Jace," she whispered. "What are you doing?"
He had placed his hands on the stone floor and was moving them back and forth rapidly, as if searching
for something, his fingertips stirring up dust. "Looking for weapons."
"Here?"
"They'd be hidden, usually around the altar. Kept for our use in case of emergencies."
"And this is what, some kind of deal you have with the Catholic Church?"
"Not specifically. Demons have been on Earth as long as we have. They're all over the world, in their
different forms-Greek daemons, Persian daevas, Hindu asuras, Japanese oni. Most belief systems have
some method of incorporating both their existence and the fight against them. Shadowhunters cleave to
no single religion, and in turn all religions assist us in our battle. I could as easily have gone for help to a
Jewish synagogue or a Shinto temple, or-Ah. Here it is." He brushed dust aside as she knelt down beside
him. Carved into one of the octagonal stones before the altar was a rune. Clary recognized it, almost as
easily as if she were reading a word in English. It was the rune that meant "Nephilim."
Jace took out his stele and touched it to the stone. With a grinding noise it moved back, revealing a dark
compartment underneath. Inside the compartment was a long wooden box; Jace lifted the lid, and
regarded the neatly arranged objects inside with satisfaction.
"What are all these?" Clary asked.
"Vials of holy water, blessed knives, steel and silver blades," Jace said, piling the weapons on the floor
beside him, "electrum wire-not much use at the moment, but it's always good to have spare-silver bullets,
charms of protection, crucifixes, stars of David-"
"Jesus," said Clary.
"I doubt he'd fit."
"Jace."
Clary was appalled.
"What?"
"I don't know, it seems wrong to make jokes like that in a church."
He shrugged. "I'm not really a believer."
Clary looked at him in surprise. "You're not?"
He shook his head. Hair fell over his face, but he was examining a vial of clear liquid and didn't reach up
to push it back. Clary's fingers itched with the desire to do it for him. "You thought I was religious?" he
said.
"Well." She hesitated. "If there are demons, then there must be…