Chapter 1

It was on her wrist.

He never would have noticed it had she not reached past him to grab her drink from the bar.

For a moment, they locked eyes. It was at that moment when he saw the mark on her wrist.

She straightened up, tipping her head almost regally, confidence radiating from under her eyelashes. Before she walked away, she looked at him as if she knew the secret to the universe. He turned, watching her. Now that he was looking he could see the outline of a blade at her hip. Not a seraph blade, but certainly a knife. He wouldn't have been surprised if there was another in her knee high leather boots.

But it was the tattoo that worried him. It was a binding rune. Blood rune. It looked like an S with another smaller flipped S inside of it.

He also noticed her scars. A large angry red line across her throat. As she'd leaned over, he'd been able too see another over her upper arm under her leather jacket.

But she wasn't a Shadowhunter. He was sure of it. She couldn't be a mundane. They couldn't handle runes. So who was she, and why did she have a rune on her wrist?

"Jace?" He was hardly able to hear Clary over the music. She touched his arm, her eyes looking in the direction of the girl. "Who's that?" He thought he heard jealousy in her voice, but it was faint enough to ignore.

"I have no idea. But I need to find out."

"Wait. What?" Clary looked confused.

"Get Isabelle and Simon."

"Why?" But Jace was already threading through the crowd of Pandemonium, past a girl with crimson eyes, her glamour not quite hiding all the fey in her, and a boy with hair that floated as if it were in water.

He followed the girl through the club, then through a few doorways, which led outside, to a back alley littered with cigarette butts and beer cans.

Her stride had slowed, as if she were waiting for something.

"Running away?" Jace called to her.

She stopped, five or so paces from Jace, her back to him. She tipped her head to look over her shoulder at Jace and said, "Following me?" Her voice was soft and reserved, contrasting with the confidence in her stance. But there was something in it that was… mesmerising.

"Where'd you get the tattoo? On your wrist." Faint music drifted from inside the club.

She laughed as she turned to face him. They were five or so paces from each other, yet no one tried to close the gap.

She was tall for a girl, but no taller than Jace, and about his age. She wore simple black jeans, tight around her legs, tucked into dull leather boots. A fitted black t-shirt was under the leather jacket she was wearing.

She wasn't pretty, but Jace was sure that something about her wasn't quite right. Her hair was cropped short, a golden brown that was almost auburn. She had freckles to match her pale skin, and blue eyes that were so dull they were almost grey.

"Recognise it?" she said in a tone that could only be described as teasing. She looked at Jace though her lashes. Usually the gesture would be seen as sultry, but on this girl it seemed sinister.

"You could say that. It's a binding rune. What is a mundane doing with a binding rune on her wrist?"

Then, with a flurry of noise, Clary, Simon and Isabelle burst through the back door of the club. Isabelle was ready with her whip in hand, Clary a blade, and Simon looking menacing in a geeky vampire way.

The girl smiled with one half of her mouth. She looked amused. "Two and a half shadow hunters and a vampire with a fated mark. I'm intrigued."

"What?" Simon asked. Jace glanced at Clary. She was just as surprised as Simon.

"What do you know about Simon's mark?" Clary asked. She moved towards Jace, standing beside him. Isabelle and Simon also moved forward so the four of them were standing in a row.

"Nothing," the girl shrugged.

"Then why did you say 'fated'?" Clary demanded.

"Because I can taste it."

"Excuse me?" hissed Simon.

"Who are you?" Isabelle asked, looking suspicious. "Jace?"

"She has a mark," Jace said.

The girl rolled her eyes. "It's not a mark. I don't have a stele."

"But you're a Shadowhunter?" Isabelle asked, her voice rising with uncertainty.

The girl raised an eyebrow and asked rhetorically, "Do I look like a Shadowhunter?"

Simon answered anyway. "All black, creepy confidence, irritating arrogance. I'd say Shadowhunter."

The girl smiled. "I like you," she said. "What's your name?"

Simon seemed taken aback. "Err… Simon."

"You look like a David," she shrugged.

"Look," Jace said, "all we need to know is who you are. Then we'll leave you alone."

"Yeah right, like I've never heard that one before. I'm…" For a moment she looked like she was trying to mouth words that wouldn't form in her mouth. She gave a frustrated sigh. "Who I am is irrelevant. I have the Sight. I'm not a threat, and I don't want to get involved in Shadowhunter business."

