Alec found the others in the library, pouring over ancient tomes and scrolls, going through clave files on their iPad's, all of them looking like they hadn't eaten or slept in days. Even if it was the same day.

"Found anything?" Alec asked the assembled group, already knowing the answer. The despondent shakes of their heads and mutters aimed in his direction were all the answers he needed.

"Then we go with my original plan," Alec said, ignoring everyone else and picking his way towards Simon through the piles of books. The violent shake of Simon's head, the Vampire's eyes widening, had him raising an eyebrow. "I've made my decision, Simon," he sighed.

"Alec, you can't. We'll find a way," Jace said, dropping the huge book that he had been skimming.

"You've all been looking for hours and you haven't found one yet. And all of this time, Lilith will have been gaining strength," Alec said exasperatedly. "This is the only way," he said, looking them all in the eye before turning back to Simon.

"You can shake your head all you like but I am going, Simon. And you're going to turn me," Alec said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Come on man, there has to be another way, something else that we can try...?" Simon tried, begging everyone else with his eyes, any of them, to step in and save him.

"Alec, please, I can't lose you. You're my parabatai," Jace said, resorting to low blows out of desperation. "Think of what it would do to our bond if you became a vampire."

"You can't ask that of me, Jace. Think of me. What it will do to me to have to live without him. I don't just owe him, I love him. He's everything to me. You all know that there could never be anyone else for me," Alec said, trying to make them see. Maybe some of them were starting to. Clary was staring at Jace with an unfathomable expression on her face, as though she was considering what she would do in his position.

Alec never thought that Fairchild would be the first one on his side but the small nod that she gave him, gave him hope that the others would come around. And he dearly hoped that it would be soon because he was fast running out of time to convince them. Lilith probably grew stronger, in power and numbers, with every passing moment.

"Please, Alec, think about what you're doing," Izzy asked, tugging on Alec's hand to capture his attention. Maybe it was selfish of her but he was her big brother, she didn't want to lose him.

"I have, Iz. I've thought about nothing else all day. I can't leave him there. I don't know how long this has been going on..." Alec said, gesturing between her and Simon. "... but could you leave Simon to face a horde of demons because of a hard decision?" he asked.

"But you're talking about giving your mortality and life up. There is no coming back from this, Alec. Are you ready to live forever?" Izzy asked desperately.

"Believe me. I've had the immortality conversation with Magnus, and with myself, more times than I can count," Alec said, taking Izzy's hand. "When Magnus lost his magic and his immortality, he lost a part of himself. It made me realize how selfish I was being, wanting to keep him with me as a mortal. And believe me, I thought about it. But that wasn't my decision to make, and I should never have expected it of him."

"But what, he should expect it of you?" Izzy asked petulantly, looking around at the rest of them for backup. She loved Magnus like a brother already and watching them exchange rings in Alicante had been one of the proudest moments of her life but that didn't mean she could give him up without a fight. Even if she felt the metal of Alec's ring press into her hand where she gripped his.

"No, he loves me, which is why he has never asked it of me," Alec said, a soft smile gracing his face. Magnus had never once asked him to give his mortality up. He knew it wasn't because Magnus didn't love him enough to ask him for forever. But because Magnus loved him so much that he would never ask him to saddle himself with an immortal existence.

"This is something that you need to think about too, Iz. Simon is immortal. You'll have to leave him one day. Are you prepared for that?" Alec asked, pulling his sister into a hug, seeing that his words were getting through to the others, even Jace. Even if his parabatai looked miserable, hand in hand with Clary.

Was it fair of him to use Izzy's relationship against her, just to get her to see his side? No. But neither was it fair that Magnus was stuck in Edom, facing the battle of his life, alone. It wasn't fair that he and Magnus had been through so much, just for him to lose Magnus again. And it wasn't fair that they had just gotten engaged before Magnus had to sacrifice himself without knowing if they would get their happy ending.

Could Alec truly say that he could live with himself if he didn't make those same sacrifices? Sure, Magnus would kick his ass if he ever said that in front of him. But it was still a question that he asked himself.

Alec also wanted his sister to think about what it meant to have an immortal lover. That issue had been a bone of contention between him and Magnus for so long. It had taken him witnessing Magnus' breakdown to understand and accept that Magnus was immortal while he would fade into obscurity. But he had accepted it. And Izzy needed to have that conversation with herself too.

