"Where are we going?" said Clary, out of breath, as she followed Jace down the twisting corridors. Their hands were interlinked, but more out of a reluctance on Jace's part to let go if anything, as if the moment he did she would go running back into the melee. Which, Clary thought, was exactly what she wanted to do. She really hated how predictable she was sometimes.
"I don't know," he replied.
Despite the circumstances, Clary couldn't help herself. "What, Jace the Magnificent is lost? How's that even possible?"
"Shut up Clary," said Jace, stopping abruptly. Clary couldn't stop herself and slammed into him. She looked mortally wounded. "I'm trying to think," he said, a slight apology in his tone, but still very blunt. He felt so rigid, Clary thought, standing there next to him. But she didn't get to muse much longer. "Come on," he said, yanking her hand once again and pulling her off into yet another corridor. Clary wondered when this would end. It was almost like torture. He doesn't want me here, she thought. I can sense it. I should've stayed home, —shit, why didn't I listen to him?
They came through a set of double doors onto a narrow curtained passageway. At the end of the passageway was the stage.
The gold curtains had been all but eaten away by the fire. There was smoke residue and a lot of harsh chemicals in the air. Clary choked and spluttered, and she could see Jace's eyes watering from it. There were several firefighters on the stage as well. They noticed Clary and Jace.
"Hey, uh, you kids supposed to be here?" asked one of the firefighters.
"Of course they're not supposed to be here, dumbass!" said another.
"I thought we evacuated everyone?" said a third.
"Here," said the first one again, offering his hand to Clary. "Just take my hand and we'll get you out." Clary was confused, and she looked to Jace. He looked just about ready to give them what for, being treated like that and called kids. But his countenance suddenly contorted into one of fear, his eyes wide in terror.
"Clary, don't!" he yelled. Just as the firefighter was about to take her hand, Jace bodyslammed into him, knocking the firefighter over. Clary was about to ask what in the world was wrong with him, when the firefighter, lying on his back, spluttered and made gargling noises. Jace sprang up. Black bile started to pour out of the firefighter's mouth.
"Get back, Clary!" he said, and she dazedly obeyed. What in the world is going on, she thought. The firefighter's mouth expanded to an inhuman size as the black smoke…thing…Clary was unsure what it was, drifted out of him. It began to take shape. A massive staggering creature, with a forked tongue, sharp, needlelike teeth, and hollow eyes took form. Clary looked to the other three firefighters, and the same was happening to them. Clary sidled over to Jace. They didn't have to exchange words. She knew. Demons.
"These are Eidolon," said Jace. "There's too many. I don't know if I can fight them off." That was the first time she had heard Jace say those words. I don't know. Too many. It sounded grim. They only had the one seraph blade between them, glowing blue and ready to attack. Suddenly one of the demons disappeared, and when Jace whirled around it had reappeared behind him. He struck down the blade but missed, the demon again un-forming and re-forming several feet to the left.
There was a second one that made its way over to Clary. Panicking, she drew out her stele. Think, think, think, she thought to herself. What could she do to save them both? Could she draw a rune for conjuring weapons? She tried, she visualised a weapon forming in front of her, drawing what seemed to be the appropriate rune. The stele didn't glow. It didn't work.
Jace managed to stab the other demon, but a second one had crept up behind him, toppling him to the floor and knocking the breath out of him.
"Jace!" Clary yelled, but the demon that was closing in on her was only inches away. If only she could…if only…
Barrier. The word fell into her head. She got to work fervently drawing runes and outlines, visualising a barrier running around her and Jace to keep out the demons. She felt the stele glow blue, and drew even faster. Suddenly, the demon closing in on her stopped. It could get no further. The same thing happened to the three demons closing in on Jace. They moved in on him but drew back as if blocked by invisible glass.
She ran over to him.
"Jace! Jace, are you alright?" She touched his chest, and could feel his hollow breath rattling.
"I'm…fine," he sputtered.
"You sound like you've broken a rib or something," said Clary, concerned.
"I feel like it, too."
"Jace, the healing rune…" Jace looked up at her and nodded. This time, she knew what to do. She pulled his shirt up, as a healing rune drawn closer to the heart would make the body heal faster. She could see splotches of blood on his chest, as if he'd been hit by a shotgun loaded with rock salt. She drew the iratze as close to his heart as she could. He winced slightly from the pain. When her work was done she quickly looked up. The barrier was still in effect, the demons ambling about aimlessly. It seemed as if they couldn't see them anymore, either.
Suddenly, with a unifying hiss, the demons drew away from the invisible barrier and gathered together further downstage. Clary watched them. The curtain at the far end backstage split open. It was Alec.
"Alec!" Clary yelled. But he didn't seem to hear. Face bloodied and hair matted, he realised he had run straight into a trap as the four demons circled all around him.
"Alec! Over here!" Clary yelled, louder this time, and waving her hand, even though there were only several feet between them. Jace was staggering to get up to his feet.
"I don't think he can hear us," said Jace. Clary made to move forward but was bounced back by the invisible barrier. "ALEC!" She screamed again. But Alec couldn't hear them. The boy who had sacrificed so much for them, who would go to the ends of the earth and back, looked all alone and petrified.
A/N: Been gone for a while but now I'm back. Please let me know what you think! Reviews give me warm fuzzies :) :3