Simon looked out on Jace and Clary with disgust. Ever since he had seen them kiss in the fairy court, his stomach had been a jumble of knots tightening whenever he so much as saw them look at each other. It wasn't right. They were brother and sister, they shouldn't have kissed like that. Like they were lovers who knew each other better than they knew anyone else. He walked quickly away from the group, back up the path he had come on, ignoring Clary shouting his name in the distance. "Its just a kiss," Simon muttered, mimicking Jace's liquid voice almost precisely, "Stupid idiot. Doesn't he know that she practically worships him."

He had never really hated Jace, but in these moments he realized just how much he did. But actually thinking about it, Simon discovered that is was envy and jealousy that eroded him not hate. Well maybe a little hate.

She must kiss the one she most desires.The fairy queens voice repeated over and over again in his head like a broken record. How stupid he was to think that Clary loved him more than Jace. He knew that she should love Jace like a sister loves a brother but she loved him a whole other way. Simon knew it was selfish to wish that Clary loved him like a lover, but he couldn't help it. At the point in time when he realized that a kiss from the one she most desired would free her from the court, he knew it had to be Jace who had to free her. For a split second back at the court, he wished that Clary didn't kiss him and that she had stayed there forever never being able to see Jace ever again. Of course as soon as he had thought that, he had mentally slapped himself for being such a fool.

He finally reached the entrance of the park again and strode out along the foot path. It was darker now, he noticed. The luminescent lights flickered from take away shops and night clubs. With a pang that stabbed through his heart like a shard of ice, he noticed the club where Clary and him had spent there last night of normality. Pandemonium loomed before him. The electric blue lights of the night club flashed to the beat of music inside. A long line of people out the doors waited to gain access to the club. There were lots of unusual people there tonight. More than usual. Simon saw a tall girl about nineteen with black leather boots that went up to her knees and stood roughly seven inches off the ground. Along with her fish net stockings, black leather mini skirt and highlighter green tank top she managed to pull off whatever look she was trying to pull off. Her contacted violet eyes clashed wildly with her bubble gum pink hair. Entranced, he noticed that the woman was a vampire. Heart pounding wildly, he shrunk back into the shadows. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girl spin around and look at him oddly, her head to the side making her look like a little girl interested in something sparkly on a TV. Casually walking over she said to him, "Your one of ours, aren't you?"

Confusion spread over Simon's face and suddenly, he wasn't afraid anymore. "I don't know what you mean," apologetically, he shrugged his shoulders.

The girl circled him, not in an odd way, it was more of a studying glance. "You are a child of the night- not fully of course but you have the blood of the night walkers beneath your skin," her voice was like dripping honey.

"I'm still not sure what you mean."

"What i'm saying is, that you have had the blood exchange of vampire and mundane. Causing you to have some vague vampire like quality's, so much so that another one of us can identify you like I did."

That hit home. The scenes of the night with the vampires came flooding back to him in a rush. He remembered when Clary and Jace were fighting them off, one of the vamps- the leader, had tried to bite Clary so while still in his rat form, he had flung himself at the leader and had sunk his teeth into him. He remembered the taste of copper and the coolness of the vampires blood when his teeth had cut the skin.

Paling, Simon collapsed against the club wall.

"Oh but you did not figure out until just now that you are part vampire, did you?" said the girl, not nastily but it had enough knowledge in her voice that Simon knew what he had been thinking was right.

"Surely you recognized some signs that you were different after the experience. Perhaps, you suddenly felt an urge to keep away from the sun or that you didn't feel as much pain as you did when you hurt yourself anymore."

This explained everything. This is why he had had sudden urges to eat meat these day even though he had been a vegetarian since he was 12.

Acceptance settling in, Simon slid down to the ground. Kneeling, the girl said, "I'm Maimuna by the way, I know its a weird name so just call me May if you like."

Looking up at May, Simon asked, "So what do I do now."

May thought about it for a bit, "Well your probably best to go find the one you did the blood exchange with and get him to turn you."

Spluttering, Simon said, "But i'm happy as I am! I don't want to be a vampire! I am happy being a human, living a normal life." He felt exasperated. Maimuna should know how he felt, he wanted the sun, not the night.

"I know, but sooner or later your vampire urges are going to trump the human ones and you will end up going to the vampires begging them to turn you," she stated matter-of-factually.

She sounded so wise that Simon almost believed her. Almost. Standing up, he brushed the dirt off of him. Looking into May's alluring violet eyes, he said, "Well May, it was er... nice talking to you and all, but nothing you say is ever going to make me change my mind." And with that he walked away from her, leaving her to stand there staring after him with a look of concern and pity. Well, at least someone cares, he thought.

