#but I also didn't want to write will angry at jem

[edwinspaynes]

The way you hate tda and love chot is so... unusual to me. I do not read much about tda on tumblr (because my timeline is all about the other series), but when I created my blog, people loved tda and during sobh as well (based on my perception) . And chot... I don't need to explain. People hate chot. I got over this fact.

There are multiple facets to this answer, but yeah. I'm a bit unusual regarding this - I know a couple other people like me, but most people share one of these views and not the other.

ChoT was everything that I personally wanted it to be. Lots of people are mad that the plot began too late, but I actually don't care about the plot stuff. I love TLH because I want to spend time with that group of characters (who are by far my faves). This is especially true of Matthew, Alastair, and Thomas, my faves, who were notably done a lot of justice in ChoT. I was so happy with all of their storylines and found them so hopeful and healing. My soul was cleansed by Matthew's recovery and Thomastair's love story. I couldn't have asked for anything better for them (besides more content! But that's what fic is for).

Some people think there were issues with Jordelia. I don't personally see them, but I also don't really care about that ship. I love Cordelia and am really happy with her storyline because she got to be the hero she dreamed of being, and I thought that her arc was concluded in a generally-satisfying way as it was written (though I would personally have written some previous aspects of her story differently in ChoI.) I love her.

Other people didn't like the generally-happy ending, but I actively wanted nothing else. I personally hate tragedies, for one thing, but I also love hope. The ChoT ending offered me a lot of hope when I needed it. And I get really angry at people who just bitch and moan that happy endings are Less Than, because they're really NOT if they provide satisfying conclusions to the character arc. (I'm not sure if your ask is anti-ChoT or not, but I adored it, adored it so much. The only issues I had were Kit and Grace, which I want to be less tragic).

Re: TDA. It just hit tons of bad spots for me, primarily because I read for characters. I genuinely actively dislike all 5 mains in TDA (Emma/Julian and Kieran/Mark/Cristina) and find those ships intolerable. The only things I like are a botched Malcolm/Annabel plotline, a very minor character (Diana), and the Malec wedding that I still thought could have been written better. I recommend just skipping TDA, but I'm unusual in that way. I genuinely see no redeeming qualities in it from the characters to the plotlines to the writing.

I also read very little of SoBH, tbh. I read it whenever someone told me there was a Wessa or TLH mention, but that's it. I couldn't tolerate all the Jemma and Kierarktina, and seeing modern-day Tessa just be Jem's Blurry Wife always feels like a wound that doesn't close up. And that's most of SoBH, so. I'll read the physical book when it comes out because I think she's going to expand on the historical content, though, and I'm excited for that.

[justmybookthots]

Clockwork Angel & Clockwork Prince

I am low-key crying.

I should not have ranked my top 30 books of this year so early. But how was I supposed to know that I would love new books in the last week of December? I am literally 3 days away from 2024.

I mean, I knew all along that the Infernal Devices was Cassandra Clare's magnum opus, and I had high expectations of it. Even so, I was convinced I was currently in a reading slump and I wasn't keen on picking this up while in this state. But finally one night I pushed past the prologue to the first chapter and that was it. I got fucking hooked. Colour me shocked because I thought that nothing could take me out of my slump but something about the writing/plot in this book was SO interesting. The beginning where Tessa gets taken by the Dark Sisters and everything it led to had me in a vice. 

I finished the first book in one sitting. Lmao. That night, I finished all 900 pages on my e-reader and I was like: Jesus. Was I ever really in a slump, or were the books I was reading before just not doing it for me? Because I've been reading Two Twisted Crowns (am about 30-40% in?) and I didn't find any fault in the plot, but I couldn't understand why I couldn't focus. 

I need to make one thing straight, though, about this series: I loved it not for the reasons people loved it. I know people laud this series for Will Herondale. I… do not care about Will Herondale. The boy I care about is Jem Carstairs.

