The couple stiffened upon seeing the shocked blonde standing in the hallway. Jace looked at the pair, his lips parted in shock and his eyes wide. Seeing the Lewis girl with him made him feel a sense of jealousy, something he hadn't felt in a long time. "Jace," Tris exhaled, her arms dropping to her sides. "What are you doing?"
"What am I doing?" Jace asked, eyes still wide. "What are you doing?"
"I'm dating him," Tris pursed her lips.
"Oh, well, that's great," Jace exclaimed. "I'm very happy for the two of you."
"Thanks. . .?"
"Oh, yeah. Have fun, you guys!" Jace moved to get out but Tris stopped him.
"Jace," she pulled him outside and smiled at Nick before shutting the door close. She turned to the blonde. "What's wrong with you?"
"Me? Nothing!" Jace yelled.
"Jace, you're yelling."
"Me? Yelling? No way!"
"Jace, stop," Tris snapped. "What is it?"
"Nothing," Jace sighed. "I guess I'm bummed about the whole 'My girlfriend is my sister thing.'"
"Oh, Jace," Tris sighed. "I'll help you through it."
"What? Really?"
"Yeah, whatever you need. I'll be there. I promise."
▪▪▪
Tris and Simon continued to follow the gunsman, staring at all the guns hung on the wall. Nick had adviced this place because the man here was a werewolf and had taken about eighteen years just to find the correct bullets for Downworlders. Simon turned his head around, looking afraid. "Relax," Tris whispered.
"Relax? We're in a gun store," Simon whispered. "How can I relax?"
Tris rolled her eyes, still following the man until he stopped in front of a wall lined with guns. He picked out two, one small, one large. He held out the smaller one, which Tris took. "This one is the best for sneaking it into your jeans and it fires well. The other one is more for battles," the man said.
"I'll take two of each," Tris set the gun down and the man brought out four small wooden boxes. He opened one and said, "These are regular bullets. The other one has a rare form of wolfsbane bullets and the other box has wooden ones, for the vampires," he glanced at Simon, who stepped back a little. "And these ones are special. Kills any demon or Shadowhunter."
"I'll take two of all of those, please," Tris smiled politely, handing in the money.
▪▪▪
"Morning," Jace greeted Tris, who walked in the ops centre, noticing Magnus seated on one of the chairs surrounding the illuminated table. She had just woke up, still deprived of sleep and caffeine, and still in her sweatpants and tank top, a black jacket worn over it to keep her warm. She placed her hand on her hip, feeling the cold metal, the gun she was carrying.
"Morning," Tris greeted him. A familiar redhead walked in and Jace sighed, greeting her a good morning, too. Clary greeted him back.
"You just come from training?" Jace asked.
"Yeah. I'm, uh, working on my right hook," Clary shifted uncomfortably on her feet.
"Good. That's a good punch."
"Yeah. I'm-I'm workin' on it."
An awkward silence fell between the two and Magnus sat up straight. "While this conversation is no doubt scintillating, remind me why we couldn't do this at my place? At least there we'd have cocktails."
"It's 9:00 in the morning," Tris exclaimed, rubbing her eyes with her fingers that were enveloped into the sleeves of the jacket.
"Oh, it's happy hour somewhere, my dear," Magnus smiled at the brunette.
"We invited you here, Magnus, because Hodge can't leave the Institute," Jace explained. "He's an important part of this mission."
"Well, then, where is our tardy little tutor?" Magnus clapped his hands impatiently. "There are certain individuals that I'd like to avoid, so let's make this quick."
Hodge walked in, a tab in hand, which Tris reached for, but he pulled away, making her pout. "Pardon the delay, Magnus," said Hodge. "I was following up on a lead. Now, we've narrowed down our list of warlocks to these three." He projected what was on the screen of the tab out into the bare air, and Magnus' eyebrows furrowed.
"Why is Ragnor Fell up there?" He pointed to the warlock. "He's not more powerful than I am."
"Well, some would disagree," Hodge shrugged, briefly glancing at the spiky haired warlock. "He is older than you."
"Certainly not wiser."
Tris felt as if she was out of the conversation. She didn't know who this man was. "Who is Ragnor Fell?" She asked.
