"What happened?" Magnus demands, parting the doors to his apartment with a loud bang

"He was attacked!" Simon panics

"He needs a warlock, Magnus" I inform, struggling under the weight of Luke's groaning form, "He needs you."

"Put him here" Magnus instructs, placing a white sheet on top of a lovely plush midnight-blue leather sofa. There's the reasoning for the sheet, I guess.

"Where are you?" Luke mutters weakly

"Right here, Luke, we're right here" Clary cries

"I can't find you" Luke mutters

I hush him, trying to stop him from writhing about so much but it's no use, he just keeps searching blindly, muttering the same words, "Where are you?"

"Jocelyn!" Luke pants, "Jocelyn..."

Mom?

"No, Luke, it's me, Cami" I reassure him as he places a shaking hand on my cheek

"Cami, listen to me. Listen...you have to listen to me. I have to tell you, just in case-"

"No, Luke, no! Don't say it, you're not dying!" I reject

"No, you need to know!" Luke insists, the most coherent I'd seen him since the fight

"He was bitten by an alpha, right?" Magnus asks me, a note of warning in his tone

"Yeah, why?"

"Three, two, one..."

Luke suddenly sits up, roaring as his eyes glow green...

"Oh my God!"

What the hell have we signed up for?

"Hold him down!" Magnus demands, moving from Luke's side and into the room we summoned the memory demon in

"Where do you think you're going?" Simon interrogates but Magnus ignores him, face resolute.

He appears back in the room less than a second later, with a bunch of things in his hands.

"We don't have a lot of time" Magnus utters, pressing some sort of square into Luke's mouth that he reflexively bites down on in response to the still-present pain, "It'll take a few moments to take effect."

"What's happening to him?" Clary gasps

"Random werewolf transformation" Magnus utters, "It's a side effect of the poison in the alpha bite."

Just as Magnus stops talking, Luke's body calms, the writing and thrashing stops and he stills peacefully, almost as if he were sleeping.

"The bark will stop the transformation for now" Magnus explains, reappearing with more things in his arms...I hadn't realised he'd even left, "But Luke needs an antidote to stop the poison in his system. And I don't have all the ingredients here."

"Tell us what you need and how to get it" I assure him, standing from Luke's side to face Magnus

"Nope. Sorry Buttercup and Biscuit, but you're staying here" Magnus demands but before I can protest, he speaks again, "Luke will need the both of you if he wakes up."

"When he wakes up" Clary corrects, anxiously

"I'll go" Simon and Jace say simultaneously and everyone turns to face Jace, who just came in to Magnus' apartment

"Jace, what happened to you?" Magnus simpers, noting a stream of dried blood down Jace's nose

"Luke's car may have found it's way into a pole while I was stashing it" Jace admits, "I don't do mundane driving"

"Yeah, apparently" Simon remarks, placing a possessive hand on Clary's shoulder.

I roll my eyes, it was hard enough to deal with Simon's petulant crush on Clary on a normal day, let alone when he felt threatened by someone...especially, Jace.

"What do you need for the antidote?" Jace questions, wiping the blood from his nose and ignoring Simon

"Hey, I got this!" Simon protests, shockingly leaving Clary's side

"Phoenix's eyes, moon salt and Idris fulgurite" Magnus lists and Jace gives Simon a pointed look

"One trip to the pharmacy, it'll take two seconds" Simon sasses, moving to pass Jace

"I know a guy" Jace stops Simon, grabbing his arm harshly, "And, uh...I don't need you."

"You know what?" I snap, "I think we've had enough alpha male contests for one day. The both of you are going and you're going now, before Luke dies. Which, by the way, I will blame both of you for if you do not move your fucking asses NOW!"

"Sorry, Cami" Simon apologises, moving towards the door, "Trust me, I'm on it!"

"As long as he doesn't speak to me" Jace remarks and I roll my eyes, shoving Jace out the door

"Whatever" I scoff, "Fucking boys"

"Where is the lovely Alexander tonight?" Magnus muses and I turn to face him with a death stare. Magnus raises his hands in surrender, "Of course, I am only asking because I am mystified he is not here to help Jace...and you."

"He's doing his thing, I'm doing mine" I shrug nonchalantly, trying to push it off, "We made an agreement."

