Page 3 (1/2)

"Have you" Her green eyes glowed

"I never wanted to be a va these things to this strange wohter, I thought I could have one Or at least soo to school, I can live at ho as you don't ever eat in front of the as you hide your need for blood You have never fed on soed blood Stale Aniht of Jace, and pushed the thought hastily away Jace was not precisely human "No, I haven't"

"You will And when you do, you will not forget it" She leaned forward, and her pale hair brushed across his hand "You cannot hide your true self forever"

"What teenager doesn't lie to their parents?" Simon said "Anyway, I don't see why you care In fact, I'm still not sure why I'm here"

Camille leaned forward When she did, the neckline of her black silk blouse gaped open If Simon had still been human, he would have blushed "Will you let me see it?"

Simon could actually feel his eyes pop out "See what?"

She smiled "The Mark, silly boy The Mark of the Wanderer"

Siain How does she know? Very few people knew of the Mark that Clary had put on him in Idris Raphael had indicated it was a matter for deadly secrecy, and Simon had treated it as such

But Careen and steady, and for some reason he wanted to do what she wanted hi about the way she looked at hi in the music of her voice He reached up and pushed his hair aside, baring his forehead for her inspection

Her eyes widened, her lips parting Lightly she touched her fingers to her throat, as if checking the nonexistent pulse there "Oh," she said "How lucky you are, Simon How fortunate"

"It's a curse," he said "Not a blessing You know that, right?"

Her eyes sparked "'And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishreater than I can bear' Is it more than you can bear, Si his hair fall back into place "I can bear it"

"But you don't want to" She ran a gloved finger around the rilass, her eyes still fixed on hiard as a curse into an advantage?"

I'd say you're finally getting to the reason you brought "

"You recognized my name when I told it to you," Camille said "Raphael has mentioned me before, has he not?" She had an accent, very faint, that Simon couldn't quite place

"He said you were the head of the clan and he was just leading the in for you like-like a vice president or soently on her lower lip "That is, in fact, not quite true I would like to tell you the truth, Simon I would like to make you an offer But first I "

"And what's that?"

"That everything that passes between us this night, here, remains a secret No one can know Not your redheaded little friend, Clary Not either of your lady friends None of the Lightwoods No one"

Simon sat back "And what if I don't want to promise?"

"Then you may leave, if you like," she said "But then you will never knohat I wished to tell you And that will be a loss you will regret"

"I'm curious," Simon said "But I'm not sure I'm that curious"

Her eyes held a little spark of surprise and aht, even a little respect "Nothing I have to say to you concerns the The secrecy is for my own protection"

Simon looked at her suspiciously Did she mean it? Vampires weren't like faeries, who couldn't lie But he had to adht I'll keep your secret, unless I think soer Then all bets are off"

Her s disbelieved "Very well," she said "I suppose I have little choice when I need your help so badly" She leaned forward, one slilass "Until quite recently I led the Manhattan clan, happily We had beautiful quarters in an old prewar building on the Upper West Side, not that rat hole of a hotel Santiago keeps o-Raphael, as you call him-was ht One night I found out that he wasthe their blood for his a stupid risks, breaking Covenant Law" She took a sip of wine "When I went to confront him, I realized he had told the rest of the clan that I was the murderer, the lawbreaker It was all a setup He ht seize power I fled, with only Walker and Archer to keep me safe"

"So all this ti until you return?"

She o is an accomplished liar He wishes me to return, that's for certain-so he can e of the clan in earnest"

Simon wasn't sure what she wanted to hear He wasn't used to adult wo out their life stories to him

"I'ed, a very expressive shrug that made him wonder if perhaps her accent was French "It is in the past," she said "I have been hiding out in London all this ti my time Then I heard about you" She held up her hand "I cannot tell you how; I am sworn to secrecy But thefor"

"I was? I am?"

She leaned forward and touched his hand "Raphael is afraid of you, Simon, as well he should be You are one of his own, a vampire, but you cannot be harainst you without bringing down God's wrath on his head"

There was a silence Sihts overhead, the water plashing in the stone fountain in the center of the courtyard, the buzz and hum of the city When he spoke, his voice was soft "You said it"

"What was that, Simon?"

"The word The wrath of-" The word bit and burned in his mouth, just as it always did

"Yes God" She retracted her hand, but her eyes arm "There are many secrets of our kind, so many that I can tell you, show you You will learn you are not damned"