Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING.

In order to make this story a little less confusing I started to put lyrics to some of the storyline because I don't want this to be confusing. So when you see lyrics, the theme of the lyrics should reflect the story itself. Please review and tell me if it is still confusing or if I should try something different, I really want to hear your input!

I know where I want to take this story; it is just the matter of everything in-between. If there is anything you want to happen in this storyline, you should private message me. And feedback is always welcome. Sometimes I question why I'm writing this story so your reviews can help me stop being lazy and write! :)

All I can say is I was enchanted to meet you

Jonathan took my hand and led me back to the room I had been dreading ever going back into again. The music playing from the piano was being played by Alec's father, Robert. I looked around the room again to see if my suspicions were correct; they were. I was the only female in a crowd of hungry men. Some of the men were older and some were in their young teenage years. Some of the men were even married; Sebastian Verlac for example was recently married to Helen Blackthorn whom had kept her maiden name to be more independent. All of the men turned to me when I walked into the room and they all had this look in their eyes that I can't describe, but it was terrifying.

I turned to Jonathan with a look of horror and he laughed at me. I immediately took my hand out of his and started to walk away. Before I even took two steps he was there in front of me, smirking.

"Oh don't be such a girl Seraphina, it isn't very becoming of you," Jonathan said clearly amused.

"Whatever I'm so done with this party. I don't want this to be my life. You don't get it, Jonathan. You don't know what it's like to have your whole future planned out and not be able to change it," I stated while I walked away.

He didn't know anything about me though. He wouldn't really know the truth behind my words. I wonder what he thinks I'm even talking about. To other people I seem to be the spoiled brat heiress, I imagine that's exactly what he thinks of me. Maybe I'll just tell my father that I'm a lesbian so that he'll disown me and then leave me alone…but I know that's not how it would end. It would end with me being hurt. Burning my special rune into my porcelain skin and hiding in the shed for weeks. It's happened before. More times than I'd like to admit. When I finally do return home my father will just pretend nothing ever happened.

"You honestly feel that way? That you can't escape your life?" Jonathan had followed me into the hallway. "Because I feel like that too. Sometimes I even wish I could have been born a mundane, and that terrifies me," he rushed the last part not wanting anyone else to hear.

It didn't matter really because we had reached the room I wanted. Not the library, but my room. I was tired of this dress and I wanted it off as soon as possible.

"Okay now that we've had this little heart to heart I'm going to go change then get out of here as soon as possible. So if you'll excuse me–" I was cut off by Jonathan grabbing my arm and turning me around to face him. I flinched and he let go uncertain of my flinching.

I glared at him and spoke, "What do you want from me Jonathan? Do you want me to cry or something because I won't. I'm not that kind of girl," I hissed as I opened my door.

I walked through the door and into my room but he had never answered me so I just assumed he left and I sighed really loudly before turning around to slam my door shut.

I grabbed the witchlight from my bra and set it on my nightstand before putting my hands behind my back to unzip my dress I was half way done when I heard someone clear their throat.

This night is sparkling,

Don't you let it go.

"I thought you left," I said clearly not amused and turned to face him.

"And miss the show? Of course not Phina, I would never want to miss this," he joked with a wink. He walked over to my bed and sat down and pulled his legs up Indian style.

"Are you comfortable Herondale?"

"Actually yes I am thank you," he smirked at me.

"Well good, now get out. Get out before I throw you out."

"Not before the show, I really want to watch it," he was still smirking at me.

Why was he smirking at me, Damn it!

"In your dreams Jonathan."

"Actually it is and now it's real, so please continue," he sat up straighter and I actually believed he wanted to see. Well he's just shit out of luck because that's not happening.

I grabbed the thigh clasp from underneath my dress and took out my stele. I felt the emerald gem and it instantly calmed me. It was a gift from my father for my tenth birthday. It was the same birthday I received my first marks, and I received them with this very stele. Every rune I have ever used has been drawn with this stele.

Now I turned it around in my hands and thought about all of the runes I could draw on him. One's that could make him cry like he's never cried before or be the most scared possible. A small part of me wanted to draw the rune I drew on all my suitors to see why he was really in my room.

"Seraphina Adele Morgenstern, what are you up to?" Jonathan said my full name interrupting my thoughts.

"Just thinking of all the ways I could torture you."

"Oh so many choices. Will you go with the emotion rune? Or just fearful?"

"How'd you know?"

"Well you mutter to yourself when you're pissed, and the last time you did revenge runes on me you went with those. Let me tell you it was no walk in the park. Those things were still effecting me days later," Jonathan said only semi jokingly.

I laughed and grinned at him very proud of myself.

"But Phina, don't forget I know exactly what to do to torture you so don't tempt me."

