Isabelle and Jace suddenly rushed onto the balcony, their eyes wide as they saw Alec and Malia. "What happened?" Izzy asked, worriedly.

"All of a sudden, Alec started talking about how I hated him for killing my mom." Clary explained before Madeline looked up, "And Malia started spouting some nonsense about how everyone hates her and she'd be better off dead." She added.

Everyone moved to kneel down to the pair, before Maryse rushed outside. "Alec?" She asked, seeing her older son in Madi's arms. "It's okay. I sedated him when I pulled him off the ledge." Magnus explained.

Jace looked up to Maryse, "You know what, you stay away from him. You can't be trusted." He hissed. "I can't be trusted? Now you see why I was wary of having a party at a warlock's house!" Maryse suddenly spat in response.

"Wow. What's going on here?" Simon asked, suddenly coming over to the group. Clary turned to face her best friend, "What— did you come to make out with Malia some more?" She growled, jealously. "What? What are you talking about Fray??" Simon asked, genuinely confused.

Magnus sighed, "You're all gonna be okay. Everyone just stay here. I'll be right back." He insisted, before walking back inside to find one of his most hidden spellbooks.

Maryse turned to Clary, "What did you say to my son? You don't think that Alec feels guilty enough..." She rambled on angrily.

Simon looked to Jace, "You talked to Clary, didn't you? That's why she's acting all weird." He insisted. Jace looked at Simon, confusedly "Listen, I did nothing."

"You bring him up here–" Maryse began but Clary cut her off by saying, "I did not bring him up here, I followed him!"

Everyone began to argue loudly, as Magnus began to cast a spell, speaking French. He picked up a ball of magic, out of the air and suddenly everyone fell silent, as if their minds were cleared.

"Mum.." Jace trailed off, looking up at Maryse. "Jace." She responded, looking at him lovingly, as he was one of her children. "You okay?" The boy asked as Maryse nodded, "I'm fine."

"Um, what's going on?" Simon asked, as Clary quickly apologised, "Simon... I am so sorry. I know you didn't kiss Malia." Simon blinked in complete surprise, "You thought I kissed Malia? What happened here?"

Magnus exited the apartment and stepped back onto the balcony. "It seems a warlock has been having a little fun at our expense." He explained. Madeline looked over at Alec and Malia, "Are they okay?" She asked.

Alec and Malia's eyes fluttered open, as they came to the realisation of what they had nearly done. "Let's make a deal... to never do that again.." Malia mumbled, looking to Alec. "Deal." Alec responded.

Magnus closed his spell book, but suddenly it was gone, completely disappearing from his hands. "Someone has taken my spell book." He said with surprise.

Magnus put up his wards immediately, as Malia got to her feet to help. "You're putting your wards up?" Clary asked, confusedly. "Nobody leaves until Magnus gets that book back." Malia declared.

☠︎︎

The apartment was almost empty, as Magnus scanned everyone for his book, before letting them leave. Currently, he was scanning Raj.

"I was this close to lining up a three-way, and you guys let yourselves get spelled?" Raj huffed, as Malia just deadpanned him. Once the scan was done, Alec practically pushed Raj out of the apartment door.

"Is he the last one?" Jace asked, as there was only Clary, Alec, Madi, Izzy, Simon, Malia, Magnus and himself at the apartment. "It appears that Malia and I are the only warlocks here." He sighed, before letting his wards down.

"Magnus, what happens if we don't find your spell book?" Clary asked. "That's not an option you wanna explore. That book can undo every spell I've ever cast." Magnus said. "From the elementary to the complex. In new and old languages..." He trailed off for a moment. "Champenois. It's an old French dialect..." Magnus said before he came to a relisation. "The red-haired cat!"

Magnus put his wards back up, before pacing into the guest room, looking around. Malia, Jace and the others quickly followed him. "Magnus, what cat?" Alec asked, confusedly.

Malia gestured for everyone to be silent, as Magnus noticed a lump under the duvet on the bed. The older Bane glanced up at his sister, who had noticed it too, and at the same time, the siblings reached for the duvet and ripped it off of the bed, revealing the red haired cat.

The cat hissed, before leaping off of the bed to race out of the room. "Eek!" Madi panicked, flinching away from the angry cat, accidentally bumping into Clary. Malia frowned, before she blasted the cat with magic, and the cat suddenly turned into Iris.

"Seriously? This bitch!" Malia growled before Iris cast a spell, causing everyone to freeze, "Duratus!"

That was... except for Magnus and Malia, who blocked the spell with magic. "I hate party crashers." Magnus grumbled before the Banes raced into the living room, where Iris had fled too.

Malia blasted magic at Iris, throwing her against a bookcase. She got up, and continued fighting the Banes, throwing balls of magic at them as they fought back. Magnus then held Iris with his magic, and lifted her up.

"You haven't changed one bit since the last time I saw you crawling from the ruins of La Bastille. Old French spells. Your favorite." Magnus insisted before Malia crossed her arms, "Where are my brothers counterspells?" She ordered.

"Valentine." Iris managed to croak out. "He has Madzie, too. If I don't go back, I don't know what he'll do to her." Magnus frowned, "What does Valentine want with my counterspells?" He asked. "I don't know." Iris replied.

