"Alright, well-" I walked into the room where Jonathan had the Seelie Queen tied up, as I tightened my hair tie, my hair done half up and half down, "If you two are done flirting-"

Jonathan looks at me, "I wasn't flirting."

"I was." The Queen smirked lightly.

"We have more important matters to attend to." I snipped at the both of them, then looked at the Queen, "Now, I've got a meeting to catch with a certain warlock- so, why don't we make this quick, shall we?"

"Your people have something that belongs to us." I crouched, staring up at her, "So, why don't you use your birds and your bees to tell the Seelie Court to hand over the Morning Star sword?"

She looks at me, "And if I don't comply?"

I stood up, grabbing her by the neck, pushing her head back aggressively against the chair, my jaw clenched, "I'll kill you myself."

She grunts, "I'd expect this behaviour from a proper Morgenstern-"

"Good to know I'm living up to my name." I let go of her neck, taking a step back, lightly clapping my hands together, "Chop chop."

-

[ alec's pov ]

"How'd it go with the Seelies?-" My mother walked along side me through the Institute, her hands in her pockets.

"Better than expected." I replied to her shortly, "That said, I need to start gearing up for mission right now-"

When we came to a stop, I notice the look on her face, "Is something wrong?"

"I was hoping you'd tell me." She admits, "I hadn't heard from you since you asked for the family ring- or from Zee ever since she went rogue-"

My heart aches, as I immediately shook my head, "Mom, I can't talk about this right now-"

She began, "If I did or said anything to offend the two of you-"

"Mom- stop." I stopped her before she could continue, "It's not something you did or didn't do-"

My hand slipped into my pocket, clutching the fire message I brought everywhere with me, "I broke up with Zee-"

"What?" Her eyes went wide, "Why in the name of the Angel would you ever do that?-"

"Because I had to." I cut her off, not wanting to go in depth, my voice weak, "This is the only way to keep her alive and well-"

She stares at me, "What're you talking about?"

I looked down for a moment, tears starting to form in my eyes, not knowing if I could hold this in any longer.

"When we were out chasing Drevak demons- I got a fire message- from Jonathan." I broke, looking up at her, then handed her the message, "I didn't think it was real until I got a call from Underhill that a Seelie nymph had broken into the sub cells and he was missing-"

"He said that if I didn't break up with her, he would kill her- because, I couldn't go through that kind of pain again, and regardless of them being alive or dead, he'll be with her-" I covered my face for a moment, sniffling, holding back my tears, "He knew it'd push her off the edge and have her side with him- she had so much going on, and that was the last straw for her-"

Her eyes filled with sadness, "Oh, Alec-"

"I need to get her back, okay? I need to-" I began backing away from her, blinking away my tears, "Once the connection's broken- she'll understand."

I had hoped.

I was dreading the thought that she might hate me for all of the things I had said to her that night.

I was terrified.

-

[ zee's pov ]

"Jonathan, the Queen is secure." I walked into the room, "Why haven't we left?"

"I guess I got distracted." He slowly turned to face me, "It's difficult for me to believe that this is actually happening."

I took a step closer to him, "What? Brother and sister- reunited, and on the verge of reclaiming our birthright?"

"Yeah- precisely that." Jonathan replies to me, swallowing hard, "You and me- us."

"The look you had in your eyes the first time you saw my true face- the hatred- the disgust." Jonathan looked down, "I guess I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop."

I stare, "Jonathan, you don't have to worry."

"How can I not?" He questioned.

"Because- you and I have always had an understanding- whether I liked it or not." I sigh quietly, "We're more similar than we think."

"I've understood you better than anyone could- because I've gone through it- it might not have been as long as you, but- I've had demon blood. I know what it does to a person- and, I know the damage of Valentine's manipulation combined with that blood." I walked toward him, "What Lilith did to me- forcing us to be attached to each other- not being able to fight you without hurting myself- it gave me a chance to really think about it."

"It helped me see what was right in front of me- what I kept denying-" I stopped in front of him, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Who you really were- and, I was so wrong about you."

Jonathan stares at me for a few moments, then leaned into kiss me, but I quickly stepped back, avoiding it all together, "And you will always be my brother- always."

"And, as my older brother- don't you think it's about time to teach me how to drive this place?" I changed the subject, "It's- my home too, isn't it?"

Jonathan covers his expression up with a small smile, "What's mine is yours."

-

"Make sure it's the genuine article, Sister." Jonathan held a blade to the Seelie Queen's neck as we stood at the bridge in the Seelie Court, executing a trade.

