Hello, readers!
Today is my birthday, so this chapter is my b-day chapter.
This follows more of the COB plot, but there's that OC twist I hope you guys enjoy.
Have at it!
- EasyIsTheDescent
Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.
I just add more characters to make things interesting.
Because if like fifteen wasn't a party, then eighteen has to be a crowd.
When we reached Clary's home, I fully equipped my weapons belt with knives, seraph blades, and everything I could possibly fit. I struggled to reach the back, so I could tighten the leather straps that crossed over my shoulders, and I felt someone do so for me.
"Need some assistance?" Liam whispered, and I grinned.
"Not that I would ever admit that," I winked at him, and he let me go. Jace glanced over at us, quickly looking away, and Isabelle was smirking.
"Alright, boys and girls. We are going in."
"You two stay out here," Jace whispered as he passed me, and I knew what he meant.
"We're standing guard," I informed Liam, and he nodded.
The other four were ushered inside by a plump woman that jingled with bracelets, and Liam and I hovered outside of the door, one of us on either side.
I felt something in my chest, and I glanced towards the door in a worried response.
"Rose?"
"Something isn't right," I explained, and he raised an eyebrow.
I felt the slight pain again, and I realized it wasn't in my chest… it was… on it?
I looked down, and I recognized the necklace, the one my mother had the day she died, the one I knew she had wanted me to have.
I unclasped the necklace, and I saw a red mark, and my eyes widened when I saw the burn on my chest resembled the family crest.
"What the hell?" Liam asked, and I shrugged.
"I never noticed that sort of feeling so strongly before."
"What does it mean?"
An image flashed in my eye. Of a red pendant, coming alive in an attack.
"It's made to detect something's presence," I whispered.
"And what presence is that?"
I gasped. "Demons."
We heard a crash, and I immediately sprinted through the door, almost getting trampled by Izzy.
"Run!" She yelled, and I grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the door. I tried the knob, and it didn't open. Liam threw himself against it, but it was no use.
"It won't open!" I groaned, and we whirled around. I had a seraph blade out, its blade glowing to life with witchlight.
A demon started to form, from what I guessed used to be the woman, Dorothea, I believe, due to the bracelets that hit the floor.
Jace looked frightened, and I noticed his gaze flicker to Clary protectively. I was still holding onto Isabelle, and she trembled slightly.
Jace reacted in his defense mechanism: arrogant comments.
"Jace!" I hissed. Badmouthing the Greater Demon couldn't be the best approach. The demon lunged, and I felt time slow down. I reacted, practically throwing myself towards Jace, but Liam grabbed me, stopping me.
"Let me go!" I gasped, and I saw I wasn't the first to react. Alec had jumped in front of Jace, and I looked at the new wounds he had in horror. He was thrown into the wall with a sickening crack, and he didn't move.
"Alec!" I yelled, and Isabelle raced towards him, but only got injured in the process. I ran towards the demon, but Jace and Liam's seraph blades weren't doing any damage. I looked around, frightened, and I saw Clary on the stairs, curling in around herself as she watched Jace fight in horror. Well, the mundane Shadowhunter was no help, imagine that.
"Rose!" Liam yelled, and I turned around too late. The demon swiped at me, and I just missed his claws, but he swung back again, and he struck me in the chest, hitting my neck as well. I fell to the ground, feeling an agonizing pain in my side, gasping for breath. I couldn't breathe. I cursed the demon I had faced yesterday, hopefully burning in hell, or whatever dimension he was from. I choked, and when I coughed, blood appeared in my palm.
"Jace!" Isabelle yelled weakly, and I looked up at her. Jace was staring at Alec in horror, and she tried to awaken him from his daze.
"Jace, look at Rose! She needs you! Look at Clary!" Jace turned, as if her words had woke him up from a dream. He raced towards Clary, who was being approached by the demon. I looked for Liam, and he was swinging at the demon, but he had a long gash on his head, bleeding, and he wasn't going to last long by himself.
I tried to say something, anything, but I couldn't make a sound.
"Rose! Rose!" A muffled voice screamed, and I looked at the door.
Simon was standing outside, and he started pointing at something wildly. I turned my head weakly, and what he was pointing at… was that what I thought it was?
Oh, may the Angel bless you, Simon, I prayed, and I fought to pull myself up. I tried to cry out in pain, but all that escaped was a slight squeak. So I didn't scream. I bit my lip so hard blood started running down my chin, but I made it to my feet.
"Liam, cover me!" I used as much strength as I could, and I could proudly hear my own voice. He looked at me, and positioned himself so that he could fight the demon, and block it from me. I ran towards them, sliding underneath the demon, and I felt an agonizing pain as it kicked out, hitting me in the back. I fell to my knees, and I dragged myself to just underneath the skylight. I grabbed my witchlight, and I threw it as hard as I could. It flew up into the air, and I was on my back, too tired to move.
The witchlight hit the glass, and it shattered. Sunlight streamed in, and with a painful shriek, the demon curled in on itself. The glass fell to the floor, and I rolled over, shielding myself from the debris. The witchlight hit the ground next to me, surprisingly without a dent.
"Rose!" Liam was by my side, and he was drawing an iratze on my arm.
"Liam," I tried to say, but no sound formed, just a gasp of air. He put the tip of his stele to my skin, and he drew another healing rune on my neck. I felt more air enter my lungs, and I breathed in heavily.
"Thank you," I whispered. My throat hurt, but I could speak.
"No problem." He glanced over my shoulder, and I jumped up, whimpering slightly, and I stumbled over to Alec, who was lying on the ground. Jace was drawing runes on his chest, but they did nothing, just disappeared.
