Prologue

The stench of tobacco was hanging heavy in the air. Bottles of liquor clattered every now and then, followed by the slamming of cash on a counter. Burly men and curvaceous woman moved around the room, their eyes glinting with a nameless envy. Several 'bikes' as they were called by their owners, were parked outside the brick building. Music blared through cheap speakers. Though, it was hard to hear what the artists was singing - almost screaming - due to the chuckles and whistles that sounded out through the bar. Each step someone took to cross the room made a creak on the thin, rough carpet that was hard to claim as a certain color. He was certain that he spotted a few crimson stains, but made no fuss about it.

He wasn't here for the decoration.

His amber eyes landed on a woman, her red lipstick smearing dangerously close to the outer lines of her lips. She was talking to a man with greying blond hair, which was slicked back with the assistance of cheap grease. The man's knuckles were shielded by leather gloves, the fingers cut off purposely. His enhanced vision picked up on mossy tattooes and silver scars. An ink teardrop to remain imprinted on his sun-kissed face. Good, this is good, he thought to himself.

He watched as the woman placed her hand on the man's steel bicep, squeezing with a smile to stretch her inexpensive lipstick. The man's cigarette bobbed from his teeth as he grinned down at her. She couldn't have been taller than five feet. And that was with her scoffed heels. The man didn't mind though, he continued to smile at her as if she were prey, but little did they know that they were all his prey. His next meal.

"I haven't seen you here before…" The woman giggled at the burly man. The man winked at her, whistling for his friend to join the conversation. He could see the woman's eyes flicker in fear, her painted smile faltering slightly that he wouldn't have noticed if he were human. His senses picked up on the emotions leaking from the two men, their thoughts speaking to him as if they had put them into words. The man jerked his head towards the door, grabbing the woman's hand and walking her to it. She asked if his friend was joining them, to which he denied. Liar, he thought to himself when he saw the other man following them at a lengthy distance.

Jace's footsteps were too quiet for the pursuing man to hear. He stalked his prey from afar, opening the heavy bar door when it shut on him. He feel her emotions, though not as well as his brethren. There was only one emotion he was good at sensing. One that he could pull out of a crowd, or throw into one. Her fear was leaving a trail for him to taste, follow. His shoes stepped on crystals of broken glass, not loud enough to draw attention. There was no way they could without being like him. Which they weren't.

"Can't we go to my place?" She asked the man as he continued to drag her. The night air was rough and brutal against Jace's skin, making it prickle. Though, if he wanted to, he could simply turn off the unnecessary mundane senses. They were the closest thing he had to being human. How precious of a creation were they, yet they through their mortality away to anyone that would give them a second glance. There were seven things that could ruin them, seven things that drove them to war and genocide. Perhaps he should blame himself instead of them.

"I thought you said he wasn't coming?" The now scared woman asked her companion. Jace heard his laughter echo in the cold, dark alley they were entering. Could feel her shivers vibrate through the air.

"Oh, he'll be coming, darlin'." The man chuckled, his grin sliding down his face, disappearing along with his humanity. Jace's fingers clenched into a fist, feeling the man's wrath sink into his chest. She let out a scream when they both approached her, her hands flailing out and eyes bright with fear. Or maybe they were just bright naturally.

"Don't - don't touch me!" She screamed out, clawing one the men in their bearded faces. The man she had initially sought out slapped her. The woman's back hit the brick wall of the bar. She coughed, eyes watery as she looked up at the men who'd become her attackers. Jace breathed deeply, feeding off of their wrath as he approached them.

"Hey!" He'd been spotted. He sighed to himself, hands digging into his pockets with a false grin on his face. They looked at him with menace that was quickly dwindling as he absorbed it. They were almost… tranquil. The woman scrambled off of the alley's pavement, seeing her change to run.

"Yes?" Jace said with an eye roll. The men realized that the girl was gone, and both looked confused without violence controlling their actions. Idiots, Jace groaned internally. He puffed out his chest, the men doing the same. Both were incredibly weak compared to him. He was invincible, and for them to think otherwise would cost them their life.

"You let her get away," one man pointed out. It made Jace chuckle at how calm his voice was. What are you going to do without your precious rage now? Jace approached them, hands still in his pockets.

"So?" Jace questioned.

"Uhm…" The other man said in a failed attempt to speak. Jace grinned, teeth sharp, amber eyes hardening. He sighed, emotions seeping out so that the men weren't completely helpless. He watched the anger consume their features, making their muscles pop out. Too much, too much! With so much adrenaline pumping through them, their hearts began to beat at a dangerous pace. Forcing them to do something before it burst.

They lunged at Jace, gripping his clothing to cling to him. He was barely fazed, pushing them without much effort yet they flew back a few feet. The crunching of bone and cartilage was heard as both of their faces hit the concrete floor.

"Whoops," he muttered at their pained moans. The clicking of shoes behind him alerted Jace of another presence.

"Wow… nice." The masculine voice was familiar. Like usual, it was languid. Groggy. Alec, Jace thought to himself as he turned away from the pained men and to the tired looking being of his equal. "Well, not like I could've prevented it." Alec thought to himself, shrugging. His shirt was wrinkled, pants dirty. Yeesh, what a mess, Jace commented internally.

"Hey, you try to find a place full of hateful people!" Jace reasoned, looking over Alec's shoulder for someone he didn't want to see. "Can you… is Isabelle with you?" Jace asked him. Alec stared at the men for a few seconds, thinking. Just being around him made Jace feel helpless. As if his 'spirit' were crushed into powder. As if there wasn't a meaning of existence.

"If she was?" Alec responded evenly. Jace shook his head.

"I just don't want to hear her talk about how she would've never - I don't know, dirty her hands with mundie blood?" Jace shrugged before flitting to the men's side. He gripped one by the collar of his jacket, taking the man's chin in his hand and jerking it roughly to one side with a satisfied snap. He did the same to the other. "Don't you have a hospital to go to?" Jace asked. Alec literally fed off the helplessness of doctors, patients, and visitors felt there.

"Already did." Alec's eyes shimmered before Jace was hit with a strong wave of weakness. Waves colored blue reached Jace, wrapped around his skin. His teeth bit the insides of his cheeks as he collapsed to his knees. "See?" Alec grinned before cutting off his aura. Jace groaned, giving off his own wave of anger towards the other boy. "Ira," he warned with anger present in his voice. Hearing his latin name made Jace pause, pulling back the mess of emotion he'd sent at Alec.

"Not fair," Jace hissed.

AN: So not a full chapter, but a it'll give you a glimpse at what the story's going to be about. What do you guys think of it? Like it? Hate it? Tell me in the reviews!