"You're gonna regret it, if it isn't." I took what was the Morning Star from the ground, my eyes glued to Meliorn, before raising my arm, the sword lighting up at my touch, "Rest easy, Jonathan- we can finally restore the Morgenstern name."

Jonathan pushes the Seelie Queen past me, as they quickly rushed away, her and her people disappearing from our sight.

"You're not a Morgenstern." Jace's voice made us Jonathan and I both whip around quick, our swords aimed at them, "You're a Lightwood."

"That's funny." I practically laughed in his face, then looking between him and Isabelle, "I told you what would happen if you got in my way again- and that goes for you too, my dear parabatai-"

Isabelle pulled out Glorious, the sword lighting up, "We're here for you, Zee- whether you like it or not."

"I'll handle Jace." Jonathan walked toward him as Jace backs away, "Have fun, Sister-"

"Oh, I will." I tightened my grip on my sword, walking towards Isabelle, "I don't know whether to be honoured or offended that you're trying to stab me and not Jonathan-"

Isabelle dodged my swing and landed on the ground on her feet, "You left me no choice."

"You seem worried." I taunted her, our swords clashing together, harder with every hit.

"What can I say?" Isabelle grunts, blocking my swing "You're a good fighter."

"Oh, don't humble me-" I kicked her back, my jaw clenched, "I've always been better than you."

Isabelle got back up, swinging her sword at me, as I blocked, the both of us going further and further into the woods, trying hard to overpower one another.

"You know, my father turned against his parabatai once-" I seethed through my teeth, my sword igniting in flames against hers when we rounded slowly, "Who knew history would be repeating itself-"

Before she could reply, I pulled my blade back and kicked her sword out of her hand, then knocking her to the ground.

I flipped my blade in my hand, raising my arms up, ready to pierce it into her, when I heard Clary and Simon's shout, "Zee, no!-"

I stopped, looking at them, holding my blade towards Isabelle, "Where the hell did you two come from?-"

"Zee, this isn't you!" Clary raises her voice at me, taking a few steps, "You have to stop-"

"Oh, shut up-" I snipped at her, tilting my head to the side lightly, "What's next? You gonna whine about how I kissed your boyfriend?-"

"Super-villain is not a good look on you, Young!" Simon raises his voice, "Trust me!"

"You don't know anything." I snap at him, my eyes fixing to a glare, "This is who I am."

"You and I both know that's not true." Simon shot back at me, "You have a good heart-"

Isabelle kicks my blade out of my hand, before getting up and standing beside Clary and Simon.

I quickly pulled out my kindjals, "Stand down, or this kindjal finds it's way into Simon-"

"If you do that, Zee, that's a choice you're making." Simon said, "A choice you're gonna have to live with every day for the rest of your life-"

"You think you're words are going to get through to me?" I clench my jaw, "You think I give a damn what happens to any of you?-"

I cut myself off when I heard Jonathan's distance call of my name, my eyes widening quickly, "Jonathan-"

I turned quickly, looking up when I saw Jace in the air, coming right for me with Glorious in his hand, my eyes widening, a gasp leaving my lips, "No!-"

Jace grabbed my shoulder, piercing the blade right through my rune when he landed on his feet, going down with me as I dropped my kindjals, an ear piercing scream leaving my lips.

The pain I felt was overwhelming, Jace's hand on my back, saving my fall when we had hit the ground, screaming out in pain until it had stopped.

"You're gonna be okay-" Jace slowly pulled out the sword, pulling me up to my feet when I had stopped screaming, pulling my shirt to the side lightly, his hand touching the rune as it slowly disappeared.

My eyes were wide, as I looked at him, Jace immediately looking at me when the rune faded, "Are you- are you back?"

"You saved me-" I threw my arms around him immediately, hugging him tightly, "It's me-"

"Hey-" Jace drops the sword and hugs me tightly, "I'm so happy you're back-"

I let out a small giggle, before pulling away and hugging Isabelle immediately, "I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay, it's okay-" Isabelle held onto me tightly, "All that matters is that you're back to yourself-"

"Thank you- thank you, so much-" I held onto her tight, but slowly pulled away, looking around, "Where's, uh- where's Alec?"

"He's-" Jace began, but was cut off when we heard Glorious start to sizzle and steam up, catching all our attentions.

"Simon, get down!" Isabelle shouts, covering him quickly, as Jace grabbed me and pulled me to the ground, my hand gripping Clary's, pulling her down, all of us taking cover when the sword blows.

"Iz?" Simon was panicked after it had exploded, "She got hit by shrapnel! Guys, help!-"

-

"We're in Alicante." Alec breathed out, staring out the window after I had used what Jonathan taught me to move the apartment.