"The former High Warlock of London," Jace replied.
"And one of my oldest friends," Magnus added. "Very prickly, likes to keep to himself."
"Okay, look," said Hodge. "We just need to figure out which one of these warlocks had enough access to Jocelyn that they could create the potion for her without anyone discovering what they'd done. By the early '90s, Ragnor was a professor at the Shadowhunter Academy in Idris."
"Isn't that when my mother lived there? Could he have made the potion for her?" Clary questioned.
"The little bugger!" Magnus gasped. "That's why he hasn't responded to my fire message. Ever since Valentine began hunting warlocks, Ragnor's been holed up in his secret country house just outside of London. For all I know, Ragnor suspected my fire message was a ploy by Valentine to lure him out of hiding. We'll have to confront him face-to-face."
"You're going on this mission?" Jace asked.
"Of course!" Magnus exclaimed. "I'm the only one Ragnor trusts. Besides, I've played my last hand here. Even I know when to fold."
As soon as he said that, a tall black haired boy and the shorter blonde girl came walking in. Tris bit the inside of her cheek, her arms crossing against her chest, something that did not go unnoticed by Jace. He knew how much Tris wanted Alec to not marry Lydia.
"Magnus," Lydia breathed, an awkward pitch in her voice. "I didn't know you were here."
Magnus rolled his eyes. "That was the point."
"We're just on our way to greet a few representatives of the Clave who arrived early for tomorrow's wedding," Lydia informed. "How long are you staying?"
"What's going on here?" Alec stepped in. "Nobody told me about a meeting."
"Magnus figured out that Ragnor Fell is the warlock who can wake Jocelyn," Tris explained. "We're just bringing him back to the Institute."
"How can I help?" Alec immediately asked.
"We're just recovering a warlock, Alec," Jace sighed. "We got this covered. Besides, you have emissaries from the Clave to meet."
"You don't want to tarnish your family's perfectly-crafted image now, do you?" Magnus asked, a cold edge to his voice.
Lydia inhaled sharply, grabbing Alec's hand. Tris noticed his face twitch a bit in annoyance. "Again, lovely seeing you, Magnus," Lydia said, walking away from the group.
Jace sighed. "Get ready. We leave in an hour."
"Hey, I'm joining you guys," Tris spoke up and Jace whipped his head at her direction, as she followed him to the training room.
"No, you're not."
"Yes, I am."
"It's too dangerous, Tris," Jace shook his head.
"You wanna see dangerous, Jace?" She reached for the gun on her pocket and pointed at the targets that were originally for bows and arrows, and she shot three times, hitting the target once and the white ring around the target. She stared at the stunned Jace, his eyes wide and his lips parted. He swallowed hard. "I've been practicing almost all night, Jace," Tris said in a low voice, walking towards the blonde boy. "So no matter what you say, I'm coming."
He opened his mouth to protest, but she placed the barrel of the gun on his lips, shutting him up. "I can protect myself," she whispered, lowering her gun and walking away.
▪▪▪
Magnus sighed as the group of four stepped out the portal, landing on a large field, not many trees around. The air smelled of freshly cut grass, making Tris smile a little. "Ragnor's house is just across these fields," Magnus sighed, as they began walking. "Let's make this quick. We'll talk to Ragnor, then Portal him back to the Institute before anyone knows we're gone."
After a moment of silence, only the sound of their shoes on the grass filling their ears, Magnus asked, "So brother and sister, huh?"
"I don't wanna talk about it," Jace waved his arm dismissively
"What, so we're just gonna be work buddies now?" Clary didn't try to hide the hurt in her voice. "All about the mission, and totally ignore the huge bomb that just dropped on us."
"Yeah, sounds like a plan," Jace huffed. Clary sighed disappointedly. Jace let out an annoyed sound. "What do you want me to say, Clary? That I was attracted to my sister?"
"Point of fact, brother and sisters are often attracted to each other," Magnus informed in a cheerful voice.
"Please, oh, please, keep me away from Simon, 'cause I don't want that to happen any time soon."
Magnus laughed a little. "I once knew this one couple in ancient Egypt--"
"Magnus, not helping," Tris nudged him.
