Chapter 1

Clary's POV

He came at me faster and faster, blades swinging. I met him blow for blow, but he moved so fast I couldn't get a blow of my own in. He guarded himself so well, too. The Morgenstern sword swung down towards my left bicep, leaving his torso open. Finally. Faster than my beloved brother realized what was happening, I brought the hilt of my sword, the smaller companion to his, up into his diaphragm hard enough to send him flying back onto the mat.

Within seconds Jonathan had jumped up and sheathed his sword on his back. He clapped his hands together once. "Well done, little sister!"

I sheathed my own sword, placed my hands on my hips, and gave him my best smirk. "I've always been better than you, ya know. You just had a head start in your training."

"Puh-lease. Just because you beat me once doesn't mean a damn thing."

"Actually, I think it means either you're losing you edge or Clary really is more talented than you." My best friend, my parabatai, Simon strode in, his weapons belt low on his hips.

I smiled at him. We'd been friends ever since my mother thought it was a good idea that Jonathan and I get some distance from the Shadowhunter life and attend a "normal" human school. It sucked. We never fit in. I mean, why would we? We were half angel children attending a human school, learning stuff that didn't matter to us. I couldn't blame my mother, though, not after everything the Shadowhunter world did to her and our family. Besides, going to the school led me to meet Simon. Unfortunately, when we were around 13, after I had left school, his parents were killed in a "car accident." It was really a demon attack. When my mother found out about Simon being left without parents, she fought for him to join our family. He was a little older than the preferred age to drink from the Mortal Cup, but thanks to Valentine, my biological father, and his uprising, Shadowhunter numbers have been low for the past 16 years. Needless to say Simon was a good candidate otherwise so the Council didn't take much convincing.

My brother shot daggers at Simon. "I have NOT lost my edge."

Simon held his hands out in front of him. "Okay, okay. If it makes you feel better, you're still one of the best Shadowhunters out there."

"Don't feed his ego, Si." I rolled my eyes.

"He's right, though, little sister, and you know it." Jonathan flashed one of his award-winning smiles.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Butt-munch," I muttered under my breath. Both boys laughed.

"Anyways… I came in here to tell you Kadir is downstairs and your mom wants to talk to all of us. Seemed serious." Simon shrugged.

"You think it's another assignment?" Jonathan asked.

"If it is, they really need to bring more Shadowhunters to New York. We've been sent out on at least 20 assignments the last week, more than most Shadowhunters around the world. The New York Conclave is too small to deal with all these issues." I frowned. "Besides, I don't think it's an assignment. Kadir normally just sends a note. Why wouldn't he just do that instead of showing up here at the Institute?"

"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out." Jonathan started to change out of his training clothes.

The scars on his back jumped out at me, making me flinch like they normally do. The scars were from the cleansing the Iron Sisters and Silent Brothers performed on him as an infant to rid his blood of the demon that Valentine corrupted him with. I silently thanked the Angel for taking Valentine's life during the Uprising. I don't know what I would do without my brother.

Two minutes later, Simon, Jon, and I were standing in the kitchen facing Kadir, Luke, my stepfather, and my mother who held my little sister on her hip. Currently, little Evangeline was 4, and we still didn't know if she inherited the werewolf gene from Luke like my 10 year old brother, James. Where he was right now, I didn't know.

"What's up?" I asked nonchalantly, although the concern etched on my mother's voice bothered me deeply.

Kadir cleared his throat. "Well, I have some news. Some non-negotiable news."

"You're freaking me out a little bit. Just spit it out." Simon shifted with anxiety.

"The Council has decided to reopen the Academy in Alicante in order to more quickly and effectively train the younger generation. Everyone under the age of 18 is required to pack up and move to the Academy's dorms by tomorrow. Classes start Monday, two days from now."

"WHAT?!" We all collectively shouted.

"Our training has been fine until now! Better than fine! No. We're not leaving New York. Especially not me and Clary."

