*****Jace's POV*****

Jace and Simon had rushed back into the Loft the second they heard some commotion coming from inside. They swung the glass pane doors open to see what had caused such a ruckus. Simon darts over to Isabelle's side, ignoring the newcomers in the room. Jace looks at the three hooded figures dumbfounded by the sight of them....them and their wings.

Red like a vibrant flame.

Gold like a sparkling sun.

And Black like a midnight sky.

"Who are you people?" Jace asks, keeping his gaze locked on the newcomers all the while edging closer to Clary.

His girlfriend is staring at the three winged people with studious interest, as though she's contemplating something very seriously. Clary is chewing on one of her chapped pink lips that Jace would kiss so fondly, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Jace is curious as to what the fiery red head might be thinking about.

His battle trained hands itch for a seraph blade, but he knew that wasn't in the cards right now. At the very least, he knows Clary has her stele stowed away in her jeans pocket (they'd changed out of their evening attire a few hours ago, when it had become clear they weren't leaving the loft anytime soon) and Magnus had his magic.

Both were formidable forces to be reckoned with, yet he still feels a flicker of annoyance toward his brother-in-law's ridiculous house rules. Magnus had made it a policy of sorts to deposit all weapons by the coat rack at the front entrance, the centuries old warlock arguing the point that weapons weren't needed in the house.

He's probably regretting that decision now.

Magnus stands in archway of his Apothecary, all rigid lines and deadly grace as his hands light up with sparkling blue red light. Waves of power emanate off his brother-in-law, a testament to how dangerous Magnus really is. I can almost see what Alec does in him. Jace and Magnus's relationship has improved steadily over the past few years they've known each other, Alec playing a large roll in their friendship. He can still remember talking to Magnus the morning of Max's rune ceremony, the words of warning he'd given the Indonesian man.

"I'm not going to let anything hurt him." Jace said tersely, his mismatched eyes fixated on Magnus sternly.

Magnus had given him a look as though he expected that line. "And we have that in common." The sparkly man had said.

Those had been simpler times, believe it or not. It was hard to believe how far they'd made it since then. Jace had went from threatening Magnus not to hurt his brother, his parabatai to entrusting him with Alec's heart and welcoming Magnus to their family.

The two men had gotten along even better after Magnus and Alec had gotten hitched, the warlock providing a great source of comfort when he was moping over the loss of Clary to the mundane world. Those were days he'd rather forget, as all days with Clary torn away from him were. And yet he could not deny there were some pleasant times then too, and with unexpected individuals at that.

Two of the figures pulled back their hoods to reveal a red headed woman and a dirty blonde haired man that he recognized immediately as the strangers who came to his and Alec's aid the other night against the Blixer demons. The shimmering black cloaks they wore made it impossible to tell what they were wearing underneath, Jace found that he couldn't for the life of him determine what weapons they might be carrying on their person, much to his frustration.

They could be carrying a full blown spear and I wouldn't know it!

The other stranger keeps his hood on, ink black wings like liquid shadows curving behind him frame. Out of all the wings these strangers had, those were the ones gave him the most unease. They reminded him of another man, of Clary's late brother.

Jonathan Morgenstern had been an absolute psychopath made even more dangerous when he received a pair of black wings. To his knowledge, only fallen angels (this includes princes of hell) possessed blackened feathers like that. Needless to say, he wasn't looking forward to getting to know the final stranger.

Not that I'm looking forward to getting to know any of them. They took Alec after all.

"Our names are Pippa, Harry and Daniel though I think you already knew that." The redhead, Pippa spoke. Her green gaze wasn't on Jace, instead flitting over Clary with mild intrigue before landing right on Magnus.

Jace carefully entwines his fingers in with Clary's own, giving them a reassuring squeeze as he pulls her close to his side. He doesn't want these winged strangers giving his girlfriend any strange looks. Clary returned the gesture, though her attention had turned to Magnus who was watching the newcomers with suspicion.

