Happy 2016 everybody! Sorry for my absence - there is no excuse lol. I just couldn't get this chapter right until now. Hope you enjoy! Please leave a comment to let me know what you think!

Jasmine hit the earth with a thump. She immediately felt a hand on her lower back, meant to steady her - even though that wasn't exactly necessary. It was Jace. He was as soaked as Jasmine felt. She grinned up at him and pushed her wet hair out of her face. "Hi," she said, and was surprised to see her breath puff out in a cloud of condensation.

Jace smiled. "Cold?" he asked.

"No," said Jasmine, but she was shivering a bit. Water dripped down her face, her chest, and stuck her clothes to her body. Jace's gaze travelled down until Jasmine half-turned away in embarrassment. She faced Clary and Simon. "Are you two okay?" she asked, because she didn't know what else to say. Before either of the two could answer, though, Isabelle fell from the heavens and landed next to Jasmine.

"Oooh, that was fun," Isabelle said, seemingly unaffected by the water weighing her clothes and hair down.

"That does it," said Jace. "I'm going to get you a dictionary for Christmas this year."

"Why?" Isabelle said.

"So you can look up 'fun.' I'm not sure you know what it means."

Isabelle wrung out her hair. "You're raining on my parade."

"It's a pretty wet parade already, if you hadn't noticed." Jace glanced around. "Now what? Which way do we go?"

"Neither way," said Isabelle. "We wait here, and they come and get us."

Clary frowned. "How do they know we're here? Is there a doorbell we have to ring or something?"

"The Court knows all that happens in their lands. Our presence won't go unnoticed."

Simon narrowed his eyes curiously. "And how do you know so much about faeries and the Seelie Court, anyway?"

Isabelle blushed, which Jasmine was sure surprised everyone. Then a faerie stepped through a curtain of vines, his face as cool as ice. His eyes were a moss green, and his long hair a blueish black. He wore an armor like the bark of a tree. Isabelle cried out joyfully. "Meliorn!" She jumped into his arms.

"Ah," said Simon, not without amusement, "so that's how she knows."

Meliorn looked down at Isabelle without a hint of emotion, and detached himself from her. Jasmine felt an odd sense of protectiveness towards her friend. What the hell did Isabelle see in him? Jasmine was all for Shadowhunter-Downworlder relationships, but most faeries just didn't have the capacity to love and feel the way humans did. "This is not a time for affection," Meliorn said. "The Queen of the Seelie Court has requested an audience with the four Nephilim among you. Will you come?"

Clary put a hand on Simon's shoulder. "What about our friend?"

Meliorn didn't blink. "Mundane humans are not permitted in the Court."

"I wish someone had mentioned that earlier," said Simon. "I take it I'm just supposed to wait out here until vines start growing on me?"

Meliorn looked as if he were considering. "That might offer signicant amusement."

Jasmine cast her eyes skyward. "Simon's all right," she said. "Stubborn and sometimes a tad flippant, but all right. He won't cause any trouble. He's been with us for a while now." Simon looked as if he were both offended and flattered.

"We will not enter the Seelie Court without Simon," Clary said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Your Queen requested this audience with us, remember? It wasn't our idea to come here."

There was a spark of dark amusement in Meliorn's eyes. "As you wish," he said. "Let it not be said that the Seelie Court does not respect the desires of its guests." He turned around and started down the corridor, not even looking back to see if they were following. Isabelle hurried to catch up with him.

"Are you allowed to date faeries?" Clary asked as she, Simon, Jace and Jasmine started to follow. "Would your—would the Lightwoods be cool with Isabelle and what'shisname—"

"Meliorn," said Simon.

"—Meliorn going out?"

"I'm not sure they're going out," Jace said. "I'd guess they mostly stay in. Or in this case, under."

"You sound like you disapprove," Simon observed. They had left the dirt-walled corridor behind, and were now walking down one with a lining of smooth stones. The floor was made of something like marble, the occasional root snaking up and around the walls.

"I don't disapprove exactly," said Jace. "The faeries are known to dally with the occasional mortal, but they always end in abandoning them, usually the worse for wear."

"Well, I don't like him very much," muttered Jasmine. "I hope Izzy isn't all that serious about him."

"She isn't," Jace assured her.

Isabelle, who was walking a good few feet in front of them, laughed. Her voice bounced off the walls and came back to them ten times louder. "You're so funny!" She tripped as the heel of her boot caught between two stones. Meliorn caught her and set her aside, blinking expressionlessly.

"I do not understand how you humans can walk in shoes that are that tall."

