Isaac had successfully avoided Clary for the millionth time in his life. He really didn't want to have another discussion as to why he kept the secret of their relationship again. It had not only happened once or twice, but four times before Isaac decided that hiding from her was better.

     He went to Isabelle's room for a while, had a nice conversation with her before realizing that every time she spoke, his eyes were drawn to her moving lips and all she wanted to do was kiss them. He so desperately wanted to kiss Isabelle Lightwood, but that was a foolish wish. She could never like him, he wasn't worthy of her affections.

    So, he soon decided that staying with Isabelle was not the smartest decision, and he also didn't feel like going back to Magnus' place, he had been there enough for the time being and it was much better for him to just stay at the Institute. Though, he usually stayed in his room and only went out for food and to visit Jocelyn at three in the morning when everyone else was asleep.

    But, of course, since his name was Isaac Fairchild, the force was not on his side and he was forced to even more drama. Clary, of course, wanted to track down the warlock that gave their mother the sleeping potion so that they could find an antidote for it and wake her up. And also, she wanted Isaac to be a part of the rescuing crew.

   (Isabelle had been the one to find him and tell him the news.)

   (And he couldn't refuse her.)

   (That sly and sexy girl, dammit.)

    So there he was, sitting at a table in the middle of the Institute with Magnus and Clary. He could smell Jace coming that way. "Morning," she muttered, something that Jace returned.

   "You just come from training?" Jace asked, trying to keep the conversation going with his newly found sister (not the curly haired brother beside them), but it was exceptionally awkward because only a few days ago they had committed a form of incest.

   "Yeah," Clary nodded his head, avoiding eye contact, "I'm, uh, working on my right hook."

   "Good. That's a good punch," Jace complimented him and Isaac had to stuff his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing at his siblings.

    "Yeah. I'm, uh, I'm working on it," Clary repeated, looking anywhere but his siblings.

   "While this conversation is no doubt scintillating, remind me why we couldn't do this at my place?" Magnus asked them, "At least there we'd have cocktails."

   "It's nine in the morning," Clary, wide eyes, looked at him. Isaac just smiled.

   "Oh, it's happy hour somewhere, my dear," Magnus defended himself, leaning up from the chair.

   "We invited you here, Magnus, because Hodge can't leave the Institute," Jace explained, "He's an important part of this mission."

   "Well, then, where is our tardy little tutor?" Magnus asked, "There are certain individuals that I'd like to avoid, so let's make this quick."

    Isaac shot the warlock a quick look of sympathy. He honestly would have hated to be in his position since he hated being given sympathy, but Isaac couldn't help but look at his friend in sadness. He didn't know much of what happened between him and Alec after the trial, but by the pained look in the warlock's eyes, clearly something happened that made him quite upset and unhappy to see the Shadowhunter again.

    And, speak of the devil, Hodge appeared, "Pardon the delay, Magnus. I was following up on a lead. Now, we've narrowed down our list of warlocks to these three."

    He pulled up a list on the screen, and almost immediately there was a response from Magnus: "Why is Ragnor Fell up there? He's not more powerful than I am," Magnus inquired.

   "Well, some would disagree," Hodge smiled slightly, "He is older than you."

    "Certainly not wiser," Magnus muttered, and Isaac couldn't help but snort at that. Sometimes he loved Magnus' commentary, other times he hated it.

   ("Alec was smirking at him, lifting up his finger and motioned for me to come near him," Magnus groaned, "I was getting so hard from it.")

   (Isaac shuttered again at the thought of that dream of Magnus'. Certainly, the warlock did know that he didn't appreciate hearing those things that would forever be locked in his memory.)

   "Who is Ragnor Fell?" Clary, with furrowed eyebrows, looked at Magnus.

   "The former High Warlock of London," Jace answered, not sparing a glance at Clary.

   "And one of my oldest friends," Magnus continued, "Very prickly, likes to keep to himself."