Magnus used more magic on Iris, not believing her. "I don't know! All... all he said was that I had to get them for him. And I wasn't to harm Clary, or he'd make Madzie suffer. Magnus, please. I'm all Madzie has. Have mercy."

"After everything you've done?" Malia asked, with a laugh before she looked towards the guest room. "Release them." She ordered, her yellow eyes piercing Iris' soul. Iris obeyed, and everyone suddenly came walking out to the living room.

"Clary Fairchild, you made a blood oath. Find Madzie." Iris called out, before Magnus suddenly opened a portal, sending her away. "She's the Clave's problem now."

Malia and Magnus then turned to the rest of the group, and explained to them what Iris had said. "Okay, what is Valentine up to anyway?" Alec sighed. "I don't know." Clary said, but glanced at Malia and Jace for a moment. "It's too dangerous." Jace whispered.

"Jace, they're our family. They need to know." Clary insisted. "..Know what?" Isabelle asked. "The Angel Ithuriel. Valentine was going to use him to activate the Soul-Sword. He needs someone with pure angel blood to activate it." Clary explained. "Well, that doesn't sound good." Simon replied, stating the complete obvious. "Yeah. Didn't realise." Malia said to the vampire, sarcastically.

"It's not. With the Soul-Sword activated, Valentine could decimate the entire Downworld. The Angel showed us a vision of a demon who could destroy the Sword. If we could find that demon, we could stop Valentine." Jace explained before Magnus asked, "How did you two save the Angel?" Malia cleared her throat, "Three." She corrected him.

Jace shook his head to Clary, but she planned to tell everyone anyway. "With runes the Angel gave to me." She answered. "New runes, Magnus. Ones no one's ever seen before." Jace added. "Why did he choose you?" Madeline asked as Clary seemed unsure, "I have no idea."

"I might." Magnus spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "Years ago, a Silent Brother told me about a special connection the original Shadowhunters had with the Angel Raziel. That they could communicate from afar through... visions. Because they were created from his blood." He explained. "Are you saying that..." Jace trailed off. "Clary may have a blood connection to that Angel. And that must mean she has pure Angel blood."

"That's why Valentine wants Clary unharmed. Clary can activate the Soul-Sword." Malia stated.

☠︎︎

Once the Iris situation was sorted out, the group had a few more drinks before dispersing. Malia was quite drunk, and Clary who was only perhaps tipsy, was helping the warlock to her room.

The pair giggle as Malia nearly falls over, before sitting on her bed. "Thanks Clary." The Bane giggled as Clary had an amused smile. "Do all warlocks have such a bad alcohol tolerance?" The Fray asked. "Ouch!" Malia scoffed, pretending to be offended as she slapped her hand over her heart.

The pair giggled again before Malia's smile slowly faltered, looking past Clary. "You okay?" The Shadowhunter asked. Malia wasn't sure. "Clary.. I uh.." She trailed off. Clary placed a hand on Malia's hand, comfortingly.

"I'm... such a mess. Why do you... even like me?" The warlock stammered, unsure. Clary shrugged, "Maybe because.. you're almost as messed as I am." She said, as Malia raised an eyebrow before the pair broke out into sudden laughter, confused by the alcohol they've had.

"I'm sorry.. It's the alcohol— I can't be serious right now." The Faichild laughed, "But for the record... you're not messed up. You're a beautiful person... and anyone that would spend five minutes with you, would realise."

Malia smiled, causing Clary to smile. The Fairchild wanted to reach forward and kiss Malia, more than anything.. but considering how things turned out last time they kissed, she decided not to.

Things were definitely different between them, it was clear that there were feelings there, on both sides, but something was holding Malia back... they were still yet to have a real conversation about it, but that needed to happen when they were sober.

"Goodnight Malia." Clary smiled, as Malia smiled back, before practically falling into her bed. "Goodnight Clary." The Bane chirped, as Clary got up to leave.

☠︎︎

The next day

After Max's rune ceremony, Alec, Madeline and Jace approached Maryse, Jace and Madi hand in hand. Maryse noticed, and she was trying to accept that they were together, but to her it was quite strange.

"Max says that you and Dad have been fighting. About me and Magnus." Alec spoke up. Maryse looked to her oldest child, "Max doesn't have any idea what's going on between your father and me."

"Then what is it?" Madeline asked.

"I didn't want to burden you all..." Maryse said, sighing heavily. "..Is Dad cheating on you?" Alec asked, as Maryse stayed quiet, but was trying to hold back tears. "Bastard!" Jace frowned, angrily. 

"You can't tell Isabelle." Maryse begged. "She worships Robert. I can bear it, but it would destroy her." Alec stepped forward, hugging his mother as she let out a sob.

"Come stay with us. You and Max. You don't have to go back to Idris or Dad." He suggested as Maryse sighed, "Oh... I wish I could stay, more than anything. But I have to get back to the Clave."

"Why? Let Robert take care of that." Jace suggested. "It's the least he could do!" Madeline scoffed, disgusted in her father. "Everything's different now because of Clary and the Sword. I can't let my problems interfere with my duty. Not now." Maryse decided.