The tension in the room was nearly unbearable. Skylar was loving every second of it. She thought she could use it to her advantage. Turn everyone against each other, it was brilliant. Her father would be so proud.

Kissing Jace might have been the best of it. The kiss was well known by lunch time. Alec had to break up an argument happening between Jace and Isabelle, all because she kissed Jace. However, Jace wasn't letting that slide. He insisted that he kissed Skylar all along.

"Settle down!" Alec hissed. "We have a few problems here and all of you are acting as if we have all the time in the world!"

They all fell silent.

"Now," Alec was standing by the fire, his runes standing out against his pale skin. His eyes were dark blue, the colour of the deep ocean or Lake Lyn, which rested outside of Alicante. His face, though, was always serious. He never seemed to smile and if he did, it lasted for a brief moment.

Max had wandered into the room, despite Isabelle and Alec trying to keep him out. He now sat at Clary's feet and read his little Anime book, which Clary had helped him learn to read.

"What exactly happened, Clary?" Isabelle looked at the shorter, lighter hair girl.

Clary took a deep breath and let it out. "Look, I don't understand why this about me. Simon's missing and—" Alec held up his hand, stopping her.

"Simon was sent back this morning, Clary. As I told you moments ago. Portal, you created a portal with a rune?" He was in awe.

"What did it feel like?" Skylar asked, leaning up in her seat. Jace sat beside her and held her hand, playing with each of her fingers. Skylar loved every second of it, counting on the others to see it as well.

"Parton?" Clary asked almost venomously. It was clear she did not like Skylar. That she wanted to rip her head off, send her packing, something other than sit here and watch Jace all over this other girl.

"After creating something so powerful! How did it feel?" Skylar's dark eyes shining in the light of the fire.

The question was avoided when Aline cleared her throat. "I think it's time for tea." And she left without another word, but nobody paid her much attention after that.

Jace had gone from Skylar's fingers to kissing her neck. Clary gave them a look of disgust but kept her mouth shut. The tension was still awkward around the room, causing Max to make some kind of excuse that he wanted to take a nap and running off to who-knows-where.

Alec had sat down in a chair and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking worried, as usual. Isabelle was whispering to him and rubbing his back.

Finally, Skylar had had enough of this and kissed Jace, not caring who watched. She swung a leg over his waist as he placed his hands on her hips. At it again.

It wasn't long before Clary groaned and jumped up from her seat. She was out of the door in seconds, not looking back. Alec was the only one who looked up in time to see the door close behind her.

"I should go after her." He was saying.

"No, leave her." Isabelle spoke.

"Jace,"

Jace didn't pull away from the kiss, but he did peer around Skylar's dark head to look at Alec.

"Attic, now."

Skylar decided, while the boys were in the attic and Isabelle was tending to Max, that she would go outside and try to find Clary.

It didn't take too long to find the little girl, seeing as she made it so far as the gate outside. She sat atop, swinging her legs and hugging herself, though it was hard to tell if she was crying or just angry.

Thinking it was better to approach lightly, Skylar held her hands up as if to surrender. She stepped through the gate and looked up at Clary, her cheeks were still a light shade of red and she was breathing a little heavy.

"What do you want?" Clary snapped, turning her head away. A curl fell in her face but she made no attempt to move it.

"To say sorry. I know," Skylar sighed. "I know how hard that must have been. Jace told me all about…" She stopped herself. Indeed, she knew what happened between Jace and Clary, though Jace had not told her.

"Tragic, right? He's so miserable."

"He's hurt. Confused, even. But you two are siblings, right? So act like siblings. Jace needs to be with other girls and you should try dating yourself. That Simon, he was an option, right?"

Clary shot her a cold look, shrugged her shoulders, and jumped down from the wall. She landed perfectly on her feet and stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Simon was. Was. We're just friends and… Jace is the only other guy I've never felt something for. It's like I'm not even meant to date."

Skylar snickered. "Not meant to date? Clary, you just haven't found the right guy yet. Keep looking."

Alec came out of the gate, his hunter gear on and ready to go. He paused, seeing the two girls. "What's… going on here?" He asked, his blue eyes staring them down. He might have thought a fight would break out.

The taller of the two girls, Skylar, smiled brightly. "I just came to apologize, Alec. No big deal."

