Ch. 37
Alec, Clary, Izzy, and Simon were running down the streets of Brooklyn, towards the Institute.
"Why are we going to the Institute again?" Simon asked.
Alec rolled his eyes, "Remind me why it was a good idea to bring the Daylighter?"
Izzy sighed and turned towards Simon, still running, "Darling, we are going to the Institute to check for clues and decide on what to do."
Simon was staring into Izzy's eyes as they ran and he almost tripped on feet.
Alec laughed, "A vampire tripping, never heard of it!"
Simon glared at Alec and ran next to Clary, head down.
Alec turned his attention back in front of him, his head spinning. By the Angel, if Jace hurt Magnus badly, the last thing he would see was going to be the silver on his seraph blade.
Alec was distracted with his thoughts that he barely hear Clary scream.
"Ahhhh!"
Alec sighed and turned to Clary, "What is it!"
Out of the corner of his eye Alec saw something scurry in the dark alley to the right of him. A demon… Terror ripped through Alec and he immediately skidded to a stop, with such force that he left a dent in the concrete sidewalk.
"Runes, NOW!" Alec yelled to them.
The shadowhunters got into action, Alec activating his speed, agility, and invisibility rune. Izzy and Clary did the same thing, while Simon bared his fangs.
Alec activated his bow and loaded an arrow onto its thin, hard string. The tip of the arrow was blue, the ones that Magnus had given him. Looking closer Alec realized that MB was carved into the arrow itself.
Stop distracting yourself…, he thought to himself.
A huge clang came from the back of the alley and then the sound of scurrying Simon hissed, his eyes darting around the blackness.
"Simon, what is it?" Izzy asked.
Simon hissed again, "That thing is big, not like any other demon we've ever encountered."
Clary took out her seraph blade and slowly started to walk into the alley.
"Clary, we don't have a plan!" Alec whispered, harshly.
"Do we need one?" Clary smirked and walked into darkness.
Alec rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Just like her brother!"
Izzy glared at Alec before heading in after Clary, her whip uncoiling from around her wrist and down to the ground.
Alec sighed and clenching his bow tighter, walked into the darkness. He could hear the footsteps of Izzy and Simon behind him, but not Clary.
Simon put his hand on Alec's shoulder, "The scurrying, it stopped."
Alec felt his eyes widen and he urgently said, "CLARY!"
A shrill scream filled the air and they ran towards it.
"CLARY!" Simon screamed.
They got to the end of the alley and what they saw surprised them. A demon was standing in front of Clary, who was covered in black goo.
The demon lifted its head and let out a terrifying roar, that echoed throughout the alley.
"What kind of demon is that?" Izzy asked.
Alec stuttered, "I-I don't kn-know!"
Simon waved his hands, "Well that can't be good, because Alec knows everything!"
Alec shot an arrow at where he heard the scuffling stop and he quickly got the witchlight from his jacket pocket and held it out. The witchlight sent out a dim light and Alec could finally see the demon.
It was huge, it could barely fit in the tight alley. It's face had multiple horns, big red eyes, and sharp white fangs stuck out of its mouth. The body was black and Alec could barely make out the two wings held closely to its side. Alec saw his arrow right next to the edge of the left wing, it had barely missed the demon.
"That demon, I've never seen it before!" Alec said.
"So is it a new kind?" Clary said, holding her seraph blade towards the demon.
"I don't know!" Alec said, frustrated.
The demon blinked and spread its wings, scratching the sides of the alley. It growled and rows of sharp teeth were shown.
"It's huge!" Simon yelled, backing up.
Izzy yelled, "We can't take it down by ourselves, we need back up!"
Alec nodded, "Slowly start to back up."
Alec put his witchlight away, drawing his bowstring back straight at where he last saw the demon.
A huge terrifying roar filled filled the alley and the sound of crashing footsteps in front of them.
Alec shot two arrows at where he thought the demon's chest would. Another roar and faster feet in front of them.
"RUN!" Alec yelled.