"Yes. I figured as much." Magnus spoke warily, the magic he'd summoned still very much apparent. If Pippa or her siblings were unnerved by the sight of the warlock's power, they did not show it. "Is my husband alright? Where have you taken him?" He asks.

"He's not wasting any time." Simon mutters to Izzy quietly.

Isabelle gave a small nod, her tentative gaze fixed on the newcomers in the center of the room. Belatedly, Jace wonders where the glass table went; the reflective surface object was no longer in the center of the room and was nowhere to be seen.

The blonde male looked over to Simon, gave him a little grin, which quickly faded when his golden green gaze landed on Isabelle. For whatever reason a flicker of sadness flashed through the winged male, though Jace could not determine why. Nor could he say why the blonde glanced worriedly at the still hooded man standing behind him. If the stranger- Daniel- was supposed to react to Isabelle, he did not.

Now was the moment that Daniel stepped forward, his hood still covering his face. Powerful, ink black wings stretch out beside him, the feathers glinting with light. Jace nudged Clary behind him even more, placing an outstretched arm in front of her.

I won't let him get near Clary. I don't trust him, not one bit. He could see Simon doing the same thing with Isabelle; the vampire had stepped in front of the female Shadowhunter, not blocking her view by any means but making it so that the winged people would have to go through him to get to Isabelle. Both men are perfectly aware their significant others can take care of themselves, but that didn't mean they wouldn't protect them regardless.

"Alexander Lightwood-Bane is fine I can assure you, but we need to talk." Daniel said.

Jace can see Magnus visibly tense as the hooded stranger inches closer to him. He can feel Clary's eyes on him without even glancing, the intensity of her green gaze impossible not to feel. The blonde Shadowhunter knows what he has to do, Jace just hopes that it doesn't cause any trouble....and that Alec would approve.

His speed rune glows gold as Jace makes it activate, giving him the power to dart over to stand in front of Magnus. The warlock looks surprised at his sudden intrusion, as does Pippa and Harry. Daniel, to his knowledge remains expressionless, blue eyes barely visible underneath the gloom of the hood to produce the effect of a gray gaze.

"Stay back!" He shouts, stretching out an arm to stop Daniel from getting any closer.

"Jace." Magnus said. Jace studiously ignores his brother-in-law's warning tone. The newcomer stops in his tracks, just inches before touching Jace's fingertips. Satisfied by this, the blonde continues.

"I don't care who you might be, but with wings like that," He motions with his other hand to the dark expanse or blackness behind Daniel. The wings are still obsidian expanses, only the slightest bit of air conditioning sending bursts of life through them; Jonathan's wings were not dissimilar. "I don't think we have any reason to trust you. For all we know, you could be just like Jonathan." Jace practically spat out the name. Even in death Jonathan Morgenstern still bothered him. He doubts that will ever change.

He doesn't know what reply he expected, but he did not foresee the newcomers getting angry. Pippa is by Daniel's side within the blink of an eye, as is Harry. From this close up he can see every twitch in the redhead's expression, the deep downturn of Harry's lips as his frown deepens and the way his eyebrows furrowed.

"How dare you say that about him?!" Pippa all but yells, her hands fisting at her sides. Her voice and body language reminds him of Clary when she's upset and frustrated.

Harry responds to Jace's words without an outburst of rage, though the underlying rage he's feeling still lurks underneath. "I know that you've had some....unfortunate memories with someone with black wings before, but Daniel isn't like that. He isn't like Him." Harry needs not say who he is referring to, Jace along with the rest of the occupants of the room already know,

Jonathan. Morgenstern.

"And why should we believe you?" Jace asks with an air of indifference.

"I aught to smack some sense into you." Pippa glares at Jace angrily, her feathers fluffing up like the fur of a hissing ginger tabby cat. The sight would be amusing if it wasn't directed at him.

Simon and Isabelle watch the exchange warily, as does Clary who at some point must've pulled her stele out. The metallic Adamas isn't glowing at the tip - the sign Clary's about to draw a rune- but Jace has a feeling that will only be a matter of time. He finds Clary's poised actions to be reassuring, a comfortable act of preparation for what may come.

