Alec moved in an ordinary manner among the mundanes, as if ever have been one of them.

There were so many people, of so many variations, it became quite bothersome to walk among them. He shouldn't linger for too long, Madzie might not be able to handle the crowd.

For an outsider, Alec seemed like an older brother taking his sleeping little sister back home after a long day of fun, what an appeasing sight.

The hunter kept in line until he thought it's good enough, he has been moving through blind spots, making his presence so subtle even under the keenest of eyes, Alec had become a living shadow.

The Clave has eyes everywhere indeed, all Alec had to do is avert their gaze. Despite being on high alert, the nephilim didn't get the feel of being watched. He must be safe... For now that is.

He kept on meddling, taking turns and mixing with the crowd, trying to hide among the many. It wasn't until later when he felt Madzie twitch in his grasp, getting uncomfortable, that he decided to move into the shadows of the nearby alleys.

Swiftly, discreetly, he made his way to an empty square through tight, dark passageways, almost as if hidden. NY city had a lot of places like that, abandoned spots you could only access through secret, complex at times, ominous alleys and sealed sewer drains.

"You did great." Alec praised genuinely the little girl, slowly letting her settle on the ground. Madzie, still with a grip on the shadow hunter's clothing, looked around with hesitation. "..."

It was a small open circular place surrounded by the back of very tall buildings, the floor decorated with shaped stones resembling flowers and playful walkways that lead to nowhere, they had neither a start nor an end. The most eye catching thing of all however was a huge, old tree that stood right in the center.

It was remarkably dark as no street light stood to brighten up their momentarily stay in this wondrous hideout. "..."

Madzie looked up, the stars somehow could be seen, despite still being close to the central. "... How?"

She had never seen the stars so alive before, Madzie had seen them only once so far in her life and that was because the electricity had fallen throughout most parts of the city, allowing their presence to be known, acknowledged. It kept like that only for some hours, but still, she kept dreaming of them every night.

Dreaming of a time she will be able to see them again... The little warlock had came to accept she would never get to witness their beauty, despite how much she begged the gods for it.

In the end, she stands freely below their glory.

All that thanks to that tall man, who for some reason has been caring for her since the moment their paths crossed. Madzie couldn't remember Iris being as gentle as Alec has been...

Iris had never sang a melody for her.

Alec followed her gaze with a subtle smile, realising the meaning behind her question. "Have you heard of seelies?"

Madzie with her eyes still stuck upwards in admiration nodded, she had heard of them, the ancient creatures of long ears that cannot speak a single lie, yet out of all kinds they seem to be the most fearsome.

Alec took a seat on the floor next to her, his gaze lifting up to the night sky with a glimmer of equal awe. "Long time ago humans and seelies fought a lot... Humans ended up conquering their forests, building their own homes upon the enchanted land."

Madzie kept her ear wide, taking in the tale with slight sadness, to drive away people of their homes, destroy something so magnificent. Despite not having seen the beauty of mother nature, she could still imagine.

After all Madzie had seen nature's blessing through her window, the flowers of the store across the street had always been something worthwhile to stare at, something to adore.

"The forests that turned into cities lost most of their magic, only some enchanted circles remained, somehow having escaped the hands of the human kind.
There are still blueprints of that history, that ancient bliss that used to flow over these grounds." Alec finished his tale somewhat nostalgic, he used to turn history into tales for his siblings, to help them learn easier.

Now doing it again, it brought him back to the good days.

Alec shook his head, he talked like he is an old man having lived his life wisely. "Places like this exist all around the country, where nature never lost it's strength... Where there is still natural magic flowing through the soil and air, a magical barrier generating it's upkeep, refusing to let it vanish."

Madzie kept looking around in awe. Alec felt giddy inside, he had no one before to speak of his secret foundings. "If you follow a ladybug with green wings and two heads, it will show you to a magical circle just like this one."

Alec decided to not speak further and confuse the little girl. The magic circles are portals to the seelie world, from here you can travel back to that time, where magic was the crown, the essence of power.

'You don't actually travel back in time, but it does take you to forests you could easily get lost in, where seelies inhabit.' Alec corrected himself, getting carried away.

Madzie yawned, having enough. She is exhausted and drained of all that had happened tonight, in some hours the sun will rise, making everything feel real.
She knew it was true, that she is finally out of that house, but it didn't feel... It felt unreal, like she is stuck in a living nightmare.

Maybe... Despite being stuck in this nauseating situation, the shadow hunter made it better. As if holding a blue dim lamp he lead the way, a light even if dull showed their way, suing away the horrifying dark figures.

Alec noticed the young warlock who was trying to drive away her sleepiness. "It's okay to rest for a bit... Let's take a break" He assured her, making sure she finds comfort and warmth in his embrace.

Alec is now alone, no comrades to assist him and little time to waist. Madzie fell asleep almost immediately, maybe it is for the best.

"... She needs to be checked by a doctor." The hunter could only whisper his thoughts aloud, wanting to fill in the sudden silence.

He thought again of visiting the high warlock of Brooklyn but declined such option. A warlock of such standing with an open dislike of the nephilim kind could easily misunderstand the situation...
Perhaps it's all those years Alec has been dealing with Robert that he thinks like that, things can go wrong at every moment.

That he won't be listened to.

The perfect person to trust Madzie with would be someone of lower statues yet with a good, or even better close, relation to Magnus Bane. "..."

