“James!” Will was beaming, and for a moment James forgot everything but how glad he was to see his family. He went to embrace his father, and hugged his mother, too: for the first time, she felt light and almost frail to him. He wished he had been here for the battle, that he had been able to protect them more directly than he had.

When Tessa drew back, she eyed James with concern. “By the Angel, what’s happened to you—and to Daisy?” she said, taking in their bedraggled appearances. “How did you know to come?”

“Didn’t you send Malcolm to fetch us?” James said, glancing over at Cordelia; she was being embraced by Alastair.

“No,” said Will, his brow furrowed.

“I must have misunderstood what he said,” said James quickly. “Never mind—”

“Where’s your sister?” said Will. “And the High Warlock, too, for that matter?”

“They’re in the Sanctuary,” said James. “And Matthew’s in the infirmary with Charles and his parents.”

Sophie, who had been in the middle of unbuckling her leather gauntlets, looked up. “What’s happened to Charles?”

Will sat down on the table, his booted feet braced on the nearby chair. “I am getting the feeling,” he said, “that there is a story here. Perhaps the other half of the story we already know. Would you say that’s correct, James?”

James hesitated. “If we could speak in private—”

“Certainly not.” The voice was the Inquisitor’s. “If you think there is any chance of more of this business being kept from the Enclave—”

“No one’s been keeping anything from the Enclave,” said Will. His eyes were heavy-lidded, which meant he was quite angry. “Least of all my son.”

“We have been attacked,” said Bridgestock, his voice rising. He looked as if he hadn’t been in the battle at all—his robes were spotless—but his voice throbbed with rage, nonetheless. “By a creature of the Pit. Sent by Hell itself to wipe us off the face of the Earth. Someone has called the sea demon forth. ‘Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up Leviathan—’ ”

“And who are you suggesting has called up Leviathan?” said Tessa, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I am saying we have been lazy; we have allowed corruption among ourselves,” said Bridgestock. His small eyes glittered. “We have allowed among ourselves the descendants of demons.”

That was the moment that James decided telling the whole truth would not be possible.

“That’s enough,” he said. “You want to know what happened? Who’s been killing Shadowhunters? Who tried to raise Leviathan? I was going to wait for the Consul, but if you insist, I’ll tell you now. As long as you don’t insult my mother or my family again.”