"Champagne." I took the glass that Jonathan poured me. "Couldn't you have poured me something stronger?"

"Well, champagne is usually served during special occasions." Jonathan pointed out and set down the bottle, holding his own glass. "And this is the upmost special occasion. You and I- we're finally united- things are finally the way they're meant to be."

"Should've given me the bottle itself then." I leaned back against the wall and looked at him. "Kidding."

Jonathan held up his glass. "To us."

"To us." I held mine up, then brought the glass to my lip, talking the entire glass of champagne in one go.

"Why is it you still have that ring on?" Jonathan pointed out, setting down his glass after taking a sip and taking mine off my hands. "We're together-"

"And I'm still engaged." I replied blankly.

"You weren't your full self when you accepted- Alec's- proposal." His name seemed like poison on Jonathan's tongue. "You weren't in your right state of mind-"

"Yes I was." I pushed myself off the wall and stared at him. "Jonathan, I do love him. Our alliance isn't going to change that."

"I don't understand why he's important anymore-" Jonathan walked toward me. "Zee, we're together again- I'm all you need just as you are for me."

I stayed silent, looking away.

"Something's troubling you." Jonathan scanned my face. "What's wrong?"

"He won't love me anymore. Now that I'm what I am-" My voice is low. "He'll only love me if I go back to- them- he's going to push Isabelle to finish the serum that'll break us apart quicker."

"No one can hurt us if we get the Morning Star first." Jonathan put his hands on my shoulders. "And once we have that sword, the entire world will be terrified of us— and they will finally leave us in peace."

"How exactly are we going to retrieve it?" I questioned. "The Seelie Queen said she will only give you the Morning Star sword if you bring her Lilith's head— and you failed."

"Well, those were her terms." Jonathan put a strand of my hair behind my ear. "You up for a trip to Prague, little sister?"

"Can't wait." I stepped away from him, reaching for the bottle of champagne. I poured myself another glass and right to the rim, right as a fire message flew in through the window and towards me. I caught the message and read it; my movements halting completely.

Jonathan noticed my frozen state immediately. "From your Shadowhunter friends?"

"It's from— Alec." My voice was quiet from shock, facing him while my eyes remained glued to the message. "He wants to meet."

Jonathan came to me. "What?-"

"He says his love for me matters more than his loyalty to the New York Institute." I slowly looked at Jonathan. "And to prove it, he'll help us get back our family sword."

"No— it's a trap." Jonathan shook his head. "Zee, you just said yourself- he'll only love you if you become who you were again-"

I pulled out my stele to send a reply back to Alec. "I want to hear him out."

"Zee, don't be ridiculous." Jonathan grabbed my wrist. "He just wants to come between us. He just wants you take you away-"

"Jonathan, unless he can prove that he's telling the truth, I won't buy his story." I stared up at him. "He can't take me away— he can't reverse who I am."

"Why do you even need him?" Jonathan still, was unhappy about my decision to hear Alec out.

"I'm in love with him." I looked between his eyes. "It kills me being away from him."

Jonathan's voice fell low, tightening his grip on my wrist. "He wants me dead, Zee."

"He won't hurt you— he can't, otherwise- he'd kill me too." I reminded him. "Jonathan, I can't live without him- my life is incomplete without him."

Jonathan then let go of my wrist.

"I'm going to meet him whether you're fond of the idea or not." I took a step back. "You can join me if you'd like- I don't really care. I'm going."

-

"My sister made me promise not to kill you unless this is an ambush." Jonathan had his blade to Alec's neck the moment we arrived. "Maybe— it's my lucky day."

I slowly walked toward Alec, pulling one of my kindjals out of my sheaths. I held the blade pointed upwards, stopping in front of him. I pushed myself onto my tippy toes, putting the tip of the blade right under his chin, tilting his head up slightly. "Hey, you-"

Alec didn't bother greeting me, but instead stared directly into my eyes while holding still, his voice low. "I missed you."

"I missed you." I pressed the tip of the blade a bit into his skin. "Jonathan, pat him down."

"I came with no weapons, no stele." Alec held his hands up in surrender. "Just like I said I would."

Jonathan stepped back with a huff after he patted Alec down. "He's clean."

"Good." A small smile formed on my lips, dropping the blade from his chin and holding it at my side. "I want you with me, but- I'm not stupid. So, how do I know I can trust you?"

