Snowflakes, Clary thought, gazing about in wonder. Their delicacy fascinated her. How something so fragile could exist in a world of demons that varied in different forms, vampires-
"Beautiful, isn't it?" The voice came from behind her.
Her heart jumped inside her chest.
She turned - and saw Jace, leaning casually against the entrance to the Institute. A jolt went through her when their eyes met, as if an electric current had passed between them. Against the snow he looked startlingly dark, like a silhouette, though Clary put it down to his Shadowhunter gear. His hair shone like a halo glistening in sunlight, his eyes the colour of honey-gold. He was beautiful, she thought. Beautiful, and he was hers.
"I thought I'd never witness this," he carried on, gesturing with his hands. "I didn't think any of us would. I guess the devil thought me too handsome and declined my request into Hell."
Clary sighed. It was absurd how Jace could find the energy to turn serious situations into jokes. But then again, it was Jace...
The Institutes front yard was fully coated in a thick layer of snow now, marked here and there where creatures had broke the surface. The city was a grayscale in the far distance.
"Clary." Jace was suddenly in front of her, tilting back his head to look up at her where she stood on the steps. She blinked. She hadn't seen him move. "There's something-something I've been needing to say-"
"Don't tell me. You think my brothers a d-"
"Language, Fray." His eyes shone when he looked at her, speaking their own message within them. She could almost hear his words, back in Alincate. I love you, Clary. I will love you until I die, and if there is a life after that, I'll love you then. "Although maybe, if it's your brother your talking about, I'll be willing to make an exception."
"Look, Jace," said Clary. "Just-Just say what you have to say. I haven't got time for this. I shouldn't even be here. I should-I should be with Simon, I should be there when he wakes-"
It happened in a split second: Jace was looking at her with an amused look on his face, and then suddenly she was in his arms and he was kissing her. As always with she and Jace, their was no space between them. Their bodies shaped into one another, like two jigsaw puzzles slotting together. His mouth was soft on hers, careful, as if he had all the time in the world to kiss her. Suddenly her arms were around him, pulling him closer, drawing in the sweet, mesmerising scent of him-
He pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. "Easy there." He sounded breathless, the air escaping his lungs in white puffs.
"Are you okay? Did I-did I do something-?"
"No." He brushed his fingertips across her check, and smiled. "It isn't you it's... The heavenly fire," he said. "After I gave it to Sebastian, after I healed him, I've been weaker than usual. But don't worry," he added quickly, seeing the look on her face. "It's nothing for you to worry about."
She forced a smile. "I could always mark you-"
"Clary," he interrupted. His voice shook. She looked down at him, and saw that his eyes were stripped of their usual arrogance. He looked... vulnerable. "I know you're angry with me, and you have every right to be. After what happened with Sebastian-"
"After you healed him with your heavenly fire without telling me, you mean?"
"I did it for you. I thought his wickedness was down to his demon blood, so I figured that if you could get to know him as your brother, without all the darkness that drives him, then maybe you could forgive him. I know what he did to Max was inexcusable, but if I could have gotten to know my father before he'd died - if I knew who my real father was back then - I would have given anything. And to take that opportunity away from you would have been... I just couldn't do that to you, Clarrissa Herondale."
Clary sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes flashed to his face, but before she could say anything, he lowered onto one knee. He took her hand. It was trembling. "Clarrissa Adele Fray, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"