It's crazy because I'd read the Infernal Devices before as a teen and while I'd liked Jem more than Will even then, I never really gravitated much to either hero. But this time, I'm obsessed. Absolutely obsessed. He had me kicking my feet and squealing. He was so sweet compared to Will. Some of my favourite parts about him:

Will, Tessa thought, would have been angry if she’d said that to him, but Jem just looked at her intently (We stan a kind, patient and emotionally mature man)

“And you’ve never asked him (William) why?” “If he wanted me to know, he’d tell me,” Jem said. “You asked why I think he tolerates me better than other people. I’d imagine it’s precisely because I’ve never asked him why.” He smiled at her, wryly.

And sooooooo many more scenes of him that I loved in the sequel:

(JEM YOU CAN FOOL TESSA BUT YOU CAN'T FOOL MY CHINESE ASS)

And then later: 

He is such a gentleman, I AM CRYING.

Also, I told myself I would take my time to read the 2nd book because I didn't want to finish it so fast, but idiot that I am, I finished it again (almost) over one night. IT IS INSANE TO THINK I WAS IN A BOOK RUT AND NOW I HAVE TO ACTUALLY STOP MYSELF FROM READING TOO FAST.

Man, I feel so jealous of people who are able to easily enjoy most of their books the way I did this. I rarely enjoy books so much because I am so, so, so picky. And the WEIRDEST part? Ever since I finished Crooked Kingdom and the Stolen Heir (which are my favourites this year), the only books for the rest of 2023 that have made me feel a fraction of this engagement are by Cassandra Clare. I don't understand it. I never liked Cassie as a teen. Why am I enjoying her stuff so much now?

THAT SAID, I don't want to touch the last book in the Infernal Devices right now. T_T This is the angstiest book in the whole series, especially when it comes to Jem. I know his illness took a turn for the worse and he was presumed to have died at the end (though he didn't) but I can't. I can't bear to watch him suffer. I can't bear to watch his engagement with Tessa nose-dive. 

I know this is nothing like my normal reviews because I'm just gushing about Jem and not about the rest of the book (which was GREAT. Do not get me wrong. I loved Charlotte, Henry and Sophie). But my brain is not screwed on straight right now and I… have no words. Nonetheless, I will try to get my thoughts in order. Just some mild complaints:

I think that Jessamine could have had a better arc than what she got. Given her backstory and the trauma she endured as a child, I had hopes for her besides playing the "unlikeable antagonist". Right now, as of the end of Book 2, that is still her primary role in the story. 

I may love Jem and Tessa, but I need to say that the romance for EVERYONE was not very well-done. I found that both Will and Jem developed feelings for Tessa really early, and VERY STRONG ones, and I'm still confused how that even transpired. This was the same problem I had with the Mortal Instruments, but I had assumed it would have been better for this trilogy since it's Cassie's best work. Alas, the same issue occurred.

The twist about who the Magister was was a liiiiiiitle underwhelming. I was hoping for more.

I don't like or dislike Will. I do not care.

Am a little surprised that the ending of the 2nd book was pretty anticlimactic action-wise. The climax was really just about the romance, which… is interesting. 

This is as much cogency as I'm giving this review. I need to recover from this series, thank you. 😣 While I'm too lazy to try to figure out how it fits in the top 30 (which will need adjusting), the books belong there for SURE.

- 29 Dec 2023

[idontcare783]

Thoughts on TLH and Chain of Thorns. SPOILERS AHEAD

I've finally managed to finish Chain of Thorns and I have thoughts, a lot of thoughts.

Overall, I thought that the book was better than I had expected it to be, especially considering other people's opinions of it, but I feel like some of the most important moments in the book lacked in intensity. For example, I thought that the whole thing with Belial possessing James and completing his plan in London didn't really make much sense... he apparently wanted to be crowned as a way of defying God who forbade him from walking the Earth (maybe??? that's what I got from it either way) but he was defeated so easily and swiftly, like, wasn't he meant to be very strong, powerful and evil?. Also, I felt like Christopher's death was so easily avoidable and that the author remembered that she was meant to kill someone, so, there you go, she chose Christopher (also maybe because not a lot of us were expecting him to die), one minute he was recovering from the wound, the next he was dead.

