Song inspiration: Solitude (Slowed + Reverb) by M83

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Chapter 55 – Glittering Silk and Intoxicating Potions

The Accord Hall was ablaze with a thousand candles, their flickering flames dancing rhythmically to the beat of the music. The smell of savory food and sweet drinks wrapped around my nose with every step I took. I barely saw Isabelle hand our coats to someone when the hall's heavy mahogany doors closed behind us because I couldn't take my eyes off the hallway ahead. Except for two torches on either side of the entrance, it was in complete darkness and the smooth polished marble reflected what little light there was. Blue, crackling, sparking; witch-fire in its purest form and certainly the work of Magnus Bane.

Beneath the stone arch of the ceiling, the corridor revealed the center of the Accord Hall. Humans – Nephilim, werewolves, vampires, warlocks – stood together, danced, ate; surrounded by candlelight and lovely music. I felt Isabelle's grip on my wrist only marginally as she pulled me forward, under the arch and into the hall. I had spent one moment in darkness and the next I was surrounded by sparkling, circling lights in all colors of the rainbow. The scent of lilies gripped me from all sides, as if the aroma wanted to enchant me with its feathery touch. The sound of string instruments buzzed in my ears and my feet tingled with the need to move to the rhythm of the melody. I had never danced a day in my life. At least not the way the people in this room imagined dancing.

My eyes wandered to Isabelle, whose expectant gaze was already fixed on me excitedly. Her long face was framed by slightly curled strands of her obsidian black hair. The eyeliner made the irises around her pupils appear black rather than brown. "It's amazing, Isabelle," I said, feeling a strange sense of breathlessness. I wasn't good at showing my feelings, even though I actually found it incredible. "It is wonderful."

Her cherry red lips curled into a satisfied smirk. "I can say with good certainty that Magnus and I have surpassed ourselves. I really enjoyed working with him." In one smooth motion, she continued her course through the crowd that seemed to part in front of us almost by itself. I ignored their looks and followed Isabelle. The train of her scarlet silk dress slid across the floor and her feet moved so precisely and confidently in the heels that it was as if she had been born in them. Even without a dress like this, she would have drawn everyone's attention.

Isabelle squeaked and threw her arms in the air. Although it was still winter and the temperatures were near freezing after sunset, her dress showed as much skin as possible without being too revealing. Charcoal runes spiraled down her body along the thin spaghetti straps, stretching across her shoulders and down to her knuckles. Her long hair covered most of her back, but with every step I could make out curves and edges from other marks along her spine. Her legs alone were rune-free, but calf-deep in a pair of golden heels. The confidence with which she put one foot in front of the other made her shine like a ruby from within. Until my escape, I had not known that Nephilim culture could be so beautiful, so lofty, so free from norms and rules. We are Shadowhunters and we are free as the wind, brave as the angels and proud as our ancestors.

Isabelle stopped and I stepped aside to catch our opposite. Adam, Alec and Jace stood in a semicircle, all three dressed in black tuxedos. Only size, physique and hair color differed them from each other. A giggle escaped Isabelle's lips and she tugged at the sleeve of Alec's suit coat. "Don't we look stunning?"

"Oh yeah," Alec replied wryly, rolling his eyes. "Breath-tak-ing. "

Isabelle gave him a rude slap on the shoulder but smiled. Her playfully narrowed gaze swept over the three. "You don't look bad yourselves." She turned on her own axis and the silk reflected the candlelight in a dull glow. "But nothing compared to Clary and me." She bared her teeth at them, then leaned over and whispered, "Meliorn will be sorry he didn't persuade the Seelie Queen to join us."

I had to clench my mouth to keep from laughing. "Too bad you can't send photos via fire-message." My eyes darted from Isabelle to the boys and the amusement froze a little when I saw their stares. Alec looked me up and down neutrally, his icy blue eyes unmoving, as if I'd just fallen from the sky. He stared and I couldn't help but stare back. Seeing him in a tuxedo was probably no less strange than seeing me in a dress. But he wasn't the only one staring. Adam and Jace too. They all stared at me like a stranger, each in their own way.

