Chapter Ten - Out of the Darkness Crawls the Demon

Simon wondered how much time had passed since Isabelle entered the room. Three, maybe four hours? A day? Simon didn't know. The passing seconds simply drifted inside his head like a swirl of nonsense. The moment Isabelle had forced him to drink three entire packets of blood, Simon had shut down. He could remember the grotesque look that Isabelle had cast in his direction as he savagely tore through the repulsive animal blood, but everything since then was a blur. The blood wasn't sitting well with Simon. It wasn't what the demon craved, and its protest of the vile substance was grating on Simon's last nerve, making his stomach tighten with violent spasms of disgust. But the blood had made Simon strong enough to face Isabelle, even though he didn't want to. Simon was ashamed of his recent behavior, and still not sure that the demon blood was fully gone from his system. There was part of him that still longed for a taste of Isabelle, and not in the good sense of the word.

"So how long am I going to get the silent treatment?" Isabelle asked. She was seated on the large, four post California King bed, her legs dangling off the side of the mattress. They seemed so delicate to Simon, so intoxicating, so perfectly sculpted. The bright Anime wall behind Isabelle cast shimmers of color around her plume of dark hair which caused Simon to internally gasp at her appearance. She was just so beautiful to Simon that, for a moment, he believed he was strong enough to conquer the demon inside. "Are you going talk to me, or just stare? 'Cause I have to tell you…you've got this whole vamp vibe going for you with the eyes."

Simon laughed. "Thank you for coming after me."

"It's not like I had much of a choice," she answered, staring him down with an amused expression. "If Clary tells the Clave what happened back there, you know they will try to find a way around your mark. Have to prove you're not a danger."

Clary wouldn't do that, Simon thought to himself, or would she? He hadn't exactly given her a reason not to, but despite everything that happened between them, Simon was confident in the knowledge that Clary wouldn't turn him over the Clave. She was still his best friend. At least that was Simon's hope.

As far as not being a danger, that was yet to be seen.

"How's my mom?" Simon asked, getting to his feet and joining Isabelle on the bed.

"She was still asleep when I left," Isabelle replied. Simon's eyes grew wide at the thought of his mother alone in the house with the Seelie Queen on the loose. As if Isabelle could read his mind, she continued with her explanation before Simon could even utter a single word. "Relax, Lewis. I tried to wake her up, but she was in the middle of a dream. I'm sure she's up and about by now, probably cooking you yet another dinner you will have to dump in the garbage before she sees you."

"Will you check on her later tonight?"

Isabelle turned to him with a puzzled expression; one that suggested Isabelle had no intention of leaving him alone. It wasn't that Simon wanted to be alone, it was just that it would be better for everyone involved if they had as little contact with him as possible at the moment.

He was unpredictable. His actions last night had proved what he was capable of, and Simon knew it was just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. He'd felt such power coursing through his body that nothing else had mattered in that moment, but there was so much more to the demon than a mere argument with his best friend. That knowledge was buried in the pit of Simon's stomach, snaking itself around the dull throbbing sensation that the cow blood had left behind.

Simon shuddered at the thought. Cow blood was not as appetizing as he'd hoped for. If Simon had something tangible from his old life to compare it to, it would probably be the equivalent of drinking Draino from an old, sweaty gym sock.

"Look, I don't think you should be alone tonight. There is something going on with you, and I intend to stay by your side until we figure it out," Isabelle stated, tossing her hair over her shoulder in dismissal of Simon's silent argument about her continued presence. Simon just rolled his eyes. Who was he to argue with Isabelle Lightwood? "Plus I need to tell you about that summoning stone so we can call the Seelie Queen off your mom."

The summoning stone. Simon had almost forgotten.

"Well, you're the downworlder expert," Simon said, pulling the stone from his pocket. "Take a look."

Isabelle snatched the glittering crystal from his hands, and examined the markings that rested on the curvature of the bell. "Tuulo' i' tari."

"What's that mean?"

"It's the only part of the text I can understand. It means—greetings from the Queen. The rest of it is just gibberish."

