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"And what exactly do you expectincredulously "You’re Nephilim," he said "The Clave owes us protection in these circumstances"

The boy looked around the bar, slowly and with such a look of insolence that a flush spread over Pete’s face

"I don’t see anything you need protecting from here," said the boy "Except some bad décor and a possible mold problem But you can usually clear that up with bleach"

"There’s a dead body outside this bar’s front door," said Bat, enunciating carefully "Don’t you think--"

"I think it’s a little too late for him to need protection," said the boy, "if he’s already dead"

Pete was still staring His ears had grown pointed, and when he spoke, his voice wascanine teeth "You want to be careful, Nephilim," he said "You want to be very careful"

The boy looked at hi to do nothing?" Bat said "Is that it?"

"I’ his half-elass, still on the counter, "if you’ll let me"

"So that’s the attitude of the Clave, a week after the Accords?" said Pete with disgust "The death of Doorlders is nothing to you?"

The boy smiled, and Maia’s spine prickled He looked exactly like Daniel just before Daniel reached out and yanked the wings off a ladybug "How like Doorlders," he said, "expecting the Clave to clean your mess up for you As if we could be bothered just because some stupid cub decided to splatter-paint himself all over your alley--"

And he used a word, a word for weres that they never used themselves, a filthily unpleasant word that implied an improper relationship betolves and human wo hione Bat stuasped

Maia’son the bar, feet planted wide apart He really did look like an avenging angel getting ready to dispatch divine justice froh, as the Shadowhunters were ers toward hiround as Coet me--and the pack rushed at him

Bat and Amabel swarmed up onto the bar; the boy spun, so quickly that his reflection in the mirror behind the bar seeroaning on the floor in a flurry of s even as someone else reached up and pulled him down; he sank into the croith an ease that spoke of willingness, and then she couldn’t see his Still, she thought she could hear hie of a knife--and she heard herself suck in her breath

"That’s enough"

It was Luke’s voice, quiet, steady as a heartbeat It was strange how you always knew your pack leader’s voice Maia turned and saw hiainst the wall He looked not just tired, but ravaged, as if so him down froain, "That’s enough Leave the boy alone"

The packjust Bat still standing there, defiant, one hand still gripping the back of the Shadowhunter’s shirt, the other holding a short-bladed knife The boy himself was bloody-faced but hardly looked like soerous-looking as the broken glass that littered the floor "He’s not a boy," Bat said "He’s a Shadowhunter"

"They’re welcoh here," said Luke, his tone neutral "They are our allies"

"He said it didn’t rily "About Joseph--"

"I know," Luke said quietly His eyes shifted to the blond boy "Did you coht, Jace Wayland?"

The boy--Jace--s his split lip so that a thin trickle of blood ran down his chin "Luke"

Bat, startled to hear their pack leader’s first nao of the back of Jace’s shirt "I didn’t know--"

"There’s nothing to know," said Luke, the tiredness in his eyes creeping into his voice

Freaky Pete spoke, his voice a bass rumble "He said the Clave wouldn’t care about the death of a single lycanthrope, even a child And it’s a week after the Accords, Luke"

"Jace doesn’t speak for the Clave," said Luke, "and there’s nothing he could have done even if he’d wanted to Isn’t that right?"

He looked at Jace, as very pale "How do you--"

"I knohat happened," said Luke "With Maryse"

Jace stiffened, and for a e aonized and reminded her more of her own eyes in the mirror than of her brother’s "Who told you? Clary?"

"Not Clary" Maia had never heard Luke speak that name before, but he said it with a tone that implied that this was someone special to him, and to the Shadowhunter boy as well "I’o to Pete’s office and talk"