Chapter 88 – The Quiet Before the Storm

--- Less than 1 day before the start of the war. ---

"Did you think people would overlook your actions?" I asked Adam a while later, after we had retreated to the edge of the event to watch from a distance as Isabelle flirted with a tall, dark-skinned man.

They danced around each other without touching, their bodies just inches apart. The man was definitely drunk, but judging by Isabelle's dilated pupils, she wasn't far off either. Neither was I, which was entirely her fault. With Adam barely able to gain a foothold among the Nephilim due to resentment, the tables seemed to have turned for me. At least, that was my future Parabatai's excuse when she forced me to be her wingman.

Adam to my left shrugged, the fabric of his gear scratching the wall he was leaning against, which marked the boundary of the Lightwoods' property. As a deep sigh escaped his throat, my gaze finally slid to him, even though I didn't really want to take my eyes off Isabelle. His hair was now so long that the earth-brown strands almost reached his eyebrows. In all the chaos of the past week, he hadn't given any thought to his appearance. One of many facts that didn't sit well with me, because it had so little in common with the Adam I thought I had known. Even if it was perhaps better that way, because it meant that things were as close to his heart as he had claimed.

"I didn't think about anythin' at all," Adam muttered after finishing the sip from his glass. His fourth glass. But unlike earlier on the roof or last week in the Accords Hall, he was drunk but at peace with his soul. Whatever Lyall had mixed into his drink had eased some of the pain in his heart and relaxed his muscles. It had brought a silvery shimmer of nostalgia to his eyes. "Guess I expected my ... environment to be there to ... catch me. My family, my friends. I didn't expect ... that I'd be the only one left."

"If we survive this war, you'll have to work hard for your position on the Clave."

Isabelle turned on her axis and threw her head back in a hearty, exuberant laugh. Her waist-length, raven-black hair swung through the air like a veil, separating her from the people around her, making her look majestic and untouchable. The man's hands rested on her waist, as if that was the only way to keep her spirit in check. His dark eyes glowed with passion, which Isabelle returned with mysterious restraint. She lowered her chin, gave him an inspecting look from under her long lashes, before slowly leaning towards him.

"I think I've had enough of the Clave for now," Adam pressed out in a thin voice, putting his empty glass down on the next high table. "They'll never trust my family as much as they did before. Rightly so. I'm lucky that, thanks to their ... financial situation, I don't have to rely on a job within the Clave. Maybe ... I'll disappear for a while, mingle with humans. Or ... visit a distant institute where nooo one knows me."

"So you want to leave?" The question wasn't meant to sound so derogatory, but I was distracted. Isabelle and the man kissed like there was no tomorrow – which in itself was perhaps true. It was a good thing that at least half the crowd was just as drunk as the two of them. Now the stories she had told me made a lot more sense.

Adam's focus shifted between what was happening in the middle of the garden and me. "I can't stay here," he explained with a persistence that made it clear he needed my understanding of this matter. "I ... I'm still the person who ... betrayed you and who committed all the crimes I was convicted offf. I always knew what I was doin' was wrong. I just didn't dare to change anythin'. Your friendship helped me a lot, but in the end, only I can get out of this situation. How can others forgive me, how can the Clave forgive me, if I haven't forgiven myself yet?"

I understood his conflict perhaps better than I would have liked. Starting a new life where nobody knew you sounded tempting. Free of prejudice and mistrust. A fresh start. And he was right: I for one had not forgiven him, even though I was working on it. "You can go to the ends of the earth, but as long as your chains aren't loosened, the demons of your past will always follow you. Leaving can help you learn who you really are, but the truth isn't necessarily pretty. Your past self wasn't a good person. You're on the road to recovery, but how do you manage to grow? How do you manage to make these changes in your character last? For that you'll need friends who'll help you stay on the path of light in dark moments."

This time I allowed our eyes to meet. Green on green – so similar, yet so different. Emerald and forest. Experience and ignorance. End and beginning. Same journey, different progress.

