Juliette gave Joaquín a hostile look. There was still a suggestion of wolfish teeth in her mouth. Joaquín reached out, as if to point to the blood on Juliette’s hands, and Alec wondered for a nasty moment if the hatred between the Nephilim and the Downworlders in this place ran too deep.

Joaquín lifted Juliette’s hand to his lips and kissed it.

“I did not know,” he breathed, “that the Queen of the Shadow Market was so beautiful.”

Alec realized abruptly that he’d gotten everything wrong. Juliette mouthed several shocked demands for explanation, and several more French expletives, at Alec over Joaquín’s bowed head.

“Shadowhunters go so hard.” Lily cackled.

“Okay, fine, glad we’re entering into the spirit of cooperation,” said Alec, and turned back to the crowd. “This Nephilim child is now under the protection of the New York Institute,” he said. “Let’s say this was a very standard and normal adoption. Let’s say that though the head of your Institute was corrupt, you survived under a bad leader and kept your honor. You hold Breakspear here until he can be tried. I will, of course, be returning here often to finalize details of the adoption, and I’ll see what is happening. I want to believe in my fellow Shadowhunters. Don’t let me down.”

He had no doubt Jem would make that sound better in Spanish. He turned back to Juliette, who had succeeded with difficulty in freeing her hand and was retreating several steps under Joaquín’s rapt gaze.

“I should be getting back to my kids!” she said, gesturing to the three kids. Rosey gave Alec a little wave.

“Oh,” said Joaquín, a world of devastation in the syllable, then he seemed to notice the lack of anyone else with the kids. “Has it been very difficult, ruling the Shadow Market as a single mother?” he asked with sudden transparent hope.

“Well, none of this has exactly been easy!” said Juliette.

Joaquín beamed at her. “That’s wonderful.”

“What?” said Juliette.

Joaquín was already heading toward the kids, on an obvious mission to endear himself to them. Alec hoped he had a lot of candies.

Juliette demanded, “Did he inhale a lot of smoke in there?”

“Probably,” said Alec.

“Shadowhunters get very set on things,” said Lily. “Very set. Do you enjoy intensely serious romantic commitment?”

“I don’t know his name,” Juliette pointed out. She sneaked a self-conscious look over at Joaquín, whose endearing of himself seemed to be going very well. He had Juliette’s warlock boy up on his shoulders.

“His name’s Joaquín,” Alec said helpfully.

Juliette smiled. “I suppose I do like some Shadowhunters. It’s always a pleasure, Alec Lightwood. Thanks for everything.”

“It was nothing,” said Alec.

Juliette strolled over to her kids, calling out to them to stop bothering the head of the Institute.