thanks for the review on the last A/N. i wasn't expecting something back so soon! :D

and just wanted to say to wise girl: you never know where I'm going with things!

(Cammie's pov.)

After I made Zach take a shower (because man does that boy stink after I'm done pushing him to his limits) I walked us into the library. I checked to make sure Max wasn't around, and sat us down next to the fire place.

"Okay, so who's Valentine?" Zach asked.

I pulled Church into my lap, and stroked his head. "He was the leader of the Circle." Zach straitened at this. "he started the group when he was around 16 (A/N: that's correct right? Tell me if I'm wrong). A few people you've met joined it."

"Like my mother?"

"Yeah, her. Luke was in it too. But he left after he was bitten by a werewolf."

"Where'd that happen?" Zach asked. "What was he doing with a werewolf?"

That's when I dawned on me. "Oh, that's right, you think the Circle is a terrorist group." He gave me a confused look. "Zach, the Circle is a group of people who kill downworlders. They want all of them gone."

"Well aren't they monsters?"

I shook my head. "Werewolves and vampires used to be humans. Warlocks are half human. They're people, just like us. Take Simon, Magnus, and Luke for example. They would never hurt anyone. Simon only drinks blood because he has to. He's actually quite disgusted by it. If it wasn't for us forcing him to drink, he'd be killing people by now."

"So he doesn't drink human blood?"

I shook my head. "he's not allowed. Not that he would anyway. Again- he's disgusted by this."

"Then why'd he get bitten?" I told him that that was a question he should ask him. It didn't feel like my place to say.

"As I was saying- Luke was a member of the Circle, but quite when he was bitten. Valentine told him to kill himself, but he didn't. My parents were also a part of the circle. They only stayed because they feared what might happen to them if they left. Valentine isn't one to trifle with."

He gave me a sad smile. "Good to know I'm not alone in the my- parent(s)- used- to- or- still- are- part- of- the- evil- group- of- people- trying- to- kill- all- downworlders group."

I chuckled. "Yeah, you're actually surrounded by them."

I told him about how everyone had thought Valentine had died, but that in the last year he resurfaced and was trying to take over.

"But it's not going to happen, right?" Zach asked.

"no one would have thought he'd get this far. With the shadow hunters he's been working with, we'd totally be able to overtake him. But then he started working with demons."

"isn't he against demons?"

"Yeah, he is. Don't ask me why he's working with them… I really don't know. I think it's because he's so desperate to take over."

"Crazy b*****."

"He may be crazy, but he's smart. His plans are good."

Zach shook his head. "and let me guess… there's no way to find out what those plans are?"

"Not even Jace knows what he's thinking."

"Why would he?"

I sighed. "remember how I said Jace's "father" died when he was ten?" Zach nodded. "Well Jace was raised by Valentine. And when he pretended to die again in front of Jace, Jace came here. He knows Valentine better than anyone else I know."

"How do you know you can trust him?"

"Jace may be an a** at times but he would never turn on us. Ever. He hates Valentine with all his heart. For many reasons. Mostly for when he said he and Clary were brother and sister. He was lying, of course. He's not even Jace's dad."

"who's dad is he then?"

"Clary's. but she didn't even know she was a shadow hunter until late last year."

"So… does that mean Clary's mom is part of the circle?"

"Was. Then when she was pregnant with Clary, she ran away here. To New York."

Zach took a breath. "So how's she taking that? Knowing her father is killing millions of people and planning on more?"

"Not very well," Clary said, coming into the room. "So nice of you two to be talking behind my back."

"Sorry, I was just telling Zach about Valentine."

"Don't worry. I don't mind as long as he doesn't think I'm evil or anything."

Zach smirked. "You haven't given me a reason to think so yet."

Clary tapped her chin. "We'll have to change that, now won't we?"

I rolled my eyes, and laid my head in Zach's lap. He started stroking my hair. Clary chuckled. "such a cute couple," she muttered as she grabbed a book and walked out. I looked up at Zach, and he looked down at me.

"We do make a cute couple, don't we?" I asked. he laughed, and kissed me.

That night I decided it would be a good time to take Zach demon hunting for the first time. He didn't agree, but it wasn't like he had a choice.

"Zachary, you have to," Isabelle said sternly. "You need to see what you're up against. What you'll be facing one day."

"But what if I want to be like Jesse McCartney?" he asked.

"Who?" Alec asked.

Zach looked at me. I shrugged. "don't ask how I'm possibly related to them. I don't know."

"you want to hear horrifying?" Magnus chimed in. "They don't know who Madonna is."

Zach nearly died on the spot.

(Zach's pov.)

I couldn't believe Cammie was forcing me to go hunting. I really didn't think I was ready. Which was a first. I was almost always ready for something. But that was before. This was now. I was a shadow hunter now, and I needed to learn what shadow hunters did. But I still didn't want to go.

"Zachary, you have to," Isabelle told me. "You need to see what you're up against. What you'll be facing one day."

"But what if I want to be like Jesse McCartney?" I asked, joking around. I knew he was one of Cammie's favorite singers.

"Who?" Alec asked.

I looked at Cammie. How was she related to these guys? she shrugged. "don't ask how I'm possibly related to them. I don't know."

"you want to hear horrifying?" Magnus chimed in. "They don't know who Madonna is."

I almost fainted at that.

Sorry it's so short. I have writers block. Tell me what you think should happen when they're hunting.