This chapter begins focused on izzy on the day that the last chapter ended. This is so I can explore some other characters as well and hopefully bring Cassie's amazing world to life with a little more depth than in my previous chapters.

She brought the glass to her lips, glittering red liquid slipping down her throat. A sharp, sweet taste lingered on her tongue as she placed the glass back on the counter in front of her. Izzy swept her thick, black curls over her shoulder, letting her gaze wonder behind her to the door. She drew a deep breath and turned back to find a tall man with an inviting smile staring back at her. His eyes were a dark cobalt blue, shaded by lashes, long and delicate. He threw a tea towel over his shoulder and leant forward onto the counter.

"Can I get you another drink, miss?" His voice dripped from his lips, like honey the colour of his golden hair. A smile tugged at the corners of Izzy's painted red lips. He was a gorgeous boy, cheekbones carved from porcelain and steady, unscarred hands. She was so unfamiliar with skin as clear and untouched as his, no jagged cuts fading on his skin or any scars creeping up from the collar of his shirt.

A voice then came from behind her, this voice was not sweet, it was slower and deeper, "She'll have a bottle of your most expensive wine."

Isabelle watched the bartender's smile fade into an uneasy line. He straightened up and cleared his throat.

"Of course, sir, and what drink for you?" The bartender muttered awkwardly.

"Are you offering?" The voice came again, the words idly playing off of his lips. Before even seeing him Isabelle recognised the voice. She rolled her eyes.

"Stop playing with him, Raphael," she turned slowly on her seat.

Raphael's gaze clicked straight onto Isabelle's eyes as if locking in on a target. A smile played teasingly across his lips, "oh but Izzy, if he's willing.."

"Excuse me?" The golden haired boy's face was distorted in confusion. Izzy saw now, being in the presence of Raphael, the bartender was young and ever so vulnerable.

"He's just teasing, babe" she shot him a smile and the boy edged off slowly towards a glass cabinet lined with shimmering wines.

"Do you have to think of everyone as food?" Izzy sighed, nudging a stall with her leg. Her legs were hidden by leather boots laced all the way up to her thighs and Raphael couldn't help but allow his eyes to linger for a moment.

"Everyone is food," he said sharply, looking around and remaining to stand.

Isabelle shook her head slightly and her hair fell forward, thankfully hiding the smile that arose on her face. There was something about him that she'd always found intriguing.

Isabelle began slowly, "It's late Raphael-"

"How observant," he fixed his gaze on her, slowly drinking the image of her in.

She leant forward, closer to him, "If you're not going to sit down, why did you ask me to meet you here?"

"Because we're not staying," he said.

Isabelle raised her eyebrows slightly and whispered, "and where might I be going with you?"

Raphael stared at her eyes for a moment, the dark and pulsing blue crowded by black feathered lashes. She was so elegant.

"Well tomorrow night, you're coming to the ball with me," he spoke gently.

"What?" Isabelle was stunned and sat back, "that's a shadowhunter's ball? You're a vampire."

"You're very observant tonight, Isabelle. Yes it's a shadowhunter's ball but downworlders are welcome as guests. And I think it's fitting that you're accompanied by the right person, and do not end up going with someone like..him," Raphael indicated with a nod of his head the bartender that had appeared back at the counter. He had placed down a tall bottle of wine; the liquid inside turned opal in the strobes of moonlight that shone through the floor-length windows.

Isabelle was not someone who was easily swayed but having Raphael as her date to the ball wasn't exactly disappointing. Something in her chest fluttered. Raphael has always been able to read her and he saw the slight excitement in her eyes. They became teasing.

"Fine," was all she said. He slowly leant forward to grasp the bottle off of the counter and spoke when his lips brushed against her ear.

"And tonight," he breathed slowly, "you're coming back to mine."

THE DAY OF THE BALL 2:30pm

Clary pulled back two curls from the front of her face and stared into the mirror. She held them in place behind her head and dropped them again with a sigh. She couldn't think about getting ready and looking presentable at a ball when she was about to go to a ball where she would see Jace. On his own. Her own guilt was tugging at her as if with fingertips and she kept trying to shake the memories of the night before from her mind. But even when she closed her eyes, it was as if the image of Alec's hands on her skin were branded behind her heavy lids. She sighed and threw her face into her hands. It wasn't exactly like she wanted to forget what had happened last night. Truthfully, nothing much had happened but it felt like everything. They had kissed. A lot. And clary had fallen asleep tucked into Alec's body, and wound in his arms.