   "Okay, look," Hodge broke in, taking control again, "We just need to figure out which one of these warlocks had enough access to Jocelyn that they could create the potion for her without anyone discovering what they'd done."

   "By the early 90s, Ragnor was a professor at the Shadowhunter Academy in Idris," Magnus gave more detail at Ragnor.

    "Isn't that when my – our," she spared a look at Isaac, "mother lived there? Could he have made the potion for her?"

    "The little bugger!" Magnus exclaimed, "That's why he hasn't responded to my fire message. Ever since Valentine began hunting warlocks, Ragnor's been holed up in his secret country house just outside of London. For all I know, Ragnor suspected my fire message was a ploy by Valentine to lure him out of hiding." There was pause, "We'll have to confront him face-to-face."

    "You're going on this mission?" Hodge stopped him, looking at Magnus in apprehension.

    "Of course! I'm the only one Ragnor trusts," Magnus answered, "Besides, I've played my last hand here. Even I know when to fold."

    Magnus stood up, turning around to leave only to come face to face with the two people he wanted to avoid most. Isaac, finding this quite hilarious, leaned back in his chair and enjoyed the show he knew was bound to happen.

    "Magnus, I didn't know you were here," Lydia gave him a smile. It was welcoming, but Magnus fought the urge to roll his eyes.

    "That was the point," Magnus spoke bitterly, his eyes not meeting Alec's.

    Lydia's smile faltered for a moment, "We're just on our way to greet a few representatives of the Clave who arrived early for tomorrow's wedding. How long are you staying?"

    Before the warlock had a chance to answer, Alec spoke up, "What's going on here? Nobody told me about a meeting."

    "Magnus figured out that Ragnor Fell is the warlock who can wake my mother," Clary stood up, "We're just bringing him back to the Institute."

    "How can I help?" Alec's eyes skimmed Magnus up and down before they moved to the others, something that Isaac didn't miss (it also caused a smirk to appear on his face, but that was a minor detail.)

    "We're just recovering a warlock, Alec," Jace stared at his old brother, "We got this covered."

    "Besides, you have emissaries from the Clave to meet. You don't want to tarnish your family's perfectly-crafted image now, do you?" Magnus spat.

    Isaac bit the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing. The atmosphere turned cold and awkward, it clear that something had gone down between the warlock and the Shadowhunter – something they clearly didn't want to speak about. And while the others wanted to cover it up, Isaac wanted all the juicy details.

    Lydia sucked in a breath before letting another smile appear on her face, "Again, lovely seeing you, Magnus." She gave them all one last smile before leaving, Alec towing after her. Magnus didn't wait a moment after they turned away to let his fake smile to fall into a face of disgust, turning away to leave as well.

    Jace then turned to his siblings (something he certainly wasn't used to), "Get ready. We leave in an hour."

    The blond left as Isaac nodded. Clary sent him a look before trailing after their (their!) brother. It was then that Isaac himself stood up from his seat, finally alone again as he looked around for a moment, seeing everyone just doing their jobs. It was all perfectly normal for them, probably, but it couldn't be any more foreign for Isaac, who really wasn't used to siblings.

    (His adopted brother doesn't count, seeing as they were never that close in the first place – nor were they related.)

    And it wasn't long before Isaac left with a flaming redhead to Magnus' apartment, leaving without Jace (not that it mattered to the werewolf) and quickly walking there. Once they arrived, seeing as Jace was already there, the four of them walked through the portal Magnus made and landing in a field. Isaac almost let out a swear, seeing as they were in a fucking field before Magnus spoke.

    "Ragnor's house is just across these fields," he explained to them, causing the werewolf to nod.

    "Let's make this quick," Jace muttered, getting a head start, not caring to stick with the others – not that Isaac minded, but his sister did. "We'll talk to Ragnor, then Portal him back to the Institute before anyone knows we're gone," the Shadowhunter continued.

