A/N: This story is about four years in the making. As such, it will not be entirely canon compliant. I started writing this a good while before Lady Midnight came out, but the Dark Artifices changed a lot about the Shadowhunters world. By the time Queen of Air and Darkness came out, I'd written half of this story already. I chose not to include some details from the newest books because it was too difficult to work them into my main story, though I did accommodate some of the smaller changes.

This fic is a labor of love. In a word document, it stands at 323 pages, or 115,600 words. It's been a long, hard road, but I hope you enjoy it.

And with all that said, here is the first chapter of CITY OF SMOKE AND DUST!


CITY OF SMOKE AND DUST

PART ONE: FIRE

Chapter One

Sunlight streamed through the Institute's enormous windows as Jace strode down the hallway. It was a hot August morning, and for once he was glad for the Institute's drafty halls. The light breeze flowing through the open windows offered some relief from the scorching heat, but the stone of the Institute's halls offered much more.

Jace could hear the phone ringing distantly, and he picked up his pace. He sped into the library just in time to snatch up the phone. "New York Institute," he said, his voice clipped and polite.

He had just picked up a pen and a pad of paper when Simon walked in. "Okay," he said, scribbling furiously. "Got it. We'll be there in ten minutes." He hung up the phone and glanced up at Simon.

"Demon attack?" Simon guessed, perching on the arm of a chair.

Jace nodded. "Staten Island. Arden Woods. Minor demons, though," he added hastily. "You don't have to come. Really," he said emphatically.

"Aw, come on, Jace," said Simon, grinning at him. "Don't you miss fighting with me? Even a little?" he wheedled.

"No," said Jace flatly. "Not in the least."

"Fine," said Simon, swinging himself off the armchair. "I guess I'll just ask Clary—"

"I'll ask Clary," said Jace, heading to the door. "She's my wife."

"She's my parabatai," Simon countered, mimicking Jace's tone as he followed him out of the library. "And besides, I'm bored. At least Izzy's probably having fun, off murdering demons in Morocco—"

"I thought she was in Italy now," said Jace, striding down the corridor with Simon on his heels.

"Oh, yeah," said Simon, scratching his head. "It's hard to keep track. I kind of wish I'd gone with her, you know? I mean, here we are, married three years, and my wife is off slaying demons without me. Not to mention, do you have any idea how long it's been since I've had sex?"

"Okay," said Jace, stopping abruptly, "number one, I do not want to hear about you having sex with my sister. Second, since when do we talk about our sex lives with each other?"

"Since I stopped having one," Simon grumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Jace shook his head, disbelieving, as he turned a corner—and smacked straight into Clary.

She shrieked, and her armful of books went tumbling to the floor. "Jace!" she snapped, snatching up the books. "Watch where you're going!"

"Couldn't help it," said Jace, smiling cheekily. "Your beauty is blinding."

Simon let out a long groan behind them, and although Clary normally would have smiled exasperatedly, today she didn't. Jace's grin faded. "Are you okay?" he said, watching her closely.

She avoided his gaze. "I'm fine," she said shortly, picking up the last of her books.

"What's with the mobile library?" said Jace, eyeing the enormous stack.

"I've been catching up on my demonology," said Clary, hoisting the books higher into her arms. "It's not important. Well, I'm sure you've got something to do, so I'll just—"

"Clary," Jace said, grabbing her arm as she made to move past him. "What's going on?"

She gave him a very false smile. "Nothing!" she said, a bit too cheerfully.

Jace surveyed her for a moment, but she stared back resolutely, and he finally let it drop. "There are some minor demons in Staten Island," he said. "Why don't I take those back to the library and you and Simon can go get gear and weapons?"

She hesitated—almost imperceptibly, but he knew her well enough to notice. "Okay," she said, tipping the books into his arms. Simon slapped Jace on the back hard enough to make the stack of books sway ominously and went over to Clary, who gave him a small smile. Jace watched Clary closely as she and Simon turned and went back down the hallway. He had the strangest feeling that something was not quite right.


Clary was quiet beside Simon, watching the floor as they walked. He nudged her gently. "You okay?" he said.

She glanced up at him. "Yeah. Just—um—tired, I guess."

