Disclaimer : All goes to the usual people.

I sit at my desk, feeling the cool wood under my hands.

I keep looking over to the window, instead of my math homework. Where Jace's bedroom is visible. But his white curtains are drawn shut, shutting off all view.

I'm curious.

"Clary, Luke and I are going to the bookstore for a while. We just need to check a few things." My mom calls over her shoulder.

I give her a half hearted wave as I continue to slid my pencil over my sketch pad, not even knowing what I really should be drawing. Shuffles go on, and then the door clicks shut after my parents step out. Halfway through my sketch, I rip it out.

I'm about to chuck it across the room, when a shadow blocks my light. I've just turned around when the shadow turns out to be Jace. My eyes are widening at the shock of how he got in the house, when I stop.

Seeing him makes me remember the continuing conversation with Sebastian.

"Come on, think about it. Is it really possible that he was friends with you in the past?" He presses.

I don't say anything.

He smiles. "The thing is, in different clans of Demons, or Downworlders, they all have one main group. For example, in Jace's life, there's the most powerful group containing 6 angels. And of course, there will have to be a leader for them." He says.

"Usually, the Great 6 has to have at least 1 or 2 Angels from the highest family in the hometown. That family comes from the highest ranking demon. Which in this scenario, has to be the highest Angel. The Archangel." He says. "So, they had two Angels from the Archangel family."

"Now, to choose the leader, they had to pick from the two brothers from the Archangel family. Those two brothers were Jonathan," He slowly states. He looks at me, smiling. "And Jace Wayland.

My blood runs cold at his words. Jace is from the highest family of Angels. One thing I never knew about him.

Sebastian continues. "But, they usually choose the eldest brother. Which was Jonathan, because he was two years older than Jace." He says. "But, there's another way. If Jace could work hard and go beyond Jonathan's strengths, then Jace would become leader." He leans back in his chair. "And he did."

I don't look at him.

"Jace has taken on a powerful role. Angels are pretty much the strongest demons there in the realm, and to be part of the Great 6 and be the leader, makes him pretty talented."

Sebastian looks at me. "So there's the background. Now here's the present.Only the leader of every clan can find the Bride of Prosperity, which is you," He says. I uneasily shift. "And only he can marry you to allow the entire clan have prosperity."

"So what do you think?" He asks me. "Did you really think it was a coincidence that he lived next door to you? Because I heard Jace used some clever tricks to work his way up the that's not pleasant to hear, isn't it Clary?"

I slip back into the present, returning back to facing Jace. My heart feels heavy. Am I being manipulated? My head is blank. Something's wrong.

I blink a few times and try to clear my head.

"Clary, today… when you got attacked by a demon and I told you to stay after school, did Sebastian come into the room after I left?"

I nod, slowly.

"Did he say anything to you?" He asks, his voice suddenly becoming urgent.

But without a reply, I leave the room and out the front door of my own house. Distraught. Confused. Not caring about anything.

"He knew about you being the Bride of Prosperity. That's why he became your friend."

Sebastian says that.

"I told you I'd come back. I promised."

Jace says that.

I roll over on the small cot in the clinic. It smells like fresh detergent. I stare at the plain walls with pictures of sickly colored daisies.

I skipped Math and lied about a severe headache. But I just didn't want to see Jace.

I rub my fingers over my temples, closing my eyes. The room is quiet and cold. The nurse clicks away on her keyboard, filing some papers. I breathe slowly. I look at the white curtains separating each cot.

Then there's a ruffle of papers and the sound of a chair rolling across the hard white floor. There are footsteps and the nurse peeks in my curtain. "Hey, I have to go to the front office and file a few papers and stuff. You think you'll be okay here alone?" She gently asks me.

I nod my head and try to look decently miserable. She nods too and heads out the room, closing the door with a loud click. I listen to the hum of the AC and close my eyes to the bright lights overhead. I lay there for a long time.

"Stop manipulating Clary."