Clary thought that it was lucky that Isabelle had not been in their bedroom the following morning as she walked in from Alec's room. What an explanation she would have had to think up. Just as Isabelle crossed her mind, she had also clicked open the bedroom door and Clary looked up.

Clary raised her eyebrows at Isabelle's un-ironed dress that had obviously been slept in.

She drew her attention back to the mirror and spoke, "couldn't he have leant you a shirt to sleep in? Wouldn't have ruined your dress then." Isabelle stumbled into the room, a giggle escaping her lips and she slumped down onto the bed. Clary watched Izzy throw her head back and her smile widen.

"Who's made you so happy then?" She laughed, turning to face Isabelle.

Isabelle just sat up straight and smiled a brilliant smile at Clary. No matter how tired izzy was or how many demons she had fought, she always looked flawless and right now was no change.

"That's not important," Izzy dismissed it with a smile and slid out of her boots, throwing them to the side.

"Um, I definitely feel like it is," Clary laughed. Isabelle stood up and made her way to the bathroom.

"We have more important things to worry about. Like getting ready for the ball, we have to leave for Idris at 6pm because we are taking a walk through the city before we get there. Jace said he wanted to show you some things."

Jace.

Clary felt as though she had been punched in the gut at the mention of Jace's name.

"Isabelle," clary hesitated. Isabelle stopped in the doorway of the bathroom and turned to face her.

"What's up, clary? She said.

Clary held her breath for a moment before letting out a sigh, "yesterday, um... I broke up with Jace."

"You what? Why?" Isabelle ran to Clary and shuffled down onto her seat. She automatically grabbed Clary's hands.

Clary's head hung down, "I just, I really don't want to talk about this. At least not yet. I know he's your brother and you're probably going to hate me for hurting him and -"

"I could never hate you, Clary," Isabelle smiled sadly, "Jace will be hurt, and I know I may not like that but I wouldn't wish for you to be with someone if you were unhappy. And you don't have to explain to me until you're ready, okay?" One of izzy's slender fingers appeared beneath Clary's chin lifting her face gently. When Clary saw Isabelle's disappointed smile, she just hugged her tightly, winding her arms around her best friend and wishing that they could stay like that and not even go to the ball.

Clary stood resting her hands on the balcony and she watched the people gathering below her. Isabelle in a floor length gown, glittering white and silver. The beading on her dress reflected the the warm glow of the institute lighting and she truly looked like an angel. She had pulled back her hair into a ponytail and it rained down her back in thick black curls, baring the skin of her collarbones and neck. Clary was envious of how elegant she always looked. Standing with Isabelle was her mother, her face stern as always and her father who was placing a kiss on Isabelle's cheek. They were both dressed in black. The Lightwoods were always stunning no matter what they wore. However Clary was searching for another Lightwood and when she found him, her breathing hitched for a moment. She had never felt this nervous. Alec stood, hands placed behind his back and his head was bent for he was concentrating on a very enthusiastic Max. A laugh escaped those usually rigid lips. Clary found herself smiling and she laughed softly echoing him. When she realised that she was standing alone watching them, she felt kind of stupid and blushed. Pushing the thought of Jace, wherever he was, to the back of her mind, she stalked to the top of the stairs and knotted her fists gently in the green silk of her dress, lifting it as she began walking. Everyone glanced at her as her shoes echoed on the stairs and Izzy and Alec remained staring as she made her way down. When she arrived at the bottom, she exchanged a smile with Izzy and was greeted by Alec's warm hand in her arm.

She smiled up at him, even in heels she was a good foot less than him. His gaze slipped over her slowly and he was desperate to just scoop her up into his arms and hold her close. She was frightfully beautiful. Her copper locks fell in ringlets around her face and her eyes stung an emerald green shot with shards of gold. Alec had never been so enchanted by a girl's beauty. He just smiled, his eyes fixed on her.