I was very bothered by the fact that we didn't get to see Christopher's funeral or his parents' and Henry's reactions to it, they deserved far better than they were given in this book and I hope that we will see at least a glimpse of this, maybe in the stories about Matthew that the author wants to write in the future (I hope I understood correctly that she plans on writing some Matthew stories in the future, maybe). What also bothered me about Christopher's death was the fact that Cassandra Clare seemed to focus on the pain that Cordelia felt at losing James first and foremost and then on how other characters (Anna, Thomas) reacted to their brother dying. I understand that Cordelia had lost someone else she loved and that she was Christopher's friend as well therefore she had the right to be hurt and grieve, but I would've wanted to see how Anna, Thomas and Grace reacted to Christopher's death a lot more; to me, the fact that Anna lost her brother, Thomas lost the person he considered as a brother after his sister died and also his best friends went to Edom, and Grace having one of the two people she cared about most be murdered by her own adoptive mother seemed far more tragic because at least there was hope for James and Matthew.

I do feel like the author focused too much on Cordelia throughout the series (I could go on for ages about how amazing Jem and Will were, yet they didn't seem to be as praised as Cordelia in their own series). She was constantly trying to make Cordelia seem amazing, strong, smart, brave, beautiful etc faaaaarrrr too much and a lot of times I rolled my eyes because it as cringy. Don't get me wrong, there were times when I liked her (when she wounded Belial the second time, when she spoke to Grace in the Silent City, when she sent the Merry Thieves to Matthew etc) but I thought that she was very self-centred and childish. She wanted to be a hero but she didn't think that this meant sacrifices, she knew she couldn't lift a sword in battle, yet there she was in the first line trying to 'help' but ultimately endangering herself and adding stress to everyone, she was angry at Lucie because she kept secrets, but she'd done the same thing and didn't seem to have any intention on understanding her future parabatai's actions. I feel like the writer was trying to make it seem like Cordelia suffered during her childhood and that she was lonely, and while I understand where this is coming from, I feel like Alastair was far lonelier and suffered a lot more than her.

Alastair who had to conceal from his sister the fact that his father was a drunk, who was constantly ashamed, who had to do things that a child shouldn't have to, who had to take care of his mom and be her main support, who was bullied because of who he was and his father, who turned into the thing he hated because he was afraid and in a lot of pain. Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with the fact that he turned into a bully and I think that he was a coward for it, but I kind of understand it because it doesn't seem like he had anyone to help him out. He became 'friends' with some people that he might not even have liked and he couldn't confide in them. I can't help but think that he was very lonely and I am glad that he had such an awesome redemption arc in TLH (although..... didn't he also summon a demon who killed someone at the Academy???? I would've liked this element to be added to the story). Throughout the series I thought that Alastair was a very solid guy who was always in the background helping out. I loved his sarcasm and his kindness. Funnily enough, I tried to dislike the character because he was a bully previously and I was under the impression that he would die in Chain of Iron (thank God I got this wrong) and he ended up being one of my favourites.

My absolute favourite character was Thomas, the guy was so hilarious, determined, awkward and kind, it was just impossible for me to not love him. Always helping out, trying his best to cope with his sister's death and all the bad things that were happening. Most of the lines that will remain stuck in my brain for a long time are related to him: "I brush my teeth don't tell anyone", "Thomas glared at the fruit basket, and the fruit basket glared back". I loved his relationship with Alastair, especially since it wasn't even the main romance of the story yet they received a lot of lines and they seemed to be better developed as characters than others, such as Matthew and Anna.

