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"Help? How?"

"I told you before," Alec said, "half the tiet himself killed He has to learn to look out for hi with the Inquisitor"

"And you think I can help youher voice

"I’," said Isabelle "But I think you can re to live for"

Alec looked down at the pillow in his hand and gave a sudden savage yank to the fringe Beads rattled down onto Isabelle’s blanket like a shower of localized rain

Isabelle frowned "Alec, don’t"

Clary wanted to tell Isabelle that they were Jace’s faht with hi Jace’s voice in her head, saying, I never felt like I belonged anywhere But you o to the Silent City and see him?"

"Will you tell him to cooperate with the Inquisitor?" Alec demanded

Clary considered "I want to hear what he has to say first"

Alec dropped the denuded pillow onto the bed and stood up, frowning Before he could say anything, there was a knock at the door Isabelle unhitched herself from the vanity table and went to answer it

It was a slasses He wore jeans and an oversize sweatshirt and carried a book in one hand "Max," Isabelle said, with soht you were asleep"

"I was in the weapons rooest son "But there were noises co to contact the Institute" He peered around Isabelle at Clary "Who’s that?"

"That’s Clary," said Alec "She’s Jace’s sister"

Max’s eyes rounded "I thought Jace didn’t have any brothers or sisters"

"That’s e all thought," said Alec, picking up the sweater he’d left draped over one of Isabelle’s chairs and yanking it on His hair rayed out around his head like a soft dark halo, crackling with static electricity He pushed it back iet to the library"

"We’ll both go," Isabelle said, taking her gold whip, which isted into a shih her belt "Maybe so’s happened"

"Where are your parents?" Clary asked

"They got called out a few hours ago A fey was murdered in Central Park The Inquisitor ith theo?"

"We weren’t invited" Isabelle looped her two dark braids up on top of her head and stuck the coil of hair through with a sht back"

"But--" Clary protested

"We’ll be right back" Isabelle darted out into the corridor, Alec on her heels The moment the door shut behind thearded Max with apprehension She’d never spent much time around children--her mother had never let her babysit--and she wasn’t really sure how to talk to theht amuse them It helped a little that this particular little boy res and glasses that see for his face

Max returned her stare with a considering glance of his own, not shy, but thoughtful and contained "How old are you?" he said finally

Clary was taken aback "How old do I look?"

"Fourteen"

"I’er than I am because I’m so short"

Max nodded "Me too," he said "I’m nine but people always think I’m seven"

"You look nine to ? Is it a book?"

Max brought his hand out fro a wide, flat paperback, about the size of one of those srocery store counters This one had a brightly colored cover with Japanese kanji script on it under the English words Clary laughed "Naruto," she said "I didn’t know you liked et that?"

"In the airport I like the pictures but I can’t figure out how to read it"

"Here, give it to es "You read it backward, right to left instead of left to right And you read each page clockwise Do you knohat that means?"

"Of course," said Max For a moment Clary orried she’d annoyed hih, when he took the book back and flipped to the last page "This one is nuht before I read it"

"That’s a good idea Maybe you can get someone to take you to Midtown Comics or Forbidden Planet"

"Forbidden Planet?" Max looked beh the door, clearly out of breath

"It was so to contact the Institute," she said, before Clary could ask "One of the Silent Brothers So’s happened in the Bone City"

"What kind of so?"

"I don’t know I’ve never heard of the Silent Brothers asking for help before" Isabelle was clearly distressed She turned to her brother "Max, go to your room and stay there, okay?"

Max set his jaw "Are you and Alec going out?"

"Yes"

"To the Silent City?"