Izzy sagged against Alec for a moment, cursing the angel that he was right. It wasn't fair. Alec shouldn't have to sacrifice himself. But then again, neither should Magnus have had to. And he had. Magnus had given everything up for them. Now it was their turn to give something up for him. Even if it was Alec.

"I can't leave him, Iz, not even to stay here for you. I'm sorry but I'm going," Alec said quietly when her arms came around him. He had spent his entire life - the only life he had - living for others, for family and duty. If he only got one life, he had to live it for himself. It was time for him to be selfish and take his life, and Magnus' fate, into his own hands. Bending his head, he dropped a kiss onto her head when she nodded into his chest.

"Jace, I need you on my side for this. Please?" Alec asked over Izzy's head. "You couldn't leave Clary to face that on her own, don't ask me to do it," he asked.

Jace stared up at his brother before a tight squeeze on his hand caught his attention. The small nod that Clary gave him when he looked at her, had him shaking his head. Alec had stood by him through everything that Lilith had put him through, sacrificed everything, had been willing to sacrifice his life at the end with an arrow in his heart and forgiveness on his lips. It was his turn, even if it meant losing him.

Jace crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Alec and Izzy, feeling like he was losing half of himself. He was losing half of himself but he could do it, for Alec. Because his brother was right, he wouldn't have been able to leave Clary in Edom.

Alec slapped Jace on the back and gave Izzy a kiss on the cheek before accepting a hug from Clary. "Look after them, please?" he asked her quietly, having to stoop to whisper in her ear.

"You'd best believe it. I'm gonna ask Izzy to be my parabatai," Clary whispered back, grinning when Alec pulled back to look at her. It had been a long time in coming but there was gratitude and love on Alec's face, two things that she had never thought she would see there. She gave his hand a squeeze when he nodded before everyone turned to Simon.

"Why me though? Your mom's gonna kick my ass if I bite anymore of her kids," Simon groaned when everyone turned expectantly to him.

"Because I don't have time to find anyone else, Simon," Alec said. Simon was there, it wasn't like there was a line of vampires for him to choose from. "Come on. It's just one bite," he said.

"One bite," Simon choked out, feeling supremely uncomfortable under their combined gaze. A knock on the door, and the head of security - poking his head in - saved his ass right then.

"Sir, Meliorn is here to see you. He says it is at your request," Underhill said when he received permission to enter, looking around the room. Everyone there looked like they had just lost their best friend.

"Thank you, Underhill," Alec said, clasping his hands behind his back and gesturing for Underhill to show the Seelie night in, playing with his ring once more to ground himself. It had become something of a habit and honestly, he glowed with pride whenever other people noticed the gesture and saw his ring, something that he never thought he would love to wear. It had always meant a loveless marriage in the past, not what he shared with Magnus.

"Meliorn, thank you for coming on such short notice," Alec said, pulling himself out of his reverie to dismiss Underhill and observe formalities with a court envoy, even if it wasn't strictly official business that he had called Meliorn there for.

"Your note sounded... urgent," Meliorn said, choosing not to sit when he was offered a chair. The mood in the air was somber at best and he preferred to be standing in a room full of Shadowhunters. The beautiful Isabelle being the exception.

"I need your help. I have to ask you to place the mark of Cain on me," Alec asked. There was no point in beating around the bush, he didn't have time for it for a start. "Enough. It has to be this way," he said when the others started protesting.

"And why would I do that?" Meliorn asked, sniffing a possible deal but keeping his cards close to his chest.

"Because if you do, I will owe you a favor," Alec said, under no doubt that this would cost him. Open-Ended favors were never a good thing when it came to the court but he was fast running out of options.

"Alec, trust me. You don't want to do this man," Simon said, bounding forward to talk in Alec's ear. "That mark is a curse, it brings nothing but death and destruction. It isn't the answer."

"What else am I supposed to do, huh? I won't be a Shadowhunter anymore. I'll be facing Lilith with nothing more than a pair of fangs and some extra speed. And she has Cain with her, remember," Alec whispered pointedly, including them all in his stink eye. He hadn't forgotten how they had all summoned Lilith and practically hand-delivered Cain to her.

"There is a problem with your request," Meliorn said, capturing Alec's attention, his eyes narrowed at the whispered conversation that he was not privy to. He hated when people whispered, he liked all of the facts laid out in front of him. "You are a Shadowhunter. You would not be able to handle the mark, it is too powerful and not compatible with Nephilim blood."

