Sleep had never been Isaac's friend. He blamed his adoptive father and the countless nights he was plagued by fear so that he couldn't even close his eyes. And then, finally when his father died, he thought he could sleep. The person who haunted him was dead, and Isaac believed that sleep would rejoin him easily. Yet, he was wrong.

Nightmares came during the night and decided to take place of fear. Maybe he no longer feared reality, but he had begun to fear his dreams. Monster. He could see the people he cared about dearly looking at him in disgust and calling him a monster, and it only became worse once Allison died.

Then, it wasn't just monster. He could see Allison in his dreams, looking at him in anger, the same plunge in her stomach and blood seeping through her clothing – just like the day she had died. "You could have saved me," she said calmly yet angry at him, "if only you were better...if you were stronger."

And tonight was no different. Isaac laid awake, in an unusual bed in a terrain that he wasn't used to, trying to find sleep when none came. He let out a huge breath as he continued to stare up at the ceiling, which was hidden by the moonlight but perfectly clear to him because of his heightened senses.

It was also because of that, that he heard shouting across the Institute from none other than Simon Lewis himself. From hearing his voice, Isaac let out a large groan because it was late, he hadn't slept, and really he did not want to deal with a whiney teenage boy who was helplessly pinning for him best friend. Really, Isaac didn't hate him, just thought that his presence was never needed and they were much better with him inside his house and living a mundane life. It would bring him much more joy that having to deal with him day after day. Isaac didn't know how Clary could stand him, but never voiced his opinion is case of hurting his relationship with the redhead. Because he held their friendship close to him, and didn't know what he would do if it were tarnished.

"Simon," he heard Clary say as he walked into the room in which Simon was fleeing from, "what are you doing?"

The mundane turned back to his best friend for a second, "I already told Isabelle, they can't keep me prisoner here."

"Prisoner? Wait, what...Simon!" she called after him again, "Where are you going?"

Isaac knew what it was like to be kept a prisoner. Locked in a house that you can't leave with a father you can never outrun. A tyrant, keeping you locked in so that he could always harm when the stress became too much. But Simon was hardly a prisoner, he was a guest who didn't have manners.

"I'm going home, Clary," Simon finally stopped, "And if you haven't already completely drunk their Kool-Aid, then you're coming with me."

"You know I can't," Clary said sadly, and Isaac could tell that she was thinking about her mother. Both knew that she would do anything to turn back the clock and go back to the life she once had, but that life was gone now, and she can't go back.

"Yes, you can, it's..." Simon trailed off, lowering his voice and looking intensely into Clary's eyes, "It's not safe here."

The elevator dinged and their attention went to Jace, who was standing near it with his arms crossed, "In fact, this is the safest place she could possibly be."

"You don't get to talk to me, Captain America," Simon pointed angrily at the blonde Shadowhunter.

"Considering I'm the guy with the weapons, I get to say what I want."

"Jace," Isaac warned, "don't. And Clary, just let Simon leave. It's what he wants, he'll come back soon, either way."

"Okay, come at me, bro!" Simon screamed, ignoring Isaac because he truly thought he would never return to the Institute.

Both of them agreed to fight before Clary finally stepped in. "Hey, what is your problem?" she asked Simon, feeling a little betrayed by everything that was happening.

"He's my problem!" Simon roared before turning to Clary, "He's just like Kirk Duplesse from high school. Do you remember him? Total jerk with the square jaw. Smelled like body spray, always bullying people. Why don't you do your own homework? Just once, yeah?"

No one said anything. Jace was angry, Clary was confused and betrayed, and Isaac was trying not to laugh. Really, he should have been annoyed, but after that whole scene, he just wanted to laugh at the poor boy who thought he could lift the weight of the world. But, he knew that Clary would be fuming with anger and would probably give him the silent treatment, so he covered his mouth and tried to hide his oncoming smile.

"I can take care of myself," Simon said finally before stalking off.

Clary turned to Jace, who shrugged, "I'm not saving his ass a second time..."

"Really, Jace?" Clary asked rhetorically, giving him a look to let him know he was being a total jackass.

Isaac probably should have stayed around to continue viewing the show, but he didn't have any popcorn and his sleep deprived mind told him to just relax and have a seat. Isabelle found herself next to him, looking at the boy with concern when she noticed the large bags under his eyes.