"There has to be more to it than that!" Simon snapped. He instantly regretted his forceful tone, but it was too late to take it back now.

"It's not like there's a high demand for Fairy language at the institute," she hissed in return. "Of course there's more to it than that, but I can't understand it."

"Well, you're a lot of help, aren't you."

Simon's hand slapped across his mouth with a loud crack. What was he doing? Alienating the one person that he craved above everything else? He had to get a grip on himself. He could not allow the darkness crawling inside of him to reach Isabelle, even with his words.

"I come out here, I save your life, bring you food, and this is how you're going to repay me?" Isabelle almost growled as she spoke, causing a peculiar icy sensation to prickle against the back of Simon's neck. Oddly enough, Simon enjoyed the feeling. "I CAN'T READ IT. But I never said I didn't know how to work it. So if you would kindly SHUT UP, I can explain it to you. Unless you're going to continue to be a jerk?"

Simon shook off the odd pleasure of Isabelle's anger, and focused on the tiny object in her hands. "I'm listening."

"Legend has it that the person who the stone belongs to can summon the Queen. This much we know already, but it doesn't exactly work like that," Isabelle said, her eyes still studying the ornate jewelry in her hands. "Why Clary has one, I don't know. But the Queen doesn't just give them away for no reason."

"Well how do we get the Queen here?"

"We don't," she replied. "Like I said, it doesn't work that way. From what I've been told, only the person who the stone was given to can summon a messenger of the Seelie Court. The Queen wouldn't waste her time coming, so she sends someone in her place."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the only person who can summon a messenger from the court is your mom."

"NO!" Simon shouted, getting to his feet in a sudden fit of panic. He knew what this meant. There was always an ulterior motive where the Seelie Queen was concerned. The Queen knew that in order for Simon's mother to use the stone, she would have to be aware of the existence of downworlders. She also knew that Simon and Magnus had erased his mother's memories, and by revealing the existence of Fairies in order to use the crystal, Simon would in turn reveal himself.

So this had been the Queen's plan all along—to bring Simon's existence out into the open. To reveal him for what he truly was, and not the doting human son his mother had been brainwashed into believing. But what purpose would that serve? In order to call the Queen, Simon would have to relive that gruesome scene in the kitchen where he told his mother that he was a vampire. The same scene that had plagued his memory time and time again. How could one person be so cruel?

"There has to be another way to meet with the Queen," Simon growled, pacing about the room. "We've done it before. Magnus just did it the other day."

"No, we were summoned to the court. Magnus is another story entirely, I'm sure. And as for the stone…I think the ship has sailed in the Clary department. I suppose you could have asked her to call the Queen with the one she has." Of course I could have until I almost killed her, Simon thought as Isabelle rambled on. "There's another problem. You see, only the bearer can enter the realm of the Fey unless the Queen grants otherwise, which means that your mom is going to have to go into the court."

This just kept getting better, and better, for Simon. First, almost being burned alive. Then, almost killing Isabelle and Clary. Now, he needed to come out of the closet to his mother and beg her to call a messenger from the court to take her underground to a world she shouldn't even know about. There just had to be another way.

Simon didn't care what Isabelle said. He would find another way. Simon would beg Magnus to call her if he had to.

"I will figure this out," Simon answered, feeling a little defeated. He approached Isabelle and pried the jewel from her fingertips, sliding it back into his pocket in the same fluid motion.

"I hate to say this, but I think we need to go back to the institute. We need help. You can't go inside, but maybe my parents will come out."

Simon stared at Isabelle, just watching the way that her eyes crinkled as she spoke. She seemed genuinely worried about Simon, something that, up until recently, he never would have thought possible. But things were different between them now. They'd confessed to loving one another, and although Simon knew he couldn't afford to be this close to her, he just couldn't help but want to kiss her again. He wanted to feel the comfort of her lips brushing over his. He needed to feel her hands wrapped around his skin like a tranquil summer breeze.

"Earth to Simon?" she mumbled, waving her hands in front of his face. "You're doing that staring thing again."

