Imogen arrives to the institute unannounced and heads straight to Izzy's office. My sister was Alec's successor when he became the new inquisitor upon Imogen's retirement. Clary and I go into the office to greet her. After a brief conversation, she asked Clary to step out of the office because she had something to discuss with me. I kissed Clary on the forehead and she walked out closing the door behind her. I took a deep breath to prepare myself for whatever she had to say to me. Imogen sat behind the desk and asked me to take a seat across from her. She looked at me and smiled.

"You still remind me of Stephen and Celine so much. I see more of them now that you are older. You are what, twenty-five now?"

"Yes, I am." I answered still wondering what this is all about.

"Jace, you and your cousin Christopher, are the last of the Herondale bloodline. I am not getting any younger and would love to enjoy being a great-grandmother before I die and to see the Herondale line continue. Christopher is still a child so I really can not count on him for now. You on the other hand are at the age to be married and starting a family. I have come to a strong decision and I want to discuss it with you."

I moved forward in my chair, leaning my arms on the edge of the desk, ready to say something. Imogen raised her hand to stop me from saying anything.

"I know what you are going to say, but Clary does not want to marry you, Jace. Yes, I have heard about it, after all I do have sources here at the institute. There is a good standing Shadowhunter family in Idris who have a beautiful twenty-three year old unmarried daughter. She is beautiful, intelligent, and a highly trained soldier just like you, Jace. She even has the same love for the seraph blades that you have. A perfect match if I say so myself. The family are dedicated and loyal to the clave. Her parents have agreed that the union of both of our families will further our power and prestige. Jace, you are now engaged to Isabeau Dragonway."

I could not believe what I was hearing. Imogen has arranged a marriage between me and some girl I do not know. She knows that I have been with Clary for five years now and we love each other. I shot out of the chair sending it crashing to the floor. I love Clary and wonder what she is going to say when she hears what this lunatic is planning. My grandmother has lost her damn mind.

"No, this is not going to happen. I love Clary and we will get married when she is ready to do so. I am in no rush to have a family. You are not going to force me into this marriage. Have you really lost your mind? Do you think that if my parents, your son Stephen, would allow this?"

"Jace, I can and have arranged this marriage. I am the matriarch of this family and you will do as I ask with no questions asked. What I expect from you is to do what is right for our family and our bloodline. As the oldest male Herondale, that can continue our bloodline, you are expected to honor this arrangement without any further arguments."

"Imogen, you are being unreasonable. You are asking me to give up the woman I love, the woman that I am bound to by the shared angel blood, my soulmate. All this for a girl that I do not know, for family prestige or obtaining more power!"

"She will arrive tomorrow morning at ten. You will pledge yourself to her and present her with our family ring. You have a month to get to know each other and at the end of the month, you will go to Idris to be married. I am sure that you and Isabeau will fall in love and be happy. I was very careful in selecting your future bride. A perfect match if I say so myself."

"Please, I cannot do this. Do not ask me to hurt Clary this way."

"You will end your relationship with Clary tonight. This is not a request, Jace. You can and you will do as I have asked."

Imogen walks out of the office and left me standing there. I ran my fingers through my hair trying to figure out how to get myself out of this. How am I going to tell Clary that I have to break up with her because I am getting engaged to someone I do not even know. My heart is breaking into pieces, again. When will I be able to be happy? Every time I think Clary and I can be happy, something else comes to crush us. I am going to find Clary and tell her what is going on and elope with her. We can go to Vegas and have a mundane wedding to stop this arrangement. In the future when she is ready, then we can have our dream wedding. Damn it, Clary, if only we would have gotten engaged seven months ago, this would not be happening. I ran out of the office and to our room to look for Clary. She was not there so I ran to the training room and found her there training with Izzy.

"Izzy, could you please leave us alone? I need to talk to Clary in private."

"Jace, what's wrong? You look like you have been running."

"Izzy, please. Not now. Just leave."

Izzy left and closed the door. Clary turned around and walked up to me putting her arms around me.

"What's wrong, love? Does this have anything to do with Imogen's visit?"

"Clary. this is complicated. I have been trying to find a way of telling you. Imogen has lost her damn mind. I have to ask you something and I need an honest answer from you."

"You know you can ask me anything."

"Clary, you know that I love you. I have loved you since that day I bumped into you at Pandemonium. It took me a while to admit it because of the way Valentine raised me. You helped me overcome it until I was able to say it. All I ever wanted since then, is to be with you. When you were gone for that year, and everyone told me to let you go and move on, I did not because my love for you was and is stronger than the angel's spite. I watched you from afar knowing that I wanted you but could not have you. I listened to my soul and waited for you. Please Clary, marry me. Please say yes and we can get married tonight. We can elope to Vegas and have a quick mundane wedding. You have to say yes, Clary."

"Oh, Jace. You know that I love you with every cell in my body and with all my soul. But, no, I can not marry you. Maybe in the future, but not now."

