"Did you notice how she never actually answered any of our questions?" I rolled my eyes at Alec's suspicious tone. Hodge had gone to show Clary to her room, leaving us at the table alone so that Alec could take over the role as sensible adult.

"Will you relax? It's not like she's going anywhere, like Hodge said, she's our prisoner now." I leant back in my chair, letting off an air of boredom when in fact I was very intrigued by this fiery girl.

"There are still ways to relay messages to outside the institute," Alec hissed.

"Not without a steel. Hodge checked her when she first came in," Isabelle corrected her uptight brother.

"She may not need a steel! You heard what Hodge said, Valentine was experimenting on his children with demon blood. What if she has some unknown powers?" He continued in his whispered tone.

"You're right. Maybe she's a wizard," I inputted.

"It's not funny Jace!" I rose my hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay! Why are you whispering?" Alec paused for a second to consider my question before scowling in irritation. I had that effect on people.

"She might..."

"She might have super duper hearing because she's a wizard?" I interrupted, a small smirk playing on my lips. Winding up Alec was my favourite past time. Before my dear adopted brother could become violent, Isabelle's soft voice stopped us.

"What if it is true?" I frowned, thinking back on the conversation to try and get what she was talking about. At both of our bewildered expressions, she explained.

"The whole story with Valentine and the demon blood, what if it's true? Can you imagine how she must have lived? It's a horrible thing to do!" I just blinked in surprise.

She made a good point of course. Experimenting on your children before they are even born with evil substances isn't exactly fatherly, but Isabelle's tone was a surprise. She wasn't the kind of girl to pity anyone, she was a strong woman and hid her emotions behind a twenty foot brick wall but the way she spoke now was unlike her.

"Well, it's Valentine. I can't imagine him picking up any awards for best dad of the year, can you?" I replied slowly. We were interrupted then by Hodge walking in, he too held a melancholic expression.

"She's a stubborn one," was all he said as he went to pour himself some of his famous healing tea.

"What happened?"

"I mentioned that she's be staying with us for a while," was his reply.

"And..." Isabelle pushed or more information.

"Well, let's just say she didn't take it very well."

...

Standing outside her door, I found myself hesitating to knock. Why? I had no idea. Hodge had asked us to check on her occasionally and I, being the idiot that I am, volunteered my services. I was now basically her bodyguard. I don't know why I put myself forward for this task, I was just curious and had this want to see her again. It sounded stupid when I thought about it.

Any why the hell was I nervous? What was she going to do? What was the worst thing that could happen? With that in mind, I squeezed my eyes shut and banged on her door before I could have second thoughts.

The door opened and I tried very hard to hide the fact that my breath caught in my throat. Her hair was now dry and had gone back to the red curls that I had first seen on her but this time there was no dirt hiding her almost flawless face. Her vibrant green eyes pierced through me as she raised her brows in question.

My mind went blank. It was a strange experience, it was almost like a switch. I completely forgot what I was doing at her door. I was fully aware of time passing as I racked my brain for answers while she just stood there, questions in her beautiful eyes. What the hell was happening? Hodge. Hodge wanted me to check on her.

Plastering my signature smirk on my face to hide the fact that I was indeed very nervous, yes Jace Wayland was nervous, I leant against her doorframe.

"Hodge wants updates on how you're doing." Her eyes darkened slightly and she gritted her teeth. Something I had said had obviously annoyed her. What had I said again?

"Are you supposed to be my bodyguard or my prison guard?" My smirk grew.

"I can be whatever you want me to be." At this she rose her brows, humour evident in her eyes.

"Are you flirting with me?" Shit. I wasn't meant to be flirting. I was meant to be a serious shadowhunter on a serious job.

"Only if you want me to." What am I saying? Shut your mouth Jace!

This time a real smile made its way onto her face and the voice in my head disappeared.

"That was a really bad pickup line," she tried to hide her laughter. Whether she was laughing at me or with me, I didn't care.

"That's not what the other girls said." She rolled her eyes, her small smile still playing on her lips.

"Wow. Okay. Well you can report back to the old man that I'm alive and not trying to escape. Was there anything else you needed?"

I didn't need anything else but something was stopping me from walking away. I was only meant to make sure that she wasn't in any trouble and then leave, I wasn't even meant to talk to her. I should have just said goodnight but instead...

"Can I come in?"

Her face turned blank, her smile dropped and I could see through her eyes as she closed herself off.

"No," was all she said. I shouldn't have asked the question but her response surprised me. Why was she so closed off? Was she hiding something?
Without another word, I pushed past her into her room, ignoring her yells of protest. The interior was exactly the same as my room. Bland and impersonal. A bed , a desk and a window. That was it. At first glance there was nothing strange about the room and I went back to wondering what this girl could be hiding.

Suddenly she was in front of me, pushing at my chest.

"Get the hell out!" She growled. I ignored the sparks that I felt from her hands on my skin and grabbed hold of her wrists, stopping her assault. She visibly flinched at my movement and I frowned.

"I'm not going to hurt you Clarissa," I assured.

Her eyes flashed and she ripped her wrists from out of my grip, catching me by surprise.

"My name is Clary and I want you to get out of this room." This time when she shoved at my chest, I did stumble back. She was surprisingly strong for such a small person.

"What happened to you?" The whispered question left my mouth before my brain could even process the words.

She froze, her hands on her hips.

"None of your damn business," she hissed. I leant against the wall, making it clearly obvious that I wasn't leaving.

"Actually, considering the fact that you're staying at this institute, I think you'll find that it is."

"Well, let me go and you don't ever have to see me again." I sucked my tongue between my teeth and shrugged,

"You know I can't do that, Clarissa," I emphasized the use of her name and watched as she visibly tensed.

"My name is..."

"Clary," I interrupted, enjoying the feel of her name on my tongue. "Why don't you like Clarissa?" She ignored my question and I grinned at the frustration swirling in her eyes. Her beautiful eyes.

"What's Jace short for?" She asked through clenched teeth. I blinked in surprise.

"What?"
"What's Jace short for?" She repeated. I hesitated a moment before answering,

"Jonathan."

"Why do people call you Jace?" I scowled.

"Wouldn't you like to know." She smirked in response to my lame comeback.

"I'll start answering some of your questions when you stop being an ass hole. Now get. Out. Of. My. Room."

"You realise that if you don't talk to us, the clave will get involved and so will the mortal sword." For a moment I saw the same fear flash in her eyes and I was reminded of the terrified girl who flinched away from everything. It was soon disguised by her already familiar guarded look.

"You can't use the mortal sword on me," her tone was sure and I rose my brows in questions.

"And why not?"

"Valentine has it."

At this I stood straight. What was she saying? Valentine wanted the sword?

"Well, he won't be able to get it, the sword is heavily guarded, nobody can get to it. Not even your father." Pain was evident on her face when I pointed out her relationship with Valentine and I felt momentarily guilty until I remembered our conversation.

"You know, the Clave isn't as powerful as it makes itself out to seem." I frowned in confusion to her rather dubious statement.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Valentine doesn't need to get the sword. He's already got it."

My confusion only grew. Valentine couldn't have the sword. If it had been taken, we would have known almost straight away.

"That's impossible," I voiced my doubts. She shrugged as if none of it mattered.

"Believe what you want. But when Valentine gets what he needs, he'll destroy the Clave like it's nothing."

Fear spread through me at her words. She didn't say it like she was a part of this crazy plan. She said it like a warning.

"And what is it that he needs?" A smirk grew on her face but there was no humour behind it. It looked like she knew something that was inevitable and she had accepted her fate. It was terrifying.

"Me."