"It's my motto," said Isabelle, flashing him a sultry smile. "'Nothing less than seven inches.'" Jasmine seemed to be the only one who found it funny, because nobody, aside from her, laughed. "I'm talking about my heels," Izzy said upon seeing Meliorn's confused expression. "It's a pun. You know? A play on—"

"Come," Meliorn said. "The Queen will be growing impatient."

Isabelle stayed behind to let the rest of them catch up. "I forgot," she muttered. "Faeries have no sense of humor."

"Awh, Iz..."

Isabelle gave Jasmine a weird look, as if she didn't understand the other girl's sympathy. Jasmine awkwardly shrugged and touched the Sianoor ring on her finger. She had found herself doing that a lot lately, just tracing the patterns on her ring: the curvy 'S', the engraved angel wings. It soothed her.

They arrived in a wide room with a floor of packed dirt, high stone pillars and a whole range of bright flowers and vines all around the room. For a second there, Jasmine felt a strong sense of melancholy at the sight of such beauty. Faeries danced all around gracefully, music played in the background. And then she snapped out of it. She knew she was supposed to immediately see through the glamour, but she really did have a soft spot for aesthetically pleasing things—it really was no surprise she was so smitten with Jace. Jace with his breath-taking good looks.

Jasmine started seeing the room as it was: full of inhumane faces and energies. The Fair Folk were aesthetically pleasing indeed, but they gave off an eerie vibe.

In the corner of her eye, Jasmine could see Jace Marking Clary, who looked as if she'd just woken up from a really deep nap. Isabelle and Simon were further ahead, Isabelle's grip on him tight.

They reached the end of the room and stepped through a blue curtain, stopping at another corridor. Immediately, Jasmine's stomach lurched uncomfortably. Meliorn was toying with them. What other reason could he have to lead them through a room like that?

Isabelle let go of Simon, whom Jasmine could now see was blindfolded.

"That was some music," Simon said, as Clary helped him untie the scarf covering his eyes. "A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll." He handed the scarf back to Isabelle.

Meliorn frowned. "You didn't care for it?"

"I cared for it a little too much," Clary said. "What was that supposed to be, some kind of test? Or a joke?"

He shrugged. "I am used to mortals who are easily swayed by our faerie glamours; not so the Nephilim. I thought you had protections."

"She does," Jace said, clearly indicating himself and possibly the rest of the group. Meliorn blinked expressionlessly and began walking again. Jace fell into step beside Jasmine. He nudged her. "You okay?" he asked.

Jasmine nodded, but didn't look at him. "I'm all right."

"You don't look all right," Jace said.

She twisted the ring on her finger again, willing herself to push her feelings down. "I just don't trust them," she whispered at last.

"Are you scared?" he asked, not unkindly.

Jasmine frowned. "I'm... concerned."

A moment of silence later, Jace spoke again. "I want you to numb yourself for as long as we're here," he said, surprising her. "Close yourself off emotionally. Faeries know how to play on the feelings of mortals, and—"

"And I'm an easy target," finished Jasmine unhappily. "I get it."

"That isn't what I was going to say. I just meant that—you feel more than anyone I know. The Seelie Queen could take advantage of that," he said, dropping his voice at the last part. "She's ruthless."

"These are the Queen's chambers," Meliorn said, pausing at a screen of vines. "She's come from her Court in the north to see about the child's death. If there's to be war, she wants to be the one declaring it."

Jace was the first to duck through, and then Clary, and then Jasmine herself entered the chamber on the other side. A woman sat on a low couch, surrounded by her courtiers. It was the Seelie Queen, no doubt, for she ratiated grace, wisdom and wickedness. There was nothing subtle about her presence—she looked powerful and beautiful and cunning all at once.

"My Queen," said Meliorn, bowing. "I have brought the Nephilim to you."

The Queen sat up straight. Her eyes were a clear blue, her hair a little more scarlet than Clary's coppery curls. Her gaze was sharp and heavy as it passed over the Shadowhunters. "Four of these are Nephilim," she said. "The other is a mundane."

"Our apologies, my lady." Jace stepped forward, half-blocking Jasmine's view, which she wasn't sure was his intention or not. Perhaps he was trying to hide her from the Queen, but that would be a vain attempt - the Queen was sure to see and know about everything in her Court. But now she was looking at Jace instead of Jasmine, which Jasmine supposed was what he had intended. "The mundane is our responsibility. We owe him protection. Therefore we keep him with us."

The Queen looked interested. "A blood debt?" she asked. "To a mundane?"