"Tell me why, please. This is important. There is a reason why I am asking you again after I promised you I would not."

"Jace, I can't"

"Clary. do you have any idea what you have done by saying no to me? Do you have any idea what your answer has cost you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You have just lost me forever, Clary. Imogen has arranged a marriage between me and a girl from Idris. She has found out through her sources that you do not want to marry me, so she took it upon herself to find me a wife. I have been ordered to go through this marriage and she will be here tomorrow morning. I have to give her my family ring and our wedding is set a month from now. That is what you have done with your answer. Now again, marry me, say yes Clary. This is the only way I can stop this."

" I am so sorry. No wonder Imogen would not speak to you in front of me."

"Imogen is not going to back down out of this arrangement. The only way to do this is to get married. She cannot unmarry us and she would have to call off the arrangement. All she is thinking is about power and prestige and most important heirs. She wants to make sure that the Herondale bloodline continues. I am her hope and that is why she is ordering me to do this. She will have heirs, from you, Clary!"

"I see. I will not hold you back from doing what your grandmother, your last eldest relative asks of you. You have to honor her wishes, for your family. I can not marry you, therefore, Jace, I am breaking up with you. You need to have a life and be happy. This girl might be your future and you will be able to love again. This is how is meant to be. We were not meant to be, otherwise we would have not gone through all this pain. We have had a lot of happy memories, but all the horrific memories overpower the happy ones. I will always love you, Jace Herondale. Go, live your life and find happiness."

'What are you saying? You don't want to be with me anymore? Everything we have been through in the last five years means nothing to you? Clary, is it something that I have done for you to act this way. I need to hear the truth!"

"Oh, Jace, it is not you. You have done nothing but love me and fight for me. Because of my love for you is the reason why I cannot marry you. Like I said before, you will see later on my reason for not marrying you and you will understand. Maybe thank me. Please, go on with your life and be happy. One thing I promise you is that I will never love anyone as I have loved you. I will never lay in anyone else's arms ever again."

She put her arms around my neck and kissed me. I responded automatically to her kiss and deepened it. She pulled away from me and walked out of the training room without looking back.

"Clary, no." I whispered. The woman that I have loved unconditionally just walked out of my life. I fell down on my knees and let out a scream so loud that I think the weapons vibrated on the wall were they hung. Izzy came running into the room and threw herself on the floor and took me into her arms.

"Jace, what wrong? Are you hurt? Please talk to me."

"It's Clary. I lost her."

"Where is she?

"I asked Clary to marry me and she refused my proposal. She broke up with me, Izzy. She don't want me anymore. She is keeping a secret and won't tell me. Imogen has arranged my marriage to some girl in Idris. My soon to be fiancée will be here tomorrow."

"Did you tell her this?"

"Yes."

I started crying again. My heart just shattered to a million pieces. How could this be? I lost my Clary. I am all alone once again. I could not stop crying. Izzy texted Alec and he portaled in with Magnus. They helped me up off the floor and walked me to my room. When they arrived there, Clary was gone. All her belongings, paint supplies, and all the pictures of us were all gone. She didn't even leave a note. Now I face tomorrow and whatever comes without Clary.

"Izzy, has Clary told you why she will not marry me? Do any of you know what is going on with her?"

"I am her best friend, her sister, her parabati. She has not said anything to me. She has been so distant from me and kept avoiding me when I tried to talk to her. Simon has been her best friend since they were kids and she has not spoken to him either."

I sat on my bed and started to cry again. Every second without Clary was ripping me apart. I fell on my knees and screamed her name, hoping that she would run into the room and jump into my arms and tell me she wants to get married. Magnus walked up to me and put a glass with some liquid in my hand and told me to drink it all. I felt Alec put an arm around me and picking me up and placing me on the bed. I felt like I was slipping away from my body. Next thing I know I woke up to my alarm going off and it was morning. Magnus must have given me a sleeping potion so that I could get some sleep. I walked into the shower and stood under it for awhile before I got dressed. There was still time for me to grab something to eat before this mysterious girl shows up. Everyone was in the kitchen having breakfast and the room went quiet.

"Good morning, Jace, how did you sleep?," Izzy asked as she came to hug me.

"Whatever Magnus gave me last night worked. I slept soundly until my alarm went off."

"That's good. Sit and eat something. We made plenty of food."

I left Jace standing there with that shocked look on his face. Running out of there was the best thing to do before I changed my mind. I can not tell the love of my life that we do not have a future, because my demonic brother is coming back to kill me. The angels have sent me visions of my impending death. It is hard on Jace right now to get over our break up but it would be a lot worse if I am his wife when my brother kills me in front of him. He will be watching without being able to save me. This will kill him. Even though we are Nephilim meant to love once fiercely, Jace is going to have to learn how to open up his heart to someone else. He is too young to be a widower, so this opportunity that Imogen is giving him is coming at a better time. "Be happy, Jace." I said as tears started running down my face. I stepped into the portal that I created and left to Prague where I will decide what I am going to do with my life.