Clary had just shut the door to her room and was getting out of her fancy gown. Not for the first time that day she was glad that back home she could run around in jeans and a T-shirt. Jace had found it funny how she complained about the dress whenever the others were out of earshot and she had left him still smiling in his room just minutes before. She caught a glance of herself in the mirror. The dress did make her look very pretty and she felt bad for growling at Jace when he said that she looked beautiful in it and should bring it home with them. They had only been here a single day and already Clary missed her friends. She wanted so badly to talk to Simon and tell him about everything that had happened. Despite wanting to go home, Clary really liked it here. All the people were welcoming and she had really taken to Tessa. Thinking about Tessa made Clary more determined to stay; Clary could see that Tessa needed someone to talk to.

The sound of light footsteps in the hall cut though Clary's thoughts. She walked over to the door and opened it slightly. She stuck her head out just in time to see Tessa turn the corner at the end of the hall. What was she doing wondering around now? Clary guessed that it was close to eleven. She closed the door and sat down on her bed thinking. Should she follow Tessa or not? There was something pushing Clary towards the door. She quickly pulled on her dress back on, found her shoes and grabbed her coat. Shutting the door silently behind her, Clary walked as quietly as she could in the direction she had seen Tessa go.

The rest of the house was sleeping and each step Clary took made her feel like the whole house was creaking under her feet. She had caught up with Tessa but was keeping her distance not that it was too difficult; Tessa was moving very fast through the institute. They reached the front doors quickly after. Tessa stopped and spun around to see if she was being followed. In a state of panic, Clary launched herself back around the corner the way they had come just as Tessa's face came into view. Her expression was one Clary had never seen her have before; she looked terrified and very worried. What had happened to make her so scared? She hadn't seen Clary and soon turned back towards door. Clary let out a sigh of relief.

Tessa was hesitant but she eventually reached out on turned the door knob. A cool breeze filled the foyer for a second then she closed the door behind her and it was gone.

Clary rushed out from her hiding spot to the front door. She had to follow Tessa now, the look on her face had said that much. Something was wrong and Tessa was stuck in the middle of it all. The metal door knob was cold against Clary's palm. She turned it and slowly opened the door. It swung nosily on its old hinges and Clary again felt the cool air swirl around her.

Clary stepped out just in time to see Tessa disappear round a corner. She was going in the opposite direction to the docks and Clary's stomach tightened. She had only been to then docks and wasn't looking forward to going deeper into the unfamiliar city without someone to go with her. But she had to protect Tessa and knew that if she went back for help now she would miss her chance. Clary started to run down the street at full speed. The ground was wet and slippery under her feet but she did not slow her pace.

Tessa was taking a complicated route through the streets of London. Clary noticed that most of the streets were bare of people and animals, the city felt dead and forbidden, but Tessa pushed on and so did Clary hard at her heels. Clary soon saw a change in scenery; the cold and damp streets gave way to lush grass. They were now walking in a park. It was much the same as New York's central park with its ancient trees that lined the path and the occasional bench that was placed so it would have a nice view.

After much time, Tessa sat herself down on one of the park benches and waited. Clary also waited, waited for whatever was going to happen next. She hadn't been waiting long when Tessa burst out into tears. She held a scrunched up piece of paper in her hand and was clenching it tightly. Clary saw her opportunity and she stood to slowly make her way over to where Tessa was sitting. She sat down next to her and reached out to put her hand on the other girls shoulder. Tessa's head flung up with surprising speed.

"Clary?" The shock was plain in her fetchers and voice. This made Clary wonder who she was expecting to meet at the park in the middle of the night. "What… why are you here?" Tessa said in a shaky voice, "Did you follow me?"

"Tessa, I…" Clary didn't even try to hide the truth, "yes I did, but I-"

"Why!?" Tessa jumped up from the bench, anger clear on her face.

Clary stood too and took a step toward her. "I saw you run out of the institute and I thought you were in trouble so I followed to make sure you were safe." Clary explained.

Tessa's rage left as soon as it had come and she fell back onto the chair. "I- I had to come… its Jem," Clary sat down next to her but closer than before, "he's ill, gravely ill, and I-" She stated to cry again, "here." Tessa handed Clary the piece of paper she had been holding before.

Being as gentle as she could, Clary unscratched the paper to find that it was a letter. She read through it carefully trying to proses it all. When she looked up, Tessa was staring at her with pleading eyes. "Tessa," Clary was lost for words. She didn't know who Mortmain really was and what he was capable of, but she did know that she certainly didn't feel safe anymore, even with Tessa there. "Tessa, we should go back. We can get Jace to help us and the others won't need to know, ok?" Clary was relieved when Tessa agreed.

They both stood and began the long journey back to the institute. They weren't even out of the park when they were intercepted by a little old lady; she was hunched over making her smaller that Clary with a mop of grey frizzy hair pulled back on her head. Clary went to walk around her thinking how odd it was to see anyone out at this time. But she stopped when she realised that Tessa was still, her body rigid with alarm. Her pupils were so large with fear that she looked like she had all black eyes.

"Clary, run… Clary we have to run," Tessa spoke in a small and terrified voice. She was shaking Clary noticed and her eyes were fixed on the lady.

Clary looked around and saw that the lady wasn't the only one out for a midnight stroll. Dread filled her. She could see now that they weren't human. She grabbed Tessa's hand which was cold and clammy. They all start to advance on Tessa and Clary circling them so they have no way of escape. Just then Clary's instincts kick in and she begins to buzz with adrenalin. Tessa too, had gone form shaking with fear to standing tall. They had no other option but to fight their way out and fight they would.

Like they had been in the training room both girls were perfectly still waiting for the enemies to take the first step. The automatons -for Clary was now sure that's what they were- made a screeching nose like metal grinding against metal then threw themselves at Tessa and Clary with tremendous speed. The girls lashed out in any way they could; kicking punching and hurling themselves at the lifeless machines.

However hard they tried they could not down a single one and it was becoming clear that they would be over run before the saw victory. Almost sensing the others thoughts Clary and Tessa stoped trying to attack the automatons and worked toward finding a way out of the mass of machines. Clary was the first out. She had –with great effort- pushed the little old lady to the side and was beginning to run when she looked back to see if Tessa had followed. Clary couldn't see her and knew that she was still in the middle of the ambush.

Now that she was closer Clary could hear Tessa crying out for her. "I coming, Tessa, hang on!"

Some of the automatons turned to face her. She stopped dead in her tracks. Tessa screamed out again, this time in pain. Clary set her jaw and flung herself at them. She knocked several to the ground and pushed the others aside. Tessa was holding her right arm which had a long and deep gash in it. The blood trickled down to her elbow then fell to the ground and sunk into the muddy soil. Clary reached out for her and pulled her to her feet. They escaped throw the gap Clary had made before and sprinted away from the automatons who were failing to get back up.

They ran as fast as they could with Tessa's injury. They had put a great amount of distance between them and the place where they were ambushed now and began to slow down sucking in the cool air to soothe their aching lungs. Clary felt a strong and cold arm wrap around her waist. It lifted her off the ground and she struggled to break free of its grasp. Tessa had turned to look at what was going on and started to run back to Clary.

"NO! Tessa run. Go." Clary screamed at the top of her lungs. Tessa stopped running but wasn't leaving, "GO!" Clary watched as she spun on her heals and ran off into the darkness of the early morning.

Refusing to give up Clary continued to wrestle with the mechanical man, but to no success. Clary felt his other hand loosen on her and she thought for a second that it was working. Then the hand came down on the back of her head like a hammer and Clary drifted into darkness.