Hello, hello! I came back, just like I promised I would. :) So sad that this is the FINAL chapter! It's impossible for me to bring this story back to life after this chapter. I had a hard time writing the final paragraph, so I apologize if it sounds a little corny. I tried really hard to make everything better. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading it. This being my first (pretty dang successful) story, it was a privilege to write for each and every one of you readers. I appreciate your kind comments and your enthusiasm for this story SO SO SO much! I must say, I love how I wrote this story intending it to be strictly about Jace and Alec's bond, but then it morphed into a Malec romance. What can I say? I love those two from the bottom of my heart. They are, without a doubt, one of my favorite couples. Anyway, thank you to all of you who took the time to read the pages stained with words from my heart and soul. You've stuck with me this far; let's see it through to the end. Thank you so much, guys and gals! :) Hugs to all! Enjoy the conclusion! Some final reviews are encouraged and appreciated! Cheers and happy reading! :)

"Come now, Magnus," the man said. "Am I going to have to suffer through your incessant pouting for the rest of eternity?"

The clinking of metal followed my movements as I turned to face him. The chains around my wrists, ankles, and throat were, in my opinion, overkill. The man had enough power to keep me imprisoned without using physical bonds, but it seemed to please him to make me his captive in every sense of the word.

"If you hate my moping so much why don't you just release me?" I shot back.

The man chuckled. He was seated on a lackluster gold throne; I'd kept my distance from it the moment I'd discovered there were bones of all species mixed in with the hardened gold. But the bones of the deceased did not seem to bother him. He was sitting so his thighs and back were pressed against the armrests, his legs dangling over the side. His long fingers moved with an eerie grace as he plucked the petals from a black rose and tossed them into the air, one by one.

"Oh, don't you fret," he said, his gold-green eyes watching a petal as it fluttered to the ground. "I intend to withhold my end of the bargain and keep you here for a very long time."

I suppressed a groan and turned away from him again. "Lucky me."

"I could send you back if that's what you wish, but you know what will happen to your little Nephilim boy toy the moment our agreement is forfeit."

I shook my head, denying myself even the thought of backing out of our arrangement. The metal collar around my throat pinched my skin and I grimaced, digging my finger under the metal to soothe the sting.

"The chains are a little much, don't you think?" I grumbled.

The man chucked the petal-less, thorny stem to the floor and folded his hands over his middle. "The chains are the result of your own stupidity, Magnus."

"I came back."

"Did you honestly think I was going to continue to allow you to sneak off once I found out? I simply took a precaution to prevent you from escaping."

"I came back," I said again, more forcefully.

"Does it matter? Who's to say you weren't planning on making a run for it? On hiding from me behind your little Nephilim friends? Best to put a stop to those folly ideas before they popped into your head."

"You could have dragged me back here without so much as lifting a finger."

"Magnus." The man rubbed his temples. "If you wanted visitation rights, you should have mentioned it at our hearing."

I remembered the final time I'd managed to sneak away to see Alec. He was sleeping, as I knew he would be. His hair was getting a little long, and I could see dark splotches under his eyes. Alec still looked too thin, but not as starved as the weeks before. Half of me wanted him to open his eyes so I could see his infamous blue irises again, but the other half begged for him to stay asleep, to be peaceful and not ask questions. I'd just reached out to brush my fingers against his cheek when a tight, painful sensation had coiled around my middle. Suddenly I'd been yanked back to my prison, where I met the merciless punishments of knives, beatings, and whips made of fire. I'd only been able to defend myself for so long...

"You want to do something fun?" the man asked, his voice enthusiastic. "Want to have a bowl of ice cream and watch people get burned to death?"

I turned and smiled politely. "I'd like to eat a bowl of ice cream and watch you burn to death."

"Wow, Magnus." His tone feigned hurt, but the grin on his face was wide. "Tell me what you really think."

"Do you ever stop talking?"

"It's been a while since I've had company."

"You don't say. I can't imagine why."

"You're so feisty. Was that why the Shadowhunter hooked up with you? Did he like your feistiness?"

"Shut up," I growled.

