Tick…tick…tick…

The world was a matrix of interlocking gears. Bronze grinding against bronze, spinning round in an endless cycle. The ticking grew louder and louder.

Tick…Tick…Tick…

It did not stop, it could not be stopped, not by heaven nor hell, and would carry on until the end of time; the never ending ticking.

Tick…tick…tick…

Clary was ripped out of her sleep. She sat up in bed only to find that her covers were wound around her so tightly that her right leg had lost circulation and was going numb. Uncoiling herself from the sheets she thought about her strange dream. The Angels had sent her messages before like this one, but sometimes it was hard to tell what was important and what was made up by her own imagination.

Clary discarded this dream as one of her own creation - mostly on the theory that the dream was completely random and had absolutely nothing to do with her gift - and went into the bath room to have a shower and get dressed. She chucked on an old blue tank top and a pair of jeans then headed to the kitchen to get some breakfast. She found Luke sitting at the table reading the paper and sipping a cup of coffee. She sat down next to him and poured herself a glass, but didn't add any milk to it. Luke looked up at her through his glasses and smiled. "Morning," His voice was calm as always, but very much awake.

Clary mumbled in response and took a sip of her hot coffee. She looked at the article of the back of Luke's paper - something about a discount on all wall clocks and watches - before asking; "Where's Mum?"

"She had an appointment with the dress maker at nine. You just missed her." Luke said standing up to put his mug in the sink. Clary watched him rinse it then return to his seat, she sat with her coffee mug warm in her hands. She was happy that Luke and her Mum were finally getting married; they deserved each other after all they've been through.

Then Clary realised with a jolt that if her mum had left for her appointment it must be already past 8.30. Clary had to get to the institute by 9.15. She'd told Jace that she would be there for her training session and if she didn't leave now she would be late and then would have to listen to Jace lecture her on the importance of being punctual. It's not like Clary meant to be late. Like she told Jace; sometimes other things came before training, like eating breakfast, but Jace had just shook his head at her and said that nothing comes before training. But Clary had to admit eating breakfast probably didn't matter if you were dead, and a shadow hunter that wasn't properly trained would be dead pretty quickly. Clary jumped up out of her chair and grabbed her jumper. Luke offered to drive her to the institute and said that he would be ready in 5 minutes. Clary hopped into Luke's van and waited for him to come out of the house.

It was just over a quarter of an hour later when the van pulled to a stop in front of the old church. It took her only a matter of seconds to remove the glimmer that protected the institute from unwanted mundane eyes. Clary thanked Luke as she jumped out of the van and ran up the path to the door of the church. She walked past the wooden pew chairs to the elevator. Moments after the button was pressed the steel elevator came down to meet her.

Clary called out a hello to whoever was home as she stepped out of the elevator and started down the hall. No one replied to her greeting so she continued on her way to the training room. Clary stopped when she heard voices coming from the library.

"So what is it exactly, that you want?" Alec's voice drifted through the gap in the door.

"I told you that I shall wait until Clarissa has arrived before reviling my purpose to come." The unfamiliar voice was soft but somewhat commanding and had a sort of musicality to it that only fairies ever have.

"She should be here already…" Jace sounded grumpy and Clary knew that he didn't exactly trust this unexpected guest, that or he was really pissed she was late.

Before anymore could be said Clary pushed the door open. "I'm here, sorry I'm late." she announced. They were all scatted around the room with Alec and Isabel sitting on one of the couches across from a tall woman in the arm chair. Clary was right; the woman who had spoken before was in fact a fairy. Her hair looked like spun silk falling down around her shoulders and across her back. She wore a long yellow dress with a brown leather belt wrapped around her tiny waist. When she turned, Clary saw that her eyes were a greenish yellow and that she had no pupils. With unnaturally high cheek bones, she looked almost alien. Looking across the room to the fire place, Clary saw Jace leaning against the wall with a look of obvious annoyance on his face.

"My name is Lorena; I am here to send you on a little job," Her lips curled into a pleasant smile, Clary saw that her teeth were tear-shaped. Lorena scanned the faces in the room then added; "you and him." She directed the last word at Jace. He looked up at her and smiled an incredibly sweet smile before turning his attention to Clary. His gaze ran over her once then stopped to look her in the eyes. Clary had no idea if he was angry at her or just angry in general. But she was reassured when he gave her a loving smile and pushed off the wall to stand behind Alec and Isabel.

"Yes, but what is this 'little job'?" Isabel's tone was flat like she was trying to hide her vanishing patience.

"Jonathan and Clarissa are to go through a portal and are to do what must be done." Lorena said with slight pride.

"Wait what? I'm sorry but what are me and Jace supposed to be doing?"

Lorena turned her attention back to Clary, "That, young shadow hunter, you must figure out yourself."

All of them exchanged looks, last of all Jace met Clary's eyes and as if to ask her permission he lifted one of his eye brows. Clary nodded and Jace turned to look at Lorena. "Do you promise our safe return?" he asked in what seemed like a bored voice.

"No, but I do promise that if you complete your task I will find you and bring you back"

The room was silent while they thought this over. Jace leaned forward over the top of chair to speak to Alec in a low voice. Alec nodded and stood, Izzy followed with a grumpy look. She came around to the back of the couch to stand in front of Jace then gave him a hug and mumbled into his shoulder, "Be careful, okay?" he nodded and hugged her back. She let go of Jace and looked at Clary "You too." Clary smiled at her but was distracted by what the fairy was doing.

Lorena moved through the room mumbling in some old language Clary didn't understand. She paced up and down the library chanting, as she did Clary saw that the books on the shelves started to rattle then warp and seemed to cave in on themselves, leaving a black and purple swirling portal in the middle of the room. It didn't look anything like the portals Clary had ever seen. Lorena straightened up and said in a tired voice, "You must leave now…"

Jace came up behind Clary and placed his hand on her back. He guided her to the edge of the portal where he stopped to look back at Izzy and Alec, they nodded in unison. Jace moved his hand from Clary's back and slid to into hers. "We're ready." Clary had no idea what she was reading herself for, but Jace, on the other hand, looked like he knew exactly what would happen next and wanted to get it over with. Though Clary could see the uneasiness in his eyes that meant he wasn't in control of the situation; something that really seemed to annoy Jace.

"What you do now will shape the world more than you will ever know, I wish you luck." Lorena bowed her head slighting, a gesture that unnerved Clary; Fairies were proud creatures and for one to show that sort of respect meant that whatever she and Jace were doing was not to be taken lightly.

Clary looked up into the golden eyes that she loved so much and smiled. Jace returned her gaze with an equally loving one and squeezed her hand. With that, Jace and Clary took one step into the swirling vortex and were gone.