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"Dad?"

Jace's voice echoes through the silent room, ringing on the metal, bouncing off the walls, the note of hesitation and disbelief ringing through the air

"Son." he says, grabbing Jace in a tight, tearful hug, "Oh, Jace. I can't believe it."

Clary and I exchange wary looks. We come to the place Valentine is supposed to be but instead are met with Jace's long-presumed dead father?

Too coincidental.

"Son, you're hurt. How did you find me?"

"You're dead...Valentine killed you" Jace whispers, "Valentine's...Valentine's here."

"No, Jace. It's me!" Mr Wayland says and I frown at the urgency of his voice...it was too urgent, too frantic. Something about this isn't right. He turns to us, introducing himself, "I'm Michael Wayland. I'm Jace's father."

Clary and I, again, exchange doubtful looks.

"I know what Jace has told you, but I've been here for 10 years. Valentine took off and left me." he explains but it doesn't settle my doubts. I may not know my father well but if he took the care to hide this man for 10 years, why would he up and leave him behind now?

It was careless, sloppy.

People like my father don't get to where they are by being sloppy.

"And Jocelyn Fairchild?" Clary asks, seeming more convinced than me

"He took her with him" he sighs, "Who are the two of you, anyhow?"

"I'm Clary and this is Camille" Clary gestures to me, I scowl, "We're her daughters. Meliorn, the Seelie, told me that he was here with her."

Without warning, I feel my legs give out from under me, the previously subdued pain breaking through the floodgate as my wound worsens, the effect of the iratze rune fading.

"Cami, no!" Clary screams but Jace catches me before I fall to the ground, "Jace. Jace, look, her rune....it's already fading! It never faded this quickly before! Is this place surrounded by runic energy or something?!"

"No..." Jace ponders, slightly distracted, "No, I think it's the Ravener venom that's doing it. The runes wouldn't be strong enough for anybody. Magnus was right. They should be lasting longer though..."

"Remember what Magnus said about her, though?" Clary persists, eye wide, "That especially for her kind she'd need more than runes?"

"Her kind?" Michael questions, helping Jace in supporting me, standing me back up, "Isn't she just a Shadowhunter?"

"It's a long story" Jace dismisses but I spot the maliciously curious gleam in Michael's eye. He certainly wasn't making me want to trust him, "Clary, the rune's too weak. Ravener venom must be spreading...we have to get her to help but we closed the portal..."

"Valentine's got a standing portal" Michael suggests and I groan in pain, unable to trap it in, "Let's go."

As we set off for the portal, Michael lapses into stories about Jace and his past as children and, despite Jace's apparent knowledge of everything he says, I still feel suspicious. Why bring this up now? Whilst I was struggling not to die?

Unless you really wanted to prove that you're the person who say you are.

***

"We need help!"

Pushing the tinkling bell on the door of the Jade Wolf, I find myself being dragged across the floor and into the booth by Michael and Jace, grunting and panting in pain all the while.

The venom was spreading further and it was getting harder to see, to stay awake, to think through the blistering pain.

"Clary? Cami! What happened?!" Simon utters, crossing over to us with inhuman speed, Luke close behind him

"We thought we found Valentine, but he was already gone" Clary explains. Her eyes had not lost the fearful determination behind them since I'd been stung

"Michael Wayland?" Luke gapes

"Valentine took Mom with him but we found Jace's father"

"What?" Simon asks, "I thought Valentine killed Jace's father?"

"He tried" Michael admits, "Hello, Lucian"

"This can't be..." Luke stammers, "I thought I'd never see you again"

"I never thought I'd see anyone again."

"Enough...about...you" I pant frustratedly, "I'm...kinda...dying...over here"

"What happened?" Luke asks, my words having dismissed the current impossibility of Michael's appearance

"Demon got her" Jace recites, "She can't fight the poison and the runes are fading too quickly"

"Fading? I thought they took a day to fade, isn't that part of her being a mundani?" Simon rushes and I curse myself inwardly.

For some unknown reason, I didn't want Michael Wayland to know what I was and, sure enough, my fears become realised when I see the look in his eye - curious, interested yet with a hint of inherent disgust that he was masking well.

"It is but we don't know what's happening when it comes to her kind, this new to everyone" Jace continues, "She needs blood but we can't go back to the Institute."