"Sorry…"

But Simon wasn't sorry that he'd been staring. He could feel that same sense of peculiarity flowing through him that he had only moments ago when Isabelle's anger had surfaced. Only this time, he recognized the feeling. It was the demon.

Simon could feel it slithering around in his body like a parasite invading its host. He could hear the distant cackles of the monster as it thumped on his silent heart, and the sinister words it reverberated through his mind.

Taste her, I can give her to you…

With three pints of blood in his system, Simon shrugged off the horrific ideas that fluttered through his mind. Nice try, he thought. The demon screeched in protest as Simon slammed down an invisible barrier between them.

Silence.

"So should we get going, or what?" Isabelle said, completely oblivious to the momentary struggle in Simon's mind.

"I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Not when it comes to me," Isabelle smiled, rising from the bed. She was mere inches away from his lips, whispering so softly that Simon's vampire hearing almost missed the passage. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me, Simon Lewis."

Suddenly, Isabelle was reaching forward, pressing her lips to his with a blinding force that almost sent him tumbling backwards into the bed.

"Izzy, no…"

"Shh," Isabelle whispered, placing her finger against his lips. "Kiss me, Simon."

He knew he shouldn't do it. Alarm bells were ringing in his mind—full of dread and panic for what this might mean—causing Simon to wince with every touch that Isabelle placed on his body. He couldn't relent. If he did, Isabelle might be lost to him forever.

"No, I can't…Iz, please…it's not safe."

But Isabelle wasn't listening, and soon enough, Simon's pleas dissolved into nothingness as her mouth enveloped him once again.

Sparks of electricity jolted out from her tongue, coursing into his own as the pair tangled together in outright lust. Everything in the room seemed to spin around Simon as he struggled to keep his fangs at bay. A set of fingertips found their way into his hair, pulling gently on the locks as if they were made of fragile threads of paper. He felt his length harden with every pass of her tongue, urging him to part his lips further and allow Isabelle to devour him completely. He took a hold of her waist, forcing her back into the bed frame, lowering her body to the ruffled sheets as he towered above her, still tangled in their embrace. He couldn't stop himself. He wanted Isabelle so badly that every part of him was screaming to seize the opportunity, to drop his guard and finally have a taste of Isabelle Lightwood.

"Ouch," Isabelle moaned into his mouth. "Careful."

Simon licked his lips, instantly growling at the taste of honeysuckle upon his tongue. Despite everything that he'd tried to control, his fangs had still come loose of their own accord, desperately searching for places to draw out her flavor. The sadistic demon burst to the surface as every one of Simon's barriers fell to the ground with a massive thud in the center of his chest. Everything inside of Simon shifted into darkness as he glanced down to watch Isabelle clawing at her pants, attempting to tug them down while she moaned in delight.

Simon wanted her so badly. He yearned to be inside of her, to feel her body join with his, to give the demon a taste of something more than tarry cow blood.

Simon followed her lead with a hasty precision, stripping himself free of his t-shirt, and lowering himself against Isabelle's body without a second thought. She felt warm and inviting against his cold exterior, which produced an audible moan that rang across the room like a bass drum. The sound just seemed to drive Isabelle deeper into her own pleasure.

Gripping her thighs tightly, Simon pressed his aching need against Isabelle's thigh, savoring the immense pleasure that coursed over his skin like wildfire. It was as if Isabelle had been made solely for him, and the powerful force that rifled through his body seemed to be enjoying this moment as much as he was.

"I've wanted this for so long," Isabelle panted, reaching up to pull Simon against her chest. "Please…"

Allowing his tongue to travel against her vibrant flesh, Simon passed over Isabelle's luscious skin with a slow, savory pace until his mouth met with the hollow of her throat. Her heartbeat was the strongest here, pulsating through her jugular like a thrum of a hummingbird's wings. Instantly, Simon became the predator. His lust, combined with the deep seeded need to taste Isabelle, pushed him over the edge before Simon could even attempt to beat down the flames of his rising desire.

