A few days later and Cynthia was on the excited side as the day she could see Jace again came around. Yes, she'd left angry the previous time, but she missed him. It was hard to be angry with someone you cared so very deeply for.

With a bubble of excitement in the pit of her stomach, she got changed and did her hair. Jonathan was out back practicing his archery and ignored her.

Cynthia was still coming to term with it; were they in a relationship? Was that even… possible?

Yes. They were. No matter how impossible it seemed.

Shoving all thoughts away, she twisted the ring upon her finger and vanished.

It was later than she usually arrived, the sun just about set. Cynthia strolled up the sidewalk with the hem of her coat fluttering until she reached the Institute, arching a brow as she found the door open a fraction.

The place seemed to be deserted as she walked through, calling "Jace? Izzy? Alec-? Anyone at all?"

It was strange.

"Hello-?"

Cynthia stopped dead as a new figure stood before her, her eyes wide at the sight of the girl before her. "Who are you?" she asked and Cynthia frowned out "Cynthia Darkstone."

There was a pause and Cynthia asked the little red headed girl "Where's Jace?"

"Um. Infirmary."

Concern entered Cynthia's voice as she went "What's he done? Is he hurt?" she didn't wait for a reply as she hurried past the girl and up to the place where she shoved the doors open and arched a brow at the golden headed boy sat there looking more than bored. But his expression cheered up considerably when he clapped eyes upon the golden haired girl.

Cynthia smirked, folding her eyes and walking forwards slowly, ignoring the mundane with the brown hair who was gawping at her. Freak.

"So. What have you done now?"

"Oh you know… something amazing."

"Something amazingly stupid?"

Jace smiled sarcastically and Cynthia took a seat next to him. She looked to the girl and asked the boy "Are you going to introduce me? You all look like you've been through hell."

He cleared his throat and nodded to the girl "Clary." Then looked to the boy sat on the other bed "And that's the mundane."

The boy scowled. "Simon" he shot out at Jace and Cynthia giggled. She couldn't help it.

"This is Cynthia. An old friend of mine- she comes and visits me once a month."

Cynthia snorted. "Old friend? Bitch please- I grew up with you until we were like ten-" she leaned forwards and poked his cheek "Weren't you so adorable back then? Great big fluffy golden hair and eyes?"

Jace glared at her.

Simon sniggered.

Clary frowned and just went "Are you two… dating-?"

"No!"

"Bloody hell no."

The pair just looked to the other and Jace seemed almost… flustered to Cynthia's eyes, eyes almost shifty. She knew him too well. He hissed out "What are you all staring at?"

Clary left with Alec and Simon shrugged out "I'm just going to lie here and eavesdrop."

Jace cocked a brow and snorted "Goodbye mundie." With a low growl as his recent injuries that were now healed twinged, he got to his feet and started to walk off. Cynthia cast a glance to Simon and raised a hand in farewell before leaving.

Still, she saw from the reflection in the glass that the mundane was checking out the rear view.

She didn't know whether or not to be flattered.

-LightInYourNightmare-

"So-" Cynthia started as she flopped herself down onto Jace's bed, ruining the neatness instantly and closing her eyes "what's new?"

Jace sighed and sat down next to her "Stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Yes. Stuff."

"Elaborate?"

Jace turned over onto his stomach and shook his head at Cynthia "You needn't concern yourself with it all."

A smirk spread across Cynthia's face "Now- why were you all worried what Clary would think if we had been dating?"

"What are you talking about Cyn?"

Cynthia raised a hand and patted the boys cheek, tutting out "I saw the way you looked at her, Jace. You like her."

He simply shrugged and Cynthia giggled, clapping her hands together twice "Awwh, my little Jacey is in love!"

"Maybe I am. What's it to you?"

"Have you kissed her yet?"

"No."

"Whoa. You suck. You suck so bad you're a vacuum cleaner."

"…a what-?"

Cynthia rolled her eyes and shrugged too "Never mind. Who is Clary anyway?"

Jace propped himself up onto his elbows, staring at her "I can trust you, can't I Cyn?"

There was silence and Cynthia frowned lightly, sitting up and staring at the boy. She paused once more before leaning forwards and taking his face into her hands. "Of course silly. It's me. You know me." A weak smile crossed her face "I trust you with my life. And that's saying something."

Jace pulled backwards, causing her to let him go as he nodded "Yeah I trust you Cyn. Basically…" he paused "Clary, her mother, she stole the Mortal Cup from Valentine."

Cynthia blinked and shook her head "Is she called Jocelyn? Her mother."

