Page 101 of Better in Black
There was a ping as Simon’s phone got a text. Ajatara and Krog were still slobbering all over each other, so he checked his phone.
Bunch of Shax demons ran into a warehouse here,Clary had said.We’re going to chase them down.
Sounds good.Simon shot a text back and looked up to discover that Ajatara and Krog had come up for air just long enough to thank Simon and Izzy for saving their relationship—and for dispatching Iago for them.
“What shall we do now to celebrate our love?” Ajatara asked, gazing lovingly at Krog.
“Let’s kill the Shadowhunters,” he suggested. “Let the eternal war between demons and Shadowhunters resume!”
“Wonderful idea, my darling,” Ajatara said, turning her glittering eyes from Krog to Isabelle and Simon. “Let’s.”
“I’ve just got one piece of advice for you two,” Simon said, “before you get to the killing.”
“Yeah?”
Simon smiled. “Look up.”
Above them, the sky was pinking. Dawn was breaking. The first rays of sun peeked over the horizon—and as they did, both demons shrieked and vanished.
“Look at that,” Izzy said. “I guess we saved love.”
“Let’s test it out,” Simon said, “just to make sure.”
He kissed her. And it was a way more romantic kiss than Ajatara and Krog had managed. It was a kiss for the record books, the kind of kiss you give the girl you love when you’ve finally accepted, deep down in your heart, that she loves you back. That you’re the luckiest guy in the world, maybe, because she always will.
When they finally let go, Izzy’s cheeks were pink. “That was…”
“It was,” Simon said, catching his breath.
“But we can’t just kiss and make up,” Izzy said. “You get that, right? We also have to actually talk.”
“I do get it,” Simon said. “And I want to. I want to spend the rest of my life talking with you.” He cupped Izzy’s hands in his andbrought them gently to his lips. Her skin was so soft. It was incredible, he thought, how one person could be so hard and so soft, all at the same time. But then, everything about Izzy was incredible. “I’m not taking the job,” he told her.
“Simon, I meant it, I don’t want to stand in your way, we’ll figure something out—”
“Look,” he said. “The truth is—I don’t care about the Scholomance job. I don’t need to teach people to be recruiters to be happy. I thought, since it paid so well, if I took the job I’d be able to afford to get us our own apartment. That we could really start our lives together. But I’ve realized, tonight, that we already do have a life together. It doesn’t matter where we live. It matters how we feel about each other. And I don’t want to be away from you for a year. I don’t even want to be away from you for a day. I want to spend every day with you—I want to spend my whole life with you.”
Isabelle’s dark eyes had gone very wide. She looked half happy and half frightened, as if she’d been given something precious and delicate to hold, and was afraid of breaking it. “You do?”
“I want to marry you, Isabelle Lightwood. I want to be your partner, and your family, and the person you can say anything to, no matter how scary.”
“You already are,” she said quietly, and kissed him again.
Simon felt like his heart was going to explode. “Does that mean…?”
“Yes,” she said, beaming. Brighter than the rising sun. “It means, I’m saying yes. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, too. Even if it means I have to watch those stupidStar Warsmovies a thousand more times. You’re worth it.”
She flung her arms around him. Simon buried his face in her hair. He almost couldn’t believe he was going to get to hold her forthe rest of her life. But believe it or not, he was more certain than he’d ever been: It was true.
Izzy brought her lips to his ear, as if to whisper a secret. “I love you.”
Simon closed his eyes and breathed her in. “I know.”
The Time of Two
Clary flung the dagger, desperatelywilling it to find its target. This was her one final chance, and the stakes were high. The blade hurtled through the air, a streak of burning silver. It struck home, swift and true—and half a centimeter off center.
“Damn it,” said Clary.
