I'm sorry it's been so long. I will be finishing this; there's only one more chapter (that may or may not have an epilogue attached). Have fun kiddies.

"I'll speak to it though Hell itself should gape
And bid me hold my peace." -Hamlet, Shakespeare.

The Clave was, in varying terms, restless, as it met. The shadowhunters, used to carrying themselves arrogantly above the downworlders, were heavier on their feet than they usually were, the tension in the air nearly palpable. Even their typically presumptuous posture was bending with the unfolding events of what was, really, a war.

The werewolves at the meeting were in a fury, outraged that the years of mistreatment was still being continued on by Shadowhunter-supremacists. The werewolves weren't alone in their outrage-there was anger radiating from some of the present warlocks as well, and the only group that seemed truly uninspired was the Fey. They would blink and the problem would be gone, the murder of Lucian Greymark unimportant in their timeline.

Jia Penhallow was addressing the gathered group. Her words were not entirely inspiring- she'd known Luke vaguely when they were young and the complicated politics surrounding his death, murder, weren't light on her mind. She apologized to the werewolves, a well-meant gesture that did not settle their anger, if anything, further enticing it to erupt.

"We don't want apologies, we want revenge!" A 'wolf shouted out.

"Kill the Morgenstern," Another voice shouted, angry, ready to spill demonic-shadowhunter blood.

"We need to have him tried, then he will be punished by Shadowhunter law," A shadowhunter male interjected, his loud and clear. It did little to help.

"We've been treated as nothing by you shadowhunters by years, killed, murdered, raped, and you think your law will cover all the Shadow boy deserves?"

There it was; the historical context that made this murder so bad. Even if he'd been cast out by the Clave, declared traitorous and an enemy by Idris, he was still a product of the shadowhunters' ways and prejudices. Morgenstern's blood wouldn't make it right, but it seemed like a wonderful place to start after ages of prosecution.

"We will reinstate all of our best efforts to find Morgenstern," Jia suggested from the front of the room.

"It's a bit late, don't you think, its already gotten one of us killed."

There was unrestrained tension in the air, as if the Clave room was a water balloon with too much liquid in it, ready to burst at any touch, however innocent.

Magnus could feel the tension, pulsing like a lesser form of magic, pulling at him, making him interested in a fight. Mob mentality, he concluded, trying to keep himself in check. He didn't want to fight, tempting as the swirl of emotions fluctuating in the room were. He hadn't felt such raw tension and energy at a Clave meeting since the riots that had sparked the revisal of the Accords.

Magnus wondered if it would escalate into actual violence. He looked around, trying to find his boyfriend so he could get him out of there if fighting began. Alec had said he was going to the Institute, and that had been the day before, so Magnus had assumed he'd slept there. He'd thought Alec would be at the meeting, but he couldn't find him. Usually, it wasn't very difficult for him to find Alec, but he'd been unable, often, as of late.

The meeting seemed to progress slowly after that outburst, as the community was debriefed and other topics were made to be the focus. It was like taking sandpaper to the skin, waiting. Magnus didn't know if they were so tense because of Luke or not, and it seemed to be just that on the Werewolves end, but it seemed like something else was crawling under some of the shadowhunters' skin. Something else was at play, some Shadowhunter drama, hopefully not something more.

The talking died down as a projector screen was pulled to the front of the room. Magnus wasn't sure what it was for, or that shadowhunters even owned such a thing. Runes usually fucked mundie machinery up, and he didn't see an actual projector…

Just as he considered there not actually being a projector, one was pulled into the room by Alec's mother, Maryse. Maybe she'd know where Alec was at, but looking at her, he was unsure.

She was pale, much more so than usual. She made Alec look tan at that moment, which was laughable with his pallor that had only been worsening as of late. She looked like she was shaking, though Magnus was too far away to really tell, her fingers seemed to fumble. Alec hadn't followed his mother on, still wasn't anywhere in sight, and it put Magnus further on edge. Where was Alec?