The gold in Jace's eyes glowed when I met his gaze for a split second. He had his head down, as if the ground was more interesting than the people around him. He had indifferently buried his hands in the pockets of his trousers. But he was watching me out of the corner of his eye. As did I him.

I didn't know why I couldn't bring myself to stand up to it. It was insane, and yet the palms of my hands grew clammy at the thought of spending most of the past few days in his room or in the library with him. After the talk under the fearless-rune nothing else had happened, little more than a few brief, random touches. We had been in our bubble; had gone to training together, had eaten together, had sat next to each other on his beds until late at night, each engrossed in his or her own book. It had been carefree and informal, I had felt lighter and more weightless than ever. And despite all that, neither he nor I managed more than a sideways glance. As if the last few days had been nothing but a dream.

Adam cleared his throat and I almost jumped in the air; his voice like a rope around my body, pulling me back to the present. He took a step towards us, a warm expression on his face. "You look stunning today," he said, not beating around the bush. His voice sounded a touch off-track, which didn't sit well with him because he was the most self-controlled of us all when it came to personal appearances.

I couldn't help but smile, even though Isabelle had probably thrown the same words at me a dozen times today. She had chosen the floor-length pine green dress for me and matched me perfectly, even though I had never been in such a garment before and had no idea of my style. Until now, my world had only consisted of black gear. Isabelle had transformed me into something else and when I first had seen myself in the mirror in her room my heart had skipped because I hadn't recognized myself.

Gold-green rhinestone-embroidery adorned the fabric of the dress from the waist up. With every movement I made, they refracted the flickering light in the hall and turned it into a sea of tiny shimmering dots. Like the sea of stars on the horizon. The few runes I possessed were hidden by long, fitted sleeves and only peeked out at the edges of my collarbones. Small, round rhinestones stuck in my loose hair. Isabelle had insisted and I had been too stunned by the shape in the mirror to offer any arguments. The only thing she couldn't persuade me to wear were the high heels. I was still Clarissa Morgenstern and even if Isabelle could fight in such shoes, I wasn't granted that advantage.

Adam swiped two glasses off a passing waiter's tray and handed one of them to me. His smile widened as he caught the skeptical look I gave the bubbling golden liquid. I sniffed the glass and raised my eyebrows questioningly. "Champagne," he said, and our glasses made a high-pitched clink as he gently chinked them together. "Here's to you, Clary." Then he took a sip and I did the same.

Isabelle and he started giggling as I frowned in surprise. The slightly sour taste left a dry feeling in my throat and the sparkle tingled on my tongue. It was the first time I drank alcohol. Adam twirled his glass with a passive wrist movement, and a small eddy formed amidst the sparkling juice. A second later he raised it to his lips again, tilted his head back and drank it down to the last drop.

"Is that enough to get you drunk?" I asked, feeling silly as Adam and Isabelle started laughing again.

"Far from it," Adam replied, nodding to my glass. Inviting. Encouraging. Isabelle had grabbed her own glass and I mimicked her circling motion before she took a sip herself. Except I emptied mine like Adam did. My body coughed in response, confused by this type of beverage.

"You get used to the taste. It's all about the effect anyway." Adam grinned, a blaze in his deep green eyes that just hadn't been there before.

I tilted my head and watched him in silence for a long moment, letting the champagne wash over me. Even though it was cold, the alcohol felt warm in my throat. Adam took another step forward and was no longer standing a meter away from me. He stretched out his right arm. Another invitation. "Come on, I want to introduce you to some people." Again his voice sounded different. Rougher, more confident, more definite, otherwise careful not to reveal too much intention.

I hesitated before taking his arm. I trusted Adam. He was my best friend. But the thought of meeting other Shadowhunters, who would most likely be hostile to me, didn't pleased me. Looking around the Accord Hall, it was mostly the Shadowworlders who were enjoying themselves. The Nephilim stood together in their own separate knots, and very few mingled. I didn't allow myself to look at Jace as I linked my arm with Adam. The conversation in the Basilias was still pounding in the back of my mind and the thought that both Isabelle and Jace were rather skeptical of Adam made me feel oddly vulnerable. As we walked away, I felt more and more as if my group of friends were slowly but surely falling apart; like I was about to have to choose between Isabelle, Jace, and Adam. I managed to push this conflict that was brewing on the horizon away from me. At least for here and now.

