Disclaimer: SOME of the dialogue in this chapter, all characters (but Grace and Philip), the main story line and settings belong to the amazing Cassandra Clare. Grace, Philip and my own story plot belong to me. The Infernal Devices do not belong to me.

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'Face me
Make me listen to the truth,
Even if it breaks me
You can judge me, love me
If you're hating me
do it honestly.'

- Honestly, Kelly Clarkson

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-*-*-*-*- Grace -*-*-*-*-

"Again," Will said. "How many times do I have to tell you that vampires don't make a sound when they walk?" He was upside down on the chair, his dark locks hanging from his head and his feet propped up on the back. Tessa stood in the middle of the room as Camille, her arms crossed and looking angrily at Will. There was something very scary about an angry Camille.

"Give her a break, Will," Grace sighed, leaning forward and rubbing her tired eyes. After another one of Charlotte's chats last night, she got even less sleep than usual, spending the night drawing in the library. What Camille had said rattled her a bit. Add in the fact that Charlotte told her she could go with Will and Tessa as long as she went with Magnus Bane when the Enclave came along didn't really help. Charlotte didn't want any of them seeing her and reporting it to the Consul but it meant that Grace couldn't fight. But she said she'd try and sort it. Probably hoping the Consul had a soft spot for her.

"Maybe we could all use a break," Jem said. He still hadn't spoken to her since two nights ago when Camille visited. It was starting to make her feel nervous. But her necklace was gold at the moment, signalling that Jem was happy so maybe he wasn't angry at her any more.

"Why don't we order tea and scones while we're at it?" Will said, throwing his arms wide. "Because of course Grace and I aren't putting our lives at risk tonight and we clearly aren't relying on Tessa at all."

"Well actually I would rather like some tea and scones if you are offering to serve them to me," Tessa said. Both Grace and Jem stifled a laugh.

"I'm sure you'll get it eventually, Tessa," Jem said, changing the subject. "Being Camille, I mean, not getting Will to serve you scones. If you managed to do that, I'd eat my hat." 

"Maybe you can only touch the minds of people that are dead?" Will inquired, ignoring Jem. "A morbid thought if I do say so myself."

"I could touch Jessamine's mind just fine," Tessa countered.

"That's not hard," Grace muttered.

"But how clearly can you see the thoughts of the dead?" Jem asked. "For instance, if I gave you something that belonged to my dead father, would you be able to see what he was thinking when he died?"

"Jem!" Grace said, a little shocked that he'd say something like that. "Why would you-?"

"Wait, what's that?" Will asked. They were all silent. Footsteps could be heard from outside the doors as well as Charlotte's voice carrying over all the muttering.

"The Enclave," Jem whispered. "Will, quick, we have to get Grace out of here!" Grace leapt up from the table. The Enclave didn't exactly like her either.

"Never mind Grace," Will said. "We'll all be hung if Charlotte catches us." He pointed to a bookcase and they all dived behind it. Grace was just helping Tessa gather her skirts when the doors were flung open.

"Will," Grace whispered, grinning slightly. "Look who's here." Will looked, a smile slowly spreading across his face and a mischievious glint lighting up his eyes.

"Well, well, well," he said. "If it isn't old Gabriel Lightwood." Jem looked around the bookcase and visibly grimaced.

"Just don't provoke him, Will," Jem said. "That's all I ask. You too, Grace. You know how much he hates the both of you."

"Who's behind there?" a deep voice called out. The murmuring stopped and Grace could actually feel their gazes on the bookcase.

"Benedict Lightwood," Grace whispered. "Of all the people that could have turned up today..."

"Don't worry about it," Will said. "Charlotte can deal with him." After Tessa changed back to herself, they all stepped out from behind the bookcase.

"Will," Charlotte sighed. "I told you that the Enclave would be here at four o'clock."

"We were just leaving, actually," Jem cut in, grabbing onto Grace's arm and trying to yank her out of the room.

"Gabriel," Will said, a grin plastered all over his face.

"William," Gabriel said through gritted teeth. "James and...Grace. A little young to be lurking around Enclave meetings, aren't we? And in the presence of a Downworlder too, Grace. Tut, tut." Grace glared at him.

"Charlotte, what is this?" Benedict said. "The law states-"

"I am perfectly aware of what the law states, Benedict," Charlotte said. She held up a letter that she had in her pocket. "This is from the Consul giving Grace permission to work with Downworlders on this occasion and as long as Miss Gray needs to stay in this Institute." Grace sighed with relief. So Charlotte had worked her magic.

"Is that wise?" Benedict asked.