Clary had drifted off to Luke's side and was kneeling beside him, her hand in his. She was out of earshot and none the wiser to our conversation. I was glad.

She'd meddled enough.

"An agreement is never enough to shake the bonds of a relationship" Magnus retorts and I scoff

"Tell that to Alec"

"I don't need to" Magnus smirks, "One word from you should be enough."

"Well, it wasn't!" I snap, "I practically begged him to come with us but he was like a boulder, immovable and cold."

"Practically?" Magnus raises an eyebrow, "Maybe actually begging would spark something in him."

"I'm not going to just beg a strong man to save me like some stupid damsel" I spit, "I'm perfectly capable of handling myself."

"I have no doubt, Buttercup, but I would advise you to call him and try once more"

"Why? It's not like he'll change his mind."

"He may...when he knows what you're going to have to do"

"And what's that?" I frown, anxiety bubbling in my chest

"To keep Luke going until the antidote is complete, I need to syphon energy from someone...someone strong. That'd be you." Magnus informs

"Me?" I deride, "I'm a mundane, Magnus."

"A mundani" Magnus corrects, "One with an incredibly powerful mind and a curse that gives you inconceivable strength and skill with only one action of another...trust me, you're energy is the one I need"

"Mundani energy or not, it won't be enough" I point out, "It's not like he's gonna come running just because you need to borrow some energy"

"Well, there is a catch" Magnus muses, "It could kill you. You're energy is strong but it's limited. It should hold me long enough to keep Luke from dying but if those boys don't hurry...you and Luke could die."

"Then" I whisper breathlessly, "Why use me? If I'm at risk of dying, then..."

"I was going to suggest using Alec's energy but it won't be nearly strong enough and I considered asking you but I knew you'd want to help Luke, regardless of what that means for your own safety...it's just who you are."

Magnus was right. He didn't need to ask for me to know I would do it to save Luke anyway. I place my hand over my pocket, the rectangular shape of my phone impressing into the skin of my hand.

I exhale loudly and move away from Magnus, who was currently working on the fixings of Luke's antidote and towards a corner of the room

"Off to call your love?" Magnus mocks

"No" I scowl, "Bathroom"

"Wrong way" Magnus chuckles, pointing to the direction of the bathroom

I huff and progress the other way, reaching the bathroom and closing the door behind me, pulling out my phone.

My finger hovers above Alec's number, considering whether I was really going to do this...beg a man I barely knew to come and help me before I potentially died.

I press 'Call.'

Okay, I guess I'm doing this then.

Pressing my phone to my ear, the droning ring echoes through the empty bathroom, an endless tone that seems to ring forever.

"You've reached Alec Lightwood"

I chuckle at his blatant voicemail, not so much as a 'leave a message.' I hear the soft beep indicating the phone is recording me, take a deep breath and speak.

"I know I already asked you to come with us and that you said no...and that our agreement we made gets in the way of things but...I really need you.

I'm about to do something dangerous and life-threatening that could very likely kill me but I need to do this, to protect the people I love. It's just what I do.

I just...I just hope that you care about me enough to help me and I know I'm selfish in asking that but...I just...

Please come, Alec. Please."

I hang up before I can continue to beg like a whiny little girl and exhale shakily, pushing my hair back from my face and catching the tears falling from my eyes.

***

By the time I return to the living room, composed and calm, Magnus seems to be mixing a foul-smelling cauldron of what looks like really lumpy porridge

"What's all this for?" Clary questions, having drifted from Luke's side and over to Magnus

"The base for the potion" Magnus sighs heavily, pouring one liquid into another until it glows luminescently and then pours it into the cauldron, passing Clary the wooden spoon, "Stir. We need to have it ready before your boy toys get back."

Clary scoffs but takes the spoon, mixing the potion carefully, "What if they don't get back in time?"

"Then he'll use my energy until I...expend" I announce and they both turn to face me. While Magnus look is swift, Clary's lingers, I point to the potion, "You need to keep stirring that."

"What do you mean 'until you expend'?" Clary growls, "This isn't going to be dangerous, is it?"

"It could kill me" I admit and Clary grits her teeth, "But I'm still going to do it. To save Luke."

Clary scowls but doesn't seem to have an answer. Because, just like me, she knows she would do the same thing.

