The Mortal Instruments: City of Tainted Blood (Book 2) (ON HOLD)

Chapter 8: Masqueraded Demons

"Rummaging in our souls, we often find something that ought to have lain there unnoticed,"

--Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

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The first thing that Jace did was seize a dagger from his belt.

"Jace," Clary hissed. If only her mother was here to see what he was doing....

The girl looked over Jace's shoulder, her liquid steel grey eyes boring into Clary's. She had curly dark brown hair that was parted on either side of her shoulders. Though looks could be deceiving, Clary couldn't help but feel like this girl was no danger to any of them.

If put into a drawing, her face would have been all planes and angles and painted silver, gold and black.  "Put it back." Clary muttered, gripping his arm.

"She first," Jace said, his dagger gripped tightly in his hand. The girl was holding her own dagger lightly in her hand as she gazed up at Jace, her face no longer harmless but rather intimidating. "You're quick," Jace commented.

The girl released a silvery peal of laughter. "I am. But you're quicker." She sheathed her dagger and crossed her arms over her chest with a smug expression. Clary found herself slightly annoyed.

After a few moments, Jace langourously slipped the dagger back into its sheath, his tawny eyes still locked in the girl.

"Why do you want to see Clary?" Jace said flatly.

The girl smiled again, this time at Clary. She ignored Jace entirely, making him grunt in annoyance.  "Hi, Clary. I'm Josephine Arrowlight. It's a pleasure to meet you." She held her hand out to shake and warily, Clary took it. Josephine's gaze flickered to Jace and a grin set onto her face. "Don't worry, I'm not Bloodtaken or remotely working for Sarrah Ravenshade. Your, um, security details already did a whole background check on me,"

Clary looked over Josephine's shoulder and saw the several Shadowhunters outside that were guarding the Institute. Jace did not relax the stiff fixture of his shoulders. He partially concealed Clary who was neither tall or wide enough to see over Jace's shoulder or nudge him aside.

"Not to be rude, but what do you want? Most people are searching for me nowadays to either kill me or interrogate me and I doubt you're either." Clary said, keeping her stiff boyfriend and best friend in her peripheral.

"You're right. I'm neither. I've come actually for my own personal cause."

"Which would be?" Isabelle hummed, crossing her arms.

"Actually, I'd prefer to speak to the Institute Keeper and Clary only." Josephine said, her lips curling into a less than pleasant smile. "Are you going to let me in?"

"No, we don't usually allow people we have no idea whatsoever about into our home." Isabelle said coldly and Clary thought she heard intimidation in her voice.

"If I wanted any of you dead, you'd all be dead." Josephine smiled with the mischief of the devil and batted her eyelashes.

"I think, you should tell me what you want. Here," Clary said before Isabelle and Josephine could lunge and start tearing each others throat out. She was partially sure Jace would enjoy the fight but Clary sure as hell wouldn't.

Josephine's face grew serious and a muscle in her jaw jumped. "Its about Sarrah and Colette. I think I can help you against them."

"And how could you do that?"

"Because, I was contacted by Colette a day after the whole fiasco in Ireland."

"Why should we trust you?" Clary could hear the doubt in Jace's voice and she scanned Josephine's face, finding only sincerity in her features.