Although, the scene isn’t appearing in the
book, a couple words have been deleted to avoid spoilers.
Clary
shook her head. “There’s more to honesty than . . . than an arrangement of
words. They say faeries can’t lie, but you lie in your intentions, your
attitude, your demeanor—”
“And
humans do not?” The Queen’s gaze slid across Clary and Simon. “This vampire,
this Daylighter you bring everywhere with you—he is the one whose kiss you did
not desire, here in my Court, is he not? Do you care for him at all, or is only
the Mark of God on him that causes you to bring him with you, like a shield?
And you,” she added, turning to Simon, “you who loved her, now you lend your
not inconsiderable power to the project of finding the one she loves more?
Where is the advantage to you?”
Simon
cleared his throat. “Perhaps that is the difference between my kind and yours,”
he said. “Sometimes we do things that aren’t to our advantage.”
“Ah,”
said the Queen. “Stupidity, you mean.”
“I
wouldn’t call it that.” Clary couldn’t help being impressed—the last time they
had been here Simon had been too uncomfortable and out of his depth to say more
than a few words; now he was holding his ground. “Now, do you want the___or
not? We have business to attend to.”
“I
could take it from you,” said the Queen. “The girl will not be difficult to
dispose of, and as for you, Daylighter, those who serve me serve with their
lives. A suicide rush could greatly inconvenience you, despite your curse.” She
ran her eyes over him lingeringly.
“I
am the adopted daughter of Council member Lucian Graymark,” said Clary. “I am
close with the Lightwoods of the Insititute. Is it worth earning their wrath
and ire just to revenge yourself upon me for tricking you? Besides—I’ve always
heard that faeries appreciated cleverness. You wouldn’t want it said that you
can’t appreciate a good trick, even at your own expense, would you?”
Clary
saw by the narrowing of the Queen’s eyes that she had gambled hard—maybe too
hard—on the faerie woman’s pride; but a moment later, the Queen was smiling,
and the creatures in the walls shrieked appreciatively. “Tricky like your
father,” she said, and Clary felt it like a kick in the stomach. “Very well.
What would you like of me in return for the___? I shall decide if your proposal
merits a negotiation.”
