I fell back heavily against my bedroom door as soon as it was shut. Luckily, I hadn't been given the curse of dealing with my mother in my current state, as she was on a vacation with Luke. If I'd had to explain to her why I was all fallen apart, I'd only walk myself off a cliff.

And I was all fallen apart.

Jace was back. Izzy was back. Alec was back. Jace was back. The one person who I'd only wanted the affection of, and only managed to earn his hatred. The one person who had enough of me to break my heart. The one person who took that chance.

And on top of that?

He was Nephilim. Human-Angel hybrid. Defenders of the human race. Protectors of Earth itself. Conquerors, hunters, and killers of demons. He was a Shadowhunter.

And I was too.

0.o.O.o.0

I'd dug myself a hole.

It had been two months since my personal tragedy. I'd cut myself off from all social interaction. Practically all connection with the outside world had been snapped.

That's exactly why I had no idea the Herondales had left town. As did the Lightwoods. Completely vanished. This only managed to dig me deeper into my own hole.

I told Jocelyn I was sick. Told her all my time in the hospital-after my unfortunate "fall"-had given me some bug. She had trouble believing it, but she wasn't about to push me. My mother tended to handle me like a million-dollar ruby necklace.

A knock sounded at the front door. I perked up. A visitor? My heart wandered, straying from the bounds I'd forcefully set. I shoved it back into place. I slowly dragged myself from my cocoon of pillows and blankets, dumped a few empty tubs of ice cream into the trash, and quieted the re-run episode of "Gilmore Girls."

I opened the door and was greeted with—sparkles. Like, seriously. The man at the doorway stood in a tuxedo entirely coated in dark green glitter. He had a black undershirt, belt, and fedora hat on. I was forced to physically back away a half-step and blink my eyes a few times to adjust to the way the light bounced off of all the colors. He looked like a frea*ing leprechaun.

"Hi! Can I come in? Thanks so much, biscuit," the man announced, and pushed his way past me into my house.

I shut the door behind him, confused, but unwilling to put up a protest. The man turned around and scrunched up his nose. "It smells. Have you showered recently? And why is it so dark? Lord, the things I could do to this place," he mumbled, only half to himself.

"Umm, excuse me," I snapped. My voice sounded rough. It took me a moment to realize it was because I hadn't talked in over 12 hours straight. "But who are you?"

He twirled around to face me. "I'm Magnus Bane," he announced. Magnus then proceeded to wink at me, while simultaneously tossing a handful of sequins up into the air. I watched them fall sadly to the ground as an awkward silence ensued.

"I'm afraid I have a few things you need to know, Clarissa Fairchild."

0.o.O.o.0

And that was how I'd found out everything about me. I was a Shadowhunter, daughter of Jocelyn Fairchild and Valentine Morgenstern, the most dangerous Shadowhunter alive. I learned about Shadowhunters, runes, the Mortal Instruments. I learned about downworlders: Warlocks, Night Children, Lycanthropes, and the Fair Folk.

My mother hadn't bothered to tell me these things herself, so Magnus assumed there would be a reason. That's why he insisted I not confront her, or even let her know that I knew who I was. So Magnus—along with Simon and Maia—became the only person I could trust. Magnus was set apart because of his being of the Shadow world.

Magnus provided everything for me. He gave me a stele, a copy of the Shadowhunter Codex, the Gray Book, and he even trained me to become a Shadowhunter. Ever since then I'd been on demon hunts, missions, and rescues. But only as a rogue Shadowhunter.

Magnus explained that the Clave wasn't willing to let their information loose often, so he wasn't aware of where other Shadowhunters could be found. He didn't know the locations of the Institutes, and he didn't know any specific Shadowhunters. So I operated on my own.

And I didn't mind it one bit.

But now, as I collapsed onto my floor, I couldn't keep it straight. I wondered if Izzy was a Shadowhunter, if Alec was. I needed answers. So that's why I decided that the next day, at school, I would get them.

