I know, this update took forever. And I know it tends to with this story. I'm sorry.

This story is harder to write because I can't just sit down and write it. I have to have my kindle there and have it charged, which is nearly impossible because the stupid thing takes about three days to charge fully, and about two hours to die. So updates on this will take longer than my other stories because of a lack of convenience.

I will finish it though, don't worry.

Anyway, have fun with this chapter. There's a lot of Jace's thoughts about Clary in it, so enjoy ;)

Come, Brother Jeremiah's voice echoed in my head. He passed us silently, heading towards the darker parts of the cemetery. I followed, my gait automatically adapting to make less noise on the crunching leaves and dry grass under our feet. I fought down a smile when I heard Clary's shoes crunching behind me. A part of me was a bit irritated at her lack of knowledge, but the majority of me found it somewhat endearing that she wasn't as stoic and silent as most Shadowhunters were. It was like a breath of fresh air to have her around. All I could think was that every step we took towards finding her mother was another step closer to running out of air. She was going to leave us as soon as she found her mother, if she didn't find a reason to stay.

I had to give her a reason. She was a Shadowhunter. However it had happened, she had Nephilim blood. She belonged in our world. I wanted her in it. Unfortunately, I highly doubted that the Silent City would be a reason for her to want to be part of this world.

I'd been there before, but I never really got used to it, not completely. It wasn't really something you could get used to. The damn place is creepy as hell, even coming from a Shadowhunter's point of view.

I saw the angel statue coming into view, and slowed, halting when Jeremiah reached it.

I was about to turn around and explain to Clary when she ran straight into my back, letting out a short yelp. She jumped back, and I turned, raising a brow and hiding another smile.

"Don't screech like that. You'll wake the dead," I teased.

Her eyes, bright in the dim lighting, widened fractionally, even as she frowned at me.

"Why are we stopping?" she asked, her voice lowered.

I turned slightly away from her, pointing to Brother Jeremiah. I watched Clary as her eyes skimmed over the surface of the statue, taking everything in. I'd seen it before and really didn't care if I saw it again or not. Seeing the wonder in her eyes was infinitely better. I saw her eyes stick curiously on the latin words carved into the base, then on the cup in the angel's hands.

"Is that meant to be the Mortal Cup?" she asked, taking a fraction of a step forward.

I nodded. "And that's the motto of the Nephilim-the Shadowhunters-there on the base," I said, waving a hand at the words, my Wayland ring glinting in the shadows.

"What does it mean?" she asked, her voice lilting in curiosity. I grinned.

"It means 'Shadowhunters: Looking Better in Black than the Widows of our Enemies Since 1234.'"

She gave me a flat look, clearly not believing me. "Jace-"

It means The descent into Hell is easy.

I saw Clary blink, her face slightly paler than it had been a couple seconds ago.

"Nice and cheery," she stated, not looking cheery at all.

"It's the Brothers' little joke having that here," I tried to assure her. "You'll see."

She didn't look comforted, just watching as Jeremiah took out a stele, already glowing in his hands, and traced a rune that was unfamiliar to me onto the statue. The angel's mouth fell open, looking as though it was screaming or crying. The grass parted at the statue's base, revealing a granite stairwell. I headed down the steps first, knowing Jeremiah would take up the back, and Clary would definitely not be going first.

When there were no footsteps behind me, I turned and looked for Clary, finding myself looking up to her for probably the first and only time. She was peering down nervously, her eyes meeting mine after a moment.

"Come on," I said a little rudely. I wanted to spend as little time down here as possible.

She placed a foot warily on one of the steps, like a skittish animal. I saw her pick up her other foot to continue down the steps when Brother Jeremiah caught her arm.

My whole body tensed up as I saw her spin, her hair flying around her shoulders, to face him, green eyes wide. She looked absolutely terrified, and I felt anger rush up as I wondered whether he had only done that to scare her. SIlent Brothers were typically pretty somber, but they were known to sometimes try and up the fear and creepiness involved in visiting their city, to mess with new Shadowhunters, or even old ones.

I could tell he was saying something to her by the way she was watching his skeletal face as though she was about to be pushed down the stone steps. His hand released her arm, and she practically flew down the steps to stand beside me, closer than she usually would. I could feel her body heat warming my side, even though we weren't actually touching. I gave Jeremiah a brief glare, something I'd never dared to do to a Silent Brother.

It was fine enough to mess with the younger Shadowhunters when they visited the Silent Brothers, but Clary was completely different. She hadn't grown up with Shadowhunters, and she hadn't ever even heard about the Brothers until today. At least the younger Shadowhunters knew for sure that the Brotherhood was there for assistance, no matter how threatening their appearance was. Clary, on the other hand, was trying to take all of this new information in as she went, and she'd never heard a good word about the Silent City or what they did. She didn't know that she didn't need to fear them, and it pissed me off more than it should that Jeremiah was exploiting that.

Unsurprisingly, the Brother didn't respond to my look at all, simply starting slowly down the stairs. I held the torch I'd grabbed off the wall, holding it at eye level as I turned to Clary. "You all right?"

Clary nodded immediately, although her face was still unnaturally pale. I contributed a bit of it to the greenish lighting, but even so, her skin was so light that I toyed with the thought that I was really seeing straight through to her skull. Then I blinked away the slightly disturbing image as she stuttered out a response. "It's so...dark."

She was looking off deeper into the tunnel and I couldn't help but think that, if this was a typical situation, I could completely use her skittish reaction to this place as a way to get her closer to me. Shit, I could do it in this very atypical situation. "You want me to hold your hand?"

I cursed myself silently as she whipped around to narrow her eyes at me. Clearly, my tone had come out a bit more condescending than I'd meant it to. She tucked her small, slightly shaking hands behind her back, clasping them together. "Don't talk down to me."

I knew I should respond with an apology, telling her that I had meant it seriously, but looking at her in that moment, a grin twitched at my lips.

She looked every bit like a small, determined child. She was still as short as always, her lip jutted out slightly and her jaw set, hands clasped behind her back like a scolded little girl. I couldn't help but joke back, seeing that her annoyance was making her less frightened. "Well, I could hardly talk up to you. You're too short." I took a brief moment to take in her narrowed eyes before turning to where Jeremiah had moved to stand behind Clary, watching the two of us like we were amusing to him somehow. "No need to stand on ceremony, Brother Jeremiah. Lead on, we'll be right behind you." Where you can't watch us eerily, I added silently.

I saw Clary jump as he passed behind her, bringing her a half step closer to me. I held my hand out to her as she turned to follow him, half hoping that she would actually take it. She swatted it aside as she started to follow Jeremiah, making my lips twist to the side in a dissapointment I didn't quite understand.

I'd seen the Silent City a few times in my life already, and didn't really have any need to gape at it again. So, instead, I watched Clary as she saw everything for the first time. As the arches that lined the path rose up around us, I saw her eyes widen in awe. Her fingers twitched at her sides in a way I'd noticed before, although I couldn't quite tell what it meant yet-whether it was a nervous tick or something else.

Her eyes ran over the arches, catching on the gems in them, before going to the very floor we were walking on, nearly tripping over her own feet as she looked over the runes carved into the marble. She flicked her eyes between my arms and the ground and, after a moment, I realized she was recognizing the ones on the floor from what she'd seen on my skin when I was hunting.

Then her eyes went to the large white mausoleums to the side. Her brows furrowed in confusion. Without her having to ask, I started telling her about them.

"It's a mausoleum. A tomb. We bury our dead here."

"All your dead?" She asked curiously, blinking at me as she turned away from gawking at her surroundings and rushing to catch up to me, as I'd gotten a few paces ahead of her. "I thought you said this was a library." Before I could answer, Jeremiah was answering for me.

There are many levels to the Silent City, and not all the dead are buried here. There is another Ossuary in Idris, of course, much larger. But on this level are the mausoleums and the place of burning.

