Clary had been traveling with Jace and Sebastian for what seemed like forever.

She wanted desperately to live day to day and be happy, like the both of them seemed to be. Clary was caught between the two very different Sebastians: on the one hand there was the merciless demonic Sebastian that had murdered Hodge and Max without a second thought; and now there was this completely different Sebastian: the one who strolled through town with her, the one who was protective of her, that drank hot chocolate with her while reminiscing over nostalgic thoughts; thoughts she didn't even know he was capable of having. They were like two separate people and she trusted neither of them. She wondered at what Sebastian's true plan was. With Jace as his faithful puppet he was doubled in strength and credibility, and as a bonus, he had gotten Clary to come with them of her own free will. The Jace that was here was happy but seemed like a shell of his former glorious self. He trusted her explicitly but Sebastian, with his calculating eyes and his scheming mind, did not. Clary wondered, not for the first time, what it was that Sebastian wanted from her. Why did he need her? Did he need her or was she here simply to keep Jace happy? She wished she hadn't carelessly lost the faerie ring. She wanted so desperately to talk to Simon; she needed to hear his voice. She was pulled from her thoughts by a knock at the door.

She turned from her contemplation spot on the bed and called, "Come in."

Sebastian stood in the doorway holding an item of clothing carefully folded in his hands. Clary looked from the fabric to Sebastian.

"Where's Jace?" She tried for nonchalant and hoped Sebastian didn't notice her voice waver.

The last thing she needed was giving him the knowledge that she felt terribly uncomfortable being left alone with him.

"I sent him on ahead to prepare the sacred site. The Ceremony is tonight." Then he added as if he felt her discomfort. "There's no one here but you and I, little sister."

Clary kept eye contact, waiting for him to continue, not wanting him to know he set her on edge. He looked down at his hands as if remembering why he came in the first place.

"This is for you. I want you to wear it tonight to the Ceremony."

Clary strode to Sebastian and snatched the fabric-dress, she realized-and turned quickly around before he could see her lips tremble.

"Fine." Clary's head was spinning. Tonight. Something was going down tonight. Something big. She turned to shut the door but Sebastian still enveloped the entryway. She looked at him incredulously, waiting for him to leave so she could shut the door. He smirked that irritating lazy half-grin he had and leaned against the frame waiting for her to start changing.

Clary raised her eyebrows at him. "You're free to go. I can change by myself you know."

If he minded the way she spoke to him he didn't show it. He simply shrugged as if to say worth a shot and walked away. By the Angel did she want to smack him.

Clary's eyes wandered back to the dress on her bed. She lifted it against her body. It was actually quite stunning. It shimmered a golden red that made Clary think that if mermaids were red, this may be what their scales looked like. She quickly dressed and decided she liked the feel of the fabric. It clung flatteringly to her body and was so soft on her skin. She heard water running downstairs and decided to sneak a peak into Sebastian's room to see if she could find out anything on the Ceremony or just his plans in general. She tip-toed barefoot across the hall and silently opened his door. His room was messy like the first time she saw it, black silk sheets thrown carelessly over the bed, clothes and books strewn across the floor. She poked her head back out into the hallway, listening for any changes. Water still running. I suppose it's now or never, Clary thought as she slipped into the room.

She first looked to the desk at her right. Clary didn't even know what she was looking for, a checklist maybe?

It could go something like this:

MY EVIL CHECKLIST

1) Make Jace my evil brother (✔)

2) Rule with world ( )

Clary giggled. The thought was as funny as it was ridiculous. She found a couple snippets of formulas and numbers on pieces of paper but nothing that made any sense. She worked her way to the nightstand next to his bed. She pulled a stack of papers into her lap as she sat on his bed. Clary was hoping to find a picture of him giving Valentine bunny ears or something equally as out-of-character but to no avail. Again she giggled at the thought and at that moment she heard a throat being cleared in front of her.

Clary felt her spine turn to ice as her gaze shot towards the door. Sebastian casually leaned in the doorway, eyebrows arched.

"So," he said, "would it be deja vu if I asked what you were doing in my room, little sister?"

Clary's throat suddenly felt like sandpaper. She tried to pull off casual as she hazarded a response. "I didn't realize it was forbidden for me to be in your room."

Clary couldn't read the look on Sebastian's face as he was deciding how to respond.

"I just thought," she went on, "that I really don't know that much about you and I was hoping…to…" she trailed off. The look in her brother's eyes left the lie to die in her mouth. He was still watching her and she knew he didn't believe her. Not for an instant.

"So you were trying to find out about me by going through my drawers?" He asked. "What did you want to know? My shirt size?"

Clary laughed uncomfortably. How was she going to get out of this one? She stood up and held her hands out in a mock-shurg.

It was then that Sebastian's gaze darkened and his eyes raked her from head to toe. Clary looked down at herself. The dress. Right. She had forgotten that she was wearing it.

"You look beautiful, Clary" He said appreciatively.

Clary glared at the floor not wanting him to see the hate on her face.

"I um, better go finish getting ready." Clary sputtered and quickly strode to the door. Sebastian grabbed her wrist as she passed, stopping her retreat. She tried to pull her arm back.

"Let me go, Sebastian. I mean it."