    "So...brothers and sister, huh?" Magnus tried to strike up a conversation, not that it worked the way he wanted to.

    "I don't want to talk about it," Jace was quick to stop the conversation.

    Clary, not accepting that answer, raced to catch up with him. "What, so we're just gonna be work buddies now? All about the missions, and totally ignore the huge bomb that just dropped on us? I mean, even Isaac is trying."

    "Yeah, being work buddies sounds like a plan," Jace didn't even look at her – something that Isaac knew annoyed the redhead. He then sighed, "What do you want me to say, Clary? That I was attracted to my sister?"

    "Point of fact, brothers and sisters are often attracted to each other," Magnus broke in, "I once knew this one couple in ancient Egypt..."

    "Magnus, not helping," Clary snapped at him, knowing that him speaking wasn't helping the situation at hand.

    "Maybe this will all make sense when we wake up Jocelyn," Magnus tried again, "Since she is Jace and Isaac's mother as well, perhaps..."

    "Don't say that again," Jace snapped at the warlock, "Maryse is my mother. "At best, Jocelyn is the woman who abandoned me."

    "Hey," Isaac pushed Jace, "Shut the fuck up! The woman birthed you! And anyways, she thought you were dead – she thought that you burned in the fire...because of me."

    Jace stopped, they all stopped to look at Isaac. The blond Shadowhunter took a small step forward, uttering a, "What?" It was full of vulnerability, something that the werewolf had never seen in his brother.

    "I-I woke up one night to you screaming my name...and I-I told you to come to my room. You were...and then I heard you scream, and that was it. When Jocelyn rescued me, I told her you were dead," Isaac admitted.

    "So this is your fault then," Jace sneered, deciding that it was all the werewolf's fault.

    "Hey, I was abandoned too, you know," Isaac defended himself, "While you got a good family after you thought Valentine, I got an abusive man and a dying mother – not to mention the fact that my adoptive brother went to war and got himself killed. While you were out on missions, I was spending nights afraid because I had plates thrown at me for getting a bad grade on a fucking test, so don't tell me that it's all my fault. I also got the small end of the stick, buddy."

    "You don't know anything that I've been through," Jace stepped forward, their faces nearly touching as Jace pointed a finger at Isaac's chest.

    "No, you don't know what I've been through. I didn't even know I was adopted until two years ago when I found the family ring and there was no more hiding. I could've gone my whole life without knowing, fighting the supernatural still thinking my name was Isaac fucking Lahey," he let out a laugh, "You don't know what it's like to have the girl you love die in someone else's arms as she told them she loved them with her last dying breath, you don't know what it's like to live in fear of your own father, you don't know that. You don't know, so stop trying to compare lives. So what, you had to train hard, I had to try not to die every day in Beacon Hills because there's an alpha pack that wants me dead, or being electrocuted, or being sent into a state between life and death to recover a fucking memory that turned out not to help all that much. So don't try and compare lives, because mine will always be worse."

    Jace didn't say anything after Isaac's long confession of his life in Beacon Hills, he just continued to walk before Magnus yelled, "Look out!" as there was green fire beginning to ignite from the ground. Jace took Clary down with him as Isaac threw himself onto the ground, seeing them engulfed – circled, really – in flames.

    After a moment of shock, the three on the ground began to stand and Magnus took to explaining. "Ragnor put up wards to protect his lair."

    "Why is the fire green?" Clary asked once she was stable, yelling a little since the wind was so loud around them.

    "It's a wall of fire that only the pure of heart and intention can pass through," he yelled, "Are you ready?"

    Isaac went to stand next to Clary, looking at everyone before he began to walk. Clary interlocked her hand with Isaac's, still finding comfort in it, as they walked towards the fire, only two coming out on the other side.

    Almost immediately after Clary and Isaac passed through the line of fire, the redhead let go of his hand and began to yell, "Jace? Magnus?" it was then that she looked out, "Isaac, you're still here."

