Alec slid the blade over the thin skin on his hip again, digging in a little deeper this time. He closed his eyes and his head tipped back as he let the relief he felt flow through him. It felt so good, it felt like he was doing the right thing, it felt-

"Alec, are you almost ready?" Isabelle called through his door as she knocked.

Fuck.

"Yeah, give me two minutes Iz, still changing," he yelled out, glancing around his room for his gear.

"Hurry up!" was all she said.

He wrapped up the cuts and quickly yanked his gear on, snatching up his dagger and throwing his door open.

"I'm ready," he announced, leading his siblings outside, ignoring Isabelle's low comments about how long he'd taken to get ready.

They hadn't anticipated so many demons. There were too many surrounding them, how the hell were they going to get out of this alive-

A piercing scream ripped through the air, and Alec flung himself around, recognizing his sister's voice, only to find Isabelle bent over the ground, clutching her fighting arm. Alec abandoned the demon he and Jace were fighting, fairly certain Jace would be alright, and rushed over to Isabelle's side to help.

Alec advanced on the Ravener, hoping to turn it's attention away from Izzy, and threw his dagger at the demon. The demon snarled as it came closer and a sudden sharp pain spread throughout Alec's body. Vaguely his brain registered the fact that the bandages on his hips had been ripped off and it felt like a fuck ton of blood was all over him.

Isabelle, he thought desperately as he felt himself hitting the ground, I have to-

"Dammit Magnus Bane, why the hell aren't you picking up?" Isabelle was shouting into the phone by now and Jace was in no hurry to stop her.

Maryse entered the room, her lips drawn into a thin line, but her posture as elegant as ever. "Catarina Loss is on her way," she announced over Izzy's profanities, glancing towards her daughter as she headed towards the Institute's front door. Her tonr was calm, her face expressionless. Jace knew she had trained herself to react this way.

Isabelle burst into tears, covering her mouth as the phone slipped out of her hand. Jace moved to hug her, but before he could reach her Simon had hurried forward to pull her into his embrace. Jace could hear him whispering into Izzy's ear and figured she was in good hands.

Maryse returned with Catarina, who nodded curtly to everyone before being lead to the infirmary. Jace followed.

"-was attacked by a Ravener," he overheard Maryse saying, "we think he's been poisoned, and there are cuts all over his body, I-" She stopped talking, and Jace knew she was composing herself. "Can you heal him?"

"I don't have much magic left in me," Catarina replied carefully. "But I can keep him alive. Magnus would be helpful-"

"Yes, well, Magnus isn't answering," Maryse interrupted shortly, and Jace paused, letting them go on without him. Making up his mind, he turned to grab a jacket and slip out of the Institute unnoticed.