"Did he say anything?" Jace asked Alec when we walked down to the sub-cells that day. Jonathan had been locked up and restrained in a cell, hanging from chains. His mouth was covered in a gag, preventing him from speaking.

"No. Underhill's been questioning him about the Morning Star sword, but— he refuses to speak to anyone." Alec exhaled deeply and shook his head. He then looked at me. "Except Zee."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I blinked, turning for the door to the cell. "Let me in— I'll question him."

"Zee, no-" Jace grabbed my forearm immediately, stopping me. He tugged me back towards him. "If you get any closer to him, you're only gonna strengthen his power over you."

"I have an anchor, remember?" I raised an eyebrow at him, tugging on my arm against his grip lightly to urge him to let me do this. "As long as you're here, I'll be fine."

Jace let out a small sigh. He let go of my arm and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Then right here is where I'll be."

I gave him a weak smile before turning towards the door, nodding at the Shadowhunter guarding it to let me in. He opened the door and Jonathan's eyes lit up immediately at the sight of me. I kept my expression blank as I walked in, watching as they removed his gag and let me alone in the cell with him.

I stared at him silently, full of suspicion.

"Don't worry." Jonathan broke the silence between us. "I won't bite."

"Where is the Morning Star sword, Jonathan?" I leaned back against the glass and crossed my arms over my chest.

Instead of answering my question, Jonathan smiled at me. "I missed you too."

"Jonathan." My tone became more strict. I kept my responses short and straight to the point. "Where is the sword? We know it's capable of opening a rift into Edom— is that why you want it? To release demons into our world? 'Cause the ultimate destruction?"

"It's a Morgenstern family heirloom and it belongs in the hands of its rightful owners— us." Jonathan took a glance at the glass and his smile only widened— he was having fun. "Your boyfriend is keeping an awfully close eye on you, isn't he? Do you think he feels guilty about leaving you alone at the ice rink?"

"I'm not in the mood for small talk." I narrowed my eyes at him. "If you're not going to answer my questions truthfully— I'll gladly have Alec send you straight to the Gard without question. Being best friends with the Head of the Institute has its perks, doesn't it?"

"Fine— I'll tell you everything you want to know." Jonathan hung his head back. "If you just stay here a little longer."

I stood still. "I'm listening."

"I didn't even know you existed, Zee, 'til not so long ago." Jonathan lifted his head to look at me better. "I'd been in Edom for what felt like an eternity— and one night, a Manibus demon was banished to Edom. It didn't make sense— Manibus demons never were banished to Edom but Lilith told me it was because of a Shadowhunter wielding angelic light. She told me about you- and Clary, she said you two were our father's other experiments."

I stared at him, completely silent.

"That was the first time I ever heard your name— Zee Morgenstern." Jonathan looked at me with delight. "It was like music to my ears and I felt something that I had never felt before— hope."

"What the hell does your upbringing have to do with the sword?" I pushed myself off the glass. "I don't want to hear this— it has nothing to do with the sword."

"Of course it does! That moment changed everything for me." Jonathan argued back. "I realized that you were the only person that I needed— I felt it. Finally, I had someone to fight by my side. Not against me, not in spite of me, but— with me. Everything I do, I do for you. I want the Morning Star sword for you. For us."

-

"You're hiding something." I paced around Jonathan, my arms crossed over my chest. I had taken off my leather jacket and was more relaxed now that I was getting answers out of him.

Jonathan watched me. "I'm not."

"You're lying." I stopped in front of him, narrowing my eyes at him. "You don't want me to know what your plan is, do you? It'll make me hate you even more, won't it?"

"You can't hate me." Jonathan laughed slightly. "I'm your brother."

I retort. "Wanna bet?"

The humor left Jonathan's face and his voice lowered. "I would never hide anything from you."

"How did you hear about the sword?" I back away from him, gripping my arms lightly.

"Mother." Jonathan sighed through his nose. "She told me about it."

"Okay?" I nodded for him to go on. "And?"

"I had been in Edom just a few years. I was still naive enough to think that my time there was temporary." Jonathan's eyes lingered with mine. "I wanted so badly to escape Edom. I asked her how one would even get out of Edom— and she told me of a sword called the Morningstar that could open a rift in the sky if someone with Morgenstern blood wielded it. After telling me this— she said there was not a Morgenstern alive that would care enough about me to save me from Edom and that no one loved me like she loved me. I would run to the highest tower every night after that and scream until my throat was sore and my lungs would hurt. I would scream and shout for help, but— no one came. No one rescued me."

My poker face was long gone. My eyes were wide and starting to water, a rush of panic and realization washing over me. I stumbled back a few steps, steadying myself after a moment.

"Zee?" Jonathan noticed my change in attitude almost immediately. He tugged on his restraints slightly, trying to lean closer to me despite the fact that I was feet away. "Are you okay?"

I blinked and spun on my heel, leaving his cell as quickly as I could. I barely glanced at Alec or Jace, who had been standing there and watching me the whole time to make sure Jonathan didn't get to me. I rushed upstairs to my room just as the tears in my eyes became more clear and were threatening to spill over.

Footsteps hurried into my room after me and moments later, my boyfriend's voice filled my ears along with the sound of the door being shut behind him to give us privacy. "Zee? What's wrong? What did he say?"

"Oh my god, oh my god-" I whispered to myself, one hand hovering over my mouth. My other arm still remained hugged around my chest and I refused to face Jace. "This is all my fault-"

"What're you talking about?" Jace gently placed his hands onto my arms. I flinched away from him, which only intensified his concern. He placed his hands onto my arms again, rubbing them gently to comfort me. He slowly turned me to face him. "Zee, hey— look at me. Talk to me. What's going on?"