Honestly, I was expecting to love those two after reading Tales from the Shadowhunders Academy and Ghost of the Shadow Market, but I just didn't really care much about them during the first two books of TLH. Matthew seemed to have been reduced to this guy who was gravitating around Cordelia and James, and Anna was just absent. I don't think I actually got to care much about Anna in end, I liked Ari more but their relationship seemed more like an afterthought and something that the author could've sorted out in the COI rather than try to cram most things about it in CHOT. Matthew, on the other hand, I really ended up liking; once he became somewhat detached from Cordelia and James, I got to see more of his personality and his qualities, and I liked the fact that he was trying to become better and learn to be happy on his own. Ironically, one of the people who helped him out the most was the one who caused him to turn to the bottle in the first place more or less, Alastair. I think that Alastair was horrible, cowardly, jealous and a jerk for spreading that rumour but I honestly blame Matthew more for his actions because he should've had faith in his mom and spoken to her openly, rather than believe the words of someone he knew wanted to hurt him. Nonetheless, I feel like Matthew, Thomas and Alastair had a lot of comedic potential and I'm happy that we got to see some of it.

One character that I thought I was gonna hate was Lucie, but, surprise, surprise, she was absolutely brilliant. She seemed a bit childish at the beginning and a bit too obsessed with Cordelia for my liking, but freaking hell, she knew what she wanted and did everything in her power to obtain it. I think that there was this hidden strength to Lucie highlighted by her determination, stubbornness, scheming and love for Jesse. Well done, Lucie #applause.

Now that I mentioned Jesse, I have to say that I hated him for how he treated Grace when he found out what she did. I thought that Grace made a lot of mistakes and that his reaction was somewhat natural, but he failed to see that 1) Grace didn't have anyone in this world besides him and Tatiana and 2) everything that Grace did was to bring him back to life. Jesse was the first good thing in Grace's life, of course she would do anything in her power to bring him back, consequences be dam*ed. Even if she knew her actions were wrong, she still wanted him back to her, what was she meant to do? seek help from the Enclave who put her in Tatiana's hands in the first place? yeah... right. Besides Jesse and Kit (and Jem later on) no one had truly shown her kindness and it was difficult for her to trust James when she was constantly told that he was the enemy. I was happy that Jesse forgave his sister and I loved to see them work and fight together. One thing that I also loved about Jesse was his relationship with James, I didn't know I needed it, but definitely loved it. While I was reading their scenes I kept thinking of the theme song for Team Rocked that was played on Pokemon back in the day.

The last thing I want to touch upon is 'the other ending' that Cassandra Clare had planned for this series. Would it have been more impactful? Definitely, but maybe not in a good way. What I got from what I read online was that a lot of characters were meant to die (Matthew, Thomas, Kit at the very least, and I suspect Sona, Anna and Alastair as well) but to me this seems like such a big change from her normal style. As others have said, she doesn't kill her sweethearts and this does take away from the quality of the books because not much is at stake, but killing that many characters would have been a bit too much in my opinion. I get that James' ending was meant to contrast that of Will (dying alone vs dying surrounded by the loved ones) but as it stands, Kit's death made me very sad because of the implications it had for Grace, Anna, Thomas, Gabriel, Cecily, Henry, Matthew and James. I love the fact that he had an important role in helping Matthew with his addiction and inventing fire-messages, and that it's implied that he will be in the thoughts of the other characters for a long time. However, I still wish that his death would've received more space/lines in the books.

Overall, I enjoyed TLH, I didn't think that it was the best series of books that I read (that space is reserved for TID in my heart), but they were definitely not the worst books either. I hope that we get to re-visit some of these characters and the TID gang in the future works of Cassandra Clare

[ladyhindsight]

So...you didn't finish the TLH series...

I would love to hear your opinion on ChoI and ChoT books.

(there are no spoilers here)

For me, ChoI & ChoT (especially ChoT) are the most disappointing books in all the main series of TSC. I'm a casual reader...I didn't go into these books with high expectations.

However, I still ended up being frustrated about (almost) everything. Almost all character arcs weren't executed and concluded properly (I can't tell you much about it because I don't want to spoil it for you). There are too many excessive and unnecessary descriptions,

For example:

"Lucie took his hand. James noted the gesture but said nothing. There was no shame in needing support, but not all Shadowhunters—male ones, especially—were brought up to think so. James had been raised by Will, whose central tenet in life was that he would have been dead in a ditch at age fourteen had it not been for Jem. He had always encouraged James to rely on his friends, to depend on his parabatai. It was something James loved about his father, but it also meant he could not approach him to talk about Matthew and Cordelia. He could not admit to his father that he was angry with Matthew. James was sure Will had never been angry with Jem in his life." - CC, Chain Of Thorns

THIS WHOLE PASSAGE WAS PUT IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME SERIOUS INVESTIGATION WHICH WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A FIGHT SCENE.

