Dark Artifices 1
Cassandra Clare
LA 2012 - Kit is a five year old human with the sight he inherited from his father, Johnny Rook. Johnny has a booth at the Shadow Market where he sells secrets. Kit loves to go with him (though when clients come to the house, Kit has to hide in the basement). While walking to get change, Kit stops to flirt with Gwen, a girl selling charmed jewelry. She is worried about the murders that have been occurring throughout the city. When two Shadowhunters arrive, everyone goes quiet. Gwen packs up her things and leaves (Kit notices a symbol on her hand that looks like KKE Fire and Water). The Shadowhunters head to Johnny’s booth and Kit sneaks over to listen. Emma Carstairs is looking for information about her parents murder. Johnny gives her back a scrap of fabric that couldn’t give him any information. Johnny and Emma start talking about recent murders. She is not entered at first because they can’t investigate mundanes murdering each other. Johnny points out some of the bodies are rumored to be fae. Emma points out Nephilim cannot investigate those because of the Cold Peace (no help to far from Shadowhunters or Downworlders because of their involvement with Sebastian. Emma takes in interest in Kit because he is young and has the sight (criteria to become a Shadowhunter). Johnny tells her there was writing on the bodies. Emma’s boyfriend, Cameron Ashdown, thinks the clave will be interested in the information. Johnny tells them when and where the next body is likely to turn up. Emma winks at Kit before the Shadowhunters leave. Johnny is concerned with the attention she showed his son because the Clave has been trying to rebuild its numbers by recruiting anyone under 17 that has the sight. Johnny is determined to keep Kit his secret.
Emma is on the roof of the Sepulchre Bar when she breaks up with Cameron over the phone because he annoys her. Cristina is with her and disapproves of her methods. Emma points out her tutor, Diana, will be pleased for the lack of distraction. Cristina starts talking about her family at the Mexico City Institute. She says Jaime hates studying, but Diego looks for extra school work. Emma is interested to hear about them because Cristina hasn’t talked about much in her two months in LA. Suddenly they see a glamoured fairy walking among the people and stealing from them. Emma empties the contents of a bag over the fairy’s head and his true form is revealed. The humans start to run away. Emma jumps down to question him and Cristina follows. When Emma mentions her name, the fairy recognizes it and reminds her Mark Blackthorn is among his people because the Shadowhunters banished him for being part fae. He uses her shock to throw a necklace at her and starts running. Emma and Cristina follow, but end up stopping when they find the body of a dead human. Emma regrets calling the Silent Brothers right away because she isn’t able to study the markings on the body. When Diana arrives, she pulls Emma aside to ask if she is sure they are like the ones on her parents’ bodies. Emma knows Sebastian isn’t the one responsible for their murders. Diana promises to tell Emma everything she learns. Emma and Cristina get in the car to head back to the Institute. Cristina shows Emma the pictures of the writing she was able to get. Emma decides to show her something she has only ever shown Julian.
Back at the Institute, Emma shows Cristina the closet in her bedroom where she keeps every piece of information she has been able to find on her parents’ murder. She admits she stole the pictures of the bodies with the demon language written on them from Council Penhallow. Next, she takes Cristina to the other wing of the Institute to show off the Blackthorns’ rooms as a way of introduction. She starts with the youngest, Octavian (Tavvy) and his nightmares. She then goes to Drusilla’s (Dru) room which is littered with horror movie paraphernalia. Next are the twins’ neat room. Livy’s is very girly and has books about computer programing languages. Tiberius (Ty) likes to use computers for analysis, but animals are his true passion. Julian’s room has a sea-side castle mural painted on the wall featuring sleeping beauty. Cristina comments that Julian appears to be a sad person. Lastly, Emma shows her Mark’s room. He was taken during the Dark War and made part of the Wild Hunt (vicious group of fat that ride through the sky once a month and prey on humans). Cristina admits he is part of the reason she is in LA. She hopes to some day make the Cold Peace more fair to Downworlders. Emma stores away all her thoughts and goes with Cristina for mindless movies to distract them until Diana returns with more information. They stay up all night and Emma ends up sleeping in. She goes for a run on the beach and returns to the Institute to find Johnny Rook leaving. She is furious he told Diana about Emma going to see him. Diana takes Emma to her office to talk alone. First she scolds Emma for going to the Shadow Market and trusting Johnny Rook. Next she tells her what she learned. The recent murders are being handled by the Scholomance (elite Shadowhunters training in the Carpathians; closed when Accords first signed as show of good faith to Downworlders; recently reopened because of fae). Diana warns Emma to stay out of it. She reminds her student that Julian writes to the Council every year for his sister’s, Helen, release from Wrangle Island (even marriage to the Consol’s daughter Aline Penhallow hand’t helped her get her freedom). Cristina comes in to tell them the Blackthorns have returned home. Emma runs to greet them. She tells Julian she needs to talk to him about something important if he isn’t too tired. He agrees, but Emma feels that something is different about him. She tells herself he will be back to normal in a few days.
Julian takes a tray of food to the attic where Uncle Arthur (head of the LA Institute) pours over books about ancient Greeks. He mistakes Julian for Andrew (Julian’s father) and asks him about what type of love it is between parabatai. Julian leaves him among his books. Emma wakes up from a nightmare about her parents trapped in a giant ocean wave. She wonders why Julian never showed up and goes to his room to find him asleep. She asks if she can stay with him and like many times in the past they sleep next to each other to keep the nightmares away. Emma wakes up to find Julian gone. She gets dressed and goes down to the beach to find him. He asks what she wanted to talk about and she tells him everything. She adds that she own’t look into it if he thinks it will hurt his chances of bringing Mark or Helen home. Julian points out his attempts for the last five years have been useless. Jace and Clary (run the NYC Institute) were able to help their friends and change the way the Clave thinks because they are heroes. Julian thinks if they are able to find and stop the serial killings, they too will be able to inflict change. They start heading back to the Institute where Tavvy and Dru are waiting to tell Julian he owes them pancakes. Cristina is dreaming about Jamie and Diego (oldest friend and first love respectively) back home when Emma shakes her awake to go meet the Blackthorns. The girls go to the kitchen and introductions are made. Emma tells everyone about the 12 murders of humans and fae. She warns them that any investigation on their part has to be kept secret from Diana. They all agree (including Cristina) and go their separate ways to investigate and prepare for Clave testing (anyone not up to par has to go to the Academy in Idris). Julian and Emma are left alone in the kitchen with Tavvy as Cristina leaves. She always thought she’d have a parabatai and so it is painful to see the closeness between Julian and Emma.
