A/N: I've posted a pic of what I find very similar to Clary's look above (yes I know the style is WOF related . . . I love that series tbh). The rest of the dragon pics will be shown over the next few chapters (cause I'm having trouble posting them on the regular page). And as you know, Alec's dragon form is on the front cover, so there's that. Enjoy!

****Alec's POV****

The bitter tang of ale made his nose wrinkle as a mug of the brown liquid was slid his way. He had tried this sort of stuff before —just to see what it tasted like— only to find himself vaguely disappointed. Isabelle had said alcohol wasn't about the taste but the effect, yet he thought that it was silly for it not to taste good. Why can't it be both? He had asked this question, resulting in an eye roll from Izzy and a snort from Jace.

Apparently he was what humans would call 'uncultured'.

He didn't know what that meant, but it certainly sounded rude.

Magnus was staring at him intently for the past few minutes. Alec had did his part in ignoring the intense case, wanting a second to breathe before he dealt with yet another problem. Talking to that Maia girl had shown him just the kind of backwards thinking King Asmodeus had sown into his people. And it left him feeling more than a little worried as to what the outcome of this visit would be.

But you have a mission. And you can't fail Omni.

This dragon, responsible for the Lightwood name, would get the respect they deserved.

Consequences be darned.

And he knew his parents agreed with him, because they held the same values he did.

"Ahem. Ahem."

Sighing, he retraced his gaze from the pool of dark liquid. And just as he had seen last time, Magnus was staring at him with what might've been a mix of amazement and shock. It was a strange look. Wish he'd stop.

"What?"

"How did you do that?" Magnus asked.

"I don't know what you mean."

He hummed, contemplating taking another sip. While the stuff tasted rather yucky, it was better than allowing himself to keep thirsty. Plus, it wasn't as though dragons got intoxicated easily anyways. It took a lot to get any of them drunk. It probably had to do with their body mass in comparison to humans. Or so Maryse claimed.

"Cut the crap Alexander. You know exactly what I mean."

"Oh do I?" Alec flashed him a sly grin. "And whose to say you're right?"

Magnus reached out and punched him lightly on the shoulder. His gold eyes were like liquid honey in the natural lighting of the bar, reflecting the polished metal nailed into the wooden tabletops. Their booth was sequestered off in a far corner away from prying eyes, but that didn't stop the well of unease he kept in his chest. The dead dragon on the wall made something in him roar with outrage. If peace was achieved, those mounted 'trophies' would be the first thing he would make sure the humans got rid of.

Not if, when. You can do this. You have Magnus with you.

Magnus, who looked to be growing annoyed if the flaring of his nostrils as he exhaled was anything to go by. "Please stop joking around. It's been a long day."

You're telling me.

He was the one walking right into enemy territory, not Magnus.

"Please don't tease me. I just wanted to say I was impressed."

"Oh fine." Alec gave him a soft smile. "Though I don't think it's that big of a deal."

Magnus crossed his arms, shaking his head as he leaned back in his seat. "Then you clearly don't know Maia well. She's one of the most stubborn people I know."

Alec chuckled. "I suppose it takes one to know one Hmm?"

"Rude. But touché."

"So," he clasped his hands together diplomatically, straightening up. "Now that we're here it's time we make a plan of action on how we're going to do this."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Oh no. I thought for sure we were just going to go to the palace, weapons brandished dragon form out and all until everyone there listened."

"Magnus, I'm being serious." Alec murmured.

"And whose to say I'm not. You may not realize this but, most humans living in Alicante are afraid of dragons. Showing force might be one of the only ways to get them to listen."

He frowned. "But these are your people. Do you really want to put them at risk of harm?" Alec pictured the chaos that would occur if the citizens of Alicante saw him in his true form. Their shrieks of terror would be the least of their worries. The hunters would take to arms and the king would undoubtedly be outraged.

And things get worse from then on. Worse case scenario another war between humans and dragons ensues. But this time only one side will be left standing.

That might just be his biggest fear of all.

"Of course not Alec. I don't want anyone to get hurt. I'm just saying that they might not listen to reason. If Valentine really is going to attack Alicante like Omni warned you then time is of the essence. And I'm sure my people would rather have their first reintroduction of dragons be one trying to protect them than one coming to rip them all apart."

And indeed, that was the issue.

Because in this situation it was hard to grasp what the "right" path was.

Or if there's even one to begin with he thought darkly.

"Okay, but can you just hear me out first?" Alec asked.

Magnus sighed. "Sure, but I doubt it'll change anything."

I suppose that's better than nothing.

But just as he opened his mouth to speak someone was coming up right to their table. Alec clamped his mouth shut, teeth grinding in a way that really did nothing to him as Ragnor strode into view. The warlock was no longer swaying in the drunken sense from before, eyes clear as he regarded Magnus and Alec both with an imperceptible smile.

"Mind if I join in?" He asked.

