Chapter 5

Of course Jace reached the fallen form first, practically vaulting from the small dais we stood upon, and flying down the isle, stele already in his hand, Alex in pursuit. But for the dress I would have been just as fast as the rest of them, but I did make a respectable presence, faster than our guests who barely had time to pivot in their seats before we reached the man.

"What in Heaven?" Isabelle gasped as the full sight of the man was revealed.

I had never seen anything like it, and Magnus' harsh admonishment of, "Don't touch it!" Snapped everyone backwards for a second.

The man, the Shadowhunter who lay awkwardly on his side on the floor of the church was bleeding from a ragged wound in his abdomen, from around a 'spear' of some sort that had been thrust through his body from back to front. It wasn't like any spear I had ever seen before in battle or around the Institute. I also didn't recall Jace mentioning its like before either.

It looked like an artichoke, or a large pinecone at the business end, both it and the green shaft it was affixed to covered in blood and something that resembled ichor. (At least that was the closest substance I could think of, Magnus seemed a little more confident that it wasn't normal.)

"It could be poisoned." He warned.

Not that that warning stopped Jace from doing something and taking charge. With a blade he pulled from his boot, (yes he was armed at our wedding – so was I) he tore the remnants of the man's black leather jacket, exposing his back. I had my stele out and was at his side.

"Clary, do the iratze on his skin, here." He pointed at an unblemished part closest to the spear wound. "You too Alex." We did as he said. The marks disappeared nearly as quickly as we drew them. That did not bode well.

"We need bandages, and we need to get him to the infirmary so we can get this thing out of him."

"On it." Isabelle darted up the aisle to the elevator; I heard it whir to life but did not take my gaze from the man on the floor or my mind from the task of trying to impart my healing energy. We had finally been joined at the doorway by Robert, Maryse, my Mom and Luke; they stood over us, not quite becoming involved except to fret (that was Maryse) and to wonder out loud what had happened, more so when the man began to stir.

"It's all right friend." Jace got low down to the ground, and spoke softly to the man. "You're safe now, you're with friends."

"Friends," the man groaned. "Daniel?"

"Who is Daniel?" Jace asked in the same soft tone.

"Parabati." He moaned, gritting his teeth and wincing his eyes together with a depth of pain that I understood well. The agony of losing one's other half was beyond crippling for a Shadowhunter, sadly, that seemed to be the case there. I drew more and more iratze as each one disappeared, trying to imbue some strength to the man.

Isabelle returned, Simon in tow, handfuls of bandages and a backboard carried between them. Winding the bandages into donut shapes, Jace carefully threaded them onto the spear, packing them against the torn flesh, then securing them with windings around the man's abdomen, placed as gently as possible. Once bound, he and Alex carefully lifted him onto the backboard, still lying on his side, and then hoisted the whole thing. I drew my last iratze and then let the exhaustion of the transference of my strength take me, slumping downwards as well.

"Clary?" I could hear the concern in Jace's voice. I raised my hand and my head to smile at him.

"I'm okay, go." I tried to assure him. Luke was at my side by then, helping me to my feet.

"I've got her Jace, we'll go together." Swung up into his arms as I had been as a child, Luke carried me behind the stretcher to the elevator and the infirmary.

ooOOoo

I was laid down in one of the hospital beds, close to where the others were gathered around the man. I pushed myself to sitting earning a little glare from my mom who seemed upset and angry with me, as if somehow the happenings had all been my fault. I swallowed back that hurt and focused on Jace and the others as Simon, noticing my activity, joined me on the sidelines.

"We need to get this thing out of him." Jace swore, examining the now bloodied bandages that surrounded the shaft of it.

"You shouldn't touch it with your bare hands Jace." Alex was still at his Parabati's side, an equally worried look on his face.

"Someone find me some gloves, something impermeable."

"Like Dragon-skin?" Simon offered. I elbowed him in the ribs.

"Dragons aren't real." I whispered to him. He offered me a shrug and wide-eyed glance. He could be forgiven for not yet having grasped everything that was myth and everything that was truth yet, we has still studying to become a Shadowhunter, and still hadn't faced the blood from the Mortal Cup (but that will be another story unto itself).

If Jace had heard the comment he chose to ignore it. Instead asking for surgical gloves and something to wear over them, like solid leather. Again it was Isabelle who ran to fetch them, she seemed to know where everything was in that place; and perhaps it really was her who had taken over Hodge's role of managing the institute, more than her Mother had. Jace demanded more bandages next; ready to stem the flow of blood once he removed the spear. Those materialized as I swung my legs off of the cot I had been laid upon and forced myself to his side. I knew he would need power to stem the flow of blood once the tamponade was removed. I leaned a little against Jace's shoulder, feeling a little lightheaded at the upright movement. He did not try to order me away, but instead took the stele from my fingers, and used it to trace an iratze on my bare shoulder. As he handed it back to me, he kissed me softly on my cheek and mouthed 'I'm sorry'. I shook my head, it wasn't time to think about ruined ceremonies and blood spattered gowns. Especially as Isabelle reappeared with a box of nitrile gloves and a pair of leather ones that she tossed at Jace.

"Be ready everyone." He said as he covered his hands.

I was kneeling in front of our guest, still at Jace's right side, with Alex on his left holding a wad of bandages. Isabelle and Simon were at the man's back, likewise armed. Magnus had conjured some kind of bin for the disposal of the spear, and stood just behind Jace, ready to receive it and destroy it if necessary. I closed my eyes, not because I was afraid of seeing the expressions of pain, or the unstoppered bleeding, but because I was hoping this was one of those situations where Ithurial, or his blood might grant me some kind of useful rune to stem the flow and somehow knit the tissues once again. Runes don't just come to me on command you see, they have always come in times of greatest need, and I'm not always the one who gets to define what 'greatest need' happens to be. I heard Jace start a countdown.

"Three, Two, One." With my free hand on the chest of the injured Shadowhunter I felt the jerk and heave as Jace yanked the thing free, and heard the thud of it hitting whatever container Magnus had ready. Only then did I see a form begin to materialize behind my eyelids.

The best way I can describe it is a caduceus, the entwined snakes and wings most often associated with the practice of medicine. Of course it had a more rune-like quality, paint strokes instead of the evenly taped serpents and defined feathers. I opened my eyes and began to draw. Jace took a cue from me, and after watching my design, copied it. We all waited, keeping pressure on the wounds, to see what would happen. A long moan and fluttering eyelids told us that something we had done was working.

"Hello friend, I told you you'd be okay." Jace said with a grin as deep green eyes latched onto his.