My eyes crack open when the sunlight hits my eyes, as I look around in confusion when I realize I'm not in my room.

I slowly sat up, my hand holding the sheet to my bare chest, when I recognized the room I was in.

Then, it all came back to me.

I let myself fall back into the bed, my impulsive decision running through my mind over and over.

When I looked to my side to look at Jace, he was already awake, making me gasp; startled.

"Good morning to you too." A small smirk was on Jace's face, making me shoot him a look.

"Jace." I clear my throat and sunk in the sheets, "Hello."

"What's wrong?" Jace's eyes scan my expression, sitting up, "Is it the bed head- or is it morning breath?"

"Wait a minute-" I prop myself onto my elbows, holding the sheet to my chest, "Is thee Jace Herondale feeling insecure?"

"Maybe a little." Jace falls back into the bed, his eyes glued to me, "He has the most beautiful woman in the world in his bed."

"Oh come on." I stared at him for a moment, as I couldn't help but smile the slightest bit, "I bet that isn't the first time you've used that line."

"Actually, it is." Jace's eyes were locked with mine, "I've wanted to wake up next to you for so long."

I was swooning for a moment.

"Jace- listen-" I inhale sharply, beginning to get up, pulling the sheet with me, "I just- uhm, last night was decided on impulse- and-"

"If you're going to say it was a mistake- it wasn't to me." Jace cuts me off, grabbing me and pulling me back into the bed, as I fell onto him, "And If it was to you- maybe we should keep making mistakes."

"Jace." My voice went soft, "I just- need to think, okay?"

I blink a few times, before grabbing the sheet and wrapping it tightly around myself, jumping out of the bed, "I'm stealing your sheet-"

Before Jace could reply, I grabbed my clothes and ran out of his room.

-

"What happened at the Seelie Court was real." Jace was talking to Isabelle as I could hear their whispers while I walked by, "I know she felt it too- I can't just push away my feelings for her anymore."

Then, when they notice me, Isabelle is pushing Jace towards my direction.

"Zee, hey!" Jace chased after me when he spotted me as I walked through the Ops Center that very day, "Can we talk?"

Turns out, I didn't grab my shirt when I rushed out of his room this morning, I had grabbed his.

And for some reason, I put it on today.

I don't know why.

I just did.

I kept walking, "About what?"

"About how you keep walking out of the room every time I walk in?" Jace mentions, "You've been avoiding me ever since this morning-"

"This morning wasn't a dream?" I walked faster, not been glancing at him.

He notices that I was wearing his shirt, his stare glued to me, "You dream of me?"

"Not what I meant, Jace!" I hopped up the steps and went down the hall.

Jace ran and caught up to me, catching my arm, "Look, I get it, but- we can't avoid each other forever."

"I'm not avoiding you, Jace." I pulled my arm from his, backing away, turning back around and walking towards my room, "We're good."

Jace calls out after me, "Well- why don't I feel like we are?"

I don't reply, walking into my room and shutting the door.

-

There was a knock at my door as I was fixing up some things on my dresser, "Come in!"

"Where were you all night?" Isabelle walked into my room, closing the door behind her, "I went to your room after the cabinet meeting because I needed to talk to you and you weren't here."

"I just- busy- yeah, I was doing stuff." I clear my throat and face her, "What did you need to talk about?"

"Wait." Isabelle observes, "Is that Jace's shirt?"

I stare at her a moment, "No-"

"That's why your hair isn't straightened today, you didn't do your hair this morning-" Isabelle was easily piecing the clues together, "And you're avoiding him-"

I exhale deeply, "Izzy-"

"You and Jace had sex?" Isabelle blurts out, "Forget my problems, can we talk about those later-"

"How do you just- piece that together so quickly?" I stared at her in astonishment, setting down the things in my hands.

"Not your type, huh?" Isabelle nudged me playfully, making me recall when I said that, as she grabbed my hands and pulled me to my bed, "Tell me everything."

"Well- on this episode of Zee has no self control-" I admit, speaking of myself in third person, "I slept with Jace."

"We already knew that!" Isabelle almost squealed, "How did it happen?"