"If you were human you wouldn't be able to deal with a rune," Isabelle pointed out.

The girl stuck her wrist out. "It's a tattoo. Not a rune. A mundane tattoo."

"Then why the weapons?" Jace asked.

The girl smiled that sinister smile and pulled out her blade. "This? Because demons are harder to kill with my hands."

"You've killed a demon?" Isabelle's voice was filled with disbelief.

"You haven't?" the girl said, mock surprise plastered all over her face.

"That's impossible," Isabelle concluded.

"That depends on how good you are with the whip. If you suck, I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't killed a demon before."

Simon gave a choked laugh.

Isabelle looked momentarily frustrated. "I meant it was impossible for you to have killed a demon."

"Why?" The girl seemed genuinely intrigued as to why Isabelle thought the way she did.

"Because you're a mundane."

"And heaven forbid if I should defend myself from demons instead of waiting for the valiant Shadowhunters to save me." Sarcasm was thick in her voice. "Shadowhunters are given runes and arrogance for protection, but other than that, what are you? You're just humans with knowledge."

"And what? You're proof of that?" Jace asked.

"No. I'm what happens when a human is forced to live amongst Downworlders without runes and weapons. Sure, I have kick-ass hand-to-hand combat skills, but the scars don't look so great."

Suddenly, she straightened up, turned, and peered into the darkness.

Jace stiffened, ready to chase her if she ran.

For a moment, she listened, before facing the group again and saying, "Um… just thought you might want a heads up, a few vampires seem to be heading our way."

"How do you know?" Simon sounded nervous.

"I can hear them."

Jace was entirely surprised as Raphael strode silently out of the shadows, followed by two taller, older – well, age was relative – vampires.

Raphael gave a pointed look at Simon, baring his teeth just slightly. Simon straightened his stance. Raphael ignored the gesture and ran his eyes over Isabelle, Clary and Jace, before settling on the girl.

"Meddling with Shadowhunters too, are you now, Blair?" he said to her.

"Not by choice," Blair, answered.

"No," Raphael said with venom in his voice, "You'd just rather meddle with vampires."

Blair rolled her eyes as her stance relaxed. "Oh, please. I only meddle with one vampire."

Jace immediately grew suspicious. Was this a Downworlder affair they should stay out of?

"My vampire," Raphael growled.

"First, he's not your vampire anymore. He left your little fan club years ago. And second, you don't scare me."

"I'd say that was a sign of your stupidity rather than any real reflection on me," Raphael answered.

Blair grinned. "Raphael, you're two inches shorter than me. Of course it's a reflection on you."

Raphael just bared his teeth. "What are you doing here anyway?" he asked Blair.

"I came to dance and get drunk in celebration of my own self-destruction. And apparently I can't even do that without running into Downworlders on a power trip and Shadowhunters on an ego boost."

Simon laughed again. "Are you sure this girl isn't your sister, Jace?"

Clary elbowed Simon in the ribs and Isabelle gave him an icy glare. Jace just turned his head to Simon and rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Blair asked Raphael.

For the briefest moment, Raphael looked uncomfortable. Blair grinned.

"Oh, don't tell me," Blair began to laugh.

Jace wasn't sure, but he thought he saw Raphael blush.

"Well, I wouldn't want to interrupt," Blair said, still laughing. "Go ahead." She stepped aside, giving Raphael and his bodyguards' room to pass. Raphael made a noise of annoyance when he was stopped by Jace stepping forward, breaking the line.

"I don't think so," Jace said, drawing a seraph blade. "What is a vampire doing going into a nightclub full of living, breathing humans?"

"Jace," Jace was surprised to hear his name in the unfamiliar voice of Blair, "just let him go. He's not going to kill anyone. You know that. He's just got some business to attend to. No one's getting hurt… except perhaps him." Blair began laughing softly again.

"You," Raphael said hotly towards Blair, "should not assume you know everything."

"But I do know everything, so there's no real need to assume," she answered.

"Maybe Simon's right," Isabelle said softly, a smile growing. "I think she is you, Jace."

Jace shot Isabelle a look, then turned back to Blair. She was now leaning casually against the wall of the alley, inspecting her nails. Under the moonlight they looked silver.

