Once again, Clary and Jace did not land exactly where they wanted to. Luckily, Clary recognized where they were and knew how to get to the lake. But before they could keep going Clary had to make sure Jace was okay.

"I'm going to go on alone," Clary said, the look on Jace's face refused to agree. "You can't fight him like this, Jace."

"I can try. Trying is the most important part, right?" Jace said, wincing in pain.

"I have lost so many people in the last few months alone and I am not about to lose you too. I care about you too damn much. I…" Clary said as Jace leaned forward; kissing her.

"I know," Jace said as they looked at each other for a long moment.

"Promise we'll both make it out of this alive," Clary insisted.

"I can't promise you that. But if something happens to me you keep fighting and I'll do the same. Valentine cannot leave that beach. That is the only thing I can promise you. Deal?" Jace said.

"Deal."

Clary leaned forward to give Jace a more passionate kiss. They stayed like that until both were out of breath. They would've continued if a shadowhunter hadn't appeared with a blade to Clary's throat. They backed away from each other as guards appeared and handcuffed them. Both of them were blindfolded and led into the forest. The two walked for maybe 10 minutes to some kind of tent. They were tied to a pole and unblindfolded. Neither of them recognized where they were, that is until a certain familiar face walked in.

"President?" Jace asked.

"Hello Jace Wayland and nice to meet you, Clary Morgenstern." Said the man

"Who is this Jace?" Clary asked, peering over at him.

"He's the president of the Clave. And he's been working for the circle the whole time," Jace groaned as Clary looked where he was looking and noticed the signature circle.

"What is your endgame here?" Clary asked,

"All I want to do is help Valentine succeed. We can finally rid the world of impurities and make it how it used to be. Where shadowhunters could live peaceful lives, and not have to worry about if they'd make it back to their families that night. I want to help Valentine make this world a better place." Said the president

"Making the world a better place does not involve genocide of multiple races. You will be killing men, women, and children. Are you willing to kill an innocent child to meet your goal? Jace yelled.

"Those kids might be innocent but if Valentine lets them live they will be just as bad as their parents when they grow up. Extinction is the only option. And that goes for you too." Said the president as he whistled.

"What do you mean, us too?" Clary asked.

"You know too much. I can't just let you run off and tell everyone. Valentine might be angry with me later but it's for the greater good." Said the president as two guards came in, one grabbed Clary and the other grabbed Jace.

"What are you gonna do?" Jace yelled.

"I'm going to give you both the verdict of treason from back in the day. Virgil!" Yelled the president as a big burly man came into the tent, "Grab your axe. Some heads will be rolling today."

"You're going to behead us?!" Clary exclaimed as worry filled her body and she started to tear up.

"Oh, yes. It's going to be beautiful. Take them away," Said the president as they were dragged out of the tent.


Simon met with Isabelle and she spelled one of my favorite t-shirts. Simon thanked her and followed it across town toward my old burned and barren apartment. He put the shirt away, walked up the steps, and noticed the door had been put back on its hinges.

He broke the lock and walked in to find me crunched up in a ball. Simon got closer but when the floor creaked, I shot to my feet. Darkness filled my face and so did annoyance.

"Hello, Simon. What is it that you want?" I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Carly, you know exactly why I'm here," Simon admitted.

I shook my head with a sadistic smile. "I'm afraid I can't let you turn me, Simon. I will lose my powers for a month at a time and I really don't want that. Maybe at the beginning, I did, but now I have a need for it. I am powerful and I can get anything I want."

"The demon blood has gotten to your head. You never wanted any of these powers. All you wanted was normality. I am here to help you. There is no way to remove these powers, so this is the next best thing. I never wanted to do this to you. I'm so sorry," Simon said as his fangs extended.

"Those are getting nowhere near my skin. I am stronger, faster, and a way better fighter than you Simon. I beat the crap out of you last time we fought so what suddenly makes you think you could beat me?" I said with an evil grin.

"I'm not trying to beat you. I just need to tire you out and then I'll get my chance. If not, at least I died trying. I love you, Carly. I plan to do everything in my power to make sure you're okay. No matter what happens to me," Simon admitted.

"You will be disappointed. The old Carly is gone and she is not coming back. I am a stronger version of myself. I will never go back. Never," I said as my eyes went black.

"We'll see about that. I'm not going down without a fight," Simon insisted.

"Neither am I."

I took out a katana I had stolen a few days prior. Simon took out a sword he must have borrowed from Jace. We backed away and gave each other one last glance before the fight commenced.

I ran at him with all my speed and he blocked my attack. It did push him back a few feet but that did not deter him. He swung for my arm but I blocked it instantly. We fought like this for what felt like forever. He started to get tired and I knocked his blade from his hand. I pointed the tip of my mine under his chin and backed him up into the nearby wall.

I stared at him and he stared at me. He was trying to mesmerize my mind but I wasn't going to let it get to me. I started digging the blade farther into his neck, far enough for him to bleed. He winced but he stayed focused on the task at hand.

"Do you remember that one time in 8th grade? The first dance of the year was coming up and you really wanted to go, but you knew your mother wouldn't let you," Simon said, dropping his arms to his sides. He slumped a little bit as the adrenaline in his body slowed. But I knew what he was trying to pull and I wasn't going to allow it.

"Stop," I said, shaking my head.

"Your mother said no, so me and Clary snuck you out of the house. She even borrowed you one of her dresses so you had something to wear. We rode our bikes the entire way. This was the first dance you had ever been to and you were so excited," Simon reminisced.

"Simon, shut up," I warned.