"I've been able to break most of my bonds, but even if only one remains, a weight remains that prevents complete change. Without the new people around me, I'd never have been able to break these bonds. Without Jace and Isabelle, and without you." A barely perceptible smile pushed my lips millimeters upwards. Wistful because this last bond hurt my heart like a fire burning under my skin. "Without you, I'd have succumbed to the memories of something that once was long ago. Something that was never real, no matter how much I wish it were. Run away if you think it's the right thing to do, but running away is something that cowards do first and foremost. You'll need your friends, Adam. More than you realize now. Only when you have climbed the mountain and look back on the past will you realize how much you needed them."

"Maybe you're right." The corners of his mouth turned downward like the dangling ends of a loose thread. Apart from that, his almost slack facial features seemed completely motionless. "But there are mistakes that you have to make yourself in order to learn from them."

My eyes darted to Isabelle, who had disappeared from the makeshift dance floor and was pressed against the wall not far from us. At least one of us seemed to be enjoying herself. There was no sign of Jace – he had probably hidden away somewhere with Alec, as he was also no longer at Magnus's side. Since Isabelle was obviously unavailable as hostess, they had no other choice.

Adam began to laugh half-heartedly, the amusement in his tone strained like the strings of an out-of-tune violin. "I should get myself another driiink," he said, pushing himself unsteadily away from the wall.

I followed his gaze and met a person who was briskly walking towards us, a determined expression in his coffee-brown irises. "Out of question," I hissed as quietly as I could. Before Adam could even take a step, my hand shot out to him and grabbed his arm. "If I have to sacrifice myself for Isabelle, then you better keep me company. After all, this is all your fault!"

"My fault?" Adam's voice had shot up several octaves and for the first time in a while it had something remotely like life breathed into it.

I gave him a piercing look. "You should've been Isabelle's wingman," was all I clarified. If everyone wasn't avoiding you, I deliberately left out, even though he could guess.

Adam opened his mouth as if to reply but was interrupted by the newcomer who had reached us at that moment. A young Shadowhunter of nineteen named Sebastian Verlac with short, windblown black hair. And although I had been forced to make his acquaintance, I couldn't deny that there was a gentleness in his dark brown eyes that was rare for Nephilim.

"I'm back!" he said with a slight French accent and gave me a shy smile that noticeably lost its intensity when he looked over at Adam. He handed me a glass and then – to my surprise – handed Adam one too. "I saw zat your drinks were running low."

"Very thoughtful," I replied politely, barely concealing my delight at another of Lyall's drinks. Whatever the werewolf did, he was a master at it.

Sebastian nodded and when neither Adam nor I made any attempt to keep the conversation going, his smile stretched with effort. I could see in his eyes that he had hoped for more. But what exactly was the question?

Sebastian's and my paths had crossed when I had entered the crowd of young Shadowhunters for Isabelle's sake to scout out the dance partner she had chosen earlier. For whatever reason, she had thought it was a good idea to pick me for that particular job. I, with my lack of social skills, was the last person who should be playing wingman. But after repeated protests that had bounced off her like water off a stone, I had gathered all my courage and — instead of directly addressing Isabelle's chosen one — had simply told Sebastian the truth when she was out of earshot: that Isabelle had a crush on his friend, and I wanted to set them up. And since, as soon as Sebastian had pointed out his friend to my future Parabatai, she had immediately started dancing with him, I had been spared the need to inform her about that. The main thing was that she had gotten what she wanted. However, Sebastian had seemed to have taken the whole situation as an opportunity to engage me in conversation, likely because our two friends were otherwise occupied. At least I had hoped that was all it was, and I had dragged him back to Adam, clueless about how to politely brush someone off.

Now Sebastian turned his head as if he was looking for this friend in the colorful crowd – the reason why the three of us were standing here in the first place – and when he spotted him, he clicked his tongue in recognition. "These two don't do things by halves."

"Definitely not," I snorted between sips, enjoying the warm feeling of the alcohol in my stomach. Like liquid honey, which wrapped itself around my body like a soothing layer and let me drift into a sweet, cloudy version of reality.

"Are you Parabatai?" Adam asked him, pointing to the sweeping ends of a coal-black Parabatai rune that peeked out from under Sebastian's half-open shirt.

Sebastian lowered his head in confusion and his cheeks turned red as he straightened his shirt with a brief nod. "We don't see each other often because I live in Paris with my aunt and he lives in Istanbul, but we've been friends forever."

