s03e02 - "The Powers That Be" 

 ── ✦ ──

Magnus asked Alec and Lizzie to go with him to the party of the new Grand Warlock of Brooklyn - Lorenzo Rey. The blonde girl only went there because Magnus was her friend and had helped her and her friends many times.

Lizzie was wearing a red dress with long sleeves, reaching above the knee. On her feet she had gold stilettos with a low heel, and her hair was loose and wavy.

- Here we are - Magnus told them as they entered the luxurious mansion.

- Are you sure bringing mea nd my wife here was a good idea? - Alec asked him. He and Lizzie could feel the eyes of the warlocks, who were looking at them strangely.

- It's better than coming alone - Magnus joked, and Alec and Lizzie looked at him. - I'm kidding. They'll love you. Oh, just because you're the only shadowhunters at a party full of warlocks doesn't mean you can't have a good time

- Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say. You've known these people for ages - Alec pointed out.

- Do you think that's a good thing? Trust me. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to. But it's tradition for the outgoing High Warlock to pass the baton to his successor - Magnus informed them.

- Is that him? - Lizzie asked him after she saw Magnus looking at the man with black hair and brown eyes who was talking to the other warlocks.

- The one and only Lorenzo Rey, the new High Warlock of Brooklyn - Magnus said, and a moment later Lorenzo noticed him.

- Magnus! Magnus Bane! - Lorenzo shouted at him and started walking towards Magnus.

Magnus turned to leave, but Lizzie stopped him and with him turned to Lorenzo.

- You did it and brought your friends - Lorenzo told him and looked at Alec and then at Lizzie.

- Yes, hello, I'm... - Alec started to speak, but Lorenzo interrupted him.

- Alec and Lizzie Lightwood, heads of the New York Institute. I expect we'll be seeing each other often at Downworlder cabinet meetings - He said to them before turning to Magnus. - No hard feelings, right, Bane?

- On the contrary, I'm very happy with my new position. Being a High Warlock is a thankless job. Long hours, little pay. But I'm sure that doesn't matter to a young, civic-minded person like you - Magnus replied and tried to stay calm.

- Oh, don't be so blasé. I may only be 484 years old, but I'm no stranger to service. All those years working for the High Warlock in Madrid have prepared me well - Lorenzo said to Magnus. - Although, I may not be as lenient towards yous as he is. After all, I am here to serve the warlocks, not to transport you like some elevated shuttle - He said those words to Alec and Lizzie.

- I wouldn't want it any other way - Lizzie stated.

- In that case, I look forward to our first cabinet meeting. Have fun - Lorenzo said and walked away from them to talk to others and sorcerers.

- I hate him - Lizzie whispered to Alec and Magnus.

- Who appointed him? - Alec asked Magnus.

- No one - Magnus sighed. - There was a vote. And Lorenzo can be very charming, as long as you like false, tasteless, egotistical pieces...

- Language - Alec admonished him when he saw Madzie running towards them.

- Alec - The girl said cheerfully.

- Madzie! - Alec told her and picked her up. - Hey, my favorite little sorceress

Suddenly the building started shaking and people started screaming. All the sorcerers couldn't control their powers.

- I can't control my magic - Catarina said panicking as her skin turned blue.

- I'm getting out of here, man - Rufus said and opened the Portal, which turned red, and his hand was pulled through the portal and started to burn.

When Lizzie noticed that the portal was approaching her and Alec's side, so she instinctively pulled Madzie behind her to protect her. Magnus reacted quickly and got in front of them, then destroyed the portal with his magic.

- What's going on? - Alec asked.

- I have no idea - Magnus answered him.

── ✦ ──

After returning from the party, Alec became overprotective and kept asking Lizzie if she was okay. The girl replied with the same answer - yes and hid from him in the armory where she was talking to Izzy.

Lizzie was sitting on a chair and rubbing her pregnant belly so her daughter wouldn't kick her so hard.

- Please don't tell me you broke your stele again - Izzy said to Jace as the blonde man entered the armory.

