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Veera opened her mouth to reply to Ashleigh, then stopped. What could she say? She had thought she had kept her issues with Alpha discreet, but here was Ashleigh, telling her that she knew. Did Jayce know? Did the others? Veera flushed, looking away from the demi god as she considered her words. How long? How much? How many others? The questions roared through her brain, waking what Veera had just tried to calm into slumber.

"A F*CKING LEASH?!" Alpha exploded into fury, driving white spots into Veera's vision as she rubbed her temples against the sudden headache. Her nerves tingled, the same way they did when Alpha took over in battle. But she wasn't in battle. Veera shut her eyes and rubbed her palms against them, trying to clear her vision as Alpha screamed and raved in her head. "YOU'RE WEAK! LET ME OUT! THIS WOMAN WON'T HAVE HER WAY WITH US!"

Not taking requests. Veera wished, not for the first time, she could find the switch in her mind to simply shut off Alpha, tune it out. But she couldn't, not when her fingers were slowly going numb, her feet soon to follow. "Excuse me." Veera murmured before heading into the most isolated area of the transport she could find. Flexing her fingers against the pain, Veera punched the wall, one, two, three times.

Alpha was still shouting in her brain, but her sense of touch slowly returned to her, along with the pain. "Tell me. What would make you happy?" She whispered. Image of blood, power, fighting, war all filled her brain. Veera sifted through them, refusing to flinch. Alpha wanted her scared, and she could not show her other side any fear. It was only a part of her, after all.

She sorted through the thoughts, one by one until she came to what she really wanted, what Alpha really wanted. A memory of her pack, the adults lazing in the sun as the pups played among the dirt and gravel. It wasn't her memory specifically, but one that Alpha cherished. We'll find that again. I promise. Just please, give me time. Veera remained focused on the memory, keeping it the only thought in her mind until Alpha was once more calm. As the venomous thoughts died, so too did the lust for blood.

Veera let her head fall back against the wall for a moment, shutting her eyes until the headache was manageable before walking back out to where Ashleigh remained. This time, she took a seat and leaned back, closing her eyes once more. Her legs were too shaky to provIde the strength needed to remain standing.

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Kala stared at Aster, her eyes wide as she struggled to comprehend everything he was saying. "A horse." She repeated after Timothy, fiddling wither her sleeve as she watched him ride away. "A horse." She remembered the sound of bells, and tinkling laughter. Hers? "Timothy, I think I want a horse. I think I had a horse." She grabbed a piece of her hair, chewing on the ends as she considered the predicament before her. She wanted to take that horse before Aster got too far, but the words about that authority thing circled through her head.

Still chewing on her hair, Kala went back to sit between Reitan and Timothy, leaning her head against the metal plates of the robot's arm. "Where do horses come from?" She asked suddenly, stopping the mutilation of her hair for a moment as she considered the question. "I mean, what came first? The horse and people decided, yeah, let's ride that. Or did the people come first and somehow create a horse?"

Brooding on her question, Kala descended back into thought.

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Titania raised her eyebrows, gently rolling the pollen between her fingers. "Well, to respond to your assumptions, Point 1: Since you are standing in front of me, the knight's services can be rendered elsewhere." She stepped forward, circling Paragon with a gait that was similar to a prowling lion. "Point 2: I'm disappointed your intelligence has led you to the conclusion that I would ever acquiesce to the Clave's request. What they believe I want, and what I know I want are two very different things. You should have more faith in your Queen."

She stopped walking, her eyes rising to meet those behind Paragon's mask with a predatory grin. "It is Point 3 that is intriguing to me." She lifted her chin, studying the fairy in front of her. "You've been on your own for so long. You're not a sheep that simply needs to be guided back with a firm hand and a bribe."

Titania's mind raced through dozens of possible schemes, plots and plans that could have all led Paragon to such a response. She could not deny enough of them to be certain of any single path, but in front of her was an ally, with a most enticing offer. The kind she would make, were she in his position.

"Have you ever met Morrigan?" She changed the subject, turning away. "Strong willed, even though her power as a fairy is shamefully diminished. The only hope she had was a good marriage with powerful bloodlines. Such a shame." Titania's eyes glowed once more as she turned, her smile gone. "Bring her to me, and it shall be done."

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Alarick rested his hand on Nick's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Just wait." He murmured. "Brianne and I are fast enough that we'll have time to defend everyone if they attack first. But it is not a good idea to provoke the anger of the Seelie Knights." His eyes flicked to his twin's, who nodded, getting to her feet with determination back in her eyes.

Alarick himself, reached for his bo staff, cautiously preparing for the more pessimistic option as he stepped forward, putting himself in front of Nick, as well as the others. Morrigan was beside him, a strange expression on her face. Cin was staring at them all with a smirk that didn't quite fit the situation presented, and Alarick found his brain working into overtime, trying to read into it. Something was amiss.

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Morrigan remained where she was as Masque disappeared, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword. "Cinead, you were to be my brother once, bound by words that have remained in our families through centuries of time. You know what will happen to me. You know what will happen to him." She met the other fairy's gaze with quiet courage and determination. If she didn't stand up for herself, for Ash, for everyone here, it would be too late when she was forced into subjugation once more by the Seelie Queen. Then there would be no escape.

"Cinead, be my brother by choice. Choose us over her. She will give you nothing but pain and centuries of despair."

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Brianne got to her feet, stepping in front of Rhett and jerking her head at Aethelrick to get either behind her or at her side. She let Morrigan do the talking, for one because she knew the other fairy, and for two because she was one of the reasons the fairy was here in the first place. Morrigan chanced a look at Ash, her eyes narrowed. What have you gone and started this time? She wondered, taking Rhett's hand and squeezing it before grabbing her Seraph blade.

She took strength from the werewolf at her side and her brother, even if he was across the room. Between the two of them, they would be able to defend those in the room. They would have to be able.

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Teliana blinked as Saturday's voice filled her ear, then chuckled quietly to herself, breathless as she raced along the rooftops. "I'm running, if you don't already know that." She replied as she jumped over a drainage pipe, her feet landing neatly on a latticed vent before she jumped to the wall, using the force to carry her forward and over to the other side.

"I hardly doubt the number is that h-" she yelped as her feet hit empty air, and she reached back, grabbing what looked like a flag pole. She snapped to a halt, fingers tightly wrapped around the metal pole as Teliana looked up, gritting her teeth. Her other hand came to rest on the only thing keeping her from a very painful (not deadly she reminded herself) fall, and she swung forward, working gravity in her favor to swing to the next rooftop. A minor detour, nothing more.

"I'd be touched by your concern with that particular statistic if I didn't think you were more concerned with my success rate." She said, catching her breath for a moment before taking off again, vaulting over a chain link fence.

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Alarick shifted his weight to help take Colton off of his own, walking slowly after Delia. "She's kind of bossy, huh?" He muttered to Colton. "Hey now, don't fade out on me, okay? We finally got out, we're gonna make it, all of us. You can't just go after you've only seen the sky for a few minutes."

Perhaps they could talk a doctor into making a house call. There wasn't any guarantee the doctor would keep their silence forever, but if it could be held long enough that Colton got whatever care he neeed, then that would be good enough. It would have to be. "You remember the sky?" Alarick was simply trying to make conversation with Colton, not an easy task for his own person, but he needed the guy to at least stay conscious. "You should look at it, refresh your memory."

