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     CLARY, JACE, MICHAEL, AND ALEC HAD MADE THEIR WAY TO MAGNUS' ROOM AFTER CONVINCING THE WARLOCK TO SPEAK TO THEM. Simon and Isabelle were on the dance floor together while the others were left to sort the entire mess with Clary and her memories – and also probably ask about Isaac and how he was involved with Clary and her mother. However there was a part of Michael which had hoped that maybe Magnus would give them all the information of which they need so then at least it was one stress and worry to be over with. And yet he knew that the Isaac problem was far from over.

     Magnus's bedroom, however, was clearly more different than the rest of the party. The various shades of colour far too different to be together yet somehow worked in a way. Canary-yellow was the colour for the sheets and bedspread which had been draped over a mattress on the floor, the electric-blue vanity table covered with more pots of paint, and a tangled wool rug covered the floor.

     "Nice place," Jace commented as he drew aside a heavy swag of curtain. "Guess it pays well, being the High Warlock of Brooklyn?"

     "It pays," Magnus responded. "Not much of a benefit package, though, No dental." He then shut the door behind him and leaned against it. He then crossed his arms which had made his shirt rise up slightly to see how no belly button was marked on his skin. "So, what's on your devious minds?"

     "It's not them, actually," Clary said before Jace could get a word in. "I'm the one who wanted to talk to you."

     Magnus' cat eyes had turned to face her. "You're not one of them," he stated. "Not of the Clave. But you can see the Invisible World." Shadow World.

     "My mother was one of the Clave," Clary spoke. "But she never told me. She kept it a secret. I don't know why."

     "So ask her."

     "I can't. She's. . ." Clary was somewhat hesitant to say the words. "She's gone."

     "And your father?" Magnus raised a brow.

     "He died before I was born."

     Magnus had exhaled somewhat irritably, as if he didn't want to be speaking to them. "As Oscar Wilde once said, 'To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both seems like carelessness.'"

     Jace had let out a small hiss, as if he had sucked in a breath. Michael had somewhat known as to the circumstances of Jace's parentage yet hadn't wanted to ask about it considering that he hadn't wanted to dig deep within his personal life.

     "I didn't lose my mother. She was taken from me. By Valentine." Clary stated. Even to hear the name had sent a shiver down Michael's spine.

     "I don't know any Valentine," Magnus had said, yet his eyes had told them that he was lying. "I'm sorry for your tragic circumstances, but I fail to see what any of this has to do with me. If you could tell me –"

     "She can't tell you, because she doesn't remember," Jace sharply cut in. "Someone erased her memories. So we went to the Silent City to see what the Brothers could pull out her head. They got two words. I think you can guess what they were."

     There was a silence which covered them all. It was then that Magnus' mouth twitched up into a bitter smile. "My signature. I knew it was folly when I did it. An act of hubris. . ."

     "You signed my mind?" Clary asked in somewhat disbelief.

     Magnus had then rose his hand, tracing the fiery outlines of letters against the air. Though when he dropped his hand they stayed there, golden against the blankness of the air. The goldenness of the letters read the name of the warlock. Magnus Bane.

     "I was proud of my work on you," Magnus spoke slowly, looking at Clary. "So clean. So perfect. What you saw you would forget, even as you saw it. No image of pixie or goblin or long-legged beastie would remain to trouble your blameless mortal sleep. It was the way she wanted it."

     When Clary spoke, her voice was thin and tense. "The way who wanted it?"

     Magnus sighed and with that the fiery letters faded away to nothing but ash. "Your mother."

     Clary looked somewhat stunned yet knew that those words would come. Michael felt bad for Clary, she hadn't asked for this – any of it, for her mother to make her forget to only get dragged into it anyway.

     "My mother did this to me?" Clary demanded, she looked around to see the pity in Jace's eyes, the look on Alec's face, and yet when she looked at Michael she couldn't work out what he felt about it. "Why?"

     "I don't know." Magnus said extending his fingers. "It's not my job to ask questions. I do what I get paid to do. Though Isaac Parker had always asked questions whenever he saw your mother, he didn't think it right."

     Michael had tensed at the mention of Isaac. As did Alec, though the others hadn't noticed. It was Jace who spoke. "Within the bounds of the Covenant."

     Magnus inclined his head slightly. "Within the bounds of the Covenant, of course."

     "So the Covenant's all right with this – this mind-rape?" Clary asked somewhat bitterly. When none of them answered, she sank down to the edge of Magnus's bed. "Was it only once? Was there something specific she wanted me to forget? Do you know what it was?"