"You alright?" she questioned him, making the Lahey boy perk up and give her a smile to say that he was fine. "No, really, how'd you sleep?"

He gave her a shrug, "Couldn't. It's nothing to worry about, I usually have trouble sleeping. The only problem is, is that my pills that I had have probably burned in the apartment. So no sleep for me."

"Is there a reason to your sleeping problem?" Isaac probably wouldn't have answered if anyone else asked him. Clary worried too much about everyone, wanting to be the hero who rids every one of their problems, and Jace would probably to him to suck it up, and then there was Alec, who would roll his eyes and then find a way to use it against him. But, there was Simon, and Isaac knew there was no way he would willingly tell that boy anything about himself. Isabelle, though...Isabelle was kind, with a warm smile and a laugh like honey. She was easy to open up to, because it already felt like she knew everything about you, and she didn't care. And Isaac liked having people to talk to.

"I never felt safe enough to sleep when I was younger," he confessed, "My father – adoptive father – wasn't a nice man who would bring me warm milk if I told him I had a nightmare. No, he was my nightmare. Kept me up at night because I wasn't sure if he was ever sleeping or awake, or if he would grab me during the night and try to kill me. So, I came up with a solution; don't sleep. That way, I'd be able to fight back. Now, I just haven't grown out of that habit."

Isabelle placed her hand onto his knee in a way to comfort him. If this were Alec or Jace, she would hug them and make them laugh. She had already given a pep talk to Clary, and that seemed to suffice. But what about Isaac? He was willing to tell deep things about himself, but there was always the layer of secrecy. Isaac would tell you one thing, and steer you away from another. Some secrets he would shout for the world, while others he wouldn't utter a word about. And that made it hard for Isabelle to comfort him, because she wasn't sure when she would cross the line.

Time passed with them sitting there before Isabelle was called by her brother and Isaac decided to return to his room to ready himself for the day. While he would prefer to wear the grey t-shirt and sweats that he had on, he knew that it wasn't presentable in the eyes of most every person in the world. After readying himself, he walked out to meet the others and Hodge in a closed area.

"Magnus Bane," Hodge called out, "He's over 300 years old. And, as you can see, he's never exactly shied away from the pleasures of every century. His tastes are both exquisite...and quite excessive."

"He looks like the Downworld's David Guetta," commented Clary.

"Oh, I've taught you so well, Clare Bear," Isaac said proudly, placing his hand on his heart and the other on Clary's shoulder.

"Guetta's already a Downworlder," Isabelle smirked, "Vampire? Ever seen him in the day?"

"Can you three focus?" Alec called out annoyed, leading Isaac to give him a dull look before returning his attention to his much lovelier sibling. "This is not a joke."

"Someone needs to get slayed," Isabelle smiled at her brother, making Isaac laugh and Isabelle to look at him with a proud look on her face.

"Alec's right," Hodge snapped at Isabelle, "Now, Magnus is one of the most powerful warlocks I've ever known. He has a deep mistrust of Shadowhunters."

"Well, then why did he help my mom remove my memories?" Clary questioned, "Isn't she a Shadowhunter."

"Yes, one of the best," Hodge agreed, "But 'help' might not be the most accurate word. Now, did Magnus provide a service for Jocelyn? Perhaps. But more than likely, your mother paid Magnus handsomely for his magic."

Jace, who was standing behind a chair, sat down before continuing Hodge's sentence, "Warlocks usually require payment before they help anyone with anything."

"Word from the Clave is that most of the warlocks have gone into hiding since Valentine began hunting them," Alec added.

"Valentine must be searching for the warlock, where did Jocelyn..." Hodge was cut off by his circle rune searing.

"Hodge, your rune. You okay?" Hodge didn't answer Clary. "So how do we find Magnus?"

"We don't," Jace answered her, "Magnus finds us. We'll set up a meeting, somewhere protected. Lure him out of hiding."

"And I know exactly where we do it," Isabelle smirked, standing up before showing them a picture of a poster for a rave.

"A Downworld rave. Nice, Izzy."

"And where'd you get that?" Alec asked his younger sister with a bored tone.

"During my surveillance of the Downworlders," Isabelle responded, "From what I hear, Magnus likes to party."

Isaac's mind raced back to Beacon Hills. Of all things, they had to go to a rave? Nothing else they had done had provoked memories like this. But he had been to a rave on supernatural business, and he wasn't too fond of going again.