They turned and ran. Simon already out of the alley due to his vampire speed.
"Come on guys!" Simon yelled.
Izzy yelled, "Easy for you to say, you're not the one wearing stilettos!"
"Then why did you wear them!?" Alec yelled, running faster as the claw scrapes and footsteps got louder.
"They are cute and go with my outfit!" Izzy snapped back.
Alec rolled his eyes and kept running, they were almost at the entrance of the alley.
Suddenly the noise behind them stopped and all Alec could hear was the wind whistling through the alley.
Simon was watching something above them, mouth gaped open in horror. Alec stopped running and looked up.
The demon was right on top of him, its claws stuck into the wall to keep it up, like a spider. The demon growled and Alec felt the saliva on his forehead.
Alec notched an arrow and shot directly at its chest, hoping to get it off balance. The arrow hit its target and the demon roared in pain and came crashing down on them.
"RUN!" Alec yelled.
The thundering sound of the demon fallin came down fast, rock falling, crumbling down on them.
Alec could see the entrance of the alley, his heart jumped and he almost got flattened by a boulder.
"Woah, we're almost there." Alec yelled,
The demon crashed to the ground, with a sickening crush and dust shot in the air.
"Ahh!" Izzy yelled behind Alec.
Alec's eyes widened, "Izzy?"
Alec saw Clary hesitate but yelled, "Clary go, we will meet you out there with Simon!"
Alec turned back, narrowly missing a boulder and frankly calling, "IZZY!"
"ALEC!"
Alec ran towards the voice and found Izzy among the falling rocks. Her foot was caught under a rock and her forehead bleeding.
"IZZY!" Alec rushed for her.
The demon had gotten up on its legs, wings held to its side and its eyes on Alec.
Alec hated how the blood red eyes made him shiver. He quickly ran to Izzy, who was now unconscious on the ground, blood in a small pool around her.
"Izzy, it's going to he okay!" Alec panted.
He slung his bow on his shoulder and gently pried the rock off Izzy's ankle and started to grab her arms and lift her.
The demon started to move, throwing it's head back, teeth gnashing together, and a roar so loud the building s around them shook.
Alec picked Izzy up bridal style and turned to start heading for the alley way entrance.
"Come on!" Clary and Simon were yelling.
Alec heard the sound of him being followed and he turned his head slightly.
The demon was chasing after him, it had small hands on the tip of its wings and was running on all fours. It's blood red eyes sent a shiver of fear up Alec's spine.
"Simon, get over here!" Alec yelled.
Quicker that Alec could comprehend Simo ran to them, Alec handed Izzy to him, even though he thought it was a bad idea.
"Get her to the Institute. NOW, GO!" Alec yelled pushing Simon forward.
Simon went and Alec turned towards the demon coming straight for him. He notched an arrow in his bow and aimed it right for its weak spot right in between it's eyes.
Alec was about to shoot the arrow when the demon's tail shot out and chucked a boulder at Alec faster that he could comprehend.
He just had time to turn around as the boulder hit him square in the back. Pain shot through him like a bullet and the force of the hit sent him sprawling to the ground.
Alec groaned as he hit the ground and blood started to run down his forehead. His chest hurt when he breathed and he thought he had broken a rib.
"Alec watch out!" Clary screamed.
Alec looked up and sae another boulder hurtling towards him. He barely had time to roll out of the way before the boulder hit the ground.
Alec got up and grabbing his bow, ran towards the entrance. Clary's eyes were wide and her face full of concern.
Alec started to feel dizzy and the world started to spin.
The demon was closing in and Alec wasn't sure if he would make it.
ALec go t to the entrance and turning quickly notched two arrows and fired them. The arrows hit the demon straight the middle of the eyes and it fell right in front of Alec.
Alec fell to his knees, the world turning black and he barely heard Clary scream. As he fell on the ground and the world went black around him, the last thing he saw was the demon spitting into four tiny versions of itself.
Well, I failed you Magnus. I'm sorry, Alec thought.
New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.