     Magnus had then paced to the window. "I don't think you understand. The first time I ever saw you, you must have been about two years old. I was watching out the window –" He then tapped the glass, "– and I saw her hurrying up the street, holding something wrapped in a blanket. I was surprised when she stopped at my door. She looked so ordinary, so young."

     The moonlight had touched his face and Michael almost sucked in a breath. "She unwrapped the blanket when she came in my door. You were inside it. She set you down on the floor and you started running around, picking things up, pulling my cat's tail—you screamed like a banshee when the cat scratched you, so I asked your mother if you were part banshee. She didn't laugh." He paused. They were all watching him intently now, even Alec. "She told me she was a Shadowhunter. There was no point in her lying about it; Covenant Marks show up, even when they've faced with time, like faint silver scars against the skin. They flickered when she moved." He rubbed at the glitter makeup around his eyes. "She told me she'd hoped you'd been born with a blind Inner Eye—some Shadowhunters have to be taught to see the Shadow World. But she'd caught you that afternoon, teasing a pixie trapped in a hedge. She knew you could see. So she asked me if it was possible to blind you of the Sight."

     Clary had made a small noise, a pained exhale of breath, yet Magnus went on.

     "I told her that crippling that part of your mind might leave you damaged, possibly insane. She didn't cry. She wasn't the sort of woman who weeps easily, your mother. She asked me if there was another way, and I told her you could be made to forget those parts of the Shadow World that you could see, even as you saw them. The only caveat was that she'd have to come to me every two years as the results of the spell began to fade."

     "And did she?" Clary asked.

     Magnus nodded. "I've seen you every two years since that first time—I've watched you grow up. You're the only child I have ever watched grow up that way, you know. In my business one isn't generally that welcome around human children."

     "What about Isaac?" Michael asked. "He said that he's known Clary for years."

     "As you got older, Jocelyn had asked Isaac to keep an eye on you considering that Jocelyn hadn't wanted anything bad to happen to you, Clary, whenever you went out or was out late because of whatever." Magnus explained. "He was fine with it of course, all he wanted was to help Nephilim even ones who were in hiding."

     "So you recognized Clary when we walked in," Jace said, getting back to the mention of Magnus seeing Clary every two years. "You must have."

     "Of course I did." Magnus sounded almost bored. "And it was a shock, too. But what would you have done? She didn't know me. She wasn't supposed to know me. Just the fact that she was here meant the spell had started to fade—and in fact, we were due for another visit about a month ago. I even came by your house when I got back from Tanzania, but Jocelyn said that you two had had a fight and you'd run off. She said she'd call on me when you came back, but," he shrugged, "she never did."

     "You were there, that day," Clary said after a moment. "I saw you coming out of Dorothea's apartment. I remember your eyes."

     Magnus looked almost smug at that. "I'm memorable, it's true," he gloated. Then he shook his head. "You shouldn't remember me," he said. "I threw up a glamour as hard as a wall as soon as I saw you. You should have run right into it face-first—psychically speaking."

     Clary looked a little lost in thought for a moment. "If you take the spell off me, will I be able to remember all the things I've forgotten? All the memories you stole?"

     "I can't take it off you." Magnus stated, he seemed uncomfortable.

     "What?" Jace sounded furious. "Why not? The Clave requires you—"

     Magnus gave him a cold look, one of which made Michael push down a smirk. "I don't like being told what to do, little Shadowhunter."

     Clary could see how much Jace disliked being referred to as 'little,' but before he could snap out a reply, Alec spoke. His voice was soft, thoughtful. "Don't you know how to reverse it?" he asked. "The spell, I mean."

     Magnus sighed. "Undoing a spell is a great deal more difficult than creating it in the first place. The intricacy of this one, the care I put into weaving it—if I made even the smallest mistake in unravelling it, her mind could be damaged forever. Besides," he added, "it's already begun to fade. The effects will vanish over time on their own."

     ****

     Hollie had rushed Isaac to the Infirmary yet was somewhat shocked to even be within the walls of the Institute, she never thought that she would have the chance to see the inside of one. Never in her immortal years would she have thought about it. There were moments where Hollie nearly mistakenly dropped Isaac which lead to the vampire letting out an almost fearful gasp.

     "Sorry," was all of which she found herself muttering.

     Hodge had guided them both to the Infirmary, where after Hollie had placed Isaac on one of the beds – Hodge had quickly made his way out of the room to probably get the others who live there.

