Isabelle sighs, when her, Jace and I were heading right for Sebastian's apartment, "Zee, don't-"

"No- no, god- I knew there was something off about Sebastian- or Jonathan-" I was walking fast, "I should've never second-guessed myself-"

"He would've found his way into our lives, one way or another." Jace said, "The only thing that matters now is taking Jonathan and Valentine out-"

"Jonathan!-" Isabelle shouts when we kicked through the door, to see him seated in a chair.

Jace had his sword, "Turn around and face us."

"Where is Valentine?" I questioned, my hands tight on my kindjals as we were all armed and ready.

Isabelle slowly pushes him to face us, his dead body revealing, making Jace speak, "He's been dead for days- tortured first."

"It's not Jonathan." I let my guard down, "This was the real Sebastian Verlac-"

Jace exhales, "Ave atque vale."

"Hail and farewell." We all recite.

When he started to shake, then screeched and jumped onto the wall, snarling at us, Jace held his ground, "It's a possessing demon-"

"Izzy-" I called out to her, as she quickly used her whip and pulled Sebastian to the ground, as I stabbed my kindjals into him, killing the demon.

Isabelle exhales slowly, "We'll make 'em pay for what they did to you-"

My jaw was clenched, "We're going to make them pay for everything."

-

"Have you notified the Verlac family yet?" asked Inquisitor Herondale, as we were on video chat with her in Alec's office.

Alec replies, "The Penhallow daughter, Aline, will deliver the message in person, Madame Inquisitor."

"Defiling the body of a fallen soldier and turning it into a booby trap is sadly par for the course for Valentine, isn't it?" Inquisitor Herondale said.

"The possessing demon wouldn't have done this its own." Alec says, "The trap could only have been set using the Mortal Cup to command it."

Inquisitor Herondale scoffs, "So, he had it all along."

"And our intel shows he's also in possession of the Mortal Sword." Alec added in after she spoke.

Inquisitor Herondale exhales, "Do you have any good news for me today, Mr. Lightwood?"

"Valentine and Jonathan believe that the New York Institute is in possession of the Mortal Mirror." Alec mentioned, "They won't leave the city without it."

Inquisitor Herondale nods once, "Thank the Angel that at least he wasn't able to find that."

"We were." Alec looked back at me, "Zee."

"My connection with the Angel led us to it, and fortunately for us, It's in Idris." I had my hands behind my back as I stepped up, "The mirror is Lake Lyn."

"That's the very same water that Raziel first rose from." Inquisitor Herondale gapes, "Who else knows about this?"

"Unfortunately, the number of people we can trust is getting smaller by the day." Jace joins, "We thought it best to tell you first."

"We'd like to officially request soldiers from the Guard to be placed in the surrounding woods around the lake." Jace asks, "It may only be a matter of time before Valentine realizes he's been had."

"I'll speak to Consul Malachi about deployment at once." Inquisitor Herondale said before the video chat cut out, "Good hunting."

Jace exhales slow, walking around Alec's desk, "So- what do we do now?"

"Start looking." I sigh and crossed my arms, "It's like looking for a needle in a haystack-"

"The job is too big to go alone." Alec got up, "We need to ask for help."

Jace looks at him, "From who, Alec?"

Alec looks between Jace and I, "From everyone."

-

The Seelie Queen's voice rang in the room when we walked in, beginning the meeting that was waiting to be started, "Where, oh where is Simon?"

"Your Highness-" I scoffed, crossing my arms when I saw her, "What an unpleasant surprise."

Alec's expression drops almost immediately, "I'm sure she didn't mean to-"

"No offense, Alec, but- I agree with Zee." Jace took my side, even if the kiss had made him learn the truth, "Your Majesty- is this another one of your little games?"

"The Institute called an emergency meeting of the Downworld Council." She looks between us, "I speak on behalf of the Downworld."

Alec looks, "Magnus, is this true?"

"Henceforth, when you need anything from the Downworld, you shall address me, Mr. Lightwood." She speaks against when Magnus doesn't reply, making me sense something was wrong between them, "Such is the nature of our new agreement."

"Your Highness, Valentine believes the Institute has the Mortal Mirror; and he's not going to leave the city without it." Alec said, "I would like the Downworld's help in locating him."

She shot back, "In order to capture him so that he might escape once again?"