"Simon!" Clary exclaims, suddenly getting an idea, "Simon, there's gotta be some kind of blood at the Hotel DuMort. Could you call Raphael? Please?!"

I let out another loud groan before lapsing back into the rough, ragged breathing I'd seemed to adopt as of late and Clary's eyes flit to me, terrified.

"Calling won't work. I'll have to do it in person." Simon announces, determined, "My van is in the garage. You drive, I'll hide under a blanket to stay out of the sun, and...there's underground parking in the Hotel!"

"Okay" Clary sighs, relieved and I feel the cool rim of a glass, swallowing the water reflexively. It doesn't help.

"She's weaker, you gotta hurry" Michael calls out to them and Clary runs back over, taking my hand in hers

"I'm coming back" Clary presses and I nod weakly. She leans forward, kissing my forehead, "Please, hang on. Please."

"Clary, I'll co-"

"No, Jace, stay here. Look after my sister. Catch up with your father. I've got this."

Clary and Simon's receding footfalls echo in the air and I tune out the frantic conversation of Luke, Michael and Jace, discussing where he's been, how they all got out alive and all things the Circle.

My blinks begin to slow and I feel the cloying darkness of unconsciousness clouding around me, but I don't fight it, just wanting the pain to stop, to leave me.

I'd been through enough already.

***

When I wake up, the pain is gone but every muscle in my body aches and my head pounds as if I'd just gone 10 rounds with The Rock.

Gingerly pulling myself into a sitting position, I notice I'm in a back room of the Jade Wolf, an empty bag of type O bloody hanging from an IV stand, a blood spotted bandage in the crease of my right elbow, where someone had rigged the transfusion.

The murmuring of conversation prompts me to to stand to my feet and I cross the room slowly, headed for the door to the dining area, placing my feet carefully in the heels so I don't slip. The conversation drifts through to me and I listen carefully.

"...But why would Valentine tell a prisoner what he was planning to do?"

"He didn't. Well, not directly. But he gave me a way to learn all about his plans."

"How do you mean?"

"He injected me with Downworlder blood...the pain was excruciating. Sometimes I was sick for days. But it's not often you got a Shadowhunter to experiment on so I guess that's why he always stopped short of killing me."

"Sounds familiar" I pipe up, entering the room

"Cami...you're awake" Clary breathes, leaping to her feet to help me walk to the table, "Are you sure you should be standing?"

"Probably not" I allow, smirking

"She'll be fine, Clary" Jace assures her, "She's a fighter, trust me"

"Aw, thanks Java Jace"

"What?" Jace questions, confused and I laugh in spite of my protesting lungs, ignoring his question

"So...torture, huh?" I prompt, collapsing into the chair, Clary by my side, "Gotta love that father of mine. What else happened?"

"Glad to see you're on your feet again" Michael voices but I ignore him, waiting for him to continue, "Well, little by little...I developed enhanced hearing and vision. I heard Valentine and one of his army in talks of an attack on the New York Institute. And they mentioned Renwick's as a base of operation, somewhere right under the Clave's noses"

"Who's Renwick?" Clary inquires

"It's not a who" Luke describes, "It's a where. It's a deserted smallpox hospital on one of the islands of the East River."

"Under our noses is right" I scoff, "And Shadowhunters can't track over water."

"He left me to die in that cage" Michael procedes

"Valentine never wasted time on compassion" Luke reminisces

"He won't be getting any from me when the time comes" I announce, noticing Michael's eyes narrow, "Father or not."

"Before it does, you'll need a strategy" Michael warns, "Waiting a day could mean the difference between failure and success."

"Okay" Jace sighs, "Clary and I will scout Renwick's tonight."

"What about Cami?" Clary protests

"I'm going to pay a visit to Magnus, actually" I interrupt, "I have a couple questions for him. Besides, I kinda miss him."

***

"Buttercup! What a joy to see you again!" Magnus bellows, opening the door to his apartment with the kind of flair I'd missed from him in the alternate world

"Hi Magnus" I smile, hugging him briefly before reaching for a seat

"You're weak" Magnus notices, "Surely not still from the energy exchange?"

"No, no. Uh...ravener demon in an alternate universe this time."

"Ah. So...same old?"

"Pretty much. You helped. Well, alternate you helped."

"Glad to be of service" Magnus bows and I chuckle, "Now, what can I do for you? I assume you're not here because you miss me."

