-Sebastian Lightwood:
I don't know what the hell is going on with Aurelian.
One minute, he was almost getting his throat torn off by a rogue wolf; the next, he was giggling like someone just handed him the sun.
It's unsettling.
We're in the shower, steam curling around us, water running down tile and skin, and he hasn't stopped smiling once. Not the smug, sarcastic half-smile he usually wears when he thinks he's smarter than everyone in the room.
A real smile.
Bright. Open.
Unfiltered.
And it makes him look like a completely different person.
I try not to stare.
I fail.
The mask is gone. Completely gone. Torn to pieces back in the forest, soaked in blood, and shredded beyond repair. Nothing is hiding him now. No shadows cut off the edges of his features. No dark fabric muting the full shape of his expression.
I can see everything.