Emma and Cristina train for hours. Emma climbs a ladder to jump down from the ceiling, but Cristina is able to get Cortana from the scabbard on Emma’s back as she gets up. They start throwing knives and Emma makes a comment about Perfect Diego when Livvy shows up. She complains about how there weren’t any cute boys at their great aunt Marjorie’s in England. Emma explains Cristina’s annoyance with Diego. As she goes to throw knives, Livvy and Emma discuss Diego breaking Cristina’s heart somehow. Livvy wants to set her up with Julian. Livvy leaves without completing much training. Cristina asks Emma if she is okay because she seems in shock. Someone pounding on the front door gives Emma a reason not to answer. She grabs Cortana and rushes out. Julian opens the door to find Malcolm Fade, high warlock of LA, on the other side. He invites the warlock in, but Malcolm trips due to his shoe laces being tied together. Emma is there to cut him free. Malcolm gives Julian the medication for Arthur, which Emma doesn’t know about, and quickly changes the subject. Emma shows him the pictures of the body and asks about the chalk symbols near it. Malcolm thinks it is a protection circle for whoever cast the spell to murder the person. Livvy comes to retrieve them because they found something. Emma invites Malcolm to join them before following Livvy. Once they are left alone, Malcolm points out that love trumps laws. Everyone meets up in the computer room. Ty tells them there has been one murder a month over the past year. All have the writing and were burned and soaked in salt water. The info was found through the mundane news though, so no indication of how many were fae. They mapped out where the bodies were found and each was on a Ley line. The doorbell rings and Emma goes to answer it. On the way, she thinks about Clary and Simon becoming parabatai. She pays for the pizza Malcolm ordered (from a vampire named Nightshade) and brings it to where everyone else is. Julian gets everyone settled for dinner. After watching Notting Hill, Malcolm gushes over how he came to LA to bring love back. Julian insists that movie love isn’t real and launches into a speech about what he thinks love is. He cuts himself off before he reveals his feelings for Emma. Everyone goes to bed. Emma is woken up in the middle of the night by Jem’s cat, Church (used to bring presents from Jem; shells on Emma’s window sill and sea glass that makes Julian’s bracelet). She follows the cat out to the beach and finds Julian. She asks him what is wrong. He tells her he has been thinking about his brother, Mark. He wonders if he keeps the hunt away from them because he loves or hates them. He admits he hates Mark for leaving him to raise his siblings alone. He thinks of how different it would be if Mark could have stayed. Julian admits that he might not have wanted a parabatai. He takes off before he says too much. Emma is hurt and sits with Church.
Back in 2007 during the Dark War, Julian protected his younger siblings in the Hall of Accords in Idris. He wanted to be fighting beside Emma, but knew his brothers and sisters couldn’t defend themselves. Their father, Andrew Blackthorn, had his soul taken. Andrew called out to Ty who started to go to him. Julian threw his short sword at his father and killed him. He knew he committed the worst sin and would be cursed.
Diana is in the middle of a history lesson about the Scholomance, the Academy, and the Cold Peace when Cristina sits a fae delegation approaching the Sanctuary portion of the Institute. Julian runs to the attic to get Arthur. He recognizes the signs that his uncle is having a bad day (mind broken while held captive in Faerie with Andrew) and gives him the medicine from Malcolm knowing the side effects will be awful later. Emma arrives in the Sanctuary first to greet the fae, Iarlath of the Unseelie court and Kieran of the Hunt. Iarlath is the fae she saw at Sepulchre. Arthur and Julian join them and get down to business. The fae want a deal: the LA Institute Shadowhunters will use what they have translated of the marking son the bodies to translate the rest of the spell. They will use it to find the murderers and bring them to the fae for judgement. Arthur doesn’t see the benefit to them for breaking Clave law to help them. The third fae comes in and drops his hood. It is Mark Blackthorn. They swear he will be free to choose whether to stay at the Institute or return to the Hunt afterwards. In the meantime he will remain with the Nephilim to assist in the investigation. Julian speaks in whispers to Arthur before the head of the Institute agrees to the deal. Julian makes the fae speak a few oaths to keep them from using loopholes. They all agree not to involve anyone outside the Institute and all communication will be done discretely through the Sanctuary. Diana comes in to seal the deal and escort Iarlath and Kieran out. Mark (and his horse) are left behind. Julian goes to talk to his brother. Mark mistakes him for their father and feints.
Julian carries Mark to his old room and puts him on the bed. Their siblings start showing up and so does Cristina. Dru points out a wound on Mark’s shoulder. Julian asks for a stele and Emma tosses him hers. When he puts it to Mark’s skin, the half fae wakes up and thrashes to get away from it. He looks at them all and doesn’t recognize his younger siblings. Cristina herds everyone out into the hall to give him time to adjust. She reminds them her field of study is the effects of the Cold Peace. Diana joins them and reminds everyone they will have to work quickly and quietly to avoid the Clave finding out. Livvy and Ty go to get Mark’s things from storage. Cristina will stay to look over Mark. Emma and Julian are going to take the papers from the fairies to Malcolm Fade and give him as little information as possible to keep him out of trouble. Diana is cryptic about where she is going, but tells them to trust her. Emma drives down the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) until they get to Malcolm’s castle. They climb the hidden crystal staircase and go inside. Malcolm is talking with two movie producers who want to ensure the success of their film. He freezes them in case the Shadowhunters are having some sort of emergency. When he unfreezes them, he sends them out saying he will be in touch. They give him a copy of the papers from the fae. When Magnus Bane enters the room, Malcolm goes to look them over somewhere else. Julian asks what the warlock is doing in LA. Magnus explains the Council is looking into any necromancy magic. There was a nearby occurrence he was going to check out on his way to meet Alec in Buenos Aries with their adopted warlock son, Max, but Diana already took care of it. Emma asks about Ley lines. Magnus explains they are typically used for transferring magic. After Magnus leaves, Malcolm agrees to help them, but when they don’t answer, he realizes it involves fairies. He tells them it will take him a few days and warns them not to depend on him too much because everyone will let you down in the end.
