Catarina couldn't stay. She was knelt beside Alec with her life-long friend in front of them, trapped inside feverish sleep. Isabelle was flitting in and out of the bedroom, constantly on the phone with Jace or Clary.

Her loud voice could be heard clearly from where Cat knelt.

"Where are you now? What d'you mean the tracking isn't working?"

"Keep trying. If it's really a dead end, come back and Alec and Jace can parabatai track."

Izzy hung up for the third time that evening, and came back into the room. Cat stood up, feeling her loss of magic making her dizzy.

"Isabelle, I have to go."

Izzy looked dismayed, but Cat continued.

"I have to get back to Madzie, she'll be wondering where I am. Izzy, I don't want to leave, but…"

Isabelle took her hand and replied softly. "I get it. Magnus loves her just as much as you, he'd want you with her. Go."

Cat picked up her bag. "I'll be back here at seven tomorrow."

"Thanks. Cat… be careful. We don't know if this thing just wanted to hurt Magnus."

When Cat had left, Izzy filled her position next to her brother. He looked awful, she had to admit. Alec was pale and shaky, with dark circles under his eyes. The solid black outfit didn't help. The only thing about him that wasn't greyscale were his eyes, brighter blue even than usual because of salty tears. They were fixed on Magnus' face, and didn't move when he asked:

"The tracking really isn't working?"

Izzy mentally cursed for speaking so loudly.

"Yeah. Do you feel strong enough to track with Jace?"

"I don't want to leave him."

"You won't have to," Izzy assured. Alec nodded. Izzy patted his shoulders comfortingly, and started to get up. "I'm going to make you tea."

"Iz... ," Alec started as she turned to leave. "He is okay, right? He's not dying?"

Isabelle took her brother's face in her hands. "Alec. I know you're worried. Of course you are, you love him. But I promise he's okay. He's just asleep. Yes, he's injured, but as soon as we find the dolt who did this, we can find the antidote and then he'll be back to normal."

"Easier said than done," Jace's voice called from the door. Alec frowned and went back to watching Magnus. Izzy shot out the bedroom door.

"Perfect timing, as usual, Jace," she said, with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

"Are they okay?" Clary asked, elbowing a smirking Jace away.

"There I was trying to convince Al that Magnus would be okay, and then he busts in. 'Easier said than done.' Your parabatai's love is injured, Jace!"

Jace's smiled dropped and he slipped away to see Alec. Izzy hugged Clary suddenly.

"I hate seeing Alec like this. Tell me you have something?"

"I wish I could. The tracking just failed completely, there was no spark, nothing."

"Cat left about five minutes ago."
"I was going to ask her to look up possible poisons. Some of the worse ones can do pretty twisted things to someone. Magnus doesn't deserve that."

"Whoever did it to him does," Jace said, leading Alec out by his arm. Alec opened his mouth to protest.

"I'll stay with him," Clary said, and disappeared into the bedroom. Alec closed his mouth in surprise, and quirked an eyebrow.

"That was Fray, right?"

Izzy smiled. "Yes. Are you two going to track?"

Jace nodded and took Alec's right hand in his own, with the knife clasped between them. With their tracking runes activated, it should have been easy. In Alec's head, he was doing what would save Magnus.

But it didn't work.