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"Ha," Siuy, with your mother? He looks familiar"

"That's Kadir," said Jace "You probably met his brother Malik He died in the attack on Valentine's ship Kadir's the second most important person in the Conclave, after my mom She relies on him a lot"

As Simon watched, Kadir pulled Camille's arms behind her back, so they circled the pillar, and chained theave a little scream

"Blessed metal," said Jace without a flicker of eht You mean "you" I'm just like her I'm not different just because you knowKadir stood back, his face iainst his dark skin, twined the entirety of his ar to Maryse; Sie"

"Magnus again," said Sinus and Camille are both really old," said Jace "I suppose it's not that odd that they know each other" He shrugged, seely uninterested in the topic "Anyway, I'nus back here Maryse wants infor those Shadowhunters just for blood There are easier ways to get blood"

Sily of Maureen, and felt sick "Well," he said, trying to sound unconcerned "I guess that ht?"

"Sure" Jace's voice sounded lifeless He didn't look all that great either; the whitish light in the rooles of his cheekbones into a new and sharper relief, showing that he'd lost weight His fingernails were bitten down to bloody stumps, and there were dark shadows under his eyes

"At least your plan worked," Si to inject some cheer into Jace's misery It had been Jace's idea to have Simon take a picture with his cell phone and send it to the Conclave, which would allow theood idea"

"I kneould work" Jace sounded bored by the compli open, and Isabelle ca She looked around the roolance-and caainst the stone floor

"What's all this about yanking poor Magnus and Alec back from their vacation?" Isabelle demanded "They have opera tickets!"

Jace explained, while Isabelle stood with her hands on her hips, ignoring Simon completely

"Fine," she said when he was done "But the whole thing's ridiculous She's just stalling for tilanced back over her shoulder at Camille, as now not just old chain It crisscrossed her body across her torso, her knees, and even her ankles, holding her totally immobile "Is that blessed metal?"

Jace nodded "The manacles are lined to protect her wrists, but if shesound Si the way his hands had burned when he'd touched the Star of David in his cell in Idris, the way his skin had run with blood, had to fight the urge to snap at hi va off a Hydra demon," Isabelle said "With Clary"

Jace, who had evinced only the barest interest in anything going on around hiht "With Clary? You took her de with you? Isabelle-"

"Of course not She was already well into the fight by the tiot there"

"But how did you know-?"

"She texted me," Isabelle said "So I went" She examined her nails, which were, as usual, perfect

"She texted you?" Jace grabbed Isabelle by the wrist "Is she all right? Did she get hurt?"

Isabelle looked down at his hand gripping her wrist, and then back up at his face If he was hurting her, Silass, as could the sarcas to death upstairs, but I thought I'd avoid telling you right away, because I like to draw the suspense out"

Jace, as if suddenly conscious of what he was doing, let go of Isabelle's wrist "She's here?"

"She's upstairs," Isabelle said "Resting-"

But Jace was already gone, running for the entryway doors He burst through the after hiht he was going to do anything else," said Si He wondered ifhe said for the rest of eternity "I know," she said finally "I just wish I kneas going on with them"

"I' at her botto all of a sudden, and unusually conflicted, for Isabelle So on with her, and Simon waited quietly while she appeared to come to a decision "I don't want to be like that," she said "Come on I want to talk to you" She started to head toward the Institute doors

"You do?" Silared at hi it'll last"

Simon held his hands up "I want to talk to you, Iz But I can't go into the Institute"

A line appeared between her eyebrows "Why?" She broke off, looking froht How did you get in here, then?"

"Portaled," said Simon "But Jace said there's an entryway that leads to a set of doors that go outside So vaht" He pointed to a narrow door set in the wall a few feet away It was secured with a rusting iron bolt, as if it hadn't been used in a while

Isabelle shrugged "Fine"

The boltflakes of rust into the air in a fine red spray Beyond the door was a small stone room, like the vestry of a church, and a set of doors that most likely led outside There were no s, but cold air crept around the edges of the doors,Isabelle, in her short dress, shiver

"Look, Isabelle," Si that the onus was on him to start the discussion "I really am sorry about what I did There's no excuse-"

"No, there isn't," Isabelle said "And while you're at it, you uy who Turned Maia into a olf"

Si to keep his explanation as evenhanded as he could He felt like it was at least important to explain to Isabelle that he hadn't knoho Jordan really was at first, and also, that Jordan regretted what he'd done "Not that that makes it okay," he finished "But, you know-" We've all done bad things But he couldn't bring hiht now