"The Clave reinstated the kill order on Jonathan- despite the rune, and that means you too-" Alec took a step towards me when he was no longer being threatened by blades. "I told you when I proposed to you that I was scared at the lengths I'd go- for you- to be with you- and this is one of the many. I can't live without you, Zee, I won't- so, if that means I have to give up everything I love to keep you safe— to keep you both safe, then so be it."

Jonathan scoffed instantly. "How touching, you're willing to put up with me as the third wheel-"

I, rather, had a different response. Another question. "What about the Institute?"

"I've stepped down from my position as Head." Alec said to me. "For you."

I stared. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"You know how much I love you. I suppose now we're about to find out if you love me just as much, hm?" Alec scanned my face a few times. "In your heart, you either know that I'm telling the truth, or you don't. If you don't, then leave me here."

"Excellent advice. Let's go, sister." Jonathan cut in. "You're a Morgenstern; you know better than this. He's using your love against you, he knows it's weakness- remember what we were taught? To love is to destroy and to be loved is to be the one destroyed?"

"That sounds a bit hypocritical, don't you think, Jonathan? Considering it was your love for me that drove you to acquire me— since you've once told me that love was strength." I shot him a wicked glare, letting the tip of my blade touch my pointer finger. "And quite frankly, you don't get a say in the matter. This is my decision and I want him to come with us."

Jonathan took a step. "Sister-"

"He's coming with us." I made myself clear and shot him a look. "Any objections?"

Jonathan pursed his lips and looked down at the ground; his jaw clenched. "None."

"Good." I began, my eyes snapping back to Alec when he took a step. My free hand flew up, gripping his collar and pulling him down aggressively to meet my eye line, my kindjal against his throat. "Oh, and Alec?-"

Alec met my eyes, his voice low. "Yes, Zee?"

"If you betray me," The tone of my voice matched his as I pressed the sharp blade against his skin. "I will kill you myself."

-

"Cover what runes you can." Jonathan was telling Alec later that night, his voice low and filled with annoyance because of his very presence. "Where we're going, Shadowhunters aren't appreciated."

"Right, and where exactly is that?" Alec questioned. "Clearly, we're in Prague— and I remember Zee asking you to fill me in on the plan."

"You haven't?" I walked into the living room after I had gotten into the dress I had chosen for tonight and had perfected my appearance. "A soldier's more effective with details, Jonathan. Did Daddy not teach you that?"

Jonathan froze in his spot, scanning my appearance. "Sister-"

Alec seemed to me ogling just as much as Jonathan was; his gaze satisfying me much more than my brother's. The look on his face was the only I cared about and was aiming for. "Zee, you're breathtaking-"

"All part of the illusion." I lifted the side of my dress just enough for him to see the kindjals strapped around my thighs with the sheaths.

"I, uhm-" Jonathan cleared his throat and blinked. "Shall we?"

I hummed in response and walked toward Alec, pushing myself onto my tippy toes despite my heels and began fiddling with his collar. "Maybe if this goes well, we can part-take in a very rewarding book club session-"

Alec couldn't help but snort at the memory of where the joke brewed from, his hands finding their way to my hips. "How motivating."

"Jonathan seems to be insistent that you're filled in on a need-to-know basis. So, I'll tell you the objective." I reached and pushed some hair out of his face. "Abducting the Seelie Queen."

-

"I didn't think I'd love Prague so much." I was fiddling with my engagement ring when we walked down the alley, my eyes focused on all of our surroundings. "It's sad we won't be here very long-"

"You and I will have to come back." Alec walked alongside me, his hand resting on my lower back. "I'll take you for a boat ride on the river."

I look at him. "Doesn't seem like our style."

"There's a first time for everything." Alec moved his hand up my back and wrapped that arm around my shoulders. "We could explore Old Town. Leave a lock on Lovers Bridge in Mala Strana, we could go to a theatre-"

"Okay, okay!" I stopped walking for a moment to look up at him, a wide smile on my lips at his ongoing list. "You've convinced me."

Alec scanned my face, a smile forming on his lips. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him. "That wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be-"

"I rarely say no to you." I put my pointer finger to his nose for a moment, then dropped my hand to rest on his bicep.

Alec shot me a look. "You did say no to my well thought out, perfectly planned proposal-"

"I said rarely!" I reminded him immediately.

