Simon hovered over me, shirtless as we walked on a few blankets in the kayak.

His lips connected with mine once again, and a comforting feeling pouring with me, but it wasn't like what I felt with anyone I'd ever been in a relationship with.

It felt weird, as if I didn't feel anything.

I wanted to feel something.

A shriek leaves my lips when the kayak tips lightly, pulling away from Simon, my head hitting the wood, the kayak still.

"Ow!" I blurt out, holding my head, the both of us looking at each other for a second, then, Simon and I blurt into a fit of giggles.

Simon tips the kayak again just to scare me, "Well, I mean I'm pretty sure this thing is untippable."

"Oh, yeah?" I sat up, "Well, we'll just have to see about that."

Simon's eyebrows furrow, "Wait, what does that mean-"

I began rocking the kayak back and forth, Simon's eyes going wide, as he grabbed me, stopping me from doing so, connecting our lips again.

This felt still weird.

I thought I could get used to the idea of being with Simon, but it hadn't happen yet.

An air horn sounds loudly, making me jump away from Simon and also fall out of the kayak, Simon staring at what was behind me with sight wide eyes.

My head turns, my eyes falling onto Jace, whom was grinning that he disturbed whatever was going on.

"Hey-" I had forgotten all about what was just happening and hopped out of the kayak, landing on my feet despite it being on the top.

Simon followed, landing next to me, as I grabbed my jacket, putting it over my thin burgundy shirt.

"What the hell are you doing?- you know what? Don't answer that." Jace grabbed one of Simon's shirts and tossed it to him, "Here you go."

"Jace, it's okay- I'm fine." I put my hands in my pockets, "I'm safe here."

Jace stares at me, "Until Valentine stops hunting you, the only place you're safe is the Institute."

"Really? I'm not sure you actually know how hiding works." Simon spoke up, "The whole point is to, um, not be where everyone thinks you are. Trust me, I'm kind of an expert."

"For an expert, you were pretty easy to find." Jace remarks; then nodded towards me, "Just be thankful I got to you before the Circle did."

"I'm not afraid of them." Simon glances at me and confidently said, "I've been working on my fighting skills."

"Are you trying to impress her?" Jace's lips pursed in humor, "At least she knows I can take them."

I huff, "Jace, really?"

Simon clears his throat, "Nope- I've actually been working on my fighting skills."

"Oh, really?" Jace broke out into a chuckle, "You wanna take this outside and give these fight skills a test run?"

I roll my eyes, "Guys-"

"Anytime." Simon was already making his way for the door, then stopped, facing Jace, "As soon as the sun goes down."

I softly laugh at them, "You guys are ridiculous-"

My sentence cut off when I felt a scolding burning on my hand, making my eyes snap wide, a gasp leaving my lips as I pulled out my left hand out of my pocket.

Jace's attention was directed toward me immediately, along with Simon, as I let out a small scream in pain, my other hand clasping over my mouth, as my eyes followed the black burning on my pinky finger."

"What's wrong?" Jace was by my side, my hand on his as he examined what was on my hand.

Simon ran to my other side and smacks his hand away, "What's going on?"

Jace smacks his hand back, causing me to huff in frustration, "Guys!"

Simon stares at what was happening on my hand, "What is that?"

"I don't know." I admitted, before letting out another scream.

-

"La Chair Brulee." Magnus used his magic to take the pain away from my completely enveloped hand, "It means the burnt flesh- It's an old blood oath spell."

"Then it must be Iris." Alec looked at me as I was seated next to Jace, "She said you owed her a favor."

I nod lightly, "At Max's party, she said I have to find Madzie."

"Then we better start looking." Magnus exhales deeply, "I can get rid of the pain, but that's about it. I'm afraid once the magic reaches your heart-"

"So. if I don't find Madzie I'm dead." I pieced it together, "Well- Valentine has Madzie. It's only a matter of time until he comes for me too."

"No- no." Jace got up, "Magnus, there has to be a cure- there has to be something we can do to stop this."

Alec had his arms folded behind him, "Can't we force Iris to undo it?"

"I wish it were that easy."  Magnus sighs deeply, "But, blood oath spells are completely binding."

Magnus looked at us, "Even Iris herself can't reverse it now."

-

"I don't know what to say." Luke held my hand, staring at what had become of it, "I was so selfish, hiding in the woods like that."

Luke sighs, blaming himself, "You would have never went to Iris if-"

"Luke, this quite frankly isn't your fault, nor does it have anything to do with you." I stopped him, "You always told me to read the fine print- and I didn't, so look it where it got me. Lesson learned."

Luke looks at Jace, letting go of my hand, "Magnus find anything?"

