Chapter 4

What could she tell Jace? Nothing. No. Definitely not. Ugh! Why can't things be simple?

"Clary? Hello?" Simon waved his hand in her face, trying to get her attention. He sighed and sat back, sipping his coffee. Clary blinked, inhaling sharply. There was an incessant buzzing going on in her head and it wasn't just her best friend chattering. "Jeez, you're really in your own world."

She tried to smile, but even she knew it came off forced. "Sorry," Her coffee had long since gone cold, but that didn't bother her. Any caffeine was good caffeine.

Simon sighed. "What's up with you, anyway? You were fine yesterday," Clary shot him a warning glance. He held up his hands. "Okay, okay. I'll shut up."

Clary closed her eyes a second, blocking out the noises around her. They were in Java Jones, their usual spot, but nothing felt right. Magnus and Alec still hadn't been found, and even though she told herself they could handle themselves, that they would come home eventually with or without help, things still seemed to drag at her, taunting her. It was all Sebastian's fault. He liked to mess with her head. After he'd left, she'd crawled under her covers and cried. Of course, she'd felt stupid afterwards, because why should she get upset over him, but at the same time, he always got under her skin.

"Jace is worried about you," said Simon, dragging her attention back to him.

She frowned. "He shouldn't be."

He set his cup down and faced her full on, taking her hands. "No, but he is. And so am I. What happened last night? You left in a rush."

She shrugged away from him, pushing herself off the sofa. "Nothing happened."

The mid morning crowd were starting to dwindle and soon the afternoon crowd would come in, full swing, until the day wore on. Clary had to get out of there. She grabbed her coat and headed toward the door. "You coming?" she said, glancing over at Simon, who remained seated. He wore the look of someone trying to figure out a maths equation. It made her smile, seeing him confused like that.

He quickly got to his feet and hurried to her. "Where are we going?"

"To figure out what the hell is going on!"

If she were honest with herself, a tiny part of her wanted to ask Sebastian if he knew. After all, she wouldn't put it past him to have kidnapped them himself, or got one of his sleazy lackey's to do it. Either way, he had a way with the demons, and that would surely help them, right?

"You're doing it again," Simon whined. They were in the Institute; the library, to be more precise. Clary had dug out a couple of books about location spells. Not that she was into magic, or knew anyone who was - besides Magnus - but Magnus had lent them a few books on different things just in case they had to do an emergency manoeuvre. Spells that didn't require much effort, in other words.

"Doing what?" asked Jace. He stood leaning against the wall, watching her with a glazed look. Clary had tried to avoid him, more because she knew it would involve questions.

"Clary," explained Simon. "She's spacing out on us."

Clary wasn't stupid, nor deaf, but she had to read this paragraph without distractions. Not that it mattered. She'd been lost in thought for a while.

Jace snapped his fingers. She looked up briefly. "You need sleep," he told her.

"Shut up," He closed the book and took it from her hands. Clary wanted to smack him. "Hey! I was reading that."

"Unless there are instructions on magical creatures and where to find them, i.e. Magnus Bane, I think this book can wait. Go to bed!" The stern look in his eyes was enough to make her angry, even if his words weren't.

She shook her head, erasing the mood clouding her judgement. "You're so mean sometimes," she said, tiptoeing to give him a kiss. He accepted graciously and wound his arms around her. The warmth from his body was calming and homely. Something she'd missed in the short time they'd been apart. She wished their trip away hadn't been broken, that they were back in their hotel room, alone and having fun.

"And you love it," he murmured against her neck. She smiled.

"Ew, you two need to get a room." Simon opened a cupboard and pulled out a large hardbound tome. He blew the top cover and a plume of dust shrouded him. Clary laughed.

"That'll teach you," she said, sauntering out of the library.

The halls of the Institute were eerily quiet, especially given how little she'd been there. How little any of them had been there, really. Summer had come and gone, so now there was that damp chill in the air. Church lingered by the music room, purring amiably, his tail swishing with pride. Clary bent to pet his head but something shiny caught her attention inside the room. She opened the door wider until the hall light helped her see better. To the untrained eye it would seem she was alone, but Clary knew better.

"What do you want?" She said, spinning around and slamming a body against the wall, her stele already in her hand against their throat.

Sebastian laughed and raised his hands above his head. "What? A man can't enjoy the arts once in awhile?"

"You're not man," she spat in his face. "You couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?"

"Guilty." He leant back, relaxing, despite Clary not moving an inch. He smirked. "So, we just gonna stand here all day? I mean, I'm free, but I doubt your boyfriend would like it much." He finished with a wink, and Clary felt ready to vomit at his feet, so she slowly backed away, stashing her stele back in her pocket.

"Say what you have to say and leave," she said.

He stepped away from the wall and ran a hand through his white blond hair. His clothes were still impeccable, and clearly the same as the previous visit. Did he ever sleep? Thinking of sleep, Clary yawned.

"Aw, did I disturb your cat nap?" At that, Church meowed loudly in the corridor.

"No," she said, staring daggers at him in the dim light.

He sighed. "All right, if you insist. As the good brother that I am-"

"You are not my brother," she muttered.

Sebastian grinned and pointed a finger at her, like he was shooting a gun. "You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. Anyway, as I was saying. As the good brother that I am, I felt it within myself to do a good deed. You know, to make up for all the horrid things I've been doing, and I thought to myself, what can I do? And then it came to me: I could help you find your friends…" He clicked his fingers, feigning thinking. "What's their names? Oh…"

"Just get on with it."

"Yes, well. The ones that apparently were kidnapped."

"And?" she said, about done with this and ready to smack him into next century.

"It'll cost ya," he said.

"No doubt," Another yawn escaped her.

"Big time."

"Whatever," she said. There was a tingle of fear in her veins, but the weariness won over and she rolled her eyes.

He grew closer to her, his chest up against hers. His breath was hot and minty, and otherwise not unpleasant for once. "What you gonna do for me, huh?"

"Nothing," said a voice behind them. The lights came on and Jace stood in the doorway, looking less than pleased. His cheeks puffed out, the way they did when he was building himself up for a fight. "Get away from Clary, asshole."

Clary winced. "Jace,"

"Clary, no. I'm done with this sneaking around. If he has something to say, he can say it to all of us."

"Oh, do come in, Jonathan. I love it when you spice things up." Sebastian winked at Clary. Seriously?

Jace took a step in the room but didn't let down his guard. "My name is Jace.Your name is Jonathan. Get it right, idiot."

Sebastian - Jonathan - smiled, a dark glint in his eyes. "Not tonight," he said. He twisted the ring on his finger and disappeared.