Death is only the beginning

AN – so here is the second chapter. I know that not much Malec was in the first but in the next few chapters that are coming up that will increase

Thank you to RedCoral, Comatose 14, Intoxic and ChocolateWriter for reviewing

Since school will be starting next week, I will be updating less often and may only update once a week or with longer intervals.

Chapter Two

Alec's POV

In the short amount of time that Clary had invaded our lives, I had grown to dislike her more and more with every passing day. She had endangered Jace's life, had become his girlfriend (I don't know what he saw in her) and now believed that she could lead us and get us the Mortal Cup which was concealed in a tarot card. We could have gone alone. She didn't need to come with us. I was worried that she would get Jace killed this time for sure.

We silently walked to Madame Dorothea's flat after getting off the train. I kept close to Jace so that I could keep an eye on him and protect him if I needed to as well as Isabelle who was on my other side. I still loved Jace but ever since I had met that beautiful cat – Eyed man who had presented me with his number, I felt my attraction for Jace slowly decreasing.

We knocked on the door and were invited inside by her. Whilst Clary began to ask about the Mortal Cup, I zoned out. Jace had said that the Demon energy levels were low for the area before we arrived so I had little to worry about.

"It's the Mortal Cup Jace, not the Mortal toilet bowl." Isabelle's voice took me out of my trance

"Are we done now?" She asked "Can we go?"

"But it's damaged. Here, let me show you" Madame Dorothea said as she reached for the cup.

However, Clary shrunk back from her and Jace went in front of her. I stayed as close as possible

"No offense but no one can touch it except us." Jace talked with a calm and straight face whilst Clary looked quite scared.

Dorothea looked at him for a moment.

"Now," she said, "let's not be hasty. Valentine would be displeased if anything were to happen to the Cup. "

Jace unsheathed his sword "I don't know what this is about," he said. "But we're leaving. "

"Of course, Shadowhunter," she said, backing up to the curtained wall. "Would you like to use the Portal?" The point of Jace's sword wavered as he stared in momentary confusion. Then Clary saw his jaw tighten. "Don't touch that."

Dorothea chuckled, and quick as a flash she jerked down the curtains hanging along the wall. They fell with a sound of soft collapse. The Portal behind them was open.

I sucked in a huge breath. A mass of dark clouds seemed to engulf Madame Dorothea, who screamed and lifted her arms up. Her jewellery fell to the ground and her form changed. It stretched and grew. She was a greater demon.

Next to him, I said, "But you said there wasn't much demonic activity-you said the levels were low!"

"They were low," Jace growled.

"Your version of low must be different from mine!" I shouted, as the thing that had once been Dorothea howled and twisted. It seemed to be spreading.

I quickly grabbed my weapons as Jace screamed at us to move

Jace swore and fumbled in his jacket. "Where the hell is my stele-?"

"I have it," Clary said. As she reached for her pocket, a noise like thunder exploded through the room. The floor heaved under my feet. I looked up and saw a gaping new hole in the wall separating the foyer from Dorothea's apartment, lined all around its ragged edges with wood and plaster rubble.

I watched, horrified and felt the blood drain from my face as I saw the demon pull itself away from the wall.

"Alec!" I was faintly aware of Jace screaming my name but didn't move until he had grabbed on my shoulder and had pulled me from the demons path. It was ugly, with long skeletal fingers and a filthy black body that was covered in yellow puss filled sores. The creature was around nine foot tall.

"Give me the Mortal Cup. Give it to me and I will let you live" it said

I couldn't move and even as I tried really hard, no words were coming out of my mouth

"What are you?" Jace asked. He was usually the one to take charge of situations like this. It should have been me. I was the oldest. I was meant to be confident and fearless like him but I wasn't. I was a coward.

"I am Abaddon. I am the demon of the abyss. Mine is the wind and the howling darkness" Its voice sounded like a raging, howling wind.

"You cannot hope to defeat me. Give me the Cup or die."

The next two or three minutes were a blur for me. Izzy had said it was a Greater Demon and Jace had been attacked. Abaddon hit Jace aside as if he weighed nothing. Isabelle darted forward and used her whip to lash its body but with no result. It ignored her and continued moving towards Jace.

Jace took out a second seraph blade and before my mind had registered what I was doing, I had run forward and placed myself between Jace and Abaddon. I plunged my featherstaff into its body and heard it shriek and scream.

It was after that that I realized I had done it. I had killed my first demon. Abaddon snarled at me and struck downwards. Before I had a chance to react, it struck downwards at me and I flew to the opposite wall and hit it. I felt a sharp pain on my chest before I blacked out.

I awoke briefly and felt queasy. I grabbed Jace's wrist.

"Did I ... Did I kill it?" I smiled triumphantly

"You..." Jace began

"Yes" Clary interrupted "Its dead"

I laughed and suddenly began to cough as I felt blood bubbling up and out of my mouth.