Now that he wasn't slouched over on a stool Alec picked out the minute details he missed before. The scent of ale clung to his breath like a bad aftertaste, a splash of dampness on a velvet tunic rested below the ruby broach the man had clipped to his suit jacket. What must have been a pocket watch poked out of his left pocket, the golden chain allowing for extension peeking out precariously over the edge. There were frills in his white undershirt, the squiggly lines matching with the weird tan of his pants. For Alec, who perpetually wore sweaters (many of which had holes) this fashion sense befuddled him to no end. So he thumbed with the cuffs of his sleeves, noting how the dark blue there had begun to fade.

Magnus sent a look Alec's direction.

He knew what it meant without any words shared between them.

"Can he sit with us?"

Alec nodded, reasoning there was no harm in it.

Which turned out to be totally wrong.

Because the first words Ragnor said when he did sit down were:

"Magnus, while its great to see you again, I am curious as to why you've brought a dragon with you to Alicante."

****Clary's POV****

She just about stumbled on the last gravelly stone on their way out of the cave. Jace's golden tail wrapping around her arm was all that kept her steady in that moment. Claw tips groaned with effort as she picked out the last little distance into the freedom of open space. Her flame-colored tail swished behind her, the new add-on kept giving her the weirdest sensations each time it brushed over a new surface.

"Ah! Fresh air!" Jace sighed contentedly.

Clary found herself taking in a breath too, the cold chill fleeting now in her new form. Just the tiniest pinprick of an ache got underneath her scales. This was a comfortable temperature, leagues different from the overbearing chill she suffered with earlier.

"That's well and great and all, but what exactly are we supposed to do now?"

Jace turned to glance at her. Grass sprouted up from the gaps in the pebbled entrance, little weeds the first signs of life before the rest of the forest meters ahead. The crunching sounds were muted when Jace sifted through the pebbles, picking up one particularly smooth one before chucking it. It thunked as it hit a pine tree.

"Well, first I'm going to teach you how to shift. Or, try to at least. That is what you want right?"

There were so many things she wanted.

Answers were the biggest thing that came to her mind.

But Jace was looking at her warmly, with a happy smile making the warmth in her stomach flare up. The sensation was far more expressive then it had been before, in her human body. I wonder if there's a reason for it?

But asking Jace such a question would be embarrassing, so she held her tongue.

"Yeah, I did want that. But what do you mean by try to teach?" Her suspicion rose as Jace's tail released her arm. The tip of it twitched like a confused compass, unsure which direction was north. A nervous habit.

"Well, you see, you . . . aren't exactly normal Clary."

She huffed. "Way to make a girl feel loved Jace."

Jace blinked. "I don't mean anything bad by it, this isn't an attempt at cruelty by any means, I just don't think dragonkind has ever seen a situation like yours before."

"Oh. You mean secretly being a dragon all this time and knowing nothing about it? Yeah, I guess I really am an idiot." Her head lowered. I don't feel the strangeness anymore, but maybe that was better than the out of place feeling I have now. It was hard to tell what was worse.

A jostle to the shoulder had her looking up again. Jace had inched closer, bulky wing thrown over her thin form like a curtain of golden leather. And if she wasn't mistaken his tail was laying on top of hers, it's weight a reassuring warmth as his gaze burned into her.

"Don't say that. You aren't an idiot. It's not your fault you didn't know. I'd say your parents are to blame here." He told her.

"Maybe, but what if my Mom didn't even remember?"

While she loved Jocelyn dearly, the head wound she received from whoever Clary's real father was had caused multiple problems through the years. Lapses in judgement and memory loss were two of the biggest ones. Not to mention the desperate murmurs at night, the cries for the lost child. She had wondered what her older brother would have been like had he made it to adulthood. But not all mysteries are meant to be solved and Jonathan is in a better place. Or so Luke told her.

"What do you mean?"

Clary rubbed at her arm, finding the texture of her smooth amber scales pleasant. The friction was gentle, like waves lapping at the shore. "Before I was born my birth father attacked her. She managed to get away thanks to Lu . . ." Her eyes widened.

Jace frowned. "Lu who?"

"Luke. He, he rescued her. He . . . There's no way he didn't know about Mom. That he didn't know she was a dragon." Shock rippled down her spine.

Jace still did not seem to be catching on, forehead scrunched in confusion. "So what if this Luke guy knew. I don't think it's too big a deal if he didn't tell the truth if it meant protecting you."

"I know. But I'm not getting at that."

"Then what are you getting at?"

"If Mom escaped Star Flower Valley, then whoever helped her had to have been a dragon too, just like my birth father." Clary murmured.

Both of them, all this time and I never knew.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

And then Jace did something strange, he sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Clary, did you ever wonder why I decided to bring you to the Cave of Truth, what made me realize there was something more to you?"

Clary glanced at him, catching the worry reflecting in his expression. Whatever he was about to say was not going to bode well for her. "No, though in my defense I was a little more worried about why I'd been feeling so off."

Jace nodded, as though he expected that. There was an intensity in his gaze as he looked at her, white, sharpened teeth poking out at the corners. Belatedly, she realized her teeth were like his now, the sharp points revealed with a flick of her tongue over them.

"Well you're not going to like what I have to say I'm afraid."

"I figured as much, so just tell me."

"I know who your father is. His name is Valentine Morgenstern."

*****

A/N: I know it's a cliffhanger but I could've left it at a worse place so do keep that in mind. Don't forget to vote and comment!