"Maybe this will all make sense when we wake up Jocelyn," Magnus suggested. "Since she is Jace's mother as well, perhaps."
"Don't say that again," Jace scowled. "Maryse is my mother."
Clary sighed again. "At best, Jocelyn is the woman who abandoned me," Jace scoffed.
"Hey, that is not true," Clary said, offended. "My mother would never abandon her son. She thought you were dead."
"Or maybe she just didn't want me."
"You don't know her, Jace."
"That's right, Clary, I don't. Do you?"
"I'm sorry I asked!" Magnus yelled, waving his hand, which he had his nails painted on. "I came with you to escape my relationship drama, not get a front row seat to yours."
Jace's brows furrowed as he stared into blank space, while Tris was already walking ahead. Suddenly, a green swirl of magic shot up into the air and set on the ground, to create fire. "Look out!" Jace grabbed Tris' waist, pulling the shocked girl away. Clary frowned at the pair.
"Ragnor put up wards to protect his lair," said Magnus.
"Why is the fire green?" Clary asked.
"It's a wall of fire that only the pure of heart and intention can pass through," Magnus explained, watching as Jace's hand, unintentionally, tightened around the Lewis girl's waist as he said that. He smirked at the pair.
"Oh, so I'll burn to death," Tris sighed. Everyone shot her questionable looks. "What? Pure heart? Me? Pfft, no!"
Jace rolled his eyes, but a smile played on his lips. Quite quickly, he and Magnus disappeared, leaving Tris and Clary alone. "Magnus?" Tris called out. "Jace? Where are you guys? Magnus, if this is you playing tricks, I will shove up a Trix cereal box up your ass and say that Trix are for kids! Guys?"
Tris and Clary glanced at each other. The redhead reached for her sword while the brunette girl curled her finger around the gun in her pocket. An understanding passed between the pair, and the two walked in the fire, only to see a painting staring at them.
"I'm guessing it's a password of sort," Tris shrugged, already working at the bowl of fruits painted. She ran her fingers through the pear and felt a small bump and pressed on it, only for a password pad to open up. She glanced at Clary, who motioned for the girl to go on. Tris looked at the numbers and furrowed her brows. "What if it's the number of levels in this house?" Tris asked, as Clary shrugged. Tris typed in the number four and the numbers flashed a red before turning blue. She stared in though, at the painting. "Number of fruits?" She typed in the number of fruits and access was granted, only for them to be met with another painting of a man with horns.
"Yeah, Clary, I think this is your area of expertise," Tris mumbled, moving away. Clary immediately recognized the problem, as she touched the man's eyes, Ragnor Fell walked out.
"Well done, Clary Fairchild, Tristen Lewis. I've been expecting you two." He turned to Clary. "You have Jocelyn's talent, I see. Only a true artist would notice the subtle changes in my eyes." He turned to Tris. "And you have quite a sharp brain."
"Yes, I know."
"I need to work on not moving my eyes, you don't need to remind me," said Ragnor. "And I need a better password."
"You knew my mom? So you made the potion that put her to sleep?" Clary asked.
"At her request, yes," Ragnor nodded. "And I knew it was only a matter of time before you came to me looking for the antidote. Please, sit."
Clary and Tris sat down on the armchair in front of Ragnor. "Our friends, Jace Wayland and Magnus Bane," Tris started. "They were with us, but we lost them in the fire."
"Your friends, are they true?"
"Magnus said he's known you for centuries," Tris sighed. "He sent you a fire message."
"This is not an act," Clary mumbled.
"Okay, what is your deal?" Ragnor sighed.
"Our friends are missing and if you can't help us, we'll find someone who can."
"What is it worth to you?"
"You find our friends and wake my mother. I'll give you anything," Clary offered.
Ragnor smirked. "That's what I wanted to hear." With a snap of his finger, Magnus and Jace appeared in the room.
"Honestly, Ragnor, was that nonsense necessary?" Magnus asked, rolling his eyes, as he fixed his coat.
"Of course," Ragnor answered. "She offered me anything. You were only up to a timeshare of your flat in Paris."
"All right, enough with the warlock games," Clary exclaimed.
Tris' face twisted in confusion as she looked at the redhead. "Warlock games. . .?" Tris sarcastically added, "What, did the Hunger Games tick you off?"