He frowned at her. "You're not getting sick, are you? You look kind of pale. Maybe we should get a Silent Brother—"

"No!" said Clary hastily, and Simon raised his eyebrows at her sudden vehemence. "No, I'm fine," she said with a forced smile. "I mean, a little demon hunting should wake me right up. I'm fine. Really, I'm fine."

"Say it one more time and I'll believe you."

She met his eyes. "I'm fine."

He held her gaze for a measured moment before dropping it. "If you say so," he muttered as they reached the weapons room. He pushed the door open and let her in ahead of him. They changed into their gear and began to gather seraph blades and their own weapons. Clary strapped a sword to her belt and selected a pair of swords for Jace, stacking them on top of his gear.

Finally, Simon broke the silence. "Is something bothering you?" he asked, watching her across the room. She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "Clary." She met his eyes, and in hers he saw thinly disguised worry. "I can feel it, you know," he said softly. He put a hand to his left forearm, where his parabatai rune was inked. "I feel it when you're worrying. You can talk to me. Or if not me, at least Jace."

She sighed. "If there's one person I can't talk to about this, it's Jace," she murmured.

"Clary, what's going on?" Simon asked gently.

She shook her head. "Nothing you need to worry about. I'll be fine." She yanked a weapons belt off the wall and put it on top of the pile of Jace's things, shouldering the door open and slipping out. Simon stared after her, let out a sigh, and then followed her into the hallway, slinging a bow and a quiver of arrows over his shoulder.

He caught up with her in the entrance hall, just as she met up with Jace. "Get dressed," she said, dumping his gear into his arms.

Jace grinned at her. "That sounds so weird coming out of your mouth. Usually, you're telling me to get undressed—"

She shoved him, laughing, and for a moment she looked almost normal. But then Jace turned away to climb into his gear and Clary's smile faded and she suddenly looked very old for her age. Simon reached over and squeezed her shoulder wordlessly, and she smiled faintly at him.

"I called Magnus," said Jace as he zipped up his jacket and jammed three seraph blades into his belt. "He's coming over to make a Portal."

"I can make a Portal," Clary pointed out.

"Well, if your little butt almost dies," said a voice from behind them, "you'll be happy to have someone on the other side."

They turned to see Magnus leaning idly against the doorframe. His hair was spiked up, as usual, and dusted with purple glitter. Simon grinned and waved at him. "Hey, Magnus," he said. "How are the kids?"

"Ah..." said Magnus, smiling sheepishly. "They might be covered in glitter."

Jace shook his head. "Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not," said Magnus. "It involved a rather unfortunate incident with my hair supplies and Max's developing powers. Anyway, Alec's trying to clean them up, but he told me to tell all of you to be careful and don't do anything stupid." He looked rather pointedly at Jace, who grinned back at him.

"Tell Alec to stop worrying so much," he said breezily, walking past Magnus. The others followed him outside the Institute and into the garden. As Magnus prepared to open the Portal, Simon took one last glance at Clary. She looked very pale, and he could feel the tightness of her worry under his own ribs.

"Everything's going to be fine," he said in a low voice. She gave a half-hearted smile as the Portal exploded into being before them, a whirling vortex of sound and color. Magnus put a hand to it to keep it open.

"Geronimo!" Jace whooped, jumping into the Portal. Clary rolled her eyes and followed him, shaking her head exasperatedly. Grinning slightly, Simon stepped in and was whisked away into the maelstrom.

The Portal deposited them in the middle of Arden Woods. Almost immediately, there was a shriek above them and a bird-like demon fell out of the sky. A series of loud thumps in the distance told Simon there was more than one.

"Split up!" said Jace, advancing on the demon closest to them. Here the trees were so densely packed that hardly any sunlight could filter through. What few rays struggled down through the canopy, the demon was deftly avoiding. "You two start on the other ones. I'll get this one and meet up with you."

Simon and Clary took off into the woods, dodging protruding branches and roots. Clary suddenly skidded to a stop in front of Simon and he narrowly avoided running into her. She yanked out her sword as he registered the demon in front of them. It was an ugly thing, reminding Simon of a pterodactyl. The demon had no eyes, just indents in its bony, triangular head. It screeched as it extended its leathery, sharp-tipped wings, but before it could take off into the sky, Clary exploded into action, severing one wing from its body.