Cristina sits in the hallway outside of Mark’s room. The door is cracked open and she can see him lying on the bed, but has no idea if he is asleep. Ty and Livvy return with a box of things they think their brother will like (though they were unable to get into storage to get his actual things). Ty goes to lay a quilt over him, but Mark springs up and holds him down. Livvy runs from the room while Cristina tries to defuse the situation. Livvy comes back with a seraph blade and threatens to kill Mark if he hurts Ty. Mark recognizes her with the weapon and lets Ty go. The twins leave, but Cristina stays. He is relieved he doesn’t know her because it means she really doesn’t have many expectations. He admits he has no idea how long he was gone and that the Wild Hunt still calls to him. Cristina fill him in. There is a tapping on the window and a message is delivered to Mark inside an acorn telling him to remember his promises and that none of this is real. On their way back to the Institute, Julian asks what Magnus whispered to Emma. She tells him the warlock told her Ley lines converge. They decide to look at a map of the lines in the library, and Julian is glad they will have a distraction from Mark. Cameron Ashdown calls Emma, but she ignores the call. Julian asks if she will tell him about what is going on. She promises she never would. Julian slams on the breaks on the side of the highway, he tells her he didn’t mean what he said and having her as his parabatai is the best thing that happened to him. He admits he asked her because he couldn’t stand the thought of loosing her to the Academy. Emma explains that he gave her everything - a family. Livvy sends a text to let them know Mark is awake and screaming. Julian races them home and they find all the kids sitting outside Mark’s door. They explain that Mark starts screaming if any of them enter. Julian explains their brother will need time to adjust. Emma takes them to the library to map out Ley lines. Julian goes into Mark’s room to find him pacing. Cristina sits on the floor holding the pendant of her necklace in one hand and the other on a knife at her hip. Julian’s presence upsets Mark. He rants about how he tried to remember his siblings, but the fae showed him their gruesome deaths and tried to get him to kill them. He doesn’t believe he has a family anymore. Julian offers proof in the last words Mark spoke to him. He reminds his brother that he told Julian to stay with Emma. Mark collapses into Julian’s arms finally believing it is his younger brother. Dru finds the map they are looking for in the trunk with the Blackthorn symbol carved into it. They start studying it and find the Ley lines converge in the ocean. Cristina comes in to tell Emma that Julian seems to have calmed Mark and gained his trust a bit. When Julian brings Mark in to see them, he is in much better spirits. He tells them the Ley lines on tier map are wrong and suggests Helen help them correct it. Julian explains Helen’s the situation. Mark comes to the conclusion that he and Helen aren’t wanted there and returns to his room. They all recognize that Mark will need time to deal and understand the whole situation.
Emma takes some soup (made by Cristina) to Julian’s studio for him and Tavvy. He admits he always thought if Mark returned it would be to help, not be another thing Julian had to deal with. Emma remembers when Mark and Helen were first taken away and how Julian was so anxious about being 12 and raising 4 kids. She is angry at the situation and then at Mark for adding to his burden. Emma bangs on Mark’s door for a while before using a knife to open it. She finds that Mark isn’t in the room. Dru comes by and tells her he is most likely on the roof. Emma goes out the window and onto the roof. Mark is there and she tells him he is upsetting Julian. Mark explains the Institute doesn’t feel like home anymore. He tells her about watching his siblings die as a form of torture. He agrees to show her where the Ley lines converge if they leave right then. Emma insists on taking Julian. Mark says he will only take her and points out the limited time they have to solve the mystery o the murders. He tells her to follow him as he starts scaling down eh wall and she does. Once they are on the ground, Emma goes to the car to get weapons out of the trunk, including Cortana. Mark takes her to his steed, which has talent he form of a motorcycle. She wants to drive it and he allows her. Mark climbs on the back. With a simple thought of wanting to fly, the bike takes off. Emma bids it to go faster until she realizes she is surrounded by ocean. She wills it back towards land, almost losing control of the steed in her fear. Mark approves of her wild spirit and points her in the direction of the convergence.
When they land, Mark and Emma find a cave and go inside. There is a circle drawn of words in different languages. Emma takes pictures with her phone. Before she can stop him, Mark walks into the circle and there is a shimmer. When he comes back out he hands Emma the wallet of the man she found a few nights previous. He tells her there were also clothes and broken teeth hidden by the glamour. They start to leave but are confronted by mantid demons outside the cave. Mark lights up a seraph blade while Emma uses Cortana to start making her way to the motorcycle. They each fight off several demons, but one crushes the bike, taking it over a cliff with it when Emma kills it. She makes her way back towards Mark, who has run out of weapons. He uses a silver chain as a weapon, but still gets a slash across the chest before Emma gets him another seraph blade. Cristina drives the car into the fray with Julian on the hood firing off bolts from his crossbow. There is a lull in demon activity and Julian wants to put an iratze on Mark, who refuses. They get in the car before more demons (protecting the convergence) show up. Julian has them stop at a seafood place that has an outdoor shower for surfers. Mark lets the water rush over him before going to join Cristina. Julian draws an iratze on Emma and tells her not to do that again. He is aware she could have died and explains what that would do to him. Emma tells him she feels like she is constantly being tested to be allowed to stay at the Institute. Julian opens up and says she has already proven herself to him. She wants to hold him, but instead mentions the others. Julian closes down and they go back to Mark and Cristina. Mark tells them the circle in the cave is for necromancy. The writing on the bodies might be a message, but not written for them. The people killed were chosen for specific reasons and dumped on Ley lines later. They decide they will need to set up monitoring. Systems on the cave during the daytime when the demons are inactive. Julian agains suggests an iratze on Mark. The older brother takeoff his shirt and shows him the runes the fairies carved into his back. He points out his actual protection rune did not help him. He vowed not to have anymore on his skin. Julian promises he won’t let the fae take Mark back.