Clary huffed, "Can you really wake my mother?"
"Not without the Book of the White," Ragnor shook his head.
"What is the Book of the White?" Clary asked.
"I'm guessing it's a white book?" Tris questioned.
Magnus shook his head. "It's an ancient book of warlock magic containing spells more powerful than most warlocks could ever imagine."
"I possessed the book when your mother came to me, and I used its contents to create the potion," Ragnor explained. "Regrettably, I no longer have the book. I asked Jocelyn to hide it so that Valentine might never find it."
"Ragnor, please, I have to get my mom back," Clary pleaded. "Is there any way to get the Book of the White?"
"Possibly. I may have something that can help us," Ragnor stood up. "Won't be but a moment," he said, before leaving.
"What do we do if he can't find the book?" Jace questioned.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Magnus responded. "It's a bit drab, isn't it?"
A scream surprised the lot, making them all run towards the noise, where a demon stood over Ragnor, who was bleeding deeply on the floor. Tris rose her gun, the bullet with the substance that would kill demons placed in the chamber. She pulled back the slide stop and fired at the demon, making it shriek before bursting into flames. She pocketed her gun and ran towards the warlock, the others following.
She crouched down next to the man, who was bleeding excessively. "Ragnor," she exhaled. "Breathe, okay? Just-just breathe."
"Shax demon," Ragnor choked, gasping for air. "Creature took me by surprise."
Tris ignored his words and moved his coat so she could examine his wounds. She furrowed her brows, as she realized his blood wasn't clotting. She looked at Magnus, her hands applying pressure on the wounds, like she had learned. "Magnus, his blood isn't clotting. If it doesn't clot, he'll lose blood and-"
"Don't say that," Magnus' voice broke as he tried to heal his friend.
"How could a Shax demon get past Ragnor's wards?" Clary asked.
"It must have followed us," Tris looked at the trio, but then went back to examining Ragnor's wounds. "Jumped through when the fire wall reset."
"Be still, Ragnor," Tris instructed him. "Your wounds are deep."
"Hold on, please," Magnus pleaded, desperation in his voice. But as Ragnor gasped and shut his eyes, Magnus cried. "No, no, no."
Tris checked for a pulse and couldn't find one, making her frown. She knew how Magnus felt, so she stood up and with the back of her palm, nudged his shoulder, a small gesture, but Magnus appreciated.
"For centuries, this man knew me better than anyone," Magnus let out a breath.
"Magnus, I'm so sorry," Clary frowned.
"We have to leave, now," Jace instructed.
"We can't," Clary shook her head. "Not until we find whatever it is Ragnor said could help us locate the Book of the White."
"It's too dangerous," Jace huffed. "If one Shax demon found us, you can bet there are more on the way."
"We have to try!"
"We don't have time to scour through mountains of Ragnor's stuff," Jace argued.
Magnus snapped his fingers and energy pulsated. "Get back to the Institute," he instructed. "I'll transport everything back to my place, and find what you need. Now, leave me to take care of my friend."
"Magnus, I am--"
"Go!" Magnus yelled. Clary and Jace hastily left the room, but Tris stayed. Magnus looked at her. "Why aren't you leaving?"
"Who's gonna protect you?" Tris asked, a small smile playing on her lips.
"I don't need protecting."
"Everyone needs protecting," Tris sat beside him. She pointed at Ragnor. "He was a warlock, so he could've sensed the demon's energy and attacked it. But he didn't. This wouldn't have happened if someone was there with him, don't you think?"
Magnus nodded slightly. Tris sighed. "See? Everyone needs protecting, even you, Magnus. Heck, even these Shadowhunters need protecting."
"He was the only one who understood me," Magnus glanced at his dead friend.
Tris thought about whether she should tell him, or not. "Magnus, have I told about when I watched my best friend die?"
Magnus shook his head.
"She climbed up to the roof of a tall building, and I had followed her. I found her on the ledge of and I pleaded, begged for her to not jump. But she didn't listen, and she jumped. She died and recently, I saw her."
Magnus' head snapped to her.