"The place of burning?" Clary repeated, looking at Jeremiah in curiosity.

Those who die in battle are burned, their ashes used to make the marble arches that you see here. The blood and bone of demon slayers is itself a powerful protection against evil. Even in death, the Clave serves the cause.

Clarys brows furrowed in the way that I'd noticed several times now when she heard something new about the Nephilim. It was as though it was concerning to her somehow. I tried to think of it how she would, without being raised like a warrior. Maybe she thought it was disgusting that we used bodies as protection? That would make sense, I guess.

We reached a staircase that I vaguely recognized. The torch I was carrying lit up Clary's face as she looked around in what looked like agitation. I wondered if all the dim lighting and morbid talk was getting to her. "We're going to the second level, where the archives and the council rooms are," I assured her.

Clary blinked, as though something had just occurred to her. "Where are the living quarters?" Oh god, I thought, amusement washing over me. "Where do the brothers sleep?"

Sleep? Jeremiah asked. I laughed as Clary's eyes widened.

"You had to ask."

We followed the tunnel the rest of the way until we reached the council room. I eyes the Mortal Sword where it was hung up against the dark wall across from us. I watched Clary after taking in the Speaking Stars shining on the floor. She looked around with wide eyes, lingering on the massive sword.

We have arrived, Clarissa, stand before the council.

I wanted to glower at him as Clary blinked quickly, looking to the brother in surprise before looking at me hesitantly before stepping forward into the square outlining the Stars on the floor.

"All right," she said, clearing her throat. "Now what?"

I saw her suck in a breath as the brothers lined up, lowering their hoods in unison. I fought to keep a grimace from my face, but managed. She didn't. Her shock was obvious as she took in the mutilated faces of the brothers. I saw Clary flinch, the same way she had when Jeremiah had first spoken to her and felt a bit of annoyance. They'd clearly excluded me from this discussion.

After a second, I saw Clary jump slightly once again. "Stop," she snapped, her voice stronger than I could have expected. "You can go inside my head, but only when I'm ready."

There was another pause.

"You want to know what's in my mind, just like I do," Clary said suddenly, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "That doesn't mean you can't be careful about it."

I blinked in surprise at how bold she'd become in just seconds.

The brother leading the others put his fingers together, looking at Clary like she was a particularly unique puzzle. After a few seconds, I saw Clary's jaw clench as she gritted her teeth in irritation. She clenched and unclenched her fingers once before sighing and closing her eyes, hiding the beautiful green I'd already come to adore. "Go ahead," she finally said.

I frowned as I saw her fingers tick once at her side, and this time I knew it was a result of her nerves. She seemed completely calm after that, before she suddenly stiffened. Her eyes stayed closed, but I could now see them moving under her lids, as though she was watching a movie in her mind. That lasted for a few minutes before her lips parted, a low gasp slipping from her lips. Her eyes moved faster and I shifted my weight, watching her carefully and wishing I could be at her side. I didn't like the way she was reacting to whatever they were doing to her.

I forced myself to remain still, reminding myself that I couldn't protect her from this anyway.

I had nearly calmed myself when Clary's legs seemed to lose their strength. She hit the ground hard on the marble and I took a single step forward before a brother gave me a warning to stay away. I did, despite the uneasiness I felt, watching as she curled in on herself.

I saw the red of her blood and felt my heart race. She was hurt. I kept my face as calm as I could, despite wanting to rush forward and punch every single one of the brothers.

Then her eyes opened. I saw her take a second, blinking twice as she continued to lie on the ground. Relief rushed through me and my shoulders slumped as I realized that she was okay, or alive at least. I saw her wince as she sat up, holding her left arm stiffly by her side. She looked over at me, her eyes meeting mine and betraying some relief.

Before either of us broke our eye contact, Brother Jeremiah spoke, making Clary scramble to her feet, still holding her arm awkwardly. I'd noticed her land on it heavily when she fell, and wondered if it was broken.

The block inside your mind is stronger than we had anticipated. It can be safely undone only by the one who put it there. For us to remove it would be to kill you.

