Also by Cassandra Clare

with my—”
“All right, you’ve made your point, enough.” Julian took Mark—who was cheerfully eating a baby
carrot—by the wrist and tried to draw him toward the door. “Sorry, ladies,” he said as a chorus of
protests rose.
The girl with pink hair stood up. “If he wants to stay, he can stay,” she said. “Who are you,
anyway?”
“I’m his brother,” Julian said.
“Boy, do you two not look alike,” she said in a way that made Emma bristle. She’d called Mark
gorgeous—Julian was just as gorgeous, just in a quieter, less flashy way. He didn’t have Mark’s sharp
cheekbones or faerie charm, but he had luminous eyes and a beautiful mouth that—
She goggled at herself. What was wrong with her? What was wrong with her thoughts?
Livvy made an exasperated noise, stomped forward, and seized Mark by the back of the shirt. “You
don’t want him,” she said to the pink-haired girl. “He has syphilis.”
The girl stared. “Syphilis?”
“Five percent of people in America have it,” said Ty helpfully.
“I do not have syphilis,” Mark said angrily. “There are no sexually transmitted diseases in
Faerieland!”
The mundane girls fell instantly silent.
“Sorry,” Jules said. “You know how syphilis is. Attacks the brain.” The table of girls were openmouthed
as Livvy hauled Mark by his shirt through the restaurant and into the parking lot, the rest of
them following.
The moment they were outside and the door had closed behind them, Emma burst out laughing. She
leaned against Cristina, who was also giggling, as Livvy let go of Mark and smoothed down her skirt,
looking unruffled. “Sorry,” Emma said. “It’s just—syphilis?”
“Ty was reading about it today,” said Livvy.
Julian, who had been trying to hide a smile, looked over at Ty. “Why have you been reading about
syphilis?”
Ty shrugged. “Research.”
“Was that really necessary?” Mark demanded. “I was merely making conversation. I thought I
would practice my gentry speech on them.”
“You were being ridiculous on purpose,” said Emma. “I’m beginning to get the feeling you think
faeries sound silly.”
“I did at first,” said Mark candidly. “Then you get used to it. Now . . . Now I don’t know what to
think.” He sounded a little lost.
“We’re not supposed to talk to mundanes,” Julian said, his smile vanishing. “It’s—it’s basic, Mark.
One of the first things we learn. Especially not about things like Faerieland.”
“I spoke to those mundanes, and no one exploded or caught on fire,” said Mark. “No doom came
down upon us. They thought I was wearing a costume.” He ducked his head, then looked up at Julian.
“You are right that I will stand out, but people see what they want to see.”
“Maybe the rules about not going out in battle without runes are stupid rules,” said Ty, and Emma
thought of the way Mark had spoken to Ty in the training room. Now we both have hurt hands.
“Maybe a lot of the rules are stupid rules,” said Julian, and there was an edge of bitterness to his
voice that surprised Emma. “Maybe we just have to follow them anyway. Maybe that’s what makes us
Shadowhunters.”
Livvy looked puzzled. “Having to follow stupid rules makes us Shadowhunters?”