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Titania smiled before raising her eyes, the green irises glowing momentarily before fading as she straightened, her fingers slipping from the mortar and pestle to gently stroke the as of yet uncrushed petals. "You don't appreciate natural beauty, I see." She said quietly, her voice low as she cradled the flower in her hand before gently placing it back on the table.

"But then, I suppose if you had you wouldn't have been such a stranger to our home. And it has always been our home." She turned to face Paragon, her head held high. "I suppose I should be honored you took time out of such a busy schedule to come visit me. I would thank you, but I find myself rather bereft of manners at the moment. I hope you don't mind." Flicking her fingers, she caught the vine that dropped from the ceiling as though it were a sn-lizard, and gently stroked the green plant before picking one of the tiny pink petals. The vine retreated as she crushed the pollen beneath her fingers, letting it rest on her palm.

"So, Paragon, after hearing your name whispered through the shadows for so long, what has finally brought you to come to me? And don't pretend it's vengeance. I would hope you're not as droll as that."

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Clarity's voice was gone, her vocal cords beyond the abuse they could have withstood. She was trembling, either from the pain or exhaustion caused by the pain, she didn't know. Just when the ifrit thought it would become bearable, that she could perhaps get to her feet, the excruciating, mind numbing pain would start all over again, and she would be left in worse shape then she had started.

Slowly the waves ebbed, and she found herself staring up at the ceiling. Everything hurt, as though she had been beaten by a club for hours on end. Her hearing began to return to her, and she caught Felicia's voice. Angels and demons, what was the werewolf doing? Clarity itched to tell her to screw off, let Clarity take one for the team, but she couldn't move so much as her little finger.

Angels, God, Daddy, someone help me. She pleaded, a sob catching and sticking in her throat. She tried to swallow, and tasted the copper of blood. Somewhere along the way, she had bitten her tongue. As strong as she liked to think she was, Clarity didn't think her body would be able to survive another minute of whatever the Inquisitor had done to her. How many suffered like that before their end? Now it's clear how the Nephilim have remained superior for so long.

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but Clarity could only focus on keeping her body breathing, in and out, as she stared up at the glass roof, her eyes straining to find the stars amidst the glow of the city.

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Alarick narrowed his eyes at Ash's demands. Honestly, how had Brianne put up with this fellow? "I'll agree to following your commands on the mission. It only makes sense to let those more familiar with the landscape lead. However." Alarick folded his arms over his chest. "Should those commands put any of my people in danger, I won't have a problem making the choice between loyalty to you or to them."

His lips twitched in a semblance of a smile as Nick agreed to follow him. After the debacle with Roxanne, he had half feared he would be the only Shadowhunter to agree to go. He raised his eyebrows as the younger Shadowhunter tried to remedy the situation, the expression on his face the closest he had come to smiling in years.

That ended when Brianne stormed in, eyes full of anxiety. That emotion lessened when her grey eyes landed on him, but after her entrance came Aethelrick. Alarick frowned, stepping towards them as the other man met his gaze before taking an unconscious Hendrick away. By the Angel, does it have to get worse?

His stomach dropped, when he heard the news the two brought. The Inquisitor had been there, at the Institute, and he had nearly gotten his hands on Brianne. Almost worse was that apparently, Clarity was either in extreme danger, or dead. He felt his heart twist in an emotion it had not felt in years, but kept those thoughts off his face. Of course, at that moment Masque began to act up. Alarick whirled, his hand landing heavily on the warlock's shoulders.

"Take it down a notch, before they decide to skin you alive." He said through gritted teeth. He was interrupted however, by the fairy.

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Morrigan watched the warlock, watched him step forward, listened to his words. She wished she could have felt anger, or rage, or even fear, but all she felt was..pity. Stepping around Ash, the fairy cautiously walked towards the warlock, her hands close to her sword but her stance nonthreatening. "He's alright." She said to Alarick, her voice gentle. Before she moved any closer, she turned to Ash. "His life, by rights, is mine. And I do not call for his death, not until I can speak to him. Alone." The determination in her eyes indicated that she would brook no argument over this matter. "As the only known surviving victim of the serial killer known as Masque, I lay claim to his life and right to live. It shall be my decision whether he lives or dies. I believe I am owed that."

She turned away from her warlock to step within reaching distance of the serial killer. Should he desire to attack her, she would be able to react with her sword in time. "Is it too much to ask for you to come with me?" Morrigan asked the warlock, her eyes flicking to Alarick, who removed his hand from Masque's shoulder. "I'd like to talk to you."

It would also give those present time to talk about this "Clarity", whoever she was. Judging by the reaction that rippled through the room, the name was known to more then one person in the room.

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Brianne felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. She took the nearest seat, the edge of a couch, and rubbed her face with her hands, on the verge of tears. It was fitting that the one time she had been selfish, and not risked her life, that it would be someone she cared for. Oh Clarity. Brianne bit her trembling lower lip, refusing to show that kind of weakness in front of so many.

If the ifrit died, Brianne didn't know that she would ever forgive herself. If she was tortured, well...Brianne didn't know that she'd ever forgive herself for that either. She had seen bits and pieces of what had become of those the Inquisitor had taken, and death would have been a far kinder fate. "I had no idea." She murmured, her hand pressed to her mouth. The thought of what the Inquisitor would be, could be doing to the ifrit made her feel sick.

"If I had known..." She would never have left the Institute. "We have to help her. We have to get her back." It seemed the only course of action possible. She glanced at the interaction between Morrigan, noticing with some interest how the fairy reacted to the killer in front her, and especially her words towards Ash. It indicated a relationship of a deeper level, and she groaned inwardly. It would have been nice if they could have payed hell back in small increments, instead of the entire world crashing down on them all at once.

"We have to get Clarity back." Brianne repeated, her voice growing more determined.

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Teliana stopped tapping her nails against her cheek and glanced back over at Kalak, a grin slowly growing on her face. "My, my. Taking quite a bit of interest in what riles up our Conductress, aren't you? I have to wonder..." She glanced over at Sophia, who really wasn't doing much of anything before turning her attention back to Kalak. "I'm sure if you wanted to be the one to rile things up more privately, it would do the both of you good. She needs a release, and you.." She sighed, standing up straight and running her fingers through her hair.

"You just need something to do. Other then this." She crossed her arms over her chest, slanting one hip to the side. "Then I could get some quality time in with those musical soldiers of hers. I have to say, I'm quite curious." She sighed, jealous that Veera got chosen for that particular mission. If only she hadn't volunteered....

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Kala wasn't sure what to make of Carissa, nor the others near here, and so she did nothing. She opened her mouth to answer Reitan's question, when the Carissa ordered them on board. "What a bitch." She muttered, low enough only Reitan or Timothy could hear her as she stepped onto the transport and remained close to her robot friend and her sweater giving friend. Wait. Was Reitan a friend?