"But I don't know who put it there," she said, sounding more frustrated than I'd heard her yet. "If I knew that, I wouldn't have come here."

I nearly smiled at the barbed comment. She was getting feisty again.

The answer to that is woven into the thread of your thoughts. In your waking dream you saw it written.

I frowned. I was missing something.

"Magnus Bane?" She burst out, looking incredulous. "But-that's not even a name!"

It is enough.

I nearly glowered at him. Asshole.

The Brothers stood and left the room. I barely acknowledged their respectful gestures as I rushed to Clary's side. I grabbed her wrist immediately, pulling on it so I could see her arm. "Is your arm alright? Let me see."

She flinched, glaring at me half-heartedly. "Ouch! It's fine. Don't do that, you're making it worse." She tried to pull away, and I would have been offended if I didn't know that it was just her frustration spilling over.

"You bled on the Speaking Stars," I said, instead of trying to argue. "I bet there's a law somewhere about that." Being more careful now, I turned her arm over and whistled at the blood that had spilled down her arm. I felt a little better now that I knew there wasn't anything wrong with her that a healing rune wouldn't fix. Her nose wrinkled a bit as I shifted her arm again.

"Is this when you start tearing strips off your T-shirt to bind up my wound?" She asked, shifting her eyes purposefully away from her arm. My head tilted to the side a bit. She didn't like blood. She'd have to get over that sometime soon. It didn't do well for a Shadowhunter to be shy at the sight of blood.

Without really intending to, I responded to her sarcasm with some of my own as I pulled my stele out.

"If you wanted me to rip my clothes off, you should have just asked. It would have been a lot less painful." I saw Clary tense as the stele approached her skin, then relax as the adamas actually started to do its work. "There." I let her have her arm back, and she bent it curiously, her eyes lighting up in wonder. "And next time you're planning to injure yourself to get my attention, just remember that a little sweet talk works wonders."

I saw her lips turn up in a slight smile and nearly smiled myself. I turned away to keep her from seeing my lapse of control. "I'll keep that in mind," she said, her voice light. "And thanks."

I bit back my smile as I saw Jeremiah watching us. "Brother Jeremiah," I started, rubbing my hands together as I tried to get back to business. But then I realized that the business was over. For this part, at least. "You've been very quiet all this time. Surely you have some thoughts you want to share." I narrowed my eyes as he continued to watch Clary and I. Throughout this trip, I had begun to dislike Jeremiah more and more.

I am charged with leading you from the Silent City, and that is all. I raised a brow at the odd note to his words. Maybe he didn't like me all that much either.

"We could always show ourselves out," I offered, already knowing what the answer would be. "I'm sure I remember the way-"

The marvels of the Silent City are not for the eyes of the uninitiated. He spun around soundlessly, and I was reminded of Isabelle when she was pissed about something. This way.

Clary's relief at being back in the living world was obvious. I wondered if Jeremiah was offended, but he didn't seem to even notice. Clary and I walked with him back down the path to the exit, and I saw that her breaths were deep as though she was trying to chase away the air she'd breathed in while she was in the Silent City.

"It's going to rain," I said after a moment, breaking the comfortable silence between us. I almost wanted to treat this like a date, and put my arm around her, act like any normal couple making their way through New York. But I could only imagine what reaction that would receive. She would either shake my arm off and make things completely strained, or she would let me keep it there, sparking all kinds of emotions I didn't want to feel. Instead, I just watched her from the corner of my eyes as she looked up at the sky, a tiny smile on her lips. Then she frowned.

"Are we taking a carriage back to the Institute?"

I looked to Jeremiah and the carriage. Then I looked at her and grinned. "No way. I hate those things. Let's hail a cab."

The smile she broke into made the whole trip worth it, whether we'd gotten any reliable information or not.

Hope you liked it.

My next story to be updated is Blind Date, since I already updated Twisted within the past few days. So if you're reading Blind Date, lookout for an update there.

-Cassidy