- No. Hey, actually, I was hoping you or Lizzie could recommend some dinner - He said to her and his sister.

- Did you finally get up the courage to ask Clary out? - Lizzie asked him with a smile as she looked at her brother.

- Yes I want to take Clary on a real date - Jace replied and seemed nervous.

- Who are you and what did you do with Jace? - Izzy asked him jokingly and took the stele from his hand when she saw that it was damaged.

- What are you talking about? I've been on a lot of dates - Jace defended himself.

- With who? With your book club? - Izzy asked him sarcastically. The girl had known him since he came to her parents' Institute, so she knew that the blonde man preferred "one night stands" over relationships.

- Yes. Among other things - Jace answered her and shrugged.

- But never with a girl you really care about - Izzy noticed.

- Maybe. Does it really change where I take her for dinner? - The Jace asked them.

- I not ekspert, but you can buy her flowers and Invite her to the movies - Lizzie suggested to her brother.

- No, I don't go to the movies, but I want to take her somewhere casual, not boring. She deserves to have fun, a night she won't forget - Jace informed them.

- What's the most romantic thing you've done together? - Izzy asked him.

- I stole a demonic motorcycle from a seedy vampire bar - Jace replied.

- In this case, a regular restaurant isn't such a bad idea - Lizzie stated, and Jace kissed his sister on the forehead before quickly exiting the armory.

── ✦ ──

Alec called Lizzie after Lorenzo showed up at Magnus' apartment and accused him of working with Amadeus and disturbing the ley line beneath his mansion.

- Why would Lorenzo accuse you of working with a Greater Demon, especially one like Asmodeus? - Lizzie asked Magnus when she entered his apartment.

- Asmodeus and I have a history - Magnus sighed and stared out the window. - He's one of the few demons capable of doing something like this

- Yeah, but we've fought Greater Demons before. But I've never seen anything like what happened at that party - Alec told him, and Lizzie stood next to her husband.

- It has to do with the ley lines - Magnus told them.

- Couldn't that mean the Seelie Queen is involved? What do demons have to do with ley lines? - Alec asked him, and Magnus turned to him and Lizzie.

- Healthy ley lines are the source of power for all magic, both Seelie and warlock, but they can be tainted. Asmodeus is not just a Great Demon. He is the most powerful Prince of Hell. And if Lorenzo is right, what happened at the party is just the beginning - Magnus informed Alec and Lizzie.

- And... and you knew him personally? - Alec asked him.

- Asmodeus is my father - Magnus said after a moment of silence and saw the bewilderment on Alec and Lizzie's faces.

- Listen, I'm sorry I didn't tell you - Magnus told them and walked closer to them. - I was ashamed

- I knew that every warlock has a demon parent. It's just... Asmodeus. Well, we have to stop him - Alec said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

- First we have to track him down. And my father... his magic is unique. But if I can examine the tainted ley lines, maybe we can find him - Magnus stated.

- What are we waiting for? - Alec asked him.

- We need to get to Lorenzo's residence, and I'm afraid we'll never be able to get through its walls without him knowing - Magnus answered him.

- I think I have an idea - Lizzie told him.

── ✦ ──

- You look beautiful - Alec said to Lizzie as they walked down the path leading to Lorenzo's residence.

The blonde's plan was for him and her husband to distract Lorenzo so Magnus could check the broken ley line.

- Thanks - Lizzie said to him before knocking on the door.

- Señor y Señora Lightwood - Lorenzo said and he opened the door and looked at them with his arms crossed. - I assume yous are here to defend Magnus Bane?

- No, actually, we're here to defend you, because as the heads of the New York institute, it's our job to keep you safe - Alec replied, though Lorenzo didn't look like he believed him.

- What if I prove that Magnus is involved? - Lorenzo asked and looked at Lizzie and then at Alec. - It seems that you have a conflict of interest, right?

- Our interest is to stop the person who has corrupted your ley lines - Lizzie told him and tried to sound credible.