     Hollie had tried her best to make sure that Isaac was okay. She could've gotten him food which might have helped Isaac with healing. It was then that her eyes had narrowed slightly at Isaac, as if she just realised the fact that he wasn't healing. The blood out from his nose, a cut from either cheek, and his wrists look almost swollen and about to burst.

     It was then that Hollie had noticed that he wasn't moving. She knew that vampires probably didn't move as much, but still, Isaac was known to fidget a little. Yet to see him still concerned her, she expected more of a sarcastic remark to come from him than anything.

     Hollie had been concerned for Isaac, if she had known that this was how Isaac had turned out then she would have stepped in and tried to stop Raphael from doing this.

     "You're staring," Isaac commented. His voice was weak, distant, yet his eyes were shut.

     "And you look like shit," Hollie shot back.

     "Have been for the entire day, thanks for noticing," Isaac said.

     Hollie let out a sigh. "You need to eat, Raphael starved you all day. Its why you're not healing properly."

     "I know I need to, but it isn't like the Shadowhunters keep a blood supply in their Institutes." Isaac said. "I'm just really tired and everything hurts. The wrists are the worst."

     It was then that Isaac had tried to move to sit up which resulted in him letting out a small gasp of pain. He cussed. Hollie had looked at his wrists more carefully – it seemed as if they were more irritant than what she had thought.

     "I'm sorry," Hollie said. "I'm sorry I didn't step in, I should've. You were only doing what you had to. Lily told me about it all."

     Isaac grunted. "How nice of her."

     "Hey," Hollie playfully hit his leg. "If it wasn't for her then I wouldn't have thought to help you escape."

     Isaac tried to smile. His eyes drooped slightly. He never allowed himself to get this bad, yet this time he had no choice with how bad he got. His head pounded slightly and rang. Don't get him wrong, he was hungry, yet the thought of eating didn't sit right with him at the moment. Everything didn't feel right.

     Everything hadn't felt right at all. From the pain to the inner conflict of his own heart. Isaac's mind kept going to Alec and the look on his face when he said that he'd stay. Isaac could still remember the look on Alec's face when he had given him the spike. There was something about Alec which had drew Isaac in – it wasn't like anything he ever felt with anyone else. With others it was a short fling with some emotion, yet with the thought of Alec running through his mind, Isaac couldn't help but think that there was something wrong with him.

     Alec had this aura around him, these walls which seemed to keep everything in. Isaac wasn't sure if it was the Shadowhunter way now – but he saw the way Shadowhunters looked at each other when they were with the one they loved or the people they cared about – yet with Alec there seemed to be something about him which he seemed to be hiding.

     Isaac wanted to know what was going on with Alec, to know the thoughts which ran through his head. Yet at the same time, there was a part of him which had thought that maybe he was overthinking everything.

     He heard the door open, yet he couldn't be bothered to look. He heard Hodge say to Hollie that he sent a fire message to Isabelle and Alec and then left.

     ****

     "Mortal Instruments?" Clary echoed, confused. "I thought—"

     Michael was the one to explain that. "The Angel gave three items to the first Shadowhunters. A cup, a sword, and a mirror. The Silent Brothers have the Sword; the Cup and the Mirror were in Idris, at least until Valentine came along."

     "Nobody knows where the Mirror is," said Alec. "Nobody's known for ages."

     Michael had somewhat shivered at that, he thought that by now someone would have found the Mirror, that they would know to protect it as and when needed.

     "It's the Cup that concerns us," said Jace. "Valentine's looking for it."

     "And you want to get to it before he does?" Magnus asked, his eyebrows raised.

     "I thought you said you didn't know who Valentine was?" Clary questioned, remembering what he had said earlier.

     "I lied," Magnus admitted. "I'm not one of the fey, you know. I'm not required to be truthful. And only a fool would get between Valentine and his revenge."

     "Is that what you think he's after? Revenge?" Jace asked. "I would guess so. He suffered a grave defeat, and he hardly seemed—seems—the type of man to suffer defeat gracefully."

     Alec looked at Magnus. "Were you at the Uprising?"

     Magnus's eyes locked with Alec's. "I was. I killed a number of your folk."

     "Circle members," said Jace quickly. "Not ours—"

     "If you insist on disavowing that which is ugly about what you do," said Magnus, still looking at Alec, "you will never learn from your mistakes." There was the occasion that Magnus would flicker to Michael.

     Alec, plucking at the coverlet with one hand, flushed an unhappy red. "You don't seem surprised to hear that Valentine's still alive," he spoke, avoiding Magnus's gaze.

     Magnus spread his hands wide. "Are you?"