Diana returns to the Institute in the morning to ell them the monitoring system is in place. The cave does not use demon protection during the day and instead the opening disappears. Cameron calls Emma again and this time she answers. He warns her that someone in the Shadow Market was threatening to kill her if she kept looking into what she talked to Johnny Rook about. Mark joins everyone in the kitchen and apologizes to his siblings for his behavior. After eating, he takes Tavvy so everyone else can do their Clave tests with Diana. Emma is distracted through the written and oral portions and makes a lot of mistakes. Mark and Cristina join them for the physical part. Diana makes a circle of ash and salt around a dummy and has each attack without disturbing the circle. Julian uses throwing discs to tear off the arms so he can question the suspect. Emma leaps from above, lands on the shoulders with Cortana stabbed through the head, and flips out of the circle. When it is Ty’s turn, Arthur appears and tells him he cannot use his headphones because battle isn’t always in idea situations. Ty uses his throwing knife to Destry the radio that blasts out the distractions and a piece of it cuts his hand. Mark steps right through the circle and tears the dummy apart with his bare hands saying that is how Fae fight. He joins Ty and shows him he hurt his own hand as well. Diana calls Julian to her office. She points out that Ty wants to go to the Scholomance. He reminds her the Clave hides the Shadowhunters who think and see differently. She points out it is his duty to make sure Ty understands that and how grueling the Scholomance can be. Julian is furious with Diana for not having taken over the Institute when it was offered to her and for keeping so many secrets. She points out he keeps a fair amount of secrets of his own. Everyone is gathered in the computer room. Mark accidentally tears Tavvy’s stuffed lemur and Cristina gives him her bear. Livvy and Ty are able to find an address for the latest victim, Stanley Wells. Julian decides he and Emma will go alone. He points out they need others to work on translation. Mark insists on going, but Julian points out his injuries and unwillingness to use marks as a liability. Mark doesn’t take it well, but checks his attitude in front fo the younger siblings.
Emma feels better with her and Julian in the car bantering back and forth while they drive to Stanley Wells’ address. When they arrive, they find a dog in the house and a dead body in the pool. Emma checks the nearby purse to see she lived there as well. Emma hears something and immediately leaps for Julian as a crossbow bolt flies towards him. Emma chases after the figure on the roof, but it gets away by disappearing when it falls off the roof. Emma goes back to Julian to find he has pulled the bolt out of his side because it had an unusual burning. He collapses to the ground. Cristina finds Mark on the roof at the end of a phone conversation with Helen. Cristina asks about his time in Faerie and he tells her the Wild Hunt isn’t loyal to either court, but still takes part in some of the parties. He is surprised Julian was the one who had to raise their younger siblings and how it changed him. Christina points out it will take time for Mark to get to know Julian again. He admits he wants to look more like a Shadowhunter so he doesn’t stand out. Cristina cuts his hair. He uses her eyes as a mirror to see the results and she finds the experience intimate. The twins come to tell them Emma sent a 9-1-1 text.
Emma has drawn several healing runes on Julian, but none of them are helping and vanish quickly. She gets to where the others are supposed to meet them and climbs into the backseat with Julian. She warns him she will have to call the Silent Brothers. He says he trusts she can heal him and tells her to concentrate. Emma focuses all of her memories of him as she draws the iratze. Emma feels a very intimate connection to Julian as the rune works this time. Livvy finds them in the car together. They explain what happened, but Ty is still freaked out by all the blood. Mark gives Julian an extra shirt he was wearing. They all go to Canter’s to get dinner. Ty informs them the mundane police are looking into the murder scene they just left. Emma pulls out Ava’s purse and they start going through it. They find an invitation to the Lottery in an abandoned theater for one group. If they are going to go, they will need to acquire formal wear. Julian is against Mark going, but the fae sent Mark to help and will punish him if they find out he isn’t involved. Julian tries to tell his older brother he is a Shadowhunter rather than fae. Mark goes to talk to a table full of girls to show off his fae side. Livvy and Ty pull him away telling the girls Mark has syphilis. When they get outside, Julian reminds Mark they are not allowed to talk to mundanes especially about anything supernatural. Cristina volunteers to go with Mark to return the steed he borrowed to meet them. When they get back to the Institute, Kieran arrives to reclaim his steed. Mark asks Cristina to go inside. She goes in the back door, but starts to worry about leaving him alone with the other fairy. She opens the door again to see them across the parking lot kissing. Julian and Emma pull up and Kieran disappears before they can see him.
The Wild Hunt - Mark was very lonely when he joined the Hunt an the others would ignore or scorn him. He would watch as other exiled fairies were made to join. He was fascinated by Kieran, a prince of the Unseelie Court. Kieran was also ridiculed for his heritage. After the Shadowhunters hung fairies for treason, a group whipped Mark because he wouldn’t say he was not a Shadowhunter. Kieran took care of him and they started spending all their free time together. Mark was preoccupied at night and started to forget to count off his siblings names. Mark and Kieran exchange stories of the Unseelie Court and the world of the Nephilim. Kieran allows Mark to feel safe enough to call himself a Shadowhunter.