"Alec," Clary spoke delicately, "I don't want Jace thinking anything's happening between us, and as much as your face is the one I want to see most tonight, I don't think he's going to be convinced if you're the first one to greet me for the night." She laughed slightly.

"I don't want him to think that either, I feel terrible," Alec said not removing his eyes from Clary's, "but he's outside at the moment."

"Outside?" Clary looked puzzled.

The huge doors of the institute slid open, a creak filling the elegant stone hall but the Lightwoods continued chatting amongst themselves as a very drunk Jace strode in. Two girls, one on either side of him, were clutching at his arm and throwing their heads back in laughter. They had skin that looked like ice, and pointed ears. One of them had ebony black hair and the other a chocolate brown, both stretching down to the bottoms of their backs, dead straight. They were nixies Clary thought, Jace had always had some sort of thing for them.

"He's drunk," Clary said narrowing her eyes.

Alec glanced down at the floor, sighing, "I know, he's broken Clary." Tears started to well in his eyes and Clary grabbed onto his arm firmly.

"Don't Alec," she said, searching his eyes, "don't do that to yourself, don't blame yourself. It's my fault, okay? I broke up with him, but he's strong, he will be okay. We just have to keep our distance for tonight and not make anything obvious."

Alec took a deep breath, "I know, I just, I needed to tell you that you look really beautiful Clary." Clary's cheeks flushed a warm pink and she looked down at the ground. As she looked back up at Alec, she caught Isabelle's eye from across the hall and her questioning glare.

Drawing a sharp breath, Clary avoided her gaze and moved towards the group, with Alec by her side. Alec stalked straight over to Jace and joined him in a conversation when Maryse snapped the whole group into silence.

"We will portal to Idris city centre and take a walk to the Glass Tower. We decided it would be a nice opportunity for Clary to see a bit more of Idris than the inside of a ballroom," she laughed stiffly.

Clary's eyes sparked up at Jace for a moment who was whispering into the black haired nixie's ear. The girl giggled. Maryse shot a stern look at her.

The door creaked again and two men strode in, both could not be more different. Raphael was dressed in a black suit and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top, his hair ruffled on top of his head. He winked at Isabelle and Clary suddenly realised what Izzy's overwhelming happiness had been about earlier that day. The other man strode so confidently, the rings on his fingers glittering in the light and he blue sparks on his fingers dancing playfully.

"Magnus," Robert stalked over to shimmering warlock and shook his hand. Magnus shot a wink at Maryse when he caught her stern face, her lips a thin line.

"Don't worry Maryse, I'm not accompanying you tonight, just doing all the work to begin with it's fine," Magnus Bane let out a sigh and a sarcastic smile before whizzing around and flicking a burst of purple light into the room. The spark jumped from his fingertips like a gazelle prancing from it's predator. Clary shielded her eyes and winced at the brightness, watching blue and purple light shatter to form a transparent wall of water.

"All done," Magnus shot a smile at Clary, "let's not wait around, I'm a busy man."

Maryse let out a disgusted 'hm' and avoided the warlocks eye contact as she strode right into the waterfall followed by Robert. Isabelle paused to thank Magnus, and Raphael hugged him lightly before he placed a hand at Izzy's waist and lead her through the portal. Jace was next stumbling through and Clary caught the roll of Magnus' eyes and she giggled a little. Alec and Clary were left in the hall with an impatient Magnus and he slipped his hand into hers as they took a step towards the cascading water.

"You haven't portaled before, have you?" Alec said, tightening his grip on Clary's small hand. Clary thought she could see a wavering image of a tower amongst the water but then it was gone just as quick as it had appeared. She drew in a soft breath.

"Not yet," she said.

"It's easy, just walk forward and try not to be sick," Alec smiled, attempting to reassure her. He could see she was nervous.

"Great, thanks," she laughed a little.

The truth was, she wasn't nervous about portalling, not in the slightest. It was the thought of facing Jace tonight, and seeing him slowly slip away. It was the thought of seeing that happen and having to separate from Alec after they arrived in Idris and deal with it alone. But with these thoughts flickering like sparks in her mind, they stepped forward and the walls of the stone hall fell away in fragments, water washing over them and reality dissolved like shattering glass before their eyes.