Adam and I spent the next two hours walking through the crowd, chatting and exchanging small talk with various Shadowhunters. Many of the Nephilim he introduced to me were good at hiding their hostility from me. Some were even outright friendly. Clave dignitaries, members of the Toronto Brigade and finally his family. His parents shook my hand, beamed at me and offered their condolences on my mother's death. They talked about their duties on the Clave and how happy they were that we were friends. I couldn't tell what it was but either they were nervous about facing me or they were hiding something from me. I was able to determine that much thanks to my father's psychology lessons. Their demeanors were odd all round, their smiles too wide, their voices too fake, their gestures too hectic.

Adam's younger siblings, on the other hand, were a more pleasant affair. The youngest two were too shy to interact with me beyond a handshake. Instead, they stared at me wide-eyed, as if my reputation already preceded me. The eldest of them was named Caleb and was five years younger than Adam. He was polite, if a bit distant, as if he didn't completely trust me. His eyes – identical to Adam's – slid to my hands over and over again as if he were looking for a weapon there.

Finally, Caleb crossed his arms in front of his chest and because he was smaller than me, he had to tilt his head back a little to be able to examine me completely. "Is it true that he's the most powerful Shadowhunter of all time?" he asked, his boyish tone both curious and serious. Somehow not quite his age.

"Who?" Adam had just told me about Caleb's dream of becoming a centurion. But Caleb had changed the subject without responding to his big brother's tales. Instead, his expectant eyes rested on me.

"Well, your father," Caleb replied confused. "Rumour has it that Valentine Morgenstern is stronger than any other Nephilim."

Half stunned, half amazed, I raised my eyebrows and didn't quite know what to say. "All right, enough family for today," Adam interjected before my lips could move. "See you later, Caleb." Then he pulled me away from his family. Not fast enough to see the reproachful look on his mother's face as she turned to Caleb.

I turned my head in Adam's direction to ask what the rumor was about when he was already handing me another glass. This time filled with a pink liquid. "Let's forget that," Adam said, looking embarrassed as if he was uncomfortable with his brother's demeanor. "We're here to celebrate. To forget reality for one evening."

We toasted – a gesture that made no sense to me – and the clinking of the crystal glasses was lost in the dazzling melody of life around us. Laughter, music and the general hum of people were too loud. Adam gave me an intense look over the rim of his glass and as I savored the drink on my tongue, his cheeks warmed when I didn't avoid his eyes.

"Better than the champagne?" he asked, and I had to lean over to catch the words. He turned his glass again until a small swirl opened up in the middle of the drink and he drained it in one gulp. Again I cocked my head and looked at Adam, his entire appearance, until I finally nodded and drained my own glass. The aroma was sweet and fruity with no trace of the bitter aftertaste of champagne. I couldn't even tell if there was alcohol in the juice.

Adam's laughter lit up his entire face and my cheek muscles naturally formed into a reflection of his features. A heat shot through me, spreading through my limbs, reminding me a little of the demon's venom that had coursed through my veins a few weeks earlier. Only this time it seemed to enliven my body. I could feel the heart in my chest starting to beat faster, the emotions in my chest suddenly taking on a new depth. A loud, happy laugh escaped my lips, a sound like a bright chime and I couldn't remember the last time I laughed like that. I couldn't remember the last time I was happy without an ulterior motive. This feeling in my center, this surging warmth, made it easy for a moment to push my worries and fears away. Suddenly there was only my need for euphoria, belonging and enjoyment. Forget who you are. Tonight you can forget about Clarissa Morgenstern. Be who and what you want to be. Enjoy yourself.