"I used to have nightmares when I was a kid." The moment my eyes locked with his, the tears in my eyes fell down my cheeks. "Do you remember how bad they got? I would wake up screaming and shaking. I couldn't sleep alone for ages— I would always try to keep myself awake and would miss training because I was so tired. Even when I had naps— it took you guys forever to calm me down. I was a mess— do you remember what I was dreaming about? What scared me so much?"

Realization hit Jace's expression in every direction. "The boy in a burning tower."

I nodded, more tears falling. "The evil queen— the one who kept her prince locked in a burning tower, so that he could never love anyone but her. He would scream and cry out for help and I was supposed to save him— and I would try. I would try to save him, but I never made it to the top. I would always fall to my death— over and over, and his screams just got worse-"

"The prince was Jonathan." Jace sighed softly when he pieced it together, his arm wrapping around me. His other hand found the side of my face as he gently wiped my uncontrollable tears with the pad of his thumb.

"It was him." I nodded with a quiet sob. I closed my eyes and let my head hang, the guilt burning too strongly in my chest. "I was supposed to rescue him and I couldn't. And now, he's here— he's not in a burning tower, he's in a cell and I can't help him. I can't rescue him— he keeps trying to get through to me and it's hopeless. I couldn't save him then and I can't save him now— he's like this because of me. It's my fault-"

"Zee, hey-" Jace grabbed my face in both of his large hands and tilted my head up towards his. I opened my eyes just barley, letting out another sob as I leaned into his embrace. "Even if this was a message from the angels— you were just a kid. There was no way you could've saved him and who he is today is not because of you. You can't save everyone, Zee— no matter how much you want to."

I met his eyes again. "I know, but— I mean, if I had known? If I had known, I could've- maybe her wouldn't be like this-"

"No." Jace shook his head towards me weakly, leaning in closer to look deeper into my eyes. "It was already too late. You couldn't have changed him— and you still can't. Jonathan made the choices that brought him up to who he is and he is responsible. Not you."

I started to cry harder then, both my hands covering my mouth as I tried to muffle the inaudible sounds escaping my lips. I leaned into Jace and he held me tightly, resting his cheek on my head as he rubbed my back comfortingly.

-

"So, you think this can separate Zee from Jonathan?" Clary asked later that night when we were gathered together in the weapons room.

"I have to run some tests, but yeah." Isabelle smiled softly, gesturing the the Heavenly Fire that her and Simon obtained. "That's the idea."

"I can't believe you guys did this." I stared at them incredulously, then pointed at Simon. "What if you died?"

"You have got to have more faith in me than that." Simon smiled down at me. "Come on, Young, we'd do anything for you— especially, if it means disconnecting you from your creepy brother."

"Well, we have Heavenly Fire." Alec was smiling too. "We don't know where the Morning Star sword is, but— the only two people who can use it are right here at the Institute."

Isabelle adds in. "Aldertree will be prosecuted for his crimes against the Accords— and Jia is considering commuting Raphael's sentence, along with the other Downworlders now turned into mundanes."

"It's the least they could do." Simon exclaims.

"All right, well, if I'm no longer needed here, there's somewhere I need to be." Alec shot us all another smile before leaving the room.

"What is he talking about?" I whispered to Jace as he and I slowly left the weapons room. "Where does he need to be?"

Jace's lips stretched out into a smile as he dropped his head down to whisper in my ear. "He's proposing to Magnus tonight."

"What?" I gasped, looking at him with wide eyes. "The bastard! He didn't even tell me!"

"You were a little preoccupied." Jace gave me a weak smile, putting a strand of hair behind my ear, reminding me of all the time I've spent with Jonathan today.

"I need to go see him." I went quiet.

Jace nodded lightly. "I'll come with you."

-

"Zee, don't-" Jace began but let out a sigh when I pulled Jonathan's gag off his face anyways, handing it to the guard so that Jonathan could speak.

"What's wrong, Jace?" Jonathan snapped his head towards Jace. "Are you jealous of our bond?"

"What reason would I have to be jealous? She's always been mine— you've never really been much of a threat." Jace taunted easily. "I feel nothing towards you."

I place my hand on his arm to signal it was my turn to talk now. "We found a way to destroy the Twinning Rune— you won't be down here much longer."

"No." Jonathan went pale. "It's not possible."

"It's more than possible." Jace folded his hands. "It's inevitable."

"No— you won't do it." Jonathan looked heartbroken. "I have so much more to share with you. I'm your brother— Zee, don't let them do this!"

"You almost killed my brother— you killed a dozen Shadowhunters, people we trained with." Jace glared at him. "She wants you gone just as much as the rest of us— she will never be yours."

Jonathan shouts at him. "Let her speak!"

"I'm sorry, Jonathan— I really am." My heart ached seeing him so distressed. "But, I can't have this rune on me any longer— this is the way it has to be."

"No." Jonathan whispered brokenly as Jace pulled me towards the door, pounding his fist to signal we wanted out. "Lilith was right— no one's ever coming for me, are they?"

My heart shattered into pieces.

"You were supposed to be my princess." Jonathan was tearing up and trying to maintain eye contact with me but Jace was already pulling me out the cell. "Zee?"

"Zee, don't leave me!" Jonathan's scream echoed when Jace quickly rushed me toward the elevator, covering my ears with his palms. "Please, don't leave me!"

But, I still heard his screams.

I heard them worsen with every call.

authors note:

ahhh, i'm updating this book again. i'm sorry it took longer than i said it would !! i know it's been months. but— i've sort of figured out how I want to go about this book so hopefully it all works outtt

thank you for 74k !!!

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