"He saved my life," Jace said. Jasmine willed herself not to look surprised (when had that happened?) because while faeries could not lie, they could be lied to, but they were not naive. If Jasmine showed any sign of doubt, the Queen would know it. "Please, my lady. We had hoped you would understand. We had heard you were as kind as you were beautiful, and in that case—well," Jace said, "your kindness must be extreme indeed."

Right, Jasmine thought. She had forgotten what a charmer Jace was.

The Queen smirked and leaned forward. "You are as charming as your father, Jonathan Morgenstern," she said, and gestured at the cushions scattered around the floor. "Come, sit beside me. Eat something. Drink. Rest yourselves. Talk is better with wet lips."

Jace seemed to hesitate—not unreasonably. Jasmine herself didn't trust the Queen either. Meliorn spoke quietly. "It would be unwise to refuse the bounty of the Queen of the Seelie Court."

Isabelle shrugged. "It won't hurt us just to sit down."

Jasmine wasn't so sure.

They sat down on the silky cushions, which turned out to be very comfortable. One of the Queen's courtiers, a little blue-skinned pixie, handed each of them a cup of a gold-toned liquid Jasmine wasn't familiar with. The scent was intoxicatingly sweet—she closed her eyes for a moment. She nearly took a sip of the drink, but Isabelle tapped her knee aggressively.

"Don't," hissed Isabelle.

Jasmine set her cup down immediately, but her mind was still foggy.

"Now," said the Queen. "Meliorn tells me you claim to know who killed our child in the park last night. Though I tell you now, it seems no mystery to me. A faerie child, drained of blood? Is it that you bring me the name of a single vampire? But all vampires are at fault here, for the breaking of the Law, and should be punished accordingly. Despite what may seem, we are not such a particular people."

"Oh, come on," said Isabelle. "It isn't vampires."

Jace shot her a look. "What Isabelle means to say is that we're almost certain that the murderer is someone else. We think he may be trying to throw suspicion on the vampires to shield himself."

"Have you proof of that?"

"Last night the Silent Brothers were slaughtered as well, and none of them were drained of blood," said Jace calmly.

"And this has to do with our child, how? Dead Nephilim are a tragedy to Nephilim, but nothing to me," said the Queen. From where Jasmine was sitting, she could see the way Jace's fingers sometimes spasmed in his lap. He was a lot more tense than he let on.

"The Soul-Sword was stolen as well," said Jace. "You know of Maellartach?"

"The sword that makes Shadowhunters tell the truth," said the Queen thoughtfully. "We fey have no need of such an object."

"It was taken by Valentine Morgenstern," said Jace. "He killed the Silent Brothers to get it, and we think he killed the faerie as well. He needed the blood of a faerie child to effect a transformation on the Sword. To make it a tool he could use."

"And he won't stop," Isabelle added. "He needs more blood after that."

The Queen arched her eyebrows. "More blood of the Folk?"

"No," Jace said, shooting Isabelle a warning look. "More Downworlder blood. He needs the blood of a werewolf, and a vampire—"

The Queen looked unimpressed. "That seems hardly our concern."

"He killed one of yours," Isabelle said. "Don't you want revenge?"

The Queen's eyes were hard. "Not immediately," she said. "We are a patient folk, for we have all the time in the world. Valentine Morgenstern is an old enemy of ours—but we have enemies older still. We are content to wait and watch."

"He's summoning demons to him," Jace said. "Creating an army—"

"Demons," said the Queen lightly, as her courtiers chattered behind her. "Demons are your charge, are they not, Shadowhunter? Is that not why you hold authority over us all? Because you are the ones who slay demons?"

"I'm not here to give you orders on behalf of the Clave. We came when you asked us because we thought that if you knew the truth, you'd help us."

"Is that what you thought?" The Queen looked amused. "Remember, Shadowhunter, there are those of us who chafe under the rule of the Clave. Perhaps we are tired of fighting your wars for you."

"We're not asking you to fight this war for us," said Jasmine. The Queen's gaze on her was intent and steady - it was unsettling. "But if Valentine wins, we won't be the only ones to suffer from it."

"Right. This isn't our war alone," said Jace steadily, turning the Queen's attention back to himself. "Valentine hates Downworlders more than he hates demons. If he defeats us, he'll go after you next. And when he does," said Jace, "remember that it was a Shadowhunter who warned you what was coming."

Silence.

The Queen leaned back on her cushions. "Warning me about your own parent," she said. "I had thought you mortals capable of lial affection, at least, and yet you seem to feel no loyalty toward Valentine, your father." Jace said nothing. He seemed, for a change, lost for words. Sweetly, the Queen went on, "Or perhaps this hostility of yours is the pretense. Love does make liars out of your kind."

