"I mean that was the coolest," Jace said.

"He hasn't shut up about it since," Alec told Clary. The three were making their way towards the room for "History of Downworlders."

"That's not surprising," Clary said. She held her books closely to her chest as if they could slip away at any minute. "Jace doesn't seem like the type to let things go."

Alec hadn't seen the man who saved them from the Pontmercy's rage because he had kept his eyes on the rat the entire time, on the off-chance the boy changed back.

Rumors said that he was back to normal anyways, without the mustache.

Max had confessed to his crimes saying that it was a harmless prank using some warlock potion a resident faerie had sold him. He had gotten a week's worth of detention.

But no one knew who the man was.

Jace held open the door for them as they entered the classroom which looked more like a science lab than anything else.

Clary sat at the table behind Jace and Alec and the conversation continued.

"How'd you sleep last night?" Alec asked Jace. Alec hadn't gotten much sleep himself because Jace had been tossing and turning. He wanted to see if Jace would confess to it though.

"Fine," Jace said. He turned back to Clary and asked her about how she slept.

Chalk began hovering in front of the chalk board and the room went silent.

grand entrance (adj and n)-, it wrote.

for definition, see example.

Everyone began whispering but Alec kept his eyes firmly on the board. This was the beginning of his determination not to fail "History of Downworlders."

The chalk exploded into a ball of rainbow colored light, like a mini-firework. It fizzled and faded, ashes landing on the ground.

There was another pop and another ball of light exploded from seemingly nowhere.

Then it happened again and again until the room was covered in hovering fireworks exploding, filling the room with loud popping that was somehow melodic.

The front wall, where the chalkboard was, changed into a smooth waterfall. Bright lights from behind the water flashed lights against the sheet of water.

Then the water parted, like a curtain and the same man who had saved them the night before, stepped through wearing a green suit that matched perfectly with the exploding lights.

He raised his hands like he was praising some unseen god and then it all stopped, returning the room back to normal.

"Grand entrance," the man said. The room was silent. He had our attention. "It's completely irrelevant to a 'History of Downworlders,' but you have to admit, that was incredibly cool."

Jace started applauding.

.........

"Jace is in love," Isabelle teased, propping her feet up on the lunch table.

"Feet off the table, Miss Lightwood," the headmistress snapped as she passed by. Isabelle didn't have to be told twice. No one crossed the headmistress.

"I do believe I am," Jace sighed.

"With Mr. Bane?" Clary asked.

"He can only be described as a  god among men," Jace said. "And Downworlders."

"The warlock?" Sebastian asked as he sat down.

"Isn't he so much more though? Aren't we more? We're Shadowhunters, yes, but we're also thinkers, intellectuals, lovers, madmen--" No one saw Clary flinch at that word. "--artists, creators--"

"Just stop," Isabelle said.

"I can't. I'm in love," Jace said, suggestively raising an eyebrow.

Isabelle giggled.

Alec was oddly silent but Jace tried not to notice. But Isabelle pointed it out.

"Worried you're going to fail?" she asked, poking her brother.

"I'm not going to fail," Alec said, annoyed.

"Why so cranky?" Isabelle asked.

"I'm not," he said.

Jace glared at Isabelle, commanding her to stop.

But she didn't.

"Liar."

"Isabelle," Jace urged.

"What are you thinking about, Alexander?" Isabelle asked, drawing out his name.

"By the Angel, Isabelle," Alec swore.

"Are you in love with Mr. Bane too?"

"Isabelle!" Alec yelled. The dining hall grew quiet but immediately returned to it's normal volume.

His shoulders were quickly rising and falling.

Isabelle was at a loss for words. They all were.

Alec jumped up from his seat and hurried out of the hall, leaving his tray behind.

..........

"He'll be back right?" Clary asked. She and Jace were on their way to Combat 6.

"Alec? I doubt he'd ever consider ditching," Jace said. They climbed the stairs to get above the gym where the training room was.

"Why was he so upset?" Clary asked.

"Maybe he is worried," Jace said. "I always remembered Alec to be the nerdy type. When Isabelle said he failed a class, that just didn't sound like him."

"So you grew up together?" Clary asked. They reached the first landing.

"Not really," Jace said. "Every once in awhile they would come and visit us. My parents run the Tokyo Institute."

"So you speak Japanese?" She suddenly seemed fascinated with Jace and not Alec. He was loving the attention.

"Hai," he said. "Do you speak any other languages?"

"Just Latin," Clary sighed. "And that's only because my mother required it."

"Latina non malus est," Jace said.

"Certe?"

"Vero," he said. She smiled slightly and her grip on her books loosened.

"I had a friend once," Clary said.

"Just once?" She gave him a sideways look and continued.

"His name was Simon. It was when we lived in New York City. We were there for two months. He was big into Japanese anime--"

"Nerd," Jace sang.

"--and I happened to like it too."

"So now you're going to ask me all about Japan--"

"No need," Clary said. "I've been."

That silenced Jace. He pushed opened the door to the training room.

"--and it's no surprise that a Herondale is the last to arrive," the instructor said. Groups were already paired up, even though the bell hadn't rung. Alec was paired with an unfamiliar kid but they seemed to know each other.

Some sparring had already begun.

"Jonathan Herondale," Jace said, introducing himself. The instructor looked down at his clipboard. "But you can call me Jace."

"I'll call you Herondale, thanks," the man said. He was large but the kind of large that could take you down quickly and easily if he needed to. "And you are?"

"Clarissa," she said. The man scanned his list.

"Got a last name, Clarissa?"

Her face grew paler.

"Morgenstern," she said, softly. Jace tried not to react to the last name.

"What do you go by?" the man asked, probably as gently as he could muster.

"Clary," she said.

"You'll work with Herondale," he said. "Find a mat."

Jace started moving before Clary, eager to leave the coach's attention, and even more eager to work with Clary.

"It's an evaluation day," the coach shouted. "Take down your partner but be gentle. I'd hate to have accidents on the first day. Let's see where you're at."

"I'll go easy on you," Jace said, smiling kindly. Clary stood perfectly poised in a defensive position.

Jace took a step towards her, maintaining his crouch. They fell into a natural rhythm of circling one another. Jace would try various attacks but Clary would always dodge them.

He knew what she was trying to do. She hoped to wear him out.

But he didn't get tired.

This seemed to go on for awhile until it attracted the attention of the coach.

"Make your move, Herondale," the coach shouted. He must have known Jace was playing offense.

With a sigh, Jace resorted to rushing Clary, hoping to sweep her off her feet both physically and metaphorically. He dove into a slide tackle but she caught his foot before he could make contact and seconds later, she was hovering over the top of him, one hand pressed against his throat and her other hand pinning his arms above his head.

"Don't go easy on me," she said. "You'll lose."

Jace took the challenge and broke free of her grasp by arching his back. For a second, he had her in shock and used that time to roll her into his former position, only this time, he corrected her by connecting the edge of his sneaker with her chin, pushing her head back, just enough for her to know he was there. He extended his leg so he sat on her knees and she was effectively immobilized.

"I wasn't," Jace said.

"That's enough," the coach called. Jace rolled off her and stood, offering her a hand. She took it and stood.

"It's nice to have someone to fight against besides Sebastian," she said.

"You did have him beat," Alec said, stepping onto the mat. "Don't let him tell you anything else."

Clary smiled and Jace seemed to be the only watching the interaction.

It wasn't possible for Clary to like Alec.

Was it?