Chapter Twenty Three – Talk You Down.

"Grabbed your suitcase, called a taxi

It's 3 AM, now where you gonna go?

Gonna stay with friends in London

And that's all I get to know." The car radio sang as Alec, Isabelle and Jace sat in silence in the back of the taxi. 'I have to find him!' Alec thought as the car stopped at another red light and his emotions spiked into annoyance. The whole world seemed to be against him at the moment, as it was he was already being watched like a hawk by both Jace and Isabelle and it had taken twenty minutes plus a shower before he'd convinced them he was okay enough to go looking for Magnus at the party in Luau Hotel. He raised his left hand to chew on his nails. "We'll find him Alec. We will." Isabelle said from beside him, patting his shoulder in what he guessed was supposed to be reassuring.

"This is relationship suicide. Coz if you go, I go. Coz if you go, I go. Taking shortcuts through the alleys while you're racing through my mind."

"I don't know Izzy." Alec muttered and Isabelle smiled over at him. His right arm still burned slightly and the holes still hadn't finished healing where Marbas had pierced him with its spines but he was determined to ignore it. He didn't want Jace to tell them they were going to head back to the Institute. Pushing back his sleeve he stared down at the wound, it was quiet deep but a few glamour runes had managed to hide it. It was already starting to heal anyway, in a little while it'll be barely visible to Mundanes. "Does it hurt?" Jace asked from Alec's left side, staring first at the wound then at Alec's face.

"No!" Alec replied hastily, he bit his lip hoping Jace would believe him and although it was obvious from the look that Jace didn't believe him, he said nothing, to which Alec was extremely grateful for.

"I'm driving my car to where I hope you are. Maybe I can talk you down. Maybe I can talk you down,

Oh, we're standing on a tiny ledge,

Before this goes over the edge,

Gonna use my heart and not my head,

And try to open up your eyes,

This is relationship suicide." Alec stared out the front window, over Clary's shoulder as she sat in the front of the car. "Are we there yet?" Alec asked, suddenly getting impatient as another light turned red.

"Not yet." The driver snapped gruffly, clearly he wasn't one to like being asked if they were there yet, Alec fell silent with a frustrated sigh.

Magnus was stood in front of Caleb on the dance floor, still everything seemed too bright but for once he didn't care, for the moment he was happy and nothing was going to change that for him. Caleb laughed, grabbing onto Magnus's arm as they both staggered into another two people with cries of apology that were too slurred to be fully understood. An image of Alec flashed in front of his eyes but he bid the memory back and he laughed. "What's so funny?" Caleb asked, a small frown of confusion on his face.

"I was feeling sad earlier," Magnus giggled, "but now I can't remember why at all! But I do look faaabuloooouss!" He raised his arms into the air and cheered for no reason at all, Caleb laughed and called for another drink for himself and downed it in one, barely pausing for breath. "I see the King of Glitter!" Caleb yelled laughing.

"Where is this fellow?! I must meet him immediately!" Magnus asked, glancing around the room.

Caleb laughed, "Magnus! The King of Glitter is you!"

"Me?" Magnus questioned.

"Yes!"

"OH. MY. GOD. I'm the King of Glitter! I'm the King of Glitter!" Magnus yelled, jumping up and down on the spot like a kid who just got told they were going to Disneyland on holiday. "Where is my glitter crown?!" Magnus called, snapping his fingers. A crown made of glitter appeared on his head, "I found it! I'm the King of Glitter!" Magnus continued jumping up and down on the spot as Caleb laughed. His laughter died on his lips as a familiar figure, stood in a dark corner, caught his attention. The white-blonde hair was the key discerning feature as well as the black eyes and cold smirk. Caleb headed towards Sebastian, the blood running cold in his veins. "Why have you not done what I requested of you?" Sebastian demanded.

"Oh, hello to you too!" Caleb replied sarcastically, "I have actually! I've given him the potion in a drink!"

"And what about the rest of the plan?" Sebastian snapped. "I want their little Team Good torn apart!"

Caleb flinched, "Well, if the Lightwood boy was here I'd have completed it by now wouldn't I?"

Sebastian nodded, seeming to contemplate Caleb's reply, "Finish it as soon as the boy gets here otherwise I don't know what use you'll be to me anymore." With that he turned on his heel and stalked off into the crowd, disappearing instantly from Caleb's sight. Caleb sighed and returned to Magnus who let out a yell as soon as he spotted Caleb, "There you are! I thought I'd lost you!" He pulled Caleb into a hug, over his shoulder Caleb spotted four figures enter the room: one of them was the Lightwood boy. He grinned. "Magnus? I have something to tell you!"

The party was loud, not as loud as one of Magnus's own parties back in Brooklyn but it was close. They had to shout to hear each other over the loud music. Alec could barely stop himself from running into the crowd in search of Magnus. "Isabelle, Clary, you're with me! Alec stick close and pay attention!" Jace yelled, fighting to be heard over the pounding music. Alec sighed, turning his attention to Jace instead of craning his neck to spot Magnus despite his brain screaming to look for him. "No one goes upstairs! If you go upstairs we all go!" Alec yelled and Jace nodded in agreement.

"Besides Magnus will be the centre of the attention!" Jace yelled, "Just look from the person covered in the most glitter!" Alec laughed, knowing that Jace had a point. "Well, Alec?!" Jace called.

"What?!" Alec asked.

"Go and find your man!" The three others yelled, Alec rolled his eyes fondly at them and disappeared into the crowd with the others behind him.

"What is it?" Magnus asked as he stared down at Caleb, "What's wrong?" Caleb sighed, biting down on his bottom lip. He knew somewhere in amongst this huge crowd the Lightwood boy and Sebastian were watching him, he couldn't fail now. He shook his head once, his mind whirring at a million miles an hour. He had to do this. "Caleb?" Magnus bent his head down towards Caleb, trying to get him to look at him. Out of the corner Caleb could see the dark haired Lightwood boy moving towards them. It was now or never. Caleb glanced once more at the boy and then up at Magnus, reaching an arm around Magnus's neck he brought their lips into collision.

Alec shoved through the crowd; he'd seen an extremely glittery figure submerged in the crowds on the dance floor, a crown made of glitter on their head. "Magnus." Alec whispered, forcing his way through the crowds, his clothes were soaked with other people's sweat as he reached the middle of the crowd. He moved forward about yell Magnus's name when he jarred to a sudden halt. Magnus was kissing another boy with black hair. Alec's eyes stung as his world shattered around him, he glanced to the left to spot Jace staring across the room at him, sorrow in his eyes. A tear dropped down Alec's cheek followed by another, then another as he turned away from Magnus and the other guy.'I hope you'll be happy Magnus.' He thought.

He ran…