Well if friends didn't give each other sweaters, then what were they? "I can do...stuff." Kala fumbled with the zipper of her shirt, unable to look at him. "We'll be fine. Timothy can help me if I screw up." She smiled up at the robot before glancing at the prisoner. Outrage coursed through her and she stood up, ignoring the moving sway of the vehicle as she pointed. "Why does she get away with that, but for me it's not okay? That's unfair!" She complained, before her hand dropped and her mouth went wide with amazement. "Sweater friend, do you see that?" She whispered, creeping up slowly towards the horse.

It was the greatest thing she had ever seen, besides Timothy of course. "What are you?" she whispered, staring at the horse's face and admiring its big eyes. "You are so pretty." She wanted to touch it, but the teeth that were chomping at whatever horses chomped at looked intimidating. For now, she simply stared at it, enchanted.

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Bryce's eyes widened as he contemplated Sanderson's words. "We can be...both?" He stared at the man, completely ignoring the Horse Man and now the new person who had barged in. Sanderson liked talking to people. Sanderson could take care of them. Instead, Bryce focused on trying to wrap his mind around the idea that he and Sanderson could be two things. Not just friends, but colleagues. The Citrus God had indeed smiled upon Bryce when they had shown him to the Adventure's Society, causing him to meet Sanderson.

"We're a bunch of people who got a piece of paper and did what it told us to do." Bryce told Sebastion, his eyes never once leaving Sanderson. He didn't realize how terrribly creepy this looked as he tried to figure out a way to communicate to the sideburns that they could be suspicious of each other. "And then we split into three groups. The Scary Lady went one place, and the..." he frowned. He didn't really know how to identify Aston. "The Man Without Sideburns went somewhere else. And we came here." Bryce turned back to Sanderson. "There's a stranger person here. Stranger danger. Also, what is that? It looks bad."

Bryce, despite being completed devoted to the Citrus God, didn't like the look of the green potion at all.

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Tessa let go of Rayyad's hand to kneel down, pressing her palms against the earth. Goosebumps rose along her skin as her power melded with that of nature's, and she shivered, glancing over at Rayyad. "Do what you can, okay? I don't want to kill it, but I'm choosing the two of you over it, since you both don't have plans to eat me any time soon. I hope." She muttered the last bit, turning her attention back towards the ground. The sounds of battle drowned itself out as she let herself be surrounded by the song of growing things and life.

"Live." She whispered, feeling the magic sapped from her fingers.

Tessa used Vitality Tulip: 7 AP, 6 Mana on the square in between herself, Conrad and Rayyad.

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Kara had her blades out, ready for trouble when the spider bit Laurentinus. Why he had tried to pet it, she didn't know. You didn't try to stroke a person who was undergoing a seizure, you held them down and waited it out. But since she wasn't able to hold down a giant spider without some serious back up....Kara watched the spider scuttle away, feeling her chest twinge. She had thought she had made a friend out of the creature, but clearly the feelings were not reciprocated.

Turning away from Ren, she quickly ran back into the abandoned (Rayyad's) house, using her knife to tear off a strip from the blanket. With a muttered apology to whomever's home it was, Kara stuck the blade back in it's sheath and moved quickly back to Ren's side. With an impatient sigh, she helped him remove the gauntlet from his wound before grabbing his arm. "Hold still." She mutttered, wrapping the cloth around tightly enough that the skin began to redden underneath in irritation.

"You're kind of an idiot." She informed him as she worked, her fingers trembling slightly. She had no healing skill, she had no idea where they were or how to get out, and there was no earthly possibility anyone was near them. "We are so screwed." She proclaimed, sitting back on her heels slightly as she examined her work. It was a bad idea for Ren to move, or even elevate his heart rate, so they were stuck there. Stuck until the gods decided to either worsen their fortune, or show them some kind of mercy.

She got up, pacing as her fingers flew through her hair, braiding and unbraiding while she thought and re-thought their options. "Don't move, and try to breathe slow." She told Ren, biting her lip. Why did you have to go and do that?

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Teliana laughed, startled at Doctor Saturday's reaction to finding his pockets full of fake money. She took the earpiece, fitting it to her ear cautiously as he opened the door for her. She blinked, then blinked again. "I...." she glanced at him, unable to stop herself from smiling, albeit a confused smile. "I look forward to it as well. Goodbye for now, Doctor." She stepped outside of the limousine, shutting the door behind her and stepping up towards the apartment building. As she fumbled for her keys to unlock the door, she caught a glimpse of the limousine driving away.

Shaking her head, Teliana walked into the apartment, only to quickly grab the supplies she would need from her bedroom. Basically her bow and quiver, a grappling hook, and of course, a jacket. Slipping the dark material over her shoulder, she clipped the rest of the equipment to herself before stepping back out the door. Walking around to the back, she began to climb up the fire escape before setting off along the roof tops towards Dr. Sorrow's lab.

What she was going to find there, she could only guess.

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Alarick followed Delia's instructions, his heart racing as he looked kept a wary eye out for guards. The darkness helped cloak their escape, and luckily none of them made too much noise. Too slowly, they eventually made their way to the back door. Opening it, Alarick held it open for Delia and Colton, glancing worriedly at the other man before shutting it.

"We need to get him to a proper doctor." He commented, unsure of what to do now. "I can take him. It might be better if you lead from here on out. I don't..." He glanced around. "We're way too close still for my comfort.

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Teliana smiled gently at Vyle, and turned her back, staring up at the blue sky. She wondered how Vyle had survived all these years. If he was as old as he suggested, it must have been a hell worse then Milosh had shown her...Milosh...She shuddered. Even here, he still invaded her thoughts. She had a feeling he would continue to do so for some time, and it bothered her. As if he was still winning by tormenting her even when he couldn't physically do so. She heard Vyle returning behind her, and stepped to his side once more.

He wouldn't look at her, wouldn't return her gaze. She sighed, and gently took his face in her hands, wiping away a smear of blood. "You missed a spot." She said, her voice low. Ana wasn't sure how to show him that he wasn't a monster, that none of this was his fault, but perhaps it was a wound only time could heal. Good thing she had a decent amount of patience.

"Come on. I could use with some sleep." She continued, letting her hands drop and taking his hand.
Soon enough, they arrived back at the Kaer, where Vyle helped Teliana back over the wall in the same way. Eventually, they found the rooms Zephyr had picked out, indicated with Zephyr asleep in one of them. Teliana hovered over the young mage, making sure he looked comfortable and that he was actually asleep and not for some reason dead before taking the room next door with Vyle. She remembered changing out of her tattered dress and into a new one and falling into bed before unconsciousness overtook her.

As the sun went down, the diurnal monsters found their nests and dens while the nocturnal creatures took their place. The stars glimmered in the sky, and small campfires dotted the land as travelers took their respite where they could. The moon rose, shining as a small sliver and giving very little light. Because Magick can think of no more poetically correct ways to say a timeskip happened.

Boom. A timeskip of eight hours happened. It's dawn now. Wakey wakey bitches.
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Teliana bolted upright, her skin covered in sweat and her hair matted as her eyes wildly searched the room. The last she remembered was Milosh's voice in her ear as he stabbed Vyle through the chest. Her hands clenched the sheets next to her as she gasped for air, her mind slowly quieting as she took in the strange room, the sunrise coming in from the window. "Vyle?" She whispered, her voice half pleading and shaky with fear. What if Milosh had come and taken him while she slept, torturing him while she dreamed? What if it hadn't been a dream? Instead of calming, she began to panic again.