"Look around you, sweetheart." The man made a circular motion with his wrist. "You're in Hell. By law you're supposed to be suffering; therefore, you will listen to whatever I have to say."

"Before you start, do you have an ice pick or a fire poker that I can stab myself in the face with?"

"No, but I like your energy. So tell me. What makes little Alexander Lightwood so appealing to you?"

I bit down on my tongue hard enough to taste blood. My legs ached to walk away, but with the chains on I would not get very far. I folded my arms across my chest and made a point of turning my head away, refusing to say a single word.

"Is it his eyes?" the man persisted. "Or perhaps he carries an intriguing rune of some sort..."

I flinched when I immediately thought of Alec's stamina rune. The only one I suspected of having knowledge of that was Camille Belcourt. Had many others thought of it, too? My love for Alec ran deeper than the power from any one rune. A rumor suggesting otherwise was ridiculous and insulting.

"Not going to say anything, Magnus? Not even one little tidbit?"

I kept my mouth shut. He could torture me all he liked. Alec was mine, and I was not about to give this man anything that belonged to us. Not memories, not stories, not adorations, not endearments.

The man whispered icily, "Would it loosen your tongue if I brought Alec here to join us?"

I rounded on him, the memory of an electrical hum buzzing through me. In any other instance, I'd have attacked the man with magic, but the hexed chains I wore rendered me powerless against him. It was a clever curse, really. Stripping me of my magic but not weakening me, forcing me to submit to his torment tactics.

"You will never lay a finger on him," I hissed venomously.

The man drew in a breath and shuddered, savoring the concoction of my rage, devotion, desperation, and pain. "Does Alec get tingly like this when you get angry, Magnus?"

I resisted the urge to spit on the floor.

The man swung his legs off the armrest of the throne and righted himself in his seat before rising to his feet in a smooth motion. He approached me, his stride arrogant and graceful. He adjusted his blood red tie and straightened his suit jacket, which was black with red trim on the lapels. With his back straight and his eyes on me, he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You can't stop me, you know. I could bring Alec here and do whatever I please with him, and you'd be powerless to stop me."

I was about to bite out a threatening retort when I noticed something change in the man's face. Though his eyes were trained on me, it was as though he was looking through me at something else. His head cocked slightly to the side, like he was listening to something I could not hear. Irritation flashed in his expression.

All of a sudden there was a blinding flash of light and a boom like thunder. I shielded my eyes against the white blaze. Crackling noises and a deep rumbling echoed inside my ears. As the light began to fade, I risked lowering my arm so I could see.

A small, dark-haired figure was crouched about twenty feet away. His face remained hidden, but I recognized the messy black hair, the curve of muscular shoulders, and the bow and quiver slung across the figure's back.

"Well, I'll be blessed," the man said, turning to face the still-crouched figure. "We were just talking about you."

I took a moment to collect myself before I chanced standing up straight. The path through the portal had been rougher than I had anticipated, and now I was left with nausea in my stomach, dizziness in my head, and weakness in my knees. Still bent on one knee, I lifted my face.

The first person I noticed was Magnus, who was staring at me with disbelief. His mouth hung open, and I noticed marks on his face. From a distance I could not tell if the marks were burns, cuts, or bruises. Then I noticed there were more marks on his arms. He was clad in a battered and ripped t-shirt and jeans with holes in the knees. His feet were bare, and he was bound in chains.

My heart ached, but I dragged my eyes from Magnus to the man standing next to him. The resemblance between the two was striking. The man's eyes were a similar color to Magnus's, and shaped like a cat's pupils. Their physiques were roughly the same, but where Magnus's posture was poised and confident, the man's was poised and lethal. Even his hair was intimidating, strands of barbed wire that fell to his shoulders.

"Alexander Lightwood," the man called to me, his voice crisp. "How nice of you to drop in uninvited."

I straightened up and made myself as tall as possible, willing myself to remain balanced and strong on my feet. "Forgive my intrusion. I've come here to speak with you."

My politeness coaxed a smile out of the man. "The weapons you carry say otherwise."

I held up my hands. "For now, the weapons are strictly for my protection."

