Clary POV

The revelation that the vampire, Edward, had been telling the truth left me conflicted. I had been so convinced that he was somehow connected to Valentine or his plans. But now, faced with the reality that our encounters had been mere coincidences, I had to reevaluate my assumptions.

Edward's eyes held a mix of surprise and suspicion as if he couldn't quite believe I had seen his entire life unfold before me. I needed to make a decision—release him and apologize, or continue to keep him restrained until I had more answers.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped back from Edward, allowing him some space. "I... I'm sorry," I stammered, my voice tinged with uncertainty. "I had my reasons to doubt you, but it seems I was wrong. It's just that being on the run and dealing with enemies has made me paranoid."

Edward's glare softened slightly, his intense gaze studying me as if searching for any signs of deception. "Paranoia can be a dangerous thing," he replied, his voice cautious yet tinged with a hint of understanding. "I've experienced my fair share of it as well."

I let out a shaky laugh, feeling a mix of relief and embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess we both have our demons to deal with. I'm Clary, by the way," I introduced myself, deliberately using my nickname to prevent him from tracing my real identity.

"Edward, although you already knew that," he responded, his tone still guarded but less hostile than before. I chuckled, appreciating the irony. "Now that you know I don't mean you any harm, can you let me go?" he questioned.

I pondered his request carefully. If I released him now, what guarantee did I have that he wouldn't seek revenge for his kidnapping? A paranoid part of me still clung to the belief that he might be working for Valentine, even though deep down, I knew it wasn't true. I couldn't simply let him go after the reckless and impulsive actions I had taken. I needed a plan.

"Sorry, I can't do that. You know too much about me now—my appearance and my true nature. I've been running incognito for years, and you've become a loose end," I explained. I could see the anger brim into his eyes again as I spoke.

"So, what do you expect me to do? Remain trapped here forever?!" he spat, his fury resurfacing.

"No, I'm not that cruel. Let's make a deal, shall we?" I proposed.

"A deal?! Have you lost your mind? Why would I ever want to make a deal with you?" he retorted.

"Well, it's either making a deal or remaining confined here indefinitely. Trust me when I say my offer will be too enticing for you to refuse. Just hear me out, can you?" I replied, unbothered by his anger.

"Fine," He spat.

"Good Vampire. Now you see in our Shadow world, we have these instruments... three to be specific. The Mortal Cup, The Mortal Sword, and the Mortal Mirror... all of these are gifts from gods and they were they created us, Shadowhunters. Yes, we are a gift from god, angels specifically. We are part-angel and part-human, being part-angel we have certain strengths that help us kill evil people.. like demons and bad downworlders. Basically, we protect humans from the Shadow world. Now, I am a special shadow hunter. I have some extra angel blood running in my veins, which makes me more angelic...per se. Now, you see because of that I have powers. My blood is special. Surely, I smell amazing, don't I? Anyway, one of the things my blood can do is satiate a vampire's hunger forever... among other things. Thats why I smell so tempting. Now, here's the deal: you drink my blood, and your insatiable thirst will be quenched forever. In return, you become a double agent for me. I know why you're here; the Volturi has caught a glimpse of our Shadow world. From what I've observed of Aro, he is a power-hungry man who will stop at nothing to obtain whoever is causing this chaos. And that will lead me directly to someone I've been hunting for years. All you have to do is resume your normal life, go back to the Volturi, try to aid their mission, and report any new details to me. Simple, yes? Eternal freedom from bloodlust in exchange for a little spying."

I could see the temptation flicker in Edward's eyes, and I knew he was seriously considering my offer. This girl, Bella—his singer—had been a weakness for him, contributing to the failure of their relationship. I had just presented him with an opportunity he couldn't resist. I had to tread carefully, and he would likely say yes.

"I'll give you until tomorrow morning to decide, Vampire. After that, the offer will no longer be valid," I called out as I exited the basement, leaving Edward to contemplate the weight of his decision.