On the day of the first exam before the holidays, Jocelyn was nervous, her palm sweating as she held her stele; they were to draw iratze's upon their partners. First they had to cut their hands cleanly, then heal it.

Jocelyn rubbed her palms absentmindedly as she waited for Lucian to get ready. He'd been dawdling, causing her to hiss out "Come on!"

"Okay okay!" he groaned, descending the stairs with his stele clutched in his hand. He looked glum and she tutted out "Cheer up."

"Sure…"

Jocelyn watched the pairs complete the exam with ease, and when it was her turn, her eyes flickered to Lucian as she raised the short knife and cut his palm cleanly. He flinched and she smiled out as she raised her stele. "Trust me."

He bit his lip and glanced down as Jocelyn started to draw the iratze and it hurt. It burned. Lucian gasped, yanking his hand away. "Are you sure you did it right?"

The tutor looked down at Lucians palm and flashed Jocelyn a smile. "Very well done. But you, Lucian… your turn." Lucian bit his lip even harder as he sliced her palm open. She swallowed hard, staring down as he went to draw the rune with a shaking hand, but the tutor stopped him dead, eyes sharp as she said. "No Graymark. Your hand is shaking. You could do her some serious harm if you do the rune completely wrong."

With a feeling of utter disappointment, Lucian backed off and watched Jocelyn get her hand healed. As he walked out of the room, Jocelyn put a hand on his shoulder and sighed out "It'll all be okay. You'll see."

"Get off me." He snapped, shoving her hand away and stalking off down the streets of Alicante before she could see the tears burning in his eyes.

He was a failure.

Jocelyn looked everywhere for Lucian after she'd finished her exam, and eventually found him in the library, talking to the last person she had imagined- Valentine. They were sat opposite, talking to the other… Lucian was smiling with a book open before him. She arched a brow at the scene and went to take a step forwards, but paused. Instead she turned around and met up with the girls in Angel Square for a quick chat, then returning to her hill to paint Alicante. She'd just about finished the demon towers by now, and she was feeling more than proud of herself on how beautiful it was looking. Jocelyn realized that she'd listen to Valentine… that she believed in herself more. She'd even shown her painting to one of her tutors who taught them the runes.

She'd been more than impressed, and Jocelyn felt good from the praise. More than good.

With a hiss of annoyance, she snatched her fallen paintbrush from the floor and raised it once more to paint when a pair of bare feet came to her attention underneath her easel. Jocelyn arched a brow and tutted out. "Wandering around barefooted now, Morgenstern?"

"You didn't even flinch this time." He chuckled, sitting down next to her with a groan, leaning over to look at her painting, brows rising in appreciation. "Now that is coming on amazing."

"Thank you." She replied, dabbing at the trees upon her page for a moment, almost ignoring him. But then she had to ask. "What were you talking to Lucian about? I wasn't aware you even remembered his name."

Valentine laughed and laid back against the grass, staring up at the periwinkle sky. "Oh you saw us."

"I did."

"No need to be worried. I was merely helping him."

Jocelyn blinked and gazed down at him. "Why would you do that?"

Valentine had his eyes closed as he replied quietly. "I don't like to see anyone fail in their studies. Especially someone as promising and bright as him. He is determined, you as his best friend must see that."

"I do…" Jocelyn muttered, turning around in her seat to face him. "What's in it for you? I doubt you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart."

"Must there be an ulterior motive behind every act of kindness?" Valentine enquired, sitting up and next to staring at her. Jocelyn stared right back as she answered. "I didn't mean to offend you. Truly."

"Apology accepted." He told her, and she watched him bury his feet in the soft grass. "You like being barefooted?" Jocelyn guessed and he nodded, lying back once more. "When you've worn heavy Shadowhunter boots all day long, a little rest on the feet is welcomed."

"Can I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"Why do you keep coming up here? To watch me paint, I mean."

There was a pause and Valentine replied with his tone casual. "It's relaxing. You're a calming presence, Jocelyn. You always have been."

"I'll take that as a compliment." She laughed out, dabbing at the canvas once more. There was silence, and then Valentine sighed. "I actually did come up here to ask something of you Jocelyn."

"Ask away." She replied absentmindedly, carrying on with her painting.

"What do you think of… Downworlders?"

Jocelyn lowered her brush now, looking around to Valentine as she simply said. "Next to all of them are monsters."

"Not all of them?" he replied in amusement, eyes still closed. "Why not all of them?"

"Because I refuse to believe that all Downworlders are evil, Valentine. What do you think of Downworlders?"

"I could talk forever and a day on that topic my dear."

"Indulge me."