"For now?" the man repeated.

"Alec," Magnus interrupted urgently. "Get out of here!"

"Hush, Magnus." The man crossed the floor to seat himself on a golden throne. "How is it that you found us here, Alexander? Magnus told me he informed no one of his location."

I chose my next words carefully. "I had some help from a friend. This person gave me a nudge in the right direction, I did some thorough research, and then that person showed me how to find you."

The man tapped his chin, thinking. After a moment, he said, "Catarina Loss."

I failed to mask my surprise and keep my face stoic.

The man's lips tugged into a tight smile. "There are so few who know of Magnus's lineage. I've heard great things about this Catarina Loss. If anyone were to guess where Magnus was and then portal you here, it would be her. How impressive. I would like to meet this woman."

Magnus tugged against his chains. "Alec, please, leave now while you still can."

"Enough, Magnus! It's rude to interrupt." The man waved his hand and five shimmering walls appeared around Magnus, four around him and one overhead. I watched helplessly as Magnus pounded his fists against the walls and called out to me. Not a sound penetrated the transparent box.

Summoning calmness into my voice, I asked, "So you're Asmodeous, Prince of Hell?"

Asmodeous looked at me, amused. "It's nice to finally meet my son's love interest."

I did not know how to respond to that, so I changed the subject. "I'd like to ask something of you."

"Oh?"

"I want you to let Magnus go."

Asmodeous took a deep breath and strummed his fingers on the throne's armrest. "Alexander, if any other Shadowhunter had said that to me, he or she would be lying dead on the ground right now."

I refused to let him intimidate me. "He's not yours to imprison."

"He's my son. Not to mention, he made a deal with me. He gave himself willingly to me in order to give you your life back."

"That decision was not his to make."

"Are you saying you'd rather be dead?"

Through the corner of my eye, I could see that Magnus had gone still inside the confinement of the magic walls. There was no doubt that he could hear everything we were saying even though we could not hear him. I dared not look directly at him.

"I was ready to die. I accepted my death. Magnus took that away from me and left me with nothing."

"How romantic." Asmodeous's voice was flat. "I suppose you want me to reverse the transaction?"

"No." I stared him dead in the eye. "I want you to let Magnus and I both walk free."

Asmodeous threw his head back and laughed. "Why would I do that?"

"To show that you're a good father, to show that you have a heart. I'm giving you the chance to redeem yourself."

"You're preaching to the wrong crowd, honey. I think you're looking for a more sentimental place. There's one just north of here called Heaven. You won't find forgiveness and hugs and kisses in Edom."

I'd held on to a sliver of hope that Asmodeous would let Magnus go, but I'd known deep down that he, being a Prince of Hell, would fight tooth and claw to keep his son imprisoned. In my searching for Magnus, I'd dedicated all of my time to reading and hounding anyone who might have the tiniest bit of information to give on his whereabouts. I'd barely slept, eaten, or trained. I knew I was weak in my current state, but Asmodeous was not going to take Magnus from me unscathed.

"I want to challenge you, then."

Asmodeous straightened in his throne. "Come again?"

"I challenge you to a battle of weapons."

"A battle of weapons? Intriguing."

"No magic," I said. "Use whatever else you like, be it bow, blade, or bone. Just no spells of any kind."

His eyes flicked to something over my shoulder. "I see your arsenal is not exactly limited."

My hand automatically dropped to the hilt of my seraph blade hanging at my hip. The bow on my back somehow felt heavier. "Choose as many weapons as you like."

"No matter." The corner of Asmodeous's lips twitched. "I assume the battle ends when first blood is drawn?"

The tone of his voice lead me to believe Asmodeous would only accept one answer. I couldn't help but quickly glance in Magnus's direction. The warlock was staring straight at me, his yellow eyes wide and his hands pressed against the invisible wall. I dragged my eyes away and gripped my seraph blade tighter.

"No. The battle ends when one of us is dead."

Asmodeous watched his son for a moment before measuring my expression. His tone was mocking when he said, "Are you sure you want to do this, Alexander? You're shaking."

I ignored him. "If I win, Magnus will be released from you and he'll come home with me."

