(Me) The characters and basic plot, belong to Cassandra Clare and so do-

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I didn't know if Clary had followed me right away or not, but I could tell when she had entered the room, as she gasped quietly. I knew how she felt; the library was magnificent, with the mural on the floor, the shelves that held more books than it was possible to read and the general atmosphere of quietness and knowledge. I always felt slightly awed by this room.

I stopped near the entrance, but Clary kept wondering in, as if she didn't know she was doing it; it was like she was being drawn in by the powers of the books or something. She looked at everything, wide eyed. I snuck up behind her and waited for her to finish gapping at everything in the room. I could here someone else's breathing besides mine, Hodge's and Clary. It sounded like Isabelle's angry breathing, but was too deep. Alec, then I guess, but I had never heard Alec breathing like that. Clary seemed to notice Hodge, finally, and he smiled.

'A book lover, I see," he spoke in his normal voice volume, but it always seemed quieter in here. 'You didn't tell me that, Jace.'

I laughed once, expecting Clary to turn around surprised that I was behind her. To her credit, she didn't, but tilted her head slightly. 'We haven't done much talking since we've met,' I smirked . 'If we liked books wasn't on my list of immediate questions to ask.'

Clary turned around now, and glared at me. She turned back to Hodge, who was still sitting down behind the huge desk of his. 'How could tell? That I liked books, I mean.'

Hodge stood up now, to come over and introduce himself. 'The look on your face when you walked in. Somehow I doubt you were impressed by me.'

I heard Clary's intake of breath as Hodge came closer. Hugo was on his shoulder, which made him seemed, in the half-light, like one shoulder was lower than the other. I saw things like that all the time, but in Clary's world, might have seemed repulsive. When he come close enough for her to see it was just a bird, though, she let out the breath and I saw her relax.

'This is Hugo.' Hodge indicated, pointing at the gray bird. 'Hugo is a raven, and, as such he knows many thins. I, meanwhile, am Hodge Starkweather, a professor of history, and, as such, I do not know nearly enough.'

Clary laughed slightly. I hadn't heard her laugh before. She reached out and shook his hand. 'Clary Fray.'

'Honored to make your acquaintance. ' He smiled again. 'I would be honored to make the acquaintance of anyone who could kill a Ravener with her bare hands.'

'It wasn't my bare hands.' She sounded defensive, like she didn't' want to be congratulated about that. Maybe she didn't, but I would have. ' It was Jace's- well, I don't remember what it was called, but-'

'She means my Sensor. She fed it to the thing. ' I interrupted. I had broken and lost two in the same amount of days. ' The Runes must have done it. I guess I'll need another one. I should have gotten one.'

'There are several extra in the weapon's room.' Hodge turned back and smiled again at Clary. He didn't look as old when he smiled. 'That was nimble thinking. Why would you use the Sensor as a weapon?'

I heard Alec's sharp intake of breath, then his malicious laugh. 'I wouldn't have thought you'd buy that story, Hodge.'

He was sitting in a chair in the corner, half hidden from the light. Clary turned to the sound of his voice. Why was he so angry? And was Clary staring at him? Alec sure didn't seem to like it; he was glaring at her, his eyes burning like demon poison. I took a step towards him, hoping to calm him down or something, but Hodge's was already trying.

'I'm not sure I understand Alec.' Hodge was still very calm. There wasn't a point in me trying to cam Alec down now. I wasn't very good at it anyway. Mostly, I just made Alec angry enough to forget about what was upsetting him in the first place. 'Are you suggesting that someone else killed the demon?'

'Obviously she didn't. A little mundie kid.' Alec was angry now, but he'd burn away his anger in a minuet. Hodge was regarding him with one eyebrow up, which pulled at the scar on Hodge's face. It made Hodge look like he was trying not to laugh. 'No chance she took on a Ravener.'

'I'm short, not a kid.' Clary stood up for herself; if she hadn't, I would of. 'On Sunday, I'm sixteen.'

Hodge nodded, still calm. 'Isabelle is the same. Do you call her a child?'