"And what, pray tell, could that be?"

"I could take you back to the party and make you dance with the twelve year old from Barcelona who barely speaks any English besides 'fetch me a wench' and 'some pizza would be nice'," Jonathan was having fun teasing me and I was enjoying this side of him. I don't think I ever really pictured Jonathan to be anything different from my father, but my father wouldn't be joking with me right now. Or you know, ever.

I face palmed, but I couldn't stop the grin that was already on my face, not that I wanted to. "Well then I assume that means a truce is in order, Herondale. For tonight at least. Shake on it?" I asked him holding out my hand.

"I have a better idea. I don't want to waste this perfectly good dress of yours so let's go dance, Morgenstern. But not in the ballroom, out into the garden we go. Where no one will find us or suspect," he stared at me while he spoke. Then he walked up next to me and lifted his arm for me to take.

When an awkward silence took place he dropped his arm.

"It's okay. We don't have to. I just thought it would be a better scenario then going to bed," Jonathan said, a little shaky I thought. Was it possible that he was nervous? I couldn't hold it against him though because I was nervous too, especially because my dress was unzipped and I couldn't reach where the zipper was which is exactly why I hesitated in the first place.

"Well Herondale you already have me half naked, I might as well let you dance with me. But first you're going to have to think about some pig lungs or something and zip up my dress."

I stepped in front of him and I think he hadn't been fully aware of my predicament until this moment. "Oh…? Oh."

I felt the heat of his presence behind me and I could practically feel the goose bumps fast approaching. By the angel please no.

His hands found their way to the zipper, which was somewhat near my butt and took way too long pulling it up. He stopped zipping shortly after starting and I couldn't figure out what was going on until he gently glided his finger over one of my scars.

I jumped away from him and he looked down at me completely lost.

"Where did you get that from?"

"What you've never seen a scar before? I'm positive I've given you plenty," I said hoping he would just let it go.

He gave me a small smile that didn't reach his eyes before saying, "That is true, my tooth will never be the same." Then he flashed me his not so perfect smile with a chipped tooth that I gave him during training.

"But I don't have any scars like that, S. Now tell me who gave it to you so I can kill him," he threatened.

"Whoa there big boy I can take care of myself. I don't need you to do me any favors, Herondale," I snapped. We stared at each other and I could feel my face soften at the uncertainty in his gaze.

"Well that atmosphere changed quickly. I wouldn't suppose you'd like to take a walk at least? We don't have to dance," Jonathan reluctantly said.

"Okay, but can you please finish zipping me up? I still can't reach it, and I don't want to walk around wondering if my dress has fallen off yet even though I'm sure that would make you happy."

"Oh right, sure," He said while quickly bringing the zipper up without a second glance at my back.

I'm wonderstruck blushing all the way home.

-The Circle-

Regrets collect like old friends

Here to relive your darkest moments

7 Years Before

I opened my eyes and I realized that's all I was able to move. I could not lift my arms at all, but they were strapped down anyway. My feet wouldn't move either, but I assumed they were tied up as well. I realized that this was one of my runes and that the people who took me must have my book as well. Unless they knew the rune from somewhere else, maybe I wasn't the only one who was special.

But my gift would be the only thing they'd want from me; it's the only thing about me that's worth stealing for. If they were stealing me for leverage against my father then I was going to be saved soon. If they had stolen my father as well then there was no telling how long I would be here. I hoped not long because not moving my head was annoying me, not that I really had any other options.

Also I was very aware of the fact that I hadn't changed my clothes or bathed in several days and I smelled really bad. I cannot believe they came in here and strapped me to this chair not caring about how I smelled.

I can see no way, I can see no way

And all of the ghouls come out to play

All of the sudden I could hear laughing and it was close; too close for comfort. I quickly closed my eyes in hope that they would leave me alone a little longer and maybe I could wait until the rune wears off to "wake up".

Somehow they knew I was awake when I heard, "Well it looks like sleeping beauty is finally awake. It has been days since I've seen your pretty little green eyes and I sure miss them. Please open your eyes little girl and I won't hurt you," a voice I didn't known threatened me. He can't hurt me while I'm wearing this rune. He must not know what this rune really is.

The rune I had created was, as my father explained it anyways, a kind of anesthesia for Shadowhunters except we were awake while it was intact. It's almost like a relaxer for our bodies. My father said it was one of the most significant runes I have ever created. So I felt extremely as ease until I felt the blood oozing down my neck. I couldn't feel the pain, but the blood was definitely coming out and it wasn't a small amount either. I opened my eyes in anguish even though I couldn't feel the pain. I could just feel the loss of the blood and that was enough for me to be scared.