0.o.O.o.0

I had gone immediately back to class after my 100% unwanted interaction with the Herondale Devil. He hadn't questioned my seeing the rune; he most likely assumed that…I actually have no idea what Jace assumed. But he didn't mention it or try to stop it. I didn't see him or any other Lightwoods for the rest of the day.

Crap.

I'd completely forgotten the detention I'd been supposed to attend with Ja—Herondale Devil. I realized belatedly that this would—most likely—only cause more cursed time with…him.

I hadn't gotten one hint of sleep that night. So I simply lied awake in a cold sweat. I couldn't decide if I was trying to figure out how to get information out of Jace, or if I was trying to talk myself into even trying. In the end, I guess it turned out to be both.

After I had dressed in dark-blue skinny jeans and a white Henley shirt, I inspected myself in the mirror. The result wasn't pretty. Rather, I wasn't pretty. I brushed on the lightest layer of makeup I could while still managing to look at least half normal, then I was out the door.

One hour later, I was sitting in homeroom next to Maia. I hadn't uttered a word to her all period. She was kind enough not to push, obviously sensing something wrong, but I also felt she was reluctant to speak herself.

I felt terrible for not being there for her after her recent, but unpleasant, reunion with her own wretched ex, but I was afraid I'd only say something worse. So I kept quiet and we both sat in our own silent trenches of misery.

A mild but class-wide reaction pulled me from my sleepless haze. The teacher stood at the front of the classroom, framed on either side by Jace, Alec, and Izzy. The teacher, Mrs. Branwell, looked about ready to introduce the "new kids." My guess? Everyone remembered those three. But they wouldn't say anything, of course. This would just be bringing up bad memories that the whole town had spent months burying.

Jace's eyes were locked on mine. He looked like he was in physical pain. Pure misery. But there was just a trace of something. Something I'd seen before…

…

…

Oh, no.

Jace was about to do something very bad. I knew it. I knew it because it was the same look he'd given me before I fell so many feet to earth. Seeing that hint in his eyes, that told me something I'd never even known before.

That night, when I fell, I wasn't just falling off a building. I was falling from Cloud 9.

And it's quite hard to climb clouds.

I sunk deeper into my chair and lowered my gaze. I didn't have to see Jace to know the devious smile that darkened his face was ever present.

"Okay, class! Quiet down!" Mrs. Branwell cooed. But we were already silent.
"I'd like you to meet the Lightwoods." And Jace, I added mentally, but the words didn't come from my teacher's mouth. Huh, interesting…

"Meet Jonathan, Alec, and Isabelle." My interest peaked when she called him Jonathan, but I only looked up in time to see him whisper a correction in her ear. "Sorry, Jace." I rolled my eyes.

While Isabelle was obviously dressed to impress, and even Alec had tried on a blue sweater-straying from his normal black-Jace was dressed in full on Shadowhunter gear. Bold.

"Because these students are new here, they'll each be paired up with one of you for the continuation of the year. You'll go to the same classes, show them around, be there whenever they need something. I've paired you based on whom I think you'll enjoy. But, guys," she looked to "the Lightwoods." "If you'd like to be paired with someone else, just tell me and I'll make it happen."

I didn't even hope not to be paired with one of them. I knew exactly what was going to happen.

"Okay, Alec, you're with Magnus." Alec awkwardly made his way over to Magnus and sat beside him. Magnus instantly started chatting. I knew Magnus well enough to know he was flirting. (Yes, Magnus was a warlock, but he'd gotten into as a sophomore at my school to watch over me.)

"Isabelle, you can be with Clary." Hope fluttered in my chest but I shoved it down. Knowing Jace, that pairing would not last long. "Jace, with Simon." I nearly snorted. Mrs. Branwell thought Jace would like Simon?

I watched as Izzy grabbed Jace by the collar and pulled him centimeters from her nose. I saw a twinge of fear flash in his eyes before he covered it in a brave façade. Izzy muttered something I couldn't perceive, then her smile turned deathly sweet and she walked away, planting herself in the seat next to Simon.