Pippa stops seething when a pale hand rests on her shoulder. Daniel gripped her shoulder with a steel armed grip, his knuckles turning even whiter then the rest of his skin. Jace can see the faint criss cross of silvery marks adorning the man's wrist like pale strips of thin twine.

Most of the marks are much too small to have come from a stele or demon attack so he's unsure as to where the winged male might've gotten them. They look like something I've seen on.... he would not dare finish that thought, his blood running cold.

"It's okay Penelope. They have every right to be suspicious, it'll just make things awkward in the long run." Daniel tells her. Pippa still looks annoyed, but she does give the eldest a small nod, her anger simmering down ever so slowly.

She gives Jace a rueful glance. "I suppose I can forgive him this time. He is a Herondale after all..." Pippa seems to catch herself right on the precipice of revealing something. "Not that this means anything to us." She hurriedly adds. Jace raises an eyebrow at that, confused as to why the redhead had grown so nervous.

"That's all well and good, but like you said, we need to talk." Magnus says drolly.

Long, lithe arms reach up to an expanse of silk to pull back to reveal pale skin with sharp blue eyes. With the hood gone from Daniel's face Jace, Magnus and the others can now get a much clearer look at what lies beneath. Jace feels surprised at just how similar Daniel looks to his parabatai. There were very few noticeable differences between the two men (aside from the black wings and oceanic eyes of course).

Daniel lets out a laugh, the sound boring none of the humor it was supposed to. His expression is that of astute seriousness. "Yes. So let's talk."

*****Alec's POV*****

Alec fiddles with the hem of his shirt absentmindedly. The sun had long since made its descent below the horizon, giving a chance for stars to burst into view in the night sky. He had caught a glimpse of them earlier when he'd went with Daniel, Pippa and Harry outside. Per their request, Alec had returned indoors after they left to do some sort of important business (they refused to tell him what this business was, only that they'd be gone for about an hour).

This led to him sitting alone on the couch. Well, not technically alone per say. He had some company flopped right down next to him making the biggest puppy dog eyes he suspects they could possibly make.

"No Lucky, I already told you I can't give you any chocolate. It's bad for dogs." He taps the golden retriever on the nose lightly, trying to get his point across. Lucky didn't seem to understand the gesture, licking the pointer finger happily. The dog was no doubt trying to get a taste of the chocolate Alec had just eaten earlier.

Hnnn. Hnnnn. (Idk y'all how to write whimpering dog noises, hopefully you all get the gist)

Alec sighs, placing the Hershey bar on the nightstand nearby. The flatscreen tv casts its bioluminescent blue light into the otherwise dark room, illuminating Alec and Lucky's forms on the sofa. His furry companion had been stretched out on the far end of the couch earlier, far away from the Shadowhunter.

This was subject to change though, as now the golden retriever had come so close to him that her head was laying outstretched in his lap. This made Alec glad that he had placed the popcorn bowl on the nightstand earlier, as if he hadn't the doggo would've been chowing down on crunchy, buttery popcorn at this point.

"Lucky...please stop..." he whines back, rubbing right behind one of her ears in the hopes to placate the dog's seamlessly never ending hunger. The fluffy dog appreciates the gesture, panting happily but continues to beg.

Beg beg beg. Why do dogs beg so much? He's reminded of Chairman Meow in this moment. The little kitten would often beg just like a dog, the only difference being that he might sink his pinprick claws into your legs if you continued to refuse him.

A few of Alec's sweat pants had holes in the pant legs thanks to the little terror. His husband had just laughed and commented that at least the pants now matched his sweaters that like his pants also had some holes.

When Magnus and Alec had went on a vacation to Rome a couple months back, they'd left their little terror under the care of the vampire (Magnus's idea, not his). When they came back to pick up their cat they found Simon covered in scratch marks, especially along his legs.

Alec had been proud.

Magnus had been profusely apologizing to Simon.

There are two types of people, his mind chimes.