The demon let out a shriek of pain, opening its mouth to reveal several rows of razor-sharp teeth, and in an instant Simon whipped his sword at it and beheaded it with a disgusting squelching noise. It writhed for a moment, ichor spraying, and then folded in on itself, vanishing.

"Ha!" said Simon, his veins pumping with adrenaline. "Good teamwork, don't you think, Clary?" He glanced to the side, but she was no longer there. "Clary?"

There was the sound of coughing behind him, and he turned; Clary retched behind a tree, her body convulsing as she vomited. "Whoa," said Simon, walking over to her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said wearily as she straightened up, wiping her hand across the back of her mouth.

He grinned at her sideways. "I've never known you to have a weak stomach, Fray," he said, elbowing her gently in the ribs.

"I said I'm fine, Simon," Clary snapped, and Simon, taken aback, subsided. Before he could say anything, a screech sounded in the distance just as another demon dropped down in front of them.

"You take this one," said Clary. "I'll deal with the other one." She took off before he could protest. Shaking his head to clear it, he turned his attention to the demon in front of him just as it launched itself at him. He dodged it, but its claws managed to graze his shoulder and pain rippled down his arm. Gritting his teeth, Simon fitted an arrow into his bow and released it. The demon howled in pain as the arrow hit home in its side, but it continued to stagger towards him. Simon shot it again, this time where its eye should have been. The arrow pierced the demon's brain and it collapsed with an eerie silence.

Simon wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. His shoulder throbbed; he pulled a stele out of his belt and finished an iratze on his arm with a quick slash. The rune sank into his skin, sending ripples of relief through his shoulder.

Shoving the stele back in his belt, Simon followed the sounds of battle back toward the Portal. He skidded into a clearing just in time to see a demon swipe at Jace. He leapt backward, flipping effortlessly and landing back on his feet six feet away. He prepared to throw a dagger, but before he could, Simon shot the demon through the eye socket and it crashed to the ground.

"I had that one," said Jace, irritated, as he stuck the dagger back into his belt.

"Or you could say thank you," Simon muttered. There was a screech behind him and he whirled around to see another demon drop out of the sky. It bared its teeth and advanced on them.

"Feel like old times yet?" said Simon, and, grinning, he and Jace charged at the demon.


Clary jogged through the woods. She felt strangely out of her body; half her mind was focused on following the sounds of the rampaging demon, and the other half was back at the clearing with Jace, thinking about how on earth she was going to...

There was a crash ahead of her and she picked up her speed, leaping over a fallen tree that looked as if it had been ripped out of the ground. She landed in the middle of a small clearing and the demon swung around toward her.

It let out a loud screech and flew at her. She swung out at it, slicing a deep cut across its chest. The demon shrieked, extending its long, leathery wings. Clary slashed out at it again, but it was faster. Its claws came up, raking across her chest.

Pain exploded through her, and she fought down a bout of nausea as she staggered backward. Her fingers scrabbled at her belt and she managed to pull out a seraph blade. "S-Sanvi," she gasped out, and the blade flared to life. As the demon closed the distance between them, Clary flung the blade.

It hit home in the demon's chest, and as it flailed, it swung a wing at her. The sharp tip sank into Clary's stomach—there was a horrible, sickening pain—

And then everything went black.


The shining seraph blade cut an arc through the air as Simon drove it into the demon's chest. It shrieked and collapsed backward, ichor exploding upward in a fountain.

Simon breathed heavily, his blood pounding in his ears. He felt incredibly energized; he couldn't remember the last time he'd fought a horde of demons. Recruiting potential Shadowhunters was an important job, but one that didn't involve much demon-hunting. Simon turned to grin at Jace—and pain exploded through him, sudden and jarring enough to make him double over and collapse to his hands and knees, gasping. The rune on his forearm seared, white-hot.

"Simon!" Jace shouted. He grabbed Simon's arm and yanked him back onto his feet. "Simon, what is it?"

"Clary," he choked out.

Jace paled. "Go. I'll handle the demons, just go!"