"We have to go. Now!" I yelled, and Jace lifted Alec as I raced to the door. I kicked it open, and it protested, but it swung open so fast that Simon ducked out of the way.
"Thank you so much, Simon. You're an angel," I whispered hurriedly, and I kissed his cheek before I ran to the ugly vehicle by the sidewalk, flinging to door open. We got Alec inside, with his head on Izzy's lap and his legs propped up, draped over Liam and I's legs.
I looked at Jace, kneeling besides Alec, and before he could protest I drew an iratze on his neck.
"My wellbeing should be the least of your worries, Nightlock." He grumbled, not looking at me.
"It won't do anyone any good if you let yourself start dying," I whispered softly, careful not to disturb Alec, who looked so pale it brought a shiver of fear, traveling down my spine.
I took his hand, holding onto it tightly. "Rosie?" He breathed, unconscious, and I smiled faintly.
"We're going to get you better, Alec. I guarantee it."
When we reached the Institute, I fumbled with the lock on the gate, and Jace ran inside, Isabelle and I right behind him. I barely gave a thought to Simon and Clary, and Liam was running besides me, his hand hovering over my shoulder. I ignored him.
"Hodge! Ethan!" I yelled, and my throat stung in protest. The scream wasn't very effective.
Liam repeated what I said, and his voice boomed far louder than mine.
"Rose! What happened?" I heard Hodge's voice immediately, and I saw Ethan had been dragging him towards us. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Alec in Jace's arms, but he just ran to the infirmary after us. Jace rested Alec on one of the beds, and I turned to Liam and Ethan.
"Guys, go help Clary and Simon, please." I begged, and they both had a strikingly similar stubborn expression on their faces. Any other time it would have been funny.
"I said go!" I added, and I looked Liam in the eyes.
Get my little brother out of here, I tried communicating to him, and he seemed to understand. He took Ethan by the arm gently but firmly, and pushed him away.
Isabelle, Hodge, Jace, and I were the only ones left with the unconscious Alec.
"Should I go get Clary to help, Hodge?" Jace asked, his voice strained. Hodge was shuffling through cabinets, finding supplies at random.
"No, she's done enough." Isabelle snapped, and he glared at her.
"Don't talk about her that way, Isabelle, it wasn't her fault."
"The hell it isn't! She is a mundane attempting to be a Shadowhunter and she is nothing but dangerous."
"Isabelle," I warned, and she ignored me.
"Isabelle, we are a team. If you can't accept that-"
"A team? Jace, we haven't been a team ever since she came along!" Isabelle yelled, and I sighed.
"That's enough!" I yelled, and they looked up, surprised to see me.
"Trust me when I tell you that I've been mad too, but there is not one thing that is less helpful than bickering while our brother is injured." I said calmly to Isabelle, and she relaxed slightly from my voice. Hodge had started to bandage up Alec, and I flinched, looking away.
"Rose, I need you to go take care of Ethan. I don't want him to see Alec like this." Jace whispered under his breath, and I wanted to leave, so bad.
I kissed Alec's forehead. "I love you, brother," I murmured, and I all but raced out of the infirmary. I stumbled down the hallway, and I heard footsteps behind me.
"Rose! How is he?" Liam asked, and a memory from only ten minutes ago flashed in my mind. Alec jumping in front of Jace, while Liam… held me back.
"You," I hissed, and I grabbed him by the shirt, slamming him into the wall. "How dare you!" I growled, and he looked confused.
"What do you mean?" He asked, slightly concerned and slightly frightened.
"I could have helped Jace, Alec didn't need to jump in front of him! But you got in the way!" I hissed, and his eyes narrowed.
"I was saving you from your reckless self!" He argued, and I didn't feel hurt, but angry.
"I don't need saving. Not from Alec, not from Jace, and not from you." I said coldly, and he let me go. I hurried away, in the direction of my room, when I stopped. If I was going to do nothing, I may as well be with Alec. I started back in the direction of the infirmary, and I bumped into Hodge.
I immediately knew something wasn't right. He looked… jumpy.
"Oh, sorry Hodge." I stammered, and he smiled. He looked sad.
"That's alright, I was just heading to the library. Alec is getting worse, I'm going to send for someone." He replied, and I raised an eyebrow.
"Hodge are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm alright." He smiled fondly. "You were always my favorite, Rose. You're the strongest Shadowhunter I've ever met, much like your parents." I gasped as he said this. Why was he saying this?
"Your parents were never in the Circle, you know. They never trusted Valentine. They died honorable Shadowhunters." Hodge whispered, and I tried to stop him, but he was still talking.
"You've been a good student, Rose. A strong fighter, yes, but you fight with love for the people next to you, not with anger towards your enemies. It's an honor to be your mentor. You're a good student, a good Shadowhunter, a good friend… and a wonderful daughter." He stopped talking now, and I was stunned.
"Hodge why are you saying this? You sound like you're saying goodbye," I felt my voice crack slightly, as it often did.
"Oh… I'm sorry, Rose. It's just this issue with Alec, it has me upset. I didn't mean to upset you as well," He looked odd, and I gasped when he hugged me. Hodge wasn't a hugger. I felt the burn of a stele on my bare shoulder too late.
"Hodge," I started, but the hallway was spinning, and the last thing I saw was Hodge's apologetic face as I drifted into the darkness.
Well, we have seemed to reach the end of City of Bones, at least in a chapter or two more.
So... you guys know the drill.
Review!
- EasyIsTheDescent