Chapter Sixteen

"Your blood… it's pure." Though he was hesitant, with his answer I knew what I had to do. Grabbing the knife Alec gave me earlier from my boot, I made a small cut across my palm before taking Alec's stele from his boot.

"Magnus can you turn Alec on his side?" I asked, Magnus must have known what I was thinking as he obliged and turned Alec exposing his neck and his inflamed wound. I quickly drew the rune for healing on his neck, the only difference was while the stele still smoked from the rune I gently applied my palm to the rune clad wound. Soon a white glow appeared below my hand.

Almost as soon as the glow started to fade I felt as if my body was drained of all its energy just like with the sun rune, but on brighter note as soon as the glow fully vanished Alec's eyes opened and he gasped as if he was just woken from a horrible nightmare. I couldn't help but sigh in relief, he was okay. I went to hug him which was a huge mistake, my fast movement and the dizziness that I felt I lost my footing and took note of the ground rushing to meet me. Magnus with catlike reflexes caught me and eased me into a sitting position beside Alec. Alec's worry was clearly written across his beautiful blue eyes.

"Riley…what happened?" Alec asked, I cradled my head in my hand trying to ease the worlds spinning but it was no use. "Bane, what is going on?"

"Riley healed you." Magnus answered while retrieving a bandage to cover my hand. "It's weakened her."

"The others need your help, Valentine is here in the Institute…" I started as I struggled to clear my head.

"He's brought demons." Magnus added, turning his attention to caring for me now that Alec was well again.

"You shouldn't enhance your runes until we know why they affect you the way that they do." Alec stated gently placing his hand on the side of my face so that he could look me in the eyes. His gesture sweet and I was only slightly caught off guard as mere days ago he hated my guts but I couldn't help but feel comforted and leaned into his touch more before defending my actions.

"I had to, while Magnus was healing you it was too slow. Jace and Isabelle need you help especially since Hodge betrayed us. He's the one that led Valentine here." Alec was alarmed by this information.

"Bane, will you stay with her?" Alec asked as he quickly stood finding his weapons laying on the bed beside his.

"For a price." Magnus answered as he quickly moved to stand behind Alec. Appalled Alec quickly turned around only to come face to face with Magnus. Being the slick warlock that he was he gently grabbed Alec's face with both hands and pulled him in for a heated passionate kissed. I was shocked and deep down slightly jealous that Magnus was kissing Alec. The two pulled apart and Alec seemed only frazzled for a moment.

"What the hell was that?" Alec demanded.

"My payment." Magnus answered with a sly grin. Alec glared at him for only a moment, I could tell he would deal with Magnus later.

Wasting no more time Alec turned to me leaning down close, "You need to rest, we'll talk about this later." Alec said indicating to how weak I was. I nodded feeling at the moment that, that was all I could do.

"Please be careful." I whispered as Alec ran out of the infirmary, he stopped just outside the threshold and turned back to Magnus.

"You better protect her Bane." And with that said Alec was gone.

"Such a pity…" Magnus sighed under his breath, I was confused but didn't have the energy to question him. "Why don't we move you to clean bed so you can sleep and then I can put up a ward to keep the demons out? I just hope Valentine doesn't realize we are here." Magnus stated louder and assisted me to lie down on another bed, as soon as my head hit the pillow my world started to darken. I blearily made out Magnus closing the infirmary doors and guiding his hand around the edges before I was completely consumed by unconsciousness.

~Alec's PoV~

I had no clue where the others were, my only guess was the library as it was where the portal was. I ran through the Institute as fast as I could making my way to main floor. Coming to a halt I was alerted by the sound squawking why were there birds in the Institute and by the sound of it there were many. There was an animalistic growl followed closely by yelling and screaming coming from the basement. Changing my direction I raced down the closest stairway leading deeper below the Institute.

What I found shocked me, the hoards of birds were morphing into shadowy demon bodies. They were trying to get into one of the crypt rooms from which behind the door I heard my sister yelling orders. While the demons were distracted with the door I took my chance to start attacking them sending them back to whatever dark hellish corners they came from. The remaining demons managed to break through the door only to be frozen in their place.

"What the hell?" slipped under my breath as I heard my sister speak to Clary in the crypt.

"Clary…which rune is that?"

"I don't know, it just…" Clary couldn't even answer my sister as I walked into view of the doorway. Not only was my sister, Clary and Simon in the room there were three members of a werewolf pack. What were they doing here?

"I've never seen that rune before…it's not in the book. It's fading." Isabelle stated in shock.

"Maybe you all should get out of there before they move again." I suggested grabbing my sister's attention.

"Alec!" she gasped, she was the first to make her way as carefully through the hoard of demons cautious to not touch the foul creatures. Once clear she pounced on me in a tight embrace. "You're alright…how? You were still unconscious when I left you."

"Long story short Riley helped Magnus speed up the healing." I answered. At the mention of Riley's name one of the werewolves head shot up in alarm.

"Riley's here?" he asked.

"Who are they? I asked ignoring the animal and looking towards my sister and Clary for answers.

"They're here to help." Isabelle answered.

"He's Alaric, he's Riley's Uncle or least that is what we thought. He raised her." Clary answered in more detail. "This is Luke he's a friend of my mother and I." I just assumed the third was just there to help his pack mates.

"Is she safe?" Alaric asked true concern radiating from him. I nodded to appease him.

"We don't have a lot of time." Isabelle stated tossing a seraph blade to Luke. "They're coming in from somewhere we need to stop them." She added as she broke into one of the many weapon stores in the Institute retrieving a special flame thrower.

Another look into the crypt saw that the demons were starting to get their movement back, "You guys go we'll catch up." Luke said taking a fighting stance with the blade. I could tell Alaric was torn with running in search of his adopted niece and staying to fight with his pack.

I must have been out of my mind as my next action surprised even myself. I handed Alaric one of my own seraph blades before consoling him, "She's safe for now, you can do more to help her here." With a nod Alaric accepted the weapon before turned to run off with my sister and Simon.

As we made our way up I couldn't help but wonder where Jace was. "Where's Jace?"

"When left the infirmary he was going to check on the portal." Isabelle answered never slowing her pace. So he was most likely in the library.

"So then where is Valentine?" I strongly did not like behind on details.

"I ran through the portal to escape him." Clary answered as a sinking feeling hit me in the stomach. I knew Jace was a strong Shadowhunter but would he be strong enough to take on Valentine. As we reached the corridor that held the library we slowed our pace to quiet our footsteps especially since the door to the library was open.

As we neared the door we could see Valentine bent over Clary's mother and also that the demons were getting in through the atrium above us. Where the hell was Jace? And where the hell was that traitor Hodge? So many unanswered questions ran through my head.

Isabelle motioned for Simon to follow her up to the atrium as Clary looked on towards her mother. Of course she would feel compelled to help her mother it was only natural. Then I thought of Riley, she tried so hard to protect her best friend and now Clary was about to face off against Valentine alone. I owed it to Riley to help Clary besides Simon lasted this long he could hold his own and watch my sister's back. When did I stop calling him mundane and actually started using his name?

"I'll follow you Clary." I stated letting her know I had her back. She nodded her head in gratitude as we silently crept into the library Clary in the lead. Like a true Shadowhunter Clary silently grabbed a dagger from a table before nearing the lunatic Valentine. I had a seraph blade at the ready as Clary pounced, her dagger pressed flushed against Valentine's throat.