Chapter 44 – Trouble on the Horizon

Jace was right. The debate would decide which side the indecisive would vote for. The Shadowhunters were divided. So deep that you could actually see the crack between the fronts. The direct result of my speech was pure chaos. People jumped to their feet like wild animals and yelled in loud voices as if their lives depended on it. And that's how it was. The Consul had retired to his throne, looking discontented, while the Inquisitor tried to restore order to the hall. A difficult undertaking, hardly possible and yet somehow, she succeeded. That was one of the few things I appreciated about her. This authority that had the power to silence an entire people.

The vote would be close. Very close. The first three Nephilim – assigned permission to speak by Imogen – cursed, stirred, and thundered at our proposal, but especially at me personally. Spy. Traitor. Liar. Nothing I hadn't heard before. Accusations I'd have to deal with by now. And yet every word pierced my body like a thin iron needle. As if the pain in my stomach wasn't enough.

As they swung their speeches and badmouthed me, I stared straight ahead across the hall, imagining my mother's green eyes. The way she stood there, watching me, maybe giving me a sad, knowing smile. Would she be proud of me? I wanted to believe she would. After all, I was only doing all this for her because she would have wanted it this way. I wish she was still here to give me some advice. I felt like I desperately needed advice.

The flaring up murmur of the crowd made me look down. I had no idea who had been speaking until now and I didn't care either. Not a single supporter so far. So far. My eyes opened in astonishment as Maryse rose from the seat and made it clear to the Nephilim that a vote against the proposal was a vote for their own downfall. I wanted to smile and felt Isabelle on my left grimace when another, unfamiliar voice broke the silence, reminding me in a stony tone that Maryse had once fought for Valentine, and could fight for him again now. The meaning of her words was irrelevant because they were undermined by her past. The fact that my mother sought shelter with her in New York, and that the Lightwoods had taken me in since then, only weakened our point. I could understand them. Somehow. And yet I couldn't. Somehow.

It all started and ended with my father. Everything led back to him. As if he had known that the Nephilim trusted him so little that they would distrust anyone who had ever touched him. As if he had deliberately engineered it so that the Nephilim would destroy themselves before he could. Had he considered that? Had he speculated? Or was it just a random turn of events, one of the few variables he couldn't control?

At the edge of my vision, a person rose, and I recognized Aaron Wrayburn, who had bowed his head to me before the meeting began. Out of respect for me. A fact that I must have dreamed of rather than being true. And yet his brown eyes wandered to mine now, a wise expression on his long face. Sitting by his side was a woman who must have been a few years older than me. Judging by the features on her face, she was related to Aaron. I didn't know her, had never seen her in my life. Even so, her dark, full lips spread in a smile. I could only stare at her, stunned and thrown aback, while her father, they looked alike enough for that, came to Maryse's aid and substantiated the merits of our proposal.

Isabelle squeezed my hand. She was satisfied, even relieved. I could feel her goosebumps as her skin pressed against mine. Having Aaron Wrayburn on your side had to mean something. He had to be a respected member of the Shadowhunter community. The long silence that followed confirmed my suspicion. It was as if people had to digest his words, weigh them on their tongues. Did his opinion carry that much weight? Why didn't people think for themselves, but let one person influence them? I didn't understand it, but at that moment I was glad about it.

Malik was the next to get up and now it was me squeezing Isabelle's hand. His brother Kadir hated me. So much so that he had tried to trick Jace into killing me. On my other side, Jace leaned forward expectantly, and I turned my head in his direction to see his brow furrowed. Was he thinking about that too?

But Malik, whose brother I had beaten and humiliated, who always scowled and who I knew was skeptical of me, raised his voice and agreed with Aaron. I didn't know much about Malik. Except that he and Kadir were part of the New York Institute's division and therefore reported to Maryse. Was it loyalty to her or did he actually believe our path was the right one? I couldn't tell. All the psychology Isabelle had conjured up today didn't help me decipher his neutral gaze.

With Maryse, Aaron and Malik loudly in support, a lively discussion arose again in the hall. More Shadowhunters stood up and offered their opinions, explaining in short sentences why they made their decisions. It was like a chain reaction that the three had set off. Suddenly there were more voices that acknowledged us, even if some of them clearly distanced themselves from me. I didn't care. All that mattered was the vote.