"Wow." Simon remarked, looking out the window, "And we're in one piece, no less."

I broke my stare on Alec, noticing how he had barely looked at me, let alone talked to me since we got back and looked at Simon, "Hey-"

"What?" Simon teases me lightly, "I don't even remember you owning a license when we had no idea when the Shadow World existed- you failed your road test three times."

"I'm a bad driver." I put my hands up in surrender, "What about it?-"

Jace softly smiles at me, looking happy that I was back to myself, "I think what Simon's trying to say is nice job."

I swallow hard, "How's Isabelle?"

"She's back up on her feet, and she's refusing help from any of us." Jace stares at me, "How are you?"

I don't reply to him, just simply glancing at Alec, giving Jace enough to piece together.

Simon began, "We'll give you guys a minute-"

"I'll try to warn Jia-" Alec said, leaving the room almost immediately, making me purse my lips.

I clear my throat, "Uh, Simon- I'll portal you home in a minute."

"Thanks." He left the room after Alec.

"He hates me, doesn't he?" I immediately asked, stopping in front of Jace, "Does he know we kissed? I mean- he probably already hates me, that's why we broke up, but- now- it's even worse-"

"He knows, because he was in on the plan." Jace crosses his arms, "You weren't in your right mind- we had to convince you that someone was devoted to you completely- he had just broken up with you, so we knew you wouldn't have listened to him- but, your best friend that you used to screw all the time? Now, that-"

"That's smart." I nodded lightly, then sighed lightly, "You didn't live up to your promise."

Jace's expressions softens, "I couldn't kill you, Zee."

"You should've." I look at him, "I mean- I was terrible, the things I did- what I said-"

Jace began, "Again, you weren't in your right mind-"

"But, I was." I cut him off, "I wasn't- possessed, or anything- I was in complete control of my actions. I wanted to help Jonathan- god, I wanted all of it."

"Listen- the pull of family of blood, rune or not, it's an impossible thing to fight." Jace justified my actions, "It's okay."

"I should have fought harder for this family." I shot back at him, "I am so sorry."

"Come here-" Jace pulls me into his chest, holding onto me tight, as I sigh quietly, closing my eyes.

-

"Jonathan!" I shouted his name, coming to a jerking stop, Jace right behind me, as all hell had been let loose on Alicante, a rift open in the sky from Jonathan, causing the demon towers to have fallen down and all kinds of demons invading our home, "What have you done?-"

"You wanted a monster." He slowly turned to face me, his black wings sprouted, holding the Morning Star Sword, "Here I am."

"Jonathan, please- you need to stop-" I took a step closer to him, my voice breaking, tears pooling in my eyes, "This is my home-"

"There is no stopping this." Jonathan raises his voice at me, "Every demon you banish ends up on the other side of that rift, ready to come back again and again and again until everybody in this city is dead!"

"That includes Zee!" Jace shouts from behind me.

"When we were in Paris, you told me you wanted to be better, Jonathan- that you wanted to be good- this is your chance." My voice cracked, "Please, just- just close the rift-"

"It doesn't matter what I do-" Jonathan destroyed the sword, "You will never love me back!"

"Jonathan, no!" I gasped, my eyes wide when he destroyed the only way to close the rift, before lifting off his feet and flying right into it, and into Edom.

"No!" Jace shouts into the air, breathing heavily, "They're just gonna keep coming until- everything we love is gone, aren't they?"

"And it's all my fault-" Tears broke free from my eyes, a small sob leaving my lips when a pack of demons started heading our way from the air, but, I didn't move, "I'm so sorry-"

Jace grabbed my hand, not wanting to fight them off either, tears down his face; ready to die at my side.

The demons didn't get a chance to hurt us, a blast of magic preventing them from doing so, making Jace and I look at where it came from, Magnus' entrance being dramatic as always, "Sorry, I'm late- traffic was hell."

"Magnus?" I let go of Jace's hand and took a step back, "What're you doing here? You can't be here-"

Magnus walked toward me quickly, "Biscuit, I can't be anywhere else-"

"No, you don't understand-" I shook my head.

"I know about the deal- why you did what you did-" Magnus didn't get to finish his sentence, before I threw my arms around him, hugging onto him tightly, "It's okay, Biscuit-"

"I'm so sorry-" I held onto him tight, sniffling, "I didn't mean any of it- I just, I wanted you to feel whole-"

"I understand-" Magnus held onto me for a few moments, but then pulled away, "But, there's something you need to know-"

"What?" I blinked, my hands on his arms, more tears falling, "What do you mean?"