"Don't" Jace said "Hold still. Just hold still"

"Do what you have to" I replied. With that, I fell back into unconsciousness.

My body was burning as a fiery rage washed through it. The poison ran throughout every vein as it slowly killed me. My heart was beating wildly and my breaths came in short bursts. Through the sensation of being burned alive, I could hear the faint whispers of a conversation.

"Please...my brother...don't...die" My sisters voice rang through my head and I could hear the fear and the worry laced in it.

"Won't...I...alone." The sweet melodic voice of the other man would be one that I would always recognise. I felt like smiling despite the never ending pain. Magnus was here. Maybe it would all be okay now. I would be back with Izzy and Jace in no time. Shadowhunter's had a high pain tolerance but the poison was now starting to test it. I gritted my teeth and stayed silent except for the occasional whimper.

"Come on blue eyes. Don't give up on me now. You still haven't called me." Magnus' voice sounded louder and closer.

The pain in my body first intensified and then receded as a wave of calm overtook me. I felt my body relax and my heartbeat get slower. I had no idea how much time had passed but it seemed like ages. I had watched the green and blue sparks from behind my eyelids lessen and dull.

I felt his head lean next to my body on the bed. He must be exhausted.

All of a sudden, my chest tightened and I couldn't help but scream in agony. The pain was ten times worse that what the poison felt like

"No!" I heard Magnus scream "No! No! No! No! That's not right. You should be healing. The rest of the words didn't register in my mind as I felt like my chest had been punched. My body arched upwards involuntarily as my heart gave out and I was plunged into darkness.

Magnus' POV

It took every ounce of my power to drain the poison from Alexander's body. The beautiful blue – eyed man had looked like he was in so much pain that it had broken my heart. I remembered the boy from the party and had hurriedly arrived from my loft in Brooklyn to take care of his injuries.

When I arrived, I found him sweating yet shivering due to the poisons effects. His hands were twitching and his head was moving from one side to the other while his hair stuck to his forehead

I had told Isabelle to get out and went over to him to speak into his ear.

"Come on blue eyes. Don't give up on me now. You still haven't called me."

I could hear him mumbling incoherently as if he was a mad man. I chanted a spell and moved my hands so they hovered over his boy. The blue and green sparks flew out as I drained his body of the poison and healed the slashes on his chest. Once drained, I collapsed onto a chair next to his bed and leaned my head forward onto the mattress. My breathing was heavy yet I was satisfied with the results. Alexander would get better. Maybe I would even get a call from the blue – eyed wonder when he woke up.

Suddenly, Alexander started to scream in agony, louder than any scream I had heard before. I quickly scanned his body

"NO!" I screamed "NO! NO! NO! NO! That's not right. You are meant to be healing. Why won't you heal? What have I missed?"

It wasn't till it was too late that I found the problem. The poison had been close to Alexander's heart for too long and had severely damaged it. I had not time to heal it. I froze for a second as I watched Alexander's body arch upwards and then fall back down with a thud. He remained unmoving and I grabbed onto his wrist to feel for a pulse. It was my fault. I hadn't checked thoroughly enough. What would I tell his siblings?

Alec was dead.

Jace's POV

My heart clenched as I fell to my knees on the floor whilst clutching my Parabatai rune. Clary came and knelt down beside me quickly

"What is it?" she almost cried "What's wrong?"

I pulled my hand away to see my shirt stained with a red liquid and lifted it to see my Parabatai rune fade and become a silver, faint outline. Alec was dead.

"Alec" I whispered and I ran to the infirmary to burst through the doors and find Magnus holding Alec's wrist and looking in shock.

"I'm sorry." He whispered "There was nothing that I could do"

"No. NOOOO!" I screamed "ALEC!" I ran to him and took his hand in my own to try and find a pulse. There wasn't one. I turned and shrank down to lean against the side of the bed whilst keeping his hand in mine. His eyes had been shut and he looked to be in peace.

My brother, my best friend, My Parabatai was dead and all he left behind was an emptiness in my soul.

"Jace..." Clary began

"Don't" I whispered through my tears. The tears I shed for Alec.

It was his fault. It was Magnus' fault. He could have saved my brother. I got up with my new found anger and swiftly pinned him up against the wall

"This is your fault" I said "You could have saved him. You killed my Alec"

Magnus' face became burry as the tears kept flowing out of my eyes. I wiped them away to look at him and was taken aback when I saw the sad and defeated look in his eyes

"I'm sorry." He repeated in a whisper.

I released him and sunk down against the wall.

Get out. Both of you. Now!"

I heard their footsteps as they ran out of the room. I continued to cry aloud for the world to hear.

"Jace, what's going on? I heard screaming. Is Alec okay?" I heard Isabelle say as she ran into the room. She took in my crying form and her brother's unmoving body before she screamed.