Clary's POV

"That was ... strange."

I look at Jace and nod. "What was all that talk about factions?"

"I honestly have no idea. I didn't like the sight of them."

"She was really nice."

"That doesn't make up for how bizarre they were."

I shrug. "I don't know. They didn't seem like bad people. And they weren't demons."

"No, but that doesn't mean anything."

"The Christina girl was pretty."

Jace rolls his eyes.

"And Tobias was pretty hot."

"Not as hot as me."

"I don't know. There's something so appealing abut modesty..." I mock.

Jace grins, spinning around and suddenly trapping me against the wall of a Chinese food restaurant. He puts one hand on either side of my head, bending his knees to block the sides of my thighs. His mouth comes down on mine, and my heart hammers wildly against my chest. My fingers knot themselves in his hair, holding his face to mine. He moves one hand down, over my ribcage, along my hip, behind my back. He puts that hand under my shirt, crawling up my lower back, tracing patterns along my spine. I shiver and shift, tightening my arms around him so I could lift my left leg up, and hitch it around his hip. I pull my other leg around his waist, too, and he moans against my mouth, his other hand moving from the wall to my hips.

"You two cannot be serious."

I jump off Jace so sharply that I slam my head against the wall. My hand goes up to press to my aching skull. Jace releases me slowly and turns to face Isabelle. "You," he says, "have the worst timing."

Isabelle gathers her long, silky hair in her hands and separates it in two, putting half over each shoulder. "You need to get a room. I mean that. But first, find Alec. The last I saw, he was freaking out because you wouldn't answer his phone call?"

Jace curses under his breath and reaches into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. "Fifteen missed calls? Is he dying?"

"No. I don't know. Maybe he's lonesome."

"He has a boyfriend."

"You're practically his brother, Jace. You should at least answer his calls." I say quietly.

Isabelle adjusts the strap of her studded purse on the shoulder of her leather jacket. "Well, like I said, call Alec. And once he gets whatever his problem is off his chest, get a room."

I roll my eyes. "Where are you going?"

"I was on my way to visit Simon when I spotted a blonde and a redhead very publically making out. I figured I would put an end to it before someone threw up."

"Ha-ha," I glare at her.

"Let me know if you see these strange people hanging around in or around the lobby. Their names are Tris, Tobias, and Christina and ..."

"Uriah," I say. "They're new and lost. They're from Dauntless, Chicago."

Isabelle blinked in confusion. "I'm not very good at geography, Clary, but I'm pretty sure that there isn't a town in Chicago called Dauntless."

I bite my lip. "That's where she said they're from."

"Well, they lied." Isabelle shrugs and pulls a tube of lip gloss out of her purse and begins smearing it on. "I'll ask Simon if he's seen anything suspicious." She closes the gloss and drops it into her purse. "I'll see you lovebirds later."

And with that, Isabelle turns and walks away, her knee-length heeled boots pulled over her skinny jeans clicking against the damp pavement.

"Somehow, she always interrupts us," Jace grumbles. He takes my hand and we begin walking again.

"Jace," Alec calls as soon as we're a few feet away from the institution. "Oh, thank the Angel. I've been worried sick!"

"Why?"

"Two teenage shadow hunters were just killed! And you weren't answering your phone! And –and-I thought..."

"We're fine, Alec."

"I can see that. This means I'm going to kill you!"

Jace rolls his eyes. "Calm down, Alec. Call Magnus. Go make out in his apartment, or pet his cat, or something."

Alec glares. Jace ignores him and pulls me inside and into the elevator. At once, he grabs my hips and presses me against the wall, his mouth crushing down in mine. My heart stops, then picks up double its normal rate. I grab at Jace—his shirt, his hair, his back, the belt loops on his jeans—whatever I could get my hands on to get him closer to me.

He pulls one hand away from my body to press the button on the wall. The elevator shoots up, but he keeps his mouth on mine, his hands pulling me closer and closer until the doors ding and open and Maryse goes "Oh, my!"

I shove Jace off me, and he groans. "Is it impossible for us to be alone?"

"If by alone, you mean kissing in public places, yes," Maryse shakes her head. "Have you spoken to Alec, Jace?"

"Yes, I did. He thought we were dead. We're not."

"Clearly," Maryse rolls her eyes and fiddles with the sleeve of her dress. It is white, with long white lace sleeves. It's paired with simple black heels.

"You look nice," I tell her. "Is there a special occasion?"

"Shadowhunter funeral," she tells me. She pulls at the sleeve again. "Do you think it looks appropriate? I'm worried it isn't the right dress for a funeral..."

I almost tell her that it looks like a dress a bride might change into for her wedding reception, but then I remember that Shadowhunters think of white as a grieving color, so I nod. "You look fine."

"Jace," she says, "Can you make sure Isabelle comes home tonight? I don't know how long the funeral will be, and I think Alec is spending the night at Magnus's." She rolls her eyes. "I don't want her spending the night at Simons."

"Isabelle's a big girl," Jace says, "If I told her to get home, she'd punch my face in the next time she saw me."

"Jace," Maryse begins, but then she changes her mind, shaking her head and walking away. "I'll see you later. Clary, say 'hello' to your mother and Luke for me, okay?"

I nod, but she was already in the elevator, heading down. I sigh. "I guess that's my not-so-subtle hit to get out."

Jace shakes his head, looping his arm around my waist, curling his fingers around my hip. "She's not here. She can't ensure that you leave at all." He pulls me to his bedroom door.