"Her spirit," Tris looked at her hands, painted with Ragnor's blood. "I know how it is to lose a friend, Magnus." She looked at Ragnor.
After a long session of healing, Magnus was able to bring Ragnor back to life and upon seeing Magnus' face bright avain, Tris cracked a smile. "You're here," Magnus smiled.
"You didn't think you'd be rid of me that easily, did you?" Ragnor chuckled, sitting up.
"Oh, my dear friend, I will always be here for you," Magnus replied. He noticed a photograph with Ragnor and he grimaced. "Please, put away that horrid photograph. It commemorates a night I'd rather forget."
"Oh, how I had to comfort you."
"How I loved her. I prayed she would love me the same, but she just laughed."
"To Camille, immortals aren't supposed to feel true love," said Ragnor.
"She was so cynical," Magnus frowned. "Camille broke my heart."
"You let her break your heart, my friend. You're immortal but she killed you."
"So everyone agrees that Camille's a bitch?"
▪▪▪
Tris stared at herself in the mirror, her outift for the eldest Lightwood sibling's wedding. She was wearing a long dress that reached her ankles, a beautiful satin material, a rose gold colour. It was an a-line, v-neck dress that fitted her perfectly. Her collar bones stood out in an elegant way, through the thin strap and her heels were the same rose gold, just a few shades darker.
Her makeup was done by Isabelle, who was more than excited to apply makeup on someone but herself. She did a marvelous job, too. Tris' eyes were decorated with a subtle silver from the start of her eyelid and it fanned out to a matte, more elegant rouge pink. She applied eyeliner and decorated her waterline with a gold pencil and Isabelle also did her eyebrows and gave her a dark rose pink shade of lipstick to put on.
She was satisfied with how she looked and as she turned away from the mirror, she was greeted with a brunette boy, a grin plastered on his lips. "Izzy told me you looked ravishing. . .she was right," Nick complimented, walking towards the girl.
"Thank you," Tris chuckled. "You look good, too."
Nick did look good in a navy blue suit, his runes still seen a bit. He wore a white shirt and a tie, the same colour of the suit. He didn't button up the one button on his suit and his hands found their way to his pockets. "Thanks."
Nick offered his arm. "Ready to go?"
Tris's fingers curled around his forearm, a smile on her face. "Yeah, let's go."
▪▪▪
The wedding hall looked beautiful. The stained glass of the Institute stood out against the elegant, masculine cobalt blue drapes. A Silent Rother stood beside the alter, the groom standing on the marble floor that was a couple steps high, a staircase leading towards it. On each side of the end of the stairs were small pillars, white flowers decorating them. On either side of the alter, a little more further from it, were glass chandeliers, those which brought a good finishing to the interior.
There were chairs neatly placed in equal rows, making it look neat. After all this, Tris' eyes shifted towards the alter. It a big, glowing gem of sort, on it and a rune decorated on it, too. "What's that for?" Tris asked Nick, jerking her chin to the alter.
"It's to draw the Love Rune," Nick looked at her. "With a stele, if you remember?"
"Yeah, I remember, the weird pen thing?"
"It's not a pen."
"It kinda looks like a pen."
"No, it-"
"Sorry I'm late," Simon walked towards his sister, a smile on his face. "And this is who. . .?"
"Nicholas, but call me Nick," the boy outstreched his hand, which Simon shook.
"Simon, is that a new suit?" Tris pointed to his electric suit, eyes wide.
"I borrowed from Raphael. You know, embracing the new me."
"You look incredible," Tris smiled.
"So do you," Simon smiled back but turned to Nick. "So, you're dating my sister?"
"Simon," Tris exclaimed sharply.
Nick smiled. "Is this the part where you tell me if I break her heart you'll kill me?"
"No, Tris is capable of killing you herself," Simon pat his sister's back, but looked at Nick. "Don't let her down. I'm going to meet Clary."
"Attention," the Silent Brother's message reached everyone's minds, as the remaining scurried to their seats. "The ceremony is about to commence."
Isabelle walked in, a beautiful gold dress that fitted her perfectly was what she wore, amd in her hands was a red pillow, which held a bracelet and a necklace. She stepped onto the marble. Following her, was Lydia, in a golden Shadowhunter wedding dress. She looked beautiful, as she stepped in front of Alec. She reached for the bracelet which was with Isabelle and put it on Alec's wrist. Jace gave Alec the necklace, which he clasped around Lydia's neck.