When Adam handed me the next glass, his new one half down his throat, I didn't hesitate. I linked my arm with him and took another sip, giggling as Adam made fun of the Consul, who passed us a few yards away and scowled. Isabelle had managed to coordinate this celebration past him and the Inquisitor until the very last moment and by the time they had found out about it, half of Alicante had already known about today's ball. It had already been too late to back out.

We strolled around, tried our way through the buffet and the different drinks. Every once in a while, when we were within range, I felt Jace's and Alec's eyes on me. Like daggers on my skin, leaving a tingling sensation on it. Every time my eyes caught Jace's by accident, his expression seemed grim, and with each subsequent glass I drank, my wonder grew. Every time we got close enough to spot him, I noticed how handsome he looked in the suit. It fit like a glove and Jace seemed to fill it with every fiber of his arrogance and indifference.

Fingers brushed my arm, a chuckle of amusement caught my ear, and by the time I took my gaze off Jace's golden eyes once again, Isabelle had wrapped me in half a hug. I let go of Adam's arm to put it under her armpits and felt her hair tickling my shoulders. Her pupils seemed huge, only surpassed by the grin on her bright red lips.

"Oh, Clary, look who I found!" I cocked my chin and peered past Isabelle. My eyes widened as I recognized Raphael Santiago. The vampire with whom we had negotiated the treaty honored today. Raphael stood rigid as a statue next to Isabelle, an immortal's lightness in the stillness of his body. As if he could remain motionless for hours. The last time we met, he had declared the Nephilim clear enemies. The inside of his dark eyes still seemed cool, but a barely noticeable, almost malicious smile graced his pale lips.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" I asked over the babble of voices around us and Isabelle gave Raphael an expression that spoke louder than a thousand words. They both lived in New York and probably knew each other for years. Suddenly Raphael's dislike seemed more like a game.

Isabelle brushed back the hair in front of my ear, lowered her mouth and whispered, "Meliorn will regret this day till his death, I tell you that." Our eyes met and she winked. Apparently Adam and I weren't the only ones in a good mood.

Before I could reply, the music died away with a dying hum of the strings until only the general whispers of the crowd was audible. A second later, the Inquisitor's iron voice rose through the hall, so cold and unperturbed that one could almost feel the contrast to the mood of the crowd.

Isabelle rolled her eyes with a theatrical sigh, patted Raphael's shoulder goodbye, and pulled me with her body as my arm was still wrapped around her back. "The formalities are beginning," she stated matter-of-factly, any excitement wiped away instantly, as if she had been violently awakened from a dream.

I waved over my shoulder at Adam, who called out that he was joining his family. Then the crowd separated us and Raphael's face disappeared in the midst of the dozen others. We didn't get far, maybe ten meters, before the next person stopped us. Luke. Isabelle wriggled out of my grasp and disappeared alone among the people while I stood still, as if she hadn't realized I'd stopped.

The formal tuxedo Luke wore didn't suit him. After seeing him scantily clad all those days, it was almost a strain on my brain to process his appearance. Like when you see someone who wears glasses without glasses and their entire face suddenly looks different.

Luke's brown eyes were on me, taking in the dress and then the room around us. An almost nostalgic expression slowly spread across his face, sad and happy at the same time. "Your mom would be so proud of you," was all he said before continuing to make his way through the crowd, probably looking for his pack.

Again on Isabelle's tail, I suddenly couldn't hold back the tears. I found her with the rest of the Lightwood family and silently stood next to Jace as the room's attention shifted to the front of the altar. Imogen was not long in coming and you could see that she and Malachi were quite angry about today's event. The Consul began a speech, and shortly thereafter, Alec and his committee stepped forward to introduce themselves. Magnus, Raphael and Luke. They all seemed happy to be here. All of them except Imogen and Malachi, the heads of the Nephilim. Alec seemed all the more solid for that. He had positioned himself next to Magnus and seemed comfortable in his role as representative of the Nephilim.

When the Inquisitor spoke, my attention drifted away from her. I couldn't listen to her talk, couldn't look at her face without ruining my mood and that was out of the way of what I wanted tonight. So, bored, I stared down at the glass in my sweaty fingers. The pink liquid was cool against the warmth of my body. As I began to sip, I felt Jace's body move next to me. He had just been a step away from me, now I felt his sheer presence inches behind me. Like a shadow. I raised my head, he lowered his. His golden irises eyed the glass with the same grim skepticism I'd noticed before.

