Chapter 25

The group stepped out of the portal and into Magnus' London apartment. It had been a quick getaway. Even though luckily they hadn't run into any trouble from the Clave, the Iron Sisters hadn't been so cooperative.

"What exactly happened?" Asked Jace as soon as they entered the large living room, pulling Clary to himself as he scanned her body again for any signs of injury. "Why did we have to get out of there so fast?"

"Do you wanna tell them?" Asked Simon, seemingly out of breath for no reason. When Clary didn't immediately respond, "Your mate kicked an Iron Sister in the face," said Simon.

"She was going to raise an alarm," Clary quickly defended herself when the others turned to look at her with shocked expressions. "I had to."

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Entering Alicante's Armory had been no problem for the duo.

Located on the eastern side of the small city, it wasn't unusual for shadowhunters taking late night strolls, especially those ones visiting from institutes in different time zones, to make a quick trip to the Armory. The ground level floor of the imposing building was a museum after all.

Hence, when the two got to the large stone building, after exchanging a few pleasantries with the two patrolling night guards, they were able to simply walk right in.

They were fellow shadowhunters. What were they going to do? Rob the place?

Once inside, it was essentially a game of hide and seek as the two quickly, and quietly, maneuvered their way through the building. This was where Clary's unmatched skills with runes came in handy. Her runes have always packed more power than those of other shadowhunters, even alphas. This made her the perfect fit for these sort of missions. There was hardly any door that the young beta couldn't get through.

Decending deep into the basement of the building, the two made their way through many series of twist and turns along dimly lit corridors, slipping through one door after another. If not for the map that Izzy had drawn for them, there was no doubt that they would have long since gotten lost. Although how Izzy even knew the exact location to where the Iron Sisters carried out their work, the younger Lightwood had refused to say.

It took some time, especially with Simon reading the map wrongly a few times, but, eventually, they found the right door.

"Are you sure this is it?" Clary whispered, reaching for the piece of paper in Simon's hand with what looked like a child's drawing scribbled on it.

"I'm sure," Simon whispered back. "It's not my fault Izzy can't draw. How she even manages with her runes, I have no idea. Next time you better do the drawing."

"I'll tell her you said that," Clary teased.

Simon groaned, "Please don't."

The two had practically melded themselves into the wall.

The door to the repair room was a thick, heavy looking slab of steel. There were no windows, no peep holes, nothing that could enable them see what was happening inside.

Pulling out her stele, Clary activated her hearing rune before placing her ear against the wall. There was movement inside; soft chatter and a light clinking sound; Iron Sisters. Clary couldn't be completely sure how many there were, but she could make out two distinct voices.

"What do we do?" Asked Simon. "Do we try one of your unlock runes. We can't just knock on the door."

A small smile slowly spread across Clary's face. "That's exactly what we're going to do."

Simon looked at her in confusion for a moment before realization suddenly dawned on him. In the next instant, a supposedly drunk Simon was beating down the door, drawing the attention of the two Iron sisters inside.

Instantly on guard, the two women looked at each other seemingly in askance before they both moved to open the door, the taller one in front while the shorter one brought up the rear.

"What are you doing down he..." The taller Iron Sister started, letting down her guard upon seeing that it was a fellow shadowhunter seemingly in an inebertated and confused state. But, before the she could finish her statement, the other Iron Sister now at her side, Clary was stepping out from where she had stayed plastered against the wall and out of their line of sight.

Then, to the Iron Sisters' shock, she was throwing what looked like a potion bottle, no doubt one of the knock out potions that Magnus had given her, at their feet. The small glass vile shattered into pieces, the yellow liquid inside turning into a white perfumed smoke which quickly filled the doorway before just as quickly dissapearing.

Having already nulled their own sense of smell, Clary and Simon stood back and watched as the Iron Sisters, quickly holding their breathes, struggled to fight off the effects of the potion. However, they were much too late. The effects of the potion were swift and potent; it takes but one breath for it to hook it's claws into it's victim.