- You have our word - Alec added, to further convince Lorenzo that they were on his side and not Magnus'.

- You are not very loyal friends, are you? - Lorenzo asked them.

- I believe in justice, Mr. Rey - Alec stated. - Now, if you do not mind, we would like to enter and make an official statement - Alec informed him.

- But of course - Lorenzo sighed and let them into his residence. The door closed behind them, thanks to his magic, and Lorenzo himself led them to a huge living room.

── ✦ ──

- Do you really believe that Magnus did this out of spite? - Alec asked Lorenzo and with wife stood before him.

- Magnus Bane is the only warlock I know capable of conjuring that type of demonic magic - Lorenzo replied.

- Well, I assure you that if Magnus is behind this, I will hand him over to the Clave myself - Alec told him.

- You speak like a true Shadowhunter. The law is hard, but it is the law - Lorenzo stated and Lizzie wanted to punch him in the face.

- Yes, well... How about a toast to our new partnership? - Alec suggested and pointed to the table with various types of alcohol.

- Excellent idea - Lorenzo told him. The warlock walked past them and walked over. - Scotch? Whiskey? - Lorenzo asked him.

- I'll have whatever you're having - Alec told him.

- I can't, you know why - Lizzie stated and pointed theatrically at her visible pregnancy belly.

- An old fashioned. And I do mean old fashioned - Lorenzo said and turned to prepare the drinks.

Lizzie looked around and signaled Alec to slowly walk to the window and discreetly open the latch of the window so Magnus could slip into the living room.

- I've been drinking this recipe for over 200 years. You're absolutely going to love it - Lorenzo continued, and Alec discreetly returned to his seat and put his arm around his wife's waist. - I could conjur it... but I think stirring by hand is the only way to achieve perfection - Lorenzo continued and turned to Alec and Lizzie. The man handed Alec his drink.

- These ceilings are spectacular - Alec said and looked at the ceiling with a false sense of admiration on his face.

- Thank you - Lorenzo told him with a smile, and Magnus went to the window and opened it.

- And this is for you Lizzie - Said Lorenzo and conjured a glass of orange juice.

- Thank you Lorenzo - Lizzie said with a fake smile and took the glass of juice from the sorcerer's hand.

- Cheers. To our new partnership - Alec told him and raised his glass up to distract Lorenzo from Magnus, who had slipped into the living room through the window and then hid behind the sofa.

- Cheers - Lorenzo replied and clinked his glass with Alec and Lizzie.

- Perfection, really - Alec complimented him.

- Oh, I'm glad you like it. It's my favorite - Lorenzo informed him.

── ✦ ──

- Such exquisite taste in fabrics - Lizzie complimented Lorenzo, who had his back to Magnus, who stuck his head out and signaled them to hurry. - You have a really beautiful house. I think I remember you having an amazing antique pot upstairs

- It's a Ming dynasty vase from the 16th century. I bought it from a Castilian merchant when it was new - Lorenzo answered her with great eagerness.

- Amazing craftsmanship - Alec told him with a smile.

- Are you interested in pottery? - Lorenzo asked him.

- I'm having fun - Alec answered him.

- Would it be too cheeky of us to ask for a tour - Lizzie asked him with a fake smile.

- Not at all. I have to show yo my Fabergé egg - Lorenzo said cheerfully and started walking towards the stairs. - It was a gift from the Tsar himself in the spring of 1887 - Lorenzo informed them, and Magnus jumped out from behind the couch and gave them a confused look. - Or was it 1888? Oh, I know! It was the late 19th century - The man spoke to himself, and Lizzie and Alec followed him up the stairs.

- Does this child look familiar? - Lorenzo asked them with a proud smile and he showed them the painting.

- Yes - Alec answered him.

- It's me. El Greco was a friend of my mother's and used me as inspiration - Lorenzo informed them.

- Oh, of course - Lizzie said.

