out,” said Sebastian. “It’s not like they did in the case of dear old Dad.” His gaze drifted lazily back to Jace. “Normally I’d hate to get in the way of a friend’s love life, but I really don’t care forstanding out here in this hallway indefinitely. Especially since I can’t turn on any lights. It’s boring.”
Jace sat up, tugging his shirt down. “Give us five minutes.”
Sebastian sighed an exaggerated sigh and swung the door shut. Clary stared at Jace. “What the f— ”
“Language, Fray.” Jace’s eyes danced. “Relax.”
Clary jabbed her hand toward the door. “You heard what he said. About that day he kissed me. He knew I was his sister. Jace—”
Something flashed in his eyes, darkening their gold, but when he spoke again, it was as if her words had hit a Teflon surface and bounced off, making no impression.
She drew back from him. “Jace, aren’t you listening to anything I’m saying?”
“Look, I understand if you’re uncomfortable with your brother waiting outside in the hallway. I wasn’t planning on kissing you.” He grinned in a way that at another time she would have found adorable. “It just seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Clary scrambled out of the bed, staring down at him. She reached for the robe that hung on the post of her bed and wrapped it around herself. Jace watched, making no move to stop her, though his eyes shone in the dark. “I—I don’t even understand. First you disappear, and now you come back with him , acting like I’m not even supposed to notice or care or remember —”
“I told you,” he said. “I had to be sure of you. I didn’t want to put you in the position of knowing where I was while the Clave was still investigating you. I thought it would be hard for you—”
“ Hard for me?” She was almost breathless with rage. “Testsare hard. Obstacle courses are hard. You disappearing like that practically killed me, Jace. And what do you think you’ve done to Alec? Isabelle? Maryse? Do you know what it’s been like? Can you imagine? Not knowing, the searching—”
That odd look passed over his face again, as if he were hearing her but not hearing her at the same time. “Oh, yes, I was going to ask.” He smiled like an angel. “ Is everyone looking for me?”
“Is everyone—” She shook her head, pulling the robe closer. Suddenly she wanted to be covered up in front of him, in front of all that familiarity and beauty and that lovely predatory smile that said he was willing to do whatever with her, to her, no matter who was waiting in the hall.
“I was hoping they’d put up flyers like they do for lost cats,” he said. “Missing, one stunningly attractive teenage boy. Answers to ‘Jace,’ or ‘Hot Stuff.’”
“You did not just say that.”
“You don’t like ‘Hot Stuff’? You think ‘Sweet Cheeks’ might be better? ‘Love Crumpet’? Really, that last one’s stretching it a bit. Though, technically, my family is British—”
“Shut up,” she said savagely. “And get out.”
“I…” He looked taken aback, and she remembered how surprised he’d been outside the Manor, when she’d pushed him away. “All right, fine. I’ll be serious. Clarissa, I’m here because I want you to come with me.”
“Come where with you?”
“Come with me,” he said, and then hesitated, “and Sebastian. And I’ll explain everything.”
For a moment she was frozen, her eyes locked on his. Silvery moonlight outlined the curves of his mouth, the shapeof his cheekbones, the shadow of his lashes, the arch of his throat. “The last time I ‘came with you somewhere,’ I wound up knocked unconscious and dragged into the middle of a black magic ceremony.”
“That wasn’t me. That was Lilith.”
“The Jace Lightwood I know wouldn’t be in the same room with Jonathan Morgenstern without killing him.”
“I think you’ll find that would be self-defeating,” Jace said lightly, shoving his feet into
Jace sat up, tugging his shirt down. “Give us five minutes.”
Sebastian sighed an exaggerated sigh and swung the door shut. Clary stared at Jace. “What the f— ”
“Language, Fray.” Jace’s eyes danced. “Relax.”
Clary jabbed her hand toward the door. “You heard what he said. About that day he kissed me. He knew I was his sister. Jace—”
Something flashed in his eyes, darkening their gold, but when he spoke again, it was as if her words had hit a Teflon surface and bounced off, making no impression.
She drew back from him. “Jace, aren’t you listening to anything I’m saying?”
“Look, I understand if you’re uncomfortable with your brother waiting outside in the hallway. I wasn’t planning on kissing you.” He grinned in a way that at another time she would have found adorable. “It just seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Clary scrambled out of the bed, staring down at him. She reached for the robe that hung on the post of her bed and wrapped it around herself. Jace watched, making no move to stop her, though his eyes shone in the dark. “I—I don’t even understand. First you disappear, and now you come back with him , acting like I’m not even supposed to notice or care or remember —”
“I told you,” he said. “I had to be sure of you. I didn’t want to put you in the position of knowing where I was while the Clave was still investigating you. I thought it would be hard for you—”
“ Hard for me?” She was almost breathless with rage. “Testsare hard. Obstacle courses are hard. You disappearing like that practically killed me, Jace. And what do you think you’ve done to Alec? Isabelle? Maryse? Do you know what it’s been like? Can you imagine? Not knowing, the searching—”
That odd look passed over his face again, as if he were hearing her but not hearing her at the same time. “Oh, yes, I was going to ask.” He smiled like an angel. “ Is everyone looking for me?”
“Is everyone—” She shook her head, pulling the robe closer. Suddenly she wanted to be covered up in front of him, in front of all that familiarity and beauty and that lovely predatory smile that said he was willing to do whatever with her, to her, no matter who was waiting in the hall.
“I was hoping they’d put up flyers like they do for lost cats,” he said. “Missing, one stunningly attractive teenage boy. Answers to ‘Jace,’ or ‘Hot Stuff.’”
“You did not just say that.”
“You don’t like ‘Hot Stuff’? You think ‘Sweet Cheeks’ might be better? ‘Love Crumpet’? Really, that last one’s stretching it a bit. Though, technically, my family is British—”
“Shut up,” she said savagely. “And get out.”
“I…” He looked taken aback, and she remembered how surprised he’d been outside the Manor, when she’d pushed him away. “All right, fine. I’ll be serious. Clarissa, I’m here because I want you to come with me.”
“Come where with you?”
“Come with me,” he said, and then hesitated, “and Sebastian. And I’ll explain everything.”
For a moment she was frozen, her eyes locked on his. Silvery moonlight outlined the curves of his mouth, the shapeof his cheekbones, the shadow of his lashes, the arch of his throat. “The last time I ‘came with you somewhere,’ I wound up knocked unconscious and dragged into the middle of a black magic ceremony.”
“That wasn’t me. That was Lilith.”
“The Jace Lightwood I know wouldn’t be in the same room with Jonathan Morgenstern without killing him.”
“I think you’ll find that would be self-defeating,” Jace said lightly, shoving his feet into
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