A vote I was not allowed to participate in. The Consul forbade it, and Imogen agreed without batting an eyelash. It was moments like this that evoked a deep, inexplicable anger within me. They wanted to make it clear: I was good enough to negotiate the future with Shadowworlders, but I wasn't supposed to be a part of that future. I didn't belong to their community.

Jace and Isabelle both shot me a quick glance, but I pressed my lips together and stared straight ahead. Don't ever let them see the destruction. Never let them see how badly it hurts you. And that's exactly what I did. I obediently sat in my seat and waited for the voting to come to an end.

We won. Very close. So close that the few Shadowhunters mattered; that my vote could have mattered. Maybe another reason why they didn't want me to participate. Nonetheless, I couldn't maintain my indifferent expression for long, because at that moment Isabelle threw herself against me, squeezing the air out of my lungs. I forced a smile to my lips, pushing the tears of pain back into my eyes, and wrapped an arm around her.

"We did it!" squeaked Isabelle, shooting to her feet with me in tow and jumping around me like we'd just won the war itself. She wasn't the only one. Many other Nephilim rose from their benches. Screams broke out. Anger, annoyance, relief, cheering. Some stormed out of the hall. Some hugged each other. I realized that this was not only a fight against Valentine, but also a fight of the liberals against the conservatives.

"We did it," I repeated, squinting to keep my vision from going black. The Iratzes didn't help anymore, and my middle felt like it would tear in two at any second. As if I would collapse on the stone floor and bleed to death at any second.

But Isabelle was so happy that I didn't want to spoil her mood. I leaned against her and together we turned to Jace, Adam and Alec, big grins on our lips. The boys stared at us as if we had lost our minds. Uncertainty sparkled in Adam's green eyes. I reached out for him, and he hesitantly pushed past Jace.

"Everything will be fine, I promise," I said, giving him a safe smile.

Adam brushed a strand of brown hair away from his face and nodded. "I just wonder what the price will be that we'll have to pay for it."

"We can think about that when the time comes," Isabelle called, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. We drew closer and spun in circles. I managed to place both of my arms on their shoulders, allowing them to unknowingly help me carry my own body weight.

We had to look silly jumping around like kids. Eventually even Adam smiled, which quickly turned into a laugh. We danced in circles, laughed and celebrated the brief moment of triumph. This was a big step for the Nephilim. Yet what we did here was nothing but a long-held breath for freedom, a long-suppressed need for normality. Every pang in my stomach reminded me that it was just a moment, an instant; something that would pass us by again within minutes. When those seconds were up, the new ordinary would catch up with us. The ordinary that had arisen since my appearance in New York. Something that would never undo. I could never go back to my old life, but neither could the people around me. Some would die, some would lose loved ones and those lucky enough not to see anyone die would never forget that time and the terror it had brought. This was the stuff stories were made of. Legends that would still be told by parents in hundreds of years. To warn their children that nothing in life was certain, not even death. My father had resurged after eighteen years and with him two children who should never have existed. Strange how fate played sometimes.

I was relieved with the result of the vote. Not many Nephilim looked as happy as the three of us. They voted for it because they had no other choice. Not because they were actually for equality in the Shadow World. The Consul looked anything but satisfied. He was talking excitedly to a small group of Shadowhunters that had gathered around him. I forced myself to look away.

The next step would be to meet with the heads of the various clans to discuss exactly how to proceed. When all the promises we made to the Downworlders would be carried out. When we would return to our actual duties as protectors of Earth. The Inquisitor declared the Clave meeting closed, but hardly anyone was listening to her anymore. Many had already left, others talked so loudly her voice was drowned out by the tumult.

Jace pushed past us. At least that had been his intention. In the end, Isabelle, Adam and I broke apart, stepped out onto the stairs and let him through. "I'll have a word with my grandmother," Jace said as he passed me. "Wait for me in the foyer." Not a second later he had disappeared into the crowd.