Emma realizes she has new feelings for Julian as she washes his blood off herself and her clothes. When she comes out of the bathroom, Cristina is there to ask to borrow a dress. Emma tells her about the warning Cameron called to give her. Cristina tries to reassure her Julian being shot wasn’t her fault. After cleaning himself up, Julian goes to the law section of the library and picks up a book. He hears a wailing and goes to Tavvy’s room. He wakes up his little brother from one of his nightmares. He holds Tavvy and puts him back to sleep. Julian reads the laws against parabatai falling in love. The next morning Emma goes for an extra long run to avoid the family breakfast. She goes into the kitchen and Julian points out Diana doesn’t know about the previous night’s events or their plan for that night. They decide not to inform her. Emma tries to convince herself she has strange feelings for Julian only because he almost died. Livvy and Ty com in to tell them some of the writing on the cave walls is an Edgar Allen Poe poem. Cristina comes in to get Emma so they can go shopping. The girls go t Emma’s favorite vintage shop, Hidden Treasures, and find dresses. Cristina tells Emma she heard about her before coming to the LA Institute. People have been saying she will be the next Jace Herondale. Emma says she isn’t special; she just constantly trains so she can eventually get revenge for her parents’ deaths. Cristina points out that Emma still allows Julian and the others in her life to keep her from obsessing. Emma asks about what happened to Cristina in Mexico City, but Cristina isn’t ready to tell. Malcolm stops by and Julian uses the skunk Ty has been hiding him his room as an excuse not to let him in. Malcolm says he is still working on translating, but confirms the language is ancient fairy. He then tells Julian about the poison he found on his gear. Julian should be dead and the iratze that healed him was impossible. Julian goes to the computer room to see Mark frustrated with a computer game and Ty laughing. Julian asks to talk to Ty. He wants to tell his younger brother about how he doesn’t want to be the one responsible for everything, but instead tells him he loves him. Julian remembers when he started thinking of his siblings as his own children. He hears Emma and Cristina return from shopping.
Julian finishes getting ready and meets Emma and Cristina near the Institute entrance. Emma puts on the gold and black cufflinks she bought Julian before Mark enters in nothing but a fur coat. Emma tells Julian to put Mark in her father’s tux she keeps in a chest in her room. After Mark is dressed, he notices Julian chewing his fingernails and asks about why he is stressed. Julian agrees to tell him one thing. He killed their father. Mark says he was there when Sebastian turned Andrew. That was when their father actually died. Emma drives them to the theatre and a girl (Emma recognizes from the Shadow Market) tears their ticket and stamps their hands. They make their way inside to find the guests are mixed Downworlders. Mark leaves Emma on the dance floor to talk to the coatcheck girl. A man who has a blue ticket asks Cristina to dance and she goes with him. Emma and Julian move to the shadows to dance to keep from standing out. After years of training together, they dance easily. When the music slows, they find themselves getting closer and closer. Julian tells her about wanting to paint her hair as she came down the Institute steps that night. She presses her body against his. An announcement is made that the Lottery will start soon and they break apart. Cristina joins them, but Mark doesn’t.
Mark makes it to the coat room where Kieran is waiting for him and upset that Mark hasn’t come to see him. Mark tries to remind him they aren’t supposed to be seeing each other during the investigation. Kieran is clearly upset until Mark passionately kisses him. At the suggestion of undressing, Kieran decides to leave Mark wanting. He tells Mark he can only be with Cristina physically, but he can only love Kieran. He takes off. Julian, Emma, and Cristina find their seats inside the theatre. Cristina tells them the man she danced with, Mr. Sterling, is half werewolf (has lycanthropy virus, but it is dormant; faster/stronger than a mundane). Mark joins them just before the lights go down and everyone becomes quiet. A woman wheels a veiled object out onto the stage. She reveals a lottery machine. The number that is chosen is Mr. Sterling’s. She announces he has two days before the hunt will begin. As everyone starts to leave, Emma grabs Cristina to follow Mr. Sterling. They run down the street and catch up to him just before he gets into his Jeep. Emma tells him they want to help him. When he refuses, she tells him they are Shadowhunters with questions. He gets even more annoyed with them and tells them to leave him alone. He drives away. Julian picks them up in their car and they start heading home. Emma suggests they ask Johnny Rook about Mr. Sterling’s real identity. Julian agrees to go with her. In the Institute parking lot, Cristina watches Emma and Julian and thinks of two trains about to collide. Mark gives her the earrings (present from Diego) she lost while running after the half werewolf. She admits to him she knows about Kieran and promises not to tell anyone. He says he wants her physically, but she explains she doesn’t want a loveless relationship. She asks if he will return to the hunt. He halfheartedly states that his siblings don’t need him.
Julian and Emma fill everyone in on what they found out. Diana arrives and Julian start to tell it all over again. Emma goes to her room and talks to her parents. She tells them about her feelings for Julian. There is a knock on the door and Mark comes in. He points out they are similar and both want to be part of the oncoming storm that is over the ocean. Julian shows up and is jealous to find Mark in Emma’s room. Mark wants to go with them to talk to Johnny Rook, but they point out his being back from the Wild Hunt is a secret Rook would be quick to sell. Mark leaves and Emma says that Julian was being a jerk. She confesses she thinks she isn’t any closer to solving her parents’ murders. Julian thinks she doesn’t want to admit to herself that her parents might have been part of the Lottery. The next morning, Cristina gets ready to go with Diana to talk to Malcolm for an interview. Emma and Julian take off in the Toyota to go see Rook, leaving Mark alone with his younger siblings. Emma and Julian arrive at Rook’s house when Mark starts texting Julian that he can’t find Ty. Rook invites them in and steps into a protection circle using the sigils of the seventy lords of hell. Emma offers up an unnamed seraph blade as payment for information about the Lottery. Rook admits he doesn’t like Casper Sterling and is glad his number was chosen. He tells him the Guardian shows up for the kill to harness the power that makes the participants stronger from the death of a Downworlder. Kit is hiding in the basement when Ty finds him and puts a dagger to his throat. Kit gets a chance to land a blow on Ty that makes the Shadowhunter cry out. Emma and Julian come down and turn on the lights to find them. Ty demands to know about the Lottery, but Kit doesn’t know anything. Rook joins them as soon as he is able to get out of his protection circle. He tells Kit not to say anything in front of Shadowhunters. He then promises to give them Sterling’s address. Emma tells Kit to call her if he needs anything and how to find her number in his father’s phone. Rook tells them he will never deal with the Nephilim again. Emma goes outside to find Ty waiting by the car. He tells her he hid under blanket in the backseat. Julian comes over and hugs Ty. He was worried something had happened to him. Ty comforts him. When they get back to the Institute, Julian starts to scold Ty, who points out the is 15 and not a child; Julian has to stop being overprotective and let his siblings do things, become Shadowhunters. Ty suggests Mark can help with Julian’s responsibilities. Neither Julian nor Emma know who to explain that Mark might not choose to stay even if they solve the case and give the fairies what they want. Ty goes inside and Julian admits he is worried about the affect Mark leaving by choice will have on his siblings. Emma promises they will be okay and lets him lean against her and draw strength until they hear a crash from inside and rush to kitchen.