Raphael backed away muttering, "Sunrise is coming soon anyway. Perhaps I will leave and return when Shadowhunters aren't swarming the area." His voice was cold and irritable.

"Always good to see you, Raph," Blair teased with a waving hand. But as he passed her she shot out her arm and held the bottom of his jacket. She whispered something low in his ear. He answered with a growl and yanked away from her.

He bared his teeth again and slunk away into the shadows, moving out of sight.

Jace turned his head to Simon, "What was that?"

"I only caught bits of it," Simon said in a low voice, "But she asked about someone called Nat? Raphael said something about keeping away from his children."

Jace took this in. Blair was more connected to the vampires than she was leading on.

There was silence for a moment before Blair straightened up and said, "Well, I'm outta' here. Hope to never see you all again. Bye."

Jace darted forward, blocking her way. Blair sighed and took a step back.

"You're friends with vampires?"

"Not friends," Blair answered. "I hate Raphael and his clan. They act all badass, but they're more prissy than the cast of The O.C."

"The what?" Jace asked.

"It's a teen TV show," Simon filled in.

"Whatever," Jace muttered. "Then what vampire are you meddling with?" he asked.

"Jack. We live together." She said it as a simple fact.

"Are you two…?" Clary trailed off.

"Of course they are," Isabelle said. "She has a binding rune."

Again Blair rolled her eyes. "Christ no, I don't do vampires. They're too cold. And like I said, usually prissy."

"That's not true," Simon argued.

"To be fair, I actually like you, so I guess I can give you a reprieve. Anyway, we're just friends. The rune was for my protection."

"You, a human, thought the best place to go looking for protection was a vampire?" Jace asked her.

"I trust him more than I trust the fey," she shrugged.

"How did you get involved in all this?" Isabelle asked.

"I have the Sight. I'm sure you know humans with the Sight are constantly in danger. Seeing a world that's not supposed to exist doesn't really go down well in the average mundane society. So, when Jack offered me his protection, I accepted. It all worked out very well."

"No, I mean what about your family. Do you have one?"

And, for the first time all night, Blair faltered. "I did."

"What happened?" Clary asked.

Blair took a step away from Jace. "It's not any of your business. I'm not your trouble to deal with. So, I'll be leaving."

"You're not telling us everything," Jace said.

Blair leaned forward, as if she were about to tell Jace a secret. "You know, when I told Raphael I knew everything, I was being sarcastic. I don't actually know everything. Sorry if I got your hopes up."

Suddenly the night was shattered with the sound of a cell phone. Jace answered it. Alec was on the other end of the line.

"Where are you? You were all supposed to be back at the Institute at one. Mom's really annoyed," Alec informed them, though his words sounded slightly slurred.

"When did you get home?" Jace asked him.

"Just now. That's how I know Mom's annoyed. She just lectured me. You should get home soon."

"Have you been drinking?" Jace asked.

"Err… I was at Magnus'." Alec sounded uncomfortable. Jace laughed.

"Fine, we'll be home soon. But we found a mundane with the Sight. She has a rune tattooed on her wrist. And we just had a run in with Raphael."

"Are you all okay?" Alec asked, his voice sounding more alert.

"Yeah, we're all fine, but ask Maryse what she wants us to do with the mundane."

"Sure, hold on." There was some murmuring that Jace couldn't quite hear, then Alec was back on the phone. "She says if you're concerned then you should bring her back to the Institute."

"Okay, we'll be home in half an hour."

"Bye."

Jace hung up.

"No, no, no way," Blair said, backing up against the alley wall. "I am not going to a Shadowhunter Institute. Not a chance."

"Look," Jace said, suddenly his patience lost, "You are coming back to the Institute whether you like it or not. We're doing this for your protection."

"I have protection. Only it's less egotistical and more-"

"Dead?" Jace filled in.

Blair's jaw locked. She made a move to walk past Jace. He grabbed her arm. For a moment he felt her resistance, but she relented instantly. He was surprised. He'd sworn he felt static run up his arm the instant he'd touched her.

"We'll get a cab," he told her, still not letting go of her arm.

"And this is why I prefer human boys," Blair muttered, giving a pointed look at Jace, "At least I can run from them."