Chapter 2

"Oh, shoot, Clary are you alright?" Isabelle's voice roused Clary awake. She sat up and looked around. "I'm a beginner fairy godmother, okay? I'm new at this magical, sparkly stuff!"

Clary ran a finger through her auburn hair. Wait a minute. Her soft curls felt light and airy on her head, as opposed to their usual grimy, dirty feel. She felt down to her neck. Clary was wearing a simple but classy necklace that had a silver ring on it. Tentatively, she looked down. Golden, shimmery fabric wrapped around her waist. Clary scrambled to the pond near her house to see her reflection.

"Whoa," she breathed. Clary wore a strapless, golden gown that hugged her body tightly. Isabelle looked pleased. "I look..." For the first time in forever, Clary really did feel beautiful.

"Hot," Isabelle finished for her. "You look hot. Not that I'm surprised, anyway. I have the best outfits out of all the other fairy godmothers. There's this one chick named Maia whose fairy godmother dressed her up like a hippie after she had a bad day! If you ask me, that tie dye shirt made it a whole lot worse. Ugh, poor soul."

"I look great. Thanks, Isabelle! But now, I need to get there. Brooklyn is practically an hour away from here!" Clary shrugged. Isabelle scoffed.

"You think your outfit was all I had planned? Please. I have your whole night mapped out, Miss Fray." With a flick of her whip-wrapped wrist, Isabelle summoned a silver taxi, adorned with other shiny things. Clary could feel her jaw drop. "Well, this is New York. You'll need a cab to fit in a little better. What, did you expect some horse-drawn carriage?"

Clary took a step towards the glimmering car before cringing in pain. Her bare foot stepped on a rock. She shot Isabelle a look that said, "Shoes, please?" Her fairy godmother was happy to comply. She handed Clary a pair of glass stilettos. They slipped on her feet smoothly and made her feel steady. Believing she was finally prepared, Clary opened the taxi door.

"Oh, wait! All this prettiness disappears at midnight, Clary. I know, rules suck. But, sed lex dura lex; The Law is hard, but it is the Law. Don't forget! And have fun!" Isabelle called out as Clary's silver "chariot" rode off into the night.

"One of Izzy's clients? Well, don't mistake me for hitting on you, but you're by far the prettiest," said the cab driver, breaking the silence. Clary flushed. His name tag read, "Simon."

"Ha, thanks."

"So, Prince Jace's ball, right? That's where we're headed?"

"Yeah... I guess so," murmured Clary. She couldn't believe she was doing this, sneaking out behind Valentine's back. If he found out, he'd kill her. Literally.

"Something wrong?" asked Simon.

"I'm just not sure how the night will turn out."

"Don't worry, Clary. I have a feeling you'll have a great time," smiled Simon, pulling up to the curve of the Lightwood family mansion. Clary cautiously stepped out and headed to the steps, reminding herself to breathe.

"Jace, check this out," said Alec, tapping his brother on the shoulder. Jace had been in an extremely emo mood tonight, refusing to speak to any of his guests. "One of the guards outside says there's a pretty girl on her way in!"

After a moment, Jace forced a cocky grin and said, "No one's worth my handsomeness, though. You know my motto. 'Unless she's a 10, don't bring her in.'"

Alec harrumphed and grabbed Jace by the collar. "You're the one who throws spontaneous, pointless parties. At least enjoy them."

The two entered the main floor just in time to see a splash of red coming down the stairs. The girl had her head down so you couldn't see her face, but she had already captivated all of the guests. Her golden dress and strawberry hair were like a breath of fresh air, compared to the black-and-white attire

"Who is that?" Jace mustered, unable to take his eyes off her. It looked like everyone was thinking the same thing. It seemed like slow motion when the girl lifted her head up, and when she did, time stopped. Her bright green eyes pierced Jace's blazing ones. Always the bold person, Jace strode up to her and asked for a dance. Clary accepted and took his hand.

The orchestra shook out of their trances and eagerly played a waltz.

"What's your name?" Jace casually asked, as he and the girl swayed to the music.

"Clary."

"That's a pretty name. And, surely, you know who I am, right?" smirked Jace. Clary blushed a little. Just then, she caught sight of the unmistakable white hair and black, deep eyes. Valentine and Sebastian. Clary let out a tiny noise and broke away, slinking into the crowd.

"Clary!" Jace yelled. He saw an old man and his teenage son look up at the name. Shit. She probably knew them and was running away. Jace coughed and nonchalantly followed her path.

He found foot steps leading to the lake in the back of the mansion. But no Clary. Jace's eyes traced the path he imagined she took and it lead to the water.

He saw a flailing figure and heard a muffled scream. Jace didn't think; he jumped into the murky lake water with the name "Clary" running through his mind.

Chapter 3 to be up sometime soon! :D Keep reviewing! Makes me happy. (: