"Hey! What are you doing here? You can't go in–"

Malia used telekinesis to move the guard out of her way, before carelessly dropping him. "I wasn't asking." The Bane insisted, before she entered Raphael's apartment.

Raphael, who was cuddled up to Isabelle on the couch, looked alarmed upon seeing the warlock in his apartment.

Malia's eyes flashed their yellow colour, revealing her cat eyes, before she used telekinesis to throw Raphael across the room. "I expected better from you, Raphy." Malia insisted, before she walked over to Isabelle's side. Izzy looked up at her best friend, in shock.

"You don't understand. It was Aldertree who got her addicted to yin fen." Raphael confessed, getting to his feet. "Fucking what?" Malia asked, before turning to the Santiago in surprise. "That motherfucker." She hissed, her warlock mark shining through yet again.

"It's the truth. I was only trying to help!" The vampire insisted, before Malia frowned, "By drinking her blood?!"She snapped, crossing her arms. "It may have started with the blood, but it's more complicated than that, all right? I care about her." The Santiago admitted. "I.. I have feelings for her."

Malia's eyes moved back to Isabelle. "Cmon Izzy, let's go." She spoke, softly yet sternly. The Lightwood shook her head, "No. I want to stay here." She insisted. Malia held her hand out to Isabelle, "Please Izzy. Please come with me." She pleaded, deciding not to be forceful, as much as she wanted to throw the Lightwood over her shoulder and leave the apartment.

Reluctantly, Isabelle reached up, placing her hand in Malia's. The Bane smiled, before Isabelle shakily got to her feet. "Izzy... you're so sweaty and shaky... we need to get you back to the Institute." She decided, as Isabelle weakly nodded.

With that, Malia turned to walk Isabelle out of the apartment, as she kept ahold of Isabelle's hand. Raphael looked to the Bane. "I'm not lying about what I said. There's something about her... I haven't felt this way in a long time."

Malia shook her head, "You're so hooked on her blood that you can't separate your feelings from your addiction." She explained as Raphael sighed, "Isabelle and I are no different from you and Clary." He said, as it seemed to have hit a nerve with the Bane. "Or Alec and Magnus...I thought you of all people would understand." The Santiago insisted.

"If you honestly believe that, see if you still feel the same when you're not high as a motherfucking kite." Malia insisted, before they left the apartment, walking through an alley as Malia was about to open a portal to the Institute.

"Malia... I want to go back." Isabelle decided, ripping her hand out of the warlocks. "Izzy no... if you keep going back, you're just going to feed into this addiction... and you'll never get better." The Bane insisted as Izzy's eyes began to water.

Malia waved her hands around as she opened a portal. "You coming?" She asked, turning back to Izzy as she reached out her hand to the Shadowhunter. Isabelle weakly nodded, taking Malia's hand before they stepped through the portal.

☠︎︎

Malia tucked Isabelle into her bed, but moments later the Lightwood shook off the covers. "I keep feeling so hot.. and then so cold... what is happening to me?" She asked. "You're gonna feel like complete crap until the blood is out of your system." Malia explained.

Suddenly, a message popped up on Malia's phone screen:

Don't Answer

Hey it's Madi. Madzie took
Clary into a portal. You
might want to come into
the main area of the Institute.
We're discussing a plan.
7:45 p.m.

Malia's eyes widened with worry, as Isabelle tried to sit up. "What is it?" She asked, as Malia bit her lip, "It's Clary.. Madzie took her."

The Bane seemed uneasy, she wanted to stay with Isabelle until the Lightwood felt better, but she also wanted to find Clary. The thought of the Fairchild being missing, made Malia's stomach turn. Clary was tough, but Malia didn't know what she'd do if anything happened to her.

"Go." Isabelle insisted, her eyes meeting Malia's. "I'll be here, resting up. I promise." She insisted. "Okay." Malia nodded, "Take care okay? I mean it." The Bane insisted, getting to her feet.

Meanwhile on the other side of the Institute, Alec was talking to a bunch of Shadowhunters, with Madeline by his side.

"The initial attacks were in South Brooklyn, so we're gonna focus on our search there and then move outward. Remember, whatever happens, our priority is to locate Clary." Alec explained.

"Disregard that order." Aldertree insisted, entering the room before he looked go Alec, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Alec frowned, "Stopping Valentine from destroying the Downworld." He insisted. "And yet from the look of things it's the Downworld that's trying to destroy us." Victor insisted as both Alec and Madi frowned.

"Hey asshole! Let Alec do his job. He's sure better at it than you are." Malia demanded, walking over to the trio. Madi had an amused grin on her lips at this statement. Aldertree turned to Malia, about to question what she was doing here, before Alec said, "Look, I don't have time to argue. Either help me, or get out of the way."

Aldertree turned back to Alec, "Or you'll do what?" He challenged. "Remember how I said that you were hiding something? Supplying yin fen to a subordinate... an ex-field medic should know better." The older Lightwood insisted, crossing his arms.

"And you expect anyone to actually believe this ridiculous accusation?" Victor asked, before Malia and Madi crossed their arms. "We'll find evidence." Madeline declared.

"Idris loves gossip. And you're one Clave investigation away from treating frostbite on Wrangel Island." Alex added before he glared at Aldertree. "From now on, I'm calling the shots. Don't ever threaten my family again. Now if you don't mind, I need these Shadowhunters to go find Clary."

Aldertree turns back to the Shadowhunters before saying, "Do as he says." With that, Alec, Madi and Malia grin slyly, before the two girls look to the taller Lightwood, waiting for him to make some orders.