Gabriel looked at the massive front of demons poised to strike in front of the Institute and grimaced. They were so heavily out numbered. Thousands against six shadow hunters wasn't exactly great odds. Will gave orders to move swiftly and box them in always keeping someone between the demons and the Institute. Gabriel reluctantly pulled his seraphe blade out and glared at Will. He didn't like following orders of any kind, especially if they were orders from Will Herondale. Cecily stood trying to stead the arrow in her bow, and accidentally shooting the arrow straight into a demon's eye. The front of demons roared to life and charged. Will shouted some more orders and ran swiftly toward the demons, Giddeon, Charlotte, and Henry following quickly behind. "Please don't let Will kill me," Gabriel thought as he darted toward Cecily and threw her over his shoulder and ducked away from the demon trying to strike him.
"Gabriel! What do you think you're doing?! Put me down this instance!" Cecily shouted kicking her feet and beating at his back. Gabriel grunted in pain as her foot collided with his chest but kept moving and set her down behind a pillar a significant distance away from the battle.
"This isn't a battle for a novice shadow hunter! Stay here out of the way."
"But I can-"
"No you can't. Cecily if you were injured your brother would never forgive himself now do everyone a favor and stay out of the way." Gabriel hissed and took off toward the battle field again. Cecily clenched her fists and growled but stayed put. She grasped the bow that she had snagged from the weapons room earlier and watched. "She's too much like her brother. So stubborn it's going to get her killed," Gabriel thought as he shot another arrow at the demon's chest. He was so distracted thinking about Cecily the demon grabbed his ankle with its tail and flung him into the wall. "Ow," he muttered feeling the blood trickle down from the corner of his mouth. The demon bared its teeth and lunged toward him.
"Over here!" Cecily shouted having stepped out from behind the pillar, bow and arrow poised to shoot.
"Cecily, what are you doing?!" Will shouted slicing a demon's throat and looked at her over his shoulder. The demon growled turning his attention from Gabriel to Cecily and started barreling toward her. It was moving much faster than she had anticipated. She shot one arrow after another, all clean misses. Cecily froze in terror as the beast got closer and closer. Gabriel had been running after the beast ever since it at he begun it's chase toward her.
"Move you idiot! Move!" He shouted knocking her out of the way with his shoulder seconds before the beast reached them. He cried out in pain as the demon sunk it's teeth into hi shoulder and raked its claws down his back.
"Gabriel!" Gideon shouted shoved his seraph blade into the demons back and yanked it off of his brother. Cecily sank to her knees beside him and stared at him in horror. Blood gushed from the bite wound to his shoulder and from the slashes on his back pooling around him. Gabriel's face held an expression of pain. "Cecily, get him out of here!" Gideon's voice snapped Cecily out of her trance. She tried to be gentle as she slid her arms under Gabriel's torso and gripped his arms. He groaned in pain as her hand accidentally brushed the gash on his shoulder. Using all her strength, she dragged him back inside the Institute leaving a trail of blood leading to the doors. The doors slammed shut behind them.
"Miss Cecily what happened?" Sophie cried as she rounded the corner and stared at the pair.
"Demon attack, what does it look like?" Cecily snapped a little more harshly that she had meant to. "It's all his blood. I'm fine. Call for the brotherhood while I get him to the infirmary. Hurry!" Sophie dashed down the hall way, and Cecily weighed her options. She could drag him the rest of the way to the infirmary and risk making the wounds worse, or she could see if she could get him to his feet and try and walk him the rest of the way. "Gabriel? Can you stand? I think it would be easier to-" She didn't even finish her sentence before Gabriel was half-way to his feet. She shot forward and helped him letting his lean his weight on her.
"I need to help them," He groan trying to get back out the Institute doors. Cecily shifted her weigh back toward the infirmary trying to pull him away from the Institute doors and unfortunately sending them both toppling to the floor. Cecily hit the floor with a loud thud and Gabriel knocked all the air out of her lungs when he landed on top of her. He grunted in pain and rolled to the side unintentionally landing on his shoulder. Cecily scrambled to her feet and knelt over him. "I'm fine," he grunted out trying to stand again. "They need my help."