There are soo many instances where characters go on and on about each and every single point, leaving no room for readers to think. It's exhausting. CC took "Tell, don't show" to a whole new level.

While all CC books have had some level of issues with writing, inconsistency in character arcs, plot holes and disaster world-building, they are not as stupid as the ones you find in the TLH series.

The TLH series is proof of how little CC thinks before she writes something.

-Nyx

I’m currently reading Chain of Iron, though I’m just a couple chapters in. Thank you for not spoiling, because I am waiting to see what I’m also expecting to be a somewhat lacking conclusion. :’)

I am interested to see whether James is proved wrong with such assumption on his father, though. Already in Chain of Gold, there were too many stops in the narrative or the story, so it does get extremely frustrating when you’re just waiting for the writing to get to the point.

I’ll probably binge the book once I have a couple days off from work, because I honestly can’t waaiittt to catch up with everyone and see this stuff for myself. But I'll definitely moan and groan about it once I am finished with it.

[talesofmaehem]

How about #24 for Heronstairs?

“Promise me Jem, swear by the angel.”

Jem gazed at him steadily, his dark eyes wide in his small face. A thin silver ring was just beginning to show around his pupils, the eclipsed echo of an ominous moon.

“I swear by the angel,” Jem said solemnly. “But promise me Will, if you lose, promise you won’t ask again.”

Will screwed up his mouth and Jem flattened his into a straight line.

“Swear it, William.”

Will scowled. “I swear by the angel.”

***

Will swung his longsword and Jem stumbled back. They were evenly matched, or they should have been. Jem retreated, barely lifting his own longsword in time to fend off Will’s next blows.

“You’ve been practicing,” Jem accused as he batted Will’s blade aside.

Will flashed his teeth in a sharp smile, “didn’t say I couldn’t.”

Jem huffed an indignant laugh and Will doubled his attack. They parried around the training room, both boys panting hard. Will swiped at Jem, whose foot caught on a mat as he retreated, making him stumble backwards. Will seized his opportunity, striking out at Jem’s teetering form. Jem crashed to the floor, barely managing to keep hold of his blade.

His eyes widened, “Wait, Will—”

Will met his eyes with a determined glare and lifted his sword.

“Will, we can’t undo this—”

Will brought his sword down and Jem raised his to meet it. He wouldn’t know how many hours Will had practiced the move until much later, but Will neatly slipped his sword beneath Jem’s and twisted it out of Jem’s grip.

“Will—” Jem tried again as he leaned back.

“You promised,” Will said, voice hard as he leveled his sword at Jem’s neck.

Jem sighed and allowed himself to collapse on the training room floor. For a moment, the only sound in the room was their ragged breathing and then Jem started to laugh. He leaned back on his elbows to find Will smiling brilliantly down at him. Will swung his sword and casually rested it over his shoulder, offering his free hand down to Jem.

Jem smiled and clasped Will’s hand. “Well fought. Parabatai.”

Will’s hand tightened on his own.

***

Entreat me not to leave thee, or return from following after thee—for wither thou goest, I will go.

Jem stands amid twin rings of fire burning in the darkness. Opposite him is Will. His heart beats rapid fire in his chest. He can feel Will’s pulse thrumming in his veins. Could that be right? Will steps closer, hand outstretched. Jem takes it. He can’t recall if this is part of the ritual, though he’d been over the words, the movements thousands of times in his head. Will’s hand feels right in his own.

And where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

Will feels Jem’s pulse in his veins. Could that be right? Jem’s pupils are blown so wide the thin silver ring has been swallowed entirely. He removes his stele and Jem bares his shoulder to him. Will’s hand is steady and sure. The mark unfurls in stark promise on Jem’s skin. He feels a tentative coil wind around his heart and stretch out towards Jem, like a sense he’d always had and never realized, like stumbling around in the dark and realizing all he’d ever needed was to open his eyes.