I refused to let my eyes waver from Jace's as he walked over, glared at Maia, and sat down once she had left after muttering a quick insult to him and an apology to me.

"Hey, partner!" Jace said, his cheerfulness empty. "Izzy thinks Simon is cute. And I think he's annoying."

"I figured," I said blankly before heaving a sigh. "I always roughly grab my brother by his shirt collar and appear to be threatening him when I'm telling him I think a guy is cute."

For a moment, Jace was silent. Then, he summoned up a feeble defense, "You don't have a brother."

0.o.O.o.0

I took a deep breath before I walked into detention. I would be facing the person I possible loved and hated most in the world. And I'd have to confront him, about being a human-angel hybrid. Terrific.

When I walked in, however, everything got five times worse.

Not only were Jace, Izzy, and Alec sitting in desks in the detention room, but Jordan was as well.

I nearly cried. But instead, being a "big girl," I simply plopped down in the middle of the room, far from Jordan in one corner, and the "Lightwoods" in the other. Lucky for me, Jace, Izzy, and Alec were suddenly in the surrounding desks.

I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. Then I prepared for what came next.

"So, Clary, tell me: how's life been while I've been gone?" Izzy chirped. Funny. I was expecting a less kind interrogation.

"Yeah, I'd like to know. Dated anyone while I've been gone, Clary?" Subtle, Jace.

"Is Magnus single?" Alec demanded.

I turned to Alec. "Now there's a question I'm actually happy to answer," I told him. Malec forever, am I right? "Magnus is quite single, actually." Alec tried to hide his smile. I think I already liked him the most.

"Come on, don't leave me hanging, Fray," Jace cawed over my shoulder.

"Fair—," I began, and then stopped immediately when I realized what I'd been about to do.

Alec's eyebrows knitted together in suspicion. "Fair—what, Clary?"

Suddenly done with hiding a secret I didn't want to hide, I swiveled around in my seat. First, I grabbed Izzy's wrist. She began to protest in confusion, but stopped when I yanked her sleeve up, revealing the rune underneath. "Check," I confirmed.

Then Alec. "Check."

Finally, Jace. "Check!"

The three of them shared a glance. And then…

"YOU CAN SEE THIS?" Izzy shouted.

"Clary, explain!" Alec yelled.

"What. The. H*ll. Clary," Jace said. He was in scary-calm mode.

Just then, a voice sounded from the other side of the room. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You guys are Shadowhunters?" Jordan asked, surprised.

I plopped my head into my hands but only for a moment. I glared at Jordan. "And you're the sucky, abusive ex that broke my best friend." Then I looked to Jace. "I can't decide which one of you is worse. Maybe you should fight each other to the death. Then, I wont have to deal with at least one of you."

"Jace would win," Izzy chimed in. She perked a quick, flirty grin. "You know that as well as I do, Clary."

Jace made an unidentifiable grunt. "Well, things do change a bit when you count in the fact that 'sucky, abusive ex' here is a werewolf," he explained triumphantly.

I stared at Jordan. "Wait," I said quietly, disbelief heavy in my tone. It wasn't that I didn't believe Jordan wasn't a werewolf. That actually made a multitude of sense. "But this means…Maia?" I asked weakly.

Jordan looked away, looking ashamed of himself.

"Why isn't anyone in my life normal?" I shrieked. "By the Angel…"

So quiet I almost didn't hear it, Alec muttered, "Simon is quite mundane, actually." I ignored him excellently.

"Would you look at that? She even knows our terms," Jace said obnoxiously. Then he got all seriousness. "Listen, Clary. We need to have a very thorough, very long discussion. Starting with just how you can see these runes."

"I don't know what runes are, but you certainly won't be discussing them in this class," Mr. Verlac said as he walked into the room. "Detention is a silent period."

AAAHHH. So, it's been quite a while. Apologies! But I hope you enjoy this chapter, I certainly loved writing it. I made it nice and long for you, 2,306 words, to be exact. Tell me whatcha think!

- MajorArcana2