Hey guys! This is my first story so I would like to know how I'm doing! 5 reviews equals your next chapter!

All characters are respectfuly Cassandra Clare's

Jace grasped Clary's hand in his warm one sending a comforting spark down her spine. His touch was so familiar yet every time he did reach out to hold her, it was like a bolt of electricity sizzling through her blood. She wanted more than anything to pull him on to her. To brush her lips against his. But they were both filthy from battle-not, that Clary cared-and Jace seemed eager to get back to the Gard. He pulled her behind him, Clary stumbling over her own feet to stay in pace with him.

"Jace, slow down." She whined, jerking him back by the hand. Jace stopped and look at Clary, really looked at her-she could feel his eyes searching her-before he swooped her up into his arms. Clary yelped in surprised and laughed when Jace threw her playfully over his shoulder.

"I can't have you slowing me down, Fray." Clary laughed again, but a sudden pain spread through her left calf. Gasping in pain her muscles spasmed, and she felt Jace tense under her.

"Did I hurt-" Worry wrapped his face in and unfamiliar expression that he used for no one but Clary.

"My leg" She balled her fists trying not to jerk in pain. A dull throbbing came from her left calf. Jace immediately laid her down in the grass along the streets of New York. His hands flew to the jeans covering her legs. Pulling a dagger from his weapons belt, he sliced the lower half of the denim revealing an ugly, bruise colored wound oozing pus on Clary's leg. Hands again flying to his belt Clary watched in amazement as Jace pulled forth his stele and marked her skin around her injury. She brought her fist to her mouth and bit down on the knuckles and suddenly felt like a little child. She didn't need Jace to draw her an iratze. But Jace didn't seem to mind.

"It-it hurts..."

"I know, I know. The demon must have gotten under your jeans. You just didn't feel the wound because the venom numbs the area specifically so that it can infect you without you knowing it." Jace paused putting away his stele. "Youll be fine, but you shouldn't walk on it-" A dark figure loomed over Jaces shoulder. Before a warning could escape Clarys mouth, Jace had pulled a seraph blade free and swung around, slicing outward at the thing behind him.

"Mariel!" He shouted and the blade blazed to life, a deep blood red in his hands. Scrambling back, Clary tried to climb to her feet and her leg almost gave out beneath her. Cursing her helplessness, she rolled over and drew her own sword from her belt. Clary could now see the creature that had snuck up on them. It was a tall demon, taller than Jace by more than a head. It had dark matted fur sticking out all over its lumpy body, and ablong arms draped from its sides. It stood on two feet but slouched forward like an ape. On top of its head, two sharp horns protruded the side of its skulls like horns on a minotaur. The monsters bottom jaw was pulled forward under its upper one and row after rows of teeth stuck out of its mouth in all directions.

Positioning himself between her and the demon, Jace lunged. The creature growled low in its throat and swung a lazy arm out. Claws as thick as Clarys arm flashed in the sunlight and Jace ducked at the last moment slicing at the legs of the demon instead of its body. Black ichor poured from a shallow cut in the monsters leg but it seemed unaffected.

The animal barreled forward and Jace danced out of its reach before cutting back in with a jab to the side. The creature moaned and stumbled forward catching Jace with its claws. Jace yelled as a gash in his shoulder opened up, a strength rune flaring on his wrist.

"Clary, run!" Jace shouted at Clary who was still kneeling hopelessly in the grass not quite strong enough to stand. Jace hit the ground hard and Clary could see the breath knocked out of him as the demon placed a heavy foot on his chest, pressing him into the pavement. Flicking on another quick strength rune, Clary began to feel strength corse through her. She stood on unstable legs, but was able to walk. Baringher sword, she sauntered forward advancing on the demon.

"Sorry, Jace. I can't do that." The demon turned its attention on Clary who rolled low to avoid its arm. She hit the ground just as its claws flew by like a pendulum. She too stabbed at its legs but she wasn't as quick as Jace and she wasn't going to be able to roll out of the way of the demons tail when a voice barked a command in harsh demonic language. The demon winced and backed away quickly, like an abused animal, trying to curl itself into a ball. She had heard the language twice before. Once when Lilith spoke to Sebastian, and the second time when Sebastian himself had been speaking. Clary look up in horror, already knowing who was standing above her.

Jace watched as Clary lashed out at the demon. He climbed to his feet and grabbed Mariel but he knew he was going to be too late as the creature's claws swept towards Clary. Moving faster than he knew he could, Jace drew a dagger and aimed-

Sebastian seemed to appear out of no where. The demon shrank back at Sebastians barking order. Jace was so surprised his dagger slipped out of his hand and clattered to the pavement. Sebastian turned towards the other boy a cruel smile possessing the lower half of his face. But the demon-boy's eyes were cold and black. Jace's grip tightened on his seraph blade and he lunged at Sebastian letting anger take the place of strategy. The fair haired boy easily side stepped his attack and swept Jaces legs out from under him. He slammed to the ground rolling onto his shoulder like Valentine had taught him when he was young, pushing back up with his heel without missing a beat.