I stared after Jace, not knowing what face to put on. It hadn't taken communication to make it clear that he would accompany me back to the Basilias. Even when we had first come here, it had been like unspoken knowledge between us. Still, my first reaction to his command was resistance. He probably didn't even mean it as one. I just didn't like being bossed around.

"Speaking of which," Isabelle intervened at that moment and gently patted my shoulder. "I still have to discuss something with my mother. If we don't see each other outside, I'll see you tomorrow." She gave Adam and me a quick wave, then walked back to the bench where Maryse and Alec were sitting, whispering to each other.

"And then it was just the two of us," Adam said, offering me his arm. I grabbed onto him without hesitation. My legs had started shaking after all that jumping, and I needed the support.

I shook off my pride and said freely what was on my mind. It was good for our friendship if I let my own feelings into play now and again. "I'm glad you're here," I admitted as we walked up to the exit of the hall. Now that it was just the two of us, I stopped manipulating my voice. Let him hear that I was not feeling well. Last time he had wrapped me in cotton, but I hoped he'd learned. "Jace tried to talk me out of coming and I thought he was exaggerating on purpose when he said it was going to be tough."

"You really don't look good," Adam remarked, giving me an apologetic look. "I don't know how Isabelle managed to talk you into that psychology thing. I'm just glad it worked out. One could see what the past days cost you, but you definitely did good in hiding it in your voice."

"I'm glad, then," I murmured, sucking in the cool air of the anteroom as we exited the large double doors. As before the meeting, a few small groups had gathered and were talking to each other. But now more violently than before. Angry but also thoughtful looks were thrown in my direction. I ignored them again and crossed the room with Adam at my side. We stopped in the shadow of one of the four broad pillars. They stood in every corner of the room and reminded me of ancient Greek temples. I let go of Adam and leaned wearily against the wall, glad the shadow swallowed my form a little.

"We haven't had much time to talk since you left for your family's estate," Adam said, leaning against the pillar across from me, a few feet away. "Of course I heard the official report, but I wanted to know how you hung on. It certainly wasn't easy going back there."

I shook my head and sighed. Now that the adrenaline of my speech was draining from my body, it was hard to keep my eyes open. Every movement hurt, even lifting my chest while breathing disturbed the injury in my stomach. Lifting my eyes up to Adam's green seemed like a strenuous act. As if I had trained for hours and was now out of breath. Good thing Jace wasn't there. How could I go on pretending he wasn't absolutely right? This day was killing me.

"It wasn't nice," I explained and now squeezed my eyes shut because my throat suddenly tightened at the images in my head. I could only hope Adam would blame my stir on exhaustion. "I didn't even go in. I couldn't enter the house. Being there and knowing that all those years were a lie ... I'm so upset that I didn't question anything, that I just accepted it all."

Adam took a step towards me. I still had my eyes closed, but only knew it because his right hand stroked my arm in a comforting gesture. "That he then set his demons on you only made things worse. Just the thought of my father doing that to me ... is unimaginable."

"I'm sort of grateful for it," I said, but kept my eyes closed. "We would've stayed for hours if they hadn't attacked. I prefer that pain to the things that crossed my mind there."

"If you say so."

I blinked and saw Adam shrug. He was standing barely three feet in front of me, almost in my privacy, with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes looked thoughtful. He caught mine and for a while we just looked at each other. Somehow, he looked different since we first met in New York. As if he'd gotten older in the past few weeks. At first, he had smiled a lot, but nowadays I didn't get to see it too often. I liked his smile. It was light-hearted and distracted me from my worries. Adam was a person who possessed a strong aura. With him it was so easy to get caught up in his pull, to be infected by his feelings. The way he spoke made him stand out from others. It could be said that his parents had placed a lot of value on intellectual education. He was good at using language for himself, stringing words together in a way that the other person liked. He was good at reading people's needs on their faces. Even if I didn't usually allow myself to do it, I would have been happy about it today. But somehow, he seemed to be a bit beside himself. I couldn't tell what it was.

"I have to admit that in the end I'm relieved with the way the vote went. I'm still skeptical, but your speech has convinced me." A grin spread across Adam's angular face and it took a weight off my mind automatically. There he was, the Adam I needed right now. I couldn't tell if his words were true or false to please me, but that didn't bother me.

