Jace reflexively pushed Clary behind him with his right hand, seraph blade in the other. The demon that stood before him wasn't really a demon, but for all intents and purposes, it wasn't a fluffy kitten, either. A Forsaken. Looking over the two of them, it's scarred head almost touching the ceiling. A Mantid demon or a Shax demon, Jace could kill with little, if any, emotion, but a Forsaken was a person, twisted and contorted by the doings of someone else. Being subjected to an unimaginable agony, if insanity hadn't already gripped them in it's claws. Jace drank in the details of his opponent, calculations and strategies racing through his head. The distance between him and the Forsaken, Clary and the door, the trajectory of a seraph blade from this angle. Then the Forsaken drew it's clenched fist from behind his back. A considerably large ax dangled from a blackened hand.

" By the Angel", Jace muttered, and stepped forward, a grin already spreading across his face. He threw the seraph blade.

Clary stood behind Jace, his shoulder obscuring most of her view of the thing in the doorway. She could still see, however, the gleaming blade of an ax protruding from a handle stained a dark copper-red in some places. She heard Jace muttered something. She could feel the pounding of his heart as it reverberated through her, making her shiver. He took a step forward. Even with his back to her, Clary could distinctively picture his face, the wicked glint to his eyes, the quirk of his mouth. Then he threw the blade. Not to her surprise, the blade hurtled through the air-with a slight air of Grace and arrogance that reminded Clary of Jace himself-, and sunk into the giant's chest with a sickening thump. The creature gave out a roar, clearly enraged, though it had little effect on Jace. In fact, Jace just laughed at it . Then it was if time was sped up. Suddenly Jace was hanging from one of the overhead lights, as swift sw a panther. He leaned forward, almost as if he was daring the creature to try again. The light in his eyes was beautiful, but also sharp and deadly, like one of the poisonous flowers Clary used to see in her mother's horticultural books. The manic grin on his face said" Come and get me, if you really think you can". Then Jace let go of the light and dropped, like a stone, onto the creature's back.

Jace landed on the right shoulder of the Forsaken, therefore narrowly missing the swing of the ax. It stuck into the ceiling, cracks spider-webbing from it. Jace gulped. The Forsaken raised it's large fists, clawing at the material of the rags, as if Jace was some pesky fly. Jace felt deeply offended, though he didn't make it known. Jace drove his seraph blade into it's shoulder, feeling the tearing of tissue and muscle. For a moment, there was silence. The creature began to sway slightly, like a wispy-thin tree in the wind. Then the Forsaken began to fall. Jace leaped off the Forsaken, landing in a crouch of blood and broken glass. He straightened up, pain lacing through his arm. Then the Forsaken fell on top of him.

Clary heard the snap of breaking bones, like brittle twigs in a forest. She ran to help Jace, unsure of how to help, but it was too late. Jace lay sprawled amid a shower of broken glass. She knelt down beside him . Up close, the creature was even more hideous. Thin, flaking skin like torn paper, red, blood-shot eyes visible in it's lacerated face. Clary touched Jace's shoulder, sticky with blood- his or the creature's, she couldn't tell. Then his eyes flew open. " Boo", he said. Clary let out a startled cry, jerking her hand away from his shirt. "Jace, seriously, how old are you, five ?" , Clary asked, annoyance colouring her voice. Jace could be such a child, then sincere and kind in the blink of an eye. She supposed it was something she would have to get used to.

" Well, last time I checked, I was seventeen, but I could be wrong". " Do you need any help with that?", Clary asked.

"With what? To be honest, I do need some help with finding the right jacket to go with my demon stomping boots, but..."

" I was reffering to the dead giant sprawled across your legs like, well, a dead giant. I wasn't reffering to your fashion sense, if you could call it that", Clary replied, reflecting some of Jace's own sarcasm back at him. He manuvered himself on to his elbows. She saw him wince, but he hid it behind an arrogant grin. " Very funny. First, my fashion sense is impeccable, and, secondly, the Forsaken isn't dead. Yet. Wait until I get my hands on him, see how he feels to be swatted at like bug. How rude. Put your hand in my pocket", Jace said. Clary looked at him curiously, uncertainty clear on her face. " I'm sorry?".

"My stele, it's in my pocket and since my arm is currently shattered like a bauble, I can't get into it". " Which pocket?", Clary asked.

Jace jerked his chin to the right. Taking a deep breath, Clary gingerly put her hand inside his jacket. If she felt the heat of his skin or the smooth fabric of his shirt, she ignored it. She drew out something that resembled a pencil and a paintbrush, made of some shimmering material, like the blade Jace had used. She handed it to him without a word. Shifting into a more comfortable position, Jace took the paintbrush and began to draw. That was the only way she could describe it. Swirling black lines spilled out of it like ink, coalescing into a pattern of curves and lines. The look of hooded pain left his face. Jace sat back, his hair a tangled pillow on the hardwood. "This", he said , " Is a stele". " This", pointing at his arm, " Is an iratze. A rune. A healing rune to be more procise. It's kind of self explanatory". " That", he said, pointing to the creature, " Is a Forsaken. A person that has been Marked by runes, driving them insane, twisting them into something mindless and twisted. I wonder who sent them". Clary mulled over the thoughts in her head. " No wonder Hodge was so angry at you. At least that slap wasn't completely worthless, though I'm still sorry about that", Clary replied with sincerity.

" Hodge is constantly angry at me, I think the feeling is frozen in him, it never seems to thaw". In that moment Clary really felt for Jace, who's voice was dripping with raw emotion. Clary still wondered what had happened to him, why he covered his feelings in a balm of sarcasm. It didn't really seem to help anybody, especially himself. " I like how you can so casually talk about others distain for you while a giant is sprawled over you and still retain a sense of grace and dignity".

"I like how you can still make me smile while a giant is sprawled over me. As for the grace and dignity, those are all natural, and never waver, even when covered in blood and glass. Speaking of which"... Jace pulled a piece of glass from her hair. She hoped he couldn't see her blush, but, knowing Jace, he probably could. She mentally pulled the breaks. Since when had she known Jace, they had only properly met yesterday, so why did she feel like she knew him, his quirks and tone and his catalogue of smiles?. But, to be honest, she had known Jace Wayland since her mother died, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. Carefully removing his legs from underneath the demon, Jace stood, wobbling slightly. It would have been cute, if he wasn't covered in blood. Clary stood. Sense flew out the window and she put her arm around his shoulders to steady him, even though he didn't need it. Then a voice came from the doorway. " My, what a mess you made child".

Clary gasped. " Madame Dorothea?".

Author's Note: I am so sorry I haven't uploaded, I started on this yesterday but couldn't get around to finish it. Stupid German homework, who needs to know how to say "the candle" in German? ( No offense to anybody German, I should know, since I have German heritage). Anyway, I will definitely upload another chapter today, I swear on the life of my favourite golden haired, duck hating Shadowhunters, Jace ( I won't spoil it for anyone that hasn't read it. Thank you so much to all the people who have read my story and enjoyed it. I would like to say a gigantic thank you to Andiey, your words really meant a lot to me. Thank you so much guys, I will see you in an hour.

With great love and affection, Tempe