     Jace opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked actually baffled. Eventually, he said, "So you won't help us find the Mortal Cup?"

     "I wouldn't if I could," said Magnus, "which, by the way, I can't. I've no idea where it is, and I don't care to know. Only a fool, as I said."

     Alec sat up straighter. "But without the Cup, we can't—"

     "Make more of you. I know," said Magnus. "Perhaps not everyone regards that as quite the disaster that you do. Mind you," he added, "if I had to choose between the Clave and Valentine, I would choose the Clave. At least they're not actually sworn to wipe out my kind. But nothing the Clave has done has earned my unswerving loyalty either. So no, I'll sit this one out. Now if we're done here, I'd like to get back to my party before any of the guests eat each other."

     Jace, who was clenching and unclenching his hands, looked like he was about to say something furious, but Alec, standing up, put a hand on his shoulder. Clary couldn't quite tell in the dimness, but it looked as if Alec was squeezing rather hard. "Is that likely?" he asked.

     Magnus was looking at him with some amusement. "It's happened before."

     Jace muttered something to Alec, who let go. Detaching himself, he came over to Clary. "Are you all right?" he asked in a low voice.

     "I think so. I don't feel any different. . ."

     Magnus, standing by the door, snapped his fingers impatiently. "Move it along, all of you. The only person who gets to canoodle in my bedroom is my magnificent self."

     It was then that Isabelle and Simon had come bounding in the room, Isabelle looked almost shocked and startled – though Simon looked confused. All of them looked at the two in confusion almost as if they said something of which they weren't meant to.

     It was Michael who spoke first. "What is it?"

     "Isaac," Isabelle panted. "He's at the institute, and he apparently looks as if he was dragged through Hell, repeatedly."

     Magnus appeared to have tensed. "Parker? The vampire?"

     "No, the werewolf," Jace remarked. "Yes, the vampire."

     Magnus gave him a look. "You Shadowhunters better not be torturing him."

     Isabelle let out an annoyed groan. "It was the vamps at the Dumont. He had to be carried to the Institute. Hodge asked us to come back as soon as possible. There's another vamp with him who won't leave his side."

     Alec was almost relieved to have heard that – happy that the vampire was safe-ish, Magnus had quickly caught on to Alec as if it was obvious. A flicker of a smirk rose on his lips, yet he shook it off.

     "Run along Shadowhunters," Magnus said, "and tell Parker to give me a call."

     With one solid look between all of them, they filled out of Magnus's room in a somewhat hurry. Clary had wanted to see if there was anything else of which Isaac might know that Magnus might not have.

     Magnus had caught hold of Michael's arm. "Call me," he gave the blond a small wink as Michael somewhat tensed yet nodded.

     And they left, all heading back to the institute.

     ****

     Throughout their way back, Alec had thought of as to what expect. What was there to expect when a vampire who wasn't in a clan stormed the heart of the biggest clan in New York with Shadowhunters in tow? What exactly happened when a vampire done that? Particularly one with a sarcastic attitude.

     Alec's head whirled around those thoughts, yet he knew he had to snap out of it. Isaac was a Downworlder and there was nothing of which he could do about it. Clary, Jace, and Simon were in front, almost rushing to get back and Alec couldn't help but roll his eyes slightly.

     The Institute doors opened as the group filled in and headed straight to the Infirmary, they hadn't needed to be told where exactly the vampire was – it was obvious where he might be.

     The lines of beds filed their way up and down the room, the darkness of the night slipping through the windows, the only light were from the witchlights. There was a vampire girl sat at the edge of Isaac's bed – she looked almost too worried that it concerned them all. Isaac laid on the bed blooded and all, his eyes were closed and there was no movement in any way.

     "How long as he been like this?" Jace almost demanded to the girl.

     "Just as you got back," Hollie said. The concern in her voice was clear. "His wrists are the worst; I think that's where the pain is coming from. Just before you got here, he was complaining that they were burning."

     "He hasn't been fed," Alec pointed out, noticed the black vein in his neck. "He needs food."

     The girl shook her head. "He's sick, I know he's hungry, but I think the pain's making him nauseous in a way. How do mundies put it – nauseous because of hunger but doesn't want to eat because of being nauseous? Is that it?"

     "He has to eat," Isabelle stated.

     "You think I don't know that?" Hollie snapped. The two stared at each other for a moment.

     Alec had stepped around the other side of the bed. Isaac was laying on his back, yet his arms were crossed over him. He looked as if he was asleep and as if there was no pain that there wasn't blood covering him at all. Alec would hate to say that Isaac looked far too normal than what the situation at hand is.

