"Wow, Fray, you've got skills."

Simon's shoulder brushed Clary's as they stood side-by-side, admiring the freshly painted artwork on Simon's van. The streets had grown more silent as night fell, and the only sound was the distant music coming from the doors to the pandemonium. A cold breeze caused Clary to shudder involuntarily, and she pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, her arms hugging her chest.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Simon was looking down at her curiously, concern etched into his features. He looked worried, Clary noticed, her stomach knotting.

"I'm okay," she said with a smile. Her voice came out louder than she'd anticipated, but her tone was uneven. She hoped he wouldn't notice but knew deep down that he would. Simon knew her too well.

"Okay." To Clary's surprise, he dropped the topic. "So, you don't actually want to go in there do you?" He nodded towards the Pandemonium.

Clary's gaze followed Simon's, almost longingly.

He was in there.

They all were.

She knew she needed to see them again. The urge was almost impossible to repress.

She snapped out of her daze, turning back towards Simon. "Of course we are."

Simon shoved his hands into his pockets, a gruff expression on his face. She knew that this wasn't his scene, and that he'd rather spend his evening in a small coffee shop downtown, listening to a local band performing on stage while engaging in casual conversation with a friend. But he was doing this for her; everything he did was for her. She realised that now, and she felt a surge of warmth spread through her body. She never appreciated Simon enough, and now she could see that. She wasn't blinded by her infatuation with Jace, or the shock of being thrown into the shadow world. She could be here for him now; in the way she should have been the first time.

Despite the cold, she slipped out of her jacket, tossing it into the driver's side of the van. She plucked the keys out of the ignition and shut the door, throwing them to Simon. "Come on, it's my birthday. I only get to turn eighteen once, you know." She gestured for him to follow her as she took a few steps backwards. "You know you want to…"

Simon gave her an exasperated look, but proceeded to follow her anyway, his hands tucked firmly into the pockets of his jacket. "Fine," he grumbled, "but you owe me one, Fray!"


The club was bustling with nightlife as Clary weaved her way through the crowds, tugging a reluctant and less agile Simon behind her. She stopped when she'd found a spot she was satisfied with, turning towards him with a smile. She grabbed both of his hands, urging him to dance with her as her body moved with the music. He stood there, stiffly, at first, but as she persisted to dance alongside him, he began to loosen up, the tightness in his shoulders subsiding slightly.

After a few minutes, she nodded towards the bar as the music began to slow. "Are you okay to get drinks while I try to find the restroom?"

Simon nodded. "Are you sure you're going to be alright? It's really busy in here-"

Clary cut him off. "I'll be fine. See you back here in five?"

He nodded again and looked as though he was going to say something else, but Clary planted a quick, yet soft kiss to his cheek and turned on her heels, disappearing back into the thick crowds of people.

She headed straight towards the far end of the room. From the outside, it looked like an electrical closet, and had a 'no entry' sign on the door. Clary looked around hesitantly, but nobody seemed to be watching her. She opened the door just wide enough for her to slip through, and pulled it shut behind her.


The room seemed empty at first, and Clary looked around, frowning. She was sure that this was the right room, but it seemed completely empty. She felt the weight of the glamour pressing down on her, and she tried her hardest to push it away. It seemed more resistant than she remembered, but she fought harder. They were here, she just knew it.

"I won't tell you anything!"

Clary's head jerked up. The voice resonated through the room, and she could hear every word clearly as if the person who spoke them was stood right beside her.

"If you want to live, you'll tell us what you know, demon."

His voice cut through her like a knife, and Clary suddenly felt lightheaded. This was it. This was the moment she'd been waiting for. This was the time that Jace and the Lightwoods had realised that she was a Shadowhunter.

She saw them then. It was as if all the glamour had came crashing down. They stood only a few yards in front of her. They were looking at her. All of them.

Isabelle.

Alec.

Jace.

They were all staring at her, open-mouthed. Isabelle looked shocked, her knuckles whitening as her grip tightened reflectively around the whip in her hand. Alec looked annoyed, almost. His lips were pressed together into a thin line, and the seraph blade in his hand was pointed in her direction, almost threateningly.

Jace, on the other hand, looked calm, collected. If Clary didn't know any better, she'd think that her presence was merely an inconvenience to him, but she could see the hard set of his jaw and the guarded look in his eyes.

And then her gaze moved to the demon who stood cornered between them. Or, at least, that's where it was when she'd first saw them. She heard Isabelle's shrill, panicked scream before she saw it herself.

But by then, it was too late.

Something hard struck her from the side, and the room was plunged into darkness.

A/N: So... do you think Clary should tell them her secret? Or play along as being the clueless girl she was in the beginning?

As always, let me know what you think. Feedback is greatly appreciated!