"Are you okay?" Barely more than a murmur, yet his breath sent chills down my spine as it hit the skin of my neck.

I tilted my head back to look Jace straight in the eyes. The world was spinning and I felt like I was being struck by the depth of his gaze. My body reacted by itself and it was as if my own mind was controlling me remotely without my being able to react or intervene. I started to nod and then my lips parted in a grin. It was too dark to see my reaction reflected in his eyes, but the grin felt fake and distorted.

"You're in a good mood for now," Jace continued, ignoring his grandmother's speech as much as I did. "But eventually you'll get tired. You'll get dizzy. Your senses will slip away and then the whole thing won't be as funny. Adam probably takes three times as much as you do. Be careful."

So there had actually been alcohol in the drinks that Adam had handed me. The sweetness had erased all traces of it. I rolled my eyes and couldn't help sliding my fingers down his upper arm as if to comfort him; as if I wanted to touch him. "Don't be silly." I took another sip and finally offered him the glass. "I've been watching you," I continued, surprised that I wasn't uncomfortable stating that fact. "I didn't see you drinking anything. Enjoy yourself a little. Nobody will rip your head off."

Unlike me, Jace hesitated before accepting the offered drink. His eyes darted from me to the pink liquid and back to me. He then put the glass to his mouth and I watched his Adam's apple tremble as he drank. He didn't look amused when our eyes locked again. Instead, a soft sigh escaped his lips. I couldn't shake the inkling that he was worried. Even if I couldn't explain why.

"You weren't supposed to drink up," I informed Jace, lip curling unhappily.

"I know," he said, appearing satisfied for the first time. "But better me than you. The effect starts showing on you."

With a snort meant to emphasize his mistake, I slipped past him to Isabelle. I knew his focus was still on me, just on my back now, and I forced myself not to think about the fact that the back of my dress was rather low and only my hair was hiding my bald skin from view. Isabelle adjusted my dress in a few places while I started giggling at her attempt to hide from Imogen in the crowd.

"Did she find out that you were instrumental in tonight's disaster?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, seemingly trying to analyze the Consul's and Inquisitor's expressions for any signs. "Magnus promised to keep his mouth shut, but as a warlock he couldn't have planned all of this alone. They know at least one Shadowhunter helped. So far they think it was Alec. However that happened."

"They think it was Alec?" A snort escaped me. "Even I wouldn't have thought of that, and I've only known him for a few weeks."

Isabelle gave me a sideways glance. Her pupils were still huge like the full moon and yet there was something like restraint on her face. Her cheek twitched in amusement. "How many drinks did you have so far?"

My shoulders shrugged. I ran my fingers through my hair in one slow motion, rocking back and forth to an inaudible beat. "Three or four?" The question was directed at myself. I tried to count the glasses in my head. "I think three."

"Four, actually," Jace remarked from my left, and my eyes darkened as I remembered his presence.

Isabelle giggled into her hand, and when Jace turned his attention back to Imogen – though I was sure he was only pretending to listen – a proud smirk tugged at her lips, flashing her white teeth in the candlelight. Her pupils darted between Jace and me, and realizing what she seemed so smug about, I snorted in response, shaking my head vehemently.

"You don't have to take every glass that Adam puts in your hand, you know that, don't you?" she then continued, but no less amused. As if she thought it funny to see how my first evening in society was developing. As if I were a little chick leaving its nest for the first time.

"Not you too," I sighed. "I just want to enjoy myself for once. Why are you such buzzkills?"

"I'm no buzzkill!" Isabelle protested, too loud for the silence around us and several heads turned in our direction. Maryse gave us a reproachful look. Isabelle ducked to avoid Imogen's eagle eyes.

"Whatever." I shrugged, then looked down at my fingers. Isabelle had filed my nails and painted them to match my dress. The skin on my fingertips was sticky, like I'd spilled my drink, though I couldn't remember it. "Is there a place somewhere around here to wash my hands?"