     "How far is his place from here again?" Alec questioned, not realising that he cut off the chatter from the others. They looked at him somewhat confused. "For blood?"

     "He lives twenty minutes away," Michael responded. "It'll take too long for the trip there and back. Vampire or not." Michael's eyes flickered to Hollie for a moment.

     "Then, he'll have to use one of us." Jace said bitterly. "I'm not being bit by a vampire, no offence to Parker or anything."

     "Wouldn't want to drink your blood anyway, asshat," Isaac weakly said. His voice strained and the pain was clear.

     Alec had then reached for a small knife which laid in his pocket – he'd brought it to the party just in case. He hadn't realised at what he did next until he jumped at Jace's touch. Jace had given him a small look, wondering as if he was sure that it was okay. Alec nodded, knowing that if it got to the point, he'd pull away.

     The blood from the fresh cut poured, Hollie twisted away, stalking out of the room, the door slamming behind her. Alec had shifted to be sat on the edge of the bed, he moved his arm and placed it near Isaac's lips.

     "Drink," Alec demanded.

     Isaac moved away slightly. "I'll get carried away," his eyes opened as they flickered to Alec. The pair tensed slightly.

     "It'll be fine," Alec said, moving his arm and wound closer to Isaac.

     The vampire didn't look too pleased at all, he looked to the others before his eyes then moved to Clary. He had to for Clary – and to break down Alec's overly high built walls. "If you're sure." Alec nodded.

     Isaac had curled his hands over Alec's arm, wincing in the process. He was too uneasy drinking the blood of a Shadowhunter again – the temptation to do it again had been set since Valentine. Isaac push past those thoughts as he bit over the cut as soon as his teeth sank in Alec had tensed a bit. Though after a moment of being used to the pain, Alec eased slightly.

     Jace had tensely watched before being dragged away by Isabelle. Clary and Simon had gone in one direction to chat – probably whatever was discussed with Magnus. Michael was sat on one of the beds in a world of his own.

     Isaac's eyes flickered up to Alec who seemed to be awkwardly looking around. Though Isaac couldn't blame him, this was probably just as weird to him as it was to Isaac. The taste of angle blood was all too familiar, and Isaac hated it, yet he knew that either way he would have no other way. There was that urge to drain Alec, yet his morality held him back.

     Isaac could feel the pain easing around his wrists, the wounds on his face slowly heal, anything of which had been broken slowly fixed themselves. It had always felt odd to Isaac, how much blood helped him when in situations like this – not that he'd ever been in situations like this, but similar.

     "What happened?" Alec asked, quietly.

     Isaac pulled away slightly, looking down at the cut on Alec's arm. "Just decided to allow someone that didn't like me to beat me up. The usual." He shrugged slightly.

     Alec noticed the small look on Isaac's face when he looked at the cut. "If you need more, then you can. I can always put a blood replacement rune on," Isaac looked up at him as Alec then nodded. Isaac bit down again. "I would ask how many people you've pissed off, but I take it we'll be here the rest of the night and probably the day."

     Isaac shrugged. "When you've been alive for as long as I, you either make friends or enemies – just depends on what kid of person you are."

     "And what person are you?" Alec questioned, sending the vampire a look.

     Isaac leaned back for a second, staring off into the distance. He then made a small face. "The type which not many would bother to get to know. Disconnected from everything. Troublemaker to some."

     Alec then pulled his arm away, feeling a little too lightheaded. "I would," he pulled out his stele, "say that you are certainly a troublemaker, though," he drew the replacement rune on himself, "I wouldn't say that you're the type not many wouldn't want to know."

     Isaac gave him an odd look, whipping away the blood drop from his mouth. "And why might that be, Mr Lightwood?"

     Alec tensed up slightly. "Because everyone needs someone, and you seem like someone who doesn't have many. Plus whom wouldn't want to know Isaac Parker?"

     Isaac softened slightly. He cleared his throat slightly, his voice quiet and steady. "You'd be surprised, Alexander. Though its nice to know that someone cares, even the ones with highly built walls."

     Before Alec could respond, Clary had come almost nervously over towards the two, her eyes mainly on Isaac. Alec hadn't bothered to move from where he sat, Isaac however, moved to a more comfortable sitting position. Isaac's shoulder was gently pressed against Alec's which had caused the Lightwood to tense slightly.

     "Clary," Isaac greeted with a small smile.

     She waved slightly. "Hi, is it okay if I could ask you some questions? About my mother?"

     Isaac had nodded. "As long as it helps you, little one, then I will."