Chapter 3

"Why do you care so much?" For the past half hour Jace has been trying to convince us that we need to go get that Clary girl from the club last night.

"I don't," I raise my eyebrows skeptically. "Its just that she saw us, when we were using our glamours-"

"That and you think she's cute." Isabel interrupted. The thought of Jace thinking shes cute makes me feel sick and I have to sit down. You don't like him, I scold Myself, it doesn't matter if he thinks shes cute.

" I do not." Its very obvious he's lying, this makes me feel even worse.

"Jace, shes a mundie." I insist.

"What if she isn't? How else would you explain her seeing us, hmmm?" This I don't have an answer for.

"I think Jace should go get her I'd very much like to talk to her." I turn my head to the entrance of the library where Hodge just entered.

"Hodge you can't be serious-" I start but Hodge cuts me off.

"I'm quite serious Charlotte. Even if she isn't a shadow hunter she could still see you and that in itself is very strange." He gives me a hard stare.

"Fine. Whatever." I get up from the armchair I was sitting in and push past Hodge. "But I'm not going to get her." I call over my shoulder

BAM BAM BAM. Someone pounds on my door.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"Its me." The voice belongs to Isabel.

"Come in." She opens the door and steps inside closing the door behind her. I put my book that I was reading down and Isabel sits in my desk chair across from me.

"Jace got Clary."

"Good for him." I say sarcastically.

"She was attacked by a ravener demon in her apartment apparently it got her mom," A hand shoots up to cover my mouth and a gasp escapes my throat. Poor girl. Clary might not be my favorite person in the world right now but I know what its like to lose your parents.

"And apparently she killed it with Jaces censor," Izzy continued her story. "but she got stung and she was out cold when Jace carried her in. And now shes asleep in the infirmary." She finished.

"Where's Jace?" I ask.

She shrugged "Last I saw he was with her but he could be anywhere by now." I nod I can't help the jealousy I feel when Izzy tells me he was sitting by her bed.

"Sorry about my comment earlier." I look at her confused. "About Jace thinking Clary's cute."

"What's there to be sorry for?What do I care if he thinks she's cute." Isabel gives me a disbelieving look.

"Char I know you like him."

"That's ridiculous, I do not like Jace." I try to make myself sound as believable as possible.

"Come on Char its so obvious."

"I do not like Jace! And he doesn't like me either."

"Are you kidding?" Isabel looked at me like I was crazy. "He's crazy about you."

I snort "Yeah right."

"Come on Char, are you blind?"

"No I'm not blind and Jace doesn't like me not like that were siblings that's all."

"Not technically. It would be totally fine if you guys started dating."

"Were not going to start dating. End of discussion." And I walk out of the room before she can say anymore.

I go straight to the greenhouse. Its where I go whenever I want to be alone. Especially when I want to be away from Izzy or Alec. They're both allergic so they never come up here.

I sit down next to a bush of midnight flowers. They only bud at midnight but when they do they are the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. They've been my favorite ever since Jace showed them to me when I first came here.

Laying down on my back I close my eyes and let the smells surround me and take me away. It smells like Idris and it reminds me of auntie Em's house. I remember helping her in her garden and going on long walks through the country with memories come flooding back the good and the bad. The day she was killed appears at the front of my mind and I relive the scene.

Just a simple demon rade. Easy, we've done tons of them before. But we weren't expecting greater demons to be there. They took us by surprise and we had no time to react. After an intense fight the demon had me against the wall and weaponless. Just as he was about to strike the final blow aunt Em pushed me out of the way and the demons claws sliced her across the neck…

"Char?" A hand on my shoulder wakes me from my memories and I bolt upright. My head collided with a hard object sending a stab of pain through my skull.

"What was that for?" I open my eyes to see Jace rubbing his own head.

"Me? You're the one who snuck up on me."

"I didn't sneak up on you. I came up here and I say you then I realized you were crying and I wanted to make sure you were okay." For the first time I could feel the tears on my cheeks.

"Oh." I say as I wipe them away.

Jaces tone softens when he asks. "Are you okay?"

Instead of looking at him when I answer I look at my hands. "I'm fine."

"Come on Char I know that's not true. Whats wrong?"

"Nothing I was just thinking about Idris… and my aunt. But really I'm fine." I look up and give him a little smile. Hopefully its enough to convince him to drop it.

Its not. "What happened to your aunt?"

I sigh but tell him the story. "And then we came to live at the institute." When I'm done fresh tears are streaming down my cheeks.

Jace takes my hand in his. "It wasn't your fault you know."

I look him straight in the eye. "Yes it was. She pushed me out of the way it should have been me."

Jace shook his head. "No. It wasn't your fault." His voice is firm.

"But Jace-"

"No I wont let you blame yourself for this." The look in his eyes made it clear he wasn't going to argue. "Your aunt knew what she was doing and she wouldn't want you to blame yourself. Okay?" I nod my head. He just sounds so sure.

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