"Are you serious, Simon? It's really true? That's fantastic! It's wonderful!" Isabelle reached for Alec's hand, but he barely noticed. He glanced over Simon's shoulder as his sister continued.

"Alec, did you hear that? Jace isn't Valentine's son. He never was."

"So whose son is he?" Alec asked, more to indicate that he was paying attention than anything else. It wasn't that he didn't care-Jace was practically his brother, how could he not care?-but he really needed to find Magnus, preferably soon. He wasn't sure how long the rune Clary had put on him would last.

"Who cares!" Isabelle said cheerfully. Then she frowned. "Actually, that's a good point. Who was his father? Michael Wayland after all?"

Simon shook his head. "Stephen Herondale."

The name struck a chord in Alec. "So he was the Inquisitor's grandson. That must be why she-" He broke off, searching the Hall again.

"Why she what?" Isabelle asked, sounding frustrated, but Alec barely heard her. "Alec, pay attention. Or at least tell us what you're looking for."

Alec turned back to Simon and Isabelle. "Not what," he replied. "Who. Magnus. I wanted to ask him if he'd be my partner in the battle, but I've no idea where he is." He glanced at Simon curiously. "Have you seen him?" he asked.

Simon shook his head."He was up on the dais with Clary," he said, "but he's not now. He's probably in the crowd somewhere." Alec went back to looking around.

"Really? Are you going to ask him to be your partner?" Isabelle's voice sounded distant. "It's like a cotillion, this partners business, except with killing."

Alec missed Simon's reply; the next thing he heard was Isabelle saying seductively, "Maybe I'll ask you to be my partner, Simon." He frowned.

"Isabelle," he said firmly, forcing himself to focus, "you don't need a partner, because you're not fighting. You're too young. And if you even think about it, I'll kill you." He squinted at a dark-haired someone a few feet behind Simon. "Wait-is that Magnus?"

Isabelle, following his gaze, snorted. "Alec, that's a werewolf. A girl werewolf. In fact, it's what's-her-name. May." Alec, however, had stopped listening-he had just spotted Magnus, standing not far from Maia.

"There's Magnus," he said brightly, half to himself, and quickly weaved through the crowd towards the warlock, feeling his heart beat faster in excitement as he went.

It wouldn't have taken a genius to see the surprise on Magnus's face as Alec walked up to him. "Alec?" he said, his voice quizzical. "What are you-" He broke off, seeing the stele in Alec's hand, and raised an eyebrow. Alec just smiled.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," he said, a little breathlessly. "I was wondering-would you let me Mark you? Will you be my partner in the battle?" He held out his hand, showing Magnus the Alliance rune already on his palm. Magnus just stared at him, looking momentarily shocked. Finally he nodded.

Alec smiled again, unable to help his happiness. He grabbed Magnus's hand before he could hold it out, and somewhat to his amusement, the surprise on Magnus's face increased.

This was kind of fun.

Magnus stared at Alec as he bent down over his hand, wishing he could know what was going through his head. He watched Alec as he drew, barely even noticing the burn of the stele on his hand. He was seized by a sudden, strong desire to see Alec's eyes, as if that would clarify everything.

"Hey, Magnus," Alec murmured after a moment without looking up, still drawing the rune. Magnus nodded before remembering that Alec wouldn't be able to see him. "Yes?" he asked.

"I just thought I should say this before the battle," Alec replied. "I love you." Magnus stared down at him. Alec hadn't been drugged or anything, had he?

"You do?" he asked incredulously. Alec finished the rune and straightened up. A dazzling smile lit his face, brightening his eyes to the clear blue of the sky on a cloudless day.

"Yeah," he said patiently, "I do." Before Magnus could say anything in reply, Alec took a step closer to him and, locking his arms around Magnus's neck, kissed him full on the mouth, and Magnus froze. After a few seconds, he moved his arms so that they were around Alec's waist, pulling Alec closer to him. He felt him sigh slightly into his mouth and knew that was response he had wanted.

It was Magnus who broke the kiss, though he really didn't want to and knew that that must show on his face. "You do realize," he said staring into Alec's brilliantly blue eyes, "that you just kissed me in front of several hundred Downworlders and Shadowhunters, including your parents. Right?" He felt the need to be sure of that particular detail.

Alec grinned. "I know. I wanted to," he replied. "That's why, when Clary put the Alliance rune on me, I had her apply this one as well." He pushed back his sleeve to show a faded but familiar-looking rune-Fearless. "I didn't know if I'd be able to do it otherwise, and I didn't want to put it off any longer."

Magnus couldn't help being impressed. "Wow." He glanced around the Hall, at everyone staring at them. "Will they stop staring sometime in the next century, do you think?"

Alec laughed. "I doubt it, somehow."