The Blackthorns are all in the kitchen and it is a mess. Julian is furious that Mark couldn’t properly take care of their siblings. They younger ones look at him with resentment and disappointment. Julian tells them Mark has a choice to stay or go back to the Wild Hunt. Mark cannot promise them he will stay. Uncle Arthur appears and asks to speak to Julian alone. Emma’s phone buzzes and she realizes it is a notification from the system watching the convergence. She pulls Cristina into the hallway and asks her to follow Sterling. Cristina knows Emma is lying about going to see Cameron and tells her to be careful. Emma leaves Cortana behind to avoid arousing the others’ suspicion. She takes the Toyota to the convergence and parks near the face so she can get to it easily. She goes into the cave as it starts to open with the setting sun. Cristina sees a shadowed figure on Sterling’s roof and she moves towards the house. Sterling jumps down in front of her and pulls out a gun. He tells her to leave him alone before he runs off faster than she can follow. She puts a tracking rune on his Jeep. She goes back to Diana’s truck and finds she has a missed call from Diego. Arthur tells Julian he wants to help but can’t remember how. He recites the poem about Annabel Lee and Julian remembers Belinda from the Lottery also mentioning “those who are older.” He has an idea, but trouble formulating it. He goes to his studio to think and paint. Cristina finds Mark on the kitchen floor with Tavvy asleep on him. She explains how Julian is jealous that he has to be the father while Mark gets to be the brother. Tavvy wakes up and goes to bed. Mark tells Cristina thinking of his siblings was how he survived in the Hunt until Kieran came along. The fae would still mock him for being half Shadowhunter and came up with a rhyme “first the flame and then the flood, in the end its Blackthorn blood.” Cristina points out the similarity to the spell written on the bodies and makes him promise to tell the others. He asks about her life and she tells him she left Mexico because of someone. She says she was in love with Diego and his brother was her best friend. Both broke her heart. Mark and Cristina join hands as they declare their friendship. Kieran watches angrily from the window. Emma arrives at the convergence and goes into the cave at Sundown. She steps into the circle and it makes her surroundings look like an old photograph. She steps out and goes to the porthole doors. One contains a small rom with a candle-less candelabra, robe, and earrings. The next has an aquarium. She finds a lever on the wall and pulls it down. The aquarium door opens to reveal it is really the ocean and sucks her in. Julian angrily paints Emma after getting her note about going to see Cameron. Suddenly, he spits up sea water and knows through their bond that Emma is in trouble. He takes off running. Emma uses her stele to draw a breathing rune on her skin. She then uses her seraph blade for light and finds herself surrounded by demons. She fights a few off before heading towards the surface. The rune gives out right before she can get her head out of the water and her lungs fill with water. She gets her hand up out of water and something grabs it just before she passes out.
Idris 2009 - Emma and Julian had their parabatai ceremony in Alicante. Jam introduces himself to Emma and explains his story and that he is like an uncle to her. After the ceremony there is a party. Jace tells Julian he will have to make sure Emma ends up with someone good enough for her. That night Emma can’t sleep and sneaks outside the Blackthorn manor where they are staying. She witnesses a private moment between Jace and Clary who are outside the neighboring Herondale manor. She runs back to bed and hugs her pillow until dawn. She can’t picture being like that with anyone except maybe Julian.
Julian rescues Emma from drowning. He draws a rune on her to expel the water from her lungs and then yells at her for being reckless. He explains he almost drown through their bond. He kisses her. They fornicate and sleep on the beach. In the morning Emma wakes up to find Julian with her. There is a set of footprints in the sand that lead up to them and then away. Julian apologizes to Emma and says they can’t have sex because it will lead to them falling in love and having their marks stripped for breaking the law. Emma doesn’t tell him she is already in love with him. When they get back to the Institute, Diana is waiting by the car she retrieved from the convergence. She says she didn’t get Emma’s message until the morning. Julian questions why, but Diana declines to answer. After a nap and shower, Emma goes to the library to meet up with everyone. She tells them about the convergence and the dress in the cave. Julian joins them. Ty tells them the next line of the Fairy poem is about forgetting the past, but they still have several more lines to go. Mark suggests the incidents are happening in LA because they are tied to the Blackthorns. The map shows Sterling on the move and Emma insists she and Cristina take the first shift following him. Emma feels like a rift has opened between her and Julian. His expression seems to convey the same thought. Emma and Cristina use the map to follow Sterling. He ends up at a bar and they apply runes before following him inside. They say they want to help him. The mundanes think he is talking to himself and ask him to leave. On the way to his car, Sterling is attacked by the man in black that shot Julian with the poisoned crossbow bolt. Sterling gets away and Emma removes the man’s hood to reveal Diego. Julian catches Diana leaving again. He tells her he knows she spent her travel year in Thailand, where her brother died and she stayed until her father died. She says she is doing the best she can for Julian and his siblings because of their family bond. She drives away. Julian stands outside the Institute for a long time. A vast crowd makes their way towards the Institute.
Diego explains the Lottery decides who will kill rather than be killed. He didn’t know Julian was a Shadowhunter when he shot him because he wasn’t in gear. Diego wants to catch Sterling to question him. They tie him up the half-werewolf and put him in the back of the car with Diego. The girls ask Diego why he is there. Centurions are sometimes sent on certain matters. He asked Johnny Rook about them after he saw them investigating the murders. Sterling wakes up and tells them what he knows. He joined the Lottery because the odds seemed good. Belinda won and so did Ava. Sterling lured a girl from the Shadow Market and killed her. The Guardian took her to the convergence for everything needed for the ritual. Sterling was supposed to go with him for his reward. When they pull up to the Institute, the Guardian’s followers are surrounding the entrance. Belinda shoots their tire and the car slams into the ditch. Cristina is hurt and Diego goes to help her. Emma sees Sterling rushing towards Belinda with Cortana. Emma races after him and retrieves her sword. Diego and Cristina join Emma in being surrounded. Diego announces they cannot give up Sterling. Belinda insists they are outnumbered, but Emma shows off her skill to show they might not be outmatched. Belinda starts the fight and Emma notices Belinda is missing a hand just like Ava. Julian comes out with Malcolm to scare off the cultists. Sterling is killed and Belinda takes his hands before she retreats. Malcolm points out Belinda was right about Julian keeping secrets. The warlock leaves. Julian says they need to gather so he can tell everyone the truth.
