Chapter One

Sage sat alone in Java Jones, sipping a coffee she didn't care for. There was a boy reading, what she considered, distasteful poetry, and she had to fight the urge to laugh. It really was horrible.

She leaned back in her seat, and traced the rune on the back of her left hand with her fingers. All Shadowhunters had runes tattooed onto their skin, and like the others, Sage considered them beautiful. If only she didn't have to hide them in the mundane world.

Glancing up, Sage spotted a familiar blonde-haired boy, creeping up behind a smaller red-haired girl. Sage abandoned her coffee, and padded quietly toward him.

"Jace," she whispered under her breath. Sage had not bothered to glamour herself, and she suspected Jace had. His head whipped around toward her, his eyes wide. Sage grinned at him, knowing she was the only one who could startle him.

"What're you doing here?" Jace inquired, taking a step towards her.

Sage shook her head in response, and began walking towards the exit, knowing well that he would follow after her. Once they were in the protection of the alley out back, Sage narrowed her eyes. "Who the hell was that, Jace?" She spat, her fists clenching at her sides.

"Who?" Jace arched an eyebrow. "I didn't talk to anyone."

Sage raised her hands to her head, gathering a fistful of hair in each as she paced back and forth. "You were going to talk to that mundane girl. I saw that look on your face. You think she's beautiful, don't you?"

Jace curled his hands over Sage's, gently forcing them to release her hair as he intertwined their fingers. He looked intently into her dark blue eyes with his own golden ones, making her chest tighten. "Sage Goldenfire, I could never think anyone to be more beautiful than you." He murmured.

Sage lowered her lashes, her gaze on their interlocked fingers. "I-"

The words caught in Sage's throat, and she couldn't force herself to say them. She knew she ought to. Her and Jace had been dating for almost a year, but still she couldn't bring herself to say the three words she should've been saying naturally. They would change everything about their relationship.

Jace leaned forward, brushing his lips lightly against hers. He didn't mind if she didn't say them. He hadn't ever said them himself, so she knew there wasn't too much pressure.

"I love you, Sage." Jace said against her lips. Sage's eyes flew open wide. So much for not having to feel pressured to say it. She pulled away, freeing her hands and shoving them into her pocket.

A look of confusion was painted on Jace's face, but Sage only caught a glimpse of it before she took off running.

If she had've been anyone else, Jace would have caught up to her in a heart beat. Jace was the fastest Shadowhunter she knew, besides her, of course, and no one was ever able to successfully run from him. But Sage wasn't anyone else, and Jace wouldn't be able to catch her.

She found herself at Magnus Bane's apartment much later. After being buzzed upstairs, she collapsed on the floor. She saw a blurry Magnus standing over her, and then the world went black.

Sun shone through the crack between the curtains, dancing along Sage's closed eyelids. With a groan, she opened her eyes and sat up, her gaze flitting across the unfamiliar room.

"Oh, good. You're awake." Sage started in surprise and looked over quickly at the chair seated facing her bed. Sure enough, Jace was there, looking at her calmly.

Sage cleared her throat, her eyes fixed on Jace, who didn't move. "You, uh, scared me." She said, and mentally hit herself for saying something so stupid.

Jace looked at her, studied her. "I know." He stood up, not taking his eyes off her and slid into the narrow bed next to her.

"Why're you here?" Sage murmured as Jace wrapped his arm around her shoulder, drawing her closer.

He didn't smile as he pushed her tangled, blonde hair off her face. "Magnus called me after you passed out on his floor. I've been here all night." Sage, for the first time, noticed how red his eyes looked.

"I don't remember passing out." Sage stated, knowing she shouldn't comment on how tired Jace appeared.

Jace kissed the top of Sage's head, murmuring his reply, "Magnus said you looked green, like you were going to be sick."

Sage shrugged. She really didn't remember why she'd fainted. Could it have been that the shock of Jace's words had unsettled her that much? She didn't know.

"Why did you leave last night?" Jace asked.

Sage looked away from him. "You said you-"

"That I love you?"

Sage nodded. "Yeah, that."

"Do you love me, Sage?" Jace gripped her arm tightly, inhibiting any movement from it.

"I don't know." Sage mumbled, not looking at Jace.

Jace stiffened beside her, his hand falling away from her shoulder. Before Sage could say anything, he was gone.

Sage drew her knees up to her chest, burying her face in her hands. I won't cry, she thought, as a single tear slid down her cheek.