"Fine." He tosses the dog a piece of popcorn. Lucky catches it in her mouth with ease, inhaling the buttery treat with the speed of a vacuum cleaner, her tail waving wildly behind her,

He checks the clock hanging up on the wall, not surprised that only thirty minutes has passed. Alec scratches his head thoughtfully. In the background, the sound of singing comes from the television. The Shadowhunter ignores the Disney Music of Let it Go, opting to focus on the book resting on the arm of the couch.

"The City of Bones." He reads the title aloud.

Harry had eagerly shown him the book before leaving the house. Apparently, in another world Harry and his siblings had visited, Shadowhunters didn't exist, but books about them did. It seemed strange to look at the cover of this book that depicts a younger version of Jace clutching the Mortal Sword and the Mortal Cup.

"How do these other people know about us?" He recalls asking the dirty blonde.

Harry had laughed, shrugging his shoulders aimlessly. "I guess some stories are just meant to be told. Speaking of....just wait until I show you the tv show. It's much closer to rendition of events that occurred in this world, though both do contain similar elements."

Alec still couldn't wrap his head around it all, especially the idea that so many mundanes knew about Shadowhunters. One of the most important things about being apart of the Shadow World was keeping it a secret from those who were not.

So if this publication was done knowing that, then I guess the author might somehow know about us.......but how? And what if someone is writing about us right now? Are they omnipotent?

He pushes head splitting thoughts away, not enticed by the prospect of someone writing down his every move and action. Though at least Harry had been right about the story not being a hundred percent accurate. Thank the Angel for that!

"I wonder where the three of them went..." He ponders aloud, scooping up a few more pieces of popcorn for Lucky to lap up from his palm.

The sensation of a warm, wet tongue licking his hand clean would've been bothersome for most people. As for Alec, he didn't mind, content to continue watching the strange Disney movie until the winged nephilim returned. The Mortal Instruments book was set aside to be left for pondering when Alec was feeling particularly philosophical.

*****Harry's POV*****

The atmosphere was so tense he was unsure if even a steak knife could manage to cut through it.

Harry found himself wedges between the left arm of the sofa and Pippa. Magnus had magicked up a few extra couches for the room when he came to the conclusion that the pristine white sofa of the den wouldn't suffice.

Magnus was sitting on said sofa with Chairman Meow curled up in his lap; Jace and Clary sat on one of the adjacent loveseats of a rich lavender color, leaving Simon and Isabelle to sit on the across from them on the other loveseat, this one a comfy velvet.

The three siblings were sitting on a replica white sofa, Harry's lively fingers tracing innumerable patterns into the plain texture. As no one else seems ready to break the silence, Harry takes it upon himself to speak up.

"I'm know you all have some questions." He begins.

Izzy lets out a huff. "More like a lot. Like what have you done with my big brother? And why did you," She jabs a hand out in Daniel's direction. "Freak out so much when we bumped into each other?" Daniel flinches at her tone.

Harry suspects that if the eldest had his wings out like they had earlier upon arrival that his feathers would be trembling. Dan didn't tell me he ran into Isabelle already...I'll have to ask him about it later.

He wasn't blind by any means, so Harry understood that Isabelle's uncanny similarities to their late sister would be unnerving to the remaining twin. And she's a Lightwood at that, so we know she's related to us, especially him.

Genetics really are an odd thing.

Daniel wrings his wrists together nervously, his blue eyes downcast. Harry feels a rush of sympathy for the eldest. It wasn't fair to him that his deceased twin kept getting brought up inadvertently. The black haired male already had a hard enough time moving on without reminders being thrown his way.

But I guess that's why life isn't fair. His mind flashes to Carson. The woman he loved; the woman he treasured; his love, his parabatai. The weight of the ring on his chest feels warm, if only he could draw more comfort from it.

"As we said before: Alec is fine. He's at a safe location far away from here." Pippa tells them.

"But where is that? Why can't we know? And you didn't answer Izzy's other question." Simon pipes in from his seat.