Valentine sat up, pausing a moment before saying "Don't you think we should be thanked for what we do? Mundanes have no idea how much we do for them, and yet here we are… doing the dirty work while they pitter patter on with their normal lives, thinking the stuff of nightmares don't exist. Why should we live and die, mutilate ourselves like this for nothing?"

He had a point, Jocelyn realized. It had always frustrated her, the fact that they protected humans for nothing. They were the hidden warriors, skulking in the shadows.

Jocelyn answered slowly. "I do think we should be more recognized for what we do."

"And our numbers are dwindling." Valentine pressed, and Jocelyn laughed out. "Well we all know how to fix that!" at her words, Valentine started laughing as well, sitting up and shaking his head a little. "I understand that perfectly. Speaking of that, I don't think I'm the only one who has noticed Maryse and Roberts interest in each other?"

"No. You're not alone." Jocelyn told him, starting to pack away her paints. "I predict the pair will end up married."

"Ah, Amatis Graymark and Herondale have been getting cosy as well." Valentine chuckled out, making Jocelyn blink in surprise, listening to him add on. "They are dating, I'm sure of it. They came to the last Circle meeting with smiles on their faces that said other things."

Jocelyn frowned lightly at the unfamiliar name. "The… Circle?"

Valentine nodded, getting to his feet with a low groan. "Yes. My Circle. A little group I put together." He cocked his head a little at her. "You're welcome to come to a meeting, to see if you're interested in joining."

"What is this group all about?" Jocelyn frowned as she packed up her easel and paints. Valentine stepped over and picked up the heavy easel for her, tucking it under his arm as if it weighed nothing. "Well… perhaps you should come along and find out for yourself? From what you told me earlier, I'm rather sure you'll join. Actually, make that certain."

Jocelyn realized it was a group that was about the destruction of Downworlders, or something? Changing the Law? She didn't even know her views on them anymore. This place had warped them so much with the daily horror stories on Downworlders that had killed children… even babies.

"I'll come to the next meeting." She nodded, then paused, only just resisting the urge to say Do you get Valentines fan club t-shirts?. "Where will it be?"

"At my home in the countryside. The Morgenstern Manor." He smiled out. "Since we have a week or two off now. I hear they've changed it to one weeks break."

Jocelyn blanched- she had been planning on going home for a week and staying here the other one. With this change… she couldn't go home. And that hurt.

"I… I can't go home now." She muttered out and Valentine gazed at her sympathetically, placing his hands upon her shoulders and gazing into her emerald eyes with his own charcoal ones. "Come down to my mansion tomorrow? The others are coming. We're going to have what the mundanes call 'Spring Break.'"

Jocelyn had no idea what that was, so he chuckled out. "It's a week long party. We're only young once."

Visit family… or party?

"Sure thing. I'll ride over with Lucian?"

Valentine clapped her on the shoulder. "Excellent! I'll see you tomorrow!" but then he realized he still had her easel and chuckled out. "I forgot. Here- you carry on packing your paints and I'll drop it off at your residence. I need a word with Lucian anyway."

She smiled out her thanks, watching him walk down the hill with a laugh on her lips at his bare feet-

Silly boy.

Lucian was looking more cheerful than he had in weeks when Jocelyn returned, a sheaf of paper in his hands. "Jocelyn look!" he laughed out as soon as she walked through the door; she spied her easel by the stairs. Lucian handed her the paper and she read that Lucian had passed his Iratze exam that afternoon.

"Valentine's been helping me." He breathed out as if the Angel himself had come down and taught him. Jocelyn smiled and nodded. "I saw you both the other day in the library. He's very kind to do that."

"Very." Lucian next to beamed, folding the paper and tucking it away safely. "You coming to the Morgenstern Mansion I take it? I helped Valentine organize it."

"Yes I am." She nodded, then sank down into the seat next to her, asking quietly. "Are you a member of his… Circle?"

"The Circle of Raziel? I am." Lucian said in a proud voice, making Jocelyn's eyes widen. "And you didn't tell me this because-?"

"Well, it wouldn't be a secret organization if everyone knew now, would it Jocelyn?" he laughed and she arched a brow. "Wow. I'm your best friend, Lucian. Nice to know you've made a new one and forgotten about me."

Lucians eyes widened at that, and as she went to run upstairs, he caught her wrists and groaned out. "I didn't mean it like that, please, believe me."

A silence, then Jocelyn looked down at his hands holding her wrists. She just said in a cold voice. "Let me go Lucian. I'm stressed out from all this work."

He let her go reluctantly and watched her run up the stairs with a look of regret upon his face-

Great. Just great.