'Isabelle,' Alec spoke slowly, his angry slightly abating, but he spoke tightly. 'Isabelle, is from one of the greatest Shadowhunter families. Where do you come from? New Jersey?'

'No! I'm from Brooklyn!' Clary was getting angry now and I smiled. She had a temper, this one. 'And what's your point? I just killed a- a demon in my house, which gives you the right to be a dickhead about it, because you're a spoiled rich kid brat?'

I could tell Clary had just about shocked Alec's anger right out of him. ' I beg your pardon?'

I couldn't help it; I laughed. Alec looked so surprised that anyone besides me would call him something like that. 'She's right Alec.' I chuckled. 'It's those bridge-and-tunnel demons you really have to watch out for-'

'This isn't a joke Jace.' He stood up, interrupting me. Something he never would have done before. 'Are you just going to stand there and insult me?'

I didn't even have to think about it. 'Of course.' I replied nicely. 'It'll be good for you- it's like endurance training.'

'Just because we're parabatai' Alec was speaking through his lips again. 'doesn't mean you can use flippancy to wear me out.'

'Well, your obstinacy is wear me out. When I saw Clary, she was lying on her floor, in a pool of blood. A dying demon was almost on top of her; I watched it vanish. If she didn't get it, then who did?'

'Raveners aren't the smartest. Maybe it got itself in the back of the head with its stinger. It has happened-'

'Alec, are you saying it committed suicide?' I asked sarcastically.

Alec shut his mouth and looked angry again. 'She shouldn't be here. Mundies aren't welcomed in the Institute and that's for a good reason. If someone told the Clave, we'd get in trouble.'

'Not necessarily.' Hodge interjected. 'The Law is lenient enough to let us provided shelter for mundanes under circumstances. A demon, a Ravener no less, has attacked Clary's mother- she could be the next one.'

I noticed the small wince on Clary's face, and wished Hodge had been more delicate.

'Raveners are seek and destroy demons.' Alec explained, still angry. 'They get orders from Warlocks or more powerful demons. So what interest would a warlock or demon lord have with your mother?' I frowned at that; Clary shouldn't be the one under investigation. 'Any thoughts?'

Clary paused for a moment, and I though she would say something that would make this all clear. The Clave would come and fix it, and she'd leave forever. But instead she must muttered. 'It must have been a mistake.'

I breathed out a sigh of relief, but Alec jumped on her right away. 'Demons don't make mistakes like that. There has to be a reason. If she wasn't in trouble-'

'What do you mean,' Clary asked very quietly. '"Wasn't in trouble"?'

A silence proceeded that. Clary seemed hurt, and no one else was talking, so I said the only thing in my head, that I had been almost worrying about.

'Clary, how's your arm?' I asked, half way between a whisper.

She nodded and looked down at her wrist. The faint scar was there, and I smiled to my self. I had been right; there was some Clave blood in her. There wasn't any lasting damage besides the scar. I nodded and Clary half whispered back 'Why is it still there?'

'They don't completely go away, ever. That will always be there, but-'

'Jace Wayland.' I looked up to Hodge, who was standing right over Clary's shoulder. She jumped a bit; I could I have not noticed him come up so close? 'What have you done?'

'No, Hodge, she's fine. It was only one Mark-'

'One Mark?' Alec yelled. 'Jace, you know what Covenant Runes do to a human! Do you want a Forsaken on our hands?'

I rolled my eyes and trusted Clary's arm out at Hodge. 'She's fine, like I said. She must be part of us. Maybe that's why her-'

'No.'

I looked back at Clary, surprise she was so bold about her thoughts, and annoyed because I kept getting interrupted. 'What do you mean "no"?' You have some of our blood. You have to. If it isn't your mother, then what about your father? Or did he get stolen my a demon, too?' I snapped.

She looked me straight in my eyes, with no hesitation, but a lot of hurt and pain and snapped right back. 'He's dead.'

I let go of her arm then. Her father was dead, too? So she must know what it's like, then. I thought about asking her if she felt the same despair and horridness after he had died, but instead I just closed up my face, cutting her off from seeing the pain I had felt when my father died, and put on a face completely indifferent. I could tell, though, Clary had noticed.