Daniel takes a deep breath, letting out a shaky exhale. If he had to guess, the gesture was for Dan to steel himself for a response. The blue eyed male had yet to make eye contact with Isabelle. Harry hopes whatever the eldest ends up saying doesn't make things worse. A few seconds tick by.

Finally Daniel meets Isabelle's gaze, his expression hardened and eyes glinting like frost. "I mistook you for someone else. I'm terribly sorry if I gave you a bad first impression. That was never my intention." Dan then turns to face Simon. "And as for why we can't tell you where Alec is...well, that's more for his and everyone else's safety more than anything."

"Safety?" Clary repeats the word indignantly. "How could taking Alec away from his family do anyone any good." Harry is surprised by the ferocity in her tone. To his and his siblings knowledge, Alec and Clary were slowly becoming good friends again since the memory recovery. They'd made the assumption that the redhead wouldn't care for Alec so strongly yet.

But apparently we were wrong.

Pippa rolls her eyes. "Last I checked, we're his family too. If anything, we could argue that we've been more a family to him then you've been over the past few years."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Magnus, who'd been silent for quite some time asks. Harry supposes the warlock was struggling to find his thoughts...and also....

And also trying to figure us out.

Magnus Lightwood-Bane could never be denied the adjective of being clever. The warlock's hands were still glowing with faint sparks of magic. Harry could feel the energy waft across the glass low lying table to him and his siblings, the energy discreetly scanning over them with quiet precision.

If I hadn't been alive for so long I would not have detected it. It would make sense that Magnus and the others wouldn't know the full extent of the winged nephilims' power. They thought Jace and Clary were powerful with their extra angel blood, just wait until they see us in action.

"Some of you may not understand this, but we are Remiel's children. We've been watching him, making sure he doesn't get killed because the likes of you," Pippa's jabs a finger in Jace, Izzy, Clary and Simon's direction. "Take advantage of him so often it's getting to be ridiculous."

"What in the name of the Angel are you talking about? Alec's my brother, my parabatai. I haven't been taking advantage of him." Jace says angrily. Isabelle wears a similar look of rage, her arms crossed over her chest.

Daniel shakes his head at Jace in disappointment. "You're quite the hypocrite Jace Herondale."
Jace opens his mouth to protest but the winged nephilim silences him with a raised hand, his blue eyes icy. "Just think of all the times you lied to Alec in the past couple of years. A certain wish comes to mind." Daniel glances drolly at Clary who seems oddly enough to shrink under his gaze. Harry isn't surprised in the slightest that even the fiery girl is intimidated by Daniel, most people are unable to fight his searing intensity the winged nephilim often exudes.

"But that was some time ago." Isabelle reminds them.

Pippa gives the woman a bland look. "You know what they say: the past repeats itself. If you weren't taking advantage of Alec's position to get away with things like the time you stole the Mortal Cup from his care, then you were going behind his back to summon Lilith: the queen of hell you barely managed to defeat with the Mark of Cain. I can only imagine what kind of things you've managed to get away with now that Alec is Inquisitor."

"But those were just difficult situations. That doesn't normally happen. I don't think any of us wanted to lie to him." Simon protests.

Harry fists the material of his cloak, his expression turning sad. "Maybe, but the fact that you've betrayed him so many times really does make you wonder. And beyond that, how many times have you guys actually been there for him? Magnus excluded, most of you don't even try to figure out what's going on with him until it's just too late."

"That's because he doesn't like talking about his feelings. Do you think I haven't tried to get him to open up?" Isabelle says defensively. Alongside Magnus, the Lightwood woman was the one who had tried the hardest to get Alec to be more open about his feelings.

Daniel tilts his head to the side contemplatively. "Perhaps. But other than his sexuality, you don't seem to do much to lessen his burden. I myself don't like opening up to people, but luckily I have siblings who are willing to be patient with me." He offers up a small smile to Pippa and Harry. The youngest can't help but return the grin.

"I won't disagree that they could've reacted....differently to things, but what does this have to do with safety?" Magnus asks.