He's a big boy, Magnus chided in his head. He can take care of himself.

Magnus watched, jaw grinding, as Maryse sloppily put a disk into the connected DVD player. She was nervous, anyone could see that her movements were off, and also unused to the technology. Magnus wondered what could possibly be happening to make her act like that, usually so strong, intensifying his worry for his boyfriend. What could be on the disk? It had to come from an outside source, Shadowhunters rarely if ever used such technology.

The screen was black as the projector warmed up, then white letters began to appear. Maryse, seemingly uninterested in the beginning of the film, jolted the movie further by pressing the skip button, as evident by the marker in the top corner of the screen.

The screen cut to a poorly lit room, and on the screen most was a damp, nearly white face. Magnus recognized it immediately, of course, as did some of the others, who audibly shifted their weight. The air in the room cooled, and all Magnus could predict was something unfavorable.

"My name is Alexander Lightwood, son of Maryse and Robert Lightwood." It certainly was Alec, though his voice was rough. He looked gaunt. With sharp contrast he remembered when they first met, Alec's cheeks full, not hollow like they had become. His eyes hadn't had the years of dark circles under them, hadn't been so bloodshot. He'd been full of life. It'd been progressing recently, and Magnus wondered why he hadn't noticed. Alec looked like he'd hardly eaten, hardly slept. Like he was hardly alive.

"I confess that I plan to pick up where Valentine Morgenstern left off and eliminate the downworlder threat." Magnus heard a gasp run through the council room, and felt ice in his veins. What… what was happening?

" I... I hate downworlders. They have no place in this world." The Alec on the screen closed his eyes for a moment, and the video cut like there had been something in between, before Alec finished his announcement. "I've already had the pleasure of beginning the task."

The video cut again, to a different scene. Alec was standing on one side of the screen, recognizable by his dark hair and pale skin. On the other side of the screen there was boy, a scar down his face.

"That's Jared Olson," he heard someone growl. "A werewolf boy. He went missing two weeks ago."

There was silence in the room, just the noise from the video reverberating as the entire group held its breath. Then, as the Clave watched, the film progressed and one of their own on screen slayed a werewolf with no apparent cause. It was decidedly a break of the accords.

Magnus' stomach churned. What the hell had happened with Alec?What was he doing on that screen? That couldn't have… He couldn't have…. Alec wouldn't just kill a werewolf. He wouldn't do anything as announced in the video, not without cause. He wouldn't. Magnus hadn't known Alec that long, but he knew it wasn't something Alec would do.

Even if it would explain the nights away.

Even if it'd explain why Alec wouldn't let him touch him. Why he'd slept in the bathroom. Why he wouldn't tell Magnus anything. Why he'd been gone longer than he should have been. The patrols weren't that long, maybe he'd ditched and started killing off downworlders. It wouldn't be the first time a lover had betrayed him.

Magnus took a deep breath and refused to think over that line of questioning. He would think about it when he wasn't surrounded by prying eyes and trying to see what he, Alec's known boyfriend, knew of the situation. Magnus rubbed a palm over his forehead and focused his attention back on the Clave meeting at hand.

"We haven't been able to find Alexander. Tracking spells have proven ineffective, as if he's disappeared. He may be working with Jonathan Morgenstern, and it is vital that we find him. He will answer for his crimes when found. For now, we're adding search shifts. If you see him, the aim is not to kill but capture. He was last seen leaving the New York Institute, dressed in black, yesterday."

Magnus let out a shaky breath. What the hell was going on?

After the meeting let out, Maryse pulled him aside.

"You haven't seen my son, have you, Magnus?" She asked.

Magnus shook his head. "I haven't. I don't… What's going on?"

Maryse took a deep breath, trembling. "I don't know. Alec came to me, yesterday, with a tape and told me to watch it after he left. He said that you had to see it, as did the local pack leaders and the head of the vampire groups. I told him not to go anywhere, but he just left. Out the door and after I'd watched the video I tried tracking him but I got nothing. Do you think you'd be able to find him?"