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Veera hadn't slept more then an hour or two, and as the dawn rose, she was already dressed in her armor, swords buckled the strap that held them in place against her back. She wasted no time in tidying up the room, erasing any evidence she had ever been there before giving it one last look. The sunrise had always been her favorite part of the day, even as a child.

Closing the door behind her, she made her way towards Veceslav's room, knocking twice before awaiting his reponse. Her heart was steeled against this particular encounter, and steel it would remain. She knew there was very little chance she would return from this mission, given the power she had seen the mage wield. She would say goodbye to the only father figure in her life, and then she would leave. At least her limp was almost gone, making walking a much easier task.

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Treasa jolted awake, her heart racing as she stared down at the horse's mane, confused for a moment. The places she had left behind in her nightmares were not the same surroundings she was in now. She stared at the rising sun, then at the man who rose at her side before running her fingers through her hair and wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Sorry." She muttered, guiding her horse along the rode before taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She knew she cried out in her sleep, sometimes. Alastar would shake her awake and hug her. There was no uncle here to wake her from those dreams now, just the snorting of her mount and the clopping of their hooves on the gravel.

"I'll stay awake until tonight." She wasn't sure if she was promising Derrick, or herself.

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Zack was up before the dawn, having barely slept the night before. He paced the confines of his tent, thinking. The offer the witcher had brought him was strange, disturbing, and left him with little choice for the future of his people. Yet he could see no way not to accept it. He didn't have the forces, or the means, to take on an entire necrophage army and it's apparent king. But where would they go? What could they do? The dopplers would be shunned when the world found out about the massacre of Oxenfurt, and they would be hunted worse then ever. Sanctuary had been their only hope, and now....

Now he had no idea what he would do.

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Tessa felt the light hit her face, but she simply rolled over, her cheek hitting the pillow as she murmured something incomprehensible before her hand grabbed the edge of the pillow, clinging to it. Not quite awake yet, but not quite asleep, she kept her eyes closed and her thoughts quiet until she was actually forced to get up. It had been a long time since she had been allowed to sleep in.

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Clary felt the pain, but she let her mind drift, dissociating with it. The knife was taken from her hands, but it mattered little as she choked, trying to catch her breath from the knee driven into her stomach. That was when the world went red. Clarity heard herself screaming, or maybe it was Corvo talking. Maybe someone else was screaming. She didn't know, she couldn't know, all she could focus on was the white hot pain that coursed through every nerve, poisoned her bloodstream, and twisted her muscles.

He was talking now, she could vaguely hear him over the sounds of her voice cracking and breaking, her throat rubbed raw by her screams. She couldn't have responded even if she had wanted to. Please, just let me die.

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Brianne took charge, leading Aethelrick to the address. "I hope I made the right choice." She murmured, her heart twisting. The wolf had failed to accompany them, instead going back towards the front of the Institute. She worried for the Downworlder, but there was little she could do. Alarick and Rhett and Roxanne and Nick were counting on her, Hendrick too. Brianne remained lost in her thoughts and offered little for conversation until they arrived at the townhouse. Squaring her shoulders, she walked up the steps, opening the door for Aetherick to step inside with Hendrick before following him in, and shutting the door.

She scanned the room, sighing with relief as she saw Alarick and Rhett, before stepping forward and into her leadership mantle. "We're in trouble. The Inquisitor is here. Quite the fellow." She glanced at Ash, frowning slightly as she saw the fairy once more with him. She was going to have to ask him about that.

"He's here to capture Downworlders, he didn't specify who, but I have my suspicions. He's already got....who rescued Hendrick?" She turned to Aethelrick, frown still in place.

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"My life isn't worth much." Clarity responded breathlessly. Ifrits were the lowest of the low, the spawn of a demon without the benefit of magic. She choked as his foot cracked something inside of her body and she went flying backwards, rolling a few times before landing on her back. She looked up into Corvo's eyes, and saw nothing but the promise of death. I guess I won't be seeing that starry sky.

The demon's blood in her wailed at the touch of the seraph blade, but it hadn't done any actual harm to her, yet. Her hand loosened its grip on the katana's handle as she stared up into the face of the Shadowhunter who had brought her down so quickly. "You know, I've always been curious." Her breathing was ragged, her chest rising and falling rapidly as her body responded to the pain and injuries.

"Do you think when we die, we spend our afterlife with our father, or our mother? Because I wouldn't mind spending half a year in heaven and half a year in hell, switch off on holidays..." The knife in her sweater sleeve slid into her hand, and she jammed it towards Corvo's kidneys as she spoke.

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Clarity saw that infernal gun aimed at her again, and this time, she had no way of dodging. Instead, she could only brace herself for the impact of the bullet. The force of it stopped her motion, dropping her to the ground as she gasped in pain. The man was fast, and attacked her while she struggled to her feet once more. She managed to raise her katana in time to block the first hit, saving her insides from certain destruction.

The bullet had pierced her shoulder, however, and it lost strength after the first blow was deflected. She fell to the side as the blade uppercut, slicing her open along her collarbone. She hissed, rolling away and getting to her feet, her legs shaking. "He paid me for one purpose. I don't ask questions about my clients' histories." She replied through gritted teeth, readjusting her grip on her katana. "And had I known you were here, I might have changed my mind."

The expression on his face become absolutely predatory, sending a shiver down Clarity's spine. In that moment, she knew there was no way she was leaving this room under her own willpower. She brought up her katana again to attack, upper cutting towards his chest before cutting towards his stomach. "I could offer you the money, a favor, my goodwill, but I have a feeling none of it would matter, would it?" Her voice was quiet over the sounds of clashing swords and battle, as she swiftly considered her options. Always running out of time, Clarity. This time she couldn't tell her father's voice to shut up, because he was right.

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Brianne watched Hendrick and Aethelrick's reunion with wide eyes. She wasn't quite sure what to do at all, really. Hendrick protested leaving as the sound of another shot shook Brianne's nerves, stimulating her adrenaline. She ignored Aethelrick for a moment as she leaned down, checking Hendrick's pulse to make sure he was alright before looking up at Aethelrick. "He's going to hate you for that, you know." she murmured, brushing the Shadowhunter's hair out of face before standing.

She glanced back at the room, from which there could be no sounds heard, to the wolf. "The Inquisitor is up there." Brianne felt her heart tug her in two different directions. She wanted to help the unnamed person who was by now probably injured, and desperate, but to do so would put her directly where the Inquisitor wanted her, and she had no doubts she would be at his mercy.

"Even all of us together would have a hard time taking him on." Her mind racing, Brianne ran her hands through her hair, face twisting with turmoil. "I don't know what to do!" She burst out, her legs itching for her to run; where she didn't know. Alarick would write the person above off as a lost cause and return another day when his position was stronger. Ash would do the same. Rhett...she pressed her palms against her eyes, silently begging the Angel to give her an answer.

Hendrick would have stayed behind and died, but it had cost him the person dearest to him for too long, and everything he had worked for. Roxanne would have showed the same reckless loyalty. Reckless, he called me. She lowered her eyes to look at Hendrick's prone form. Rhett would have fought to the death if someone he loved was in danger. And Clarity.....she swallowed. The ifrit would have told her, with a lot of swearing, to get out.