"What a good question. Care to share with the rest of the class?" Jace says, the snarky edge to his tone apparent.

Harry casts a sideways glance at Daniel and Pippa, wondering the same thing. He'd went along with his siblings' train of thought when they'd started this lecture, but outside of reprimanding Clary, Jace, Isabelle and Simon for not taking better care of Alec and respecting him more he didn't see what all this had to do with the reason why they came.

"If you all want the honest answer, it's because I don't know if most any of you should be around Alec, not while such a big change is happening to him. Going through an awakening can be painful and also create an atmosphere of vulnerability for some time. I'm unsure as to whether or not you all could treat him with the proper patience and care." Daniel said.

"That, and when the ritual happens a huge outburst of energy will occur. We don't think that it'll hurt any mortals but...." Pippa shrugs. "it's better to be safe then sorry."

"So what you're saying is you're not going to let us see Alec. But how long will that be? I-I need to get to him. I have to know Alec is okay." Magnus says this with upmost sincerity, desperation tinging his briefly unglamoured gaze.

Harry knows that the slip up had been from the strong emotion the warlock is feeling, not from Magnus's lack of power. The glamour slips back into place a few seconds later, but the sight of golden cat eyes remains engraved in the back of Harry's mind like a picture traced with permanent marker. A slight nausea passes in his stomach, the kind that only comes with guilt.

Out of all of them, Magnus deserves this the least. The three siblings had put a great deal of time into researching Magnus Bane back when they first found out he was dating their father. The warlock has been living for quite awhile so he's established an extensive history. For the most part that history was good, or at the very least filled with good intentions.

We all do make mistakes, it's a part of our nature. Though forming a cult called the Crimson Hand is a pretty big screw up. That stretch of the warlock's history was still somewhat unclear. The three siblings resolved to ask the High Warlock of Alicante about it later.

Harry gives Magnus a sympathetic smile. "We understand. And don't worry, he's perfectly safe with us and we will return him once the ceremony is over, provided that we continue surveillance on him as he adjusts. Going from Shadowhunter to Angel is no small change." He explains with expressive hands.

Daniel rise from his seat, beckoning Pippa and Harry to follow him. "Until then, don't get in our way. We won't let anyone stop us from doing what we've set out to do."

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Wait a second-"

Harry doesn't get to hear Isabelle's protests as they dart from the room with speed that would've given a vampire like Simon whiplash. The siblings get to the balcony in a matter of seconds before leaping into the night sky and taking flight.

Little did they know that as they left other newcomers took their place, Maia and Bat taking it upon themselves to hand deliver the food. The two werewolves catch the tail end of Harry and his siblings' exodus from the room. Maia and Bat both are shocked to see what looks like humans with wings fleeing the room.

"What's going on here?!" Maia exclaims. Beside her Bat almost drops the many bags of takeout food in shock, only to snag them up at the last minute.

"What the fu-"

****Unknown POV****

The hallway is dark and painted in blood, only the torches illuminating the walls as he walked by. The screams of torture and suffering filled the the dank air, as did the metallic smell of blood spilled both old and new. This place, this evil place had been in existence for the past five years now. The popularity of it was still growing in mass with each passing year, much to the Master's delight.

Wings that had once been a pure, oceanic white brushed the blood coated walls as he passed, a few feathers snagging on hooks in the wall with what was presumably the pieces of several corpses that now just looked like tormented, flayed flesh. Needless to say, this place was not for someone who has a sensitive nose. How the Master kept this place from being infected with maggots and flies was beyond him.

The hallway leads him down a winding path past multiple rooms. The doors are all shut tight, not that this prevents the sounds of screaming victims from being heard. The place may be soundproofed to the outside world, but down here....

Down here we can hear every cry.

The thought should unsettle him, as should this entire place in general. If he were still Angelic, he's almost certain that would be the case.

But I stopped being an Angel long ago.

His wings are ink black now with silvery decay falling from them every so often: the mark of a fallen Angel. A wistful side of him would glimpse a strand of blue inside the expanse of black from time to time, but the fallen angel doubts it was real. He could never return to what he once was, that much was certain.