"No," Cecily snapped glaring at him. "This battle is no place for a wounded shadow hunter." Gabriel turned his head to look at her. His mouth quirked up in a little smile and he let her lead him down the hall toward the infirmary. Gabriel lowed himself down onto a bed and Cecily went to the cupboard and pulled out bandages, a bucket, and a sponge. She filled the bucket from the faucet. She turned back to face Gabriel and felt her whole face begin to flush. Gabriel had begun to remove his gear, starting with the weapons belt and then the shirt. He tried to shrug it off his shoulders but the dried blood caused the shirt to stick to his back and the wound on his shoulder. He winced trying again to pull it off his body.
"Cecily? Can you…Can you.." He tried to form the sentence in his head but nothing was sounding right. He felt a light flush beginning to over take his face. Cecily chuckled lightly.
"Gabriel Lightwood speechless? Now that's something I never thought I'd live to see." She muttered as she gently pulled the shirt off his shoulder and peeled it off his back. She disposed of the shirt on a bed to the side of where they had been standing. Even battered and bloody, Gabriel was physically beautiful. The elegant black lines of the runes that wrapped around his chest and down his arms, were now interrupted by the slash marks on his back and the gash on his shoulder. Cecily used her steele and drew a simple iratze rune on his shoulder blade. The pair waited for the wounds to begin closing but nothing happened. "I don't understand," she whispered in a horrified tone. "What did I do wrong?"
"Nothing. You didn't-." Gabriel gasped as he collapsed on the bed face first.
"Gabriel-"
"Miss Cecily! I've sent for the brotherhood. They should be here soon." Sophie said bursting through the infirmary doors. She crossed the room quickly and stood beside Cecily.
"Why isn't he healing? What's going on? Did I do something wrong?" Cecily rambled as she stared at Gabriel with horrified eyes. Sophie closely examined Gabriel's wounds.
"No. This is much worse than you said."
"What do you mean?"
"There is more demon venom coursing through his veins than I had thought."
"Then what do we do?"
"Make him as comfortable as we can and wait for the brotherhood." Sophie said quickly rolling up her sleeves and picking up the bucket of water and rag from where Cecily had left them on the floor.
"Can I do any-"
"No. I think it's best that you go, wash, and change into a clean dress." Sophie muttered to engaged in tending to Gabriel's wounds to be much more comforting to Cecily. Cecily took one final look at Gabriel before running out of the infirmary and down the hall to her room. She slammed to door behind her. Cecily felt the first of the tears begin to roll down her cheeks and was grateful to be alone. She walked toward the washroom slowly before glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Now she understood why Sophie had told her to go and wash. Her hands as well as most of her arms and shirt were stained with blood. Bits of spattered blood covered her face. Cecily stripped herself of the dirty gear and headed toward the washroom. She sunk slowly into the tub, thinking how convenient it was that she had had Sophie draw her a bath minutes before the attack. Cecily pulled her knees to her chest and bowed her head.
"This is all my fault." She thought to herself. "If I hadn't been so stupid and weak, I could have fought instead of having to be rescued." She scrubbed viciously at her face and arms trying to get all of the traces of blood of. After about twenty minutes, Cecily emerged wrapped in a blue robe much paler than her eyes and inky hair wet and cascading down her back. She sat on her bed and considered just giving up and going back to Wales without Will. A knock on the door pulled Cecily from her thoughts.
"Cecily? May I come in?" Tessa's voice called from beyond the door.
"Yes," Cecily replied weakly. Tessa pushed the doors open, crossed to Cecily, and hugged her from where she sat on the bed. Cecily clung to Tessa and began to cry.
"How is he?" She whispered fearing the answer.
"Resting," Tessa replied pulling back to look at Cecily. Her blue eyes shut in relief. "Will also wished to speak with you."
"What could Will possibly want?" Cecily grumbled and folded her arms across her chest. Tessa smiled at her.
