Here is the next chapter, I hope you like it!

Heads up, this chapter and the next one have some violence.


Pain, a horrible pain woke him up from his sleep. It felt like someone tearing his skin open in the most gruesome way, all along his arms and down his back. Only a few pain ridden whimpers escaped his throat as he tried to find his voice to call for Jace or Izzy for help. He got a glimpse outside, seeing the stars and moon. The full moon.

He had heard stories about mermaids and mermen losing control and finding a taste for blood on some full moons. He had chosen to not believe the silly rumor, one he still was praying was fake.

Another shock of pain jolted down his spine, causing him to cry out loudly, his voice full of agony. He had had demon blood flow through his veins and claws dragged across his ribs, but it had never been this unbearable. He arched is back, hoping to relieve some of the pain, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Alec, what's wrong?" A voice said, the somewhat familiar creaking of his door opening echoing through his ears. He craned his neck to see Izzy walking into his room, Jace not far behind her. Alec watched as their faces quickly shifted from worry to fear, their eyes glued to his back. He turned slightly to see what they were looking at. He didn't blame them for their fear.

Bony fin-like spikes jutted out from his back, covered in what looked to be blood and muscle tissue. There were also two jutting out from each shoulder, one of them smaller than the other. The webs on the spikes were a transparent black, glittering blue at times like his scales.

He made a pitiful noise as another shock of pain tore through his spine, not being able to find his voice. He felt strange, his mind blurry and unfocused yet he could still clearly feel the pain.

He heard one of the two mutter something that sounded like 'By the Angel' but he wasn't sure, his ears starting ring as his urge to throw up came back. He felt like tearing out his stomach.

He felt a shaky hand on his back, gasping harshly at how cold the hand was. He hadn't realized how hot he was, he hadn't noticed the sweat glittering against his forehead. His thoughts becoming clouded and foggy as he tried to regain what little composure he might have left. It felt like he was either going to die or tear himself apart. Whichever came first.

Izzy placed a hand on her brothers back lightly, staring at the bone fins that had torn through his flesh. They were grotesquely beautiful, and she hoped that their appearance would change for Alec's sake. She heard Alec gasp as she placed her hand on him gently, and she gasped as well, feeling how heated his skin was, even through his shirt, which was covered in blood.

Jace jolted into action all of a sudden, causing Isabelle to remember that her brother was still writhing in pain.

"Alec, Alec!" Jace yelled, his face pale as his voice rose in panic. What were they going to do? Here her brother was, his own body seeming to tear itself apart. They couldn't go to a doctor, this was his secret and word would definitely spread. She couldn't get Maryse, she would just send him to the Clave. They had very limited options. They couldn't use an iratze. They didn't work in situations where his mermaid blood was involved, and she was pretty certain that this involved the blood of merpeople.

She noticed Alec had stopped moving, his body still, his breathing normal. Isabelle hadn't noticed that Jace had been shaking his shoulders. Alec slowly raised up, shoving Jace's hands off his shoulders, his back to them, the bones jutting out of his skin horribly visible. He turned to look at them, and Izzy barely withheld a scream.

This couldn't be her brother. This was someone entirely different. It may look like her brother, but it was definitely not her brother. She heard Jace suck in a breath.

"Alec?" He questioned, his voice gentle, as if he were speaking to a small child. Alec smirked. His eyes, by the angel his eyes. They were slit pupils, a merciless and cold look to them, not at all the gentle and soft look of her brother's eyes. She noticed that they flashed black before turning back to the cold blue.

Isabelle noticed that his ears were longer, more pointed, covered in scales. His nails were longer now too, sharper and more dangerous, like talons. There was a predatory aura all around him as he smiled again, a mocking smile, barring his sharp canine teeth.

"Isabelle, Jace, nice to see you," He said, sounding normal yet different at the same time. "Too bad I'll be the last thing you see." He said, not giving them even the slightest chance to register what he said before he lunged forward.

"Izzy!" Jace yelled, giving her just enough warning to jump backwards before Alec's dangerously sharp claws came in contact with her face. She could see the new fins on his back twitch slightly, more blood soaking the already stained shirt. Jace charged forward, trying to knock Alec off the bed so he could restrain him, but Alec moved away at the last second, dragging his nails along Jace's back, a laugh bubbling in Alec's throat as Jace hit the floor with a thud.

Jace cried out, his hands clenching into fists as he stood and turned to face Alec, holding his fist up in front of him. Alec mimicked his stance, throwing a quick punch which Jace avoided and followed up by punching Alec harshly in the shoulder, causing the other shadowhunter to snarl, the fins along his shoulders twitching slightly.

He glared at Jace, sending two hard and quick punches, one missing while the other hit Jace squarely in the jaw. Isabelle jumped to action, sweeping her leg underneath Alec, knocking him off his feet, causing him to land on his back. Alec cried out, agony lacing his voice as he gurgled out some sort of curse.

He had landed on his new spikes, not breaking them, but the irritated flesh had been torn farther at the rough landing. Jace had time to recover as he ran over to Izzy, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her out of the room.

"What are you doing, we can't leave Alec here!" Izzy said in a shouting whisper, running alongside her adoptive brother.

"We've got to get someone to help him, someone who knows a lot about dowworlders, someone we can trust." Jace said breathlessly, pushing past the doors of the Institute just as we heard Alec's door slam open and a laugh run down the hallway, sending chills down Isabelle's spine. It was like a nightmare come ture. She thought of everyone she could, anyone who could keep secrets, anyone who knows a lot about downworlders.

"Magnus!" She said quickly. He was a dowwolrder and had known many people in his lifetime, maybe he knew what was wrong with Alec. He may not be the most trustworthy person, but she knew he was just about their only option. Then again, that would be giving Alec's secret away to Magnus...

Jace seemed to agree with her, although he didn't look too thrilled. So they ran, running as fast as they could, knowing that there was someone following them.