"I'm glad I could convince you," I murmured, lifting the corners of my mouth. That hurt too. Keeping my eyes open resulted in seeing black dots at the edge of my field of vision, and that worried me. "Truly, I'm so relieved that the proposal was accepted. I don't know what I would've done otherwise."

The grin on Adam's face lost some of its intensity. Suddenly the emotions were missing from his expression. "If some of the conservative's camp had their way, you'd probably be in prison under lock and key, and we'd continue to hide in Alicante. Although I guess they wouldn't call it hiding."

"You say that like you know it firsthand," I stated, cocking my head. Wrong decision. These small movements were so inherent in my personality that my body performed them automatically. I forgot how much they would hurt.

Adam pursed his lips and looked a little embarrassed for a second. I had never seen him like this before. Otherwise, he acted as if everything in his life was fine, as if no improvements were possible. "My parents think a little differently than you do," he admitted. "Before you think anything wrong: They're not like the Consul and his followers. They're normal Shadowhunters who worry. They don't trust the Downworlders, which is why they voted against the treaty."

"Everyone's worried, Adam," I replied softly. "Everyone expresses this concern differently. I understand that they don't trust them. But would you have preferred the treaty's alternative?"

Adam opened his mouth to answer, but paused as a tall, dark figure stepped out from behind the pillar and stood between us. Auburn hair that almost looked ebony in the shadows, broad shoulders and a malicious smile on the round face. Blake Ashdown stared from Adam to me, eyeing us.

"What are you two doing here in the dark, away from everyone?" he asked in an interested voice, but his light blue eyes were blazing with an anger that I wasn't ready for right now.

"What do you want, Blake?" Adam asked, raising his eyebrows. Exhaustion spread over his face, as if he didn't feel like confronting his friend. Or whatever they were.

"When did you turn so rude to me?" Blake fixed Adam with a demanding look. "We were cool when you were in Toronto. Now you look like you've spent too much time with the wrong people."

"So you're friends?" I asked frankly, my eyes darting between the two boys.

"Yes, we're friends," Blake replied contentedly before Adam could even part his lips. There was something provocative in his voice. "We've known each other since we were kids, if you want to know exactly, Morgenstern. So I don't understand why he's chasing you and the Lightwoods like a dog."

"That's enough, Blake," Adam hissed in a tone that didn't quite suit him.

"Why? Don't you want her to know who your friends are? What does she know about you, anyway?" Blake laughed and smacked Adam in the shoulder in a friendly manner, like he was joking. As if this wasn't a serious conversation. His posture and the fire in his eyes said otherwise.

"I am his friend," I said now, not knowing why I wanted to irritate Blake. My muscles cried out in pain, warning me not to. My gut feeling also advised me not to mess with him in my condition. I couldn't help it. It was like an itch I needed to satisfy. "He's never said anything about a Blake, though. But looking at you now, I would've kept quiet about you too if I were him."

"Clary, what–" said Adam, sounding audibly unhappy. Beside Blake, all friendliness had vanished from his face, replaced by a neutrality that seemed alien to me.

Again, Adam couldn't finish. Blake growled and closed the gap between us. A second later I was trapped between his wiry arms, which he was pinning against the wall at my shoulder level. His face was inches from mine and now that his back was completely turned to Adam, he dropped his mask. Before me stood an animal, a hunter. Blake bared his teeth silently, glared at me angrily, and leaned down a little further toward me.

"You're a liar, just like your father," Blake hissed.

My body reacted to Blakes like a magnet. I lifted my chin and stared defiantly into his face. "Don't call me a liar if you don't know me at all. Who are you to allow yourself a judgement?"

"Blake, leave Clary alone, this is going too far," Adam interjected, grabbing Blake's shoulder.

Blake jerked himself away from Adam and turned his head in his direction. "Stay out of this," he replied with a growl. "If you weren't such a weakling you would've done this a long time ago." Adam was silent and Blake jerked his head back to me. "I know you well enough. Your family is poison for our community, your stupid treaty proved that again today."

"So this is about the treaty," I remarked, forcing a smile to my lips. I felt like I was going to faint at any second. "You're angry because the majority of the Nephilim realized what's best for them. You're the one who's poisoned. By radical ideas."