"Shouldn't Parabatai usually live side by side?" I blurted out in surprise. With Jace and Alec I had experienced a completely different kind of Parabatai bond and had imagined my future with Isabelle to be similar. The thought of hundreds of kilometers separating us didn't sit well with me.

"The rune, it allows for a more intense sense of ze other, non? Zat's why distance, it doesn't feel like distance," Sebastian explained, his accent thickening as the words stumbled over each other. "Being a Parabatai comes with responsibilities zat are much greater zan simply being close to the other at all times, oui. It's true zat many interpret ze oath zat way, but even ze smallest distance is no substitute for trust and brotherhood. Ze qualities of Parabatai thrive in any environment, as long as both parties are wholeheartedly committed, non?"

"This is ... fascinating," I had to admit, because I had never really considered the many aspects and responsibilities that came with the bond. I just knew that Isabelle and I were meant to be sisters in spirit. Whether we lived in the same house or were separated by a continent. When you felt that connection, all other obstacles no longer mattered, because only death could separate Parabatai.

"... but not a permanent condition," Adam finished my sentence. He didn't even pretend to be polite. Not like before, when he had been eloquent and sophisticated and always had something on the tip of his tongue to keep a conversation going.

A confused blink crossed Sebastian's face, and I sighed to myself. "What Adam means is ... do you have any further plans?" When did I become the savior of conversations?

"Plans?" Sebastian raised a black eyebrow, and I wondered if it was the language barrier or my incompetence.

"Plans for the future," I clarified lamely, forcing a smile onto my lips that I didn't in any way feel.

I imagined myself as Isabelle, who somehow got along with everyone and knew exactly how to put herself in a good light. This is nothing but an act, I reminded myself, relaxing my shoulders and loosening the muscles in my face to get away from the mask that I felt on my features at such moments and where I was sure that everyone could immediately see through my incompetence.

The alcohol made the undertaking much easier because it lowered my inhibitions. And when I raised my voice to continue, I actually felt a little like someone else. "Do you have joint career plans?" I asked as enthusiastically as Isabelle, and Adam's sideways glance was enough confirmation for me. "After all, the bond is there to strengthen the talents of both partners in combat. Being stationed together sounds logical, doesn't it?"

"Oui, you're right." Sebastian sipped his own glass, not looking particularly drunk yet. A dreamy grin lingered on his face as he watched his Parabatai. "Since I will one day take over ze management of ze Paris Institute, I can't leave Paris, non? Mavi will transfer to me as soon as his siblings are old enough." He paused theatrically and suddenly shuddered as if he had been caught in an icy gust of wind . "Hopefully he will be able to speak ze language by then. After six years, his skills are still ... très mal."

Both Adam and I almost choked on our drinks. "At least he's learnin' French," Adam interjected, having stopped showing his boredom and instead seemed to be looking for confrontation. I had to pull myself together to hide my grin, because my interest in this conversation was limited. But whether due to incompetence or some other reason, neither of us made any move to end it. "Most French people flat-out refuse to understand English."

Something twitched on Sebastian's face and for a moment I felt genuine compassion for him, because if I were in his position I wouldn't have had an answer ready either.

"Really, Adam," I rebuked, without any heat in my voice. As I fixed my eyes on him, I suddenly found myself on the roof of the Lightwood house again, about to blow him off the roof. Only this time the blow came in the form of words. "What a prejudice. Sebastian's English is impeccable."

"Merci." Sebastian scrutinized Adam with an expression that could almost be mistaken for outrage. He tilted his chin and clenched his jaw, as if he wanted to hold back further words.

"Aucun problème", I replied with a smile and had to remind myself to say the words as boldly as Isabelle would. When both Sebastian and Adam gave me looks that were half astonished, half expectant, I saw my chance to slip into Isabelle's shoes once again. Because she certainly wouldn't have batted an eyelash twice before showing off her skills. "Ne faites pas attention à mon ami, il ne veut aucun mal."

"You speak French?" Sebastian and Adam asked in unison and a quite real, drunken laugh burst out of me.

"Qui ne le fait pas?" Who doesn't?