He stops in front a door with a golden handle that was likely the cleanest thing in this bloody place of massacre and torture. Deathly pale hand reach out to knock on the door with peeling, mottled green paint that had a mix of mold, fungi and blood mixed into it. He knocks three times.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Come in." A dark voice growls, the wretchedness of it making his skin crawl.

He steps into the room quietly. The door clicks closed behind him, the Master's work, not his own. As per usual, the room was covered in shadows. The fallen Angel could make out the burgundy red mattress resting on the king size bed in the back of the room along with the few silver lamps and blood stained green rug on the floor.

A few weapons lined the yellow plaster walls, as did a few wings torn off from the backs of angels. He shudders at the gruesome sight of wings hung up on tender hooks. The coloration of the feathers had long since faded from these broken wings, every color remaining a pale, lifeless hue. There are several reasons why no one dared betray the Master, the blanc wings just one of them.

The Master is curled up in his favorite leather arm chair, a plethora of fletched arrows sunk into the sides of the wooden supports. One arrow -fletched with a brilliant white fleece like material- is embedded right in one of the arms of the chair.

The Master always toyed with this arrow, though he would not for the life of him say why. From the way he eyed it with disdain, the Angel guessed it was from someone he despised. The fallen Angel is glad that he's not that being.

"Samuel, you bring me news." It wasn't the question. The Master knew Samuel bore information. The fallen Angel hopes that what knowledge he's found will suffice, not wanting to be beaten down. He can still remember the sting of the barbed whip from last time, burning white pain lancing across his vulnerable back and wings.

"Yes Master. The three remaining winged nephilim are up to something. How should we proceed?"

The Master rises from his chair, his burgundy robes swish down to the floor. Samuel is surprised the billowing garment does not hinder the Master's wings. Long stretching expanses of pitch black feathers furl behind the man, streaks of ash grey and blood red are splattered like paint across them. In his hand is clutched the white fletched arrow, the length of it still unmarred despite the many instances Samuel had seen it get bent with angry ministrations.

"Do you know how I got this arrow?" The Master is now a mere few inches away from Samuel, so close that he can smell the whiskey in the man's breath. The bitter taste of it makes Samuel wrinkle his nose.

He keeps himself stiff as the Master stalks around him like a predatory wolf, taunting him with every turn. "I'm not sure. You've never told me."

"It was five years ago, back when we were still prevalent." Master clutches the length tighter. "Back when we were still feared." Samuel doesn't dare comment that the screaming victims in the other rooms would likely disagree with that statement wholeheartedly.

"So...did someone attack you?" He asks.

Master smirks, his grin crooked with the downturn of wicked intentions. "You could say that. A group of foolish nephilim: the first nephilim dared to stand against us. One of them, Daniel Windemiere tried to stab me with this," He spins the arrow. "After I disposed of his twin sister." Samuel holds back a flinch. The Windemieres had once been friends of his, their father an Angel he considered lucky to have as a brother.

But times are different now.... and I have changed.

Sometimes he can't believe that voice inside himself; sometimes he can't help but question everything.

"So did he? Uh, did he stab you?" He can't help being curious.

The Master's eyes darken. "Yes. He did." He tosses the arrow aside as though it was nothing more than a discarded piece of trash. Acting callous, Samuel had learned was one of the many ways the Master remains detached from his feelings. "And that is why we must stop them. Whatever they're doing must not be allowed to pass."

The chill in the room is unmistakable. Samuel shuffles uncomfortably in place, his eyes averted. During these meetings he always kept his wings as tightly folded to his back as he could, protecting the once bronze feathers from the wrath of gnarled hands.

"So what are your orders?" He asks.

The Master smirks evilly. The look on his face is one that shakes Samuel to his core. That expression is so vile, so awful that he knows whatever the man will say next is guaranteed to be horrible.

"Here's what we're going to do..."