- Needless to say, growing up in Toledo during the Siglo de Oro was an amazing experience - Lorenzo told them, and Alec took a sip of his drink and smiled falsely at Lorenzo.

- Needless to say - Alec stated before they heard a loud bang from downstairs and he and Lizzie looked at each other discreetly.

- Did you hear anything? - Lorenzo asked and looked at them.

- No - Alec lied and Lorenzo ran down the stairs with the Lightwoods following them.

- I'm sure I heard something - Lorenzo stated after looking around his living room but finding no one. - Strange.

Lizzie felt relieved that Lorenzo hadn't caught Magnus in his living room.

── ✦ ──

A moment later, she and her husband left his residence Lorenzo under the pretext her of not feeling well - which was a lie to leave his residence.

When they finally left, they met Magnus, who was waiting for them in the garden.

- What was going on there? - Alec asked Magnus.

- Whoever did this is definitely from Edom. But judging by the energy signature, it's not my father - Magnus answered him.

- Your expression says something else - Lizzie noticed when she saw the concern on his face.

- I'm afraid not. This magic is very old and very evil. The demon responsible for it is as powerful as it gets, unlike anything I've seen before - Magnus confessed to them.

- So worse than Asmodeus? - Alec asked him worriedly.

- Much worse - Magnus replied.

── ✦ ──

- Are you going to use the angelic core? Are you serious? - Raj asked him as the shadowhunters gathered around a table in the operations center after Alec and Lizzie called a meeting and told them the plan.

- This is our only chance to stop the corruption. We're gonna flood the ley lines with angelic energy, put an end to this, once and for all - Alec answered him, standing next to his wife.

- So your plan is basically the divine Drano? - Clary asked him and crossed her arms.

- The only problem is that the Institute is not built on any ley lines. At least not yet - Alec said and displayed a holographic map of the Institute.

- That's where Magnus comes in - Lizzie added.

- I know a spell that will allow me to temporarily change the direction of the flow of magic in the core. Once the ley line is in place, you'll reach the core and we can say goodbye to the demonic corruption - Magnus explained to them. The warlock waved his hand and with the help of the core hologram showed them the cleansing of the ley lines of demonic energy.

- Sure. What happens if the demon shockwave hits while you're using magic? The core will be completely exposed - Raj said and with a gesture changed the core hologram, which was flooded with demonic energy and then exploded.

- Well, this doesn't look good - Jace told them.

- If we're lucky, it'll just vaporize the Institute - Magnus informed them.

- And if we're not lucky? - Izzy asked.

- Better not to think about it - Magnus answered her.

- It's a risk we have to take - Lizzie said, although she knew that this decision wouldn't please everyone.

- The whole point of building the Institute away from the ley line was to avoid something like this. Why not just quarantine the warlocks outside the city? - Raj asked her indignantly.

- Change your tone, Raj, and watch what you say - Lizzie warned him.

- Because throwing innocent people out of their homes won't solve anything - Alec pointed out.

- Nor the blowing up of the Institute - Raj shouted angrily, and everyone started talking at the same time.

- Who are you, saying such things? - Izzy shouted at him and together with Clary he looked at him angrily

- You can't just go around quarantining the Downworlders - Clary told him.

- Enough! - Lizzie shouted, and the room fell silent. - It's not just the warlocks. You know what happened at the hospital. Everyone is at risk. We're under siege by the Greater Demon. Our job is to solve this problem.

- Evacuate the Institute. Essential personnel stay - Alec added, and everyone went their separate ways. - Watch out for you - The man said to his wife and kissed her on the lips.

- You too - Lizzie told him before he went with Magnus.

── ✦ ──

- Come on, move it - Izzy called to a few of the shadowhunters. - You don't want to be inside if something goes wrong

- We're not going anywhere - Raj told her when he turned from the monitor and looked at her.

- Raj, you've been ordered to evacuate - Jace noticed and took a few steps towards Raj.