While Sebastian's eyes reflected clear admiration, something mischievous crept into Adam's expression. His dark pupils began to glitter and before I knew it, he too switched to French.

"You speak French too?" I burst out indignantly because had I wanted to show off my language talent.

"Of course I speak French," Adam replied in perfect French, albeit with a different accent than the one I had learned. "I live in Canada, remember?"

Sebastian's face lit up as if he had just won a grand prize. He emptied his glass in one quick gulp and clapped his hands. Adam and I exchanged a brief glance, and our eyes widened almost imperceptibly – questioningly. "This evening is getting better and better," Sebastian said in French and moved closer to us, his last inhibitions suddenly thrown overboard.

For the next quarter of an hour, we talked about everything under the sun in French. At some point – our glasses were also empty – we wandered back to Lyall to get some more. When we got there, we met a group of French and Spanish vampires and when it turned out that I also spoke fluent Spanish, I ended up being the center of a cluster of international Shadowworlders, with Adam and Sebastian on either side of me.

Although I had initially been quite uncomfortable with the situation, I was surprised to discover that I might not be a complete disaster when it came to small talk — when it came to topics, I was actually interested in. And so we drank with vampires and Shadowhunters alike, and discussed politics and fighting techniques alike — topics that most likely had something to do with tomorrow's war, but topics I could serve with.

I had reached my sixth drink and was standing on the bar with a now drunk Sebastian and a young vampire when first Isabelle and Mavi and then Jace joined us. Adam had hidden behind the bar with Lyall, while Isabelle effortlessly hopped up onto the bar and wanted to join in on what we were doing.

And when Sebastian and the vampire both declared that they would beat me in a two-on-one duel, Lyall clapped his hands, shaking his head, and forced us all back to the ground.

"Vous avez encore eu de la chance tous les deux", I shouted at them first in French and then in Spanish – a wide, arrogant smile plastered on my lips. You two were lucky again. "Ustedes dos no tienen ninguna posibilidad contra mí." You have no chance against me.

Cheers and boos were the answer, and the vampire cursed in Spanish as Sebastian pushed past Lyall. "Then prove it," he demanded in French, pointing at me in a challenge. "Duel."

"Stop speaking in other languages!" Isabelle demanded, annoyed, throwing her hands in the air.

"She'll wipe the floor with ya, Verlac." Adam, on Lyall's left, laughed loudly and had to lean on Jace, who reluctantly steadied him and clenched his jaw as if he could think of something more fun. But his eyes sparkled with amusement as he watched me. I winked at him before turning to Sebastian.

"I accept your challenge," I said in English and bowed slightly. Since the area had already started spinning since my last glass, it was a little wobbly. Not that I was worried.

A minute later, Isabelle had cleared the front of the garden and marked the battlefield for us. The music thumped with relentless bass; my foot tapped to the beat, having seeped into my blood. The majority of the guests danced to our left and took no notice of us – for a variety of reasons. Some tried to talk to each other over the loud noise, gesticulating wildly, others had ventured up to the roof and were fighting their own battles as if it were the most normal thing in the world. I was pretty sure that they were all more or less drunk – I couldn't imagine anything else with Lyall at the bar. This wasn't only a showcase Nephilim party, but also a Shadowworlder party.

"The winner is the one who gets the other outtt of the ring firssst. Doesn't matter how. As soon as I clap, it startsss!" Isabelle shouted in a smug voice, but her syllables also took on an unusual momentum. She threw us a cheeky grin, and her teeth reflected the light from the colorful string lights in an almost eerie way. "Ready?"

Sebastian and I nodded, and the Spanish vampires let out a high, monotonous screech that gave me goosebumps and heightened my dazed senses. Like the screams of a bird of prey in a dive. When Isabelle clapped her hands seconds later, I was so distracted that I remained in my position for a few breaths.

Sebastian reacted faster and charged straight at me like an arrow at the bullseye. His three strides gave my body enough time to focus on him and push back the fog in my limbs. I could feel my cheek muscles start to work and a smug smile take shape. A blink of an eye before his hands could dart forward, my feet slid across the uneven grass; my body shifted to the right and as soon as I was out of his reach, I attacked from the side.