"No, Iris' brownstone was wiped clean, but Alec just got a report from the Clave." Jace told us, "According to Iris, Madzie was abducted from Brady Park."

"All right, we'll start there." Luke nods, "I'll round up some wolves and see if we can get a scent."

"Great-" I turn for the door.

"Hey." Jace stops me, grabbing my arm, "Where are you going?"

I looked at him, "To get Simon."

"If we're gonna be searching all night, we can use his skills." I shrug lightly, "We need his help."

Jace blinks, "What skills?"

"Jace!" I hit his arm lightly for that, "I don't know- night vision."

Jace stopped himself from rolling his eyes, "There's a rune for that."

"Too bad- he's coming, okay?" I pull my arm from him, "The more the merrier."

I walked away and outside, over to where Simon was staying, opening the door, "Are you awake in there? Incoming sunlight."

Growling and snarling filled my ears as I turned, my eyes landing on a wolf whom was slowly taking a few steps toward me, as if I was their lunch.

I grabbed the top of trash can, my back sliding down the wood when the wolf pounced at me, as I used it as a shield.

I gasp when the wolf knocked it out of my hands.

"Zee!" Simon called out, reaching his hand into the sunlight, handing me a paddle, as I used this to my advantage and knocked the wolf back.

I stood up, holding the paddle tight in my hands, "Back off."

When the wolf leaps at me again, I hit it with the paddle as hard as I could, sending it behind the dumpsters, Jace rushing to my side last minute.

Jace's eyes shifted from me to the wolf, "Nice form."

I breathe heavily, "Thanks.

Bones cracked behind the dumpsters as Jace pulled out his seraph blade, "Show yourself!"

And right as the sound stopped and the person was revealed, I didn't know what to say.

Maia stood behind the dumpsters, uncovered, the dumpsters hiding whatever we didn't need to see.

-

"You okay?" Jace stares at my hand, as we stood outside while Luke and Simon talked to Maia.

"I can feel it spreading." I exhale deeply, "Jace, what if Maia's right?"

Jace shakes his head, "Stop-"

"Jace, this will kill me if we don't find Madzie- and I mean, maybe it is for the best." I stammer, "It'll save the entire Downworld."

"She's not right." Jace's tone fell low, "I'm not losing you."

Luke then walks over before I could even react, "You need to find Madzie."

"No problem." Simon walked over, "We'll take the van."

"Luke?" I notice that he wasn't following us.

"I gotta stay here." Luke exhales deeply, "If Maia told the rest of the wolves what that Sword is capable of, you're in serious danger."

My eyebrows furrow, "But, Luke-"

"No time to argue, word travels fast." Luke smiles lightly, "I'll catch up after I stop the Downworld from coming after you."

I sigh in defeat, hugging him, as he rubbed my back, "I'll see you soon, kiddo."

I walked over to the van, as Luke stops Jace and Simon, "Hey, if anything happens to her-"

"It won't." Jace stopped him, "Trust me, I'll protect her."

"We'll protect her." Simon corrected him as I opened up the back doors, getting in the van.

"Just try to keep up." I heard Jace say before I closed the doors.

-

I walked with Jace, "Are you sure this is the park Alec was talking about?"

"Positive." Jace pointed something out, "See the scorched grass? Someone opened a Portal."

Simon ran over, "Nothing over there- and without the wolves to help us pick up a scent, this is gonna take forever."

"We don't have forever." Jace sighs, "Everyone keep looking."

"Maybe he can help." Simon points out, running over to the old man seated on a bench, "Excuse me, um- a little girl might have gotten kidnapped a few days ago. I was wondering if you've seen her."

The old man turned away, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you sure?" I pressed, using my hands to demonstrate, "She's about this tall, pigtails, always wears a scarf-"

My words came to a stop when I noticed the familiar scarf shoved in the man's front jacket pocket.

Simon noticed the bright blue scarf too, "Hey, where'd you get that scarf?"

"Nowhere, I found it." The man was defensive, "It's mine."

It was as if a lightbulb shined on top of Simon's head, "Do you wanna make a trade?"

The man starts to grin when Simon gestured toward Jace's jacket, and Simon knew he had succeeded.

Jace looked at Simon, "What?"

Within minutes, the man was wearing Jace's jacket and we had Madzie's scarf, back on the road.

"Keep heading north." Jace held the scarf in his hands as he tracked Madzie, seated in the passenger seat, "The signal's faint, but we can still track her."

Simon remarks due to Jace's monotone, "Don't sound too excited."

Jace exhales, "It's too easy."

"It wasn't easy." Simon argues, "That jacket's at least two sizes small on that guy, I'm just a great salesman."