"The majority ... my ass," he snorted angrily. "Without your goddamn speech, we wouldn't have to deal with Downworlders right now. If we weren't in a room full of people, I'd rip your throat out myself."

"Blake! You're not serious." Adam's voice sounded surprised and bitter at the same time, as if he already knew the game but was just playing it in a new way.

"Shut your mouth, Adam. And I am serious. That bitch's gonna kill us all and you're too blind to see the truth." Blake's hands were shaking next to my shoulders. The anger in his blue eyes had him under control. He had to fight not to attack me, now that we were so close. I could feel his breath against my skin, smell his aftershave. Maybe it was because he was threatening me, but the smell made me uneasy.

"You're talking big and I wonder how much is really behind it," I murmured. I couldn't bring about more. "Here in the midst of your people you're safe. Is that the real reason you won't rip my throat out right here?"

"For looking like you're about to collapse, you must be talking the big stuff, Clarissa." A smile crept onto Blake's face. "You're right, maybe I should take my chance now, you don't look like you can defend yourself against me. So much for the great warrior."

His words touched my pride, and I could see from his smile that that was Blake's intention. I raised my head further and stared straight into his sky-blue eyes. The pain made me delirious. The heat in my body must be fever. Was this a delirium I was headed for? I couldn't stop the words that left my mouth. "Go ahead, Blake Ashdown, try your luck. I'd be able to kill you in my sleep."

"Clary, by the Angel–" Adam panicked. He had to know how Blake was wired. That he wouldn't shy away from my offer.

"Glad to hear that," Blake said, ignoring Adam like we were the only ones far and wide. "I'd like to see how much you're actually capable of. Training under Valentine, angel blood ... I think people upvalue your skills because they're afraid of you. I'm not afraid."

"You are afraid." My body seemed to tear apart beneath me as I forced a derisive laugh across my tongue. "You would've followed your words with actions if it were different. You're scared of me Blake, but don't worry, most people feel the same way."

And finally, the moment I had been working towards came. I could see it in his eyes. Like a fog that loomed in front of his vision. Blake's self-control showed the crack I'd been waiting for; that I'd wanted to see. What was the matter with me? Why was I so anxious to provoke him? Why was I out to hurt someone? There was an unbridled rage in my body that was actually directed at someone else entirely. But my father was beyond my reach. I couldn't hold him accountable for what he had done to my brother, why my mother was dead, why I would live the rest of my days in loneliness, why I had to live a life I didn't deserve.

Blake's right hand slid from the wall to my face. I didn't flinch as his fingernails dug into my jaw. "You have a pretty face, I have to give you that," Blake whispered and smiled charmingly. "You're like the devil in an angel's body. But that won't stop me from killing you."

"I'm flattered," I replied, nodding, wide-eyed. I would never win a fight against Blake. What was I actually imagining? I probably wouldn't even notice him jam his knife into my chest because I'd already passed out.

Blake's fingers pressed harder against my jaw, like he was about to break my jaw with sheer force. But then his hand twitched as if another idea had occurred to him. I kept staring straight into his eyes to show him I wasn't moved. He wouldn't upset me no matter what was on his mind.

It turned out to be unimportant. I would never know what Blake was thinking because in that second, he was being pulled away from me so violently that I had to struggle not to flinch in surprise. Blake did less well than I did. A mixture of irritation and confusion crossed his face.

"Adam, I swear it's your turn next," he growled angrily, spinning around only to find Jace glaring at him just as furiously. The startled look on Blake's face almost made me laugh if Jace's presence hadn't thrown me off course myself.

"What in Raziel's name are you doing here, Blake?" His voice had taken on a menacing undertone, and he pushed Blake in the chest with such force that he collided backwards with Adam. Then Blake's face disappeared behind Jace's broad back as he positioned himself in front of me.

"I'm doing what you should've done weeks ago," Blake replied, tearing himself away from Adam with an effort and taking a step to the side. His head immediately turned towards me, and I just waited for him to take a step towards me. I pressed my lips together and narrowed my eyes. "Since you two seem to be too weak, I guess I'll have to take care of that."