"Ahem." Jonathan cleared his throat, catching both of our attention. "We're here."

I stepped back from Alec, my eyes trailing from Jonathan to the sign above the door guarded by the bouncer. "Kosti Lustr?"

"It means Bone Chandelier." Jonathan informed me. "The Queen's favourite hangout, for Downworlders only."

I looked at him. "You've got this?"

"Wait here— I'll work my connections to get us inside." Jonathan nodded and then stopped for a moment before he walked off, his eyes fixed on Alec. "I'm watching you."

"Just give him time." I looked at my fiancé when Jonathan walked off towards the bouncer. "I swear, once he knows he can trusts you, he's a lot more tolerable- all he wants is love-"

"And all I want is you." Alec abruptly grabbed my face in both his hands. "Zee, do you remember the first time we kissed?"

"It's not something I can forget." I blinked out of startle. "You kissed me in front of the entire Clave at your wedding-"

"What about when we first said I love you?" Alec scanned my face a few times. "When we moved into our apartment? Playing pool at the Hunters Moon-"

"Yes?" My eyebrows furrow. "Why are you-"

"Please, come back to me." Alec's voice cracked slightly, holding himself together. He caressed my cheek with his thumb and kept his eyes locked with him. "Please."

"What are you talking about?" I was so unbelievably confused. "Alec, I'm right here."

Alec's voice lowered, his words filled with sincerity and depth. "I love you so much."

"I love you-" I could barely finish my sentence before he had pressed his lips hard into mine, letting go of my face and pulling me back into him in his firm grip.

Both of my hands fell flat on his chest when my body folded into his, my palm flat over his heart. His heartbeat was racing, skipping a beat or two whenever I brought myself closer to him; as if the distance between our bodies hadn't already been erased. One of his hands rested on my back, his other arm wrapped tightly around my waist. His grip never loosened and he kissed me so deeply that the conversation we just had slipped my mind and I completely forgot who's air I was even breathing.

Then, someone cleared their throat. "Sister."

I pulled back from the kiss; breathless. My head turned toward the sound of Jonathan's voice, seeing that he was looking at the both of us with a hard expression. "Let's go."

-

"Nice chandelier." I scanned the room when we entered the party. "Those Shadowhunter bones?"

"Stick with me, sis." Jonathan nodded toward me. "You won't become part of the decor."

I look at him. "I can handle my own."

"Don't let that Seelie sees you." Alec gestured subtly. "The blue sigil mark means he's part of the Queen's security detail."

"Told you he'd be an asset." I shot Jonathan a look before Alec and I followed him to the bar.

"Evening, Tsunae." Jonathan greeted the bartender. "The regular, three shots."

While she prepared the shots, Jonathan turned toward us. "All right, the Queen will arrive shortly. She'll be seated at her favourite table, our opportunity arises when her head knight takes her upstairs for a rendez-vous with her new warlock lover."

"She'll be most vulnerable then." I crossed my arms. "Alec and I will take out the knight."

Jonathan nodded. "I grab the Queen, Zee portals the three of us away."

"The four of us." Alec corrected him instantly. "Including the Queen."

"Yeah, of course." Jonathan nodded blankly. "That's what I meant."

"What's going on?" I questioned when the room filled with squeals that were louder than the music, my head snapping up to see blue droplets falling into the crowd. "What is this stuff?"

"It's clearly some kind of Seelie drug." Alec caught eye of it. "Don't take it."

"Ah, surely you're not against having a little fun?"Jonathan cut in almost immediately. "What's wrong? You know, all work and no play makes Alec a dull boy."

"Jonathan, don't be so hard on him- he's always very serious about missions." I nudged him playfully and then threw my head back, sticking my tongue out; gladly accepting the drug.

"No!" Alec raised his voice abruptly, but it was too late. I was already feeling the affects of the drug. "We are on mission! We need to stay focused."

"Are you worried about everyone? Or just you?" Jonathan snipped at him, tilting his head back and accepting a droplet. "Prove it."

Alec's eyes narrowed into a death glare fixed on Jonathan before he reluctantly tilted his head back and accepted a droplet of the drug onto his tongue. "Happy now?"

"Ecstatic." Jonathan smiled wickedly, taking the shots and handing them between us.

I brought the shot glass to my lips and took it with ease, my other hand finding Alec's as I set down my empty glass at the same time he did. "Dance with me-"

Alec stumbled slightly while I pulled him through the crowd of sweaty bodies, stopping dead center.