    "I know, it's a shock to us all," Isaac smiled. It was true, he didn't have pure intentions, he didn't really care about having Jocelyn back. A part of him selfishly wished that she wouldn't come back until he had figured out his relationship with Clary again, but he knew that wouldn't happen. Not with Clary being so adamant about getting her mother back.

    Her eyes casted to the distance, seeing the roof of a house, causing Isaac to trail on from her eyes and to the house. "Ragnor Fell," she breathed, the name falling from her lips as the two began to race towards the house.

    Isaac didn't stop for Clary until he was already at the front of the house, curiosity seeping into him at the sight of the open front door. But no, he had to wait for his sister, knowing that she'd be upset if he didn't wait for her.

    Once she arrived though, seeing the door, locked eyes with Isaac before rushing through the door and into the empty house. She called out Ragnor's name again and again, taking out her seraph blade but Isaac didn't take out his claws. That, to him, was an extreme that he didn't feel like doing at the moment.

    "Hello? Is anybody here? I need your help," the two passed by a portrait of the warlock they were looking for, stepping past it, "Ragnor, I know you're here. I just need to find my friends."

    There was some rustling from behind them – from where the picture was – and the two turned back. Isaac strained his ears, hoping to catch something as faint breathing could only be heard with great difficulty in front – or in – the portrait.

    Clary stood in front of the portrait with a smirk on her face. "Nice try, Ragor," she placed her hands inside of the portrait, pulling out Ragnor and throwing him to the ground.

    He grunted. "Well done...Clary Fairchild. I've been expecting you. You have Jocelyn's talent, I see. Only a true artist would notice the subtle changes in my eyes." He then turned to glare at a chair, "Yes, I know. I need to work on not moving my eyes, you don't have to remind me."

    "You might also want to work on your breathing," Isaac smiled, "I could still hear it."

    "Werewolf, right?" the warlock groaned and Isaac proudly nodded his head. He still had his hearing his anything else failed.

    "You knew my mom?" Clary asked him, "So you made the potion that put her to sleep?"

    "At her request, yes," Ragnor answered the girl, "And I knew it was only a matter of time before you came looking for the antidote. Please, sit."

    "Our friends, Jace Wayland and Magnus Bane," Clary sat down, "They were with us, but we lost them in the fire."

    "Let me do this my way!" Ragnor yelled at the chairs before looking at the redhead again, "Your friends, are they true? And how the bloody hell did you get in here?" he turned to ask Isaac.

    "I was holding Clary's hand as we passed through," the werewolf told him, taking a seat next to his sister.

    "I see," was all that the warlock said.

    "Magnus said he's known you for centuries," Clary began again, "He sent you a fire message."

    "This is not an act. It is not an act! It is essential," Ragnor roared at the chairs again, and Isaac was beginning to worry for his sanity. I mean, they were chairs!

    "Okay, what is your deal?" Clary stood up, getting angry, "My friends are missing and if you can't help me, I'll find someone who can."

    "What is it worth to you?" Ragnor completely ignored her, continuing to fire his own questions at the girl.

    "You find my friends and wake my mother..." Clary paused for a moment, "I'll give you anything."

    Ragnor smirked, "That's what I wanted to hear." He snapped his fingers and the two missing men of their journey appeared in the chairs that Ragnor was previously snapping out.

    Magnus sighed, rubbing his wrists as he stood up, "Honestly, Ragnor, was that nonsense necessary?"

    "Of course. She offered me anything," Ragnor smirked at his friend, "You were only up to a timeshare of your flat in Paris. Yawn."

    "All right, enough with the warlock games," Clary gained their attention again, "Can you really wake my mother?"

    "Not without the Book of the White," Ragnor explained, but not really, Isaac thought.

    "What is the Book of the White?" Jace played along, annoyance clear in his voice. All he wanted to do was go home, train, and ignore everyone while he had a pity party of his own – at least, that's what Isaac thought.