Alec bugged himself for not knowing anyone, his interactions with human beings restricted to a minimum among the small group of people in the institute, which were mostly his own blood. "If only Izzy was here."

Isabelle Lightwood in contrast with her older brother kept aware of any scandalous relationship in the shadow world, including people of importance and their connections. Alec took out his stele, unsure if he should write her a fire messge or not, his phone had broken during his fall to the basement so there was no using that.

He thought of the time that kept running thin, the small amount of people he can trust about such matters. Who should he leave Madzie to? A warlock known to assist their kind, a doctor would be a preference, someone who knows well the high warlock of Brooklyn... And preferably won't attack a shadow hunter the moment they see one.

Though, Alec had to admit, appearing at a warlock's front door demanding to care and take in a child can be considered ignorant on his part... If he was that warlock, he too would misunderstand.

With a sigh, Alec gazed up to the glowing orbs in the sky, if only he could read them, listen to their guiding whisper.

What should he do?

Alec slowly let his head settle, glaring into a dark corner, should he prey to that thing?

Can it hear him? His thoughts?

Back then, when he was struggling to open the door sealed with magic... The hunter could actually see the spells used. The memory of the thing moving his own hand made every hair on Alec's body rise. Using him as a vessel, it drew a rune Alec had naver seen before, to break off magic spells like that...

Despite it being creepy, ominous and easily said, dangerous... It did help him go through that door and save Madzie.

Alec wasn't sure if he should be grateful or not.

...Why would he?

Alec frowned upon his memories, getting agitated by anger.

He literally got kidnapped in the middle of the night back in Idris, his body controlled once again. Leading him in the middle of nowhere, taking him for a tour in the darkness only to drop him off bruised and naked... To this day Alec had a hard time recollecting what happened, the details gaps in his memory line.

"... I still suffer because of you." Alec dared speak to it, as if conversing. His body still had to heal from that night, his back often covered with odd redness and weird scars that would disappear and reappear. "Either tell me what's happening to me... Who you are... Or leave me alone... Choose someone else."

The nephilim spoke with a low tone, his voice steady, cold. His piercing eyes staring flames to a corner no one stood, despite that Alec could feel it linger close by, circling him.

No answer of any kind came, driving the shadow hunter in another level of tiring frustration. Feeling somewhat hopeless, Alec considered speaking to Robert about it...

Alec almost laughed at the idea.

Among other things he just has to bring that unclear nonsense as well?

His exhaustion grew as he thought what will follow later on, when he will stand in the head's office, confessing his failure. Iris Rose escaped, several women have been slaughtered and abused, they arrived too late... They had failed those women.

Any evidence have been burned to a crisp... He still had the napkin with the demon's ashes but it can't compete with the atrocities that took place. For now all he can confirm with backup evidence is that Iris kept a low ranked demon in her basement.

Maybe Izzy got her to confess anything related to her crimes... In a feat of rage often some truth is expressed, some hint perhaps of anything they don't know or have missed.

Alec let out a sigh, how is he going to explain to his father that Jace and that newbie somehow managed to leave the institute without anyone noticing, get into the house of their target and alert her of the Clave's intention upon her presence.

Iris now knows the Clave is after her, she will be hiding better, considering it was already difficult enough to trace her, now, it could be impossible.

Waiting until she slips, make a mistake, is a claim the Clave won't accept.

Alec let his hands warm up in his pockets, trying not to disturb Madzie's deep sleep. How is he going to hide her from them?

The Clave would take Madzie in not as a victim but living evidence, a confirmation of their suspicions being correct... The seal that their words, laws are to not be questioned.

He signed, fiddling with whatever was in his pocket, his mind travelling to every worry that bothered his soul.

Alec slowly became stiff, finding something sharp in his pocket, it was the gadget Underhill had given him...

Underhill...

Alec considered it for a moment, he must know, Andrew Underhill does not only work in the information department but was also in a close relationship with a high ranked warlock.

With his stele drawn out, over a small paper the hunter took from his hidden pockets, Alec wrote a message, asking Andrew to send him names and addresses of warlocks that might be of help. Someone who won't throw him out after they took note of his runes. Someone with knowledge, with close relation to the high warlock of Brooklyn.

Someone trustworthy and capable of taking care of a wounded child.

Once he finished, the nephilim stared as with the summon of a singular rune, the latter burned to a crisp, disappearing into thin air, not a spect of ash on sight.

Alec waited for a bit, closing his eyes. How much he wanted to rest, to feel the softness of his mattress, the darkness of his room.

For now the nephilim could breath the clear air within the enchanted circle, knowing not everyone could find such place. His peace will sustain even for a minute longer before he will have to head out again.

Alec had found such places not because of some record the Clave held, a secret map or a riddle that lead to such treasure.

Rather, curious of where was a two headed ladybug heading to. Well, he was younger back then, a child yet to see the magic of his world.

Again, he speaks as if he is over his fifties when it was just recently that he reached his twenties.

His lids flattered open against the brightness of a sudden flame, Underhill is still on the clock apparently, thus why the quick response.

His message was simple, direct. Exactly on point of what Alec had asked him for, an address and a name.

Alec frowned, having heard the name before but not knowing particularly anything about it.

"Deer avenue, 0 street, blue house... Catarina Loss."