LA 2008 - As the remaining members of the Blackthorn family waited for their Uncle Arthur to arrive at the Institute, Julian hoped their uncle would love the other children. After a few days he realized Arthur was too reserved to love Julian’s younger siblings the way the needed. Julian decided to take on the task himself. Diana suggested Julian serve Arthur meals in the attic where the old man insisted his office would be. One night Julian found Arthur with blood smeared everywhere talking about how the angels demanded it. Knowing the Claves strict policies lunacy, Julian decided to keep his uncle’s condition hidden to keep the rest of the family together.
Julian tells Emma and Mark how he has been running the Institute while hiding Uncle Arthur’s lunacy. Emma says she thinks she kind of knew all along. Mark is glad he came back to his family still in tact. They agree to wait until things have calmed down to tell the children, but they need to find out how the Followers know. Diego takes care of Cristina in the Institute’s infirmary. He asks why she left and she tells him. She overheard Jamie drunkenly tell Diego they would use Cristina to gain power. Diego points out he said nothing in the conversation, but that also means he didn’t stick up for her. He insists he was going to tell her everything before Jamie as going to be made her parabatai. When he came to the LA Institute, Arthur told him to leave, but he had to make sure Cristina was safe. Emma sends Cristina a text to meet them in the computer room.
Diego tells his side of the story. He was investigating as a Centurion but kept the details secret because of Cristina. He saw the ritual from Wells’ death and says the marks were placed to mislead. He swore to protect Ava after she told him what she did and what she knew about the cult. Diego went to Rook for weapons, but by the time he returned, Ava was with other Followers and told him to leave. Diego thinks the recent killings are related to Emma’s parents’ deaths. Dra suggests someone is trying to bring back Annabelle Lee as the poem on the cave wall suggests. Tavvy brings in a Shadowhunter’s children’s book that has the full poem in it. The story is that a man fell in love with a Blackthorn girl, but her parents locked her away until she died of sadness. The man went to the faeries to have her brought back. He ended up trapped because he ate the faerie food. The rest of the poem is there and says they need the Black Volume of Death for the rest of the instructions. They know the Followers already have 13 deaths and will need the last one. They all head to bed. Emma sits out on the Institute steps. Diego leaves to investigate the convergence. Julian comes out to talk to Emma. She asks why he didn’t tell her about Arthur. He explains he had selfish reasons for doing what he did and for becoming her parabatai. They start kissing but are interrupted by the arrival of faeries: Kieran, Iarlath, and the leader of the Wild Hunt, Gwyn the Hunter.
Mark hears Gwyn’s horn and knows the sound is because of a deserter. Gwyn, Kieran, and Iarlath come to accuse Mark of telling Faerie secrets to Cristina. Julian refuses to turn his brother over to them. Mark comes out to take his punishment. Kieran is surprised Mark will not be taken from the Shadowhunters, but instead beaten. Julian offers to take Mark’s place, but Mark begs him not to. Kieran is happy Mark won’t be whipped, but this makes Mark denounce his completely. Julian makes it through two lashes while Emma is frozen in place by faerie magic. Mark points out it hurts Emma as well. Gwyn allows her to go to Julian and she puts a rune on him to make him sleep. Emma takes the last eight lashes.
Mark, Julian, and Cristina take care of Emma. Julian knows Mark did everything he could to try to stop it, but Kieran was determined to hurt Mark for hurting him. Mark understands family and promises not to leave again. Emma dreams of her parents in their kitchen in Venice. Her dad tells her Jem is about to find what he is looking for and will need her soon. Her mom hands her Cortana and reminds her the blade made by Wayland the Smith can cut anything. Emma wakes up and finds Cristina sitting with her. Cristina says she doesn’t think she could ever have a parabatai unless it was Emma. Emma wishes Cristina was her parabatai. Julian comes in and Cristina leaves them alone. Julian takes her to his studio and shows her the room he always keeps locked. It is filled with drawings and paintings of her. He admits he has always been in love with her. He locks the door and they start kissing. They hear Livvy come in to the studio looking for him and stop. After Livvy leaves, they decide they need to join the others. Everyone has been researching Lady Midnight. There was a Blackthorn named Annabel who fell in love with a warlock. Her parents sent her to the Iron Sisters. Diego found Belladonna by the convergence cave which only grows in Cornwall. It was used in the poison put on the arrow Rook sold him. Emma calls Rook to see what he knows about the Guardian. Rook says he never actually saw anything about him because he was wrapped completely in fabric. The Guardian was the one who told him to tell her about the Selpulchre and once mentioned he came to LA to bring back love. Emma explains how all the signs point to Malcolm Fade. Cristina agrees and then so does Julian. Dru comes rushing in to the library saying Malcolm sent her and is watching Tavvy.
Dru gives Julian a note from Malcolm and reads it aloud to everyone. A dark light shoots out breaking things and killing the electronics to keep them from calling for help. Kieran appears at the broken skylight and Mark attacks him. Kieran says he has come to help and Julian demands he tell them everything he knows immediately. Kieran says the faerie magic that was released from the note knocked out communication for several miles. Malcolm has taken Tavvy to the convergence and they must leave at once to save him. They head to the practice room to gear up and get weapons. Kieran tells them Iarlath has been working with Malcolm. Malcolm used the confusion of Sebastian’s attacks on the Institute to sneak in and steal the black book. He killed Emma’s parents as part of an unsuccessful spell. Mark asks Julian to put courage and agility runes on him. They take and Mark insists on riding with Kieran to the convergence . He says it will be his last time riding with him in the Hunt. When the group of Shadowhunters arrive, Kieran and Mark have already cleared the way of mantids. Mark tells Kieran he will stay outside. Julian draws a rune on Emma’s skin that is “infused with brightness.” She has never seen that before and hides it under her sleeve. She heads towards the cave opening.