"Wow." Simon was stunned. "That was fast."

"Magnus' potions aren't to be messed with," Clary agreed.

With the Iron Sisters lying unconscious, the duo made sure that they were comfortable before they got to work, quickly rumaging through the large workroom. It didn't take long for them to find what they were looking for. Luck was finally on their side.

However, that luck soon started to dwindle. As they were leaving, making that journey of twists and turns back up to the ground floor, just as they turned one corner, a third Iron Sister suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It was as if time stood still. They all froze in place, eyes shifting back and forth between each other. And if that wasn't enough, they could also hear the soft chatter of more shadowhunters headed in their direction.

"What are you two doing?" Asked the Iron Sister, her startlingly bright blue eyes looking them over with suspicion. "Do you have clearance to be down here?"

Simon was an absolute stuttering mess. They didn't have time for delays. And considering what they'd just done to the other two Iron Sister, coming up with an explanation for why they were in that section of building was the least of their worry. Clary acted fast. Moving with lightening speed, the redhead took off of the ground, her body twisting in midair as she landed an almost bone breaking kick to the Iron Sister's jaw. Then she was grabbing Simon's hand and they were moving, not even bothering to wait around to see the effects of her little move.

"Was that necessary?" Asked Simon as the two of them quickly exited the building, causing the two night guards to also now look at them suspiciously.

"We don't have time for long explanations," Clary said simply. It was only a matter of time before someone finds the Iron Sisters, and then there would no doubt be a search party after them.

Their journey back from the Armory was a lot quicker. In no time the two had made their way back to the cottage where the others were waiting for them.

"We have to go right now," Clary said as soon as she got to the door, seeing an anxious looking Jace standing in the open doorway.

"Why? What happened?" Asked Jace as he pulled her to his side. He had been on the verge of going to the Armory himself. Sitting on the sidelines was not one of his virtues.

Everyone quickly crowded around her and Simon.

"I'll explain later. But we've gotta get out of here now," Clary reiterated.

"Did you get it?" Asked Magnus anxiously. That was the only thing the warlock seemed to care about.

Clary tapped the leather satchel stretched across her shoulder. "It's right here."

That was all that Magnus needed to hear. The warlock didn't need to be told twice. With that confirmation, he immeadieately began opening up a portal.

-------

The morning was just begining to dawn over London, small rays of sunlight fighting their way through the thick layer of clouds blanketing the sky. The scene, although nothing new to the London skyline, was very much reflective of the current mood.

After hearing Clary's brief account of what'd happened, they all looked at her with varying expressions on their faces, Jace with obvious pride. Even though they'd known it was a strong possibility, they'd all hoped to avoid a run in with the Iron Sisters. Hence one of the reasons why Simon and Clary had gone so late at night. Well, it was unfortunate that it couldn't have been avoided. But, as far as they were all concerned, the most important thing was that they got what they needed.

Simon plopped down in a deep red arm chair, "Well," said the beta. "If we weren't fugitives before, we're definitely fugitives now."

"It doesn't matter," Izzy assured him, having gathered as much already from her parents' fire message. "We'll deal with all of this later. Once we find Alec. What's that?" She asked when Clary opened her bag, pulling out what looked like a stone at first, the edges smoothed and rounded, as if someone had polished it. However, that was not what Izzy was staring at. She already knew what that was. It was the Adamas. No. What Izzy was staring at was the strange looking book peeking out of Clary's bag.

"I'm not sure," said Clary as Izzy took the Adamas from her hand, looking it over. "I saw it back there on one of tables." She then took the book out of her bag.

Simon looked flabbergasted, "What?"

"So you just stole it?" Izzy raised a surprised brow.

"When did this happen?" Asked Simon. "I was with you the entire time."

"I grabbed it when we were on our way out," said Clary. "And no, I didn't steal it." She looked over at Izzy, offended. "I borrowed it. I plan on bringing it back."