"Listen," Alec placed a hand behind his head and rubbed his neck. "I'll be back later. Some… business to attend to. Skylar, make sure the house is in order when I return."

Skylar saluted him. "Sir, yes sir. Anything else?"

This caught Alec off guard. He just shook his head and walked off, waving a goodbye to Clary. She returned him the favour.

Happily, Skylar stepped back into the house and closed the door, assuming Clary would return back to the house she was staying at. And she was right, for when she looked out ten minutes later, Clary was nowhere to be seen and she felt better about herself. That was one less person to worry about.

Dark settled in. The Penhallow house was not buzzing as it might have been this morning. Max had fallen asleep in the living room so Aline offered to take him to bed. Isabelle was in the attic, training. Alec still hadn't returned. And Jace was pacing around the study. The talk with his stepbrother had caused him a great deal of stress throughout the day, leaving Skylar worried that something was said about her.

She tried bringing him snacks, wine, anything else that might soothe him, but he denied everything and would rush to the window to look out.

Skylar tied back her long, black hair with a ribbon as red as blood. "Come to bed." She whined. She was dressed in a nightgown that Isabelle lent her. It was a nice shade of dark blue and made of fine silk.

With rain clouds coming in, Jace turned from the window and looked at her, really looked at her, like he only noticed her presence that second. His eyes travelled up her body, taking in the curves she had, her long legs.

"Bed," He repeated, trying his best not to look into her eyes. "I need to think."

"About what?" She walked over to him, careful not to make a sound. Stealth was one of her best qualities, and her favourite. Valentine's idea.

Jace blinked and when he opened his eyes, she was in front of him, wrapping her arms around his body. This, he didn't object to. She had him around her finger, able to do whatever she pleased.

"By the Angel, come here."

Years ago, Valentine told Skylar the whole story. She knew her father kept another child, a child that was not his own. This child's name was Johnathon. He was another one of Valentine's experiments that he treasured, and always came home and told Skylar a little about him. What he looked like, how his training was doing, how she could do better.

Never once did she think she would be in Jace's bed, clothes off, kissing him like this was their last day alive. She never hated the boy, but she never liked him either. Valentine made it seem like Jace was the better child, Jace was a fast learner, Jace this, Jace that. It ached her fragile little heart once Valentine stepped through the mansion doors and did not praise her as she thought he did him.

Later, Skylar discovered that Jace had no idea who she was. Valentine had never mentioned Skylar to Jace. Jace was all alone, growing up thinking he had no siblings or mother. This, however, did not make her feel any more for Valentine's son.

But he wasn't Valentine's son, not really. He was just the father figure, teaching him how to be a Shadowhunter, but he was not a son. Skylar Morgenstern and Jace Wayland were not bound by blood. They were two different people being raised by the same man, a man they both looked up to.

And yet, Jace still had no idea they were raised by Valentine. He assumed she was the cousin of Aline, one who mostly never stayed in Idris. Skylar was given strict rules about Jace; she was not to tell him her true identity. Not right now.

In the morning, Skylar found herself buried under Jace's covers, with Jace lying beside her, arms above his head. A small giggle escaped her lips when she realized his wrists were tied to the bedposts.

Not having any drive to untie him, she stood up and slipped on one of his shirts that fit her like a short dress. It was a maroon button up with the few top buttons missing. She buttoned the rest anyway and kissed his forehead before sneaking out of the room, leaving the poor boy to rest.

Clary was staying with Luke's sister. Skylar had to ask Isabelle where that was, seeing as she had no idea who his sister was, though she knew plenty of Luke. He was a werewolf, turned at a younger age. He was the best friend of Jocelyn, whom was Skylar's and Clary's mother. She knew that he ran away not long after she was conceived, send away by her own father.

On the walk, Skylar stopped to play with a few of the children of Idris. They were all running around with fake swords or daggers, trying to "kill" one another. Skylar would laugh at these two little boys chasing a girl, trying to say she was part demon and they needed to put her down.

Arriving at the doorstep, Skylar took a breath. She had important information for Clary, something Clary had mentioned the day before, before she stormed out like a baby.

Skylar knocked.

Clary answered the door, looking stunned once she noticed who was on the step. "Sky… What…" There was a voice coming from the kitchen, so Clary stepped out and shut the door behind her. "How did you find me?"

