One week later...

Magnus stretched across Alec's bed.

"So you're done here?" Magnus asked. 

"The Clave has approved my letter of resignation," Alec sighed, turning around. "So I guess I am."

Magnus smiled.

"I'm very glad," Magnus said.

"I know you are," Alec said, waiving a ball of socks at Magnus. He tossed them into a duffel bag that was already teeming with clothing.

"We really ought to get you new clothes," Magnus said. "Black is so disgusting."

"I haven't completely given up Shadowhunting," Alec said.

"You are taking a break though," Magnus said. He began inspecting his nails.

"I'll still do some stuff," Alec said. "If they need me."

"I was thinking we could go on a trip again," Magnus said. "East Europe this time."

Alec gave up packing and flopped onto the bed beside Magnus.

"Whatever you want," Alec said, playing with a strand of Magnus' hair.

"What I want," Magnus said, "is for everything to be quiet for once. Ragnor Fell is still on the loose and--"

Alec put a finger to Magnus lips.

"No more work," Alec whispered.

"Okay," Magnus said. 

"Good," Alec said. He took his finger away from Magnus' lips. They stared at each other for awhile, a sense of peacefulness filling both of them. 

"Magnus," Alec whispered, "I do believe I'm in love with you."

Magnus smiled as if he could barely contain himself anymore.

"And I'm in love with you, Alexander." Alec kissed Magnus.

"Isn't this better than killing demons?" Magnus asked.

Alec was about to protest when the doorbell rang throughout the house.

Alec pushed himself up. Magnus rolled his eyes.

"Let Jace get it," Magnus protested.

"Jace is in Idris," Alec said, walking to the door.

"Clary?"

"Also in Idris."

"Isabelle?"

"Magnus--" Alec said, opening the door and glancing back. "Everyone is gone."

"Most teenage boys would be doing something else if they were home alone with their boyfriends!" Magnus shouted. He teleported to the bottom of the stairs, glaring at Alec who was just reaching the top of the stairs.

"Answer the door please, Magnus," Alec said, descending them. Magnus opened the front door.

Charlie collapsed into his arms.

Alec swore, rushing towards them.

"It's always something," Magnus said, shaking his head. He dragged Charlie into the main foyer. As soon Alec shut the front door, Magnus dropped Charlie. He fell limply to the floor.

Alec immediately knelt beside him, taking a pulse.

"Stele in the drawer," Alec said, not even glancing up. In one of the side tables in the room, Magnus found a stele and tossed it to Alec who began drawing runes.

"We have to call the Clave," Alec said, sitting back on his knees.

"I knew we shouldn't have answered the damn door," Magnus grumbled. He glanced back down at Charlie.

"What do you think is wrong with him?" Alec asked him.

"It could be anything," Magnus said. He looked back at Alec. "He was kidnapped by Ragnor."

"I was so close," Alec moaned. "So close to leaving."

Magnus shook his head in frustration.

"It's always something."

Neither of them saw the knife in Charlie's moving hand.

........

"So this is the Herondale manor?" Clary asked.

It was a massive stone house with lots of arches and windows. They had been informed that there was a garden and stables out back and a massive kitchen. The house had been unused since the death of Jace's grandmother, Imogen.

Jace nodded from beside her.

"And the Clave's just going to give it to us?" Clary asked.

"They don't want it going unused," Jace shrugged. "Robert said it would probably just be easier to take this old place rather than fix up the Wayland manor."

"Well I agree," Clary said.

"So do you want to go inside?" Jace asked. He pulled her up the front steps, unlocking the front door with a key Robert had given them.

The first thing Clary noticed was the dusty smell. There were no light switches since Idris ran on witchlight, not electricity. Jace pulled a witchlight out of his pocket and they began walking through the house.

There was a grand ballroom immediately upon entering. It was a wide open space with a sky light and a balcony running around the edge.

"This is beautiful," Clary said. The room seem to light up. There were all sorts of possibilities. There was a ton of wall space-- if she could draw on the walls. . . She stepped away from Jace to soak it all in.

Never once as a child did she imagine she'd ever live like this: a grand house in the beautiful countryside. She never imagined leaving NYC.

"You like it?" Jace asked.

"Of course."

"Do you want to see more?" Clary turned back around to face him, nodding. He gestured to a door to the side.

They toured the house for an hour or so.

There was eight bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. Some of the rooms were furnished, others weren't. Most of the tapestries and linens had been eaten away at by moths and the weather.

There was definitely work to be done on the house.

When they had seen everything, they leaned on the marble railing of the balcony, looking down at the massive room beneath them.

"What are we going to do with all this space?" Jace asked.

"We'll have grand parties," Clary said. "We'll have Alec and Isabelle and Luke and my mom and Magnus and Simon and Maia over."

"Okay," Jace laughed.

"And we'll hire someone to clean for us so we can just sit around all day and do nothing."

"What about training?"

"We won't have to train. We'll just sit around and be fat and eat cake all day," Clary said. She looked at Jace. He looked slightly horrified.

"I'm just joking," Clary said.

"I-- I know that!" Jace said, shaking his head.

They stood in silence for a few moments.

"What are you thinking about?" Clary asked.

"This place. You. The future," Jace said.

"That's deep."

He nodded.

"Are you ready to go?" Clary asked. Jace seemed distracted by his thoughts and it was getting late.

"Yeah," Jace said, snapping back into reality.

They wandered back downstairs, hand in hand.

"So Magnus and Alec are going back to Brooklyn today?" Clary asked. She really hadn't spoken to Alec lately.

"Yep. Then they're going on some whirlwind travel adventure again," Jace said. He pushed open the front door and Clary stepped through, waiting as he locked it again.

It was about an hour's ride back to Alicante on horseback.

Jace had told Clary that she was going to have to learn how to ride. The trip would be faster with two separate horses rather than one carrying two people.

The ride back was silent; it would be impossible to hear the other person anyways.

When they got back, crossing through the newly repaired wards of the city. The homes were lit with the witchlight as the sun began to set. Jace took care of the horse at the stables as Clary watched from one of the low walls.

He was brushing the horse when he suddenly fell to his knees breathing heavy. Just a second before, he had been flirting carelessly with Clary.

"Jace--"

His mouth formed a perfect "o." His eyes looked like he had just seen the most heartbreaking thing in the world.

"What's wrong?" Clary asked, rushing over to him.

He stood up, pushing her away.

Jace took off down the streets.

........

The meeting was already in session when Jace burst through the doors. They shut loudly behind him. 

He didn't care. He could barely make anything out with the tears in his eyes.

Where was Alec?

"Jace Wayland," Robert said, his voice booming.

"What happened?" Jace asked, his voice shaking in fear.

"We're not completely sure yet," Robert said. "Sit down."

"Alec--"

"Sit down, Jace," Robert said. There was pain in his voice.

Jace ran for the hallway where he knew the Portal was. 

He could hear people calling his name. He didn't care. He was tired of not being there for the right people. He hated himself for not being there for Alec.

With a simple leap and a picture in his mind, Jace jumped through the Portal.