"Valentine's too smart to have not thought about blocking the signal." Jace reasoned, "If we can track Madzie, it's because he wants us to, we'll be walking into a trap."

"What are you suggesting?" Simon questions, "That we don't find Madzie?"

Jace looked at him, "That's not what I'm saying."

"Guys-" I quietly spoke up, "The scarf may be our only option- but I can't let Valentine activate the Soul-Sword, either."

They both went silent, as I softly exhale, "So whatever happens, happens. But- you can't let him take me alive."

"Uh- Zee, you're kind of freaking me out." Simon admits, glancing at me through the rear view mirror, "What are- what are you talking about?"

"Maia was right." I fiddle with my fingers, "I should be dead- as a matter of fact, I would rather die than let Valentine destroy the Downworld."

"I need you to promise me." I scoot up, my hands gripping the back of their seats for balance as I looked between their side profiles, "If Valentine ever gets to me-"

"No." Simon was already denying, "Absolutely not."

I was desperate, my head turning towards Jace, "Please."

"I promise." Jace swallowed hard, looking at me, our eyes connecting, "If it ever comes to that, I won't let him take you alive."

-

"Stay here." Jace told me when we came to a stop, "We'll be right back."

The door shuts, Simon getting out along with him, then standing on the sidewalk.

"We're close- very close." I heard them despite being in the car, "This still feels way too easy."

"And yet we've encountered no traps." Simon said, then looked at Jace, "Although if we did- all that stuff you said about Zee-"

"You were just talking, right?" He asked, "You wouldn't actually kill your own sister, would you?"

"No." Jace told him, "But- that's why I need to do this next part on my own."

"What do you mean?" Simon questioned.

"Zee's too weak to move, Simon." Jace stated the obvious, "She'd only be putting herself in danger of getting captured."

"Hey, I'll use the scarf to track Madzie, I'll bring her back here." Jace exclaims, "But- I need someone protecting Zee while I'm gone."

"That's easy for you to say." Simon shot back, "You're the guy with the sword."

"What am I gonna do- protect her with my teeth?"
Simon stammers, "We need your help here."

"Okay." Jace gave in, "All right, I'll stay."

But, I knew him better than that.

Simon's phone started ringing, as I used every bit of strength in me to push open one of the doors, weakly calling, "Jace-"

"Just a sec, it's Luke." Simon turned, answering the phone after noticing me open the door.

Jace was already in front of me, "Yeah?"

I grunt, grabbing the doors and pulling myself out of the van, falling into Jace, not being able to hold myself up.

"Hey-" Jace caught me, "You shouldn't be moving-"

"Jace." I push myself onto my tippy toes and wrap my arms around his shoulders, hugging him as tight as I could, squeezing my eyes shut, my voice quiet due to me not being able to speak, "I know you won't listen to Simon- so, this is just incase I'm not awake when you get back."

Jace froze for a moment, then gripped onto me for a few seconds. My heart felt like it could explode and I hated it.

He pulled away, putting me back in the van, holding my hand for a moment, "You will be."

With that, he shuts the door, running off before Simon turned around.

-

I laid on top of Simon's van, staring at the stars, as I could feel it spreading closer and closer to my heart.

Simon uses his vamp speed to jump up onto the roof of the van, sitting next to where I laid, "You sure we're safe up here?"

"If I'm gonna die tonight, I'm going to die staring at the stars." I exhale deeply, my voice quiet.

Simon sighs heavily, "Maybe we should go looking for Jace."

"No." I said, "I trust him."

"Sure, but- at what point do we say he's been gone too long?" Simon questioned, grabbing my hand.

"We don't." I then looked at him, "If I don't make it-"

"Stop, you will- you have to." Simon did not to hear my goodbye, "Think about it, I mean a dashing, handsome Jewish boy finally admits to his best friend how he feels after a lifetime- and she dies a week later?"

"That's too sappy." Simon squeezed my hand lightly, "Like a real-life Fault in Our Stars."

"Simon." I couldn't help but chuckle, "That's not the plot of that book at all."

Simon's eyebrows furrow, "Really?"

"No." I barely shake my head.

"Oh, I never read it." Simon admits, making me laugh even more, "Or saw it- I just kind of thought that's what it was about."

"Simon-" I laughed, the best friend relationship we had exposing.

Maybe this was what our relationship was now.

Best friends that kissed sometimes.

And I felt guilty.

I wanted so much to move on and to love Simon the way he loved me.

It was trying so hard to convince myself that I loved them that way.

But, being this close to death, has gotten me thinking.

I felt terrible.

-

My breathing trembled as I struggled, trying to last a little longer.