One maneuver later, Sebastian was kneeling at the edge of the ring, his hands clutching my arm, which I had wrapped around his neck. When I felt I had sufficiently cut off his air supply, I backed away, gave him a simple kick, and watched as he fell, chin first, to the grass.

"By the Angel! I've never lost to a girl," I heard Sebastian curse in French before Adam and Isabelle came running.

The two of them seemed so enthusiastic about this small victory, as if they had just witnessed the fight of the century. It was only when one of the vampires slipped Adam a banknote that I understood why. My eyes narrowed to slits, but there was no stopping the two of them.

"Who wanna go next?" Isabelle called out challengingly. She grabbed my hand and held it up. But the vampires all retreated and exchanged fleeting glances with each other. They seemed to know when a bet was pointless.

"What do I get if I win?" an all too familiar voice chimed at that moment, stepping forward between the small crowd.

"You damn spoilsport," growled Isabelle, pursing her lips in contempt. "You're not allowed to join in!"

"Afraid I'll win?" Jace teased with a sneer on his lips. He looked at one of his fingernails in mock boredom. Alec stood a few meters behind him, watching the scene with growing amusement.

Oh, Jace knew exactly what he was saying. "I accept," I blurted out before Isabelle could let out a howl of protest, having fully anticipated my reaction.

"Damn it, Clary!" she shouted at me, insulted. "Can't you put your honor aside for ooonce?" She put her hands on her hips and staggered toward her foster brother, pointing her finger at him. "She's drunk and that's not faaair!"

Did she think I couldn't defend myself against Jace when I was drunk? A bold huff escaped me, and I pushed past Isabelle and Adam, back into the ring. Maybe it was my honor, who knew, but I certainly wasn't going to stand here and turn down a fight just because Isabelle thought I didn't have it in me.

"Let's gooo!" I snapped my fingers and stared down Isabelle's protest. "Thank ya for your trust, Parabatai." I purred the last word.

Isabelle's eyes widened in dismay, and when she bit her lip to keep the mask in place, I knew I might have overestimated myself. Jace's cocky grin widened, but I could also see an unprecedented amusement in his pupils, despite my blurred vision.

Too late to back out now, my pride warned me. So I went through with it.

"Don't worryyy, we've practiced!" said Adam, mimicking punch movements with his fists before stepping back to the sidelines. He was probably referring to our drinking binge up on the roof. Just great.

But this was different, as my sleeping brain realized far too late. This was Jace.

"Do you already regret it?" Jace teased, with no heat in his pompous voice. He had positioned himself on the opposite side of the ring, and his golden sparkling irises were gliding over my figure in a way that had nothing to do with an impending fight.

My head was racing, trying to think of a witty answer. In the end, though, I was too preoccupied with too many thoughts at once to reply to anything. Jace's features softened as he read the conflict in my eyes, but his grin never faded. It was a strange sight. As if he was caressing my face with his eyes and mocking me at the same time.

"I don't regret anythin'," I murmured a second before Isabelle gave the signal to start.

A blink later, Jace and I were dancing around each other. At least he was dancing. What I was doing was more like tumbling. I managed to fend off his first attempts to break through my defenses. We engaged in a rapid exchange of blows that threw my world off balance. And then Jace suddenly ducked under my right arm – I took far too long to react. Then he was standing beside me, grabbing my arm so I couldn't turn around, and I knew I had lost.

I had not lasted three minutes.

"I didn't think you would make it that easy for me," Jace whispered in my ear as cheers erupted around us. His body pressed against my back. I felt the warmth radiating from him; could smell his familiar scent. My muscles relaxed on their own, leaning against his chest and he laughed. "Hopefully you won't do that with our enemies tomorrow."

"Tomorrow I'll beat ya," I promised and closed my eyelids.

"Of course you will," Jace murmured, sounding much more serious than he had just been. A breath later, he released my arm from his grip and wrapped his around my waist. "You're tired."

I really was. It had been a long day that hadn't only drained my energy reserves but also drained my emotions. "I've been up since dawn, after all."

"And you avoided me in the process."