    "It's an ancient book of warlock magic containing spells more powerful than..." Magnus chuckled, "most warlocks could ever imagine."

    "I possessed the book when your mother came to me, and I used its contents to create the potion," Ragnor explained in more detail. "Regrettably, I no longer have the book. I asked Jocelyn to hide it that Valentine might never find it."

    "Ragnor, please, I have to get my mother back," Clary pleaded, "Is there any way to get the Book of the White?"

    "Possibly, I may have to something that can help us," Ragnor went running out of them, "Won't be but a moment."

    Clary sighed as she watched him leave, "What do we do if he can't find the book?"

    "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Jace answered in his normal fashion.

    "It's a bit drab, isn't it?" Magnus asked, only seconds later there was a scream from Ragnor and the roaring from a demon. Up on the balcony overlooking the living room, they could see Ragnor trying to fight with his magic, only to be thrown down below. "Ragnor!" Magnus called, going to his friend.

    "Shax demon," Jace informed them, but Isaac almost didn't catch it as he was too caught up in the moment.

    "Creature took me...by surprise," Ragnor choked out, but it was clear that it was hard for him to speak.

    "How could a Shax demon get past Ragnor's wards?" Clary looked down at the warlock.

    "It must have followed us," Jace answered her quickly, "Jumped through when the fire wall reset."

    "Be still, my little dear cabbage," Isaac scrunched up his nose in disgust at the pet name Magnus gave the other warlock. "Your wounds are deep. Hold on, please."

    Magnus tried to save his friend, and Isaac felt like everything was in a rush and it was happening too fast. His heart seemed to beat so loud, thumping through his mind as he was all he could hear. Dying, that's what he saw. He saw a friend dying in someone else's arms and he couldn't help but be reminded of Allison. She died slowly, not quickly like Ragnor, but it felt almost the same as he saw the heartbroken look of Magnus' face.

    "For centuries, this man knew me better than anyone," Magnus finally spoke after his friend's passing.

    "Magnus, I'm so sorry," Clary sympathized for the warlock, but she didn't know. She didn't know what it was like to truly lose a friend, she 'saved' Simon before. So she didn't understand, Isaac did.

    "We have to leave, now," Jace decided as he stood up.

    "We can't," Clary disagreed, "Not until we find whatever it is Ragnor said could help us locate the Book of the White."

    "It's too dangerous," Jace shook his head, "If one Shax demon found us, you can bet there are more on the way."

    "We have to try!" Clary shouted at him in sudden anger. She was just so angry at him for trying to ignore her, so angry that her mother was still asleep, and so angry that she felt so incredibly helpless in the situation.

    "We don't have time to scour through mountains of Ragnor's stuff," Jace told her as Magnus snapped his fingers, causing a Portal to appear.

    "Get back to the Institute. I'll transport everything back to my place, and find what you need," Magnus said to them, "Now, leave me to take care of my friend."

    The two Shadowhunters stood near the portal as Isaac stayed by Magnus' side. Clary let out a breath, "Magnus, I am..."

    "Go!" Magnus commanded. The Shadowhunters gave them one last look before leaving through the portal and Isaac stood, placing his hand on Magnus' shoulder.

    "If you ever want to talk, about anything, I'll listen," Isaac said sincerely, "Even if I don't enjoy the topic, I'll be there for you."

    Magnus didn't speak, only nodded at the words that Isaac told him. The werewolf went to the portal, casting down one last sympathetic look before leaving through the portal as well.

ayyyee this chapter that I've been working on for weeks and have had parts of it deleted three different times is finally finished :)))))

anyways, this book is almost done and I'm so proud of it. like, my writing has gotten so much better with this book and I've literally been writing it for almost a year now...wow.

there's really no isabelle this chapter, but next one is gonna be great :)))))) like I can't wait to start writing it!

anyways, hope you guys enjoyed!