"Once inside, me and Clary started to dance, but since you were homeschooled you didn't know anyone there. You sat at a table in the back just eating some potato chips. A slow song came on and I wanted to make sure you were okay so I asked you to dance," Simon remembered.

"Simon, I'm warning you," I threatened.

"After a few attempts, you finally accepted and let me pull you onto the dance floor. Neither of us knew how to slow dance so we kept stepping on each other's feet. At one point the song sped up so I tried to spin you but my foot got caught and you fell on top of me. Both of us fell onto the floor laughing," Simon said.

"I SAID STOP!" I screamed as the memory came flooding back and my stance faltered. Simon took this opportunity and made his move. In one swift motion, he knocked the blade from my hand and pinned me up against the wall. I tried to fight against him but the memory took a lot out of me. I didn't have enough strength to push back.

"I want the weak and shy Carly back. She was weird, funny, and her smile made me smile. I want the girl I love back. I was hoping I could save you without condemning you further but there is nothing else I can do. I hope you can forgive me," Simon said.

"Simon, don't do this. I am powerful and I can take out any enemy in my way. I can protect you. I can fight for you if I have to. Or maybe I'll tear you limb from limb while I laugh at your mangled corpse," I said with a cooky smile.

"I don't need protection and I certainly don't want you tearing me limb from limb. I want the girl I love back in my arms and this is the only way to do it. I promised myself that after I turned I would never feed on you or harm you in that way. But if this is the way to save you then it's my only option," Simon said as his mouth neared my neck.

"Simon, I'm going to...ahhh." I said as his fangs pierced my skin.

For a split second, I felt unbearable pain, and then complete bliss spread through my body. I fought through the endorphins and tried to push Simon off, but with each sip, I grew weaker. When most of my blood had left my system, something inside me vanished. My eyes went clear of darkness and the urge to end Simon had gone with it. I was me once again.

Simon lifted his mouth and slowly set me on the ground. I looked up at him and smiled a small smile. He returned the smile, knowing I was back. Then he bit into his wrist and put it up to my mouth. I had seen movies where they did this but experiencing it was something entirely different.

His blood exploded in my mouth and it was the best thing I had ever tasted in my life. It was even better than being bitten and I didn't know that was possible. Once I had a few sips, I pulled away and lay on the ground looking up at Simon. He bent down and gave me a kiss, some of my blood still on his lips. It was warm and inviting. All I wanted to do was cuddle with him and never let go but I knew there was more. He had to kill me.

To become a vampire I had to die a mortal death, be buried, and then crawl my way out. Once free I would crave blood more than life itself and I would kill to get it. I looked into Simon's eyes and saw hesitation. He didn't want to hurt me; kill me. But he knew what had to be done.

"Simon, it's okay. I'll be fine in a few hours," I said in a quiet reassuring voice.

"But I still have to kill you. I don't want to hurt you any more than I already have," Simon whispered as I put my hand on his face. He looked down at me as I stroked his cheek.

"Simon, I'll be fine. In the end, the endorphins will take over and I will fade into blissful darkness. It's okay," I said as a tear fell down his cheek.

"I love you." Simon said as he pulled me onto his lap and pushed some hair out of my face.

"I love you too."

He gave me a peck on the lips and then trailed kisses down to my already bruised neck. There was a second of hesitation and then bliss consumed me. I moved my hand to Simon's back and stroked it to give him comfort. Soon my hand was too heavy to lift and it fell to my side; darkness consuming me.


After being dragged from the tent, Clary and Jace we're taken a hundred feet into the woods. Jace was held down on his knees and Clary's head was laid on a stump. The burly man stood cowering over her as he sharpened his axe. Clary turned her head so the last thing she'd see would be Jace. He struggled in the circle members' grasp but with his hands tied, it made things a lot more challenging.

The burly man aligned the axe with Clary's neck and smiled. He rose his axe into the air and when he was about to swing down, Jace's eyes lit up a golden yellow. He ripped his ropes and knocked out the circle members holding him down. Then the executioner changed his target to Jace.

He followed after Jace, swinging his big axe at him. Jace dodged every swing, having only one close call. While this was going on Clary loosened her ropes and noticed a big rock near the stump. When the burly man got Jace on his back, Clary grabbed hold of the rock and smashed it into the man's skull. He looked dazed as he dropped the axe and fell onto the brittle leaves covering the ground.

"You okay?" Jace asked as his eyes changed back to the handsome ones Clary knew.

"I am now," Clary said as she gave him the tightest hug she could muster.

The pair ran side by side to Lake Lin. When they arrived, no one was there. They searched the brush, trees, and surrounding beach but there was nothing. Not even a footprint.

"Maybe we're early," Jace muttered.

"You're not early. Your late," Valentine said as he appeared in front of Jace. Jace winced and Clary looked down in horror to see a blade embedded in Jace's chest. He looked up at Valentine who had the handle of the blade still in his hand.

"Why?" Jace asked in a quiet voice

"You got in the way. I'm sorry," Valentine said as he slowly lowered Jace to the ground. He pulled the blade out as Clary ran to Jace's side. She kneeled beside him and began to cry.

"Jace. Please don't die on me. Jace!" Clary cried as Jace gasped for air. He looked up at her and tried to smile.

"Remember what I said. Keep fighting…" Jace said as his body started to slump.

"Jace! Please don't leave me!" Clary yelled hysterically as she shook his shoulders. His eyes closed slowly and his breathing stopped. Clary put her head on Jace's chest and when she lifted it her sobs grew louder.

"He's gone, Clary. Crying won't change what happened," Valentine said in a sadistic kind of tone.