"That's where Simon comes in," Alec muttered before another knock on the door sounded. "Come in," he called out, one eye on the door and one eye on Meliorn. He didn't like the intrigued expression on the Seelie's face.

"Mr Lightwood. If we are going to have a council meeting, could you at least extend me the courtesy of waiting until I arrive before starting?" Lorenzo asked, shaking hands with the devilishly handsome Shadowhunter who had shown him to the room. Andrew, the man had informed him.

Snapping his fingers, Lorenzo handed a business card with his number on it to the Shadowhunter with a smile, his hand lingering for a second, before joining the others in the room.

"This is not a council meeting. I need a favor of you, Lorenzo," Alec said, his eyes flicking from Underhill to Lorenzo and back before Andrew closed the door. Was Underhill blushing? Personally, he didn't see it but, if Lorenzo tickled Underhill's pickle, then who was he to comment?

"A favor? I think not. As I told you before, I am not your errand boy, here at your beck and call. If this is what you have called me here for, I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you," Lorenzo said, turning for the door.

"I need you to open a portal into Edom for me," Alec said to Lorenzo's retreating back, stopping the Warlock in his tracks.

"Why? Why would I help you after the way I have been treated by you and your boyfriend?" Lorenzo asked with a saccharine smirk. "He let his father turn me into a reptile and left me to feast on dead flies. Not to mention the number of times either of you has burst into my home with your demands."

"Because you would still be sitting in a tank, living off those dead flies if it wasn't for me," Alec said, wanting to throttle the man.

"You were simply rectifying Magnus' poor judgment call. Try again," Lorenzo said, very much enjoying having the Head of the Institute at his mercy. "I am the High Warlock of Brooklyn, not some Warlock for rent. You will have to think of something better than that."

"Because Magnus is trapped there with Lilith. If she gains enough power, she could overthrow him and open the rift back up. This realm would be overrun with demons," Clary said when Alec looked like he was about to lose his shit.

"How long do you think it will take her and her horde to make its way through this realm and destroy everything that you hold dear?" Alec asked, keenly aware of the fact that they were wasting time. At least Lorenzo looked like he was considering it.

"What is the point of being High Warlock of Brooklyn when there's nothing left of Brooklyn?" Jace asked, irritated by Lorenzo's superior tone. "Do you really want to be the known as the Warlock who was responsible for letting Lilith loose in this realm when you could have helped out?" he asked.

"Plus, you will get rid of me," Alec added, rolling his eyes when that seemed to sweeten the deal.

"Fine, let us begin. I have a ball to attend in Madrid this evening," Lorenzo said, practically rubbing his hands together. First Magnus was gone, now Alec would be going too. Maybe he would get a bit of peace without those two thorns in his side.

"Actually, it won't be today. We have some preparations to attend to," Alec said, his eyes flicking to Simon, who just looked resigned now. "We'll send you a fire message when we need you," he said, dismissing Lorenzo and turning to Meliorn.

"How will you repay my favor if I do this for you?" Meliorn asked when Lorenzo left, intrigued by the whole idea. "You will be in Edom. How do you expect to repay me from there?"

"You have until I have transitioned to decide what you want. If it's within my power to give it to you, it is yours before I go," Alec said, breathing a sigh of relief when Meliorn bowed his head before departing.

"Right, Simon. You're up," Alec said, shrugging his jacket off then and there, and tilting his head to the side to expose his neck.

"Right now? As in, here, in the institute? You just want me to... bite you- the Head of the Institute- with all of your Shadowhunters on the other side of the door?" Simon asked, pacing out of agitation, his eyes darting to Alec's neck on every turn.

"You sure you don't want him to buy you a drink first?" Jace asked Alec, unable to help himself.

"Shut up Jace," Alec said, rolling his eyes. It wasn't funny. "Simon, come on, we're wasting time."

"Yeah, shut up Jace," Simon muttered weakly, staring at Alec's neck. Shaking himself off, he looked at Izzy. Would she hate him for turning her brother? For taking him away from her.

"It's okay, Simon, this is what he wants," Izzy said, sensing Simon's worry. It was written all over his face. It wasn't what she wanted but it was Alec's decision. She couldn't blame Simon for that. She also couldn't stick around to watch.

Alec wrapped his arms around Izzy when she flung herself at him and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Love you Iz," he whispered.

"I love you too, you jerk," Izzy whispered, pulling herself away from Alec and turning for the door before he could see her cry.

