A/N: "No Light, No Light" by Florence + The Machine would be a great song to play as you read.

The Portal came out in the dining room.

Jace opened the door out into the main hall.

Shadowhunters were floating around the room, whispers quiet.

They suddenly went silent. Everything went silent.

Jace fell to his knees again this time in a puddle of blood.

This was it. There would be no do-overs now. He couldn't make everything better. He couldn't apologize.

Jace could feel attempts at comforting hands on his shoulders. He shook them away.

The world was blurry.

He couldn't say anything. He couldn't move or form a coherent thought. He could only shake.

Alec's lifeless body was practically on it's side.

If his blue eyes weren't open, Jace might have mistaken him for sleeping. There was no panic in his eyes or expression. He looked relaxed. Almost happy.

And next to Alec was Magnus, his $1,000 pinstripe suit stained red.

There was so much blood.

What had they been doing when they died? Was Magnus making Alec laugh? Where they discussing their plans?

Jace felt completely dead inside. He'd only heard stories-- the warnings-- about what it felt like when your parabatai died. But nothing could prepare him for this.

His best friend.

His partner.

His brother.

Where had he been when this happened? With Clary? Planning out a future that would be forever empty without Alec?

There was no denying this. Alec was gone. And with him, Magnus.

Together in life. Together in death. Almost poetic.

Jace screamed. A raging scream.

He jumped up, unable to look at the bloody scene anymore.

He pushed open the front door. He was immediately drenched by heavy rain. He took off running down the street.

He wasn't sure where he was going.

Alec.

Guilt surged through him as he pushed past people hiding beneath umbrellas and briefcases.

He didn't know how much time had gone by or where he was at when he tripped, tearing the knees of his pants open. He sat in front of a souvenir shop, sitting criss-cross, watching neon lights flash in the reflections of puddles of water and blood.

Someone would find him here using tracking runes. He didn't worry about glamouring himself. He didn't care.

People didn't seem to pay attention to him as they passed by. They were too busy with their mundane lives. Carefree.

Tears streamed down his face as effortlessly as the rain fell.

..........

Clary sat outside of the Gard waiting for the meeting to adjourn and for Jace to come out and tell her everything was okay.

The meeting seemed to go on forever.

No one wandered by or stopped to talk to her.

Isabelle was in the Silent City being inspected by the Silent Brothers.

Eventually the doors to the Gard opened and Shadowhunters came streaming out. They all looked somber.

Clary stood there waiting for someone to come for her.

Luke was the first one she saw. Since the new Accords, Downworlders could sit on the meetings.

He looked just as sad.

Clary walked up to him.

"Clary," Luke said. There was pain in his voice.

She knew what that meant.

"Who is it?"

"Clary--"

"Where's Jace?" she asked.

He tried to hug her but she pushed herself way from his grip.

"No!" she yelled. "Who is it?"

Luke looked conflicted, as if he didn't know how to tell her.

"Is it Charlie?"

Luke's eyes were empty.

"Where's Jace?"

"Jace is probably in San Francisco," Luke said. "Clary, it's Alec. And Magnus."

"They're dead?" she asked quietly. It was all mind boggling.

"I'm sorry, Clary," Luke said.

Clary shook her head.

Alec.

And Magnus?

Jace was probably out of his mind.

"What do I do?" Clary asked him. They still stood apart.

"I don't know," he said. Luke was always honest.

"Jace--"

"Someone is looking for him."

"Isabelle--"

"The Silent Brothers have been contacted. But Maryse and Robert are going to talk to her."

"Oh my gosh," Clary mumbled. She felt her knees go weak. She fell to her knees on the steps of the Gard. Luke sat beside her, holding her.

She was shaking.

"Where's my mom?" Clary asked. She wanted her mom here.

"She's in San Francisco. She's at the head of the investigation since Robert can't do it," Luke said.

"I can't believe this."

"It's going to be okay, Clary."

"Alec-- he was Jace's parabatai--"

"He's probably not doing well."

"I should be with him."

"You should let him grieve."

"I should be there for him."

"Clary, just trust me. Let's go back to the Lightwoods--"

"Jace--"

"Jocelyn told me to tell you that she was sending out a team to find him immediately. She'll make sure he gets where he needs to go and stays safe."

"Edward Longford-- he killed himself after his parabatai died--"

"Clary, Jace had more to live for than Edward. He has you," Luke said. "But for now, let Jocelyn talk with him."

..........

Isabelle had been interrogated by the Silent Brothers all day, their thoughts penetrating into her mind.

She was exhausted when suddenly it all went silent, the Brothers looking at one another in curiosity.

"Word from Alicante," one of them said.

Do they ever miss the outside world? Isabelle thought.

"What?" Isabelle asked. Sadly, she had been speaking out loud all day.

"Return Isabelle Lightwood to Alicante."

"We're done?" she asked. Relief flooded her. The Silent Brothers wanted to know everything about the Labyrinth and the charming Ragnor Fell.

"We're done. Brother Timothy shall escort you back to Alicante."

One Brother stepped forward, looking the same as every other Brother.

She followed him out of the round room she had spent the day in. She had stood in the center as the Brothers paced circles around her, one occasionally stepping forward to Mark her or place a cold hand on her forehead.

It was a quick return to the surface.

Her parents were waiting as she exited. When she turned around, Brother Timothy was gone.

She turned back to her parents, eager to get back to the Lightwood home.

Their faces were somber, her mother's makeup smeared from tears that were rushing down her face.

"Oh God," Isabelle whispered. "Who is it?"

She knew it was Alec though. Something inside her screamed his name.

It would be Max all over again.

Now it was just her and Jace left.

"It's Alec," her father said.

"Oh Magnus--"

"Magnus-- Magnus is gone too," her father said.

"How?" Isabelle asked, her voice hollow.

"They were killed by Charles Fairchild," her mother said.

"Charlie would never--"

"You dare defend him!" Robert yelled.

Isabelle couldn't do it.

She ran away from her parents, stopping briefly by the Lightwood residence to grab some things before going to the stables. She didn't encounter anyone on the roads of Alicante or out in the countryside as she rode a beautiful white stallion to somewhere.

She just wanted to get lost.

Eventually she could feel the horse's exhaustion and she dismounted, tying it to a tree near a little oasis of water.

Charlie wouldn't have killed Alec and Magnus.

She knew him.

She had kissed him.

He wouldn't do that.

Something hit Isabelle's forearm as she paced around the small pond. She looked up. It had started raining, a rare occurrence in Idris.

"Alec?" she yelled to the sky.

The rain began falling faster.

"Come back!" she shouted. There was a crack of lightning from behind her and she whirled around.

"Alexander! You can't just leave me here!" Lightning continued to crack from all around her; a dizzying array.

"Alec! I need you! I'm so sorry for everything!"

It was as if the lightning was responding to her.

But she had no idea what it was saying.

She just wanted Alec back.

She slipped in a muddy patch, not even caring.

"Is Magnus with you?" she called. Silent tears fell from her pretty blue eyes, now red with the pain of loss.

There was thunder in the distance.

Thunder and lightning.