Simon had grabbed me and held me when he noticed this, "Zee-"

My eyes began to slowly close, my eyes rolling to the back of my head.

"Zee, stay awake." Simon was begging, his voice breaking, "Stay awake just a little longer- don't go."

I force open my eyes, noticing the tears down his face as I reached up with whatever strength I had left, wiping them away.

Then, I took what I thought was my last breath, my hand falling to my side, my eyes slowly closing.

"Zee, no!" Simon let out a small cry, his voice suddenly distant, "Open your eyes!"

Then I heard Jace's voice, and it brought me back, "Zee!"

"Jace!" Simon called, as I felt myself being scooped up, my eyes opening back up but barely, and we were on the ground, Simon holding me bridal style.

Jace was now in front of me, holding Madzie's hand, "Come on- just hold on, please-"

Simon slowly set me down in front of Madzie, stepping back with Jace.

"Madzie." My voice was as a whisper, as I could barley hold myself up anymore, "You're okay-"

Madzie places her hands on my shoulders, the feeling of death nearing me disappearing as I suddenly felt like I could breathe again, a red wave of magic surrounding us as I watched as the spell disappeared, my hand returning back to normal.

"I told you, didn't I?" Jace was speaking to Simon, "I couldn't have saved her without you."

"Obviously." Simon inhales sharply, "Thank you for you know, everything."

Suddenly, Madzie opened a portal, my eyebrows furrowing, "Madzie, what are you doing?-"

Then, she brought the portal towards us, taking me with her.

-

My eyes opened, the sound of amusement park music filling my ears, confusion filling within me.

I looked around, slowly sitting up, noticing the trapped Downworlds around me.

My eyes fell onto my ankle that was chained to the ground, Madzie stood in front of me.

I jump up to my feet, my hands gripping the chain as I tried to pull as hard as I could, huffing when I had no progression.

"Well done, Madzie." Valentine walked over, "Your nana is gonna be so proud of you."

"But- you still have a lot more to do before you can see her, okay?" Valentine said to her, "So run along."

Madzie turned and skipped away, leaving me with my father.

"Hello again, Zee." Valentine's attention was on me, "You must still hate me for what happened to your mother and Jocelyn."

"I don't blame you." He went on due to my silence, "Jocelyn's death will always be my greatest regret."

"If you have any shred of humanity left, you would stop this." I shook my head, looking away.

"My humanity is what keeps me going." Valentine shot back, "If the angels designed the Sword to rid the world of demons, I'm just ensuring it fulfills its true purpose."

-

I grunt through my teeth, now alone as everyone had just left me, as my hands gripped the chain tightly, trying to break it and free myself.

"Damn it-" I mutter, pulling as hard as I could, only to fall on my ass.

I force myself onto my feet, huffing, looking around for something that could help me escape.

I heard footsteps, causing me to freeze instantly.

I looked around, my eyes landing on Jace, who was holding his seraph blade ready, heading in the other direction.

"Jace!" I called out, feeling relief.

"Zee!" Jace ran over to me, "Where's Valentine?"

"I don't know." I honestly told him, "All the Circle members just left in a hurry-"

"Okay, don't move." Jace used his seraph blade to free me, breaking the chains as we turned to run.

"Okay, we have to get out of here before Valen-" I started, stopping immediately when Valentine was walking over to us, Madzie next to him.

"Going someplace?" Valentine questioned, Jace running towards him, Madzie using her magic to stop him, "I didn't think so."

Valentine looks between us, "She's strong for her age, isn't she?"

"Madzie." I stepped closer, "Please let Jace go."

"Now why would she do that, hm?" Valentine hums, his hands folded behind his back.

"Because you wanna hurt people." I took another step closer, then looked at Madzie, "People like your nana."

"Don't forget this is the mean person that got your nana in trouble in the first place." Valentine told Madzie, my eyes widening, "Now, if you want to see Iris, you have to be a good little girl and do exactly what I say, okay?"

Valentine grunts when he's turned around, Simon punching him in the face, "Zee, run!"

Valentine got the upper hand and used his as bait, ready to snap his neck, "Brave and stupid.

"Sweetheart, save your magic for what's to come.
It's time to go." Valentine told Madzie, as she opened a portal and freed Jace, "I'll see you soon, Zee."

Valentine stepped back, entering the portal with Simon, Madzie following him.

"Simon!" My eyes were wide as I ran for the portal, only for it to shut, "Simon, no!"

authors note:

using a random jace gif cause I couldn't find a good one for this episode

so we all ship incest

but ok literally it'll be fine, simon and zee, there's shit coming for them bro, I have ideassss

ANYWAY

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