Magnus shrugged, still tense. "There's probably not much else I can do. I'll try, though. To bring him home. I don't think Alec would…" Would feel that way, would lie through so many shared 'I love you's.

"I don't, either. But if this is what he's been doing, it's not like he'd open up about it."

She's right. He'd integrate himself. Make himself fit in. Something that Alec would have so many problems doing. Pretending to be into girls (or more directly, just not into guys), was a lot different than changing around his personality and constantly lying about his intentions. Alec was too… simpleminded for that. Sure, he was more clever than his siblings when it came to action plans, but… He had a hard time lying. Didn't he? Things had been really off between them for a while.

"I'll do my best to find him," Magnus promised, his voice soft.

Maryse smiled, if only slightly. "I'm going to give you a copy of the video. I want you to show it to Clary and her mother, and Isabelle too. I want her staying with you, so she doesn't get too much backlash from her brother's video. Don't let them do anything stupid."

Magnus nods, but makes no promises.

"I don't want to lose all my sons."

He showed the video on the flat screen once Isabelle arrives at his apartment. There were objections about the content from Clary, and Isabelle is stony-faced throughout. He doesn't know how they're reacting until after the video.

"He's been acting really weird these past weeks, but I thought it was just because Jace was gone." Isabelle started slowly. "I know my brother, though. I don't think it's him sending this message. I don't think he would. I don't think he believes it." Her eyes stayed on Magnus for the second part, and a small wave of reassurance passed him over. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

"Is this why you were doing a tracking spell with one of his sweaters before Isabelle got here?" Clary asks, swallowing thickly.

"Yes," Magnus sighed, an ache set in his bones. "It was unsuccessful."

"On top of Jace being gone," Clary whispered, turning her head down. Jocelyn put her arm around her daughter's shoulders, trying to comfort her, but Clary remained stiff.

"But we don't think he'd do this, right? Something had to of happened." Isabelle interjected. "He's been weird, but I know my brother. He loves you, Magnus, and he'd never do anything like that even if he wasn't."

If there was one thing that Clary was sure of, it was that she needed to put an end to Jace being gone. Alec too, but she wasn't sure how she was going to work that out. He could've been anywhere. But she had a connection to Jace and Sebastian and a way to contact Simon when they pick her up. She'll agree to go with them, and she'll figure out how to bring Jace home.

With a steely spine and some help from Simon, she went off to bring her boyfriend back.

Jocelyn was yelling at him. "How could you let her just leave?! Don't you have some sort of protection around this place?"

"Protection is designed to keep people out, not in," Magnus said, almost resigned. "This was meant as a safe place, not a prison."

"Can't you find her? She's just gone, and I have no idea where she went!"

"She went to find Jace," Simon stepped into the room, Isabelle behind him and bleary-eyed.

"Did she tell you?" Jocelyn hissed.

Simon nodded, then held up his right hand. There's a ring on it, which Magnus hadn't noticed before. "We're communicating through the rings."

"Is she okay?" Jocelyn asked, still looking ready to kill.

"Yeah, she's fine. Apparently they've got this house that isn't fixed in the universe or something. She's got her own bedroom and everything. Says it's creepy, but they haven't hurt her."

"I'm going to kill her," Jocelyn muttered, shoulders hunched.

"And I'm going to make some tea," Magnus said, going to the kitchen, the group following him as he put on the kettle. He set out mugs for each of them (barring Simon), and told them to pick out what kinds they want. He went for herbal, because he needed to relax if he didn't want to burn out. He's no use burned out, and he'd been alive long enough to know his limits. Didn't keep his anxiety from trying to eat him, unfortunately.

"Is there anything else she can tell us? Anything that might be useful?" Isabelle asks, quietly.

"Um, not rea…" Simon's eyes went a little blank for a moment, almost as if he was communicating with someone in his head. Everyone waited, expectant, for him to come back to life. Figuratively, of course. He'd gotten all of his coming back opportunities and it wasn't likely going to be happening again.