I sit up quickly, the blankets rustling to my waist, recognizing the voice of Jace. He's near. My best guess is that he's outside the clinic door.

"I didn't do anything. I just told her the truth."

I freeze, feeling chills over my body. I recognize the voice of Sebastian too. His voice is mocking.

"I know you told her something yesterday."

There's silence.

"You told Clary about my heritage, didn't you?"

"Hey, Clary should know what she's getting into. Especially when you shouldn't be lying to a pretty girl like her. " Sebastian laughs quietly.

"I'm not the one lying. It's not me."

There's silence.

Jace speaks again. "Listen. Whenever I was around her, I feel like this thin wall pushing me away from her."

"Oh that."

"You've felt it too right?" Jace's voices catches a powerful tone, as if he's just figured something out.

"Yeah."

The AC hums.

Sebastian's voice is small. "You don't think there's some… spell on her? Because it feels like one."

It's silent for a long time. My breath is cold, waiting for his answer. I can practically imagine what Jace says next, his lips in a grim line.

"Yeah. That's what I was afraid of."

"Hey Clary," Sebastian greets me; materializing out of nowhere.

I half jump, tripping on the sidewalk.

"Can't you appear normally?" I scowl.

"I just get so excited when I see my future wife," Sebastian says, pulling me close. His eyes look into mine. I can't help but think of Jace in this moment. I push his face away, making a face.

He lets out a small playful laugh, his arms loosening. I slip away quicker than I thought.

"It's just one small kiss," He says.

"But doesn't that mean my energy gets taken?"

"Hmm?" He looks at me. "No. We just get energy. Nothing's taken from you."

I cross my arms, silently glaring at a tree over this situation.

He speaks up again. "So please?"

"No."

"So you don't want any other kiss that his?" He asks, his eyes suddenly switching to a more serious, deadly glint. A small smirk pulls at the corners of his lips. The air is cold.

I look at him.

"You like Jace. Don't you?" He says, starting to circle me slowly.

I stay silent, afraid of what I'll unknowingly say.

"You seemed so depressed about the things I told you earlier today. About his past." He says. "It looked like you wanted to trust him, to not believe what I said. Because you do love him."

"It's not like that-"

"Really?"

He's suddenly in front of me, his face close to mine. His eyes are black and the air smells likes burnt sugar.

"Then you don't mind. If I kill him." He says, pulling a red curl from my face. "Do you?"

The air grows cold. And fast.

I'm pushed back against the wall, my wrist pinned in between Sebastian's grasp. His foot comes up and presses itself against the wall; in between my knees, blocking my escape. My other hand is free. But my shock is too big for me to even attempt anything. I stare at him. His face is almost bored looking, as one hand is tucked into his pocket in a casual manner.

"I'm not going to wait for your feelings to turn around and to make you mine." Sebastian says in a low voice. "If the one guy in my way disappears from this picture, I'll be doing this normally." His grip on my wrist tightens. "Just remember that."

I can't tell what happens next. But as soon as I do, it's Sebastian half skidding across the dirt. Jace stands a few feet away, his golden hair shining in the sun. Sebastian stands, a small cloud of dirt rising up.

"You want this now Wayland?" He says, with the wind blowing.

Jace doesn't say anything. The silence is scaring me as I'm pressing myself against the building in shock of the powerful Downworlders.

"I told you to stay away from Clary." Jace says.

"I think, that all's fair in love in war." Sebastian smiles.

The air is freezing. It's quiet. I feel the atmosphere and tension swirling around me and holding me in some sort of trace. It feels like I can't move from the powerful aura radiating from both men.

"I'm not holding back," Sebastian says. A hot flare comes out of nowhere and flies past Jace. He tenses.

"Where are you aiming at-"

I get it now.

The bright light coming closer. I feel myself tense as the breeze softly blows as the dangerous flare comes toward me. Everything goes too fast.

Then warm droplets of blood hit my face.

But I realize it's not my blood.

It's Jace's.

OH NO WHAT HAPPENED.

AH HAHAHAHA.

LOL. Okay.