"Are you willing to go against the Consul, Benedict?" George Penhallow asked. Benedict's right eye twitched.

"Fine," he said. "But allowed to be with Downworlders or not, she and her friends are too young to be in an Enclave meeting."

"I'll show them out," Gabriel said wickedly. He sprang to his feet and practically shoved Grace and the others outside of the library.

"You disgrace the name of Shadowhunters everywhere," Gabriel snarled at Will once they had all got out. Will just smirked, leaning against the wall of the corridor.

"If you want to fight Will, you're going to have to wait till he's of age," Grace said, a little absent minded. "And anyway, you're hardly a match for him. Wouldn't want to end up crying to your daddy, would you? Why don't you fight Tatiana instead? Oh wait, even she'd cut you into ribbons."

"Watch it, Carstairs," Gabriel growled. "As if you could take me."

"Try me."

"All right, that's enough," Jem said, moving closer to Will and Grace. "All of you, stop tormenting each other."

"Depends how you define tormenting," Will said but everyone ignored him.

"Stay out of this, James," Gabriel said. "You're a decent Shadowhunter and a gentleman. You're disability hampers you- but no one blames you for that. But this filth over there of a Herondale will only drag you down." Gabriel took a step back and laughed. "At least you can still get rid of your sorry excuse for a parabatai. I'm afraid you're stuck with your demonic sister." Grace clenched her fists but Gabriel carried on. "How can you stand it, James?" He asked. Will suddenly changed his expression as it dawned on him what Gabriel was about to say.

"Don't," he warned, shaking his head. "If you have any honour at all, don't say it." Gabriel just laughed.

"She was the one who done this to you, after all, James. If she was a stronger Shadowhunter, she would have been able to fight back. If she did, then they would have been able to save you. You would have been free from your disability- to live your life. Pity you have such a weakling for a sister. I would never have let that happen to my family. You have to wonder, how could she have just sat back and let that happen to you?"

Grace snapped.

She lunged at Gabriel, grabbing him and pinning him to the wall, her arm across his throat. Her eyes were glowing a furious red as she applied pressure, watching Gabriel's face turn scarlet.

"You have no idea what I have been through," she hissed at him. "You have no idea what I am still going through. I am holding it  back to save you all! You don't know what you're talking about so I suggest you don't talk about it, especially to me if you value your life." Jem and Will ripped Grace off Gabriel, Jem holding onto her to hold her back as she struggled.

Gabriel was holding his neck with one hand. "Don't worry, Carstairs," he snarled. "One day you'll get what's coming to you. I know about the dead body of that mundane!" Everyone froze. Grace noticed Jem and Will give each other a panicked look. Tessa gulped.

"Mr Lightwood-" she began but was cut off by Grace.

"What are you talking about?" Grace asked.

"When you went missing, you killed a man, Carstairs," Gabriel said viciously. "You lost control of that beast inside of you and killed him! You are a murderer! You're no better than the monster you try to hide!" 

Grace ripped herself free of Jem's grip and stormed down the corridor, leaving Jem and Will running after her and Tessa shouting at Gabriel for being a despicable person.

***

"Grace!" Jem shouted. "Grace, stop!" She whirled around to face Will and Jem.

"Did you know?" she asked.

"Wait a minute, Grace-" Will began.

"DID YOU KNOW?!" she screamed. Will and Jem both hesitated.

"Yes," Jem sighed, closing his eyes. "We saw the body and told Charlotte." Grace leant against the wall, sliding down it and putting her head in her hands. She had killed someone. She thought she'd controlled it. She thought she'd stopped it but she didn't.

"Grace?" Jem said, crouching next to her and taking her hand. She ripped it away. "You need to know that Will and I don't even think it was...you know who. It didn't look like he was killed by-"

"How do you know?" Grace whispered. "How could you possible know if it was me or not?"

"Well, thirdly," Will said, "it wasn't you, it was it. Sixth and lastly: the body was covered in oil. And to conclude: I downright suspect automatons or the Magister, whichever you pick."

"Why are you quoting Dogberry from Much Ado About Nothing?" Tessa asked as she came up the corridor. "He is the most ridiculous character to quote." 

"Well it was an attempt to cheer Gracey up but I'm afraid my literature skills are wasted on her," Will admitted.

"He had no right to say those things to you," Tessa said, her voice shrill. "Ooh I just want to go back there and give him a piece of my mind."

"He's hardly intelligent enough for that," Will murmured, thinking no one had heard him but Grace had. "Come on," he said a little louder. "Let's go and spy on the meeting. I know just the place."

