"Come on Jace!" Clary's voice was bright, and excited as she jumped through the glowing portal.

Jace was eager to find valentine but he wouldn't describe the burning feeling inside him as excited. It was more like a ball of molten metal, untouchable, and misshapen. He was going to kill valentine.

He jumped through the portal, thinking solely on the cabin he remembered so well from his childhood. But when the portal gave way, all he saw was water and rocks.

...

Alec smiled as his little sister walked into the ops centre in her lab coat. He'd missed seeing her in it, and knew she'd been missing the lab; too occupied with missions and family drama to spend much time there.

She ran a hand through her hair and smoothed out the front of her garment, trying to find what Alec was staring at.

"What? Did I spill something on this again?"

Alec shook his head and laughed. "No, you look great as always. I just haven't seen you wear that in a while."

She smiled brightly, clearly pleased. "Well thank you for assigning me to my lab. I missed it so much."

"I know."

Alec's smile faltered as his hand came up to his forehead. There was a pain there, but not his own. Fear ran through him, like a shiver.

"Something's wrong with Jace."

And then his chest grew tight and he felt as if he couldn't breathe. Or rather, his other half couldn't.

Izzy's cheerful expression melted into concern.

"What is it?"

He gripped his chest, trying to calm his rising panic so that he could think clearly.

"He's-"

"Help!" Clary's scream was cut off by her own cough, but Alec had already started running to the weapons room where it came from.

Izzy was sprinting after him, gasping in harmony with her brother as they turned a corner to see Jace laying sprawled on the cold floor.

Blood was dripping down his temple, from a nasty cut on his forehead, and he didn't seem to be conscious, but the strangest thing was that he and Clary were soaking wet.

The Fairchild girl was gripping Jace's shoulders, trying to wake him up, and she let out a sob as Alec pushed her back.

"What happened!" Alec's voice was hard as Izzy swept her expert gaze over Jace.

"I've never made a portal before and I guess it wasn't as accurate as I'd hoped. We were supposed to go to Idris but we fell in a lake instead."

Alec growled at her, voice hard over his worry. "You were supposed to go to Stanton island!"

Izzy interrupted, her gentle hands tipping Jace's head back. "Alec he's not breathing! Start compressions."

Alec did as he was told, lacing his fingers, and pressing the heel of his hand to his brother's chest. Jace's head was tipped back, face pale and eyes closed. He looked dead.

Clary watched, sobbing as Jace lay unresponsive.

God, this was all her fault.

Alec grunted with the effort of pressing down on his parabatai's chest, and winced as he felt bones crack under his hands. But it wasn't working.

"Izzy, he's still not breathing."

The Lightwood girl shook her head, hands holding Jace's head still. "Give it a minute."

It took too long, much too long, but finally Jace lurched upwards, lake water erupting from his mouth as he coughed. Alec quickly rolled him onto his side, wrapping an arm around his chest and hitting his back in an attempt to get the last of the water out.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Jace just tried to get a decent lungful in.

Alec leant down and brushed Jace's wet hair back from his face, those eyes were blinking open, but they were unfocused and confused. His voice was soft.

"Jace? Can you hear me?" He took the blondes hand in his and squeezed, only getting a twitch of fingers in response as the boy lay, dragging in wet breaths. When he got no other response, he turned his furious gaze to Clary.

"What happened! What did you do?"

The girl reached out her hands to try and see if Jace was okay, but took them back at Alec's expression.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Clary!"

"Sorry, I … I made a portal with a new rune. It was supposed to take us to Idris but we landed in a lake instead, and I couldn't find my way out. Jace got me to the surface but I think he hit his head because he passed out half way to shore. I dragged him up the beach but when he didn't wake up I portaled us back here."

Izzy suddenly looked up, eyes wide. "Wait a minute. Did you say a lake in Idris?" When Clary nodded, she turned her worried gaze to her brother. "Lake Lynn. Call Magnus, now."

Alec let out a curse as he pulled out his phone, while Isabelle took a penlight from her coat pocket and shone it in Jace's eyes.

Clary didn't know what was happening, or what was so bad about lake Lynn, but the Lightwoods ignored her questions as they worked. Izzy continued to check her brother over, lifting his shirt to place iratzes over his skin and press careful fingers to ribs to check for breaks.

Once Alec ended his phone call, he gathered Jace into his arms, gently cradling him against his chest as the blonde drifted off again, and carried him to his room to be taken care of. He was limp as a rag doll in Alec's arms, and Clary was so shaken she didn't move until Izzy took her arm, pulling her along after the boys.

Izzy was as mad as Alec was, voice impatient and stern as she guided Clary to Jace's room and made her sit down. "Why wouldn't you tell me about your plan? I thought we were friends, and more importantly, Alec is your boss; you can't go against orders and you shouldn't have encouraged Jace. He's not exactly thinking straight when it comes to Valentine."

Clary sat still as Izzy checked her over, but looked at her in confusion as she replied.

"He's my father-"

"You've never even spent a full day with that man! Jace was raised by him, he was the closest thing he had to a father. I know you hate Valentine, but that monster raised and abused Jace for ten years. His hate runs deeper than yours, and you know he's more than willing to sacrifice himself to stop him."

Clary lowered her head in shame. Izzy was right. Clary may have the same blood as Valentine, but she was raised by her mother and Luke. Jace had only had Valentine for a parent, and from the stories he'd told her, it hadn't been a good childhood.

"I'm sorry, Izzy."

The Lightwood sighed. "I know you think you have everything figured out, because you can create runes, and you've been on a few missions, but this is serious business and you need to listen to us. When Alec tells you to do something, you do it. And no more secret missions, understood?"

Clary looked at her feet, and nodded.

Izzy left her to tend to her other patient, helping Alec lay him in bed. She had screwed up again, and she could only hope that Jace would be okay, and that Alec would forgive her.