"I'm sorry, Hendrick, Rhett, Roxanne." She whispered, dimming Haniel's light. "But I can't die quite yet." She imagined Alarick, Ash and Clarity nodding their heads encouragingly before she looked up at Aethelrick. "Let's go." Hendrick would probably not appreciate that this was the moment she decided to take his advice and think before she acted.

​

Clarity whirled as the door thumped, her eyes narrowing. "By the goddamned Angels and all that's fucking holy get down Hendrick!" She called, pulling out her katana and twirling it experimentally. Just as he tugged on the rope, the door smashed open. Clary had time to see a gun pointed in her direction before she leaped to to the side, rolling into a crouch as she examined her attacker. Brianne and Alarick didn't use guns. This was a stranger, and he was staring at her as though she were a goddamned steak.

He called light to his seraph blade, and sweat rolled down her back. This was not going to be a good day. "Where I come from we at least shake hands before shooting an angel cursed gun at each other." She commented, grabbing one of the daggers from her boot. She threw it at him before darting in from the side, slashing with her katana. All she needed to do was get back towards the window, and she could jump.

​

Brianne grabbed an angel blade as she ran outside. "Haniel!" She called, the light illuminating the immediate area. Nothing. Brianne frowned, the hair rising on the back of her neck. Something was definitely wrong. She fanned the smoke away from her face, stepping forward towards the darkness, and then stilling.

An owl call. Hendrick? She whirled towards the sound, her pace quickening when she heard a reply. Normally, it would only cause more confusion for the Shadowhunter, but after the story that Hendrick told? It's not possible. She was running now, skidding to a halt when an eerily familiar profile hit her gaze. "Hendrick?!" She called out, confusion plain on her face and in her voice. That was when she saw the wolf. "Hendrick!" She called again, her eyes on the possible target. Up in the room, the sound of a gunshot echoed in the night, causing her heart to race. "What in the Angel's name is going on?"

And then, to make things even better, a third figure appeared, this one completely unfamiliar. "Who are you two?!" She asked, trying to edge her way towards Hendrick, the one ally within seeing distance.

​

Treasa glanced at Derrick as she dismounted, rummaging through mentioned bag once her feet hit the ground. "A please would have been nice." She commented, grabbing the materials needed before turning. She frowned as she scanned their "campsite" before picking a spot. Setting up the fire as Alastar had taught her, she struck a match before tossing it onto the kindling, blowing gently until the fire was a little stronger before feeding it larger pieces of wood. Then it was simply time to gather more wood around the campsite, which she did.

Despite Magick's strong urge to have Treasa attacked by something due to sheer boredom, it twas not to be, and Treasa managed to collect a good amount of fire wood, which she dumped in a spot easily reachable by the campfire.

"I'll take the watch, if you want to sleep...or whatever it is you do." She gestured to Derrick. "I can sleep when we ride tomorrow. And I have no desire to rest now." She pulled her bow from the strap on her back and crossed her legs, setting the weapon across her lap with the quiver next to her. Pulling out the quiver, she teased the unfletched arrows out before pulling the necessary glue and materials from her pouch, setting to work on them.

​

Clarity wandered the Peras Station 1, slowly making her way back to the ship. It had been wonderful, seeing the new sights and enjoying the different people that were gathered here. Clarity loved being deployed into space, and surrounded by stars. It was similar to the vast oceans of her home planet, except none of the waters she had ever swam in carried the small orbs of gas that dotted the skies. She sighed; two hours was not such a long time that she would be able to explore the rest of the station as she had wished. Perhaps if she hadn't gotten so caught up talking to a fellow Varun, then perhaps....

The flashing lights on her left caught her attention, and she stood still for a moment, trying to discern exactly what the establishment was. Since she had started on the farthest sides of the station, making her way back towards the docking bay, she hadn't payed any attention to the buildings or busineses in this area. This looked to be little more then an exclusive club of some sorts, and Clarity shrugged before moving on her way. She loved to dance, but alcohol had never been her calling.

Someone shoved past her, then grabbed her arm. Clarity spun, her reaction a little slower as the man grabbed her other wrist. "Hey purty." he slurred, the whiskey on his breath a clear indication of his sobriety. Clarity wrinkled her nose. "Please let go of me, sir." He only leaned in closer, and she had to wonder if he had even heard her words. "You're bluuuuuuue."

She suppressed a laugh, not wanting to encourage the drunken ensign. "I am a Varun. It's normal for us to be blue or green. Perhaps you should read more then drink." His hands tightened to the point of pain, and she grimaced. "Let go, please." She accented the word, hoping it would somehow make it through the cloud of liquor that obviously fogged his brain. She was not well versed in the ways of fighting, but she knew some methods of self defense. A shame to use it on a drunk, though.

​

Brianne stepped out of the elevator doors, strolling into the VR room. The doors closed behind her, leaving her completely alone. Just the way she wanted it. "Computer, run exercise Mindoir, colony attack."

"Exercise Activated." The male voice, smoothed and automated, responded to her request. The simulation rose up around her in all the time it took for her to blink. She pulled the virtual pistol from her hip, aiming as she waited. She knew this particular virtual reality by heart. Because she had lived it.

"3. 2." The AI began to count down, and Brianne took a deep breath, forcing the rush of oxygen into her bloodstream, giving her muscles more strength. Her aim straightened, then held. "1." Immediately, she was pushed into hell, the screams of the dying and injured filling her ears. Brianne stood over the body of a civilian. The virtual reality didn't have enough data to put faces on the colonists of Mindoir, but Brianne knew it was Rae Lynn at her feet, arms thrown up to shield herself. Brianne took aim, and fired at the slaver who moved towards her, the bullet hitting his skull. As he dropped, she was already taking aim again, a second slaver trying to make off with a teenage girl on his shoulder.

She paused, her own memories flashing through her mind. That day, there had been no one to save her. Narrowing her eyes, Brianne shot the slaver twice in the back for good measure before ducking, using her elbow to knock the wind out of the attacker behind her before throwing him over her shoulder and stamping down on his neck, crushing his windpipe.

She was just getting started.

​

Titania watched Cinead leave with a solemn face. She knew what she was asking. Did it bother her? She stood, her dress sweeping around her feet as the rest of the Court bowed at the waist. The vine slid up, around her arm as she gently plucked three of the flowers from it, before it receded back to adorn her throne. No. After nearly two thousand years of life, the fleeting desires and feelings that came with a mortal dwelling had ceased to have any meaning. Legacy had meaning. There were those who remembered her mother, but what did the humans, the Shadowhunters remember? Nothing but a Goddess who ceased to have any meaning. Titania would not cease. She would remain.

There is a reason I have no heir, and will never carry one. After all, it wouldn't take an exceeding amount of imagination to see that her own daughter could do what she had done to her mother. She walked behind her throne, and into the back room where resided her quarters, and more importantly, her personal apothecary station. She heard the four Seelie Knights enter behind her, and ignored them as she set the purple petals on the desk and began to crush them with her mortar and pestle.

I will never be a memory.