Simon took off, crashing through the trees. He could feel a tightness in his chest, like a cord pulled taut, drawing him to Clary. His rune still burned and throbbed painfully.

The clearing appeared before him and he skidded to a halt, scanning the surroundings. For a moment, he couldn't find her—and then he saw her, tiny and crumpled on the ground.

He ran to her, dropping to his knees beside her and turning her onto her back. Her gear was shredded across her chest, and the ground beneath her was damp with her blood. She was breathing very shallowly.

"By the Angel," Simon breathed, his voice cracking. He shook her gently. "Clary? Clary, please wake up..."

Her eyelids fluttered open and she drew in a shaking breath. "Simon..."

"Shh," he said, pulling out a dagger. "Shh, don't worry, you're going to be fine." He unzipped her gear jacket and peeled it away from her skin. The t-shirt underneath was saturated with blood, and he carefully sliced it away until he could see her wounds. He sucked in a breath; there were deep claw marks across her chest, and just below her ribcage was an enormous stab wound.

"By the Angel, Clary," he said again, shakily.

"I'm—I'm okay," she whispered, coughing slightly. Simon pulled out his stele and inked two iratzes into her skin, one on her collarbone and the other on her stomach. They sank in, fading to white; the skin began to knit itself back together.

Clary let out a slow breath; Simon could sense her pain easing slightly. "There," he said softly. "Now let's get you back to the Portal, okay?"

She nodded, and he slid an arm under her shoulders, pulling her gently to her feet. She wrapped an arm around his waist, leaning heavily on him. She managed to take two shaky steps—and then she crumpled to her knees, gasping as she put a hand to her stomach. Simon dropped down beside her and was horrified to see that her wound had reopened, and that blood was gushing through her fingers.

"No—no—" He drew another iratze on her torso as she collapsed onto her back. It sank in, but had no effect on the wound. "Clary—"

"Simon," she whispered, her eyes shining. "I..."

"Shh, don't worry, it's going to be okay," Simon said, trying to convince himself as much as her. "Look, just stay here, I'm going to get Jace—"

"Simon," she gasped. Her frantic fingers caught on his sleeve as he made to leave. "Don't let me die, I'm pregnant—I'm pregnant..."

It felt as if the air had been sucked out of his lungs. He stared at her in shock. "What—Clary—"

She took a shuddering breath—then her eyes rolled back in her head, eyelids fluttering closed. Her limp fingers slipped, her arm thudding heavily to the ground.

"Clary—Clary!" She lay motionless. Simon glanced back towards where Jace was fighting the demon and made up his mind, scooping Clary into his arms and cradling her against his chest. He took off, back towards the Portal.

"Simon!" Jace shouted as he approached. He scissored the head off the demon, and it fell with a sickening squelch, folding in on itself as it disappeared. Jace jogged towards Simon, his face white. "Is she—"

"She's hurt," said Simon, shifting Clary higher in his arms. "She needs the Silent Brothers. Jace," he added in an undertone, "did you know?"

"Know what?" said Jace distractedly, watching Clary's ashy face.

"That she's—"

A roar cut him off as another demon fell out of the sky. "Simon, get her out of here!" Jace shouted, drawing his swords.

"But—"

"GO!"

Simon dodged the demon's wing and ran towards the glowing Portal. He took a deep breath, tightened his hold on Clary's limp body, and stepped through.

They tumbled out into the bright daylight outside of the Institute, and Simon struggled to keep his hold on Clary as he staggered away from the Portal. He heard footsteps behind him as he laid Clary down in the grass, and turned to see Magnus towering over him, his eyes wide.

"Move," he said, dropping down by Clary and lifting a hand. It began to glow blue, but Simon grabbed his wrist before he could begin to heal Clary.

"Don't," he said. "We have to get a Silent Brother."

"Simon," said Magnus, sounding impatient, "she's bleeding out. They won't get here in time. You have to let me heal her."

"She's pregnant," Simon blurted out.

Magnus stared.

"What the f—" he began, but Simon cut him off.

"There isn't time," he said desperately. "Please, Magnus, please just get a Silent Brother."

"Where are you going?" Magnus called after him as he hurried back to the Portal.