"I'll go," Clary said when she saw Jace take a step towards the door. "Good luck, Alec," she said around the lump in her throat before following after Izzy. She had seen the tears swimming in her future parabatai's eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, someone needs to be here to pull him off you if he gets carried away," Jace said when Alec and Simon looked at him, as though they were waiting for him to leave too.

"I can control myself," Simon scoffed, even if he was secretly glad that Jace wouldn't let him go too far.

"Thanks," Alec said, not really sure how he felt about Jace being there. Would it be weird to have his brother watch them? It was already weird, he was asking his sister's new boyfriend to turn him into a vampire. So he shrugged and shuffled closer to Simon, exposing his neck once more.

"Wait, wait, wait, give me a second to think. I don't know how to do this," Simon mumbled when Alec came at him - neck first - blatantly stalling for time. "Okay, when Camille turned me, she Encanto'd me first, and when I turned Heidi, we were both pretty wasted with blood lust so could I just like... can I... should I Encanto you?" he asked.

"And you want him to be your sire?" Jace snorted, folding his arms across his chest to stare at Simon in disbelief.

Alec gave Jace a glare before focusing on Simon again, trying to control his impatience. Shaking his head, he pulled the contract and a pen out of his pocket and signed his name before passing it to Simon.

"Sign this then Encanto me," Alec said. If that was how Simon wanted to do it then he would go along with it. It wasn't like he had many options. Or like he had been to many turnings. How was he supposed to know the specifics?

Simon scribbled his name on the sheet of paper when he saw what it was, smiling at Alec and going in for a hug. He was touched that Alec would pardon him, that his future brother-in-law didn't want him getting in trouble with the clave.

Alec slammed the heel of his hand into Simon's forehead when Simon came at him with arms wide open, stopping Simon's forward motion. The shake of his head warned Simon in no uncertain terms that he wasn't getting a hug.

Jace grinned with glee when Simon tried to hug Alec, practically rubbing his hands together. He snatched the paper from Simon's hand and signed it as a witness, humming Marvin Gaye's let's get it on, under his breath so he didn't have to think about what he was doing, signing his parabatai's death certificate.

"Fuck off, Jace. Or I'll do this without you," Alec said, glaring at his brother. Jace holding his hands up in mock innocence had him glaring harder until Simon caught his attention.

"Dude, you smell really nice. What aftershave are you wearing?" Simon asked as he stepped closer, trying to make small talk and ignore Jace in the corner.

"Stop making it weird," Alec mumbled, trying not to look Simon in the eye, they were practically nose to nose. He was wearing Magnus' sandalwood aftershave but Simon didn't need to know that. "Just bite me already."

"Fine. Look at me," Simon said, realizing that he could stall no longer. Meeting Alec's gaze, he used his super awesome vampire mojo to take control of Alec, watching Alec's pupils start to dilate. "This won't hurt. You won't feel any pain or fear. It's as normal as getting your shots. You won't fight it unless I go too far. If I do, you will stop me by any means necessary," he said, watching Alec nod.

Jace shuffled closer when Simon wrapped one arm around Alec's waist- Simon's other hand tilting Alec's head further to hold him steady- and watched Simon's fangs snap out. For all of his jokes, he was ready if Simon turned rogue.

Jace was also ready to catch the pair of them because he knew that about ten seconds after Simon's fangs pierced Alec's throat, the pleasure would consume them both and neither of them would give a fuck about staying on their feet. He hadn't forgotten what it had been like when Simon had fed on him, it had been one of the hottest experiences of his life. Not that he would admit that out loud.

Simon pressed his lips to Alec's throat, finding the perfect vein unerringly, and sank his fangs into Alec's skin. Holding Alec's waist tighter when Alec stiffened in his arms, he let his venom work it's way into Alec's system, using a strength of resolve that he didn't know he possessed to stop from just draining Alec dry like a big gulp.

Alec couldn't stop the moan that poured from his lips when Simon's venom slipped into his bloodstream. He honestly couldn't give a fuck about the noise, too focused on the waves of heady, hazy pleasure that rippled through him with every beat of his heart. It was even better when Simon started to drink from him, Simon's lips gentle on his neck, negating the inch-long fangs that he had been embedded in his throat.

Simon tightened his grip on Alec's waist and chin, pulling Alec closer to his body. It was a natural instinct, from the divine, heavenly tasting blood that slid down his throat like honey, and the deep moan. He sucked harder, pressing his lips flush to Alec's skin to create a tighter seal so none of the blood could escape, his own moan mingling with Alec's and ringing out through the room.