Simon coughed, clearing his throat a little. "She says they keep talking about the basement. It's the closest she's seen them to arguing, so… She says she's going to check it out when she gets the opportunity."

"Tell her to be careful," Jocelyn requested, and Simon nodded, tuning out again for a second to relay the message.

Isabelle walked around to stand by Magnus. "We'll find him," she said softly.

Magnus nodded. "I hope so."

Knock knock knock

Magnus turns toward the door, confused. The only person who could get this far without being buzzed in was… It couldn't be.

Magnus rushed to the door, his heart flying. If it was Alec, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. But he didn't have that problem, as he opened the door and no one was there. He felt his heart fall in his chest. It had been a false alarm.

Isabelle came up behind him. "What's that?" She asked, picking up a yellow envelope with "Magnus" written across it.

Magnus frowned, reaching for it. He pushed some magic into it as he takes it from Isabelle, just to be sure it wasn't a threat to him or the people around him. Not a trap, nothing destructive about it, his magic reported back. He pushed the metal tabs together and opened the envelope, pulling out what felt like photos.

His heart stopped, for a minute, and he couldn't help but stare at the photographs, dropping the envelope. He could recognize them, even if there was no face attached to any of the images. He'd recognize those marks, those scars, he'd kissed them and seen them what felt like hundreds of times. Maybe he wasn't the only one who had, if the pictures were anything to go by.

"What are the-" Isabelle's voice died as she saw the images, and he looked up to see her face going pale. He pulled the images to him, so she wouldn't have to see-what sibling wanted to see that kind of thing?-and knelt to get the envelope, shoving them back inside.

He-he'd known it. That Alec was cheating. The other person was non-descript, and it almost look like someone had photoshopped a with a blur tool to make it that way. He just. It could have been anyone. Anyone could have been fucking his boyfriend, and maybe it was a part of Alec's plan. To crush Magnus to prove he was uninvolved, ruthless, before destroying the rest of the downworlders. Suddenly, Magnus felt very young, and very, very stupid.

"That… that's Alec, isn't it?" Isabelle asked as he stood up.

Magnus nodded, not knowing what else to say.

"Did you see the metal in that third photograph?" Isabelle asked.

Magnus shook his head. He hadn't seen any metal, buy he didn't want to look at the photos again.

"When we went to see the Seelie Queen," Isabelle started, cautiously. "She bound him. Pulled him to the floor. He freaked out, almost like…"

"Like he was having a panic attack," Simon said, stepping into the hallway.

Isabelle nodded. "Yeah. And Alec's never been prone to freaking out about kind of thing before, with training and stuff. Maybe… Maybe whatever's happening in that photo is why he was so scared when the Seelie Queen pulled him to the floor."

"You're suggesting these are pictures of rape," Magnus said, and he didn't know what to think. Alec had been acting very strangely, and honestly, it probably could have been either. The idea of someone raping him made Magnus's stomach turn and twist, and his skin felt wrong. Like something was trying to crawl out. It felt wrong.

"It's very tacky," Simon said. "Why would someone put those photos out for you to find? To have Magnus assume Alec had been cheating? I don't know. The whole thing seems really weird. I didn't know Alec that well, but even I know he's not that malicious."

"He's been so strange lately…" Isabelle sighed. "I don't want him to be gone. Even if the video's true and he's crazy."

Magnus didn't share the sentiment; he'd been around enough zealots in his life to know it was best to get out as soon as possible. If Alec was gone on some insane path against downworlders, he'd kill him himself. Just because he didn't want to believe it didn't mean it wasn't true. He'd learned, over the years, that people weren't always as innocent, as nice, as they first seemed, or even seemed after years of knowing them.

"At least we still have you," Simon smiled sweetly at Isabelle.

Young love. Exactly what Magnus didn't want to think about.

Clary was in the dining room, focusing on eating, when she first heard them mention it.

"You need to go check on the basement." Sebastian had said to Jace.