Isabelle nodded toward the exit. "Not here, but next door in the Basilias. We've specially signposted it."

I nodded and was about to leave when Jace came to my side. With no weapons or battle gear, I felt small and insignificant next to him. "I'll accompany you," he explained in response to my questioning look.

"After everything that's happened, you could have a little more faith in me," I ground out through clenched teeth, purposely quickening my pace.

"You know that has nothing to do with that." We passed under the arch, down the dark marble corridor and I stopped in front of the makeshift cloakroom.

"Then what does it have to do with?" I asked, scanning row after row for my coat. I cursed myself for not noticing where Isabelle had hung it earlier.

The fabric of his suit coat brushed the back of my hand as Jace held it out to me, and I had to squint in the darkness to realize he'd taken it off. I murmured a barely audible thank you in his direction before slipping it around my shoulders; before my body drowned in the sheer size of his jacket and disappeared into his scent. I couldn't stop my brain from enjoying it.

It wasn't until I felt Jace's eyes on me, his hand still half out where he'd been holding the coat, that I realized I'd stopped moving. I jerked my back to him and couldn't help but feel the heat rising in my cheeks. With frantic steps, I left the Accord Hall and was greeted by an icy wind as the mahogany doors slammed shut behind us. The cold felt good on my sweaty skin and when I exhaled with relief, my hot breath turned into a white cloud.

Jace shivered next to me and I gave him an apologetic look. He just shrugged and his golden eyes wandered to the jacket around my shoulders. For the first time that evening the expression on his face turned into a grin. "A very stylish outfit. You seem to fit into my clothes almost three times."

I looked down at myself and rotated once, shaking the edges of my vision. "At least I don't have to freeze in the cold," I answered energetically, looking for the Basilias. Jace struggled to follow my long strides as I began to move.

"Oh yes, I'm definitely going to lose my life to the cold on this long journey." His tone was dripping with teasing irony. Less than a minute later we were within the walls of the Basilias and I could hardly contain the smile on my lips.

"Wait here," I said sternly, handing him his jacket before disappearing into the ladies' room. When I came out shortly after, he was leaning against the opposite wall. Hands in the pockets of his suit pants. Gone was the mischievous smile of minutes earlier. Replaced by a thoughtful, reserved expression.

Jace pushed himself off the wall and walked toward me. Something in the movement made my feet stop, turn to stone. For a second we just looked into each other's eyes. Centimeters apart, because he hadn't stopped further. I couldn't avoid the sparkling gold of his eyes. It felt like something inside was calling me, begging me to look in there, to lose myself in them.

Then, just as I realized I'd forgotten to breathe, Jace cleared his throat. His voice, however, was little more than a hoarse whisper. "You look truly beautiful." His fingers found my forearm and almost absentmindedly stroked the smooth fabric of my dress. I had the feeling that he wasn't really aware of his movements. All I knew was that his touch made my skin glow. "I mean not just today," he continued. "Always."

I blinked and somehow, I couldn't say how, I managed to break my freeze. My cheeks flushed and I had to lower my head, had to look away from him to remind myself how to breathe. "You look very handsome yourself," I admitted, taking another step toward Jace as if we weren't close enough already.

Jace laughed. Such a gentle sound. I couldn't remember ever hearing him laugh like that. As if his soul opened at the joy he was feeling. Unlike his usual laugh, which only scratched his indifferent, unapproachable surface. Like a flower whose delicate bud had finally received enough sunlight to open its blossoms. I couldn't help but lean into that sound. It would have been impossible not to. It felt like an insurmountable pull in my chest, begging to be closer.

"I might look handsome in that suit, but you ..." Jace hesitated. The flower hesitated. As if it wasn't entirely sure if the bud was ready yet. "You shine from within. You're beautiful from the inside out. You have been all along. And I've missed it for so long. Just like almost everyone else."

"It doesn't matter," I heard myself mumble from afar. My hand on his chest. His hand on my waist.