"Well there are those pretty little emeralds. Do you know how hard it was to think of what the perfect rune would be to draw on you? It took us hours to think of it. I mean there were so many to choose from in this little book of yours. I must say I like the one we chose. The numbing rune. You should really learn to not write every single detail in this book. It makes it so easy for us to steal–" he was interrupted when he door swung open, but the figure never stepped into the door or spoke.

"What do you want? I was sort of in the middle of something," he looked confused for a minute before his gazed focused and he gulped. "Err, okay I'll be out in a minute."

His attention turned back to me and in his hands was a stele. One has never been used on me before, but I guess that's not true anymore considering my predicament. My father said I wasn't allowed to use a stele because my gift was too powerful for me yet. A million scenarios went through my head as I thought about the power of the stele; such great power in something so small. My father would disagree with me, but I think a stele is more powerful than any blade.

"Well your notes say the rune will last for a day at least, but I don't completely trust you so I'll be back in a few hours. Don't do anything stupid Morgenstern, or it won't be me who will be punishing you," he said lightly even though I knew the threat wasn't a light one. Something was going on here and he wasn't the guy in charge.

"I'll just leave this by the door in case someone else needs to change the runes. I've been specifically instructed to only let you be marked with this stele, a weird request if you ask me."

I certainly don't mind talking to you Seraphina, especially since you can't answer unlike my annoying wife who can't seem to shut up. Now I'm gonna go now, but I'll see you a little later hopefully. Oh who am I kidding, you'll still be sitting right there like a duck," he was starting to aggravate me. I was starting to get really angry at the situation around me. By the time the door had closed I felt like I was going to explode. That's precisely when I felt my fingertips move.

The process of losing the numbness was slow. It was so slow it was painful. I asked the angel Raziel what I had done to deserve this countless times before the numbing stopped and the pain hit me. It was like a hurricane hit me and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from screaming. I tasted the blood in my mouth and I knew I was in trouble.

I tried to lift my arms only to be reminded of the fact that I was tied to the chair. If I had any hope of getting to that stele I needed to get out of this chair. I turned my face to the side and spit out some of the blood from my mouth. The ties seemed to just be simple knots so I dragged my head down to the material holding my right hand down and tried to get it off. I was able to stretch the fabric enough for my small hand to get out of. I used my dominant hand to free my left hand and feet. Before long I was completely free of any restrictions.

I stood up and quickly fell because my legs couldn't hold me. I ended up dragging myself as quietly as possible across the dirt floor. The man had left the stele propped up against the door and I checked to see if there were and sensors or traps before picking the stele up and inspecting it. I thought of drawing a simple iratze rune but then I envisioned a pair of intertwining lines behind my eyelids and I knew that I needed to draw it instead.

I turned my left wrist around and took the stele to right above the vein and started to draw. As soon as the rune was finished I looked at it and felt it start to work immediately. The cut inside my mouth was gone and the bleeding from my neck had ceased, even the pounding in my head from earlier was gone.

If I ever make it out of here I'll call that rune my special rune, because I don't think a rune as important as that one should have a silly name. I thought about my rune book and the only one I could really think about was to cleanse and that's exactly what I drew.

Burning runes on your skin was nothing like I expected it to be. My father always explained it as a sort of burning feel, but all I felt was a small hiss of pain and then it was over in a flash. That could be because of my gift I presume.

That rune took some time to take effect, but I did feel less disgusting than before. I quickly looked around the room and was overcome with the sight of blood, my blood.

Ugh I have to get out of here and soon. I get into a crouch position next to the door and listen for a few minutes. When I don't hear anything I bring the stele next to the door handle and draw an open rune. I hear it unlock and I wait another minute just to check if anyone else had heard and come to check.

Standing up was easier then I thought it would be. The rune definitely did its job.

Walking outside of the room I found that I was in some sort of cellar. I pulled the door closed and locked it with my own locking rune that they would have to really search in my book for. From the lack of light in my prison I assumed it was around dusk when I had picked up the stele. It was hard to maneuver around the cellar, but I found a set of stairs and I put my foot up the first step to test if it would creak or not and to my relief it didn't. I walked up the stairs and when I reached the top door I was overcome with the smell of incense.

What is going on?

Music was playing as well but it wasn't normal piano music, it was as if it was meant to mesmerize you. I quickly turned around and went back down the way I had come and turned the other direction.

I thought of a rune that could get me out of this situation, but I came up short. The only one I could think of was hidden and I wanted to use that as a last resort. I found a door and I stopped in front of it, but I heard an unfamiliar grunt and I kept walking.

The next door I stopped at sounded empty so I tried the door and it was locked. I drew the opening rune and I was in. Though I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

And every demon wants his pound of flesh

But I like to keep some things to myself

I like to keep my issues drawn

It's always darkest before the dawn