Jace had shrugged. "It'll be over soon enough anyway."

"What's in the basement?" She asked, her heart somehow getting heavier at the mention of it, the hair on the back of her neck standing up.

Sebastian gave her a once-over. "Just some old trinkets. Nothing important."

She dropped it, not because she wasn't curious, but because she knew she wouldn't get a straight answer from her brother. She'd just have to investigate when she could. Until then, she'd play along with Sebastian's games.

The house was quiet as Clary tip-toed around in the dark. She searched, as quietly as she could, for doors that would take her to the basement Jace and Sebastian had been talking about. She had a line open with Simon through the ring, just in case she found something important.

Have you found anything? Simon asked, and Clary grit her teeth.

Nothing. Not even a set of stairs. Clary responded, frustrated.

"I just want to find the basement," she muttered, turning. As she said it, her eyes fell on a door she'd never seen before. A cold feeling washed over her as she drew closer to it. She had no way of knowing, but she knew whatever was behind the door was important. She opened it, finding a set of stairs going down. It smelled awful, and she held her breath as she walked down into the unknown.

Not even a set of stairs, Clary grumbled over the ring, and Simon would have chuckled if her situation wasn't so tense. He waited a bit, not keen on saying anything, just pacing in Magnus's living room.

I found it. Clary said.

Anything interesting? Or is it just junk? He asked, trying to lighten the tense tone from Clary.

I don't-oh. oh my god. She sounded panicked.

Clary? Are you okay? Simon asked, concerned, as he stopped pacing.

"What's up?" Isabelle asked, looking up from her seat on the couch. She was doing her nails, something mundane and easy, to keep herself sane.

It's… Simon, Alec's here. There's so much blood. I think he's dead.

Simon felt his heart stop a bit. "He can't be dead," he said both out loud and to the bond.

He's not dead. Just in really poor condition. I… I think Sebastian's been trying to kill him. He's got a mark on his chest. One I saw when I was with Valentine.

What kind of mark? Simon asks.

I don't know. But it isn't legal and it's very dangerous. He's barely responding to healing runes. Clary tells him.

Do you think he'll live? He asks, because he's looking at Isabelle, Alec's sister, and he thinks she would break if he had to tell her her brother was going to die.

It was silent for a moment.

I don't know.

Simon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Is there anything you can do?

Someone's coming was all Clary said before there was silence.

Hearing the door open above the stairs, Clary turned from Alec, telling Simon someone was coming and that she had to go. She heard whoever it was descend the stairs, and picked up a burnt-out torch that was next to the bed where Alec was. It wasn't hot anymore, but it was heavy. It looked like it was what has burned the wounds on the back of Alec's legs closed.

"Clary," Sebastian said, stepping out from the staircase that was cut from view.

"What is this?" Clary asked, her body in front of Alec's. "What did you do to him?"

Sebastian was still for a moment, then continued towards her, frowning. "Nothing he didn't have coming. He was an abomination, you know. Dating a warlock. A male one, at that. It was disgraceful."

"So you decided to cut up his face and legs?" Claary asked, her voice rising.

"Among other things," Sebastian shrugged, stopping in front of her.

"He hasn't done anything wrong!" Clary yelled.

"Clary… s'okay" She heard a weak voice behind her. "I wasn't… strong 'nough."

She turned to see Alec looking up at her, his eyes nearly blank. Like he'd given up.

She'd seen him so full of life only weeks ago. Then Sebastian had come and corrupted him and probably tortured him and she… She yelled, throwing herself at her brother.

"How could you?" She screamed, her first going for his face. He caught it, however, and twisted until she was on the ground, nursing a stinging pain in her wrist.

He moved on from her after an assessing look, eyes on Alec.

"You should have died already," Sebastian hissed. "You're not worthy of looking at my sister."

With that, he took a blade from his belt and swept it across Alec's face in a horizontal line, from ear to ear, running over his eyes.

Alec didn't even yell as blood started dripping, his eyes not moving.

He would never see again. Alec was blind.