Baggies kept Simon alive, technically. But fresh blood, especially Nephilim blood, was something else. Alec tasted just as good as Isabelle, almost as good as Jace. That had been some grade A blood. The taste of the blood almost had him growling when he felt a presence approach them, someone encroaching on his dinner. It set off his natural predatory instincts, to protect his meal.

Jace could see that both Simon and Alec were about to keel over so he wrapped his arms around both of them, pushing and lowering Simon until he was seated on the couch. He had no choice but to sit Alec in Simon's lap with Simon's fangs still buried in Alec's throat. Did they have to make those odd moans? Yeah, they do, he thought. He had been just as bad when Simon had drunk his blood.

Alec's eyes fluttered closed, a mixture of pleasure and sleepiness working their way through him. Luckily, Simon had extra strength. If he didn't, he probably would have slumped into a boneless mess. The sensation that flooded every inch of his body, through his bloodstream, made him limp and pliable.

Simon tightened his grip further when Alec slumped into him. The movement and the labored, shallow breaths in his ear snapped him out of the bloodlust that was threatening to take over him. Blinking his eyes open, he looked up and met Jace's concerned gaze for a second before Jace looked away, giving him a chance to pull his fangs out of Alec's neck. His tongue darted over the puncture wounds, stopping the bleeding instantly.

Alec's eyes drifted open, his fuzzy head starting to clear a little. It took him all of ten seconds to realize that he was sitting in Simon's lap, Simon's arms wrapped around him tightly, and to notice that Jace was hovering above them.

"Did you know it was going to be like that?" Alec mumbled to his brother, breaking Simon's hold on him and lurching to his feet, his legs wobbly and head woozy.

"Uh, like downing half a bottle of tequila, taking a load of mundane drugs and... the other thing?" Jace asked, refusing to look Alec or Simon in the eye.

"Yes, the other thing," Alec muttered, also avoiding both men's gazes as he slumped down onto the couch, touching his neck gingerly. It wasn't exactly sexual, not like he wanted to jump Simon's bones. Probably because he didn't want Simon like that. But the whole moaning - hazy tingles shooting through his body - arms with a tight grip on his waist - thing had taken him by surprise. If he had known it would be so intimate, he would have looked a bit harder for another vampire.

"Yeah," Jace said, clearing his throat. He hadn't signed up for this.

"And you didn't warn me because?" Alec asked, finally focusing on his brother. His head still felt a bit woolly.

"Uh, because it's Simon," Jace said, raising one incredulous eyebrow. "Why, how many people are you going to tell about this?" he asked in his best imitation of a middle schooler.

"None," Alec grumbled, shaking his head.

"Thanks, guys, I'm feeling the love," Simon said because apparently, the atmosphere didn't feel awkward enough. It struck him then that he had gotten more action from Jace and Alec than he had from Isabelle, making him groan. "I don't think any of us need to talk about this again," he said.

"Agreed," Alec and Jace muttered at the same time.

"You uh... you still need to have some of my blood... the venom wasn't enough," Simon muttered, barely able to look at Alec as he tilted his own head.

"Hand!" Alec practically yelled, his voice hoarse and gruff. After that experience - which he never wanted to think of again - he was too weirded out to drink from Simon's neck.

Simon huffed out a sigh of relief and nicked his wrist with one fang before holding his arm out to Alec. It took everything he had not to let so much as a whimper escape his lips when Alec's lips wrapped around his wrist.

Alec would have gritted his teeth if he hadn't had Simon's wrist in his mouth. Firmly reminding himself that this was the only way, he sucked the puncture wound that Simon had given himself, trying not to gag when Simon's blood started to flow. It was more of a psychological reaction than physical because Simon's blood didn't taste as awful as he had been expecting, it tasted good! Oh great, it was just as bad - good - bad as when Simon had fed from him.

"Look at that, family bonding!" Jace couldn't help himself when he saw the two men on the couch straining not to moan. Pulling his phone out, he threatened to snap a picture of them, watching Simon's eyeballs roll back and Alec breathing hard.

If looks could kill, Alec would have murdered his parabatai stone dead where he stood. Unlatching his lips from Simon's arm, he swallowed one last mouthful before letting a shaky breath out. Now he definitely couldn't look Simon in eye. Not when Simon's tongue darted over his wrist to close the wound up as he got his breath back.