"Do we all have to go?" Isaac asked, hoping the answer would be no so that he could stay behind.

"Yes, Isaac. Why?" Jace answered the werewolf, turning to face him.

"Nothing," he shrugged, "just that the last time I went to a rave, a kanima went loose and I was almost killed. But, those are just minor details, don't you think?"

"Wait," Clary said, "you've been to a rave before? And you never told me?"

Isaac rolled his eyes, "Is that really all you got from that? That I've been to a rave before? Not the part that I almost died? Or the fact that one of my friends was almost killed by his girlfriend's mother? Alright, I see where your priorities are."

Alec scoffed before returning the conversation to its original topic, "Magnus will never go for it. Not with Valentine trying to kill him."

"Of course he will," stated Jace. "He'll blend in. Hide in plain sight."

Clary then took it to voice her doubts, "I don't know, it seems..."

"Trust me," Isabelle broke her off. "If Magnus is coming out of hiding, he's going to one of the biggest parties of the year."

"Never underestimate Magnus' hedonism," Hodge then turned to Isabelle, "Or his greed. Come with me."

He led the group to a hidden placement, where he opened it and then took out a necklace with a red gem. "Is that real?" Isabelle breathlessly said.

"A four-karat, unheated Burmese ruby." Hodge stated, "And this necklace has special meaning to Magnus Bane as it was a gift from him to his then lover, Camille Belcourt."

"What, Camille and Magnus were lovers?"

"Warlock gets around," Jace smiled to Clary, who gladly returned it with a slight blush.

"Magnus bought it in 1857 for the price of his London townhouse. Now, the jewel is enchanted by a spell that alerts the wearer to the presence of demons."

"It's so beautiful," Isabelle shamelessly gaped at it, wanting to keep it for herself but knowing that it truly belongs to the warlock.

"Magnus has longed to reunite with this necklace," Hodge finished, "Offer it to him. He might just take the bait."

"I'll send Magnus a fire message to arrange the meeting," Jace walked away, but stopped for a second, "We have to get Magnus before Valentine does."

•••

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Clary asked once they arrived at the scene of the rave, "Last time we were here, this place was crawling with vampires."

"Relax, all Downworlders hand out here," Jace said, "We just came on vampire night."

"Right," the redhead nodded, "And when is all this gonna sound normal to me?"

"I don't know."

Isaac sent Clary a smile, "Don't worry, Clare Bear, it took me about a total of three days for everything to really start sounding normal. Granted, on the third day that I had the bite, I was arrested for murder and locked in a jail sail before almost committing murder because it was full moon. So, I would say like two more days and then all this will really sink in."

"Great," he heard Clary mutter under her breath, causing him to smile and squeeze her hand quickly in comfort.

Isaac heard footsteps behind them before Alec appeared, looking at the people in front of them in the line, "All clear."

Isabelle looked down at the necklace that was dangling from her neck, which really stood out, but in a good way, "Do you think red's my color?"

"Iz, with a body like yours, everything's your color," Clary laughed, scratching at her arm.

"Good point." Isabelle nodded, "Damn, I make this necklace look so good."

"Will you take it off?" Alec asked in an annoyed tone, "I'm certain Magnus Bane doesn't want drool on his ruby when we make the exchange."

"You know, I wouldn't be so sure," Isabelle mischievously smirked, "Most men like it when I admire their jewels."

Isaac had to bite down harshly on his tongue to contain his laughter or make another sex joke. But, then there was the pang he felt in his heart as he heard it as well. He didn't know why, but the comment hurt him and made him want to walk away, but he stood his ground and smiled on.

"Can you just give it to Jace?" Alec asked his sister, who giggled before doing what he said.

"You're such a buzzkill," she smiled innocently at him, and Isaac couldn't agree more. Because if Alec Lightwood was anything, besides being a closed off jerk, he was a buzzkill. Ruining everyone else's fun because he couldn't have any himself.

The group waited a little bit longer in the line before being brought up to the front and walking into the building. "Blend in," Jace yelled over the music, "Keep your weapons ready."

Isaac went with Jace and Clary, who was seeking out Magnus, who was sitting in a chair and playing with some cards. "Magnus!" Jace yelled to grab his attention.

