Simon stared at Isabelle in shock. Yes, he'd thought that what she said might have been a possibility, but that's all it had been. It was a chance that Simon had refused to believe; accept. Clary couldn't just . . . she was a part of Simon and if she died, that bit of Simon would, too. But it would surely ruin Jace to lose her. The famous Shadowhunter, who'd been as solid and hard as a rock, crushed between Clary's hands, allowing her to see the real him. Only Clary could have done that. And if she was taken away from Jace, Simon knew that he would close himself off like a safe, never to be opened by anyone ever again.
"Are-that's not an option, Isabelle," Simon said, refusing to meet Izzy's eyes. He couldn't let that happen. Wouldn't. He owed everything to Clary, being best frineds since they were little, sleeping over at each other's houses, playing video games in his room, thinking up names for his ridiculous band . . .
And after all this happened. Shadowhunters. Nephilim. Monster slayers. Werewolves and Vampires. World end. All of it. Clary had helped him. Sure, he had become a Vampire in the process but it could have been worse . . . maybe. After all, it was because of Clary that Simon had met Isabelle. He would do anyhing if it meant to save his best friend's life.
"I'm just telling you what I know. There's venom-poison-in her, Simon," she whispered, pain in her voice.
Simon shot her a firm look. "You're telling me that after everything that has happened to us-to them-that there is no way to save her? Jace was brought back from the dead. twice. I can go into the sun without having my skin melted off. Clary can pull things out of paper. You honestly think that there's nothing we can do? That there's no loophole?" he hissed.
Isabelle crossed her arms, looking at the ground. "I don't know that much about it. All I am sure of is that those things were created to kill. I don't want to give anyone false hope."
"What about Magnus? Can he-"
"We don't know where he is. Ever since Alec, Magnus has been . . . distant. I haven't seen him and last I saw of Alec, he said Magnus was leaving."
Simon's hands were shaking and he clenched them into fists. "We have to find him," he said, voice as heavy and flat as the ground he stood on.
Isabelle shook her head. "And then what, Simon? What if he can't do anything? Magnus can't save us all the time. We can't depend on him to know all the answers."
"He may know more than us, though. He might be able to find a way to . . . stop this from happening to Clary."
"And he might not."
Sudden fury filled Simon as he looked at Izzy, the doubt so clear on her face that it made his heart pinch painfully in his chest. "Why!?" he yelled. "Why do you think that? Do you want her to die!? Is that it!? You want to see Jace lose her?" Simon could not believe he was yelling all this at Isabelle and, judging by her horrified expression, neither was she. He took a deep breath, guilt suddenly crashing over him. "Izzy, I didn't mean-"
"Of course I don't want anything bad to happen to her!" she shouted, stepping away from him, tears glistening in her eyes. "Especially this! But I know what it's like to hope just to have it crushed underfoot. It's so much worse, Simon! I don't want to live in false hope. I did that with Max, even after I knew he was gone and look where that has gotten me!" More tears spilled over Isabelle's cheeks and she quickly swiped them away. "Hope just makes it all the more harder, Simon."
Abruptly, he turned away, walking towards the entrance to Clary's building. "Jace deserved to know," Simon said. "He might have an idea of what to do. But I can't lose hope Iz," he looked back at her for a moment. "It's all I have right now."
Jace heard Simon before he entered, but didn't bother to register his presence. He felt too numb, unable to think clearly.
Clary was still curled up in a ball on the bed, but her screaming had finally subsided. Jace held her hand, stroking the back of it, trying to get his thoughts together. He needed to do something. Maybe there was-
"Jace?" Simon asked from behind him. "Can I talk to you?"
Jace clenched his jaw. "Sure."
"Out here?"
"I'm not leaving her." he said, squeezing her hand tighter in his.
Simon came over and stood beside him and Jace could taste the forboding feeling that settled over his stomach. "What is it?" he asked, not looking up to meet the Vampire's eyes.
He didn't answer. "Jocelyn?" he replied instead, locking gazes with Clary's mother who sat on the opposite side of her daughter's bed. "Could I please speak to Jace privately? It will only take a minute."
"I can't-" she began, but Simon interrupted. "Please? It's very important."
Finally with a reluctant nod, Jocelyn stood, kissing Clary's forehead before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.
"What is it?" Jace repeated, eyes still watching Clary's pale face, glistened with sweat.
Simon hesitated.
"Spit it out, Vamp," Jace hissed, running a hand through his golden hair.
Simon cleared his throat. "Izzy knows what's wrong with her," he said. "Or, at least, she thinks she does."
Jace whipped around to look at Simon, careful not to disturb Clary. "How would she know?" he demanded. "Why wouldn't she tell me?"
He could tell Simon felt incredibly uncomfortable and panicky which did nothing to reassure Jace.
"Isabelle said that the creatures that attacked you were . . . different. Altered."
"Altered?" Jace asked, anger and confusion writhing inside of him like a snake. "What do you mean?"
Simon explained what Isabelle had said, ignoring Jace's continuous protests and objections, probably voicing Simon's own thoughts. At the mention of Valentine, Jace felt the blood drain from his face, horrified by what Simon was telling him.
"The venom-poision or whatever is . . . " Simon's voice suddenly broke which made Jace tense all over. "Is what?" he asked, voice dangerously menacing. "Is. What?"
Simon took a deep breath. "It's what's killing her Jace."
Jace moved so fast that even Vampire Simon didn't look as if he saw it coming. Suddenly, Simon was pressed against the wall, Jace's arm jammed over his throat, holding him up. "Clary. Is. Not. Going. To die," he said, each word like a splinter in the air.
"That's why I need your help," Simon said, not gasping for air because-right-he didn't need it. "Help to save Clary."
Instantly, Jace pulled back his arm and looked at Vamp Boy darkly. "What do you need?"