"In order to execute him so this threat may finally end." Alec set the ultimatum straight.

"Why should we believe you?" She questioned.

"I understand why you might doubt my intentions after what happened with the Soul Sword- and for that, I am sorry." Alec told them, "But, I founded this council to make things more transparent between the Downworld and the Clave."

She asks, "And how has that been going?"

"It's been a bit of a work in progress." Alec replies.

"For far too long, the Downworld has depended on the Clave and your Institute to protect us from men like Valentine." She said to him, "It's time we learnt our lesson and started fighting for ourselves."

"We can't do this alone." Alec took a step closer, "Valentine is a threat to all of us."

She got up, "The answer, Shadowhunters- is no."

-

"Hi-" I peak my head through the kitchen doors at the Jade Wolf, "Sorry to interrupt- but, I need Simon."

"Zee-" Maia greets me, "Hey- long time."

"Hi, Maia." I gave her a small smile, then looked at Simon, "Come on?-"

Simon nodded lightly and walks out the Jade Wolf with me, my first words being, "You and Maia, huh?"

"Yeah. I guess it kind of just, uh- happened." Simon stopped in front of me, "I hope it doesn't- upset you- or make you feel weird- since I was dating Clary- and now-"

"Simon, I couldn't care less." I told it to him straight, giving him a pursed smile, "It's none of my business."

"Okay, okay- uh, good- well, I can tell from the look that this isn't just checking in with a friend, so-" Simon began, "What's wrong?"

"I need you to do something for me." I put my hands in my pockets, "Could be a big job- depending on your view on it."

"You know I always have your back, Young." Simon said, "And there's no job that's too big."

I blink, "I need you to talk to the Seelie Queen."

He shakes his head, "That job's too big-"

"Simon!" I grabbed his arm before he could walk away, "Look, if the Clave goes to war with the Downworld, everything that we know and love will be destroyed- and, you, Simon Lewis, shocking- could be the one person that even has a chance of getting the Seelie Queen to change her mind and work with us."

"And how do you know this for sure?" He asks.

I let go, "She asked about you."

"Me?" Simon repeats, "At the meeting for the fate of the whole world?"

"Yes, she did- so, she'll at least hear you out- okay?" I nodded once, "Please?"

Simon stares at me, then nods, "Okay-"

-

"So, you want to use your blood to track your un-trackable brother through the Angelic connection that you and I share?" Jace took off his jacket when we walked into the courtyard after learning Valentine was on his way to Idris, "Well, totally- that sounds great, doable."

"Oh, shut up-" I shot him a look, taking off my jacket as well, "I can just hear in your tone that you're dying to make fun of me-"

"Maybe." Jace softly smiles, "Maybe not."

"I just to give it a try, we don't have any other ideas right now-" I tie my hair up, "Jonathan and I both have Morgenstern blood in our veins- I don't know, maybe, I can use our shared connections to figure out where Jonathan is."

"I mean, it does sound crazy- but," I pulled out my stele and drew a rune on my arm, "It's all I've got."

"Alright, alright-" Jace stood in front of me, giving in, "Give it your best shot."

I softly smiled, then pulled on his collar to draw the rune on him, but there was no blank spot, "Uh-"

Jace looked up at me, our faces inches away.

"Blank spot-" I clear my throat and stepped back, my hand on the back of my neck, "Could you just take off your shirt?-"

"Wow, Zee-" Jace almost immediately smirked, "That was extremely forward-"

I looked at him, "Jace-"

Jace couldn't stop the smirk on his lips, taking off his shirt and tossing it to the side, "Better?"

"Yeah-" I took a step closer again and went to draw the rune, but looked at him again, "Jace-"

Jace almost laughs, "What now?"

"You're distracting me-" I had a hand on his shoulder, looking up at him, "Stop looking at me like that-"

"Okay, okay- fine- I won't look at you at all, then." Jace looked up and straight ahead, "Go ahead-"

I exhale through my nose and drew the rune, watching as all his runes started to light up one by one, along with mine, a rushing feeling coursing through my veins, quite suddenly.

Jace felt it too, and I knew that when his head tilting down to look at me in the eyes, one hand on my waist and the other holding the face.

I stared at him, my heart beating out of my chest.

Jace was overwhelmed with the feeling just as much as I was, him leaning down and pressing his lips right into mine.

And I indulged.