The warlock stood up to greet them, "Isaac Lahey, nice to see you again. I was wondering why you weren't there for the last session, but it seems you are doing quite alright." Isaac smiled politely at him, ignoring the looks that Jace and Clary gave him.

"And Clary Fairchild," Magnus turned his attention to the redhead, "You've grown into a beautiful young woman."

"Magnus Bane," she returned in a guarded voice, "So you're the one who stole my memories."

"At your mother's request. She knew the risk," he defended himself, which softened Clary a bit because she knew that her mother was also at fault. "Show me the jewelry, Shadowhunter."

Jace brought out the necklace to show Magnus, who wanted to touch it before it was pulled back by Jace. "Give Clary back her memories, and you get the jewelry."

"I have to confirm its authenticity," Magnus said before it was handed to him, "Amor verus numquam moritur. 'True love cannot die'. Oh, how I've missed this jewel."

"Now, it's your turn to pay up," Clary said without blinking. Magnus looked away from the jewel and to the Shadowhunters with slight disgust present on his face. The warlock sent Isaac a look, making the werewolf sigh at the knowing sadness.

This wasn't going to end well.

"I wish I could retrieve your memories, but I no longer have them," Magnus said with a sigh.

"What? Where are they?" Clary questioned with new anger. They did all of this for nothing! And now...and now it was like the final note saying that she would never get her mother back, like she would be an orphan now.

"I fed them to a memory demon for safekeeping," he explained himself, remaining calm while Clary and Jace became anger.

"And why the hell would you do that?" Jace snapped at the warlock, his tone soft but his anger was apparent.

Magnus looked at Jace, "To protect Clary and the Cup. If Valentine ever captured me, he could torture Clary's memories out of me. Just like he tortured Dot."

"Tortured? Wait, is Dot okay?" Clary asked in concern for the warlock in which she loved.

"You don't know? He didn't tell you?" Magnus pointed at Isaac, causing Clary to look at him for a second before returning her attention to the warlock in front of them, "Dot is dead."

"What? How do you know?" Then, the redhead turned to Isaac, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I can't feel her magic anymore," Magnus answered seconds before Isaac started to explain himself, "Clary, you knew she was taken. What were they going to do? Treat her nicely with expensive meals and a lavish bedroom? No, they wanted information, and they were determined to get it. I didn't tell you because I thought you would work it out on you own."

Clary looked betrayed by him, leading Magnus to try and help his case, "Valentine killed her because she would not betray your mother."

"Oh my God," was all that Clary managed to get out, and Isaac didn't blame. It was a lot to take him, and panic attacks were normal under times of crushing stress. But, it was in the middle of a rave, and he wasn't sure how the other Downworlders would react to seeing someone having a panic attack.

"Come with me, Clary," Magnus offered her, "My lair can offer you protection no Shadowhunter ever could. You too, Isaac, it will always be open for the two of you."

Jace scoffed quietly to himself, while Clary answered, "No! No, I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Don't be a fool. Your mother would want you to live," Magnus tried to persuade the stubborn girl.

"Then help me get my memories back from whatever demon to," she said, hoping that he would in fact help them.

"Valentine is hunting you, too," Magnus told her, "And every moment we're outside my lair's protection, is another moment Valentine gets closer to finding us."

Magnus turned his back to create a portal to his lair before returning to his original position and offering his hand for Clary, "Come with me. I won't offer again."

"No," she stated, "No, I won't hide from my problems and neither should you." Clary spat out the last part in anger that Magnus wouldn't help her, she couldn't see that Magnus was trying to protect himself because all she wanted was her mother, and whoever didn't help her was automatically against her in her eyes.

"Look out!" a woman called before an arrow went straight through the air and through someone's chest. Alec came out from the shadows and went to retrieve his arrow.

Magnus looked mesmerized by the beauty of Alec, "Who are you?" But he didn't want for a response before heading to his portal.

"Magnus, wait!" Clary grabbed his arm before he could get himself through the portal. "You're my only hope."

"Valentine found us," Magnus simply stated, looking past the pleading eyes of Clary, "I warned your mother this might happen."

"Wait..." she called again, but it was too late. Magnus went through the portal, and it felt like all her hope went with him.

•••

dedicated to antebellums because of the amount of times I have reread tarot cards and the amount of times I have almost cried reading power.

question of the day,
warlock or werewolf?

answer of the day,
werewolf