Also by Cassandra Clare

Julian checked in with Emma with his eyes, and she nodded. He turned and made his way down
the stairs, glancing back several times to make sure she was all right.
Jem touched her arm with light fingers. She was wearing ceremonial gear, ready for the ritual,
but she could feel the scar she had given herself with Cortana flare when he touched her, as if
recognizing their shared blood. “I wanted to be here for you, for this,” he said. “For I had a
parabatai myself once, and the bond of it is precious to me.”
Emma didn’t ask what had happened to Jem’s parabatai. Silent Brothers were forbidden from
having parabatai, and besides, a hundred and thirty years was a long, long time.
“But I don’t know when I can be with you again,” he said. “Tessa and I, we have to find
something. Something important.” He hesitated. “It will be dangerous looking for it, but once it’s
found I’d like to be part of your life once more. Like a sort of uncle.” He gave a half smile. “You
might not guess it, but I have a lot of experience in being an uncle.”
His gaze was steady on hers, and though there was no physical resemblance between them, for
that moment Emma was reminded of her father—of his level gaze and kind face.
“I’d like that,” she said. “Can I ask you one more thing?”
He nodded, his expression serious. It was easy to imagine him as an uncle: He looked so young,
but there was a calm certainty underneath that made him seem ageless, like a faerie or a warlock.
“Yes?”
“Did you send me your cat?”
“Church?” He started to laugh. “Yes. Has he been taking care of you? Did he bring you the gifts
I gave?”
“The shells and sea glass?” She nodded. “The bracelet Julian’s wearing is made out of sea
glass Church brought me.”
His laughter softened into a smile that was a little bit sad. “As it should be,” he said. “What
belongs to one parabatai, belongs to the other. For you are one heart now. And one soul.”
Jem stayed with Emma through the ceremony, which was witnessed by Simon and Clary, whom
she suspected would become parabatai themselves one day.
After the ceremony, Julian and Emma were led through the streets to the Accords Hall, where
there was a special dinner in their honor. Tessa—a pretty, brown-haired girl who looked about
Clary’s age—had joined them, hugging Emma tightly and exclaiming over Cortana, which she said
she had seen before a long time ago. Other parabatai got up and spoke about their bond and their
experiences. Waves of radiant happiness seemed to come off the pairs of best friends as they
talked. Jace and Alec spoke about nearly dying in the demon realms together, grinning, and Emma
felt a sense of joy at the thought that one day she and Jules would be up there, smiling dopily at
each other and talking about how their bond had gotten them through times when they’d thought
they were going to die.
At some point during the speeches, Jem had slipped quietly from his chair and disappeared
through the doors to Angel Square. Tessa had dropped her napkin and hurried after him; as the
doors closed, Emma could see them on the dimly lit steps. Jem had his head down on Tessa’s
shoulder.
She wanted to go after them, but she was already being swept up to the front of the Hall by
Clary and made to give some sort of speech, and Julian was with her, smiling that calm smile that
hid a million thoughts. And Emma had been happy. She’d been wearing one of her first great thrift
store finds, a real gown, not like the ragged jeans she usually wore until they fell to pieces. Instead
she’d put on a brown Paraphernalia dress scattered with pale gold blossoms like sunflowers