Jace took the book from her hand, looking it over. It was the size of your typical book (quarto), very old looking and bound with brown leather. "I've never seen runes like this before," he noted, turning over a few of the fragile looking, but sturdy pages.

"Right," Clary agreed.

Magnus didn't even bother giving the book a second glance. At the moment he had no interest in secret runes or anything else for that matter. His gaze was solely focused on the glass like stone in Izzy's hand; the Adamas, glowing softly at her warm and gentle touch.

"There'll be plenty of time to study runes later," said Magnus pointedly, bringing everyone's focus back to the matter at hand.

"Right," Jace's eyes shifted to Magnus. "So what do we do now?" He handed the book back to Clary and accepted the Adamas from Izzy, rolling the stone over in his hand.

Magnus' shoulders seemed to straighten that much more as his eyes met Jace's, his expression one off absolute seriousness; determination. He was a man with a mission.

"Now, we track your parabatai and my mate."

After instructing Jace to lie down, the shadowhunter making himself comfortable, stretching out on a large victorian chaise lounge, Magnus and the others all gathered around him.

"Are you ready?" Asked Magnus.

Jace simply nodded his head, shuffling his shoulders a little. "Let's do this."

"Good." Magnus let out a steadying breath, rubbing his fingers together as blue sparks of magic crackled and danced around his finger tips. Breathing in a deep breathe, the warlock then held his palms out over Jace's body as he pushed forth his magic. "Now close your eyes and...."

"Wait!"

It was Clary. The redheaded beta had cut Magnus off mid-sentence in a fit of panic. "Are you sure this is going to work? He's not going to get hurt?" She was obviously very worried about her mate, the gravity of the situation seemingly only now just dawning on her.

"I'll be fine," Jace assured her, taking one of her much smaller hands in his own. "There's nothing to worry about. Right Magnus?" He looked up at the warlock.

Magnus seemed to hesitate for a moment before replying. "He'll be fine," he assured the worried beta.

"But shadowhunters have died before," Clary lamented, worry twisting her brows and glossing over her eyes.

"Majority of those shadowhunters were betas," said Jace as he gently squeezed her hand. "And they weren't me. You know how stubborn I am. Nothing's going to happen to me. Plus, they didn't have handy warlock taking care of them like I do."

It was Clary's turn to look up at Magnus expectantly, her eyes pleading with the warlock; promise me Magnus.

Magnus was caught off guard for a moment. Was he doing the right thing? What if in his desperation to find his own mate he costs another their own? No. He couldn't think like that. Jace was going to be fine. He wanted to find Alec as much as he did. This was their best bet.

Taking a deep breath, Magnus once again assured Clary, "I won't let anything happen to him. You have my word."

"Alright," Clary whispered after a few beats, squeezing Jace's hand once more before releasing him and stepping back.

"Alright. Are you ready?" Magnus asked again.

And when Jace nodded, "I'm ready." The warlock continued.

"Good. Now close your eyes and concentrate," Magnus instructed. Jace closed his eyes, everyone in the room seemingly holding their breaths.

Magnus let his hands hover over Jace's body, moving up and down the length of his frame as his magic washed over him, blanketing and wrapping itself around the shadowhunter like a protective seal. "Now reach out to Alec as you normally would through your parabatai bond."

They all watched as Jace's eyelids began to flutter rapidly, his breath increasing.

Inside Jace's mind, the shadowhunter found himself surrounded by a thick fog. There was a never-ending sea of white all around him; white walls, white floors and white ceiling; a vast expanse of nothingness. It was so bright, his eyes ached at the strain to keep them open.

He'd seen this place before. Since Alec's disappearance, whenever he'd tried tracking his parabatai, he would always find himself in this cold and desolate place. It left a chilling feeling of forlornness clawing away at his heart.

This time however, as he blink rapidly, looking around him, trying to see something, anything, he could feel that something was different. There was a presence. It was as if there was something, no, someone, calling out him. The feeling started off small, then it slowly began to overwhelm him. Alec wasn't just a ghost anymore; a wisp of smoke perpetually slipping through his fingers.