"It does," Jace replied, a suddenly distressed flicker in the gold. "Can you forgive me?"

I shook my head vehemently, only to nod vigorously. My fingers wandered down to his. Our hands locked and I saw Jace breathe a sigh of relief. As if relieved. As if he had been holding his breath until now. As if he hadn't been able to breathe until now. "I don't want to hear any more about it. Please."

Jace's skin brushed mine and I knew that if I closed my eyes for just a split second my legs would buckle under me. So I pulled his hand and started walking.

The snow crackled under my shoes. The cold wind blew my hair up, away from my exposed back. Jace draped his coat over my shoulders. His hand rested on my spine, not leaving it for a second, guiding me in and through the crowd. Back at the Lightwoods, he stood behind me. So that I could just make him out next to me out of the corner of my eye. So many people around us and yet no one paid us even a glimmer of heed when he clasped his left hand with my left from behind, or when I leaned back almost imperceptibly until I felt his chest against my shoulders. His grandmother's speech still went. So we were silent and I dared to close my eyelids. Just as long as she spoke.

Jace's heartbeat seemed to jump over to my body. A rhythm that made my blood pound. That got my mind spinning. That unbalanced my breathing. Was that the alcohol? It had to be the alcohol.

And yet. When Imogen's talk suddenly stopped and applause thundered through the room, I woke reluctantly from the trance into which I had lulled myself. For a few moments, the only source of noise was the increasing murmur of people. Then the music started up again and I had a strange feeling like I'd been dreaming for the last half hour when Jace pulled away from me. I didn't let on how strange my skin felt where his had been; how empty I felt at a moment's notice because I could only feel his presence from afar.

I winced as Isabelle's face appeared in front of me and that startled flinch brought me back to reality. Isabelle's wide, knowing grin made what might have been nothing but a daydream come true. I have seen it all, her dilated pupils seemed to scream. A part of me was glad. Another part knew that this would have to move in a direction after today. I couldn't just leave everything I felt today behind me with tomorrow. Even if Adam's drinks wanted to give me that assumption.

"I want to dance," Isabelle stated and nodded in the direction of the crowd that was now opening up. A dance floor on which the first colorful figures began to turn. Dance. A tradition of the Nephilim. But none of the Shadowworlders. Still, I had a weary premonition that the Shadowworlders would adapt to us sooner than we would adapt to them.

"Would you like me to dance with you?" I asked confused.

Isabelle's eyes widened as if I'd said the impossible. "No, silly." She tugged at Jace's sleeve until he came into my view. He didn't look at me and I didn't look at him. Instead, Isabelle pierced us with a meaningful look. You cannot fool me.

Then Adam suddenly appeared next to us. He brushed his light brown hair back from his face, smirked at me and was about to open his mouth when Isabelle began to clutch his arm with a force that looked no less than painful. Adam gritted his teeth and raised his eyebrows in shock.

"I haven't had enough fun today. Meliorn isn't here, but I want him to know that I had a great time," Isabelle said in a commanding voice and dragged Adam away, who reluctantly let himself be dragged along. Over his shoulder, she bared her teeth and winked before the crowd swallowed her.

Next to me, Jace started laughing. Then he bowed his head to me and the amusement gave way to a softer delight. He scratched the back of his neck briefly; a gesture that indicated nervousness. Then he held out his hand to me. The same one I was holding just now. "Will you do me the honor?"

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I have to admit, I really have a thing for balls and those kind of events. Furthermore, these few next chapters really are one of my favorites in this fanfic so far! Just you guys wait haha. The next chapters are gonna be long and loaded with ...  a lot of stuff. ;) 

What do you think about this chapter though? There's some Clace in it. Did you like it? They're finally getting closer! :D What about Clary, Isabelle and Adam? Do you like their friendship? We also got a glimpse into Adam's family! I wasn't sure if to introduce them at all, but decided for it.

If you want to know, how Isabelle's and Clary's ball gowns look like, take a look at my Pinterest folder! You can find me there under the username ccskyllen and I have a folder for each important character!

See you next week!

Skyllen :)