"And what if Simon and Jace don't get back? What if you die?"

"You can't think like that, biscuit." Magnus scolds

"That's all I can think about!" Clary retorts, "I don't know if I can do this anymore. Okay, I'm an art student. All my adventures are supposed to be on a page, not in real life"

"Who says?" Magnus echoes jovially

"Me, I say!" Clary groans, "Look, it's one thing to draw demons and monsters, but it is completely different to see them up close and personal. I don't know what I'm doing."

"Don't sell yourself short" Magnus smiles, "Don't forget, I've seen you in action, Clary Fairchild, your sister, too. You're both perfectly capable of handling yourselves in this world. Trust me."

"Ha!" I scoff, "If I can manage to stay in a training room longer than 5 minutes without feeling like dying."

"Ah, yes, I forgot to give you that" Magnus speaks, grabbing a small, black bottle and tossing it to me, "One drop on the tongue before you enter the training room and it'll stop the sickness. Don't try it at the Silent Brothers' though, it won't work."

"What's in it?" I frown cautiously at the bottle

"A complex blend of ingredients I don't have the time to get into right now" Magnus responds curtly, "The point is, it'll stop you feeling sick."

"Okay" I shrug, pocketing the bottle, "Thanks, Magnus."

"Anything for you, Buttercup" Magnus smirks and I roll my eyes back

"Jocelyn!" Luke's yells break through the room and I turn hastily, "No, don't! Don't touch her!"

"Luke, I'm here! I'm here!" Clary rushes to Luke's side and takes his hand, Magnus and I close behind

"Let me take your pain away" Magnus speaks, kneeling beside Luke and taking his hand, "Agitation only makes the venom work faster."

"I need to tell them." Luke gasps

"Save your strength" I urge him

"No" Luke pants, "No, you need to know. No, please."

"Magnus, do it!" Clary demands

"You need to tell them all of it!" Luke groans, fighting the pain as he addresses Magnus, "Promise me."

Magnus nods minutely and it seems to relax Luke a little. What could Magnus know that Luke wants us to know?

Magnus snaps his fingers and hovers his hand above Luke's chest. Luke groans louder as Magnus' magic slithers over him in the form of blue smoke.

"The poison is spreading. Your suitors need to hurry" Magnus warns and I stand forward, ready to help, "Not yet, Buttercup. I can hold my own for now. No reason to risk you if there's no need."

Luke's body again stills and he slips into unconsciousness. Magnus retracts his arm and the smoke clears, ebbing away slowly.

"Tell us what?" I demand, "What does Luke want us to know so badly? What's so important that Luke would risk his life to tell us?"

"Everything Jocelyn hoped to hide from you" Magnus sighs, sipping at his drink and snapping his fingers again. A leather bound book and a pen appears on the table before us and Clary moves towards it, drawn to it.

"Why?" she asks, opening the sketching pad longingly

"When you were both younger, I would watch you sketching, Clary" Magnus answers, snapping his fingers again to where an easel and array of paints appears to the side. I drift towards it, stroking the canvas lovingly, "And Cami, I would watch you paint. The arts were your bliss. You're both going to need some bliss now..."

"Back then, there wasn't a day I didn't draw. It was like breathing" Clary smiles, gliding her fingers along the leather cover, "Cami, she loved to paint but as she got older, she gradually stopped doing it so often...I never understood why."

"I was growing up" I sigh, "Mom would always tell me I needed to set an example for you, that when she died one day, I would have to be the one to take care of you. I took that to mean she wanted me to do something good, something that could pay well and support us as a family. So I stopped painting and took up psychology"

"I never knew Mom had burdened you like that" Clary gasps

"You were never supposed to" I exhale, "You're the baby of the family and I'm the eldest. I need to protect you, and you need to be protected. That's what Mom's always drilled into me. Now, I know why."

"Your art, everything you are..." Magnus says, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, "They're all still here, in both of you. You're the women you mother always knew you could be."

"But tried to keep me from being" Clary sighs, "And cursed Cami into making sure it stayed that way."

"That's why you both need to know how you got here." Magnus spurs on

"Will it help us find out mother?" Clary questions

"That's the only reason I can think of why Luke would be so adamant" Magnus comments

"We're ready" I speak, planting myself down in a couch, as far from the easel as possible, "Bring it on."

