A/N: What!? An update!? I know that it's been literal ages since I published this, but Merge (my other fanfiction) has been keeping me busy. I will try to start updating this more frequently as Merge is almost over.

Also, the demons I name in this are real demons, but not demon species. I just found them on Wikipedia, I'm not even sure if they're actually poisonous, I just needed to demon-y names and these ones sounded cool.

There was a shocked silence.

"What?" Asked Jace. Isabelle had been about to ask the same thing. Magnus slumped down, putting his head in his hands, "I-I don't know, I've never seen this before." Isabelle felt numb. She could not have another brother die. Not again. Especially when this one would all be her fault as well. Why in Raziel's name had she wanted to go clubbing? She had already lost Max, her parent's marriage had fallen apart, and she had even lost Simon for a while! She needed Alec; she needed her big brother. He couldn't die now, he just couldn't! But it was hard not to lose hope when she saw the look on Magnus's face. If Magnus couldn't save Alec who could?

"Let me see." Said a deep voice behind her. Zachariah, the sexy silent brother, was leading the girl in pyjamas (Isabelle thought her name might be Tessa) to the bed where Alec lay. He gently moved Magnus aside, taking his place to exam in him. Tessa took Magnus's hands comfortingly and he put his head on her shoulder, she stroked his hair gently and murmured something in his ear. Isabelle had never seen Magnus so vulnerable and comfortable with anyone except Alec. He obviously knew this girl well, or else he was just really devastated. Possibly both.

Isabelle turned her attention back to her older brother. His skin was bubbling and blistering. Zachariah ran his hands over Alec's body, peering at Alec's skin. "I think I've seen this before…" He mused, "When I was a Silent Brother…" Magnus's head shot up, "Really?" Zachariah nodded slowly, "I believe it's what happens when two different demon poison enter the system… If he was a mundane it would have killed him, but his runes are protecting him. It's very rare though, and the only way to cure it is to find out exactly which two demon poisons they are, then remove them individually." Magnus broke away from Tessa, "Are you sure that's what it is James?" He asked, pain lacing his voice, "James?" thought Isabelle and she saw confused looks pass fleetingly over the faces of the others. Zachariah-or James she supposed- looked at Magnus evenly, "I'm sure Magnus."

"Then how do we find out which two demon poisons they are?" Asked Jace. He sounded annoyed, but anyone could see the fear in his eyes, for once his emotions were open for the whole world to see. "Well, we need to find out his symptoms." Said Zachariah/James absently looking at Alec's chest with concern. "Well how the hell are we supposed to find out his symptoms if he's unconscious?" Jace snapped. Zachariah/James swallowed and looked up at Tessa who pulled her gaze away from Magnus to meet his eyes. They seemed to have a silent conversation, the sort that could only pass between two people who had known each other for a very long time. Then Tessa walked into the closet and closed the door behind her.

Isabelle watched her go with confusion; she loved clothes as much as the next girl, but this really wasn't the time! Zachariah/James didn't seemed fazed by this behaviour at all, "Jace Clary, start drawing runes on his chest, any type of angelic protection runes, will slow the poison down. Jace, as his Parabatai your runes will have added power, and Clary, well you have magical angel powers." The two of them went to work immediately, looking slightly confused but not questioning his orders. James/Zachariah had been a silent brother, if anyone could help Alec, he could.

Tessa came out of the closet in a loose black t-shirt and black boxers. She laid a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder and pushed him gently aside, but he grabbed her hand, "Are you sure you're up for this?" He asked, his voice gentle. She nodded, smiling slightly, "It won't be the worst scrape I've gotten into because of Lightwood." He still looked worried. "I'll be fine Jem," she said, reassuringly, "I'll be fast, and you'll be right here, if I collapse you can catch me." "Why would she collapse?" Isabelle wondered.

Jace was wondering the same thing; this whole situation was extremely confusing and he was having trouble thinking straight, Alec was dying and everything seemed hopeless. Hopelessness did not sit well with Jace. He knew he had been rude to the ex-Silent Brother, but he hadn't been able to help himself; being rude was his automatic defense mechanism. He was glad, at least, that he had the job of drawing runes, it helped that he was able to do something to help, however small that something was.

The girl was bothering him too. Tessa, her name was, Tessa Gray, she the girl who had given Clary James Herondale's ring, Clary had told him. But she had never spoken to him. Even now, Tessa had not met his eyes once. Still, Jace felt strangely drawn to her, not in the way he felt drawn to Clary, but drawn nonetheless. He felt like he could trust her, and Jace never trusted strangers.

He decided to concentrate on the runes he was drawing; they were simple, he understood them, he knew what he was doing. He observed the odd, romantic moment between Tessa and the man whose name was either Zachariah, James or Jem (Jace personally thought that Jem suited him best) with mild curiosity, but mostly impatience. If they were going to save Alec they had to do it quickly, not stand around talking about Tessa's health.

Tessa laid her hand carefully on Alec's forehead and closed her eyes. Jace watched her. He watched her as she took in a deep breath, seeming to breath in Alec's very essence. Then, slowly, something strange started to happen to her. Tessa's hair darkened, and retracted into her head, her shoulders became broader and she seemed to get taller, her skin paled and her face changed. Suddenly, it was not Tessa standing there, but Alec.

Everyone was staring at her… or, him, except for Magnus who never took his eyes off the real Alec. Jem was looking at her with intense concern, and a moment later, Jace found out why. Tessa-Alec cried out and collapsed, just as the real Alec had, and Jem caught her/him in his arms. "Are you alright?" He asked, Tessa-Alec just groaned in response, and closed his/her eyes. A few tense moments past, filled with unasked questions and unspoken worry.

Tessa turned back into herself, and stood shakily, leaning on Jem for support and looked at Alec with empathy, "I know his symptoms. We must act quickly. He is in pain." She spoke like someone who was nearly delirious with fatigue but nobody questioned her. Jace honestly wouldn't know where to begin.

"An anansi demon and an echidna." Tessa told Magnus, "I'll take the anansi poison." Magnus nodded and the two warlocks set to work, they stood on either side of Alec and put their hands on his wounds, Jace assumed that they were drawing out the poison, but all he could concentrate on was the mysterious girl who had become, for a moment, the exact duplicate of his Parabatai.

Who the hell was this girl? What the hell was this girl? And why was she helping them?

A/N: Not my best chapter, but it's purpose was mostly to set up the rest of the story, which I promise will be more interesting.

Please review, and I will actually update this time.