"We were talking and- he kissed me." I looked down at her hands, "One thing lead to another and I'm in his bed the next morning."

"And you've been avoiding him ever since?" Isabelle squeezes my hands in comfort when I don't reply, "I know it's none of my business- but, maybe you should talk to him about it?"

"I-" I looked down, "Seelie magic- it tricks you-"

"Zee, Seelie magic might trick you, but it's always true." Isabelle caught my eye once more, "I know it's confusing- but, you can have feelings for someone without realizing it."

"I'll talk to him- eventually." I inhale sharply, "Just- not at this moment, okay?"

"We're transferring Valentine to Idris tonight." Isabelle changes the subject when she notices how I no longer wanted to speak of this, "I assume you want to be part of the mission."

"Yeah-" I nod lightly, "I'm all in."

-

I knocked on the door frame of Alec's office, "Valentine's Circle rune has been removed and Isabelle's assembled her team."

"Good." Alec inhales, looking up at me from his tablet, getting up, "I'll feel a lot better when he's out of the Institute."

I slip my hands into the pockets of my jean jacket, "Have you secured Magnus for the transfer?"

"I think we should consider using a different warlock." Alec walks with me down the hall, "Catarina Loss lives in-"

"Alec." I turned my head to look at him, "You do realize we're talking about portalling the Clave's Most Wanted into Idris?"

"There's not many Warlocks with that clearance." I continued, "Besides, Isabelle wants- and needs the best- and that's Magnus."

"Look, Magnus isn't exactly in a great place right now." Alec exhales deeply, opening up to me, "He hasn't been sleeping."

"What?" Concern crosses my face, "What's wrong- is he okay?"

"I don't know." Alec confessed, "He says nothing's wrong- but, I can tell he's not alright."

"You know, some people find it hard to ask for help." I stopped by the stairs, looking up at his tall figure, "If Magnus is hurting, he might push you away."

"Thank you for the advice, but I know Magnus." He thanked me, catching me off guard lightly, "He needs his space, we can use a different warlock."

"Noted." I nodded slowly, a small smile forming on my lips, "You just listened to me- and thanked me? If I didn't know any better, I'd say I'm growing on you."

Alec rolled his eyes playfully, shaking his head slightly as he looked away, as I could see the smile he was holding back.

"There you are." Sebastian walked over to us, his British accent thick as he spoke, hopping up the steps.

Alec went serious once more, "Any update on the mole?"

"Yeah." Sebastian nods, "Whoever it was is a clever one- left absolutely no trace. But, I've been auditing personnel files."

"I've found a few Shadowhunters who have a personal stake in wanting Valentine dead." Sebastian adds in, "Family members killed, relatives lost to the Circle. All with enough access and clearance to pull it off."

Alec nods, "Send me the list when you're done."

"By the angel." I heard Isabelle gasp, as she walked over to a unfamiliar woman.

"Aline." Alec notices and walks down the steps to greet her as well, as Sebastian and I slowly followed him.

"In the flesh." Aline smiles and hugged Isabelle.

Alec smiles at her, "It's been years."

"What are you doing here?" Isabelle pulled away, smiling as well.

"I would've given you both a heads up but I didn't want to spook my dear cousin." She looked at Sebastian, "Who disappears for half a year only to show up here."

Sebastian doesn't reply, as Aline threw her arms around him, "Come here, you gorgeous Englishman."

"It's good to see you, Aline." Sebastian hugs her back, the look on his face showing that he was nervous.

Then, my phone buzzes in my pocket as I pulled it out, "Sorry, excuse me-"

I walked away from them and answered the phone, "Luke, what's up?"

"I really don't know how- to tell you this, so I'm just gonna say it." Luke told me as I walked down the hall and towards my room, "I think Simon killed somebody."

"What?" My eyes went wide, when I walked into my room, Clary already in there, "Are you sure it wasn't someone else?"

"Simon's shirt was in that dumpster, soaked in the victim's blood." Luke explained, "His fingerprints were on her bracelet."

