Shadows and Monsters [Jace Wayland]

3

"No offense or anything, Simon, but I think Jace can help us," Sam remarked before turning to Jace nodding her head at him as a gesture that they should start moving.

Simon shook his head, glancing at Sam then Clary, "What? How do we know this Mick Jagger-looking is even gonna try-" Jace cut him off, "Mundane, we do not have the time."

Clary nodded, agreeing with the blonde, "Come on, Simon. Let's go." She said, following Jace and Sam as they went back to the church it looked dark and abandoned. He started drawing a rune on his palm as Sam watched him curiously, fascinated by how the mark burned on his skin without him even flinching.

Jace grabbed Simon's hand, pressing his palm on the top of Simon's hand, "Buddy, what's going on, man? I'm not your type, man. I don't even..." Simon stopped once he was able to see the Institute for the first time; his eyes widened, "Where are we? What the hell? Clary, is there a war going on that I don't know about?"

From the inside, the institute felt like one of those secret offices operation you only see in action movies. It makes you feel like a war is going on, "There is now." Jace said

Simon stopped in his place in complete fascination with the Institue's architecture, "What is this place? There's a lot of gear in here. What'd they do, rob a tech shop? So this cold-blooded killer is gonna help us?" Simon questioned skeptically like an older brother disapproving of his sister's boyfriend.

"He's not a killer. He's protecting us." Sam said, walking beside Jace rather than trail behind him with Clary and Simon. Jace turned to look at Simon while walking forward still, "Specifically, you. It's sort of our thing."

"Your thing? You guys have a thing?"

Sam ignored Clary's and Simon's conversation turning to Jace with a worried gaze. She didn't exactly feel comfortable at the idea that someone was out there hunting her, "They won't find us, right?" She asked

"Yeah. Our wards will deter them. And the NYPD will do their typical Mundie thing for a few hours, and then the area will be clear." Jace explained, stopping in front of one of the screens, crossing his arms in front of his chest, arching an eyebrow at her, which made her frown, "What?"

He grinned with a shrug, "It's just, you do realize that I saved your life twice in one day, right?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sam said, meeting his gleaming eyes with hers. There was something unquestionably about Jace Wayland that Sam is yet to figure out.

They had sprung apart when Alec walked up to them with his stiff demeanor, knitting his eyebrows together, "What is going on? Why is there a mundane in the Institute?"

Jace turned to his friend with a sigh, "A Circle member followed him to get to Sam."

"Who are the Circle, anyway?" Sam questioned. She'd never heard about a CIrcle before, not from Luke and definitely not from her mother. The blonde was starting to question whether her mom told her the whole truth.