Jace's arms didn't loosen their hold on me as I slowly turned to him. Isabelle and Adam were standing at the bar with Sebastian and Mavi, their heads together, not paying any attention to us. The vampires had also fled. Apart from the dancing crowd, whose density had decreased in the past quarter of an hour, we were alone.

I searched for Jace's gaze; his honey-colored eyes firmly fixed on me, as if he was oblivious to the outside world. One of his hands ran up my back, gently cupped my cheek and tucked a fleeting strand of red hair behind my ear. His palm was rough against my skin, I sighed to myself and lost track for several breaths. Standing here – surrounded by the strength of his arms, so close to his warm heartbeat – swept away all the thoughts that had seemed important to me just a moment ago. And yet something had been on the tip of my tongue ...

"I wasn't avoidin' you," I said, the thought coming back to me like a flash of inspiration. "I was just throwin' myself into work so I wouldn't have to be home."

Jace rolled his eyes. "It comes down to the same thing," he claimed, raising his eyebrows. A glint crept into his eyes, and by now I knew him well enough to recognize the beginning of his melodramatic outbursts. Not a moment too late, because I had just managed to purse my lips before he started. "Oh, the torment I must endure! I have a girlfriend who thinks so little of me that she would rather concoct war plans with my vengeful grandmother!"

Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed, given him a playful shove to the chest, and cleared the air; maybe even planted a kiss on his lips to make him stop pouting. The corners of my mouth were already twitching in response when, in the thick fog of my mind, a memory suddenly pushed itself to the forefront. A fact that I had completely forgotten in all the distractions and all the alcohol.

My body didn't even have to stiffen for Jace to get wind of my change in emotions. One look into my eyes was probably enough because I felt the adrenaline suddenly rush through my veins and my vision clear.

"Clary?"

I opened my mouth, wanting to say something — to tell him the truth — but now that Jace had brought her up, her words were echoing around in my head.

Not a word about this list. To anyone.

"Clary?" Jace asked more forcefully, apparently loudly enough to catch Isabelle's attention.

Our eyes met halfway and suddenly my future Parabatai quickened her pace. In a split second she was standing on my right, a brief gust of wind ruffling her long hair the only indication that she had just been standing somewhere else. Judging by her concentrated expression, she was probably trying to figure out what was going on in my head.

I had to tell Jace, regardless of what the Inquisitor had asked of us. He had every right to know if all his friends were to be sent on a suicide mission that he wasn't allowed to accompany them on. I thought of Alec's words after the meeting and was surprised that he himself hadn't told his Parabatai about it. If Alec had mentioned anything, Jace would certainly not have been the picture of relaxation for the rest of the evening. On the contrary, he would probably have marched off to the Gard long ago, where Imogen was surely still around.

Within a second I made a decision. I freed myself from Jace's arms and finally led him through the people, past the terrace of the house to the side of the huge garden. Where Adam had been taken by surprise by the group of boys. Once there – in the shadows, under the witch-lights – I released him from the iron grip in which my fingers had unconsciously wrapped around his wrist. Silently I took a step back and waited until Isabelle also merged with the shadows. I was sure that she had deliberately placed the lights in this way – because Isabelle Lightwood's actions always had an eye for detail.

"You know I've been working on strategies for the last few days," I began, because despite the adrenaline, the world kept spinning around me and I had to plant my feet in the ground to keep from swaying. I grabbed the thoughts as they came and threw them at Jace, hoping he would understand my leaps.

Jace nodded slowly. "You wouldn't tell me the details because you insisted on finishing them first," he said, his focus fleetingly turning to Isabelle. His expression had darkened. Gritting his teeth, he tried to understand what was going on.

"This morning I went to see Imogen and shared them with her," I continued. "I was hoping that she'd at least give some consideration to my plans. That she might take them and improve them, or perhaps make a new plan based on them."

"But she didn't," he concluded, a spark of irritation filling his pupils. He was angry with his grandmother for me. "I'm sorry she is so stubborn. I wish she would finally give you a chance after everything. Nobody knows your father like you do. She should know better!"