"Yeah. How did you know?" his expression was suspicious. Cynthia snorted "Downworld talk. Valentine is supposed to be back, you know?"

Jace nodded, looking sour "We can't find the Cup. Literally… it's nowhere. Clary's mother hid it well. Too well."

So no one could find the cup. Cynthia realized, then another thought entered her head wait- Jocelyn is Clary's mother… does that mean Valentine-?

Cynthia sat in stunned silence for a moment- Clary was Valentines daughter, and Jonathan's sister. Wow. Did her father even know of her existence?

"I hope you find it." She just said. Silence fell and Jace paused before saying hesitantly "Do you… have a boyfriend? In Alicante?"

"Why are you so interested?"

"I was just wondering." He retorted coolly, looking away. It caught Cynthia's eye and she realized in an instant something Oh god. He… loves me.

But she did have a boyfriend. And he liked this Clary… she could tell. Lying and saying that she didn't have Jonathan would only hurt Jace in the long run. No matter how much Cynthia cared for him in return.

"I have a boyfriend Jace." She said with regret in her heart. His face was impassable and he nodded "He treats you well I trust?"

"We fight at times… but I love him."

Cynthia sighed internally as his expression fell the tiniest of fractions. He really did love her. If only she'd stayed behind to listen to his words the last time she'd visited… that was before her and Jonathan.

She and Jace could have happened.

But not now. No matter how much she wanted to kiss him, she couldn't.

Jace cleared his throat "I want to tell you something, Cynthia."

"Jace… you're going to regret this."

The boy growled lightly and shook his head "I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I never told you; I love you, Cynthia."

She groaned at that, raising a hand and clamping it over his mouth, muttering out "Jace. Jonathan… shut up right now before I slap some sense into you."

Jace raised a hand and pulled her own away, his aureate eyes fixed upon her dark own. "I grew up with you Cynthia. You were my first kiss… my first love."

"Nothing more than childhood sweethearts, my dear." Cynthia was avoiding his eyes as she sat back and Jace straightened up. She barely had any time whatsoever to react as he took her face into his scarred hands and crashed his lips to her own.

Cynthia's eyes flew open at that, arms frozen by her sides. But they didn't rise to stop him as they finally melted to skim up his sides, letting him kiss her tenderly with her eyes closing. For a seconds or two, he paused and Cynthia opened her eyes, staring into his golden own. They stared into the others eyes for something like forever before Cynthia leaned forwards and captured his lips to her own, letting a hand wind into his honey coloured locks.

With a quiet groan of satisfaction, Cynthia let him put a hand to her chest to push her back onto the bed, but she merely pushed him away, gasping out "No."

She scrambled to her feet and stood before the boy who was watching her in silence. Cynthia shook her head and groaned "I can't Jace."

There was more silence and Jace got to his own feet, a fraction taller than Cynthia, the words "Do you have feelings for me Cynthia?"

She groaned now, taking a step forward and fisting her hands into his shirt "Jace… it's okay to fall in love with other people."

"What are you talking about?"

Cynthia swallowed hard "You're only doing this, kissing me today because of Clary."

He scowled and she shushed him. "Scared of the unknown, Jace? It's nothing to be ashamed of… or bad. I loved you too, you know? But we could never happen. In the past, I think maybe we could have. But not now my dear. I'm sorry." She looked down and felt hands take her face once more, tilting her up to meet his eyes. "You weren't joking were you? About having a boyfriend?"

"I wasn't."

Jace groaned and rested his forehead against her own "I didn't think you were being serious." He swallowed hard "I'm so sorry."

Cynthia frowned and raised her hands to rest over his own "You can't help who you fall in love with. Now tell me the truth, right here and now; do you have feelings for Clary?"

Silence.

"I do."

Cynthia smiled, pressing a kiss to his forehead "Good. Now… what the hell are you waiting for? You get the fuck out of here, find her and kiss her."

"It's her birthday. Hodge told me earlier."

"Well, go give her a present. Or something."

Jace gave her a skeptical look and Cynthia giggled "You really are useless at times sweetheart. Umm…" she looked down and patted her sides, going "Aha-" as she found her witchlight rune stone, pressing it into Jace's palm as she stepped away. "Give her this. Say it's from you. I don't know… just do something special for her."

He looked dumbstruck at her gesture, frozen on the spot as she beamed, kissing his cheek "I'll be off then. Use a condom."

"I fucking hate you."

"Love you too."

-LightInYourNightmare-

When Cynthia returned home, she was in a rather good mood.