"Jace is still fighting off the demons," Simon said, the wind off the Portal blowing his hair into his eyes. He could just make out Magnus's worried face. "I'll be back. Please—just help her." And before Magnus could say anything else, Simon stepped into the Portal.


"Where is she?" Jace demanded of Magnus the moment the Portal deposited him outside the Institute.

"The infirmary," Magnus said as Simon jumped out behind Jace and the Portal closed. "But, Jace—"

He wasn't listening; he had already moved past Magnus, hurrying towards the Institute doors. Simon hurried behind him, his gear still drenched with Clary's blood. Jace felt as if his heart was in his throat, choking him as it beat frantically. Simon was silent beside him, his face tight with worry. He'd know if she died, Jace thought, and then immediately berated himself for even entertaining the idea. She'll be fine. She has to be.

He rounded the corner and stopped in front of the infirmary doors, but just as he was about to push them open, Simon grabbed his arm.

"Jace, wait," he said sharply. "Before you go in, there's something you should know—"

He didn't have a chance to finish. The doors swung open and the tall form of a Silent Brother emerged from the infirmary. He pulled his hood down, revealing a familiar stitched mouth and eyes.

"Brother Enoch," said Jace, struggling to keep his voice steady. "How is she?"

Clary will be fine, said Brother Enoch, and Jace let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Relief flooded through him. She was incredibly fortunate. Had the injury occurred even an inch or two lower, the child likely would not have survived.

Jace stared at Brother Enoch in confusion, certain he had misheard. "The what?"

The Silent Brother surveyed him. The child, he said slowly. Were you unaware that your wife is pregnant?

The relief seemed to sap out of Jace like a balloon inside him had been punctured. He could only stare blankly. It was as if he were underwater, everything moving very slowly around him. Distantly, he heard Simon's voice. "Jace, I was going to tell you..."

"You knew?" he heard himself say from very far away.

"No!" said Simon hastily. "I just found out, too. She told me—after she got hurt—"

"And you didn't say anything until now?" Jace snapped. He suddenly felt uncontrollably angry—at whom, he wasn't quite sure.

"I tried," said Simon, sounding frustrated. "Look, does it matter now? The point is that she's fine. Let's just go in and see her, okay?"

Jace backed away. "I have to get out of here," he said in a shaking voice.

"What? Jace—"

He turned on his heel and walked away from Simon and Brother Enoch. His thoughts were jumbled, flying too fast for him to really comprehend them.

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he turned a corner and walked straight into Alec and Isabelle. He stumbled backward as Izzy shrieked in surprise. It took his befuddled brain a moment to realize something odd about the situation.

"Aren't you supposed to be in Italy?" was the first thing he blurted out.

"Um...hi to you too?" said Isabelle, grinning at him. "I came back early. I mean, I missed you both and all that, but also, it's been a really long time since I had sex and I needed to see Simon."

"Gross," said Jace automatically. Isabelle smiled, but it was fleeting.

"Magnus told us both that Clary was hurt," she said. Her eyes searched Jace's worriedly. "How is she?"

"She's..." He suddenly felt overwhelmingly exhausted, and he slid against the wall, his knees giving out.

"Oh, my God," said Izzy, covering her mouth. "Jace...she isn't..."

"No," he said hastily. "She's okay. It's just..." He ran his fingers through his hair. "She's pregnant," he said finally.

"Oh!" said Isabelle, the worry leaving her face. "Well, why didn't you start with that, you idiot?" she said, swatting him on the top of his head.

"Congratulations," said Alec, smiling.

Jace shook his head. "I can't...I can't do this," he whispered, staring down at the floor. He pulled his knees up to his chest. "I mean, the only dad I ever knew was a psychopath. How am I supposed to be someone's father when I had the worst role model ever?" His voice cracked, and he dropped his head down onto his knees.

"Look," said Alec, sitting down beside him. Izzy sat on Jace's other side and put an arm around him. "Our dad wasn't exactly the best role model either. Do you think I'm a bad father?"

"Of course not," said Jace, "but it's—"

"Different?" Alec finished, smiling wryly. "Not really. The thing about being a dad is that you kind of pick it up along the way. No one can teach you how to parent your own child. And for the record," he added, squeezing Jace's hand, "you're nothing like your father. Either of them."

