Chapter 5

Leaving Alec and Isabelle in the infirmary, the rest of the gang went to the institute's library. They sat around a square table just by the window. All of the lights had been turned on, and Clary figured that it was about ten o'clock at night. She looked at the clock, and was shocked to see that it was after two in the morning.

"Should we call Luke and Jocelyn?" asked Jace.

"No," said Clary. "At this hour, we probably shouldn't bother them. They're probably crashing at Luke's place."

Clary knew she should be tired, but today's occurrences kept her revved up. She glanced across the table at Catarina, whose dark blue skin contrasted with the pale golden color pallet of the library. To Clary, Catarina looked like a walking bottle of toothpaste.

"…..and then I just brought him here." Catarina finished.

Clary chided herself for daydreaming. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

The whole group stared at her in disbelief.

"Catarina was just explaining how she came across Alec," Magnus said patiently. He looked at Clary with concern. "Are you a bit tired?"

"No," Clary said hastily, "No, I'm not. I just got a little distracted."

"Okay then."

As various people chattered on, Clary's eyes began to feel heavy. Soon, she stopped fighting it, and fell into a deep sleep.

Isabelle had been trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep next to Alec. She'd taken the hospital bed next to him and turned off all of the lights. She could hear him breathing, though is breaths were shaky and ragged. Isabelle turned away from him, and tried to think about something else. She curled up unto a ball and closed her eyes.

When sleep didn't come, Isabelle unfurled and climbed out of bed. She crept towards Alec and leaned over him.

Alec was moving fitfully in his sleep, his body covered in sweat. His hair was plastered to his forehead and his face was flushed. He moaned and lay on his back. He stayed motionless for a moment, and Isabelle leaned forward to examine his wounds.

The cuts on his neck were completely healed and the bruises on his body were gone. She felt his forehead. He was burning up.

"Is he okay?"

Magnus had appeared next to her.

"Yeah, he seems a little feverish though." replied Isabelle.

With his lightly muscled arms crossed over his chest, and his black bed-head hanging over his youthful face, it was hard to believe that Magnus was over eight hundred years old. Physiologically, he still acted like a seventeen year old who knew a lot. He looked concerned and sad, and while Isabelle pretended not to look, he reached and stroked Alec's face.

Suddenly, Alec screamed and opened his eyes. Isabelle held him as he flailed.

"Shh. Shh. Alec, it's okay. It's me. And, Magnus is—"

Magnus was nowhere in sight.

Alec sat back, breathing heavily. He looked at her in surprise.

"Izzy?"

Isabelle nodded.

"Sorry Iz. Nightmare."

"What happened?"

Alec gave an abbreviated version of what had happened to him that night. His voice rose as he recounted; he seemed really shaken up. When he finished, anger boiled up in Isabelle's chest.

"You told him about Simon?" Isabelle shouted.

"They were going to kill me!" Alec yelled.

"And you left the house with no Marks! What were you thinking?"

"I….. I…." his voice broke. "I wasn't."

Isabelle's rage melted, replaced by tenderness. "Alec. Alec, look at me. Why were you so upset yesterday?"

Alec was silent.

"Why did Magnus say that you weren't taken?"

"Magnus is here?" Alec said hopefully.

"That's not the point."

Isabelle thought for a moment. Earlier, Alec hadn't been holding his key in the meeting. He'd left the institute without explanation (which he rarely did) leaving only a hastily scribbled note. Magnus seemed depressed.

"Did Magnus break up with you?" Isabelle whispered.

Alec nodded.

"Why?"

"I can't tell you that," he looked away.

"Please? You can tell me anything."

"Look, Isabelle. What happened between Magnus and me was complicated, and I don't want to get into that right now. All you need to know is that I'm fine."

Alec looked far from fine. He wasn't very good at hiding his emotions. But Isabelle didn't push the subject.

"So now Maureen and Benjamin are daylighters."

"Pretty much."'

"And also, other vampires will be after us so that they can be daylighters."

"Right again."

"Well then," said Isabelle. "We've got more problems than we thought."

The sun started to rise, sending rays of golden light through the windows of the infirmary. Alec tugged on Isabelle's hair affectionately as they watched it together. The beginnings of dawn were here, and they had a long day ahead of them.