"And when I win?"

I bit my tongue against his cocky remark. "If you win, I die and Magnus will remain here."

"How could I pass up such an offer?" Asmodeous rose. "Seeing Magnus mourn over your dead body will be a treat."

"Do we have a deal?"

Asmodeous approached me and shook my outstretched hand. His skin was colder than frozen metal and his grip was stronger than iron. "Challenge accepted."

"May I have a moment to speak with Magnus?"

Asmodeous pulled a thin, thorny vine from his suit pocket and used it to tie his hair back. One barbed wire tendril remained to frame each side of his face. "You may not. I have been generous enough in allowing you to see him for this long."

When his father's back was turned, I stole one last look at Magnus. His eyes were glimmering and he was shaking his head. The expression on his face spoke the words I could not hear: What have you done?

Asmodeous stopped at a short distance away from me and twirled round. With a smirk, he stretched out his right hand beside him. There was a burst of orange and red flames, and a sword appeared in his palm. The blade was broad, with dips and grooves along the razor-sharp edge. Two spikes jutted out from the cross guard and followed the blade's path. When Asmodeous turned the sword just right, I noticed the points of the spikes were curved into hooks, perfect for tearing flesh when the sword was ripped out of its victim's body.

I swallowed hard. Compared to that deadly weapon, my seraph blade felt like a skewer.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"No. This is all I require to kill you."

I turned my head to pull my bow free from my shoulders, keeping my face angled away so Asmodeous could not see my fear. "Your loss."

"I'm ready when you are, Shadowhunter," Asmodeous said impatiently.

I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. This is it. Don't feel. Don't think. Just move.

When I opened my eyes, I felt like my body had been possessed by another being. I felt empty inside; my mind was blank, but I knew exactly what I was supposed to do. Quicker than the beat of a heart, I drew two arrows, notched them to my bow, aimed, and fired them straight at Asmodeous. They whistled as they shot through the air, one aimed at his head and the other at his chest.

Asmodeous twisted his body and leaned backward, directly out of the arrows' paths. They sailed past him and cracked against a far wall, landing on the ground with a clatter. Unfazed, I nocked another arrow and let it fly. Asmodeous had to lean in the other direction to avoid it, and as soon as he moved another arrow was leaving my bow. It cut through the air toward his heart. Seconds before it sunk into his flesh, Asmodeous's hand shot out and wrapped around the shaft. I lowered my bow, more amazed than disappointed.

Asmodeous inspected the arrowhead before lifting his eyes to meet mine. With a snide grin, he clenched his fist and snapped the arrow in half. He flung the broken pieces to the floor and strode toward me.

My hand reached over my shoulder for another arrow, but my quiver was empty. I'd only brought a limited number, knowing that if I could not pierce Asmodeous with the first four arrows, I would not pierce him with any at all. And the extra weight would only weigh me down. With an impatient grunt, I shrugged off my quiver and threw my bow to the floor. I unsheathed my seraph blade.

Asmodeous laughed and altered his path to circle around me. "You really think that twig of a sword will hold up against mine?"

I said nothing, just pivoted as he circled me. With a snarl, Asmodeous brought his sword down in an arc. I raised my blade up to meet his. The force of his blow nearly brought me to my knees, but I held my ground and pushed my sword up against his. Before he could pull away, I reached into my weapons belt and withdrew a knife. There was no time for him to avoid my attack. The small blade speared his abdomen to the hilt.

Asmodeous lifted his sword away and stepped back, staring down at the knife. With a steady hand, he reached down and pulled it out. The blade dripped with a dark purple liquid. He hurled it at the floor and glared at me, his eyes filled with not pain, but annoyance. "Ouch."

He lunged at me again, and this time his swing knocked me off balance. I fell onto my side and immediately began rolling out of the way. I heard a bone-rattling clang as Asmodeous's blade struck the ground where my body had been. I pushed myself into a crouch just in time to parry off another attack. His swing knocked me onto my back. I pushed upward with my blade, but his sword slowly inched toward my face. Asmodeous was hovering over me, his feet on either side of my thighs. With as much force as I could muster, I rocked my body and swung my legs up. My feet managed to catch his sides and I used my muscles to clench them tighter. Asmodeous snarled as I brought my legs down, dragging him along with them.