Protectiveness bubbled up inside Jasmine. "Is that why you fey don't lie?" she said fiercely. "Because you don't know how to love?" The room turned icy at her words, and Jasmine's stomach roiled. Crap, she thought. Now she'd really done it.

But the Queen smiled, her eyes bright with something Jasmine couldn't interpret. "Not to mention reckless. Love tends numbs all the other senses, doesn't it? It cancels out every other emotion. Look at you - your chest is tight with fear, and yet you bare your teeth when your lover is at stake."

"I'm not afraid," said Jasmine.

"But that is a lie," said the Queen with a razor-like grin. She seemed to feed off of Jasmine's insecurity. "Fear is what has kept you going all this time. It is what drove you away from your uncle when you still thought he was your parent."

"Fear was not what made me leave," said Jasmine, twisting and turning the ring on her finger. "Hatred was. I hate my uncle."

"And Jace and I hate our father," said Clary.

"Do you?" said the Queen.

"You know how the bonds of family are, my lady," said Jace, recovering his voice. "They cling as tightly as vines. And sometimes, like vines, they cling tightly enough to kill."

The Queen's lashes fluttered. "You would betray your own father for the sake of the Clave?"

"Even so, Lady," said Jace.

She laughed, a sharp sound that sent chills down Jasmine's spine. "Who would have thought," she said, "that Valentine's little experiments would turn on him?"

For a second there, they all looked confused. Isabelle was the one who spoke up. "Experiments?"

The Queen didn't look at her. Her gaze was fixed on Jace. "The Fair Folk are a people of secrets," she said. "Our own, and others'. Ask your father, when next you see him, what blood runs in your veins, Jonathan."

"I hadn't planned on asking him anything next time I see him," Jace said. "But if you desire it, my lady, it will be done."

The Queen smiled again. "I think you are a liar. But what a charming one. Charming enough that I will swear you this: Ask your father that question, and I will promise you what aid is in my power, should you strike against Valentine."

Jace smiled back. "Your generosity is as remarkable as your loveliness, Lady," he said. "And I think we're done here now." He got up, and the rest followed.

"A moment." The Queen rose as well. "One of you must remain."

Jace paused halfway to the door, and turned to face her. "What do you mean?"

She glanced at Clary. "Once our food or drink passes mortal lips, the mortal is ours. You know that, Shadowhunter."

Clary froze. "But I didn't drink any of it!" She turned to Jace. "She's lying."

"Faeries don't lie," he said. He turned back to the Queen. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, Lady."

"Look to her fingers and tell me she didn't lick them clean."

Jasmine could only stare, the way one might stare at a trainwreck - bewildered and unknowing what to do about it.

Clary looked down at her hand. "Of blood," she said. "One of the sprites bit my finger—it was bleeding—" She moved toward the door, and stopped as if an invisible hand had a hold on her. She looked panicked. "It's true."

Jace's cheeks were flushed. "I suppose I should have expected a trick like that," he said to the Queen, a lot harsher than before. "Why are you doing this? What do you want from us?"

"Perhaps I am only curious," the Queen purred. "It is not often I have young Shadowhunters so close within my purview. Like us, you trace your ancestry to heaven; that intrigues me."

"But unlike you," said Jace, "there is nothing of hell in us."

The Queen's eyes flashed with amusement. "What makes you so sure?"

"If you just want to study a Shadowhunter, I won't be much use to you," Clary said, looking as if she might start crying. "I don't know anything about Shadowhunting. I hardly have any training. I'm the wrong person to pick."

The Queen looked at her. "In truth, Clarissa Morgenstern, you are precisely the right person," she said. "Thanks to the changes your father worked in you, you are not like other Shadowhunters. Your gifts are different."

"My gifts?" Clary asked.

"Yours is the gift of words that cannot be spoken," the Queen said to her, "and your brother's is the Angel's own gift. Jasmine was the biggest and most dangerous experiment of all - your father made sure she had both heaven and hell in her. She acts as a bridge, as a medium between dimensions. Whether she wants to or not."

Jasmine was confused beyond belief. "What are you talking about?" she spluttered. "Heaven and hell?"

The Queen chuckled knowingly. "Lift your sleeve, child. Show me the one rune that does not belong on your skin."

Horror welled up inside Jasmine - the Queen was talking about the Teroran rune on her left arm. The one Valentine had given her. The one that had given her grace, speed and strength.