But I shook my head dismissively. "She adopted the plan," I whispered into the cool night air, which carried the music and voices from the garden to us. Jace's eyes widened. "The War Committee hasn't made a single change. We leave tomorrow at noon to take Mellartach back from my father's possession. Long before the real battle begins. In the vanishingly small hope that we can prevent it completely before it even begins."

Several emotions were reflected on Jace's face. The only one that remained was a serious confidence that made my throat tighten. He took my hands, warming mine with his longer fingers. "We knew this day would come, Clary. We are ready. You are ready."

I swallowed the bile that was rising up. Jace thought I was worried about the mission. That I was afraid of facing my family. Isabelle shifted uncomfortably but remained silent. The fact was that I had been far too busy to think about the fight itself. Thank the Angel. Even now, the encounter seemed a long way off.

In less than 24 hours, you may already be dead, and so might everyone you care about.

"I'm not afraid of my father or Jonathan," I said. It was the truth. Both Isabelle and Jace flinched at my brother's name, searching me for a similar reaction. Because I usually avoided his name whenever I could; couldn't bear to hear it; dreaded the very thought of him. Not now. Not anymore. Not ever again.

"I presented the plan to Imogen with complete candor. The fact is that there's a very high chance of losing the entire unit. That no one will make it out alive. Valentine's smart and he's surely expecting us. Imogen knows exactly what hell she's sending us to and what's at stake. We're all on that list, Jace. I'm glad I'm on it because otherwise I'd have sneaked out without her consent. But you aren't on that list. You are the only one not on it."

"What do you mean I'm not on the list?" Jace was too shocked to look surprised. "Of course I am. You're all on it, so am I too."

Isabelle shook her head vehemently. "Imogen doesn't want you to go on this mission. She knows what's at stake. She's afraid you won't make it. Even Adam is on board!" She said the last sentence with an indignant undertone.

"Why ..." Jace paused and glared at me and then at Isabelle. "Why am I only finding out about this now?"

"She told us not to tell you," I said, closing the distance between us. My fear that he wouldn't want me near him after that statement didn't come true. His left arm wrapped around my waist without pulling me close. "We talked her into agreeing to reconsider your status. She's trying to prevent you from attending, Jace. She–"

The sound of earth crunching under boots made me pause. Our heads swung around as several figures rounded the corner of the property. Adam, Magnus and Alec. When we came into view, they stopped dead in their tracks. Magnus's sequined jacket reflected what little light there was like a glittering lake in motion.

"Here you are." Alec was the first to break away and join us. "I have been looking for you, Jace."

"There is something wrong here," Magnus remarked inquisitively when none of us raised our voices. "Over the centuries, I have developed a sense for when Nephilim are in turmoil. And I can practically smell your tension!"

"We told Jace about the mission," Isabelle reported to the others.

"Magnus is in too?" Jace's tone had shot up several octaves in indignation.

"Now, now. I am by far the most experienced person on the team." Magnus wrinkled his nose in insult and flicked an invisible speck of dust from his flawless shoulder.

"He didn't mean it personally," Alec murmured soothingly before Jace could catch up. He turned to his Parabatai and pinned him down with the intensity of his blue irises. I felt Jace's arm around me stiffen. "After our protest, she has relented and at least reconsidered her decision. She cannot stop you from joining us. I specifically read up on it. The Code prohibits her from sending Parabatai into battle separately."

"As if the Code ever mattered to Imogen," Adam muttered, more to himself than to us. He had a point.

"I will accompany you," Jace said with a vehemence that made his voice tremble. The gold of his eyes was a dark bronze in the darkness. "I will certainly not hide while you risk your lives."

"We didn't expect that either." Isabelle patted him on the back. "You guys sort it out, I have to get back to the party. After all, not all hosts can disappear into thin air." She winked at me and then at Magnus one last time before she disappeared around the corner.

"So, what is this plan that you have kept from me for so long?" Jace asked, turning to me.

I tilted my head back so I could look straight at him. A grim smile plastered itself to my lips. "I'll describe it to you in detail."

-

Enjoy this light-hearted chapter, it was the last one. Despite a few passages, such as the character introduction of Sebastian Verlac, which serve to illustrate the alternative world to Clare's works, a little of substance happened. Clary's conversation with Adam should not be underestimated. How did you like the chapter?

Skyllen