Hey, I know the last chapter was a busy one. But I had to establish connections between characters so what I have planned will fall into place.

Please if anyone hasn't reviewed yet I would love to see it. Receiving reviews is honestly amazing and gives me so much motivation for writing. And if you have been reviewing often please please continue!

Anyway, Chapter 12…

{Jace's POV}

"Alec, you did not have to kick her in the head you know. She was tied by Izzy's whip" I exclaimed once again.

Me and Alec had been having this same argument for a solid 20 minutes now.

After Clary was knocked out, Alec demanded we ALL return to the institute and hand Clary over to the Clave.

And there was nothing I could do to protect her now, she had injured 2 shadowhunters and seriously wounded Jon. She had broken to many laws.

So I was to carry the unconscious Clary as we made our way to the institute and Izzy and Alec helped Jon stumble along.

He was in bad shape, we had applied many amissos (blood-replenishment runes) but they were having little to no effect on him.

And Clary, blood was dripping down from her temple onto my gear from where Alec had kicked her in the head, she would definitely need a few stitches.

However the opportunity to study this girl in my arms presented itself, so I took it. I could see on her face there were many bruises and scars fading, even my parents did not have as many as her.

For a typical shadowhunter it would take lifetimes to get as many scars and marks.

I dreaded to think what the rest of her body must look like.

And trailing down onto her neck were many white vanishing runes no longer of use.

But what really caught my eye was a thin white scar cutting through her eyebrow, it looked unnatural. No ordinary injury could have been the cause of that.

Also her hair was now a platinum blonde, I remembered at the Lake when she pulled out her stele to activate a rune making her hair change colour. I had never seen anything like it.

But I felt no need to share this information with the others, I was too pissed at them to privilege them with that knowledge.

"Jace, you're one to talk about making the right decisions. I have seen what this girl can do - and you decided to go have a picnic in the park with her?" The sarcasm in Alec's voice was infuriating.

I opened my mouth to retort, but Alec was right. This outstanding warrior in my arms could have killed me if she wanted - even though I now knew she wouldn't.

She has had 2 openings and backed down on both occasions. And backing down from a fight didn't really seem like Clary's style.

The rest of the walk back to the institute was in silence - it gave me more time to think.

Something had definitely changed since we first met Clary - and I wasn't the only one who had changed.

From my meetings with Clary I could tell she felt different too, like she was doubting things she thought she once knew.

As I looked down at her I saw she had cuddled up to my chest in my arms. It seemed to just fit, and I never believed in that love at first sight bullshit. But something drew me to her, I wanted to protect her - even though she didn't need it.

{Clary's POV}

I opened my eyes slowly. Pain lanced through my head, I put my hand up to touch the side of my face.

Then realized I couldn't, hands were cuffed to the wall either side of me.

I closed my eyes again, the light was too much all in one go.

I used this time to rerun the events of the lake through my head.

Betrayal. I was being hit on all sides by it.

First my father, now Jace.

I then remembered how I had injured that familiar looking Jon boy.

And then the tanned girls whip - I shuddered at the remembrance of the agony.

It brought up painful memories from when I was younger, whenever I could not beat a demon my father would burn me with a piece of electrum.

He always used to justify it with the phrase 'It will make you stronger Clarissa', now I wonder if it just caused him joy to see me writhe in pain - it would make sense why I enjoyed cutting the boy at the lake.

Like Father like Daughter.

I opened my eyes with more caution this time - anticipating the bright light of the room I was in.

Once they had adjusted I could make out objects. My ankles were also cuffed to the floor - powerful runes engraved into them to strengthen them. Meaning not even I could muster enough power to escape them - not without the help of a stele anyway.

The room itself had 3 solid concrete walls, but the one I was facing was made of glass.

I could see 3 pairs of eyes watching me intently from the other side.

I recognised the two men as the ones I had fought on top of the hotel.

But there was a woman next to them, her I did not know. But had a pretty good idea of who she was.

{Stephen's POV}

I watched as the girl began to stir, her eyes slowly opening.

Within a matter of seconds she was trying to break free of her chains. But soon realised she was not strong enough.

So she settled for keeping a guarded face and glaring at us three.

Even through the glass I could feeling a burning hatred in the girls eyeline - there was only ever one person who I had met with that talent, the thought made my body go a little colder

"I will be having a chat with our prisoner alone, you two may remain out here" my mother commanded.

There was no point in trying to persuade her out of it, Imogen tended to get her way in the end almost every time

So me and Robert stepped a little closer to the lockup room and waited for the interrogation to begin.

{Clary's POV}

I remained still as the woman entered the room from a heavy metal door on the left, that was now being guarded by a fully geared shadowhunter.

I was insulted that they thought that mere man would have been able to stop me from leaving.

"Well little shadowhunter, you have caused me a great few problems" the woman spoke ice cold.

I would not give her the satisfaction of a retaliation, so continued to stare up at her with a flat expression.

"Why don't why begin with your name?" she questioned in a demanding voice.

I contemplated the pros and cons of what to say, but in the end Jace already knew my name so they would find out eventually.

"Clary" I matched her cold tone with ease.

"No surname?"

I just continued to watch the woman.

"Now we can do this the easy way, where you tell me what I need to know and it will be better for you."

But the woman shifted her tone harshly next…

"Or we can do this the hard way, which would result in a trial under the mortal sword."

The woman was anticipating a gasp of fear from me. But instead I pulled that trademark Morgenstern smirk and replied,

"Give it your best shot, I have endured worse pain than that of the Clave"

I deliberately emphasised my disgust of the Clave, to insult the woman.

But I knew what would happen if I touched the mortal sword.

It would not work, because of my demonic origins they would counteract the effects of the sword. Thus rendering it useless.

But there was no point in telling her that, let them believe my lies to be truths.

That was the root problem of the Clave, they trusted their blessed mortal instruments so much that they were blinded.

They believed nothing could be more powerful than the instruments, I would later eradicate that belief and show them what power really looked like.