatis's house and into the kitchen where Jocelyn and Luke were deep in conversation. Clary noted the tension in her mother's shoulders and the weariness in Luke's. When they arrived, Jocelyn jumped and then gestured Clary toward her.

"Jonathan-"

"I heard," said Clary at once. "And Valentine's dead."

"That's hardly the problem," said Luke. "The Clave was going to strip him of his runes and imprison him for life. He probably preferred this. Jonathan is free, though, and very dangerous." Luke glanced between Jace and Clary. "I've spoken with Jocelyn. You two are in danger."

"Hardly," said Jace, but he didn't quite manage the careless tone. "We're all in danger. He hates Jocelyn, Alec, Isabelle-"

"But you were his parabatai, and Clary is his sister." Luke fixed Jace with a stern look. "I'm going to have to tell Maryse to keep a close eye on you."

"You're joking-" but Clary cut him off.

"We understand." When Jace stared incredulously, she continued. "As long as Jonathan's out there, Jace and I are at risk. I'm sure we'll be careful."

"Clary, this isn't a joke," began Jocelyn. "Jonathan poses an incredible threat."

"I think I understand that, mom, since I had to live with him," Clary said slowly. "Jace and I will be extra careful from now on."

"Clary-"

"Jocelyn," said Luke, and he placed his palm on her arm gently. "Not now. This isn't the time or place. Let them relax a little bit, breathe, get back to New York; we can coordinate with the Lightwoods then."

She looked ready to argue but Luke's gaze quelled her and he glanced toward Clary and Jace. "You two should go relax. Take some time."

Clary took Jace by the arm and led him away, back outside and into a small garden on the side of Amatis's house. Isabelle, Alec, and Simon quickly joined them, and the group fell into thoughtful silence. The bright day seemed to have turned sour in the course of one hour, and all they could think of was Jonathan.

"He's out there," said Isabelle darkly. "The man who murdered my brother is out there."

"We'll find him, Izzy," said Alec consolingly.

Jace looked up, ready to say something, then fell silent again. He didn't know he necessarily felt about the whole thing. He certainly wanted Jonathan dead, but when the time came, he thought he might still harbor a few misgivings. By the look on Clary's face, he thought she too might not be completely comfortable with just killing her brother.

"Wherever he is," Jace said absently, "I doubt we're going to find him."

"He'll come to us," said Clary suddenly. "You know he will Jace. He wanted you, and he'll take me just because."

"It might be the other way round," Jace admitted grimly, and pulled Clary close to him. "I got a few good glimpses into his thoughts, and a lot of them were either about you, or revenge."

Clary bowed her head, hiding from the light. "He's my brother, my only brother," she finally said, "But that don't change anything. What he did to you and your family, I'm not going to forgive, and what he wants with me, I'm not going to accept. When Jonathan does come, I don't think we'll have a choice." She glanced at her friends, who all seemed to be thinking the same thing, and then caught Jace's eyes. He looked tried, but when she smiled at him, a small light kindled in his eyes and burned like gold fire. "We'll fight him; we won't stop until there's justice for all the people he's hurt, and justice for us too."

Jace chuckled and then kissed her. It felt good to finally be able to kiss her and not feel like it was all a game or a trap. "As soon as we're back in New York." And he meant it. they had one more day; one more day of sun and happiness and carelessness before another war started, and he wanted to make the most of it.

The End