​

Yorick paced in his chambers. Despite all of his hard planning, all of his careful work, he could feel something was amiss. It was't that Alarick hadn't yet returned to Alicante with his prize; he wouldn't be due back until early morning. It wasn't that meeting with his "ally" had left him unsettled either; she had spent a long time learning how humans worked, breathed and lived. Humans. The word itself was dirty, and he wanted to spit as soon as it reached his mind.

Why? Why did you have to make us so...lowly? Yorick paced in a circle, hands behind his back. Raziel could have, should have made them angels. Angels that walked the earth as guardians, keeping the peace. Instead they had been made from humans, part of the humans, and for what purpose? They didn't fraternize with the mundanes, live among them, or work with them. The humans didn't even know the Shadowhunters existed. So why exactly should they waste their time acting as humans, when the Nephilim could become so much more?

Yorick looked towards the glass towers of Alicante, easily seen from his window. In several hours, if Alarick hadn't returned, then he would know where the man stood, and he would make the call. It could be that Corvo would have a lot on his hands to deal with, but Yorick had faith the man wouldn't waiver. He made a note to contact his ally, and have her send additional help to aid Corvo. After all, if anyone could hunt down the wayward sacrifices, it would be Corvo.

​

Clarity stayed with Felicia and Aethelrick until the very last minute, winking at Felicia when she mentioned a bail out. "I'm more of a prison break kind of girl." She replied before mock saluting the two of them and jogging off. Her sprint slowed to a fast walk as she crouched, running around to the back of the Institute. She hadn't been here very many times, but it was enough that the floor plans she had seen were lodged in her memory.

She lifted up her shirt to reveal the hem of her pants, where a loop of rope had been used in place of a belt. The only handy place to keep such a thing, really. She unraveled it before calmly walking up to the side of the building. Hendrick had taken a liking to gardening, and as a result several vines had begun to grow along the Institute's walls. Clarity grabbed one of the vines, offering the plant a silent apology before leaping off the ground. The plants would only hold for a few seconds before giving way, and she used that time wisely, pressing her feet against the wall and scaling it quickly before leaping to the next plant. She leaped at the last second, her fingers barely grasping the open window sill.

She grunted as she pulled herself up into the garden room, arms protesting their need to carry her entire weight. She ignored their complaints and straightened, winking at Hendrick. "I wish I could say this was the first time I'd climbed into a man's bedroom, but..." she let the sentence die as she pulled him towards her, gently, and handed him the rope. "Make yourself a harness, and please don't tell me you forgot all your knots." She set to work barricading the door, just in case someone decided to interrupt them. At the moment she didn't care if it was Alarick or Brianne, she would explain later.

Turning, she impatiently helped Hendrick finish the harness, whistling as she caught sight of his injuries. "Damn. I pity the other fellows." Grabbing his bedsheets, she twisted them before tying them to the harness. "Get your friend to buy you new ones. Somehow I think he'll oblige." She hooked the other end to one of the many hanging hooks in the room, gently setting the plant that had resided there onto the ground and replacing it with the cloth. "Now get yourself to the ground, and I know it might hurt, but please hurry." She gripped the makeshift pulley system in order to be sure the sheets held out against Hendrick's body weight, letting the cloth slip through her hands to slowly slide the Shadowhunter to the ground. That was when the explosion happened, and she cursed her luck.

Always running out of time, Clary. "You bastard, you're wrong." She growled at the memory as she waited for Hendrick to give her a signal he had reached the bottom. At this point she didn't care if she had to jump out that window and break her ankles, she was not getting trapped here.

​

Alarick led Sien and Max through the storm that was New York traffic, until they finally arrived at his home. He blinked, not quite expecting the menagerie of people that were standing halfway in and out of his home, but quickly adjusted. "Pardon us." He said, shouldering his way through and leading Max and Sien up the stairs. It was most important to get Max inside, in case the shy warlock decided to bolt. Not only that, but it would be easier to keep him safe, should anyone risk talking about his identity or recognize him.

"It would be best if we discussed this inside." He pointed out, noticing Roxanne on the steps amidst an unfamiliar werewolf and a vampire. The message must have been forwarded to those it concerned. He hoped that was the case, anyway. The magic that had been put on this shelter had been costly, hiding it from the eyes of those that would spy on him or harm him unless they knew the exact address. Once they did, unless their memory was erased, there was no taking back what they could or couldn't see.

Once everyone was inside, Alarick shut the door, and crossed into the center of the living room. "Sit..or stand. I don't much care." Scanning the faces, he noticed that his sister and Clarity were not yet present, nor was Hendrick. He frowned, but turned his thoughts away from that, for now. It was possible they had gotten caught up in something, or were trying to find the stragglers.

"Some of you know me, some of you don't. I am Alarick Lightwood, of the Nephilim. We'll have time to introduce you all to each other later, but for now, what I have to say must be heard." He took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. "You may know my sister Brianne, if you don't know me. Regardless, you are here because of one single uniting factor; you have been seen with us. It matters not if it was for an hour, or if you've known us for months."

"The Clave, specifically Master Yorick, has decided that because of this, you are a danger to our reputation, and you must be put down. I know this may be a struggle to believe, but.." He took a deep breath again, steeling himself. "This is not the first time such a purge has occurred, and this will be far from over, even if he gets his hands on you. If any of you should be captured, you will be tortured for information regarding the rest of us, and then you will be transported to Alicante. Yorick will then sacrifice you in the name of the Angel Raziel, in order to bring out what he desires."

"I wish this was the worst of it, but unfortunately, there's more trouble brewing. The Inquisitor has been sent to capture all of you, and force the Shadowhunters into cooperation. Nick, Roxanne, Hendrick, Brianne and I have a few hours, perhaps, before Corvo figures out that we are not all on the same side. We will then become targets as well. He is not a man to be underestimated. He has been authorized by the Clave to use...unsavory techniques."

"There is one more thing." Alarick glanced at the single fairy in the room. She had not been named, and this only confirmed his suspicions. "Yorick has an ally; someone he has been working with for many years in regards to this end game. I believe it to be the Seelie Queen, evidenced by his words earlier, and by the lack of fairies' names given to us to seek out. This complicates matters for all of us, as we will not be hunted only by Corvo, but by the Seelie Queen and her Knights. Possibly the most dangerous enemy we could make."

Alarick spread his hands. "I know none of you asked for this burden, and it has been unfairly placed. However, for the sake of all of us, we have to work together to bring Yorick and the Queen down. The Shadowhunters themselves are not evil, nor do they know what Yorick has in store for them. They follow orders blindly, but should not be held accountable for the devious actions of their leader. The fairies themselves are a fair people, and I do not hold them to blame for our current predicament, but the Queen is more dangerous then you could possibly know. The streets of New York are no longer safe." Alarick stopped speaking, and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I hope that you'll help me try to stop them. I know I cannot do this alone."

​

Morrigan surreptitiously took Ash's hand when the Shadowhunter entered with Masque. The room narrowed to the warlock's face, and she pressed against the back of Ash's shoulder, as if trying to keep the warlock between her and the one who had nearly caused her death. He looked...different, not quite the same as he had when he had poisoned her, but still, her skin broke out into a cold sweat, and her heart raced with fear.