Jace put a hand on Jasmine's wrist and pulled her back before stepping in front of her. "While the Fair Folk do not lie," he said, "they can be lied to. I think you have been the victim of a trick or joke, my lady. There is nothing special about us."

"How deftly you downplay your charms," said the Queen with a laugh. "Though you must know you are not of the usual sort of human boy, Jonathan…" Her expression changed when she looked at the stunned faces of the Shadowhunters in front of her. "Could it be that you do not know?" she murmured.

"I know that I will not leave my sister here in your Court," said Jace, "and since there is nothing to be learned from either her or Jasmine or myself, perhaps you could do us the favor of releasing her?"

The Queen's smile was wide and frightening. "What if I told you she could be freed by a kiss?"

"You want Jace to kiss you?" Clary said, bewildered. The Queen burst out laughing, and the courtiers joined in. Their laughter sounded like animals being tortured.

"Despite his charms," the Queen said, "that kiss will not free the girl."

The five of them exchanged startled looks. "I could kiss Meliorn," suggested Isabelle.

"Nor that. Nor any one of my Court."

Meliorn moved away from Isabelle, who looked at the rest of them and threw up her hands. "I'm not kissing any of you," she said. "Just so it's official."

"That hardly seems necessary," Simon said. "If a kiss is all…" He moved towards Clary and grabbed her by the elbows.

"No," said the Queen. "That is not what I want either."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Oh, for the Angel's sake. Look, if there's no other way of getting out of this, I'll kiss Simon. I've done it before, it wasn't that bad."

"Thanks," said Simon. "That's very flattering."

"Alas," said the Queen. "I'm afraid that won't do either."

"I'll kiss any of you," said Jasmine, the words spoken rapidly. "I don't care who it is."

Jace looked over his shoulder at her, one of his eyebrows raised. "You seem eager."

"I just want to get us out of here."

"And you're sure that it isn't your bisexuality acting up?"

"Wha- my bisexuality isn't something that needs to be contained, thank you very much," said Jasmine, now very annoyed. "I'm not an animal; I can control myself."

"While this is all very amusing," said the Queen coolly, leaning forward, "the kiss that will free the girl is the kiss that she most desires. Only that and nothing more."

"Great, so who is it?" asked Jasmine quickly. As she looked at each of the faces of her companions, she realized that Simon, Jace and Clary had paled considerably. Jasmine frowned in confusion.

"Why are you doing this?" demanded Jace from the Queen.

"I rather thought I was offering Clarissa here a boon."

"That's ridiculous," said Simon. "They're brother and sister."

The Queen shrugged. "Desire is not always lessened by disgust. Nor can it be bestowed, like a favor, to those most deserving of it. And as my words bind my magic, so you can know the truth. If she doesn't desire his kiss, she won't be free."

Jasmine gasped for air, her ears buzzing and her head spinning. "Wait, what?" Her voice was demanding and sharp as a knife.

Simon swore. "You don't have to do this, Clary, it's a trick—"

"Not a trick," said Jace. "A test."

"Well, I don't know about you, Simon," said Isabelle, a slight edge to her voice. "But I'd like to get Clary out of here."

"Like you'd kiss Alec," Simon said, "just because the Queen of the Seelie Court asked you to?"

"Sure I would." Isabelle sounded annoyed. "If the other option was being stuck in the Seelie Court forever? Who cares, anyway? It's just a kiss."

"That's right," said Jace. "It's just a kiss." Jasmine wanted to say something, make an objection. But she couldn't. Her throat was tight with revulsion. Jace craned his neck down and firmly whispered in her ear, "You don't have to watch this." He pulled away from her and moved towards Clary, who stood frozen.

Jasmine glanced at Simon, who looked as pained as she herself felt. She considered running, but how would that help her in any way? Jace was still going to kiss Clary. Jasmine wondered if she would have been okay with it if the two of them weren't siblings, if she would feel less nauseous. But then she realized that their situation was crappy no matter what.

In the corner of her eye, Jasmine could see Jace grabbing Clary.

That was when Jasmine realized that she should have been more careful. She should have trusted her instincts when they'd first warned her about falling in love with Jace. Because a boy that beautiful, and feelings that deep were more dangerous than demon pox. Jasmine had not lost Jace, but she was filled with horror and hurt as she watched him and Clary entangled in each other.

Perhaps he didn't feel anything for his sister, but it felt like a forewarning to Jasmine. This was something that could happen, she thought. He could get bored of her and move on to the next girl. She didn't know how she would react to something like that, to something so sweet and beautiful being ripped away from her.

But then even something as sweet as honey had a bitter aftertaste, and every beautiful rose had its thorn.