****Clary's POV****

"So Alec is some sort of reincarnated Archangel? When did all this start?" Maia's voice echoes from inside the loft.

When the alpha had spotted the three siblings disappear she and Bat both had been quick to start asking questions while food was being divvied out by Simon. As expected everyone else had been lost in their thoughts. Magnus had stalked out of the den as soon as Daniel, Pippa and Harry had left, Chairman Meow trailing behind him as he slipped into the Apothecary.

The warlock could not be persuaded to come back out to eat, too busy desperately trying to find his husband. This had left Isabelle to explain to Maia and Bat what had just occurred and been occurring for the past several weeks.

Clary ignores the conversation going on inside, allowing herself to get lost in the atmosphere of the night. Brooklyn is lively at night, the city's twinkling lights laid out around her like a gift as she stares out from her spot gripping the ledge. It was fascinating to recall all the memories that had happened out on this balcony. Some of them had been bad, but others had been amazing. She wonders what Magnus's favorite memory out here would be?

I could bet money that it has to do with Alec. Everything seems to do with him lately....wait a second.

A memory sparks at the back of her mind, or maybe it's better described as a dream. It had been unreachable before, the imagery of it faded into the unconsciousness of dream. But now it was being flung forward with the speed of a shot arrow, striking into the target that is her mind.

If that dream was real then that would mean....

She was so lost in thought that she doesn't notice Jace wrapping his arms around her. She tenses at the touch until she realizes it's her boyfriend which promptly makes her relax into the blonde's strong arms. It wasn't often, but sometimes when they became passionate enough the iridescent gold light of all their runes lighting up would appear, the angelic energy humming inside their bodies with the energy of a living thing.

A soft kiss is pressed to her cheek with care. Jace didn't treat her with delicacy often, always trying to exude his tough guy exterior. She wasn't surprised that tonight's revelations had softened him. Any talk of feelings usually had results like this, and Clary finds herself lucky that she gets to see this side of Jace: strong but vulnerable, arrogant yet caring. Jace Herondale is a man of many traits, far too numerous to understand unless you really tried.

"I figured you could use some company." He quietly murmurs in her ear, his breath is warm compared to the cool night air.

The warmth sends goosebumps down her spine along with a feeling of pleasure. A lot of the words said by the three winged nephilim had unnerved her greatly, but standing with Jace at her side made her feel immensely better.

We will get through this, she tells herself.

Clary pulls away from her boyfriend to look him in the eyes. Jace's smile seems strained, one of his hands is clutched over his abdomen right where the parabatai rune is. Clary supposes he must be trying to channel Alec.

She'd learned plenty about the sacred bond in the past couple months as her own anticipated parabatai ceremony with Izzy grew ever closer. Clary understands now just how complex it is, and she can only hope that herself and Isabelle never have to go through the separation Alec and Jace have to be dealing with now.

"I'm glad you came." Her eyes flick to the city below. She inhales a gulp of crisp air, steeling herself for what she would say next. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Jace asks.

"I think I might know how to find Alec." Clary tells him steadily.

Jace's eyes widen with surprise. "What do you mean?" He reaches forward to wrap his hands around hers, his larger hands encompassing her own with ease. His mismatched orbs look hopeful now, Clary prays that hope is not misplaced. "Did...did the Angel tell you?"

"I....I don't think so. I had this dream a few days ago Jace. I couldn't remember it before, but now...."

"Now you do." Jace finishes for her. Clary nods minutely, her heart hammering away in her chest with its fast beat.

"I...we need to gather the others. Hopefully we can figure this out together." She murmurs.

"Of course." He steps away from her only to extend his arm. Clary looks at him speculatively. "Shall we?" He asks.

Clary wants to grin at her boyfriend's silly attempt at being romantic. But this was not the time or place for smiles and laughter. "Of course we shall." Is what she tells him. And so Jace takes her by the arm to press her against his side as they head indoors.

The night had only just begun.

************

A/N: Whoop whoop! Finally done with this chapter. Let me know what y'all think in the comments and I'll see y'all next time.