She silently prayed that Ash would not cause a problem with Masque in the room, knowing they needed these allies more then they needed another enemy. And if Alarick had captured Masque, perhaps he had nowhere else to bring him. She tried to focus on the numerous others, forcing a smile when she saw Rhett's face among the unfamiliar crowd; he appeared to be doing much better. Much to her relief, he was standing straighter, his gaze more focused. But when Alarick's eyes turned on her, and he spoke of the Seelie Queen, she felt her stomach drop. It was as she feared, then. The Seelie Queen was working with Yorick, the leader of the Nephilim, to bring about this crazed dream.

And I am the only fairy here. Hopefully none of the other Downworlders saw that as reason to try and use her as a hostage to gain leverage with the Queen. It wouldn't work on the cold hearted woman, anyway.

Keeping her eyes away from Masque, she squeezed Ash's hand before speaking up. "Ash and I believe we have found a way to defeat the Seelie Queen. She has..." She bit her lip. "She has a mother. Barely any are left who remember Gaia as Queen of the Fairies, but it's true that Titania was not always in power. There was a falling out, when Titania came of age, and Gaia disappeared. I..managed to find her. She's in Somalia. We need to go there, speak with her, and I know she'll rein in her daughter." The best case scenario was that Gaia would return and take her place as Queen, but Morrigan wasn't sure how to make that happen.

Morrigan fell silent, her neck prickling. The Shadowhunter thought for a moment, then nodded. "Then I shall accompany you, if you are willing to have me. She is a far more dangerous enemy then Yorick and his fanaticism."

​

Brianne opened her mouth to continue the argument with Corvo, when a sudden explosion rocked the ground on which she stood. Only her reflexes saved her from falling as she caught the counter, waiting until her feet had steadied under her before glancing up at the Inquisitor. "I take it that's not your doing?" She asked calmly before taking off, racing through the kitchen and towards the front door to see exactly what had happened.

​

Teliana glanced at Kalak as she rested her chin on her hand, her elbow against some dashboard or other. Her fingers tapped the side of her cheek as she waited for the command to leave. "Well maybe she just decided you weren't worth the effort." She replied, returning her gaze to look into the front of the shuttle.

​

Veera nodded to Jayce before following Ashleigh and the musical soldiers out. No one spoke a word until they boarded a shuttle, where Ashleigh sat down on a couch. Seeing as Veera wasn't much for comfortable sitting, she drifted towards a corner, letting her back press against it before sliding to the ground and leaning her head against the wall.

Old habit, paranoia, who knew? All that concerned Veera was that she had her back to a wall, and she could see whatever came at her. She raised her head, resting her elbows on her knees before opening her mouth. "Why did you request me?" It wasn't an innocent question, not at all. She didn't understand why out of everyone in that room, Ashleigh had picked Veera. Besides her issue with Alpha, which was a closely guarded secret, she didn't have any particular talents, like Teliana.

​

Kala stalked up to the captain, for a moment her face twisting into something unrecognizable. Something dark. "Are you judging me?" She hissed, her hands balling into fists, though this was hidden by Reitan's sweater. "You and him. You don't even understand. You sit there and order me to behave?" She was angry, and this confused her. Why was what he said such a problem? Why did it upset her so? Yet here she was, practically touching his face with her own, radiating fury.

Timothy's voice calmed her, as it broke through. She darted back to him, pressing herself into his chest as she touched her hands to the cool metal. Her mind worked furiously to try to explain what had just happened, but all it ended up with was dark, foggy nothingness. "Yeah, Timothy." She said, her voice quiet. "Let's go get some clothes stuffs. Come on Reitan." Taking the robot's hand in one of her sweater covered ones, and Reitan's with the other, she towed them out of the camp, only stopping to realize she had no idea where she was going.

By some miracle, she managed to walk into the Quartermaster's tent on her eighth try. The last seven had resulted in some embarrassing, and hilarious encounters which she was sure to document in her mind as things you most certainly did not do in public. Although the last, with the two women, had been an interesting position......She had turned to ask Reitan and Timothy why they did such weird things with their legs when the woman who was fitting her brushed her fingers against Kala's arm.

In short, Kala nearly lost it, refusing to go near the woman until finally, the exasperated clothing person left Kala to her own devices. She undressed and dressed again quickly, fumbling with the strange ties and zippers and things until she was properly...dressed? She shrugged, turning back to Reitan and Timothy and twirling her arms. "Tada!"

After that, it was time to find Carissa, which Kala did by the power of making mistakes. This only took four odd encounters before she finally found the...well, Kala referred to her as the Odd One. Because she was. Very odd. "Uh. Hi." She said to the Odd One known as Carissa. "This is Kala. And Timothy, and Reitan." She pointed to each person she named, herself firstly. "So. Yeah. Got clothes."

​

Morrigan stepped closer to her warlock, eyeing the strangers. "We're not enemies." She told the girl holding the knife, watching the others who arrived. A random assortment of Downworlders and Nephilim, it seemed. Good.

"We're in the same trouble you are. We're here to help, and hopefully you can help us." She glanced at Ash, uncertain how to proceed. She wanted their help, desperately, but how could she ask when she couldn't even begin to explain why? Just a feeling she had? And what about them? They were in the same trouble as Ash was, and she didn't know the full story behind that, either.

She shifted. "I swear, on my honor as a fairy, I will not harm any of you." She promised, her hand brushing along the braided strands of hair that slipped over her shoulder. "As a fey, I am unable to lie."

​

Brianne kept a safe distance between herself and Corvo as she watched him with narrowed eyes. "Of course there's things I care about, and people I want to protect. But nothing, ever is a guarantee." Her hands itched for something, anything to protect herself as her instincts screamed that this was going horribly wrong. Had Alarick been there, he would have lied just long enough to get out in one piece. Ash would have burned Corvo where he stood. But Brianne? She sighed. She always got stuck in the middle of everything.

"We could argue about the semantics of the value of one life versus the many for decades, and still not come up with an answer. Respectfully, Corvo, you believe that the greater good can come from sacrificing the small and insignificant. But I disagree. If we don't treasure everything equally, then we're hypocrites. We can't protect the other races from the demons, and the worst amongst ourselves, if we don't think of them as anything less then what we consider ourselves."

She gestured with her hand before letting it drop to her side. "How can we consider ourselves the descendants of angels and protectors if we slaughter our charges to benefit ourselves?"

​

Yorick narrowed his eyes as the mirror's surface shimmered, and Alarick once more appeared, emotionless and composed. "Apologies. Nicholas became upset and stormed off. I intended to calm him down and have him see reason, but-"

"I'm sure he'll come around." Yorick responded, hands clasped behind his back. "Have Mister Nightwine accompany you when you bring Masque to Alicante. Perhaps he will be more keen to see the error of his ways should he lay eyes upon our goal." The young man in front of him nodded stiffly. No doubt already considering how to bring his sister to heel. Yorick was content to leave that business to his ally, or the Inquisitor, if need be. There was no reason for her to come to hate him, or her brother as of yet. And who knew, perhaps she would give up her love of the weakling races once she too saw how great they could be again.

"I'll be awaiting your arrival." Yorick dismissed his protege and turned to the second mirror. A fingernail tapped against a chair, and he lowered his brows. He hated that sound. "Do you believe him?"