Jace's gaze followed Blake's and our eyes met. He looked beside himself, not much better than Blake. His hands were balled into fists and his mouth twisted as if unsure what it would produce if he opened it. "Stay away from her, Blake. I'm serious. This isn't one of those stories where you and your friends can get involved. Attend to matters unrelated to national security."

"I don't get it," Blake roared, staring from Jace to me and then to Adam, who was staying completely in the background and looking like he wanted to turn on his heel and leave me here alone. "I know your family hates the Morgensterns more than anyone else in Alicante. But I also know that Clarissa is only alive because of you. How does that fit together?

"I guess I'm just not the evil monster from your nightmares," I remarked spitefully.

Blake lunged toward me, only Jace keeping him out of my reach. A hiss escaped Jace's lips, and he effortlessly held Blake back by the arm. "Stay away from her or we'll have a problem." It didn't sound like an order he'd been given. More like a personal promise. As if he took an interest in my well-being. But Jace glared at me over his shoulder. Shut your mouth, his menacing eyes drummed into me.

Blake struggled against his grip but gave up when he realized the situation was hopeless. "You should guard your tongue, Clarissa. Or I'll cut it off for you next time we meet. Not even your white knight can't protect you all the time." Jace's eyes darkened and when Blake finally yanked himself away from him, he didn't move. "And you can be sure that we'll see each other again soon. You and I and no one else who will save you."

"I don't need anyone to save me," I laughed with all the arrogance and malice I could muster.

Blake smiled one last destructive smile, his emotions now carefully hidden behind his mask of arrogance and youthfulness. "We'll see." Then he turned and disappeared from the anteroom. As quickly as he had appeared earlier.

Nobody said anything for a second. I leaned against the wall, letting the oxygen rush into my lungs and trying not to sink to the floor. I shivered. Every fiber of my body was exhausted, begging for rest, for recovery. I needed something for the pain. Something stronger than an Iratze. I lifted my head slightly and tried not to show the dizziness trying to bend me to gravity. My eyes slid to Jace, who was watching my every move. How much could he guess by looking at me? Adam had hinted that I looked bad. How bad? My health didn't spare me from what followed.

"Are you suicidal?!" Jace hissed, now walking towards me, his hands outstretched in a stunned gesture.

"Maybe." I smiled weakly.

"What's wrong with you?" Jace spat on and I let him talk. He was obviously upset. "In the last few days, your urge to die has become a bit too much for me. I'm starting to get the feeling you want these things to happen to you." I opened my mouth to reply, but he held up a hand to silence me. His attention shifted from me to Adam. "And as for you. What the fuck is going on in your goddamn head? You should've broken them up instead of just standing around like a fool."

"He didn't want to leave," Adam explained himself. Everything about him was wrong. His voice sounded hollow, his face looked blank. He knew Blake, knew how he would react, I had noticed that. But for some reason he had complied with Blake's orders. As if it wasn't the first time. He had bent as if afraid. Who was Blake that Adam feared him?

"He didn't want to leave?!" Jace gave Adam an incredulous look and ruffled his blond hair as if he were trying to pull himself together. "You are a Shadowhunter, Adam. Half dead, Clary still has the guts to mess with him. Even though it's completely idiotic, but, nonetheless. You should've held him back."

Adam nodded slowly and looked past Jace to me. "I'm sorry Clary. I didn't want that to get out of control. I guess it would be better if I left now."

I stared after Adam until he disappeared through the door to the garrison foyer. As I turned away, I caught Jace's eyes again. He was now standing where Adam had been standing at the beginning of our conversation, but not leaning against the pillar. The full intensity of his gaze was fixed on me; so strong it was hard for me to breathe. "Do you want to hear that I'm sorry? You will not. You're not my–"

I could barely blink before Jace suddenly loomed right in front of me, his head inches above mine and his hands pressed into the wall by my shoulders, just like Blake had done before. Except that I found with a touch of surprise that his nearness made my heartbeat faster for reasons that had nothing to do with fear.

"It's moments like this that make me regret even trying to be friends with you," Jace roared, and the heart in my chest suddenly stopped beating completely. My features slipped away and the overwhelming pain in my body threatened to bring tears to the corners of my eyes with every blink. He had to see it, because his distorted mask faltered, as if realizing he had gone too far. Before he could continue, I had spoken again.

