"It just looks like a wine glass" Clary scoffs, the Mortal Cup in her hands, shining brightly

"That wine glass saved your life" Jace points out

"What if...what if I hadn't gotten the Cup out in time?" Clary muses, "That demon-"

"But you did" I remind her, "That's all that matters."

"First rule of Shadowhunting..." Jace sighs, his eyes boring into Clary's, "When something explodes, just keep walking. Never think twice. Never look away."

Jace and Clary are now so involved in their eye sex it's making me feel sick.

"And what's the second rule?" Clary asks flirtatiously

The crack of a whip breaks their eye contact and Izzy pulls the Cup into her hands with the whip.

"There's nothing a Shadowhunter can't do in heels" Izzy answers for Jace, walking down the stairs, Cup in hand

"Thank you" I whisper to her

"You looked like you needed a save" Izzy chuckles, "Young love has no respect for the boundaries of other people."

"Wise words" I laugh as we reach one of the huge computer screens where Jace and Alec were discussing something

"No Downworlder can get into the Institute" Jace assures Alec

"Not without an invite from a Shadowhunter" Izzy chimes in

"Last I checked, Valentine is a Shadowhunter" Alec retorts, "The Cup is not safe here, we need to give it back to the Clave."

"Give it back to the Clave? No!" Clary protests, "Not after everything we went through to get it."

"Alec's right" I agree and Clary shoots me a betrayed look

"They both are" Izzy seconds, "The Cup is extremely important."

"Are you two both agreeing with me?" Alec gapes, surprised

"We're full of surprises" Izzy smirks

"Cami, this Cup is the one chance we have at getting Mom back!" Clary defends

"Clary, some things are just more important than Mom" I explain, "You've never been able to understand that."

"Stop doing that!" Clary shouts, "Stop acting like I'm some stupid child who can't bear to be without her mother for five seconds."

"Stop acting like one then" I counter calmly, "This Cup, as annoying as it is, is too dangerous to risk falling into the wrong hands. We'll find Mom another way."

"I agree with Clary" Jace speaks up and I roll my eyes, "We need to get Jocelyn back, no matter what and the Cup is our only bargaining chip"

"Of course you agree with her" I scoff, "You lip locked barely an hour ago and have been puppy-dogging her since you met her."

"Don't talk to me like that" Jace snaps

"What are you going to do about it, Buffy?" I spit back, "If even I can acknowledge that this Cup is more important than finding my own mother, clearly I have clearer priorities then you do"

"That's enough" Izzy interjects, "Fighting will not solve this problem"

"Look, I know how powerful this Cup is" Clary reasons, "It has the power to create new Shadowhunters, control demons and even kill a mundane if they drank from it. But I promise, I will not let that monster get his hands on it."

"There you go" Jace announces, "You have her word."

"Follow me" Alec conceded, moving towards the training room. Clary and I follow, watching as Alec squats beside a rune on the floor and waves his stele over it. The compartment with the rune atop it slides upwards and reveals a set of shelves.

This must be the hidden compartment Alec was talking about, the one he said he was putting Clary's necklace in.

Sure enough, the purple gem glinted on the top shelf, sitting solitary.

"Alec, I realise we couldn't have done any of this without your help" Clary speaks, passing the card to Alec, who rests it with the necklace, "I wanna thank you."

"Don't misread this as friendship, Clary" Alec scoffs, "Since you've arrived, our whole world's been turned upside down."

"Hey, that's not fair" I reason, "I came and screwed things up, too"

"You're different" Alec counters, waving his stele over the rune to close the compartment again, "You, sometimes, listen to me, you have you head on straight. You knew how dangerous this Cup is and you're not even apart of this world. Your sister, however, doesn't seem to have the concept of logic locked down yet."

Alec storms out of the room, returning to the computer as Clary and I descend the training room stairs, Clary with her phone pressed to her ear, leaving a voicemail for Simon.

The sound of an alarm blares through the room and I rush to the screen, watching as a red mark hurtles towards the Institute

"There's something outside the perimeter" Jace notes

"I told you-" Alec starts but Jace cuts him off

"Don't say it!"

"What's happening?" Clary questions

"Looks like someone's trying to break in" Isabelle sighs

"Could be the Circle" Jace growls

"Told you so" Alec remarks

"Too soon" Jace huffs as Alec, Izzy and Jace make their way to the doors of the Institute, leaving Clary and I behind.

It doesn't take long for Clary to barrel out behind them.

"For God's sake" I hiss, running after her.

Outside, the intruder is nowhere to be seen...at least, not obviously. Jace, Izzy and Ale circle each other, keeping defences up on all sides, looking for a sign of the trespasser.

A shadowed figure emerges from behind a tree. It looks like a man...carrying something. Not something.

Someone.

"Don't move!" Jace warns them

"Drop what you're holding. Put your hands up" Alec demands, and I notice how he not-so-subtly positions himself in front of me

The figure moves slowly forward, staggering slightly under the weight of the person he was carrying. As he emerges into the light, I notice that it's the face of the vampire who kidnapped Simon, the one who also let us all go.

He was carrying Simon...and he looked dead.

"Simon" I whisper, horrified as his head rolls limply forward as the vampire shifts his weight

"Oh my God, Simon!"

***********

short chapter, i know, but i'm tired and working on the following ones tomorrow so I can post them in succession. How are you liking the book thus far? Is it still interesting even now you know about what Cami is? Do you like how I'm writing the Alemi story?

Let me know! I love your feedback!

Happy Reading!

((Can I also just say that Alemi (the Cami/Alec ship name is also a real name and, get this, it means powerful and complete...

I DID NOT PLAN THAT BUT IT'S SO PERFECT ARGH!

AND LOOK AT THIS DEFINITION OF THE NAME

tell me that's not like the definition of alec's personality I damn well dare you!))