- Yes, I know the orders - Raj told them and he looked at Jace. - Look, I'm all for helping the Downworlders, but we can't let Lightwood destroy the Institute to do it. Without him, New York will be completely defenseless

- My husband knows what he's doing - Lizzie stated angrily.

- Whatever. I've already blocked him from the system - Raj informed them.

- What were you doing? - Lizzie asked him angrily and wanted to punch him in the face.

- Then open it - Jace ordered Raj. The man grabbed Raj by the arm before twisting his arm and pinning him to the table.

- You'll do it now or you'll regret it - Lizzie informed him.

- That's impossible - Raj sighed. - Even if it was, my answer would still be the same - Raj told her and Jace nodded towards Izzy who went to the monitor and tried to unlock it.

- Can you undo it? - Clary asked Izzy as the black haired girl typed on the keyboard.

- No, not anytime soon. It's too late - Izzy replied sadly.

- I hope Alec and Magnus fix it - Lizzie said and her twin brother let go of Raj.

- They definitely will - Jace said comfortingly to his sister and hugged her, seeing that she needed it.

── ✦ ──

- Lizzie, it's 3:00 in the morning. What are you still up to, not sleeping? - Jace asked his pregnant sister when he entered the operations center. His sister was sitting in a chair and looking through the screen footage.

- I would sleep if my unborn daughter would let me sleep, so I decided to switch places with Izzy and look through the footage Luke sent us - Lizzie stated and glanced from the screen at her brother. - And why aren't you sleeping? And how did your date with Clary go? - The curious blonde girl asked.

- Good and I'm not tired - Jace answered her, and Lizzie went back to looking through the footage. - I can look through the footage for you so you can get some rest - The man suggested.

- It's not the searching that I need help with. Check it out - Lizzie said and played back the moment when some demon was leaning over the victim and sucking the life out of them.

- I've never seen a possession like this before - Jace confessed in a daze and he looked at the unfamiliar demon.

- Just keep watching - Lizzie told him and paused the recording, then zoomed in on the demon. - I've read a lot of books about different kinds of demons, but I've never come across one that looks like an owl and can possess people - Lizzie stated. - What kind of demon is this? Lizzie asked her brother.

- I have no idea. But whatever it is, we have to stop it - Jace said with determination.

- There you are, honey - Alec said, who entered the operations center and looked at her - You're going to sleep now - The man said after a moment when he walked closer to his wife.

- You're going to sleep too, Jace - Lizzie said to her brother before she and her husband went to their bedroom.

── ✦ ──

- Lizzie, it's 3:00 in the morning. What are you still up to, not sleeping? - Jace asked his pregnant sister when he entered the operations center. His sister was sitting in a chair and looking through the screen footage.

- I would sleep if my unborn daughter would let me sleep, so I decided to switch places with Izzy and look through the footage Luke sent us - Lizzie stated and glanced from the screen at her brother. - And why aren't you sleeping? And how did your date with Clary go? - The curious blonde girl asked.

- Good and I'm not tired - Jace answered her, and Lizzie went back to looking through the footage. - I can look through the footage for you so you can get some rest - The man suggested.

- It's not the searching that I need help with. Check it out - Lizzie said and played back the moment when some demon was leaning over the victim and sucking the life out of them.

- I've never seen a possession like this before - Jace confessed in a daze and he looked at the unfamiliar demon.

- Just keep watching - Lizzie told him and paused the recording, then zoomed in on the demon. - I've read a lot of books about different kinds of demons, but I've never come across one that looks like an owl and can possess people - Lizzie stated. - What kind of demon is this? Lizzie asked her brother.

- I have no idea. But whatever it is, we have to stop it - Jace said with determination.

- There you are, honey - Alec said, who entered the operations center and looked at her - You're going to sleep immediately - The man said after a moment, as he approached his wife.

- This time I'll listen to you, because our daughter has calmed down and I can sleep peacefully - Lizzie told him, and Alec grabbed her hand.

- You're going to sleep too, Jace - Lizzie said to her brother, before she and her husband went to their bedroom.