As Clary raced for the bed, she leaned down to scoop up Jace's forgotten stele. Just as she went to fling herself onto the sheets, Jace caught up, catching her in midair and landing on the bed next to her. She grinned at him and held up the stele. "Let's see if my little idea works." She quickly traced an iratze over the skin between her ovaries on her lower stomach, wincing slightly at the burn on her sensitive skin. After a moment, she pushed lightly where she'd hurt earlier. There was still a very light sting, but it was no longer as severe as it had been.

She smirked at him, her own version of Jace's favorite expression. "Much better." Then she rolled on top of him, straddling his hips. "Now, where were we?"

Leaning down, she captured Jace's lips. He held her hips gently as he slowly explored her mouth with his tongue, being careful. But Clary didn't want careful. Grinding herself against him, she smiled when his hands tightened and he moaned into her mouth, kissing her harder. Proud of herself, Clary slid her hand down his chest to stroke him, finding him hard and ready for her.

Unable to help himself, needing to please her as she pleasured him, he slid a finger along her slit. She was already slick and hot, and her gasp was swallowed when he pressed his thumb lightly against her clit. Carefully sliding a finger into her, he growled low in his throat as she began moving her hips. He added another finger, bracing for her wince, but it never came. She just moved faster, riding his hand as she had done earlier.

Clary stroked him faster, her lips moving down to his neck to suck on his soft skin. She left a mark on his shoulder and leaned back to admire her work, letting her towel fall around her waist in the process.

Jace leaned up and caught a nipple in him mouth, tonguing it as he fingered her. Clary's control snapped and she positioned him beneath her as she slapped his hand away. Then she impaled herself on him, moaning loudly as he filled her, and Jace stilled, gritting his teeth to keep from exploding immediately. She was so tight, so wet, and he was torn between flipping her over and slamming into her over and over or letting her have her way with him. He decided on the latter, because she'd be in control, and would stop if she was hurting.

Throwing her head back and using her hands on his chest for leverage, Clary rode him, moving up and down over him. She moaned every time he slid into her, making it nearly impossible for Jace to control himself. With every stroke and grind, Jace could feel himself slowly slipping until, with a cry, Clary came, her walls gripping him tightly.

Unable to stop himself, Jace flipped Clary onto her back and pounded into her hard and fast, kissing her breathless and swallowing her sounds of ecstasy as her orgasm went on and on without relenting. With a final thrust, he fell over the edge with her, his hips pistoning against her a final time before he collapsed, trembling, on top of her.

Once he could move again, he rolled to the side, Clary's head pillowed on his chest. Drawing intricate shapes along her bare side, he contemplated their future.

"I can't be away from you again," Jace whispered suddenly against the top of her head.

Clary shifted to look up at him.

"The separation nearly killed me before. Now…" He gritted his teeth against the injustice. "I don't think I can live without you. And I can't pretend we're nothing but siblings. I can't bare the thought of you meeting someone else, loving him like I love you." He shook his head, his hand becoming a fist against her ribs. "I want to keep you. I want you forever. And it's wrong." Jace's voice broke on the last word, his eyes clenching shut at the realization of how impossible their situation was.

"Jace, look at me." Clary sat up and leaned over him, meeting his gaze when he unshuttered his eyes. "I will never love anyone like I love you. We will figure this out." She stroked his cheek gently and smiled at Jace's doubtful expression."Have faith," she said. "The Angel would not give a gift like this if there wasn't a reason. I love you, and that won't change as long as I live." She feathered kisses over his face.

"Faith." Jace sighed before sitting up, pulling her with him. He looked at her, her long red ringlets falling into her emerald eyes, the freckles on her pale skin, and he believed. He believed with every fiber of his being that, somehow, they'd make this work.

Heaving himself up, he took her hands and helped her to her feet before tossing Clary her clothes. Dressing quickly, they shared one last passionate kiss before heading back to the garden next to the Institute to draw a portal back to Amatis's kitchen. Hand in hand, they stepped through.

They were greeted by Amatis, Maryse, Robert, and Luke, who looked at their linked hands and obvious closeness with disbelief.

Pulling Clary behind him at their expressions, Jace gave his signature arrogant smirk."Did you miss me that much?"

The adults began demanding answers to where they'd been and what they'd been doing but Clary and Jace just smiled secretively at each other and told them about the events at the Wayland Manor. When they finished this explanation, they begged for the right to sleep.

Jace left with the Lightwoods, but he wasn't gone long. As soon as Clary climbed into bed, he was there, pulling himself though her window, clad in a gray t-shirt and plaid pajama pants. Without hesitation, he joined Clary, cuddling her close as his eyes drifted shut in exhaustion. "I love you," he whispered into her hair.

"I love you, too," Clary whispered back. And with the lulling comfort of his heartbeat under her cheek, she fell asleep in the arms of her brother.