"What does Clary think?" asked Izzy softly.

Jace glanced over at her. "Um..." he said sheepishly.

"Oh my God," said Izzy exasperatedly. "You mean you've been wallowing out here and you haven't even been in to see her yet? Talk about inconsiderate."

"I wasn't—"

"Nope," said Isabelle, cutting him off. "No more wallowing. Now go back to the infirmary and talk to your wife." She hauled him up by the arm and yanked him back down the hallway. He protested half-heartedly until they reached the infirmary.

"Izzy!" said Simon, leaping up to greet her. "I thought you weren't coming back until next week!"

"Hi babe, just give me a second," said Isabelle as she continued to pull on Jace's arm. "Go," she said, opening the door, shoving Jace in, and slamming it behind him.

Smiling slightly, Jace turned away from the doors, and his gaze fell on Clary. She was sitting up, staring at him with her hands tightly knotted in the bedsheets. His smile faded.

For a moment, they were both silent, worlds apart. Then Clary took a deep breath. "Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," he replied.

She swallowed. "Come sit with me," she said, nodding at the chair beside her bed.

He obliged, crossing what felt like miles to reach her bedside. Even after he sat down, the distance between them stretched on.

"How long have you known?" he said finally.

She looked into his eyes. "I found out this morning," she said, watching him closely. She seemed afraid of something.

"You should have told me," said Jace quietly.

"I know." She took a long breath. "Are you angry at me?" she asked, seeming to dread the answer.

"I don't know," he said truthfully. Another long silence passed between them.

"I'm sorry," she whispered finally. He looked up at her. Her eyes were shining. "Jace, I'm so sorry. I didn't know how to tell you..." She wiped away her tears. "Damn it," she said. "I hate crying." He didn't respond, and after she was more composed, she continued. "I was scared," she said softly. "I thought once you knew, everything would change. We'd have to settle down, we'd have to stop going on as many missions, and I know you love fighting—"

"I love you more," said Jace, and she met his eyes. "You think I care more about fighting than about you? About...about our kid? Fighting demons doesn't even compare to having you, Clary." He took her hand. "To having a family."

She gave him a watery smile and put her forehead to his. Their breath mingled in the space between them. "What if I'm not a good mom?" she whispered.

"You're the most compassionate and loving person I know," said Jace softly. "You're going to be a great mom."

"You're going to be a great dad," said Clary, and he felt her tears fall onto his cheeks. He brought his lips up to hers and kissed her, and the world melted away around them.

"Ewwww," came a voice from the doorway, and they broke apart to see Isabelle looking on in disgust. Behind her were Alec and Simon, looking amused. "You two are so sappy."

"Says the girl who came home from an international trip because she missed her husband," said Jace, feeling much lighter all of a sudden.

"I missed the sex," Izzy corrected. "But Simon is a big perk," she added, winking at her husband. She marched into the room, Simon and Alec following. "Clary, good to see you. You look absolutely radiant," she said briskly, yanking up a chair and plopping into it.

"Um, thanks, Izzy," said Clary, grinning. "So I guess you've all heard the news?"

"Yeah, and Jace just about gave us a heart attack telling us," said Alec, throwing Jace an amused look.

Jace shrugged. "I mean, I had to find out from a Silent Brother, and they're not the best at breaking news."

"Well, I found out as Clary was practically bleeding to death," said Simon, "so I think I win."

"Sorry, Simon," said Clary airily, "but I found out squatting over a stick, so I think I win this round."

Jace laughed, throwing an arm around Clary. She smiled at him. She really did look radiant, glowing with joy.

"You know what?" she whispered in his ear as Izzy began to make plans for the baby shower, much to Simon's and Alec's chagrin.

"What?" he whispered back, brushing his lips against hers.

"I think it's going to be a boy," she said, smiling against his mouth. He grinned and pressed his lips to hers, for just a moment blissfully at peace.


A/N: If you enjoyed this first chapter, please leave a review! Every review makes my day a little brighter :) (Also, kudos to you if you can find the Hamilton reference in this chapter.)

Thanks for reading!

~4L