“You were nearly immortal. Is there any way to make it—easier?”

“I lived a long time,” said Jem, “but I lived in a cage of bones and silence, feeling my heart turn to ashes. I can’t explain what it was like.”

Alec thought of growing up in the Institute, crushed under the weight of his father’s expectations as if they were stones, trying to teach himself not to look, not to speak, not to dare try and be happy.

“Maybe I know,” he said. “Not—entirely. Not for a hundred years, obviously. But—maybe a little.”

He worried he was presuming, but Jem smiled as if he understood.

“It’s different, for my Tessa and your Magnus. They were born what they are, and we love them for it. They live forever in a changing world, and still have the courage to find it beautiful. We all want to shield our best beloved from whatever danger or sorrow comes,” he said. “But we have to trust them too. We have to believe that they will have the strength to live on and laugh again. We fear for them, but we should believe in them past fear.”

Alec bowed his head and said, “I do.”

A block from the Buenos Aires Institute, Alec’s phone buzzed again. Clary had sent him a message.

A few months ago, they’d left Max with Maryse and gone out on the town. Simon’s old band was playing at Pandemonium and Simon had agreed to sub in for their missing bass player, as he occasionally did. Alec, Magnus, Jace, Clary, and Isabelle had all gone to listen. Simon’s friend Eric had written a song called “My Heart Is an Overripe Melon Bursting for You,” and that song was the worst.

Alec didn’t like to dance, unless it was with Magnus. Even then, he preferred the music not be terrible. Magnus, Jace, and Isabelle went to dance, the brightest points in the crowd. Alec enjoyed watching Magnus for a while, his chin propped on his hands. Then he grew tired of the assault on his ears. He caught Clary’s eye. She was sitting bolt upright in her chair, only wincing occasionally.

“This is fine,” Clary told him, nodding bravely.

“This is terrible,” said Alec. “Let’s go for tacos.”

Simon was only just offstage by the time they got back, drinking from a bottle of water and asking everybody what they’d thought of the set.

“You were very sexy up there,” Isabelle was saying, sparkling up at Simon, as Alec and Clary arrived.

Simon smiled a crooked smile. “Really?”

Jace said, “No.”

“You were so great!” Clary exclaimed, dashing up to Simon. “Wow, I don’t know what other word there could be. You were great. The band was great.”

Clary was a true and noble parabatai, but Simon was a sharp guy and had known her a long time. His eyes traveled from Clary’s guilty face to Alec’s.

“You went for tacos again?” Simon lamented.

Alec grinned. “They were great.”