***

"When I first heard about your father, around the time he and Jocelyn first got together, long before the Uprising and the Circle, Valentine elevated the Morgenstern name to be synonymous with virtue" Magnus delves into the story, watching Clary as she intently draws.

I had resolved not to touch the easel and paint and asked Magnus to remove it. Though sorrowful, he had done it without too much complaint.

It was too painful to even look at. That part of my life was history long before any of this had happened.

"And your mother was at his side. But by the time my people came to know him, barely two years later...his name had become synonymous with devastation. Your mother told me it was then she first saw the signs. The late nights coming home, covered in Warlock blood. She'd realised he'd broken the Accords, that he thought them a fallacy....They never did find all the bodies. We'd all stood with the Clave for centuries."

"How could that not matter to him?" Clary breathes

"He was obsessed with ensuring purity of blood." Magnus continues, "Convinced that the impurities were a threat to peace."

"Sounds like he was a threat to peace" I scoff, crossing my arms over my chest, watching Clary ponder over her drawing.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss it. That it didn't feel like someone had wrenched a part out of me, leaving a gaping hole where my passion should lie.

But it couldn't be helped.

"Mad men rarely make sense" Magnus remarks, "Mostly, they just hate. And he hated the Downworlders for the gifts that we possess that he could not have. He hated us enough to kill us all."

***

"Ever since our mother was kidnapped, the Shadow World invaded my life" Clary rants whilst Magnus ponders her finished drawing - a Circle member killing a warlock...a warlock that looked remarkably like Zoe, "So many Downworlders have helped us, not even thinking about what it might cost them. How could Valentine not see good in any of them?"

"Are you listening?" I scoff, "He was crazy, jealous. He wanted something other people had that he couldn't attain."

"He was blinded by his ambition"

"Why didn't the Clave stop him?" Clary questions

"He was clever" Magnus sighs, "He and his followers, they managed to convince the Clave that the Downworlders they killed on their special missions had violated the Accords in some way. Complete fabrications!"

"How could the Clave not see?" Clary presses, still confused as to how someone she was partly made of could be so cruel and vindictive and how nobody had seen through him.

"Shadowhunters believe in the Law as absolute" Magnus comments, "They could never conceive of one of their own going astray."

"Our father didn't go astray, Magnus" I laugh humourlessly, "He went insane."

"What happened back then is happening again" Magnus utters, angrily, "The Clave refuses to believe that Valentine's a threat. Nineteen years ago, their lack of vision allowed the Circle to almost decimate the entire Shadow World."

"That was the Uprising?"

"Yes" Magnus nods, "Valentine wanted to create a new Shadowhunter army. And for that, he needed the Mortal Cup. He knew it would be on display at the signing of the Accords as a show of the Clave's power. He seized the opportunity to accomplish everything he ever wanted - destroy the Accords, murder Downworlders and secure the cup."

"How could our Mom and Luke be a part of something like this?" Clary interrogates, pacing the room

"Jocelyn and Luke tried to prevent the Uprising" Magnus informs, attending to the potion again, "They tried to change Valentine's mind about Downworlders."

"Obviously, it didn't work" I scoff

"Girls, if it wasn't for your mother and Luke, the Circle would have won" Magnus reasons, "Luke tried to fight Valentine for the Cup but Luke was losing...your mother stopped him and took the Cup and ran from him..."

"WAIT!" I half-scream, suddenly doing the math in my head, "Magnus, you said this was nineteen years go...I'm twenty-one...does that...does that mean..."

"You lived with him for three years of your life, yes" Magnus sighs

"That makes so much sense" I sigh, "That night at the Institute, when the Circle member came for us, he said only my name...that must mean he doesn't know about Clary"

"If he didn't before, he certainly would now" Magnus concedes, "When your mother left Valentine, she was pregnant with Clary but even she did not know by that time. Valentine must know now, he must..."

"Ever since I found out that Valentine was our father...I wondered how Mom could be married to someone like that...and why she stayed" Clary muses, returning to another drawing, "She had to stop him."

"And safeguard the Cup" Magnus adds, "Everything Jocelyn did, she did to save the people she'd sworn to protect. She took her oath as a Shadowhunter seriously."

"I get that, but how does it help us find the Cup?" Clary huffs