I shook my head. "You're asking me what's wrong with me. What's wrong with you? Why are you freaking out like that?" The chill in my tone weakened with the heat from the wound in my abdomen.

"Blake and you were about to get at each other's throats," Jace said, his tone barely milder, as if he was having trouble controlling himself. "You're not strong enough for a fight. In addition, you should stop fighting with other Shadowhunters anyway. You provoked him on purpose."

I squeezed my eyes shut to avoid seeing him in front of me. "He wants to kill me," I explained. "I wanted to see how far he'd go here and now. I don't know him and wanted to assess his temperament."

"I can tell you exactly what temperament Blake has, Clary," Jace replied, his blond eyebrows scrunching in anger. "Blake is a fanatic. He and his friends have been known to break the Accords. They threaten Shadowworlders, even Shadowhunters if they have to or someone catches their eyes. They're dangerous and you should stay away from them."

"Then why are they still at large if they break the Accords?"

"No one can prove it. They have some powerful friends on the Clave who are covering up possible evidence. That's why they're so dangerous," Jace explained, staring at me like I was a kid speaking a foreign language. We continued to be so close, but I felt like I was with a stranger. I'd forgotten what it was like to be confronted with this side of him. Now that I'd seen the other side, this was like jumping back in time. I didn't really know how to deal with it.

My chin nodded mechanically. "But I don't let others patronize me. With your grandmother, I have no choice but to put up with it, but I won't be insulted by someone like him," I ground out hostilely. As if Jace were the enemy. He deserved nothing less if he treated me like this.

"Then at least wait until you're well, dammit," Jace snapped, but hung his head like he was tired of arguing with me. His hair touched my forehead, but he looked down at the floor between us, his mind elsewhere. "If he says he's going to kill you, then he'll try. Now you're an easy target. Can you even walk straight?"

I sighed and stared down at myself – following his gaze. "Is it that obvious?"

Jace mimicked my sigh and lifted his head. Our eyes met and he slowly seemed to become aware of the closeness between us. "Yes, it is, and seeing you like this is ... uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?" I mumbled, cocking my head.

Jace took his right hand off the wall and cupped my jaw, gently stroking my cheek. There was something in the gold of his eyes that would have made me reveal any secret I had to him on the spot. Though his grip was gentle, his gaze was all the more demanding. "Did he hurt you?"

My lips parted and I considered my answer. All the while I had the feeling that Jace could read my every train of thought in my eyes. "No," I finally replied, wondering why I was whispering. "Actually, he didn't really do anything besides threaten me."

"Good," was all he replied, slowly lowering his fingers. "It's weird to see you so weak. And even in that state, you manage to make a speech to the Clave and then quarrel with Blake Ashdown. That gives me hope that you can survive another conversation with my grandmother as well."

I cocked my head and stared up at Jace, who was now a little further away from me. A silent apology reflected in his golden eyes. "She asked for both of us," he answered my silent question. "Something about the new treaty."

"It will take me days to recover from today," I murmured unhappily, but allowed Jace to gently pull me away from the wall. He pressed me against his side like he was going to hug me. For a breath I just leaned against his chest and let his scent of spring wind and maple carry me away from this place. A part of me was already wondering what his intentions were as he lifted my left arm and wrapped it around his shoulders. His own arm found its way around my waist, and I realized way too late that he just wanted to help me walk. I let him carry most of my weight and felt heat flush into my cheeks, though I couldn't figure out why.

"I warned you." A small grin spread across Jace's face as he looked down at me. "It certainly won't take too long. She'll be glad to get rid of you afterwards."

"Nice of you to at least admit that she dislikes me," I replied, rolling my eyes.

Hi and welcome back!

I really really like this chapter. Blake is back for another round. What do you think about this "new" addition to our character-cast? I'd be really intersted in your thoughts!

I hope you liked the hints of Clace at the end. :)

Please leave a comment to support my work! Thank you for all the comments I already got over the last chapters! I'm always glad to read them and appreciate it!

See you next week,

Skyllen :)