The Shadowhunters go into the cave and see someone go after Tavvy, who is chained to a stone slab in a protection circle. They are shocked to find it is Diana. Malcolm arrives before she can get Tavvy out, but he doesn’t see the rest of the Blackthorn party. She mouths at the others to run. Julian leaves. Cristina wants to attack Malcolm, but Emma hears Julian’s voice telling her to wait. Malcolm tells Diana everything while the Blackthorns and their friends listen. Hands of 13 killers on a candelabra are part of the spell. They wait as long as they can, but when Malcolm raises his knife to kill Tavvy, Emma leads the charge. They cannot get past the protective circle. Malcolm sends his army of dead followers after them. Ty finds the seraph blades to be the most effective on the undead and Emma lets the others know. Mark and Julian arrive riding Windspear, Kieran’s steed, and are able to break the circle around Tavvy. Emma cuts through the chains and Julian gets him out of there. Malcolm starts after Dru, but Emma threatens to cut up the hands he needs for the spell. He stops the undead from attacking and runs. Emma follows him to the porthole of the sea. Malcolm puts up a magical barrier to prevent the others from helping her. Emma stabs Malcolm with Cortana, but she hits the Black Volume and it shocks her. Malcolm attacks back, but the endurance rune Julian put on her arm saves her. Emma is able to put Cortana through Malcolm’s chest. He says he can tell her about the curse of parabatai falling in love, but she pulls the lever to send him through the porthole and into the sea. Something drags him away and his spells fade indicating he is dead. Julian rushes to Emma’s side, but she warns him they can’t be seen together as lovers. Mark, Diana, Cristina, and Diego arrive and let them know the others are safe outside.
After everyone is safely out of the cave, the entrance closes because Malcolm’s spells are fading. Diego gives Tavvy a draught to wake him. Cristina uses a healing rune on Emma. Julian makes a call. They start to head back to the Institute. Diana offers to take the blame for everything that has happened. Julian doesn’t think it will help and says they will believe his lies. Diana is going to make herself scarce after dropping off Diego and Cristina. Kieran insists on seeing Mark home safely. Julian tells Kieran not to enter the Institute until he is granted permission. When they all arrive home, Magnus and Clary are waiting for them. Jace and Inquisitor Robert Lightwood are also there. They have propelled from Isabell and Simon’s engagement party. Uncle Arthur shows up to say what he knows, but Julian admits they didn’t tell him everything. Robert demands Diego tell him what happened and Diego explains his part and why the Clave was not called. He believes the Blackthorns didn’t do anything wrong. Julian is finally allowed to speak and tells the story and leaves out some key details. Robert cannot help noticing Arthur isn’t in the story. Julian had ordered pizza earlier and says the vampire Anselm Nightshade is drugging it with magic to make it addictive. Clary and Magnus catch on quick and play along. Robert goes to investigate the vampire. After everyone else has gone to bed Jace goes to Mark. He knew they would meet again. He tells Mark to remind Julian the New York Institute is on their side. Mark gos to say goodbye to Kieran. He says if he ever truly needs him, he will come. He gives the prince his necklace. Emma sends Julian a picture of her closet that she has been using to track her parents’ murderer. When he arrives, she explains she doesn’t know what to do with it all. She asks him to stay and they lie in bed. He asks her to run away with him, but she points out he can’t leave his family. They hear Tavvy cry out and join him in his room. Emma cry out in the night and Julian carries her back to her own room.
Kit is studying a book on cons to learn the family business when the house starts to shake. Johnny tells him the Guardian’s protection spells are fading. He tells his son to get into the basement as he steps into a protection circle he hid under a rug. The demons come. Kit is able to flip away from them to safety, but sees his father ripped in half. Julian wakes up Emma and they start kissing. Dru comes looking for Julian and Emma sends her to his studio. They agree they need to be much more careful and will meet on the beach to discuss the situation. Emma plans to tell him what Malcolm told her then. She gets a message from Kit begging for help. Cristina watched over Diego as he starts to heal from a black magic wound on his shoulder from Malcolm. She admits she misses home and him. She apologizes for being so unforgiving. They kiss. Mark goes to find his things Julian put in storage years ago. Ty approaches him to suggest he help Julian with his responsibilities. Mark tries to explain he doesn’t know how to take care of anyone and Ty runs off upset. Mark gos to Cristina for advice and finds her kissing Diego. He is jealous and upset; he thinks he should have stayed with the Hunt. Emma arrives with Tessa and Jem to save Kit. Tessa tells him he is Christopher Herondale and they have been looking for him for a long time. Tessa warns Kit he is in danger form his father’s enemies. In the car Tessa explains Tobias Herondale was sentenced to death for desertion, but was never found. Kit is from that line. Kit doesn’t want to believe he is a Shadowhunter so Jem tells him to open the Institute door (only a Shadowhunter can). He does and says he is going find an empty room to lock himself in. He threatens to kill anyone that tries to come in. Emma asks Jem about the Clave’s hate for love. She begs him to tell her why parabatai are forbidden to fall in love. The stronger the bond, the more power. However the couple mad, become monsters, and destroy those they love. The Silent Brothers and the Council hold the secret to keep people from pursuing the power. Emma tells Julian she can’t be with him. He says he won’t give up on her. Emma goes to Mark and asks him to pretend to fall in love with her to save Julian. He eventually agrees and suggests they start on the relationship right away.
Blood and seawater leak into Annabel’s grave. Her eyes open.
Simon tells Clary and Jace he proposed to Isabelle and she wants an engagement party in two days. Jace and Clary have been running the New York Institute together and decide to have it there. Magnus and Alec adopted a warlock boy named Max and more recently a Shadowhunter named Raphael. Simon has bee recruiting mundanes with Shadowhunter blood to become new Shadowhunters. Alec has been working towards peace between the Clave and Downworlders. The night of the party, Clary stops a territory battle between vampires and werewolves. Jace pulls her aside and asks her to marry him, but Magnus interrupts to tell them about the situation in LA. They leave right away.