"Maryse- gave this to me, and you need to see it." Magnus pulled out what was a fire message, handing it to me, my eyes widening and my heart aching at the words I read, "Alec was going to propose to you the other night at dinner-"

My heart stopped, "What?"

-

Clary questions the moment Jace, Magnus and I ran into the room by her, Alec and Isabelle, "Where's the sword?-"

I held onto the fire message tight in my hand, "Jonathan destroyed it-"

"We can't close the rift." Jace sighed after me.

When our only defense fell and exploded, Isabelle's low voice filled the silence, "This is it, isn't it?"

"Alec-" I dropped the fire message, walking toward him and grabbing his hands, "You need to know something-"

Alec looks into my eyes, as I could see the pain in his, "Zee-"

"I know about the fire message." I cut him off, tears glossing over my eyes, "And how you tried to propose to me the other night at dinner, but- I screwed it up because I was so self involved-"

Alec cuts me off, grabbing my face and pressing his lips into mine, my heart feeling an overwhelming amount of warmth and relief, missing his touch.

"I'm so sorry about the things I said." Alec leaned his forehead against mine when we pulled away, holding my face delicately, tears in his eyes, "I love you- no matter what you do- or say, I just- I was trying to protect you-"

"I know, I know-" I sniffled, before I slowly stepped back from him, staring up at him, gesturing out the balcony, "Alec, this is no doubt the end-"

"And if we're going to die, there's something I need to do." I slowly pulled out the ring I had gotten Magnus to magic up for me before we came here, slowly falling onto one knee before him, "Alexander Gideon Lightwood-"

"No, no, no-" The tears in Alec's eyes fell, as he dropped down to his knees, pulling out my mother's wedding ring, "You can't beat me to it, I was the one who was going to propose first-"

I couldn't help but let out a small bubble of laughter, more tears falling from my eyes when I noticed the ring, moving onto both knees, "You remembered-"

"Of course I did." Alec sniffled lightly, holding the ring delicately in his hand, before gesturing our the balcony, "I wanted it to be perfect- but, now- this-"

"You think I care about this?" I scoffed just lightly, "Alec- it doesn't matter to me if we're at a nice dinner, or at the end of our world- I will always say yes to you, because- all that matters to me is that it's you."

"I love you- so much." Alec put a hand on my wrist, sniffling, before holding up the ring, "It was about time we stopped joking about this and actually did it, right?"

"Right-" I sobbed just quietly, before holding up the ring, "Alexander Gideon Lightwood- will you marry me?"

"Only if you'll marry me too." Alec held up his ring, as I nodded just lightly, no longer being able to muster our world, the both of us pushing the rings onto each other's fingers, before his lips pressed into mine.

The kiss lasted a few moments, before I broke apart from it, slowly looking at the destruction that was reigning all across Alicante.

Magnus stares at Alec and I, before stepping up, "My father told me about- a way to increase my power."

Clary questions, "Enough to close the rift?"

"Potentially, yes-" Magnus said as Alec pulled himself and I up to our feet, "The strength I would need to pull it off- can only come from one place."

Isabelle knew it was coming, "Edom?"

My heart broke, "Magnus, no-"

"We can only fight them off for so long." Magnus looked at me, "The demons will keep coming back unless we seal the rift."

"Magnus, you can't- do this-" I lightly shook my head, walking towards him, "I just got you back, and now you want to go sacrifice yourself again?-"

"Biscuit- it's the only way to keep you all safe." Magnus sighed quietly, looking down at me.

"Magnus, you can't go-" I grabbed his hands, desperately trying to get him to stay, "I'm- I'm engaged, if we make it, you need to come to the wedding- my wedding-"

"You could help me pick out my dress, and help me with my hair-" Tears fell from my eyes, holding onto his hands tightly, "Please don't go, Magnus-"

"I'm so sorry, Biscuit- I wish there was another way." Magnus pulled me into his chest, hugging me tight for a few moments, "But, it was to be this way-"

"Magnus?-" My voice broke when he pulled away and walked out onto the balcony, opening a portal above him, entering it before I could protest.

Alec slowly came over to me, pulling me into his chest, Jace, Clary and Isabelle standing with us, as we watching his magic close the rift, saving us all.

authors note:

listen to keep you safe by lindsay ray , it made the proposal so emotional for me

but, they're engagedddd, oh my god, finally

and, honestly, evil zee is my favorite.

and magnus always coming through and making sure zee gets her happiness, omg their friendship

i cried during this chapter, but it's not that deep sksksksksk

crazy to think that this book is coming to an end soon. i'm not ready !!!

but, thank you for 126k !!

go read metanoia !

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