"Is that the best my father taught you?" Sebastian drawled, taunting Jace. Sebastian swung out this time, his silver Morgenstern sword winking at Jace in the sunlight. Jace dodged but barely, coming up behind Sebastian. They circled each other for a moment, neither making a move. Clary hovered just behind Sebastian unsure of what to do. Jace locked eye contact for a millisecond but he gave his message with force. Get out of here. Clary didn't nod but Jace couldn't focus on Clary and Sebastian both. He had to hope Clary would take the chance, and run. But some part of Jace knew she was too stubborn to leave him.

Distracted, Jace was caught off guard when Sebastian attacked, curling his blade up through the air like an uppercut. Jace slid sideways and for a moment, and it went like that; Sebastian attacking and Jace dodging or parrying the blows-barley. Finally The Morgenstern blade crashed down on Jace's already injured shoulder. The blunt of the sword bruised his injury and Jace stumbled back in pain and shock.

Scrambling to his feet, Jace flung himself at Sebastian, only to be stopped short by an invisible wall.

"What?" Jace muttered in confusion. He pounded his fist against the shield. "You can't hide in there forever-"

"Must I say, you are a poor fighter Jace, and..." Jace didn't show his anger. Didn't let Sebastians insults cut his skin.

"...And very bad at protecting the things you love." Sebastian finished, a malevolous glint in his eyes. Jace stared, not understanding what he meant. Then he heard Clary's cry as a faerie knight, with sharp elegant features grabbed Clary from behind yanking her back by the hair. The knight was tall and bulky unlike most faeries that were slick and lean. He wrapped a thick arm tightly around Clary who kicked and thrashed pointlessly.

"Clary!" Jace again pounded on the sheild, and the wall seemed to bend for a moment under his strength, but Sebastian snapped his fingers and the knight pressed a blade to his girlfriend's throat. Clary squirmed in his restraining arms as a thin line of blood spilled over the edge of the knife. "Sebastian! Sebastian, don't you hurt her! I swear on the Angel if you-"

"Vernoc ka!" Sebastian hissed and Jace flew backwards, moved by an invisible force. His back slammed against the wall behind him and he crumpled forward. Before Jace could regain his senses, the ugly, beast-demon picked Jace up by the throat. Coughing and clawing at the demons hands, his face paled. He watched in terror as the faerie knight began to pull something from his coat pocket-and Clary slammed her heel down on his foot. The knights grip loosened, and Clary slipped from under his grasp. Sebastian leaned back against the brick building behind him, clearly not threatened. "Watch, Jace. Its almost at the good part." Bile rose in his throat but Jace choked down the lump blocking his airway.

Clary ducked to grab her only weapon which was only feet away, when her leg gave out beneath her and she fell with a shout. The knight had regained his form and stalked over to Clary. She reached out, her hand grasping the hilt of her sword, when the faerie jabbed the point of his sword into Clary's vulnerable back.

"Throw it to the side, child of Jocelyn. I will not hesitate to impale you." Clary froze at the order of the knight but she did not release the sword. "Sebastian wouldn't want you hurting me now would he?" Jace could see Clary struggling to keep a false sense of innocence out of her voice. The knight started to reply, but Clary rolled onto her back faster than the knight expected and used her sword to smack the knights needle like fencing sword to the side. Coming up to a knee, Clary swung her sword.

Jace fought the demon the whole time, doing anything to try and free himself, but nothing worked and he was beginning to become deprived of oxygen. Growling in frustration he called out to Clary in a choked voice, telling her to run, to leave him. But he could only watch as Clary, staying on one knee, swung her foot around under herself, jumping over her leg which collided into the back of the faerie's knee. He collapsed as Jace was sure Clary had hoped would happen, but the knight fell forward and pressed Clary to the ground. A dagger was again pressed to her throat and a heavily booted foot came down on her wrist crunching bone until she released her weapon.

Jace saw Clary grit her teeth in annoyance, and maybe-was that fear? Jace hoped not because if he could see fear in Clary's eyes, he knew Sebastian would be able to. The knight lifted Clary in the air, one hand knotted painfully in her hair, but she still struggled the knife beneath her jaw.

The demon holding Jace set him down but restrained him arms behind him. Gasping air he would have fallen to the ground if the creature wasn't holding him up. Using his free hand, the knight pulled a white silk cloth from his pocket. Jace watched in horror as the faerie knight pressed the silken fabric to Clarys mouth and nose. Her green eyes suddenly widened and Jace saw her gasp in a deep breath. Her face paled, and her body spasmed and writhed with the poison entering her lungs.

"No! Clary!" Jace surged forward once more but the demon dug its claw into Jace's wounded shoulder. Pain numbed his upper body. The last thing Jace saw in Clary's eyes were a message to Jace. I'm sorry. Then her eyes rolled back into her head, her small body crumpling. Her head fell forward, rivets of fiery curls falling forward like curtains. Sebastians laugh drown out Jaces thoughts that pounded through his head quicker than his heart beat.

I failed you Clary. I'm sorry