With Luke in dire need of help, Jace, Clary and Simon take him to Magnus' lair in hopes of saving his life. Once there, the story of how Valentine came to be evil, and Jocelyn and Luke's past is revealed to Clary in hopes of triggering her memory of what happened to The Mortal Cup.

Meanwhile, Isabelle and Alec are tasked to restore their family name in the eyes of The Clave.

After piecing together the clues as to where her mother hid the Mortal Cup, Clary, Jace, Alec and Isabelle are on the clock to find its hiding place before anyone else. But with demons and Downworlders lurking everywhere, obtaining the Cup may not be as easy as they had hoped.

Meanwhile, as Simon's symptoms become increasingly worse, he fears he is turning into a vampire.

With word of Alec, Jace and Isabelle’s “extracurricular activities” with Clary reaching The Clave, a convoy is sent to observe the Lightwoods running the New York Institute. Once The Clave representative arrives, it is very clear how much trouble the Lightwoods are in.

Meanwhile, Clary is faced with a devastating decision.

After the attack, the Institute and The Clave are on high alert and taking no prisoners to get answers. When Lydia makes a harsh call on the Seelies, Jace, Clary and Isabelle fear that this decision could be disastrous and the wrong way to defeat Valentine. Left with no other choice, the trio takes drastic actions to stop what is about to take place.

Meanwhile, Simon struggles to deal with his new situation, and Alec is emotionally torn with what is happening at the Institute.

The Institute is in full swing as everyone is preparing for the wedding of Alec and Lydia. Lydia is getting final touches made on her wedding dress, the wedding decorations are set and Isabelle is trying to figure out a way to throw a traditional, mundane bachelor party for her brother – whether he likes it or not. During what should be a time of great celebration for many is far from it as they examine their relationships. Alec is struggling on two sides – his wedding is one of the biggest days in his life and his parabatai should be at his side, yet he and Jace are still at odds. Alec also continues to struggle with his feelings for Magnus, especially when Magnus won’t give up on Alec. And as the Institute is buzzing with romance, Clary is desperate to work things out with Jace, but he is keeping her at arm’s length. Meanwhile, Jace, Clary and Magnus go looking for warlock Ragnor Fell to try and find the antidote to awaken Jocelyn.

Jace, who is still reeling from everything that has happened, makes hunting down Valentine his number one priority even though he continues to wrestle with his conflicted feelings. In hopes of finding a way to stop Valentine before it is too late, Clary and Simon must find the key to unlocking Jocelyn's coma. But that key to unlocking Jocelyn’s spell may just undo the Downworlder peace treaty, Simon's relationship with Raphael, and the Vampire clan in the process.

Meanwhile, Alec must deal with the aftermath of his decision and what his choice means for his future.