5

Taki's

"What do you think about New York?" Jace asked her.

A look of disgust spread across her face. "I despise it. More demons reside here than anywhere else in the United States."

"Why'd you live here, then?"

"It's better than Idris I suppose. I mean I'll always call it home, but Idris isn't really the place for me. I feel like New York really isn't either. There's somewhere else that I belong; I just don't know where yet."

"Do you think maybe that you are an Angel?"

She looked over at him. "I'm not sure. It's difficult to accept considering…well…I never really believed in anything; even if I am a Shadowhunter."

He chuckled. "I don't believe in anything either, so I guess that's a similarity."

"If I were an Angel…what would that make me?"

"Well, the book said that the father of the Angel cast their child out of heaven for them to gain their wings and come back to it. The question is who the Angel that cast you out is?"

"…I doubt it to be an Archangel…you know…if I am one."

"You can't say that. Then you're just putting doubt on yourself."

"…Well, I mean say it were an Archangel. Would it make me…a…princess…or something?" She scowled at her words, feeling hate toward the idea of "princess".
"Oh so now you're taking hold to your title?"

She shot him a dangerous look. "That is NOT an opening for you to call me that," she growled.

He threw his hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying."

"Well, don't!" She looked away from him, crossing her arms as a sudden anger swallowed her whole. A low rumbling sound grew in her throat and escaped her lips.

"Leigh-Ann," Jace's firm voice called to her and hands grasped her arms. She was being turned toward him. She maneuvered out of his grasp, grabbing his wrist and swinging him over her shoulder. He landed flat on his back and she pulled a seraph blade out and to his throat, straddling his hips. A killing desire was eating at her until something tackled her down and held her wrist down, knocking the seraph blade out of her hand. She looked up in shock.

Sadie's dark eyes looked down at her, calm, yet determined and they headed warning. Leigh-Ann's persona lightened up and the anger was gone.

Sadie got off of her as Jace stood up. She looked up at him with horror.

"Oh…Oh, God, Jace, I'm so sorry."

His face was calm and he didn't look angry at all. His hand reached out to her and she took it willingly yet cautiously. He pulled her up and grabbed her arms gently, steadying her stance. She looked up at him with a look of gratefulness.

"I'm sorry. I don't know...I don't know what did that. I…I don't act like that. I-"

He put a finger to her lips, silencing her before a putting a hand upon her cheek. "It's not your fault and I'm going to do whatever I can to help you gain your wings back. You don't look a demon and I'm not going to let you become one."

She opened her mouth and closed it again several times before two words finally came out. "Thank you."

"Now, let's go eat." He released her but put a hand at the small of her back and led her down the street. Sadie trotted along next to them.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"Stop apologizing, Leigh-Ann Grace," he commanded, though in a calm tone. She looked up at him and he was looking down at her as well. The flush came to her cheeks immediately and she looked away from him to see that he was leading her toward a door. She looked up at the sign above. It read "Taki's".

"Have you ever eaten here?" Jace asked.

"No not at the time that I've lived in New York."

He opened the door for her and she walked in. He led her to a booth somewhere in the back corner. Nobody was around this area, so she assumed he'd brought her there for that bit of privacy.

The waitress came by asking for their drink orders. Leigh-Ann could tell she was a Downworlder; faerie is what she sensed. She noticed the blonde wink at Jace before walking away and Leigh-Ann looked back at Jace, curiously.

"Do you have a thing for her?" she asked him. He looked back at her, an amused look on his face.

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "I'm just ridiculously hot."

"It's just sad when someone is actually that conceited."

"I'm not conceited; it's true."

She shook her head, though, some little part inside of her was glad he didn't like the waitress.

"How'd you know I needed rescuing?" she asked looking back at him. With that, she noticed his body react and he tensed automatically. When he didn't respond, she said, "You're hiding something from me."