"Luke, I'm telling you- I've been through all the Institute archives, and there's no record of a greater demon that matches this one." I said the paper down, pacing in my room, with the phone to my ear, "I don't know what else to do."

"Ithuriel said the Owl has a master." I sighed, looking at the drawing I had made of the demon, "This has to be who it is, and it is powerful enough to kill an angel."

"I just- I have to let everyone know." I pinched the bridge of my nose, "I can't keep this hidden anymore-"

Luke immediately denied, reminding me of the consequences, "You do that, and it unravels everything about Raziel and the wish."

"Luke, I don't care if the Clave locks me up." I made it clear, "If I had to bring Jace back- I'd do it all over again."

"Well, I do- and so does Clary." Luke argues, "What do you think she's gonna think when she loses her little sister?"

I sigh, "Luke-"

"And what about Jace?" Luke adds in, "He carried that same lie- he'll be in trouble just like you."

I huff and sat down, "And the last thing he needs is for his treatment to be interrupted."

-

"You look better." I heard Isabelle's voice as I walked through the halls.

"I'm finally back to myself." Jace's voice made me stop, "Whatever the Silent Brothers did, it was a success."

Clary's voice followed as I walked into the Ops Center, seeing Jace stood with her, Alec, and Isabelle, "So- you're finally cleared for duty?"

Jace nods, "Yes, I am."

"Jace!" I ran over to my boyfriend and threw my arms around him, "It worked?"

Clary, Alec and Isabelle gave him and I privacy, as I pulled back, holding his hands, "It's so amazing to have you back- I was worried."

Jace held my hand, as I walked with him to the hall, "It's good to be back."

"A lot happened while you were gone." I began to tell him, "We need to talk, but- not here."

"We can talk later." Jace let go of my hand, beginning to walk away, "I want to get caught up in the Ops Center."

My eyebrows furrowed, "Jace?"

He stopped and looked at me, "Yeah?"

I looked between his eyes, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm great." Jace shrugged my concern off and turned away again, "We'll talk later, okay?"

-

"It all happened so fast, I couldn't process any of it before I passed out." I stood with Magnus, as he stared at the drawing, "This is the best I can remember."

Magnus' eyes scan the picture, "I've seen a lot of demons in my day, but never this."

"The last thing I remember, it touched its claw to my chest." I put my hair behind my ear, "I still don't know why it didn't kill me."

"Powerful demons often leave an imprint, traces of their unique energy." Magnus set the picture down, "If I can tap into the spot where it made contact with you, perhaps we can get a better sense of what we're dealing with."

I nodded, gathering my hair and standing directly in front of him.

Magnus uses his magic, red magic overpowering his blue magic, as he pulled his fingers away, rubbing them together.

My eyes scan his expression, "What is it?"

"This energy signature, it's the same as the one that corrupted the ley lines." Magnus recalled, "It seems that we're chasing the same demon."

Magnus wrote on the drawing and sent it as a fire message, my eyes widening, "Magnus- what are you doing?"

"I'm sending a message to an old contact." Magnus told me, calming me, "He has access to information far beyond my resources- hopefully, he's willing to help us identify the beast."

"I should tell Jace." I nodded once, then looked down, debating whether or not I should really tell him.

"Biscuit?" Magnus notices my change in expression, "Is everything okay?"

I sigh, "I tried to tell Jace about all of this earlier, but- he was acting strange."

"Strange how?" Magnus questioned.

"I don't know- maybe I'm being a paranoid, worried, crazy girlfriend- but, he didn't exactly seem happy to see me." I looked at Magnus, "I tried to hug him and it just, it felt odd."

"Relationships." Magnus exhales, "They can be exasperating, can't they?"

I shrugged lightly, "Yeah."

"Sometimes, it's best just to be patient." Magnus told me, "Jace has been through a lot- he probably just needs some time."

Then, the fire message came flying back in, as Magnus caught it, "Ah, we're in luck."

"Brother Zachariah says he's willing to meet." Magnus held the message, "Tonight."

-

I looked around, "So- where is your friend?"