Walking home, Simon decided to take the long way for a change. Walking along the drab streets on Brooklyn, Simon thought about Raphael, the vampire leader. Was it true that he would eventually beg to be turned into a night walker? Presuming so, how long did he have? How would he explain this to Clary? To his mum? His sister? Suddenly he stumbled on a rise in the pavement. Cursing he adjusted his glasses and ran a hand through his dark hair. With a start, he realized he was standing outside the motel where it all happened. May was right. Unconsciously, he had taken a long route home that had just so happened to intersect with the motel where he had become half vampire. Now he fully understood just how truthful Maimuna had been with him. Gnawing at his lip he decided what to do. He could go in and confront Raphael- hell with their vamp senses they probably knew he was already here. As if that decided something, Simon walked towards the big dumpster where underneath he knew was a trap door that led to the vampires. This was the where the vampires had taken him in before. Using all his strength, Simon pushed the dumpster off of the trap door. With a pang, he realized that before he had had the blood exchange, he wouldn't have been able to do it. Determination setting in, he dropped himself through the trap door, landing with a crunch on the gravelly floor. Surprised he looked up. The fall had been about a six meter drop but it hadn't even so much as vibrated his feet. Yet, another affect of being half vampire. Simon walked for a couple of minutes until he came to the stairs that led to the room where the vampires slept.

Suddenly he had doubts about what he was doing. What was he thinking? Was he crazy? Obviously his vampire half was deciding things for him tonight. Screw it, he thought and turned around to go. "Not so fast Simon," said a smooth voice from behind him.

Simon spun around so fast that his glasses became askew. Straightening up, he took in the ancient vampires features. The vampire only looked to be 20 at the most but his eyes told a different story. They looked black and weathered, as if he had been around and had seen many things in his life. His black hair curled at the nape of his neck and his chalky skin was as smooth as silk. His attire looked formal in an old sort of way. He was dressed in a worn, tailored black suit. The old sort with the ruffles at the front. Perhaps he was going to a themed party.

"What brings you here young one," gently Raphael strode down the stairs and came to a stop in front of Simon.

Clearing his voice anxiously and avoiding eye contact, he muttered, "Ah I was just...er, going."

Walking away, he jolted suddenly as Raphael struck out and grabbed his wrist. "You came here because," he closed his eyes, "Because you want answers. Well Simon, i'm here. What do you want to know?"

Trying hard not to flinch away from Raphael's hollow glare he said, "Will I turn into a vampire over time, I mean if I stay human."

"Ah, Simon what you mundanes never get is that life is full of decisions. Some you get to make on your own and some, others make for you," the last words in the sentence rang through Simon's brain like an alarm. It wasn't a threat, he realized, but a promise. Panic setting in he struggled to come up with a logical reason for leaving. "Well it was er...nice chatting to you Raphael, but my mum was expecting me half an hour a go so ill just..." Simon started retracting his steps when suddenly Raphael was in front of him making him jump. "But you haven't yet seen the others. Im sure they will be very interested in you- you are after all the only mundane that a vampire has had a blood exchange with and survived in over a hundred years." He cocked his head to the side. "I really must insist."

Suddenly that seemed like a really good idea. His eyes still staring into Raphael's like a goof he followed him upstairs to the vamp room. As soon as they entered, all eyes turned on Simon.

Most of the vampires were wearing bright, electric colours which surprised him. Being the typical human, he had thought vampires were all about black, death and being emo. He should have had enough experience with them by now to know that they were completely the opposite. True they were dark beings but in an ancient, eccentric way not in a I'm-going-to-fly-down-and-eat-your-heart-out kind of way. Except for the not being able to go out in daylight and the occasional blood snack, they were practically human.

A mutter of "human" went around the room. Some were hissing others were looking oddly at him. They were the ones who had spotted him for the part vampire. "Children of the night, you remember young Simon who was with us nye three weeks ago," Raphael called over the clatter. A hum of yes' travelled the room. "Then you might also know why he has sought us out."

Snapping out of his revive, Simon felt a tingle of panic up his spine. His hands became sweaty and a bead of sweat dribbled down his neck. He realized then that he might not make it out alive. I mean i'm in a room full of hungry looking, human eating vampires here, thought Simon. Registering this, he took a deep breath and very bravely he said, "I only came here because I wanted answers. I didn't come here to seek anything."

"Ah but child, what a mistake you've made. You see that now your here...we cant let you go out alive." hissed a female vampire with long blonde brown hair that ran the entire length of her back. For some reason she reminded Simon of a mermaid. Simon stewed over this. Ok if he was going out, he was going out in style. Standing straight, he stretched then abruptly broke through the crowd of vamps with his lighter held out. Raphael laughed. "You have to try a little harder to kill us Simon, an american flag lighter will barely do anything." And like that, he was suddenly in front of him again and with exaggerated sententiousness, he blew out the small, pathetic flame on Simon's lighter.

Like that was some kind of provocation, the vampires launched themselves upon him, tearing apart his clothes and drawing him to the ground. And with the bravery of any warrior, Simon tried to stay silent while the vamps teared apart his innards, thinking only of the one person that mattered most. Clary...