I gasped when his sword lifted away and the pressure was relieved. Asmodeous's sword clanked as it fell from his grasp. But the moment his back hit the ground, he was back on his feet. The fury in his eyes channeled all the hatred and rage in Hell. I barely got into a crouch before Asmodeous's body smacked squarely into mine. The air rushed out of my lungs as I was knocked to my back.

Asmodeous grabbed my seraph blade and wrenched it from my grasp. He threw it aside and backhanded me so hard that specks of light danced in front of my eyes. Before I could blink, he backhanded me on the other side of my face. My breath came in ragged, shallow pants.

Asmodeous grabbed my face and pulled it closer to his. He growled, "Let's give Magnus a show, shall we?"

He released me and my skull cracked against the floor. But before I could even feel that pain, Asmodeous was punching me. His fist found my cheek, my jaw, the corner of my eye. He got up from straddling me and, grabbing me by the hair, hauled me onto my knees. He moved around behind me and positioned his hands on my chin and at the crown of my head.

I swore I could almost hear Magnus screaming from his cage. A burst of rage exploded inside me. Before he could snap my neck, I snatched Asmodeous's wrist and dragged it up to my mouth. Blood gushed into my mouth as I bit into his flesh. Asmodeous howled and released me, yanking his hand away.

I fell onto all fours, retching. The taste of his blood made my stomach roil. Shiny black shoes appeared in my field of vision in front of me. A hand suddenly clamped around my throat and lifted me from the ground. Asmodeous pitched me as if I weighed no more than one of my arrows. A cry escaped me as I hit the ground and I curled in on myself against the pain. As I sprawled onto my back, my hand hit something hard. I turned my head and saw Asmodeous's sword. Hope flared in my chest and I reached for it. But the moment my hand wrapped around the hilt and I tried to lift it, that hope was extinguished. The sword was heavier than I expected, too heavy for me to lift. My strength was holding on by a threat; trying to use the sword would rip what was remaining away. With a grunt, I pulled my arm back and thrust it forward, sending the sword skidding across the floor. It was out of my reach as well as Asmodeous's.

"Foolish Nephilim."

Asmodeous picked me up by my throat and threw me again. When I landed, pain shot up my spine and raced through my arms and legs. I could hear Asmodeous stalking toward me, and every time his feet hit the ground, I felt a throb near the small of my back. Groaning, I slid my hand under my hip. Something hard touched my fingertips...

"I don't need a sword to kill you," Asmodeous snarled. "I'd much rather feel the life drain out of you."

His hand wrapped around my throat and constricted. I gasped and choked as he lifted me from the ground. He did not throw me again, just stared up at me as he held me suspended in the air. I grabbed his wrist with my one hand and felt the warmth of his blood from my bite wound. I opened my mouth, tried to force out words.

Asmodeous lowered me slightly, enough that we were closer but not enough for my feet to touch the floor. "What was that?" He loosened his grip by a fraction.

Despite the darkness closing in on my vision, I smiled. "I...win..."

Asmodeous cocked his head, confused. I clamped my fingers tighter around the object in my hand and swung my arm around. The broken end of the arrow sank into Asmodeous's eye socket with a sickening squishing sound. He screamed and dropped me, his hand pressed against his eye. The arrow's feathers bobbed between his fingers, and ichor and blood oozed down the side of his face.

Just as I got to my feet, Asmodeous began firing magic. With only one eye his aim was inaccurate, but one shot found its mark. A ball of silver flames smacked into my arm. I screamed and hunched forward, cradling the limp extremity against my chest. It felt as though every bone from my shoulder to my fingertips had been shattered. Blinking away tears of pain, I searched the ground frantically for my seraph blade. My heart leapt when I spotted it behind Asmodeous.