"He should be here." Magnus simply said, looking around as well, silence following.

"Magnus-" I notice his silence, "Are you okay?"

Magnus glances at me, "Yeah."

"I'm so sorry, I've been so focused on my own problems-" I stepped closer to him, "I can tell something's going on."

"Alec and I had a fight." Magnus opened up and looked down, "A bad one- we both said some things we didn't actually mean."

"I'm sorry." I apologized again, crossing my arms, "But- there's nothing you two can't work out, you're the gold standard."

Magnus gave me a soft smile, "I hope that's true."

"Magnus Bane-" A voice caught our attention, a man suddenly stood a few feet away from us, "It has been too long."

"Indeed, it has- I'm sorry to call on you like this." Magnus agreed and apologized, then introduced him to me, "Zee, this is Brother Zachariah."

I was confused, "You're a Silent Brother?"

"I know I appear unlike the others, but- that is a tale for another day." He said, then handed Magnus a book and a scroll, "These texts contain information on long forgotten demon forms, they may hold a clue to your creature's identity."

His mouth hadn't moved at all, "You understand, if the Brotherhood discovers I helped you with this-"

"No one will know you were here today." Magnus promised him, "Thank you for your assistance."

Brother Zachariah's voice was calm, "Any friend of Will Herondale is a friend of mine."

"Herondale?" I blurt out.

Magnus looks at me, "We both were close with Jace's ancestor."

"I know I shouldn't ask this, but- did you help with Jace's treatment?" I hesitantly asked, "He's been acting differently since he got back."

"We received his treatment request." He replied, "I would have been happy to oversee it."

"Would have been?" I repeated his words, "What do you mean?"

He then informed us, "Jace Herondale never came to the Silent City."

-

"If he wasn't in the City of Bones, then- where the hell was he?" I questioned when Magnus and I came out of the portal outside of the Hunters Moon.

Magnus assures me, "I'm sure there's an explanation, maybe- even a good one."

"Magnus, we're supposed to be in this together!" I argued, "You don't just- lie to someone you love."

"Wait." Magnus stopped suddenly, "You said Jace was acting cold towards you earlier?"

I nod, "Yeah."

"Detached?" Magnus presses, "As if he didn't have any feelings for you anymore?"

I sigh, "I don't know- I guess so."

"Around the time that Jace was preparing to go to the Silent City, a woman came to see me." Magnus told me, "She requested an elixir that would make a person fall out of love."

"There was something off about her- I couldn't put my finger on it right away, but what if she was simply masking her power?" Magnus thought out loud, "What if she was the demon that attacked you, disguised in human form?"

I blinked, "You really think that's possible?"

"To complete the potion, a sliver of soul was required from the object of affection." Magnus recalled, "And you wondered why that demon only touched you, instead of just killing you."

"But- why?" I questioned our loud, "Why would this woman give this elixir to Jace?"

Magnus exhales, "We need to find him."

I got my phone out and called Luke.

Luke's voice filled the line, "Hey, kiddo."

I don't even greet him, "Luke, you at Hunter's Moon?"

"Yeah." Luke replied.

I looked at Magnus, "Is Jace there?"

"Yeah." Luke told me, "He just left a couple of minutes ago- why, what's wrong?"

-

I heard a woman's screams as I ran down the alley, pulling out my kindjals.

I slid to a stop, the Owl over Ollie.

"Stop!" I shouted, throwing my kindjals at him.

He dodged one and grabbed the other, throwing it towards me, as Magnus used his magic, blocking it after getting between us.

His hands glowed red as he threw Magnus back.

Luke was suddenly behind him and shot him three times, a familiar groaning filling our ears.

The Owl disguise disappeared, revealing Jace.

"Oh, my God-" I stepped back, "Jace."

Jace growled and leaps onto the wall, climbing onto the roof of a building.

I took another step back; shocked, "It was him all along."

authors note:

these short chapters are wild tbh

but, oop zee and Magnus moments

thank you for 13k !!!

go read redamancy !!

vote and comment loadsss