NEW THING! Song of the chapter! (Probably won't stay, just for this one) Song is: Thief, by Ansel Elgort. Also, I now this one is short, but I wanted to post it quickly for you!

It didn't make any sense.

It had been four days since she had sent her last letter to Jake's brother, that's over one whole week, leaving only one left before she'd have to return to the Institute with Izzy and Alec. To the place where mean, evil, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was currently residing. The thought sent shivers down her spine.

But what made her even more uneasy was Jake's brother's silence. Why had he shut her out so suddenly? Had her words put him off? Had she scared him away?

Fantastically done, Clary. Really. Just fabulous.
A sharp knock yanked Clary from her reverie. She started slightly, then slugged along to the door, wrapping a robe over her pajamas.

"What," Clary demanded grumpily as she threw the door open.

"Wow, you really aren't a morning person," Izzy said cheerfully, letting herself in Clary's room. Of course it was chipper-Izzy. Of course. "Come on. We're going out on the city with Casry and Eryss."

Clary was shaking her head before Izzy even finished her sentence. "No," she protested. "Outside—grumpy—bad plan—ehh," she groaned.

Izzy chuckled at Clary's ragged attempt to argue. She then proceeded to dress Clary in a flowing white sundress, floppy sunhat, and elegant sandals. This day sucked.

In seconds it seemed, Clary was being hurtled out the door at breakneck speeds-at least for this early in the morning-and squished into a plain-looking car to head off to God knows where. She hopped into the car to avoid breaking bones and immediately crashed into Casry, who caught her expertly. Clary looked at him with a dumbfounded expression on her face while Izzy climbed in, much more gracefully, behind her.

Suddenly feeling awkward, Clary sat up and adjusted the hat on her head. Then, after several failed attempts to return it to it's prior fashionable nonchalance, Clary tore it off and tried to subtly hide it under the seat. Obviously, this was hard to do since the only round in the carriage-like vehicle was Clary messing with her hat.

And it was a carriage-like car. Clary sat next to Casry and across from them sat Izzy and Eryss. I was like a limousine set up, but much smaller and a lot less fancy. Eventually, Izzy made hushed conversation with Eryss, and the two of them were constantly sending flirty glances the other's way. This only prompted Clary and Casry to share equally exasperated glances.

Suddenly, a thought popped up in Clary's mind. "Izzy," she said, and her tone was louder than intended, so the black-haired girl immediately snapped her head in Clary's direction like something was wrong. "Sorry," Clary amended, then continued. "What ever happened to Simon?"

When Clary had left, she'd admit Simon and Izzy hadn't been particularly close, but there had definitely been something brewing between them. And that was why Clary found herself rather confused about why Iz seemed genuinely interested in this new, not-even-that-cute, boy. But then again, it was Isabelle Lightwood we were discussing.

"He's feeling kind of...sick," Izzy responded cautiously.

"What do you mean?" Clary asked her.

"Well, ever since you...you know...he's been feeling more guilty than all of us. Well, maybe not all of us-," (Clary had a feeling Izzy was alluding to Jace here, and was tempted to roll her eyes, rather conspicuously,) "But it's taken a large toll on him especially, emotionally, mentally, and surprisingly: physically."

This hadn't been what Clary was asking for, but even if she had phrased her question more specifically, she doubted Izzy would have been open to begin discussing a possible failed relationship she'd had while Clary was off in France. Eryss and Casry had courteously started their own side conversation so as not to eavesdrop, and this made Clary happy because if this kept up, she wouldn't have to take awkwardly with Casry.

But of course, it didn't. Izzy turned back to Eryss only a few quiet seconds after her explanation of Simon's condition (which, though Simon had hurt her greatly, like everyone else present at the time, worried Clary immensely. He was still her best friend) forcing Clary to attempt conversation with Casry.

The two of them barely managed to uphold empty small talk until the carriage/car came to a steady stop and Clary was able to throw herself into a refreshing blast of fresh air. The other three followed, but instantly bumped into Clary, who stood staring in awe at the great tower of metal that rose before her.

Of course, she had seen the Eiffel Tower upon her first arrival here, but she hadn't really had a chance to see it. The structure was absolutely brilliant. Brilliantly breath-taking. Breath-takingly absolute. Her fingers itched to draw it, but in her-rather, Izzy's haste-she hadn't had time to snatch in off her night dresser. Impatient, Izzy took Clary by the arm and dragged her toward the tower. Izzy forced and unwilling Clary to pose for a few photographs, courtesy of Eryss and his vintage polaroid camera, before they all agreed to conquer the 1,710 steps to the top.

Technically, visitors were only allowed to climb to the first platform and then were required to take an elevator the rest of the way, but who were Shadowhunters if not the world's rule breakers? Well, you know, protectors of the humans, fighters of demons, defenders of realms, blah blah blah.

It was a mistake.

Even for Nephilim, after the nearly 2,000-stair-climb, all four visitors were huffing and puffing to an extreme. Clary leaned against a pillar and observed the others. Surprisingly, she seemed in the best shape. She guessed that even though Shadowhunters were extremely well-physiqued, they may not have had experience with mundane exercise equipment. Clary had at least been to a gym a minimum of two times.

Finally, with startling realization, Clary turned around and observed the view.

Even with no breath remaining from her climb, the air was brutally stolen from her lungs. The city was so far below that Clary could barely make out the details on buildings. People around her made for the binoculars, but Clary preferred this view. It was the artists view. Only Casry's hand coming down on her reminded Clary to breathe in. When she did, she choked a little to lack of air, and Eryss chuckled quietly while still checking to make sure the was alright.

"It's so beautiful..." Clary breather, and Casry only nodded. She turned to look back down below, but found resistance on the cool surface of Casry's fingertips. She turned back to look at him, confused, only to find his nose only centimeters from her own. She made to pull back, but Casry's hand was already twined around the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him. She felt his breath on her lips, the warmth a stark contrast to the chill surrounding her. He looked in her eyes, that his gaze flicked to her lips. He drew her to him-

Clary yanked back. "I-" she couldn't speak. "I'm sorry, I-" Casry appeared confused, hurt, but Clary couldn't look at him. She turned and walked away, clutching her hands close to her. All she could think was that she should've been able to do it. She should have been able to kiss him. She liked Casry fine. He was-he was...Well, it didn't matter! What mattered was that Clary had discovered something about herself. Something she had known, but hadn't been able to face. Hadn't been able to confront. Hadn't been able to admit was true.

She was 100% not over Jace. He had broken her. He had made it so that she couldn't think of other people, only him. She loved him, and he didn't love her, and that wouldn't never change because Jace had broken her. Because that was what he was. Jace Herondale was a heartbreaker and he had broken her.

Just before Clary hurtled into an empty elevator to hide from her friends, she caught a wisp of raven black hair in the corner of her vision, and a whisper that said, "I was right."

Luckily, Eryss had brought her a collection of polaroid photographs since she had left in such a hurry, and that's how Clary found herself in the window seat in the library drawing a replica of his photos. She and Casry hadn't spoken, and no one else had many any comment or question on what had caused her to leave. But Clary suspected Izzy knew. She sat next to Clary on the ride back and made conversation with her so she wouldn't have to speak to Casry. She had been acting strangely giddy around Clary. What gave her more confirmation was the black hair she had seen, the whisper she had heard. Of course it was Izzy.

But there were so many mysteries. What was she right about? What did Izzy want? Why was she here? What was Jace thinking?

In her absentmindedness, Clary hadn't realized the pen had strayed from her original drawing pattern. And what had she drawn overtop of her wondrous portrait of Paris? Friggin' Jace. For the love of...