'Well,' Alec mused uncertainly, 'Her father could have been one of us, and married her mother, a mundane. They must have been in hiding.'

'Clary shook her head. 'I told you. She wasn't a Shadowhunter and neither was my father. I would have been told he was. ' Clary had seemed certain before, btu I could hear a note of doubt creeping into her voice.

'Everyone has a secret.' I put out simply.

'My mother's friend. Luke, he would know.' Clary sounded guilty. 'I have to tell him I'm okay. It's been three days; he must be worried.' She turned to me, frantic. 'Isn't there a phone in here somewhere I could use? Please?'

I turned and looked at Hodge. He nodded and gestured to a phone on his desk. It was beside the globe of the world, with Idris included. Clary gave it a strange glance.

I stood a ways from the phone, but I could still hear everything they said perfectly. Luke picked up, and Clary visibly relaxed.

'Hello?' Luke's voice was rough and low. He reminded me of a wolf.

'Luke.' Clary leaned against the desk. 'It's Clary.'

'Clary.' He sounded relived, but it sounded fake. 'You're all right?'

'Yeah, I'm okay.' She was smiling now. 'I couldn't call before, sorry. Mom is-'

'I know. The police were here.'

'Then that means you haven't found her.' Clary seemed disappointed. I almost yawned. This conversation was so…Fluffy. 'What did the police say?'

'Just that she was missing.' I pictured the demon officer, and I saw Clary shudder, She must have been thinking about it, too. 'Where are you?'

'In the city somewhere. I don't know exactly, but I'm with some…Friend.' She hesitated on "friends" and I heard Alec snort. 'I don't know where my wallet went, but if you have some cash, I could get a cab to your house- '

'No.' Luke cut her off. It sounded pretty final. This conversation was finally getting interesting.

Clary almost dropped the phone. I thought it was out of surprise that her request had been denied, but when she put it back against her ear, she asked him to repeat what he had said.

'No.' Luke sounded even more final. 'It's too dangerous. You can't come here.'

'We could-'

'Look.' He interrupted her again. He sounded pissed that she wasn't getting it. I had thought Clary would have gotten the fact he didn't want her at his house, she seemed like a smart girl. 'Whatever your mother's gotten herself mixed up in, it's nothing to do with me. You're better off where you are.'

'But I can't stay here.' She sounded like I whiney child, so I went over and sat in one of the chairs, hoping I wouldn't hear her as well from across the room. 'I don't actually know these people.' Didn't work. 'Couldn't you-'

'I'm not your father Clary. I've told you before.' Really didn't work. I could still hear Luke. I started concentrating on other noises around the Institute to drown her out. I could here Isabelle in her room, Church was prowling around somewhere; I could hear his nails against the hardwoods. It seemed to work; I next sound I heard in the room was Clary banging down the receiver back on the cradle. She looked like she was going to cry.

' He wasn't happy to hear from you, then I take it?' I asked pleasantly, and immediately cursed myself. Why would I do that? It was obvious that she was upset.

She sunk down to the floor and sat there, with a determined expression on her face. Hodge stood back up and with out looking at Alec or I, said 'I think I'll talk to Clary alone.'

I wanted to object. I wanted to not move, and stay by Clary's side. But Alec was already pulling on my arm, out of the room. Get managed to get me out of the room only because of Clary. She was glaring at me with an expression that echoed Hodge's words. She wanted to be alone with Hodge-. No. She just didn't want me in the room. I was dazed by that fact. Most people wanted me in the room, until they got to recognize the fact that I would just antagonize them. Alec pulled me into the hall, and shut the door, with a little too much force.

'Let's go to the weapons room. I have to work on some new Seraph blades.'

I followed him, but when I got there I was too dazed and hurt by the fact that Clary didn't want me.

' No way, Jace'. I though to myself. Look at the way you made insulted her in there. I knew I had, but why? I felt different in her presence, so why would I go back to my less-then-nice ways with her in the room? That thought kept me from doing anything. I tried to figure it out, but every time I thought I had come up with an answer, I found I was answering the wrong question. The question I was trying to figure out was Why had I been mean to her? when the question should have been Why did she change me in the first place?

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