"Gee, thanks, Jon." Simon muttered, although his voice held none of the humor it should have.

"I understand-" Kadir started.

"Do you? Do you understand? Whenever we go to Alicante everyone stares and the other kids our age stay away! We're not going to be forced into a situation where we're living with that! All they see is Valentine's kids and the kids raised by a werewolf. They're all wondering if we're going to follow in Valentine's footsteps! And if that's not enough, Clary's the angel child and I'll always be the demon child to them."

"Jon…" I said quietly. "Don't go there. You are NOT that child."

"Well to them, I might as well be!" He stormed off in the direction of his room.

"I don't like this Kadir, but I'll go. And Jon will, too. He won't want to, but he's loyal to the Clave. Don't worry." I said in response the worry on his face. "C'mon, Si. Let's go pack."

"Wait. We'll be living there right? Will we have roommates? How does this work?"

Kadir ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, you'll have a roommate. They're putting parabatais together for the most part, but you two won't be bunking together. They still have boys and girls floors. Clary I know for a fact that your roommate will be Helen Blackthorn. They put her with you to help accommodate everyone. She's from the LA Institute, so you'll both be outsiders at first. Simon, you'll be with Jonathon. They don't like to put people with differences in age, but since he's only a year older, they're making an exception to make it easier on you."

"Will James be going?"

"No, it's only 12 and older. Besides I don't know if they'll take him. It all depends on if he can handle being Marked which we won't know for a while yet since the first Mark is placed at 12."

"Oh, okay." I was kind of sad to have to leave my little brother behind.

Simon looked at me and shrugged. Well, this was going to be an adventure.

Jace's POV

"I can't believe they're opening up the Academy again." Alec said as he placed another ratty sweater into his bag.

"I just don't understand why we have to live there. I mean our dad is the Inquisitor. We live just around the corner from the Academy anyway." Isabelle took another swig of wine.

"Careful, Iz. Don't become a drunk." She glared at me.

"I'm sixteen. It's legal."

I rolled my eyes at my friend. She was practically a sister to me, especially since her brother, Alec was my parabatai. "At least share."

That made her grin and she shoved the bottle in my direction. "So you two are rooming together at least, right?"

"Of course. We're parabatai." Alec answered quietly.

"Hey, what's up?" I flicked his shoulder.

"Nothing. I guess I'm just nervous. You know, it's one thing to be the gay Shadowhunter everyone knows about. It's another to actually face all these people on a daily basis."

"Hey, don't worry. They'd be dumb to try anything."

Izzy snorted. "Yeah, I'd stab them one of my heels."

"Thanks, Iz." Alec looked affectionately at his sister. A ping of jealously went through me.

Even though they were basically family, I still wished my parents were still alive and that they'd had more children. I had my grandmother, Imogen Herondale, but that was all. At least Maryse and Robert were like surrogate parents when I spent my time here which was practically every day, except when we were demon hunting.

"Well, I'll be rooming with Aline. Although, I don't know if that's a good thing. She told me she has a girlfriend now."

"Since when?" Alec glanced up.

"I guess when her family went to all the Institutes last year she met that girl, Helen Blackthorn, and they hit it off." She shrugged. "Whatever. I just don't want to hear them fuck."

"Gross, Iz." Alec scowled while I chuckled.

"It would be hot, though. Think there will be any new hot girls coming in from other Institutes?" I smirked.

Isabelle choked on her wine and chucked a pillow at me. "Now that is gross. You've slept with every girl of suitable age in Alicante with the exception of myself, and now you want to infect every teen Shadowhunter female with whatever disease you've surely got?"

"I always use protection. I'm as clean as a whistle. And I'm sexy." I winked at her. She scowled right back.

"Jace, as much as we love having you, your grandmother wants you home for dinner on your last night." Maryse popped her head in.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at…school."

"Bye."

"Later!" Izzy was starting to slur.

On my way out Maryse kissed my cheek and wished me luck. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jace."

"Yeah, Maryse, thanks."