Jace ran as if his life depended on it.

With no real direction, he could only move forward, putting one foot in front of the other in what he hoped was the right direction. He didn't know for how long he ran before he suddenly found himself pushing through an even thicker layer of fog, the feeling of electricity lightly brushing against his skin, causing the hairs on his body to stand on end. It felt like cobwebs, sticking to his body as he tore his way through it, breathing out a sigh of relief when he was finally freed.

Then, he was surrounded by red brick walls.

Alec?

~ooOoo~

This should be long enough, thought Alec.

The omega had pulled a loose thread from one of the curtains, wrapping the fine thread around one of his fingers, creating a small ball of yarn.

He had a plan.

It was a stupid plan, and would only end up getting him into even more trouble. But, after that dream, there was no way he could continue to just sit around waiting for rescue that may never come. Even if he was unable to escape on his own, at the very least, he needed to investigate his surroundings. He needed to find out more about what was going on; what all of this had to do with Magnus. Perhaps there was something outside of the room he was currently confined in that could be of help. Either way, he would go crazy if he stayed in that room any longer.

Although it was difficult to keep track of the exact time, based on his own internal clock as well as the meals he'd been receiving, the last one being what he would normally have for dinner, delivered by one of Camille's darklings, Alec guessed that it was still probably night time. In the mortal relm at least, since he didn't think that he'd slept that long. Hence, if he was going to try and leave the room, now would probably be the best time to make his move.

Getting to his feet, Alec grabbed one of the curtain rails from the curtains that he'd pulled down off the wall. Although the makeshift bo-staff wasn't his weapon of choice, beggars couldn't be choosers. He was actually surprised that Jonathan hadn't 'weapon proofed' the room. But then again, Jonathan probably didn't expect him to attempt something this stupid.

Already fully dressed, still wearing the clothes Jonathan had given him, Alec made his way over to the door, leaning the staff beside him against the wall. The omega took a few deep breathes, steadying himself before knocking on the door twice.

"I need to use the bathroom," said Alec loud enough that the darklings, and hopefully nobody else, could hear.

Pressing his ear against the door, he heard one of the darklings asking the other one to go and get Jonathan. Alec quickly cut him off.

"No please. That'll take too long. I really need to go now," Alec whined, his voice sounding truly desperate. "There's no need to bother Jonathan. I'm sure he won't be happy with you if I go on the floor. Or worse, on myself. Please..."

There was silence.

Alec was getting nervous. If they called Jonathan then he was screwed. Two darklings was no problem, but adding Jonathan to the mix... He wasn't certain he could subdue all three of them without alerting anyone else.

It felt like forever, but after a few beats, Alec heard the sound of the lock on door opening. Steadying his breath, Alec plastered himself against the wall. Then, as soon as the door opened, he was grabbing the first darkling by his clothes, dragging him forward, and throwing him into the room. Caught completely off guard, the darkling went tumbling into a pile of limbs onto the floor.

Then, just as swiftly, before the first darkling could even think of how to untangle his limbs and pick himself up from the floor, Alec was already some few steps out in the hallway, landing a jaw breaking punch to the other darkling's face. The darkling instantly fell unconscious in Alec's hold, Alec grabbing the front of his clothes to keep him upright as he pulled him into the room as well.

The first darkling was now back on his on his feet, coming at Alec with a very uncoordinated punch. It all happened in milliseconds. But, with his years of training, for Alec it was as if time had slowed down, allowing him to react accordingly. Somehow managing to release the unconscious darkling in his hand on time, with one swift turn of his body, he greeted the other darkling coming at him with a foot to the face, knocking him unconscious as well.

There was no time to waste. Barely catching his breath, Alec quickly glanced outside in the hallway, looking left and right to see if anyone else was out there. Seeing that the coast was clear, he lightly closed the door.