Chapter Three

Jace hasn't been able to take his mind of Clary for days. He wouldn't eat, Alec was terribly worried about him even Isabelle tried to cook for him which Jace hastily declined, not wanting to get ill; all he wanted was to see Clary again. But that couldn't happen, not yet. Clary was like fire and she needed to cool dawn before he could see her again, he wondered if she realised that he had taken her picture yet.

The picture was stunning. It was of a beautiful scene, a small city full of shapes and pain raining blood down over buildings, darkness surrounding a woman, her face casted in shadow only her golden eyes was seen. She radiated sadness, her red hair almost invisible and Jace knew that this person was Clary, this must be how she felt; that was why he took it. It revealed a softness, a vulnerability to her that he doesn't see on the outside, a crack in her shell.

The night of Magnus's party was a distant memory one where Alec had disappeared for a while and Iz had wondered off while Jace was spending his time elsewhere, not feeling like partying when Clary wasn't around. He was already attached to her in a way he didn't understand and he didn't want to he only knew that he liked it.

Now it was nightfall and he was demon hunting again, a group of rouge vampires killing mundane's and that was something that interested Jace. He didn't tell anyone where he was going, he wanted to do this alone, he needed time to think.

Isabelle knew about the vampires and they were planning on leaving later tonight but Jace left early, knowing where they are and waiting until they left, tracking them away from their group only a few vampires venturing out to get the food. It would be easy pickings if everything went smoothly.

Turing around a corner following the vampire's trail Jace knew that Iz would yell and scream at him later, Alec joining her when he found out they always did that when he didn't something suicidal and unexpected.

The night turned darker, the moon clasped in the clouds trapped away from the world and Jace still ambled, he wondered through the streets the vampires muttering among themselves ahead of him. He was far enough back that they couldn't smell him oblivious to someone following them.

Jace tracked them as far as the park, the vampires following some sent but it would be their bad luck and Jace's good luck that would prevent them from carrying out their horrible deeds.

Vaulting over the fence like the vampires did Jace stuck to the shadows, praying that the wind didn't change direction and give him away, carrying his sent toward them but it did not. Hiding behind a slide Jace spotted something he thought he wouldn't see yet, at least not for a few days. Quickly he brought his attention back to the vampires not wanting to be caught out, surprised but even though the vampires are fast, incredibly so, they are stupid; they rarely think that they will die that they can get harmed especially a newly turned. Red hair glinted in the moon light.

Suddenly the red hair moved and Jace wondered where she was going, what she was planning on doing all by herself, he couldn't see anyone else around and there was four vampires not one. They might be easy to kill form a distance but not this close up as she was.

Leaping out from behind a tree the girl shot into action, her knife slicing leaving two vampires dead before they even knew what was going on but the girl didn't see what Jace could see, she couldn't because Jace only noticed it because of where he was placed.

Jace bolted into the fray, killing the other two vampires with one shot; not bothering to wait for the fiery red head he rushed onwards only now realising that the vampires were meeting here, they weren't hunting until late tonight.

It was pitch black darkness outside; no one in their right mind would be out now especially young children. But someone was indeed out, someone with light blonde almost silver hair. Regrettably Jace didn't get to see his face, the man bolting away before Jace could see but he suspects who it was. Soon he was out of sight, moving incredibly fast and the red head had caught up to him, her eyes seething with anger.

"What the hell?" Clary yelled at him. "Why did you do that I had them clean in my shot!"

"No," Jace said peering at where the man had disappeared. "You didn't. A man was watching you and he knew you would kill those vampires. He had a cross bow ready when you did."

"What?" Clary said her forehead creased in confusion.

"A man," Jace said carefully. "He was planning to kill you."

Clary took a step back.

"Kill me?"

"And if it hadn't been for my good talents you would have been dead."

"Dead?" someone else said appearing from the shadows. "Who would be dead?"

Turning to face the newcomer Jace could see that he was tall, but skinny there was practically no meat attached to his body, his eyes full of confusion as he stared at Clary.

"Simon," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Clary," Simon said his voice leaving no room for argument. "Who nearly died?"

Clary sighed as Jace watched her about to tell this mundane what had happened and Jace was overwhelmed with confusion. A Shadowhunter, the best Shadowhunter was about to tell a silly mundane about their world, the world hidden beneath theirs.

Before Jace could stop her something flickered in his vision.

Without thinking he grabbed Clary and pulled her toward him, to the side the vampire only just missing them but instead of spinning around to face the Shadowhunters it continued on toward the human, the silly mundane who cannot see that he was in danger.

Clary screamed for her friend but in that moment a horde of vampires attacked.

Scrambling to their feet where they had fallen Jace and Clary faced the vampires fighting them off the best to their abilities and Jace could see what a good fighter Clary is, never did she waver, she always went for the heart without hesitation; Jace did what he always did. He flipped, he fought and he laughed, enjoying fighting vampires especially if the odds weren't in his favour, but he enjoyed it more fighting next to Clary, he knew that she would have his back.

Once all the vampires were disposed of Jace spun and slayed the vampire who had attacked the mundane but before Clary could rush over to her friend Jace knew that this boy was already in transition.

"Simon!" Clary yelled, she kept yelling over and over again expecting him to answer but he was too drained of blood to hear.

Bending down Jace gathered up the boy in his arms knowing that he should probably kill him, stop this boy from becoming one of them, he would probably have to kill him later but he couldn't hurt the girl, he couldn't bring any harm to Clary.

"Where is your house?" Jace demanded not knowing how to get there from here. Through sobs Clary pointed him in the right direction and with Clary's direction Jace took the boy Simon back to hers not sure what he would do next.