It was Friday afternoon and I was sitting in the Institute's library, reading Jane Austen's

Pride and prejudice. People would never guess, but it was one of my favourite books. I was glad that this library contained even mundanes' books. They might be ignorant of what was really happening around them, but they definitely had plenty of imagination.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps, so many of them that they belonged to more than one person. In few seconds, the door of the library opened. I looked up from the page and saw Amelia, who was followed by several persons. She walked into the library, so everyone behind her back could enter as well.

"This is the Institute's library." Amelia said, waving her hand without too much interest, like she was in the middle of some empty, dusty room. "And this is one of our Shadowhunters, Sam."

When she pointed at me, all of the gazes stopped on me. I nodded, recognizing some of the faces. The most familiar face was right behind Amelia. It was Jace Lightwood.

"Hi." he said, obviously surprised to see me here.

"Hi." I nodded in return and then turned my gaze back to my book. One part of my plan for covering for Jonathan was to seem disinterested about their arrival.

Amelia wasn't pleased with my behaviour.

"Would you introduce yourself properly, Sam?" he voice was annoyingly strict again.

But, I ignored it.

"That won't be necessary." I waved my hand nonchalantly. "We've met already. Back in Idris." I hurried to explain so I avoided her question.

"I see you have found a parabatai." I heard a female voice that I recognized. Isabelle.

"If that's the case, I'll leave them here with you." Amelia said and that caused my complaints.

"I'm not in the mood for sight-seeing tour around the Institute right now." I said, trying to keep my voice calm. It was hard to show respect when you thought one didn't deserve it. Amelia was definitely in that category.

But, surprisingly, she wasn't annoyed by my rudeness. She seemed like she hadn't even noticed it, like she had something else on her mind.

"I've shown them around already. You can explain them our situation."

"I'm reading." I raised the book in my hand above my head, just to prove my point.

But, she ignored that too.

"I have something else to do and I can't do it myself. Please, Sam."

She's actually begging me. I was surprised. But, I have to tell them, sooner or later. It would be the best to tell them now. If they know, maybe there'll be no meetings which both Jonathan and I would have to attend. This is a good opportunity.

I nodded, looking at Amelia. I saw her face relaxed and then she left the room. I opened my book again, focusing on the words. I heard creaking of a chair being removed when somebody sat next to me. I tried my best not to look at him, pretending that I didn't notice anything unusual.

"So, who has the honour?" I heard Jace's voice to my right. "Who could match Idris' best Shadowhunter beside me?"

"My parabatai can defeat you easily. I was lucky you didn't accept me as a parabatai." I said, my tone easy-going, but still holding attention on the book.

"So, your parabatai must be a guy." he concluded.

I was caught off guard for a second because he guessed so easily, but then I laughed.

"Why makes you think so?"

"You didn't want to say that he or she can easily defeat me. I think you'd have no problems with admitting if your parabatai was a girl. So, it's obviously a guy. And, on top of that, a girl could never defeat me." with corner of my eye, I saw Jace shrugging, absolutely self-confident. It was time to draw him back down to the Earth.

"I defeated you in Idris." I reminded him, closing the book and turning to look at him.

"No, you didn't. We were even." he grinned with shade of irony.

I liked neither the grin nor remembering of my first not-victory. But, I kept my voice calm and mildly sarcastic.

"Still, maybe you're wrong about my parabatai. Maybe I knew you'd think that my parabatai was a guy if I don't point it out specifically."

"And why wouldn't you tell me?" his golden eyes shone cunningly.

"Maybe I just want to prove you're not as smart as you think you are." I smiled sweetly-ironically, imitating his smile from seconds before.

"A hit below belt, Jace." I heard a laugh and a voice coming from behind my back and turned around. It was that black-haired, blue-eyed guy I guessed to be Isabelle's brother.

I nodded gallantly in his direction.

"Thank you."

He nodded in return.

"I'm Alec, by the way."

"You just had to be on her side, didn't you, my always-want-to-ruin-me parabatai?" Jace's voice was ironical, but not angry.

The blue-eyed guy, Alec, laughed again.

"I'm sorry, Jace, but I admire people who manage to talk to you more than five minutes without getting irritated. And this girl managed even to leave you speechless."

"She did not" -Jace said and then his gaze returned to me. "Well, we're turning away from the subject. Who's your parabatai?"

"It's a surprise." I said cheerfully, enjoying in holding him in suspense. "But, if you want to know so badly, you can go and try to find my parabatai. You'd do a favour to me. We have something important to discuss."

"And what's that?" he asked, but with less interest than before. He didn't enjoy the idea of doing a favour to me after I had been so ironical and sarcastic during our conversation.

But, I still wasn't over.

"I don't like the way potatoes are cooked here. I thought my parabatai could go to the kitchen and complain. After all, I'm the good half of our pair."

"If you're the good half, I can't imagine what your parabatai is like." I heard another voice.

It was the red-haired girl, the one I had wanted to punch so badly. I hadn't noticed her until now because she stood behind one of the bookcases. But, she was the last person that had entered the room with Amelia and according to the names Amelia had told me, she was the biggest trouble of them all.

"Oh, I remember you." my tone was mocking. "You're the one I wanted to punch back in Idris for being rude."

"I'd like to see you try." she smiled confidently.

"I don't hit people weaker than me." I enjoyed anger rising on her face.

"I'm not weaker than you." she couldn't hold herself back.

I laughed loudly.

"Can you beat Jace?"

She stood in silence for few moments and then shook her head.

"Then you can't beat me either. That makes you weaker than me." I said slowly, like I was explaining maths to five-year old kid.

Nobody said anything, but I could see on their faces I was annoying them.

That's great. I thought. If they are irritated by me, they'll stay away from Jonathan as well. But, I really don't understand, I'm such a good company. I laughed ironically, butnot letting them see it. I stood up and walked towards the door with Pride and prejudice still in my hand. When I was at the door, I turned around.

"See you later, New Yorkers." I smiled. "Welcome to London."