"Oh his words word something along the lines of 'I need to speak with my sister on her conduct during the battle. Risking her life for a Lightworm! No respectable-'" Tessa continued in her best Will impression which involve a lot dramatic hand gestures and a silly voice. Cecily laughed mood lightened. She rose and walked quickly to her wardrobe pulling out her dark blue dress she and her mother had bought last Christmas. Tessa help her dress, quickly lacking the back and pulling her hair into a away from her face. "There," Tessa said softly look over Cecily's should at their reflection in the mirror, "beautiful as ever." Cecily smiled looking down.
"You are to kind, Tessa."
"Come," Tessa replied still laughing grabbing her hands to lead her from the room. "Let's go see your brother and how the young Lightwood is faring." Cecily smiled at Tessa as they walked down the hall. She sucked in a breath as they paused before the infirmary doors. Tessa gently squeezed Cecily's hand and raised her hand to knock. The doors swung open before Tessa's hand was even half way toward the door and out stepped Will. He scowled at his sister.
"May I have a word with you dear sister?" He growled through clenched teeth. Cecily looked at Tessa with pleading eyes that asked for help. Tessa glanced at will and touched his shoulder. Will's eyes shot to her with a look of warning. Tessa gave Cecily a sympathetic look and walked into the infirmary, closing the door behind her. Cecily turned to face Will who was now pacing up and down that hall way.
"William, before you-"
"What were you thinking? Running out shouting like that? You could've been hurt or worse you could've been killed, Cecy! All on account of-"
"Dydw i ddim yn gweld sut yr hyn a wneuthum yn unrhyw wahanol na'r hyn yr ydych yn ei wneud unrhyw ddiwrnod! (I don't see how what I did is any different than what you do any day!)" She snapped slipping back into Welsh easily due to her current state of rage.
"Mae hynny'n wahanol! (That's different!)"
"Sut? Sut rydych yn peryglu eich bywyd i Tessa unrhyw wahanol na fi yn peryglu fy mywyd i rywun Rwy'n poeni am ac efallai hyd yn oed wrth eu bodd! (How? How is you risking your life for Tessa any different than me risking my life for someone I care about and maybe even love!)" Will went completely rigid as Cecily flung her hand over her mouth.
"Beth wnaethoch chi jyst ddweud? (What did you just say?)"
"Dim byd ac mae ei nid oes yr un o'ch pryder! (Nothing and its none of your concern!)" She snapped hastily turning away. William stared at Cecily whose shoulders were slightly shaking.
"Edrychwch arnaf. (Look at me.)"
"William os gwelwch yn dda- (William please-)"
"Edrychwch arnaf. (Look at me.)" He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. Intense blue eyes with tears threatening to spill out stared back into his own. Will felt his heartstrings snapping one by one. He may have not seen her in years but he knew one thing: Cecily did not cry. " A ydych yn ei garu ef? (Do you love him?)" He whispered. Cecily bit her lip trying desperately to hold in tears and nodded. Will pulled her to his chest and she began to shake with sobs.
"Os bydd yn marw bydd yn fy holl fai! Ni fyddai wedi gotten brifo pe na bai wedi bod yn amddiffyn fi! (If he dies it will be all my fault! He wouldn't have gotten hurt if he hadn't been protecting me!") She sobbed clinging to his shirt. Will pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
"Ni fydd yn marw. (He won't die.)"
"Sut ydych chi'n gwybod? Ni allwch yn gwybod hynny! (How do you know? You can't know that!)"
"Gallaf oherwydd gwn fod Gabriel yn nwylo y gorau. (I can because I know that Gabriel is in the hands of the best.)"
"ond- (But-)"
"Sh." Will pulled away slightly to look her in the eyes. "Bydd y cyfan yn troi allan yn iawn. Nawr ddod. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwch yn y person cyntaf iddo am ei weld ar ôl iddo siarad â mi ynglŷn â sut y byddaf yn ben ef y dylai Fe byth dorri eich calon. (It will all turn out right. Now come. I'm sure you'll be the first person he wants to see after he talks to me about how I will end him should he ever break your heart.)" Cecily laughed softly playfully punching her brother in the shoulder. Will laughed as well before opening the infirmary doors. Cecily paused a bit to collect herself before following him in.