Where thou diest, will I die and there will I be buried.

Jem feels the sharp burn of Will’s stele against his skin and his soul sings with the rightness of it. For once he can’t feel the poison in his veins, all he knows is Will, Will, Will. He’d protested when Will asked of course. The barest twinge of guilt that he’d been harboring disappears as his own mark unfurls boldly above Will’s heart. He’d protested this too. Wedding marks were placed above the heart, and although he’d argued with Will about what he may or may not want in the future, Will—his parabatai—had insisted. There is no bond more important to me than this. He hears the words in Will’s solemn voice, sees them echoed in his blue eyes reflecting the flames in the darkness. Will was always so sure. He feels some of that surety settle into his bones, steadying him. He savors the last line, feels it fall weighty and definitive from his tongue. He tightens his grip on Will’s hand and prays, when his time comes, that his parabatai will be able to bear it.

The Angel do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.

***

“That was, by far, the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”

The voice rings out along the stone hallways of the institute, carrying over the distant sound of voices cheerfully emanating from the ballroom. Will tenses and slowly turns to face the newcomer.

“What’s that?” Will asks, voice deadly calm.

“Chained yourself to a bloody invalid.”

In less than a heartbeat Will has Gabriel Lightwood pinned against the wall.

“Insult James again,” Will growls, “and I’ll cut your imbecilic tongue from your mouth and shove it down your sorry throat.”

Gabriel clenches his jaw, staring defiantly into Will’s eyes.

“Problem?” Jem asks genially as he makes his way down the hallway. He notices the way Will fists his hands tighter in Gabriel’s collar, as if daring the other boy to speak.

“Not at all,” Will drawls, “Lightworm was just proving a little hard of hearing. Wanted to make sure the message got through.”

Jem makes a thoughtful sound and waits.

“Will,” he prods when neither boy moves.

Will roughly shoves Gabriel into the wall before letting him go. Gabriel briskly brushes off his sleeves and shoots the boys a nasty look before sauntering down the hallway.

Jem and Will watch him go.

“He won’t be the only one,” Jem warns.

“Hmm?” Will asks, turning to face his parabatai.

“People won’t think highly of you for binding yourself to a dying boy.”

“You heard,” Will concludes, displeased.

“I did warn you.”

Will scoffs.

“You can’t fight every shadowhunter who thinks I’m a liability.”

“I can and I will,” Will argues petulantly. Jem begins to protest but Will cuts him off. “You are not a liability James. You are one of the best fighters I know—better than bloody Gabriel Lightworm—and even if you weren���t, being parabatai is about more than that.” He places his hand over his heart, right above the rune that still tingles with a phantom warmth. “You are the only person with whom I’ve ever felt I could say whatever was on my mind, or in my heart, no matter how ridiculous. The only person I know will listen. This isn’t the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, it’s the best. Becoming your parabatai is the one thing I am entirely sure of; I have no doubts or reservations, Jem.”

Jem stares at him, eyes wide.

“Will—”

Will looks steadily back at him.

Jem swallows. “There is no bond more important to me than this.”

Will grins at the sound of his own words shaped by Jem’s voice. “Promise?” He teases.

“Swear by the angel.”

[queen-lilith-fanfics]

Silence is Deadly - Chapter Four

Alright, things are happening. I'm going to put some characters through pain, but it'll be worth it in the end.

Tagging @elven-aeterna because they're ninety percent of my motivation.

Also, if you don't like blood, avoid part II of this. We have some blood.

Am I going to ignore the fact it took me FOREVER to write this chapter? Yes. But I have Ao3 now and will be cross-posting on there so I can finally find some motivation. Hopefully.

All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.

Part I - Family

Jace is going to be okay, Brother Zachariah said. Jace was passed out on the bed, Alec still gripping onto his hand. He just needs to be left alone.