Valentine sat in the study and the girl followed his gaze to the window where a raven was perched, preening its feathers

"Hugin came to visit." He simply said, raising a hand and the bird flew forwards instantly, setting itself down atop it. The man chuckled as he raised a hand, stroking the bird's glossy black feathers that shone purple and blue too in the witchlight. A moment later, Valentine looked up and told her "Hold out your hand."

Cynthia paused, then obeyed, stretching her hand out. The raven left its masters hand and flew over, settling itself down upon her own. A soft laugh escaped the girl and she raised her other hand to feel the soft feathers, but stopped dead at the sight of the birds beady black eye almost glaring at her.

"Never show your fear." Valentine told her now, getting to his feet. "Never. He will sense it and view you as an underling. You are the master, not the servant."

Cynthia nodded and raised her hand, biting the inside of her cheek as she stroked the glossy feathers without fear. It was only a bird. She was a goddess.

"Excellent." The man praised, not flinching one bit as the bird suddenly took off, settling itself atop Valentine's shoulder. With a chuckle, he looked at Cynthia's reproachful glance and told her "I raised him from a simple hatchling. There is no creature more loyal, I assure you." He paused, dark eyes flickering upwards "There will come a time, Cynthia, when I pass over. Jonathan will be the heir to the Morgenstern legacy, and you will be at his side."

"You seem sure that I will."

"I am sure. One day in the future, you yourself might become a Morgenstern."

She laughed at that, causing the bird to ruffle its feathers in annoyance "I hardly doubt I and Jonathan will marry. Marry… have children… not us both."

He cocked a brow at that "Well, the bloodline has to be continued somehow."

Cynthia steeled herself before saying, staring into his dark eyes "You seem to be forgetting about your daughter."

Valentine hadn't been expecting that. His expression was surprised and he just went "You've met her?"

"Indeed I have."

Hugin took flight, soaring towards the window and resting there, preening his feathers some more.

"Jocelyn good as told me the day I found her" he started "Spat at me that I'd made a monster of her first child and she wasn't going to let it happen again. But her daughter wasn't there." Valentine raised a hand and ran it through his white blonde hair, leaving it ragged afterwards "Our daughter. My daughter."

There was silence until Valentine cleared his throat "As I was saying before we wandered… when I die, Jonathan will be king. And you will be his queen. You are a pair, Cynthia. I've known it ever since I met you. When I found you all those years ago next to the inferno that was your home, I knew it was a sign from the Angel himself, that I had to take you in and raise you as if you were my own. I suppose… I created the monster that is my son, and ironically, I also created you. A dark princess that is perfect for him."

Cynthia paused before asking "Am I a monster too?"

"No my dear. You are not. I regret ever having tainted you with demon blood, making you dependant on it." He took her face into his hands, gazing into her eyes. "I feel such sorrow for destroying the innocence inside you."

Cynthia laughed out weakly "Your age is starting to show, old man."

He chuckled at that, pressing a kiss to her forehead "My dear daughter, I want you to have Hugin when I cross over."

"Really?"

"Yes." He stepped backwards down, walking over to the bird and raising a hand, stroking the bird once before saying to it "Farewell for now my old friend." The bird took off and Cynthia watched as he vanished into the distance, a tiny black spot that soon vanished into the night.

Valentine closed the window and cleared his throat as he locked it "Goodnight Cynthia."

She nodded and watched him walk towards the door, muttering out "Goodnight Father."

She was left stood in silence now, but a moment later she turned and headed up towards her bedroom. But as Cynthia passed Jonathan's door, she paused and opened it a tiny fraction, glancing inside- he was fast asleep.

Cynthia slipped out of her boots and stepped inside, closing the door behind her silently. She shrugged off her coat and dropped it on the floor. He wouldn't be angry… the room was always a mess. Like boys rooms were.

She pulled the covers open, causing him to groan and wake up, turning over to stare at her as she climbed into bed with him.

"Hello Sunshine" he grumbled out, silenced instantly as Cynthia pressed her lips to his own, raising a hand to caress his cheek. He blinked at that, shaking his head a little "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing" Cynthia laughed out against his lips, pulling the covers over them both. Jonathan shrugged and twined his arms around her, pulling her form into his chest "You're going soft."

"So are you for letting me stay. Oh, and not kicking me out, and quite literally."

Cynthia couldn't see his face in the darkness, but she could bet he was smirking. His voice was tired though. Jonathan raised a hand and stroked her back absentmindedly, telling her quietly "Go to sleep."

A pause and Cynthia closed her eyes and buried her face into his t-shirt, the steady rising and falling of his chest reminding her that a part of him was human. He wasn't a true demon. There was a part of him that cared for her, no matter how small.

And that was the part she loved dearly.