"Luke- the only time Simon was ever fingerprinted is when he signed up to coach Little League." I told him and looked at Clary, and I could see she already knew, "He would never hurt anyone."

"There has to be some explanation for this, okay?" I didn't want to accept this, "I know Simon- he's not like this."

"The Simon you know is a vampire, Zee." Luke said, "A vampire with a broken heart. Demon blood- it changes a person."

I looked down at my feet, "I should never have let him come to the Seelie Court with me."

"From what I gather, he wasn't really taking "no" for an answer." Luke shot back, "I gotta find him before anybody else does."

"Luke-" I began.

He cuts me off, "It'll be okay- I'll keep you updated, okay, kiddo?"

When the line goes dead, my eyes fell onto Clary, as she spoke, "I'm helping him look of Simon."

"I'm coming with you." I shook my head, "I'll tell Alec I can't go on the mission-"

"No." Clary stops me, "In his emotional state, I don't want you anywhere near him."

"Clary-" My voice fell quiet, "Please-"

"No- I will prove this wasn't him." Clary held my arms, "It will be okay, I promise."

-

"Simon-" I gasp when I walked into my room hours later, noticing him by my window, "You're okay-"

"Sorry." Simon mutters, "Izzy said I could wait here for you."

"Yeah- of course." I walked further into my room, and stood in front of him, "I was heading off on mission- but, I have a few minutes-"

I was calm and not as worried as I was earlier, due to Clary calling me and telling me that Simon wasn't the one who killed that girl.

"This hasn't been easy for me." Simon stares at me, gesturing between us and it was then I noticed the small tears in his eyes, "I mean, I thought dying was bad- this is way worse."

"I'm sorry." My voice came out quiet, "I didn't mean for it to turn out like this."

"That night on the Promenade, when we first kissed, we made a vow." Simon said quietly, "Remember?"

I slowly nodded, "We promised that no matter what happened, nothing would change between us."

"I'm a man of my word." Simon's voice was shaky, "When I make a vow, I uphold it. I can't imagine a world without you in it, Young."

"Simon?-" I stare at him in confusion, my voice gentle.

"But- I need time." Simon stepped back, "Young- I always knew that it was Jace you loved. I just thought- I could change your mind- but, seeing you kiss him at the Seelie Court- I thought I was okay with it- but really- it hurts so much."

I was speechless, and filled with guilt.

"I understand." I whispered, "How much time?"

"I'm not sure." Simon's eyes locked with mine and I could see the hurt.

"Well- whenever you're ready." I began, "I will be here, waiting for you."

-

"Valentine Morgenstern, by order of the Clave, you are hereby remanded to the Gard in Idris." Alec said, stood with Magnus, as I stood between Jace and Isabelle.

Valentine stood tall, chained up, Isabelle nodding at Magnus as he opened up the portal.

Valentine inhales sharply, "I may be in a cell, but at least I'll be in Alicante where the air doesn't reek of Downworlders."

"Get him out of here." Alec gestures his head towards the portal, as I stood next to Jace and Isabelle, in front of Valentine.

We step through the portal, Isabelle grabbing my arm to make sure I ended up in the Gard with them.

I was completely astonished by the beauty when we arrived on the other side, my attention fixed on our surroundings rather than Valentine.

When we turned, and there was no Valentine, nor Duncan when the portal closed, that was when we were all in complete confusion.

"Where's the prisoner?" Consul Dieudonne asked instantly, looking at Isabelle.

I looked at Jace with wide eyes, as Isabelle looked down, "I don't know, Consul Dieudonne."

Jace whispered to Isabelle and I, "What happened to Duncan?"

Consul Dieudonne speaks again, "Where the Angel is Valentine?"

authors note:

PLEASE READ THIS AUTHORS NOTE

if I wrote another jace book, yk zace, would y'all read it

cause i have a few ideas but they wouldn't fit in this book, and I've already thought of a backstory and everything

so if i did decide to create this book, which i mostly likely might, would you guys read it?

please comment and lemme know !

random jace gif cause i couldn't find a good one for this episode oop

also , zee's being stupid in this chapter smfh , stay tuned for the next chapter , everything gets better !

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