“Also, honestly, Lily could use some help with the clan.”

“You could help her,” said Alec. “If you were just a bit more responsible …”

Elliott shook his head. “Not gonna happen. Hey, Mr. Head of the Institute, you’re a leader! How about it? I make you a vampire, you help lead the clan, you stay gorgeous forever.”

“That would be a gift to future generations,” Jace remarked thoughtfully. “But no.”

“Elliott!” Alec snapped. “Stop offering to make people immortal! We have spoken about this!”

Elliott nodded, looking abashed but smiling a tiny smile. From outside and above, a voice drifted down.

“I hear someone bossing people around! Alec?”

One of the most worrying things about the vampire clan was that speaking to them reasonably didn’t work at all, but they were delighted to be told off. Raphael Santiago had really left a mark on these people.

Alec walked over and peered out the open doors. Lily was standing on the balcony, wearing rumpled pink pajamas with drawings of snakes and the words RISE AND STRIKE on them. She looked tired.

“Yeah,” he said. “Hey. Jem asked me to come to Buenos Aires and help him out. Do you want to come with?”

Lily lit up. “Do I want to come on a bro road trip with you, rushing to the aid of gorgeous damsel-in-distress Jem I’d-love-to-climb-’em Carstairs?”

“So, yes.”

Lily’s smile was wide enough to show fangs. “Hell yes.”

She darted away from the balcony. Alec noted the door she went through, and climbed the stairs. He waited a bit, leaning against the rail, then tapped on the door.

“Come in!”

He didn’t come in, but he opened the door. The room inside was narrow as a cell, with stripped floorboards and walls bare except for a cross on a hook. This was the only room in the Hotel Dumort Lily hadn’t redecorated. She was sleeping in Raphael’s room again.

Lily was wearing a leather jacket that had been Raphael’s too. Alec watched as she fluffed her hot-pink-streaked hair, then kissed the cross for luck and headed out. Christian vampires were burned by a cross, but Lily was a Buddhist. The cross meant nothing to her, except that it had been Raphael’s.

“Do you …” Alec coughed. “Do you want to talk?”

Lily tipped her head back to stare all the way up at him. “About feelings? Do we do that?”

“Preferably not,” said Alec, which made her smile. “But we could.”

“Nah,” Lily answered. “Let’s go on a road trip and see hotties instead! Where’s that idiot Elliott?”

She ran lightly down the stairs to the parlor, and Alec followed her.

“Elliott, I’m leaving you in charge of the clan!” said Lily. “Bat, I’m stealing your girl!”

Bat shook his head. “Why are vampires like this?” he murmured again.

Lily grinned. “For administrative purposes. Maia’s running the Downworlder-Shadowhunter Alliance until we get back.”