The clipped tones held no emotion, no sign of intention. Just a simple question. But with her, nothing was ever simple. "I've no reason not to. Alarick has never wavered before. Now that the path has become clear to him, I have no doubt he will be as steady as he has been." There was no response, just more finger tapping. "I will proceed then. But I warn you. Any Shadowhunters that fall into my hands will not be returned in the same condition they were given."

Yorick sighed. "If they refuse to come under the light, then they must be burned away with the rest of the shadows." Long hair fell over a gently sloping shoulder like a waterfall as the mirror laughed, an enchanting sound. "Remember those words, Shadowhunter. There will come a day, soon I think, when you will wish they had never been uttered."

​

Clary glanced at Aethelrick as she got up, her heels rising off the ground until she was standing on her tip toes, stretching her arms above her head before going back down. "I'm only going in because the risk is less." She tossed her hair over her shoulder, leading the way out of the den as she moved past Felicia. "There's a good chance I'll be captured, should anyone be smart enough to see through the ruse. It'll be easier for just me to get away then both of us. And if you get captured, then I don't get paid, do I?"

She reached for the hilt of her katana, gripping it gently just to make sure it was still there before stepping out into the early evening air. "After you and Hendrick are reunited..." She turned to Aethelrick, eyes going cold in the wake of the beginning of their mission, "Go to this address." She pulled out her phone, and sighed. She had missed a message from Hendrick. Quickly forwarding the address of the safe house to Aethelrick, she typed a message to Hendrick afterwards;

Stay close to a window. And be ready to leave.​

She slipped her phone away before leading them towards the Institute. "If you cause structural damage, all the better. Just don't get caught." Clary looked up into the sky, unable to see the stars because of the glow of the city lights. One of these days, she was going to take a long vacation. Someplace underneath an open sky.

She set off for the Institute, ready as she would ever be.

​

Alarick took a deep breath, then looked at Sien and Max. "It's probably better this way." he decided before slamming the mirror against the table, breaking it into small fractures of silver and glass. "Just so you understand, your best chance of life is with me or Brianne. If Yorick get his hands on you, you're as good as a dead warlock walking, okay?" He stepped out into the hall, glancing one way and then another. Roxanne and Hendrick had hopefully already left with Brianne. He couldn't hear any voices, nor any noise that would indicate otherwise, and gently jerked his head. "Let's go."

He left the Institute through the backdoor in which they had entered, the rogue warlock and Sien in tow. The walk to the safe house was not particularly long, but he prayed to the Angel it would be uneventful. He wished he could have had time to go to the weaponsroom and gear up more suitably for a long term siege, but time was simply not on their side.

"I've got a feeling this is going to be a long road."

​

The Seelie Queen looked over her knights with something close to smug satisfaction. The forces of the Court may have been enough to inspire Arthurian legends and some of the greatest tales every known, but under her rule they had become a deadly force to be reckoned with. She turned her gaze upon Cinead as the knight bowed before her. "You are to take five of these knights. You are to lead them to your contact, Ash, and to Morrigan Moonsong. Both are to be brought to me, though I only require enough of the warlock that he can live for a few hours. Morrigan must remain in one piece, but do what you will to subdue her."

The pet vine had curled around the back of her rose chair, snaking its way down to the ground. Every foot or so, large purple flowers bloomed. She had grown these for a purpose, one that was not yet due. "Should you do this, I believe your form of payment will be most....satisfying." The word hissed as it left her lips, but she smiled, and all at once her features transformed into a face that could have adorned the statue of a goddess.

"Don't disappoint me, Cinead." She leaned back in her chair, a silent indication that they were dismissed.

​

Clarity perched on the backrest of the couch, one leg resting on the top in a bent position while the other swung along the back of the couch. She glanced at Felicia, wrapping her arms casually around the bent knee. If the other wolves received a signal to attack, she would have two silver knives buried in their skulls before they could touch her. Aethelrick, despite his bravado, was staying close to her. She sighed, wishing that the Angel or the Gods or Demons or whatever truly was the deity in charge had not dumped this gigantic mess into her lap.

"He's missing someone. A piece of his soul, as it were. Terrible story." Clary shook her head, though her expression was anything but sad. "I need your help in getting them back. Problem is, he's a Shadowhunter, and more likely then not currently at their headquarters. Now, normally I wouldn't have a problem strolling in and getting the dear fellow out myself, but..."

She glanced at Aethelrick. Originally, her plan had been for the wolves to subdue the Shadowhunter and keep him here. She and Felicia would hunt down Hendrick, and bring him back. That took time she could not afford now. "I need you to go make a distraction. Big enough to keep the Shadowhunters in the Institute busy until I can get in and get who I need. You're good with explosives, right?" Clary reached into her pocket and tossed a small detonator at Felicia. "I've got the charges stashed nearby. You just got to get them and put them in a good place. Then?" She smiled, the expression dropping from her lips in an instant. "Aethelrick, you'll go with her. I'll be too worried getting myself in and out to babysit you."

​

"They say there's powerful magic in twins." Morrigan replied, turning to face Ash. "That's what they say, anyway." She walked into the living area, fingers drifting along the back of the couch as she stared at the picture over the mantle of the fire place. "Did you know fairies have never been recorded as being able to carry twins? Werewolves, humans, even warlocks have been conceived as twins. Shadowhunters too. But the fey? Never." She let her fingers touch the wooden frame before dropping her hand to her side.

"It's probably connected to our difficulty in conceiving. The chances are so low, to even have one child is a miracle." Her heart twisted, and she immediately shied away from the pain, pushing back the memories. "How do you know Brianne?" She asked, changing the subject.

​

Brianne ate quietly as Corvo spoke, glancing at him every so often. He seemed..well a little less intimidating, even if it wasn't his intention. Seemingly, he couldn't drop his eloquent method of speech, and she sighed, wondering exactly how she could get the man to drop his air of superiority. She didn't want to dislike him. She wanted to get along with everyone, even Roxanne if she could manage. How, exactly, one would manage that, she didn't know. But she was willing to try, for the sake of peace.

She straightened when Corvo began to talk about his purpose, and despite his declarations, the hair on the back of her neck rose. Her friend, the werewolf, had only been needed for a "short time", and that had turned into a year, with no communication. She knew, in the back of her mind she knew that something had gone wrong, but it was too easy to continue to live in the denial, and pretend everything was alright. She had a feeling that was going to come to an end.

"I won't lie." She crossed her arms over chest. "I don't like being expected to simply drop everything and help you, when you've barely been here more then an hour." She shook her head. "Any Shadowhunter is always welcome at the Institute, it's true, but this is our home. You're a guest, and a demanding one at that. It's rude, to say the least." She narrowed her eyes. "I said I would help within my abilities, but I will not force any person, be they mundane, Downworlder, or Shadowhunter, to do anything against their will. The Angel made us all equal in that regard, and I intend to uphold it. Or have you forgotten the Accords so easily, Corvo?" She was being rash, and she knew it, but Brianne couldn't be bothered to take back the words she spoke. Corvo seemed to think he took orders from the Angel himself. Yorick was nothing but an old man, albeit a kind old man. He was no more of an Angel then she was.