“Sorry to wake you, but we have to be somewhere soon, remember?"Ash grunted and, to my surprise, shifted to his back and put the pillow over his head. "I don't suppose I could convince you to go without me," he groaned, his voice muffled beneath the fabric. "Tell Mab I've been eaten by a manticore or something?”

“Let me tell you something," Marc said. "I'm done with you. I've lost everything because of you." He got to his feet and waved his arms around in the air. "I have no family, no friends-""You have us," Sera said in a quiet voice."-no life." Marc looked at Sera and shook his head. "I don't want you. I want my old life back.”

“Time to go,” he says. “I already see this heading somewhere I’m too drunk to go right now. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” I jump up and run and block the window before he can leave. He stops in front of me and folds his arms over his chest. “Stay,” I say. “Please. Just lay in bed with me. We can put pillows between us and I promise not to seduce you since you’re drunk. Just stay for an hour, I don’t want you to go yet.” He immediately turns and heads back to the bed. “Okay,” he says simply. He throws himself onto my bed and pulls the covers out from beneath him. That was easy.”

“You guessed? You must have been pretty sure, considering you could have killed me.""I was ninety percent sure.""I see," Clary said. There must have been something in her voice, because he turned to look at her. Her hand cracked across his face, a slap that rocked him back on his heels. He put his hands on his cheek, more in surprise than pain."What the hell was that for?""The other ten percent.”

“Guess what, Avery?""What?" I wondered if he could see how fast my heart was beating beneath my shirt."Remember how you just said you were having a good time?" Cam lowered his head so that our mouths were scant inches apart. "It's about to get better.""Is it?"He shifted his head and his nose grazed mine. "Oh, yeah.""Are you not going to kiss me again?"His lips tipped up. "That's exactly what I'm going to do.”

“I roll the covers back up over him and take his hand, noticing how well our palms fit together and thinking back to just after the last time he saved me—when he took my hand and told me that we’d always be together.I lower my head to his chest and continue to squeeze his palm. Tears fall onto the bedsheets, dampening the fabric just above his heart. “I’m so sorry,” I tell him, over and over again.A few moments later, there’s a twitching sensation inside my hand. Ben’s fingers glides over my thumb. ‘Sorry for what?” he breaths. His voice is raspy and weak.I lift my head to check his face. His eyelids flutter. The monitor starts beeping faster. And his lips struggle to move.“Don’t try to talk,” I tell him, searching for the nurse’s call buzzer.“Please,” he whispers, his eyes almost fully open now. “Don’t let go.”“I won’t,” I promise, gripping his hand even harder.”