Jace arrived back at the Institute in record time. Jocelyn and Luke met him there. When Jocelyn saw Clary's white face, her face turned white as well. "Please don't leave me little one." She whispered in Clary's ear. Jace lay Clary down gently on one of the clean cots in the infirmary. He took the shipping blanket off her determined to burn it later. With great care, he covered Clary's frail body. Then he froze, the insides of Clary's legs were covered in bruises. Luke appeared beside him. He stared at Jocelyn with a grave look on his face. "Ok Jace," she said. "As soon as I pull this sword out, you get an iratze drawn on the wound. Luke's going to hold her down so she doesn't injure herself more." Jace nodded weakly.
Clary's scream tore right through Jace's soul. It took two pulls to remove the sword from Clary's chest. Jace's hand flew swiftly as he drew the iratze right over the wound. Jocelyn came right behind him putting a bandage with a poultice on the wound. When Jocelyn put it on Clary bucked upward crying out in pain. Jace fell to his knees. "Please Clary, don't leave me. I love you."
Jocelyn turned to him her eyes filled with tears. "I-I'll be right back." She sniffed. Luke looked at Jace and followed Jocelyn as she hurried into the hallway to hide her tears.
Alec walked into the infirmary, he saw Clary lying on a cot. Her face was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes. Jace sat on the cot beside her, his head hung low. His hands were clasped in front of him as if in prayer. His knuckles were white from the strength of his grasp. Jace was trying to hold himself together, and the only things holding him together right now were his hands.
"Jace," Alec said quietly sitting down beside him. Jace looked over at him, his eyes empty. His face was devoid of emotion.
"They raped her." He said in a haunted voice.
"What?" Isabelle said appearing on her knees in front of him.
"They raped her." He repeated his voice catching in his throat. Jace put his head down on Isabelle's shoulder and he began to sob softly.
"Jace, let's go get you cleaned up. You're covered in ichor and you need an iratze." Alec said quietly putting his arm around Jace.
Jace nodded. "Iz, would you stay with her. She can't be alone…not now…"
Isabelle took his hands. "Of course," she replied tenderly kissing his cheek.
The next morning Jocelyn found Jace, Alec, and Isabelle all sleeping near Clary. It touched her heart at the closeness they all shared. Quietly she crept to Clary's cot and lifted the bandage. She breathed a sigh of relief; the iratze had taken hold and was working. She pulled out her stele and drew another iratze on top of that one and a blood replacement rune. It felt odd for her to use her Shadowhunter skills again, but she couldn't let her daughter die. She brushed a kiss over Clary's forehead and whispered "I love you." Then she left heading for the kitchen to help Maryse with breakfast.
Alec woke first, getting up slowly as to not disturb Isabelle who slept beside him in the bed holding his hand. They had slept like this as children, but it had been many years ago. He did not realize how much he missed it until now, the closeness, the safety. He brushed a kiss across his sister's forehead, mouthing the words I love you across it. He looked over at Clary, her eyes were wide open and she was staring at the ceiling. He went over and took her hand. "Clary?" He whispered. She turned her gaze to him, her eyes blank. He touched her hair brushing it out of her face. "Clary?" He asked again. She didn't speak just turned her eyes to the ceiling again. He reached over to shake Jace. "Jace," he said quietly. He awoke with a start grabbing Alex's arm. "Jace, it's all right." He soothed, then he pointed. "Clary."
Jace quickly got up and knelt beside the bed taking her hand. Very gently he touched her face. He could feel the wetness of her tears. Tears were falling from his eyes as well. "Clary, beloved." She turned her face to him. There was a spark of recognition, then she closed her eyes. Jace looked confused, "Clary, Clary look at me." He urged gently.
She opened her eyes again. "Pain," she whispered.
"Alec please find Jocelyn," Jace said pulling his stele out and starting to trace an iratze on Clary's arm. "There's something really wrong."
Clary sighed relaxing into the curves of the bed, the numbing effect of the iratze taking hold.
Moments later Jocelyn appeared. Isabelle stood beside the bed looking worried, Jace was on his knees beside Clary, and Clary's eyes were unseeing and wide open. Isabelle moved out of the way so Jocelyn could reach her daughter. "Clary, baby," she said with a weak smile. "Answer me honey, are you all right?"
Again Clary turned her gaze to the ceiling. Jocelyn looked frantic. "We'll send for the brothers, and Magnus." She said nodding her head and choking back tears. "They'll know what to do."
Jace, Isabelle, and Alec were sent out of the room when the brothers and Magnus arrived. Jace sat on the bench his eyes flicking to the door every few minutes waiting for someone to emerge. Alec put a hand on his shoulder. "She'll be all right." Alec reassured him.
"She's tough," Isabelle agreed pushing off the wall coming to kneel in front of Jace. "She's fought off worse."
"I know," he said angrily clasping and unclasping his hands. "I just want to find who did this to her."
"We will." Isabelle agreed looking at Alec. "Right now, the most important thing is getting Clary well."
"Keep your ear to the ground all right?" He asked.
"We will." Alec answered.
The door opened and Jace got up quickly to meet Magnus who stood there, a grave look upon his face.
"What is it, what's wrong?" Jace began.
Magnus slowly raised his hand. "She's shut herself off, so she can deal with the pain. She wouldn't let Brother Enoch or Me into her thoughts. "It's a human response to a trauma, they do it to protect their minds. I'm sure with time she'll come out of it. For now they think it's best to move her to a different room out of the infirmary so that she can begin to heal."
"What-what do I do?" Jace asked his voice shaking.
Magnus looked at him with kind eyes. "The best thing you can do is talk to her, make her feel safe again." His eyes darkened.
"What is it?" Jace asked. "There's something else."
Magnus nodded, "I don't know how to tell you this."
"Just tell me." Jace said his eyes darkening.
"Clary's pregnant."
Jace took a few steps back, losing his breath. "She-she's pregnant? How, we took precautions we…" He sunk down to the floor, "It's not mine, is it?"
Magnus shook his head, "No, I'm sorry it's not." He said. "What I can say that this child is a full blooded Shadowhunter."
Jace looked up at him, confused. "I-I don't understand, are you telling me that Shadowhunters did this?"
Magnus nodded. "Whoever raped Clary has Shadowhunter blood, and I think they'll come back for her."
"Why Clary?" Jace breathed. "They could have anyone."
"Jace!" Alec chided.
"I don't mean it that way." Jace said apologetically.
"I think, it's because she's special. She's got rune magic more powerful than all of us." Isabelle offered.
"Not again," Jace whispered. "Not after everything with Sebastian." He took a deep breath. "I need to see her."
"She's upstairs, in the room next to Isabelle's."