I swung an arm around his neck when he bent slightly so his face was closer to mine. His hands found their way to my hips, my free hand resting on his chest.

Every movement in synced with the music felt like ecstasy. The drug burning in both our systems was so effective that I felt like every motion I made was in slow motion and the dizziness existing in my head would only increase with every moment that passed by. My energy was spiked and the efficacious high made me feel the most peaceful and relaxed I had felt in weeks.

Alec could barely hold his head up, his forehead leaning down on mine. One hand had slipped to the small of my back, using it to bring my body closer to his. His hot breath fanned on my face and neck while his other hand snaked up my back and into my mane.

His fingers tangled themselves into my hair, gathering a good fist full. Abruptly, he jerked my head back by tugging on my hair so that my forehead wasn't leaning against his anymore, and my eyes had fallen onto his face.

I could barely scan his face before my eyes shut closed at the sensation of his lips pressing into mine. All my movements halted, the hand that rested on his chest moving up to his collar and pulling him further down towards me.

Keeping a tight grip on my hair, his other hand slid from the small on my back and lower, finding it's way to my thigh. Gradually, he switched to two fingers that dragged themselves down my thigh before he was hoisting my leg up by my knee and hooking it around his waist.

I had lost all attention to my surroundings, focusing on him and him only. My hand moved up from his collar and into his hair while his hand rested on my thigh right under my dress, holding my leg hooked around him.

Then, I was abruptly pulled from Alec's mesmerizing touch, stumbling slightly. Jonathan had come over by us, activating both of our Iratze's and curing us from the drug's influence.

"Sorry to interrupt the fun, but Her Highness is here." Jonathan put his stele away. "It's time to get what we came for."

Alec was slipping through the crowd by my side, Jonathan leading us. "Not to question your brother's strategy, but it might be nice to have something before I take out a Seelie-"

His words were cut off when I deglamoured the bow and quiver, handing them to him. "He made me promise not to arm you until the last second."

Then, Jonathan had come to my side and grabbed my arm, stopping me from following Alec.

My eyes slightly widened when the guards surrounded Alec. "Jonathan, what— why are they going after Alec?"

"Because he's a traitor." Jonathan gripped my arm tightly to keep me from moving. "He's been using a Seelie ring to foil our plan."

"No, he-" I stammered and looked at Jonathan. "He wouldn't-"

"This is our chance to get to the Queen; to get our family sword!" Jonathan stared deeply into my eyes. "Who do you trust? Me or Alec?"

"I- you can't put me on the spot like this, Jonathan-" I was angry, my head snapping towards Alec again at the sounds of grunts and combat. Alec was going against a good amount of guards on his own, spears coming his way from every direction as he desperately tried fighting them off.

"Zee, stick to the plan!" Jonathan was raising his voice at me. "I swear to you, he is against us, not with us!"

"If anyone's going to kill him, it's going to be me." I ripped my arm from Jonathan's grasp and pulled out my kindjals, launching myself into the battle.

People were screaming and evacuating the club as Alec and I fought off the group of guards, Jonathan taking it into his own hands to rush and get hold of the Seelie Queen as quickly as possible.

My kindjals were dripping with Seelie blood, focusing on taking out every guard before I dealt with Alec. I made quick work of it, breathing heavily when I landed on my feet, covered in Seelie blood.

Then I turned toward Alec who was a few feet away from me and had faced me in unison. My grip was tight on my kindjal, swinging it back and throwing it right for his head. Alec's eyes widened immediately, ducking as the kindjal flew right over his head and landed into the pillar.

Alec looked back at the blade and then at me, his eyes wide and his breathing as heavy as mine was. "Zee, what're you-"

"Jonathan says you're wearing a Seelie ring." My voice came out as a shout, my eyes flickering to his hand to see the glimmer of the ring. "You-"

Alec swallowed hard and held a tight grip on the bow. "Zee, listen to me-"

I threw my second kindjal at his head, a attempt he dodged again and this time, aimed an arrow right at me. "What? You're here to follow through with the kill order? You're here to kill me? Sabotage me? Who was on the other end of that ring, hm? Jace, Isabelle?"

"Listen to me!" Alec responded to me in a shout, matching my tone. "I'm not here to kill you, I'm trying to save you!"