"It is time for Alec Lightwood and Lydia Branwell to mark each other with the Wedded Union rune," the Silent Brother announced. "A rune on the hand, a rune on the heart, a union is born."
Jace looked around and his eyes settled on Clary's, who gave him a tight lipped smiled which he didn't return. His gaze went further towards the back, where Tris was, her arm wrapped around Nick's. Jace's stomach flipped when she looked at him and grinned, waving adorably. He smiled back. The dress she had been wearing looked so perfect on her, he just wanted to admire her, as if she was a piece of art. He looked away.
Lydia took the stele and touched it on the glowing gem, and Alec gave his hand to her. As she took a deep breath, the doors to the hall opened, revealing a sparkly warlock.
"Family drama," Tris squealed quietly, earning a playful glare from Nick. She shrugged innocently, watching Maryse stand up from her seat and walk towards the man.
"Magnus, leave this wedding now," she demanded, infuriated.
"Maryse, this is between me and your son," Magnus replied. "I'll leave if he asks me to."
Alec whispered something to Lydia, and she nodded with a small smile. Alec took off the braceket Lydia put on him and began walking down the aisle, towards Magnus. Ignoring his mother's protests, he grabbed Magnus' collar and kissed him. Tris' cheek bones began hurting from the grin on her face, and Nick just chuckled.
Isabelle, Tris, Nick and Jace walked towards him once he pulled away, and once his mother stormed out. "Alec, I am so proud of you," Isabelle smiled.
"Finally, it happened!" Tris squealed, clapping her hands excitedly. "The ship has sailed. . .and my cheek bones hurt."
The group burst into small fits of laughter, as Tris' hands held her cheeks, while Nick unintentionally placed his arm around the girl's shoulders, making Jace internally groan, irritated.
"Guys, that was incredible," Simon exclaimed. "It was like watching the live version of The Graduate. You know, the Dustin Hoffman movie? The amazing one? You were Ben," he mimicks Ben, "Elaine!" His voice went back to normal, as he pointed to Alec. "And you were Elaine. I mean, a taller, masculine, handsome version of her. But at the altar, though, you were like," he mimicks Eliane, "Ben!" His voice went back to normal. "And then now, you're both sitting on the bus at the end of the movie, both totally stoked, but wondering, like "What're we gonna do now?" You know?"
"Who invited the vampire?" Alec pointedly asked.
"Seriously?"
"Much as this will shock Alec, my visit tonight wasn't all for him," Magnus spoke up. "We need to speak privately."
▪▪▪
"I pulled every item of magical importance from Ragnor's belongings," Magnus flicked his hand, and all of Ragnor's items were displayed on the table, where the group was crowding. "But I can't determine which will lead to the Book of the White."
"Wait, this bookmark," Clary reached for a torn bookmark. "I've seen it before. In the alternate dimension you showed me a book of spells, and this was in it. It must have been the Book of the White."
"If that's the case, we can use the bookmark to track the owner of the book," Alec suggested.
"Okay," Jace grabbed the bookmark, only for Magnus to take it.
"Warlock tracking is stronger," he closed his hands around it and closed his eyes, his blue magic swirling around his joint hands. He gasped as his eyes opened wide, and Tris helped make him stable. "Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is I know the owner."
"The bad?"
"It's Camille," Magnus winced.
"Camille?" Tris asked in disbelief.
"Looks like Raphael has her locked up in the basement of the Hotel DuMort," said Magnus.
"Well, after I punched her, there's no way she'll help me," Tris shrugged.
"She won't have a choice," Jace spoke up. "Trust me."
Tris glanced around the table, when a necklace caught her eye. She reached for it and stared at it. The necklace had a silver chain, and a silver ring that was like a band. It had antique engravings around it. On the inside, there were words, which made her heart stop: Love is enough.
Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, as she looked down at the necklace, blinking rapidly, only for a single tear to fall. She pocketed the necklace and stared at the group.
"Guys, I need to go somewhere," she said. "I'll be back soon."
▪▪▪