Alec looked up at Jace then with the unspoken question in his eyes, raising an eyebrow at his brother when Jace started shaking his head, his parabatai backing away.

"No, no way. Please don't ask me to do it," Jace said, hands up when he saw the question in Alec's eyes.

"There is nobody else, Jace. Who am I supposed to ask? Izzy? Clary? Simon? I can't do it by myself," Alec said, clearing the gruffness from his throat.

"Why? You refused to do it for me. You're my brother, my parabatai... I can't," Jace pleaded, his gut twisting. Watching Simon feed on him had been one thing but this? He couldn't do it.

Simon watched Alec and Jace, wondering what he had missed. Before it dawned on him. He hadn't even thought this far ahead.

"That's why it has to be you," Alec said, climbing to his feet. He only wobbled for a moment before Jace reached out and steadied him. "You're always saying that you're the best. You won't miss, you'll make it quick. Just imagine we are on the hunt, that I'm too injured to be saved or something," he pleaded.

"Entreat me not to leave thee," Jace hissed, not bothering to wipe away the tears that had started rolling down his cheeks.

"Please, I need you," Alec said, blinking furiously as he cupped Jace's face, stopping the violent shake of denial. "I stopped you because I knew there was another way. There isn't for me. So please, one last time, brother?" he asked, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

"I can do it if you can't," Simon said, knowing that he was lying through his teeth. There was no way he wanted to be the one. But he felt awful for Jace and he would find a way to do it - if Alec was desperate enough.

"No. I'll do it," Jace said, pulling Alec into a back-breaking hug. The desperation on Alec's face was something that he never wanted to see again, it was worse than when Magnus had left for Edom. "It's my job, as his parabatai, to make sure that it is swift and honorable," he said, nodding to Simon.

"Not here. I don't want this place tainted for any of you," Alec said, pulling back and wiping his eyes and nose. There was a mundane cemetery outside of the wards with plenty of space.

"Yeah well, I'm not digging your grave by myself," Jace muttered, wiping his own face. Come on," he said, leading Simon and Alec out of the library and through the Institute, glad that Izzy and Clary had disappeared. He wasn't sure that he could look either of them in the eye at the moment.

Simon had never felt weirder than when Jace disappeared near the front doors of the Institute and reappeared a few moments later with three shovels. Without asking where they had come from, he took one and followed Jace and Alec out into the night air.

"I need you all to gather supplies for me while I'm transitioning. Weapons without runes on them, a few changes of clothes, enough blood to keep me going until I can find Magnus," Alec said, leading the others outside the wards and through the cemetery. Deciding that a wide space under a willow tree would be the perfect spot.

"It will all be ready for when you wake up," Jace said, setting his shovel to the ground when Alec had picked somewhere he liked, refusing to utter the word if. The spot was secluded and pretty, wildflowers growing near the tree and long fronds of willow branches shielding the spot from the sun and rain.

Alec had never done anything this strange in his life. Fighting demons and policing the downworld was his everyday life. Digging his own grave was another level.

Maybe Alec should have been scared, with every shovel full of dirt that the three of them scooped up, but he kept Magnus' face at the forefront of his mind as he dug, his eyes on his flashing engagement ring every time the moonlight bounced off of it. The fear that he had seen on Magnus' face, no matter how well his fiance had tried to hide it, gave him the strength to keep on digging. They would be together soon.

"I know you don't want to hear it but thank you, both of you," Alec said when they finally put down their shovels, the hole deep enough.

"What about Mom and Dad, Max?" Jace asked, realizing that none of them knew what Alec was planning.

"I've left letters for them, letters for all of you but I'll explain in person when I wake up. I can't put them through the wait. They don't need to know until its done. Just tell them I'm on a mission," Alec said with a tight smile. He pulled Jace into another hug and, against his better judgment, Simon too.

"Simon, I need to do this alone," Jace said when Alec pulled back and took a deep, shaky breath.

"Sure man. Alec, I won't leave until you wake up. I'll be here for you when you do, okay?" Simon asked. The tight smile and nod that Alec gave him spurred him into action, he didn't particularly want to watch.

Simon used his superior strength to jump out of the hole, turning his back on the brothers. He walked fast, not wanting to hear it either. Unfortunately, his superior hearing didn't stop Jace's words, Ave Atque Vale, from floating back to him.

Nor could Simon ignore the anguished cry that Jace let out when his parabatai rune disappeared.