"Save me?" I scoffed in distraught.

"This isn't who you are, Zee! You told me to make you good again- you begged me to. So, I will- even if it's by force-" Alec pulled back on the arrow lightly. "Come home with me, please- I don't want to hurt you-"

"Trust me, you won't-" I said through gritted teeth, my blood boiling when he let go of the arrow. Instead of running or jumping out of the way, I stood still. My eyes stayed locked with Alec's, simultaneously catching the arrow.

My teeth remained gritted, a small growl seething through them when I launched the arrow right back at him, grabbing one of the spears from the ground.

I flipped it in my hand, using it to block the arrows he shot at me trying to weaken me while I neared him. I swung the sharp end of the spear at him, him back tracking to avoid getting wounded.

He ditched the bow and quiver on the ground, grabbing two arrows that were discarded. In one quick movement, he was swinging back at me and I was fighting back. Trying to weaken one another, we paid no attention to each other besides the combat and focused on what the task was; defeating the other.

But abruptly, I decided to let him knock the spear out of my hands. Alec had me a tight hold within seconds, my back pressed against his chest. The arrow in his hand was pressed against my neck; his breathing hot and heavy, and right in my ear. "Got you-"

With my eyes fixed on my kindjals in the pillar, my leg wrapped around his and my hands gripped his arm that held me in place. With all my strength I hunched forward, taking him to the ground and launching myself towards the pillar, grabbing hold of my kindjals. Seconds later, I was on the ground on him, my kindjals pressed to his neck. "Got you-"

When I thought he would finally accept defeat, Alec's legs suddenly swung up and wrapped around me, pulling me backwards and off him.

I ripped myself free from his grasp, rolling back onto my feet. My fist pressed against the cold floor, one leg outstretched and the other folded. My eyes frantically found Alec's, and before I could process it, my back slammed against the pillar my kindjals were just in, the tip of Alec's arrow pressed to the skin of my neck.

With his eyes locked with mine, our breathing matching the same heavy consistency, he froze.

He falters. Hesitates.

That one second of hesitation was all I needed.

My hands gripped onto my kindjals tightly and moved, piercing the two sharp blades into him while maintaining the same eye contact.

I moved forward, slowly dropping him to his back, crawling back on top of him while he gasped and grunted in pain. His grip had loosened and let go of the two arrows in his hands, coughs leaving his dry lips.

I pulled one blade out slowly, staring at the shiny sliver drenched in his dark blood. I found a firm grip on my kindjal once more, sneering down at Alec when I brought the blade back for another go. "Any last words?"

Alec gathered whatever voice he had left and spoke in a shaky voice. "I love you."

My movements halted.

It was me who faltered this time. I hesitated.

I was frozen in place. My mocking expression had melted away and my eyes were slightly wide. My heart was racing as I scanned the sight before me.

Alec. Bleeding out. Dying.

At my hand.

I dropped the blade.

I couldn't. I couldn't. I wouldn't recover.

I pulled the kindjal out of him in one swift movement, getting off him and staggering back.

My eyes started glow and my portal rune formed in the air when he forced himself to his feet, his arm draped over his wounds. Alec's expression was filled with slight shock that I had stopped, meeting my eyes. "Zee?-"

I swallowed hard. The look that had seemed to plaster itself onto my face melted away into a careless expression that I knew he'd believe easily. "As much as I'd truly enjoy to make good on my promise- this will be a good example for your friends-"

"If you, or anyone tries to sabotage me again?" The portal opened beside me. My voice fell low and I forced it not to shake. "I will personally raze the entire New York Institute- I've spared you now, but- if you interfere again, I will kill each and every last one of you."

Then, I pushed on the rune with my palm, sending him through and leaving me with the reoccurring memory of how far I just went.

authors note:

hi !!! i'm sorry for the late update, i've been dealing with some issues at home so i haven't had the time or the motivation but here it is !

first of all. i love dark zee so much ??? like omg. just me ? okay

i chose to send alec instead of jace because i just felt like it fit so much better for this story and just smskskskd

but, zee vs alec ? AH. i added the little 'got you's to reference their first time training in chapter five. and they both hesitated when they had the upper hand on each other- ALEC SAYING HE LOVES HER- ugh, just feels

and the little cute moments between zee and alec too- agh, i just love them

but, thank you so much for 114k !!!

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