The noise in his ears died down as Alec stepped into the familiar underground tunnel, scurrying along the tracks alongside the families of rats that shared Camille's haunt. He withdrew his witchlight stones from his pocket as two gleaming spotlights appeared down the tunnel, the tracks whining with the train's approach. Shadowhunters were tough, but even Alec knew he wouldn't survive this one. He ran faster, towards the lights, and at the very last minute he leapt sideways and rolled onto the white tiles of the platform. The empty train brought with it a rush of wind that threatened to pull him back onto the tracks, but he kept his head pressed to the tiles until it had passed. As the lights dimmed and the train vanished into the distance, Alec raised his witchlight into the air. His heart beat with a mixture of fear and adrenaline, anticipation welling up in his lungs. Something felt odd, a strange scent wafting through the air that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Hearing an odd rustle, Alec jerked his head upright and jumped to his feet, his witchlight glowing bright white above his head. A high-pitched laugh sounded from the shadow of the stairwell on the far side, and from the darkness stepped Maureen. Maureen was the 13-year-old fangirl of Simon's band, but Lilith's 'crew' had captured and killed her, transforming her into a vampire who somehow ended up doing Camillie's bidding. "Where is she?" Alec asked, his free hand grasping the seraph blade in his weapons belt and sliding it from its pace. "Where's Camille?"
"Oh, Alec. Poor, innocent Alec. Can't you see?" Maureen stepped forward so that her entire body was bathed in his witchlight. Now Alec could see- her sparkly pink t-shirt was stained down the front with fresh blood, which smudged her nose and dripped down her chin. Her fangs were still out, pressing into the skin of her lips. "I've been a very naughty girl." She ran her fingers through her hair, streaking red through the bright white blonde. "I'm sorry to say that I beat you to the post. I killed her- I killed Camille!" The girl laughed, and her sharp cackles echoed down the tunnel.
"Well then." Alec said, stepped forward and naming his blade 'Castiel'. "I came out tonight to do two things- Number 1 was to kill a vampire, and number 2 was to grab a bite to eat at Taki's. And seeing as I just lost my appetite…" Finally being able to use some of Jace's wit filled Alec with a joyful warmth. He swung forward with the glowing blade, slashing a gash across Maureen's t-shirt without leaving a scratch on the skin beneath.
"Ouch." She grinned, flashing her bloody teeth at him. "You know I just ate… but that was only the appetiser. Why don't you stay for dinner?"
Clary stepped through the glass doors that formed the entranceway to Magnus' building and ran up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. She reached the top and flew straight into Magnus' apartment, gasping at the sight of too many empty takeaway cartons for the days that had gone by. The warlock himself was sprawled on the sofa, one hand dragging on the white carpet and the other slung over the back of the seat. Clary looked around in desperation, trying to figure out a way to wake him- but to no avail. Instead she flopped down on the opposite sofa, her head reeling. No one can help you now, little girl. She shook her head, trying to clear Lilith's voice from her head.
If Lilith can access my mind, see what I'm thinking, She thought, rubbing her temples, then maybe it works the other way. Clary blocked out everything around her, ignoring Magnus' snoring and trying to forget about the dust and the takeaway cartons that played on the back of her mind. She groped around in the darkness, finding wisps of things that almost made sense. Finally she saw the light, a tiny ball in the midst of her mind. She grabbed at it, holding it tight as it expanded- and finally she could see.
Mistress, has your plan come together? Yes my child. I have inhabited the body of the one you call Clary. Terribly small, but it will have to do. Excellent. Can I dispose of the vampire yet? He's been on my trail forever. No, Sebastian. Not yet. I want the pleasure. I want to see the light leave his eyes as the girl he loves drives a stake through his heart. Yes. I think that would suffice.
The prickles of a location tickled the edges of her mind. She could see in the dimness, vague shapes of doorways and outlines of windows. It wasn't enough, not by far… She pressed harder, pushing herself further and further into Lilith's thoughts. Her mind burned, her head pounding as she struggled to form a picture from the shapes. Finally they came together, the shadows merging to form buildings, a street familiar yet not, an image through Lilith's mind of what Sebastian could see.
We're all connected, Clary realised with a jolt. She withdrew from Lilith's mind, jumping to her feet and stumbling forwards. Magnus woke with a start, his spectrecles balanced awkwardly on the end of his nose. He pushed them up and his eyes widened in rage as he spotted Clary, standing awkwardly with wide eyes in the middle of his living room.
Clary scurried over to the window and pulled aside Magnus' curtains, pulling up the blind so that she could see out into the streetlamp lit street. She opened her mouth and breathed onto the glass, misting it and writing Lilith's name with her fingers. Clary misted the pane next to this one and drew something else, a rune. She stepped back in shock as a rippling doorway appeared in the wall, a portal. "So not only are you the only shadowhunter with the power to create runes, and to just create a portal at will- but you can do all this without a stele now?" Clary shrugged in response, then stepped through the doorway and into the void.
Magnus looked over to see what she had written, and shook his head in worry. Of course- Lilith knew a fair amount about possessing bodies, but she needed a link… his head snapped up, his eyes wide with understanding. Jace.