Simon grasped her shoulders, and breathed out a raspy moan as complete and total darkness washed over him, winning the battle once and for all. As Isabelle's body moved underneath him trying to shed the rest of their clothing, the heat of her arousal tickled the sensations on Simon's tongue, causing his fangs to prick the side of her neck.

The taste exploded in his mouth like an exquisite bottle of red wine, the slightest hint of sunshine reflecting in the river of honeysuckle infused blood that poured effortlessly into Simon's mouth. Within the space of three seconds, Simon's grip tightened and he sank his fangs into Isabelle's neck again, drinking as deeply as he could.

There is nothing like human blood, Simon. Nothing like human blood…nothing like human blood…

Drink from her…taste her…see what I can do for you…

Isabelle screamed out in agony, laying tense in his arms, and he knew she was unable to push away because of his mark. Simon just smiled against her throat, his teeth still buried deep within her neck. There was no stopping the anesthetic effect of his bite. Slowly but surely, Isabelle began to relax, moaning softly with each ravenous pull from Simon's mouth. Every moan that Isabelle let slip caused Simon's demonic urges to cackle in delight as he carried on draining the life from the girl he loved.

"Simon…" Isabelle had stopped moving, but Simon wasn't paying attention to the wants and needs of Isabelle Lightwood any longer. The only thing that mattered to him was her blood. He craved the sensation more than anything. It was stronger than his love for Isabelle, the demon had seen to that. He was now just a puppet, but a sadistic puppet was a dangerous thing to mess with.

"Simon…" she choked out again. "Stop…"

A gurgle escaped her lips. The sound was barely audible to Simon, and he didn't care. His concentration remained fixated on the pulsating, vital fluid flowing so freely through the two small puncture marks. He was basking in his accomplishment, allowing the evil monster within him to savor this moment. It was useless to try and fight it.

"GET OFF MY SISTER!"

"ALEC, NO!"

Something inside of Simon snapped at the sound of Magnus' booming voice. Instantly, he looked up to see Magnus holding Alec back—his arms wrapped tightly around the deranged boy—desperately trying to stop Alec from barreling into Simon.

"I don't want to lose him, Simon!" Magnus shouted above Alec's rage. "I can't hold him much longer. If he fights you, he will die. Get out of here…PLEASE! "

Simon could feel blood trickling down his chin, and the sudden realization of what he'd just done to Isabelle struck him with such a force, that he lurched away from the bed, and smashed through the Anime wall behind him with a sickening crack. The rugged stones gave way, hurling Simon out into a dark tunnel that reeked of death and mildew.

"You can't run forever you filthy downworlder!" Alec screeched.

Simon shook his head and scrambled to his feet, staring down Alec Lightwood with a ferocious snarl. Beside him, stood Magnus, prepared to defend Alec with his life. And there, behind the pair of star-crossed lovers, was Isabelle. Her body lay slack against the blood soaked sheets, and for the first time since Isabelle kissed him, Simon felt a sense of overwhelming remorse. The magnitude of the absolute agony that shot through Simon at the sight of his precious Isabelle, clawed away at the remainder of whatever sanity he had left.

Simon let out a small whimper of despair as Magnus and Alec took a step towards him. Their eyes were focused solely on Simon with a venomous glare, making the demon hiss in desperate protest.

"Run you idiot!" Magnus yelled.

Fulfill your oath…release me…release me NOW!

The demon lunged to the surface, snarling viciously through clenched teeth as it absorbed the rest of Simon's body to protect itself. Simon could feel the malicious beast embedding itself in his lungs, his mind, even his fangs that still pricked the inside of his lips. He was choking on it - suffocating on the pure unadulterated evil that was smashing through all that was once pure and good about him. He had no will of his own, he had no strength to fight, he only had the presence of mind to run as Magnus instructed.

And Simon did run. He ran for his life.

The darkness had him now, and out of that darkness crawled the demon.

A/N: Things are about to get very tense in Simon's world, but have no fear...I love my Simon/Izzy too much to lead them astray. ~Vix~