Chapter 1:

Jace, Clary, Simon, Isabelle, Alec, and Magnus were on their way back to Magnus's apartment. They were talking with each other joking around. They had just killed a Vermithrall demon and were still pumped up on adrenalin.

They were almost to Magnus's apartment when Clary nudged Jace. "Look!" she whispered.

Jace looked and saw a boy staring at them. The boy was about the same height as Jace, with a head of hair so blond it looked white and eyes so black you couldn't tell the pupil from the iris. "Sebastian." Jace hissed. Sebastian turned and ran.

"Guys come on its Sebastian." Clary yelled.

"What? Where?" the others asked.

"There." Jace pointed. "Come on he's getting away."

They all ran after Sebastian who had a bit of a head start and was getting away. "Magnus can you do something to slow him down or stop him?" Isabelle shouted.

"I would try but I am still getting over the cold I had last week and my magic has been doing weird things lately."

"What about the spell you used to turn him into a statue when we went to find Ragnor Fell, and we found you instead?" Clary asked.

"I guess I can try, but I can't guarantee it will work." Magnus said. "And if it does, I can't guarantee it will work how we want it to."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Simon said, as if he were nervous about Magnus using magic and not being able to control what it did. "You aren't going to end up turning him into a rat or an elephant or something, are you? Because that would probably make it a bit harder to catch him."

"I don't think using a spell to freeze someone is going end up turning him into a rat or elephant. However since my magic has been on the fritz for a few days I cannot guarantee anything." Magnus replied.

"Well if you are going to try to freeze him just do it already; he's getting away." Jace said impatiently.

Sebastian ran down an ally and they all followed. The ally was a dead end and the there was no other way out. Sebastian was doing something they couldn't see. Suddenly there was a portal in front of him, and he was about to step through.

"Do the spell now Magnus." Jace urged.

Magnus wiggled his fingers at Sebastian and in a flash of blue sparks a giant duck appeared where Sebastian used to be. The duck was about the same height as Jace and had white feathers and black eyes.

"Well" Magnus said slowly "He's not a rat or elephant."

"Really, Magnus, a duck?" Jace said giving Magnus a dirty look.