My hands grabbed his face, melting into the kiss, until the connection broke, a wave sending us both apart, as I took a few steps back, my eyes wide.

Jace stares at me with wide eyes as well.

The feeling was overwhelming.

-

"Why would they hide in a graveyard?" asked Clary when we came out the other side of the portal I had just made.

Isabelle took a few steps, "They probably raided an old weapons cache."

"Doesn't explain what happened to everybody else here." Jace said, following us through the graveyard.

"I don't think they left." Alec noticed, then looks at us, "Let's split up."

"I'll go with Alec." I called almost immediately, everyone's eyes falling on me since I usually went with Jace, "Sorry, can't focus with you around me-"

Jace tilts his head, "I have that affect on women-"

I grimace, before pulling out of my kindjals and nodding toward Alec, running off to the building and walking inside slowly, armed and ready with him by my side.

"Something going on with you and Jace?" Alec asked the moment we were alone, his bow ready, "You're acting the way you did when you slept with him after finding out you two weren't related-"

"Something happened with you and Magnus?" I changed the subject, "Don't think I don't notice the looks- oh, and don't get me started on the tension-"

"I'll explain when our lives aren't on the line-" Alec looked around for a few moments when it was suspiciously quiet, his hands tightening on the bow.

I look at him for just a moment, "And when is that ever not the case?-"

"Zee, get down!" Alec shouts, as I did exactly that, him shooting arrows above me, as I looked, seeing Forsaken's coming right for us in groups.

I joined in on the fun, fighting them off with him the best I could, but they just kept coming and coming whenever we thought it was over.

So, we made a run for it, taking out the ones that followed us, running into Clary and Isabelle, taking out the last ones they had as well.

I skid to a stop, "Where's Jace?-"

"Sebastian-" Clary said, "He took him-"

When more snarls and groans sounded from behind us, I looked at Alec, then at Isabelle, "Go- we've got this-"

Isabelle didn't hesitate, rushing after Jace and Sebastian, as Clary, Alec and I handled off the rest of the Forsaken the best we could.

When we wiped them all out, we rushed toward the bridge they stood on, Isabelle having Sebastian by her whip, "That's why I'm giving you a more honorable death than you deserve-"

She let go of him, Jace getting up and piercing his seraph blade through Sebastian, "That spot on a man's back- father taught me, too."

Sebastian tried grabbing Jace, but he threw him off the bridge, as he landed in the water, surrounded in his own blood as we ran over to Isabelle and Jace

"Jace-" I put my kindjals in my sheaths, my hands on his arms, my eyes wide at the wound, "You're hurt-"

"It's okay-" Jace suddenly pulled me into his side, rubbing my arm to comfort me, "I'm okay-"

My heart leaped at the touch, as we all looked down at Sebastian's dead body, "Hail and farewell."

-

"You know, you don't have to heal them all at once." Jace said to me as I was in the infirmary with him, holding onto the stele, healing his wounds as he laid on the bed, leaned up into a seated position.

"Yes I do." I quietly said, my eyes glued to his bare body as I focused on his wounds, healing them one by one for him.

Jace stares at my face even when I wasn't making eye contact with him, playing a hand on mine, stopping me from continuing, "What's on your mind?"

I slowly look up, "Valentine is still out there."

Jace intertwines our fingers through having a hand on mine, "Yeah, well- at least we got Jonathan, right?"

"I guess we did." I couldn't help but slowly start to tear up, "If I didn't send Isabelle when I did- if we would have been one second later, he would have killed you-"

Jace stares, "People die in war, Zee."

"I don't care." Tears were present in my eyes, my voice a broken whisper, "I can't lose you."

Jace squeezes my hand just lightly, his eyes locked with mine, the connection between us strong, "You're not the only person afraid of losing someone."

"Jace-" I got even quieter, a small tear falling from my eye, "I told you to find someone else-"

"There is no one else." Jace kept his eyes looking into mine, his voice getting just as quiet as mine was, "There's no one like you."

I stared at him for a few moments, the tension becoming too much for the two of us, noticing how he started to lean in slowly, as this time, I was the one to close the distance between our lips.

authors note:

this chapter makes me so happy because they kissed skskskks TWICE

they had so many moments in this chapter, it makes me soft cause i feel like we've been deprived of zace recently

alec and zee are such a good brotp, i stan them

but, thank you for 25k !!

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