His cries of pain were ceaseless and he continued to cast spells at me as I made a break for the seraph blade. My broken arm made it difficult to dodge the bursts of silver, but Asmodeous's impaired sight gave him no advantage. His movements were too slow as I darted around him and snatched up my weapon. He turned and reached for me just when the blade sliced cleanly through his neck.

Asmodeous's screaming suddenly stopped. I found myself staring at one feathered shaft of an arrow and one shocked yellow-green eye. He looked as though he was about to say something, but he collapsed onto his knees and his body fell forward. His head slipped from his neck and rolled when his chest smacked against the floor. Not long after, his body and head burst into flames and shriveled into two piles of ash.

"I said no magic, asshole."

I dropped the seraph blade and turned to face Magnus. He gaped at me, wide-eyed. Neither of us spoke as the glimmering walls around him began to fade. The chains binding him rattled before breaking open and cascading to the floor.

Without realizing it, I was running toward him. And he was running toward me. My legs were shaky and my stride was slow, but Magnus was fast and strong. Suddenly I was in his arms and we were sinking to the floor. My good arm was wrapped around Magnus's neck, holding him tightly. My broken arm was between us, seizing with pain. When he pulled away, I stared at Magnus's lips and did the one thing I wanted to do most. I punched him in the face. Hard.

"You asshole," I seethed.

Magnus rubbed his cheek. "What the hell was that for?"

"You sacrificed yourself for me and left me, then told Jace to help me find someone else? That was a dick move."

He offered a tentative smile. "I thought I was being romantic."

I could not tell if the tears in my eyes were from pain, anger, or happiness. "There's only you, Magnus. There won't ever be anyone else I can love."

Magnus took my face in his hands and kissed me, softly at first then with a longing that made my stomach flutter. He hugged me closer to him as his tongue explored my mouth, but the pressure sent a wave of icy pain through my arm. I sucked in a breath and pulled away.

"Let's get out of here so I can heal you," Magnus said, stroking my cheek gently.

I touched my fingers to one of the injuries on Magnus's face, which I now saw was one of an assortment of burns and cuts. He did not flinch under my touch. Instead he pushed his face against my palm.

"You stopped coming," I whispered.

Magnus tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"After you were gone. Sometimes when I was sleeping I could feel your presence. It felt like you were right there beside me. Those nights that you were there, there were no nightmares. I felt safe, not tormented. Then you were gone, and you didn't come back."

"I got caught," he said sadly, ashamed.

I grinned. "Luckily I figured it out and came to save your ass."

"I'd like to know how you convinced Jace to let you come alone."

I grimaced. "Jace doesn't exactly know I'm here."

"You didn't tell him?" Magnus exclaimed. "What if you'd died? He'd be worried sick about you!"

"I didn't get that far. I never planned on dying on this rescue mission."

Magnus shook his head. "You're so stupid, Alexander." His brows were furrowed, but he kissed me again instead of scolding me some more.

"Magnus?" I took the warlock's hand in my own.

"Yeah?"

It took me a moment to muster the courage to look him in the eyes. Very quietly I said, "Marry me."

Magnus blinked. "Alexander..."

"Even in death we have a hard time being apart." I laughed nervously. "There's no one else I want to be with. There won't ever be anyone else. Without you, this isn't a life I want to live. Please, Magnus. Marry me."

He said nothing for a long while, which sent my heart into a frenzy. His face was unreadable. He only stared at me. Eventually I had to lower my gaze. Even after all this time of being together, his scrutiny still made me nervous.

Magnus put his finger under my chin and lifted my face until my eyes met his. "Yes."

The breath I'd unknowingly been holding came out in a rush. I sat back on my heels and held my face in my hand. Magnus reached for me, calling out my name in concern. I looked up and saw the confusion on his face when he found that I was laughing, which only made me laugh harder. His lip twitched and then he was laughing too. He scooted forward and enveloped me in his arms, pressing his lips to mine.

In that moment there was no pain. There was no fear. There was only Magnus. With him he brought comfort and happiness and love. He was all I needed. He was my everything. He was mine, and I was his. Forever. There was no rune that could overpower the strength of our love, nor was there a force that could destroy it. Not even death. Our love was unbreakable. Unstoppable. Invincible. Infinite.