"Who's she?" he asked softly, clutching Grace tighter.
Marianna's smile faltered for the first time. She took a tentative step forward, her voice gentle. "Charles… it's me. I'm …."
"How was school today?" Jace asked, ruthlessly cutting off Marianna's words.
Charles pulled back slightly, his small hands gripping Grace's shoulders as he buried his face into her neck. "School was fine," he said and glanced at Marianna again, "I don't want her," he whispered.
Grace could practically hear the slight tremor in his voice. "I want to go home with you."
Jace's expression hardened as he looked at Marianna. "You see? you mean nothing to him. And I won't let you force him into something he's not ready for."
Marianna's lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't argue. Instead, her gaze flickered between Jace, Grace, and the boy clinging to her as if she might slip away. For the first time, she looked unsure.