"Partly" I admit and Magnus gasps over dramatically placing a hand to his heart fondly, "But I also wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot"

"Can I break the sleeper curse?" I question, watching Magnus face fall.

Well, there's my answer.

"Oh, Buttercup, I wish I could say yes but...the curse is bound by blood. To break it...you would have to die and then, really, there is no breaking the curse because you would just be dead"

I shrug solemnly, "Thought it was worth a shot"

"Magnus, I need your help!"

I freeze in place, my heart skipping a few beats as the loud voice carries through the locked door.

Alec.

"Tired of bickering over the guest list of your unnecessary wedding?" Magnus calls beyond the door, a hint of anger in his voice

'How?' I mouth to Magnus

"Word travels in the Shadow World, Buttercup. I hear everything. And I am not happy, you two were supposed to be my OTP! I gave up flirting with him for you and now...ugh!"

"Magnus! Open the door! I need your help, please!" Alec begs, pounding on the door. Magnus looks at me in question and I nod.

For Alec to come here, of all places, it had to be urgent.

"I need to ask you something" Alec demands as soon as the door opens

Magnus stands in the doorframe, blocking him from entering the room, "Hmm. Will it take long? I have a life to live and I've already given my opinions on your warped plans for marriage and apart from said topic...we have nothing else to talk about."

"Its not about me or her or...any of that" Alec sighs, "It's about my sister"

"Oh, I see" Magnus sasses, "Are you referring to the fact that your adorable fiancée has Isabelle on trial for treason?"

"What?!" I exclaim, standing from the chair and rushing to the door, "Treason? Trial? God, I'm so sick of this bitch!"

"Camille?"

"Ah, Buttercup, I thought you wished to stay hidden, hence why I did not invite him in"

"It's fine, Magnus" I exhale, "Let him in. If Izzy's in trouble we...well, I have to help"

Magnus nods, moving out of the way for Alec to come in, which he does, his eyes on me.

"You're hurt" Alec notes

"Well spotted."

"What happened?"

"Ravener demon in an alternate dimension right after I knocked a very wimpy version of you out cold"

"Wimpy?" Alec growls, offended, "I'm not wimpy!"

"In an alternate universe where demons don't exist and Shadowhunters are extinct, you are"

"Well haven't you been up to a lot whilst running from the law"

"You're here for Izzy" I remind him, "Not me, not your parabatai, you made that abundantly clear at the City of Bones last night. Now...what do you want?"

"I came for Magnus' help, not yours"

"We're a package deal, Alexander" Magnus notes, "I go nowhere without my Buttercup"

"Oh how adorable, you've made such close friends so quickly Camille" Alec seethes

"Alec, fuck off with all your pessimistic bullshit and tell us the problem. Izzy's in trouble?"

"Yes" Alec admits, a guilty look on his face at the mention of Isabelle's name, "My sister wants Magnus to be her defence attorney. I said I would ask. But I'm waisting my time because a Downworlder can't defend a Shadowhunter in court."

"But a Shadowhunter accused of a crime can choose any advocate" Magnus points out, pouring himself a drink

"That can't mean a Downworlder" Alec protests

"The Clave was so rigid and prejudiced back in what they call the Time of Angels that they didn't dream of a Shadowhunter asking a Downworlder for help" Magnus explains, "They didn't even bother to exclude us. So, since, as you all say...'the Law is the Law' there's not stopping me from slipping through this gaping loophole."

"So you'll help her?" I hope

"Is it important to you?" Magnus wonders

"Very"

"Then yes, of course, I will help"

"Thank you Magnus" Alec thanks but Magnus raises a hand

"Not for you, Alexander. For her. For the one Shadowhunter/Mundani/Mundane who has ever treated me with utmost respect. For the woman you should be marrying."

Magnus' final sentence rings through the air awkwardly and Alec and I refuse to meet each others' eyes.

"Awkward silence, I apologise. I just speak the truth."

"No problem, Mags" I clear my throat, trying to diffuse the tension, "But let's focus on saving Izzy, yes?"

"Of course, Buttercup, of course" Magnus dismisses but I could've sworn I saw just the tiniest glint of mischief behind his eyes.

******************

I love the Magnus I'm making!

He's the same but cheekier and sassier and I LOVE IT!!!

Do you guys like Magnus the way I'm writing him, too?

BTW Magnus is the biggest Alemi shipper. #confirmed

Happy Reading!