"Asked Isabelle. She knew where you were staying." Skylar shrugged and crossed her arms. "I think you need to hear this."

And the daughter of Valentine told Clary of the warlock she mentioned. Ragnor Fell. Clary claimed her mother knew of the warlock and she needed to speak with him. Skylar knew exactly where to look and offered to show her the way.

"Yes! I'll get my things." Clary disappeared inside.

Skylar waited outside, hands in her jacket pockets, until Clary found herself back outside. Together, they walked. Neither speaking to the other, not even glancing. Skylar thought she might be doing the wrong thing, but this was what her father would want her to do, right?

Stepping back into the Penhallow house gave her a better mood. The events of the day did not go as well as she would have liked. She and Clary started talking, getting to know each other better. Skylar couldn't believe she had let that much of herself out, telling Clary some secrets nobody had ever known. It was hard, at first, but she slowly found it easier as Clary listened, really listened to her.

As it turns out, Ragnor Fell was not what Clary was expecting. They returned shortly after the trip, with a short stop in a field to let Clary learn to ride the horse they took.

Ragnor Fell wouldn't have anything to do with them. He tried to send them away, even threatened to cast a spell on them. It took everything inside Skylar not to stick a dagger right into his glittery little heart.

"Who's there?" Called a voice from the stairs. Soon, Alec appeared, drying his hands on a towel. He was wearing a t-shirt and some ripped jeans. His hair was wet as if he just stepped out of the shower. "Ah, Sky. We wondered where you wandered off to."

Skylar shrugged off her jacket and hung it on a hook, right beside a larger coat with flowers hanging out of the pocket. "Went to spend a little time with Clary. I wanted to let her know that I wasn't a bad person."

There were raised voices coming from upstairs, one more feminine than the other. Isabelle. "No! Mine!" and "Get out!" was repeated a few times.

"Well, all is well." He turned to head back up the stairs, but paused. "Oh, you forgot something." Alec left, returning to the bathroom and shutting the door.

This left Skylar confused. Did she leave a letter open? Had Alec found something to hint that she shouldn't be trusted? With her heart leaping, she ran upstairs and into the room she was staying in. Everything seemed to be in its place.

A knock came at her door. She whirled around to see Jace standing there, arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe. His eyes had dark circles under them and she saw a bruise just poking out from his collared shirt. His face was expressionless.

Oh.

She hadn't meant to keep him chained so long. In fact, she just wanted to see his face when he woke up, unable to move. But, without thinking, she had taken her shower and raced out the door.

"Hi," She looked up at him. She wasn't wearing heels, making her feel short compared to him. Part of her found this a little too funny, and she had to stifle down a laugh in order to keep a straight face.

"Hi,"

She raised an eyebrow. "I see somebody let you out of your… cage."

"Yeah, funny story." Jace stood up, keeping his arms crossed, and watched her. "Tell me, did you have a good day?"

Skylar was prepared for this. She felt a fight coming along. "Matter of fact, I did. I spoke to your sister. Even took her for a ride out in the fields." She mimicked his pose, crossing her arms and standing straight.

"Really? Wow, nice. See, I woke up today and I—" He stopped to fake a laugh. "I was tied up, no way on escaping. Know why?" When she didn't reply, he just went on. "Because you left. All day. Know what I had to do?" Still, she said nothing. "Call for help. How embarrassing, right? Well, it gets better. Isabelle came in first. She laughed so hard that she declined to help me."

Again, Skylar had to hold down her laugh and kept a straight face.

Jace continued. "Finally, I got Alec up here to help me. Thank the Angel he was around. He was about to leave to go to a meeting. Isn't that funny, Skylar? I had to get my stepbrother to walk in, while I was naked, and untie me from my own bed. I know I'm good looking and be probably enjoyed it. Who wouldn't? But that isn't the point."

The ending of the story didn't help. Skylar quickly covered her mouth and started laughing. Not only was it perfect that his stepbrother had to help him, but the fact that Alec had had a crush on Jace. Clary warned Skylar, told her all about it.

"Glad you think so," Jace snarled.

"Come on, it was an honest mistake. I was going to help you out, I swear."

"Next time I might try it to you."

Skylar stopped laughing. "Next time? You plan a next time?"

"We'll see." And he left the room.