***

Hours later, Grace stood in her room while Sophie fussed around her, fitting her into a dress she'd found at the back of Grace's wardrobe. It was only a simple black dress as she couldn't look more elaborate than Tessa as her helper but it was great for hiding weapons.

"There you go, Miss," she said. "You do look rather beautiful, if I do say so myself, even if the dress is quite plain." Sophie didn't often help Grace change as Grace was almost always in gear but on the odd occasion she had to wear a dress, Sophie was on hand to help her with the buttons and fastenings that Grace couldn't fathom.

"I am much obliged for your help, Sophie," Grace said though her mind was far away. Sophie picked up on this.

"Is everything all right, Miss?" she asked. Grace shook herself out of her daze.

"Yes, everything's fine," she said. "Why do you ask?"

"It's what that Mr Lightwood said, isn't it?" Sophie said though Grace had no clue how she knew that. "Miss, you mustn't worry about what he says. He means nothing to you. What matters is what the people you love think of you." She said it like she'd had experience in this area.

"It's just so hard not to think on what he said," Grace sighed. "When I was younger, I used to think on this a lot, actually. But then I'd always think that Jem would have died more quickly if I hadn't..."

"It was a difficult choice, Miss," Sophie said, fastening a plain necklace around Grace's neck and hiding her crystal pendant. "But you made a brave sacrifice to give your brother some time, at least. Look at all the things he's done because you've gave him the chance. No one could be so brave to give up what you have."

"Sophie, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Miss."

"Do you believe that I killed that man?"

"No," Sophie said straight away. "I believe that the automatons killed him to make you believe you killed him. You hate thinking that you failed, Miss. It's an easy way of getting to you, I suppose."

"You're quite the strategist, aren't you?" Grace said. Sophie shrugged.

"Sometimes you have to be."

***

Tessa, Will and Grace entered de Quincey's townhouse on high alert. Will was walking next to Tessa while Grace walked behind, partly pretending to help Tessa with her dress and partly to watch their backs.

"Now stay close to me, William," Tessa said in Camille's drawling voice. "I don't want to lose you. You too, Prudence." That was Grace's fake name. One of the Clave's conditions for letting Grace go on this mission was that her name couldn't be said. The only reason she was going at all was because they didn't want to disappoint Camille. Camille was one of their only informants in the Night Community so they couldn't afford to lose her. It was ridiculous but that was the Clave for you.

"They are so hard to train, aren't they?" de Quincey said suddenly. Tessa looked up. A small flicker of surprise and fear flashed across her face but she quickly hid it, letting de Quincey kiss her hand. Grace prayed that he didn't notice. "How are you, my dear?"

"Quite well," Tessa replied.

"And these are two new subjugates?"

"Yes," Tessa replied. "Not the easiest to break in but, you know me, I like to have a challenge."

"They look quite delicious," de Quincey said. "May I...?" Grace's heart lurched into her throat as de Quincey put his hand on Will's neck. She let her hand wander to the knife hidden in her dress but Tessa quickly jumped into action, snapping her fan onto de Quincey's wrist.

"I would rather keep him to myself, dearest," she said. "He is, of course, rather special as you can no doubt see."

"For you, I shall hold back my thirst," de Quincey said. His eyes slid over to Grace. "But this one over here is not so unique." Grace tried not to be offended at that.

"Prudence is not yet for feeding, Alexei," Tessa laughed. "How else would I dress for your parties?" The vampire looked a little shocked but then his calm demeanour returned.

"Of course. I must leave you now and tend to my other guests," he said. "I hope you enjoy yourself." He left quickly, gliding across the floor like he was a ghost.

"Oh God I thought he was going to bite you two," Tessa said under her breath. 

"I would never let that happen," Will muttered. "I would have killed him first."

"Not before me," Grace growled.

"Then you'd all be dead," a voice said from behind them. They all whipped around to face a man with cat eyes.

"Magnus," Will sighed with relief. 

"My darling, Camille," he said. Tessa hesitated. "Ah, I see. You are the shape changing girl, aren't you?" Tessa nodded.

"Magnus Bane," he said. His gaze went past Tessa and rested on Grace. His expression became alarmed. He grabbed her arm and yanked her into a side room, leaving Will and Tessa no choice but to follow.

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Bit of a longer one for you though it was a little rushed...sorry... :(

Ok we are now building up to the finale to book 1 of the Infernal Devices. I think I'm going to put all three books into one because I can't believe I've only written 10 chapters and I'm half way through Clockwork Angel already.

So vote and comment your lovely support as always!

Love y'all!

Oh yeah and if you know any song lyrics that will fit into this story then feel free to PM me or drop the song name and singer into the comments box ;)