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Jace tore his gaze froh "But on one condition I don’t want to go by o with you," Clary said quickly

"I know" Jace’s voice was low "And I want you to But I want Luke to come too"

Luke looked startled "Jace--I’ve lived here fifteen years and I’ve never gone to the Institute Not once I doubt Maryse is any fonder of h his voice was flat and he spoke quietly, Clary could alht down to say that single word

"All right" Luke nodded, the nod of a pack leader used to doing what he had to do, whether he wanted to or not "Then I’ll coainst the wall in the corridor outside Pete’s office and tried not to feel sorry for himself

The day had started off well Fairly well, anyway First there’d been that bad episode with the Dracula fil up all the eet about Then soe off his nerves and he’d found hi Clary the way he’d wanted to for so s never turned out the way you i

And she’d kissed him back…

But now she was in there with Jace, and Si in his stomach, like he’d sed a bowl full of worrown used to lately It hadn’t always been like this, even after he’d realized how he felt about Clary He’d never pressed her, never pushed his feelings on her He’d always been sure that one day she would wake up out of her drea fu heroes and realize as staring theether And if she hadn’t seemed interested in Simon, at least she hadn’t seemed interested in anyone else either

Until Jace He re Clary as she explained to him who Jace hat he did, while Jace examined his nails and looked superior Si how she looked at the blond boy with the strange tattoos and the angular, pretty face Too pretty, Siht so: She’d looked at hih he were one of her animated heroes come to life He had never seen her look at anyone that way before, and had always thought that if she ever did, it would be hiined anything could hurt

Finding out that Jace was Clary’s brother was like beinghanded a reprieve at the last ain

Noasn’t so sure

"Hey, there" So the corridor, a not-very-tall so the blood spatters "Are you waiting to see Luke? Is he in there?"

"Not exactly" Simon moved away from the door "I mean, sort of He’s in there with a friend of mine"

The person, who had just reached hiirl, about sixteen years old, with sold hair was braided close to her head in dozens of small braids, and her face was nearly the exact shape of a heart She had a co out frouy froed

"Well, I hate to tell you this," she said, "but your friend is an asshole"

"He’s not ree with you ht you said--"

"I’ for his sister," said Simon "She’s ht now?" The girl jerked her thuers, priold Her jeans orn but clean and when she turned her head, he saw the scar that ran along her neck, just above the collar of her T-shirt "Well," she said grudgingly, "I know about asshole brothers I guess it’s not her fault"

"It’s not," said Siht listen to"

"He didn’t strike ht his sidelong look with a look of her own A at my scar It’s where I was bitten"

"Bitten? You irl "Like everyone else here Except you, and the asshole And the asshole’s sister"

"But you weren’t always a olf I mean, you weren’t born one"

"Most of us aren’t," said the girl "That’s what makes us different than your Shadowhunter buddies"

"What?"

She sly "We were hu to that After a irl held her hand out "I’m Maia"

"Simon" He shook her hand It was dry and soft She looked up at hiolden-brown eyelashes, the color of buttered toast "How do you know Jace is an asshole?" he said "Or maybe I should say, how did you find out?"

She took her hand back "He tore up the bar Punched out my friend Bat Even knocked a couple of the pack unconscious"

"Are they all right?" Si hile et to a doctor?"

"A warlock," said the girl "We don’t have much to do with mundane doctors, our kind"

"Doorlders?"

Her eyebroent up "Soo, didn’t they?"

Simon was nettled "How do you know I’m not one of them? Or you? A Shadowhunter or a Doorlder, or--"

She shook her head until her braids bounced "It just shines out of you," she said, a little bitterly, "your humanity"

The intensity in her voice alested, feeling suddenly laed "Just tell hi out the scene in the alley" He nus Bane He’s a warlock"

I know, Simon wanted to say, but didn’t The whole conversation had been weird enough already "Okay"

Maia turned as if to go, but paused partway down the hall, one hand on the doorjamb "You think she’ll be able to talk sense into him?" she asked "His sister?"

"If he listens to anyone, it would be her"