I don't want to leave him, Alec replied. Even if him and Jace weren't connected with the parabatai bond, Alec still felt attached to him.

Just step out of the room for a few minutes and then your can check on him again, Zachariah explained.

Okay. If he could have, Alec would have sighed. Instead, he got up, slowly letting go of Jace's hand.

Walking out of the room, Alec saw Izzy waiting outside. She gasped and flung her arms around Alec. He slowly hugged her back.

"Are you okay?" Izzy asked him.

I'm close enough, Alec replied.

"I feel so sorry for you," she whispered, crying a little. Alec missed that part of his humanity, the way you could let out a little of your emotions.

You know I'm going to be fine. I always endure.

"Alec, you can't carry the burden of the entire family on your back. It's going to break you one day."

He hadn't thought of that. The way he always tried to take the burden off his family, the people he loved, and carried it on his own.

Footsteps were coming down the hallway. Izzy quickly let go of Alec, stepping back. Alec turned around, and faced his parents.

The last time Alec had seen his parents, Robert and Maryse were walking him to the City of Bones, practically dragging him to be a Silent Brother. They had ignored his pain, and changed his life forever.

"Alexander," Robert said.

It's Bother Nehemiah now, he corrected.

"Fine," Robert replied. "You're here."

Jace was in trouble. Brother Zachariah brought me along. I didn't have choice. Same as when I became a Silent Brother.

"What were we supposed to do with you?" Maryse asked. "You are not a part of this family. If anyone in Idris found out-"

Alec waved a hand. For some reason being in love is worse than forcing your son to be a Silent Brother. Why is our society so screwed up when we're supposed to be fighting for good? At least half of the Downworld is better than you.

Maryse just stared forward. This was out of character for Alec, but he didn't care. He was angry.

You took away part of my humanity, Alec said. Remember that next time you see me.

Part II - Signing

"So now what?" Magnus asked, not sure what to happen after Malcolm delivered the perfect cliffhanger line.

"Give me your hand," Malcom said. Magnus reached his hand out and pulled out a small knife.

"Hey, what-" Magnus asked. Malcolm, before we could finish his sentence, slashed his palm with the knife.

"Ow!" Malcolm took Magnus's hand and dribbled a small bit of his blood onto a piece of paper.

"There you go," he responded. "Just a small bit of blood to tie you to the oath. Come back here in a week and I'll tell you what to do."

"That was a little anticlimactic," Magnus admitted. He clutched his bleeding hand to his chest, trying to heal the cut with magic.

"Well we got the job done."

Magnus sighed and got up. He tried to stay composed but it was very hard for him.

"I don't want to wait," Magnus whispered.

"I've waited a hundred years," Malcolm replied. "You can wait a few more days."

Part III - Waiting

When Magnus finally got back to his apartment Tessa was standing in the doorway, hands on her hips.

"Where were you?" she asked, glaring at Magnus.

"Trying to find a way to get Alec back," Magnus replied honestly. He pushed past Tessa and walked into his own home.

"Don't tell me you were breaking into the Silent City!" Tessa yelled.

"No just making a deal with Malcolm Fade."

Silence fell between them. Magnus turned around and made slight eye contact with Tessa. She looked scared.

"I already have had too much happen because of that man," Tessa said. "I almost lost my Lucie to him. Magnus, know the kind of company you keep."

"It's the only way," Magnus whispered. "If I need to I'll get Ragnor on my side." Magnus plopped down on his sofa, putting his feet up on the coffee table. "I can convince him."

"I don't think you can," Tessa replied, sitting down next to Magnus.

"He's coming over anyway because he's been cat-sitting," he shot back. "He has no clue who Malcolm is, except that he took his place. Ragnor would be willing to support me."

"Ragnor doesn't particularly like you with Alec. He hates your rants at 3 AM about him."

Magnus sighed, throwing his head back. "Well what choice do I have? Tess, if you could get Jem back, free and unscathed, to love him like you wanted to back in the day, would you?"

"I'd do anything for him," Tessa whispered back.

"And now you understand how I feel."