GENESIS: A RIGHT TO STAND (Book One) • SHADOWHUNTERS

BETRAYAL

Spencer stepped over the debris to reach the wall. She began pulling out her daggers, one by one, and slid them back into their places.

    Jace stumbled over to Alec, dropping to his side. Alec's breathing was still shallow, but at least he was breathing—as was Isabelle, which was a relief. Clary and Simon had gone to her.

    "Clary!" Jace called. "Bring my stele."

    Spencer, yanking the last dagger from the wall, turned to see Clary stepping around Isabelle, still unconscious, to get to Jace and Alec, who had opened his eyes.

    "Did...did I kill it?" he asked, triumph in his eyes.

    "You—" Jace started, but Clary cut him off.

    "Yes," she said. "It's dead."

    Alec laughed then, blood spraying from his mouth. Spencer looked away. She saw Isabelle's stele sticking out of her pocket and took it, handing it to Jace.

    "Don't," Jace said, and his voice was tender, concerned. "Hold still, just hold still."

    "Do what you have to," Alec murmured back.

    There was a sound like tearing fabric. Spencer crept over to see that Jace had torn Alec's shirt open, baring Alec's white chest. A series of claw marks, steadily blackening, raked over his stomach.

    Jace moved the stele across Alec's skin, leaving dark lines in its wake, but they faded immediately.

    "Damn it," Jace said, tossing away his stele.

    "What is it? What's wrong?" Spencer tried to contain her worry and terror.

    "It cut him with its talons. There's demon poison in him," Jace said. "The Marks can't work. Alec," he said, touching Alec's face. "Can you hear me?"

    Alec didn't respond, or move. He simply lay there, looking dead.

    "What about Izzy?" Simon asked him. "Will she be okay?"

    Jace seemed to notice Isabelle then, lying on the floor near Alec. "Damn it," he said again. Clary picked up his stele and handed it to him. This time, when he drew upon Isabelle's skin, the Mark remained, and she began to stir.

    "We need to take them to the hospital," Simon said worriedly. "There's a Methodist down on Seventh Avenue—"

    "I don't think mundane doctors will know what to do," Spencer said gently. She looked to Jace. "The Institute's our best bet, right? Hodge can heal them?" Jace nodded.

    A thump came from upstairs. The four of them slowly looked up. Dust rained from the ceiling.

    "Jace," Spencer said, "what's up there?"

    "Something not ideal at this very moment," he replied.

    "Would it, by any chance, be the Forsaken you mentioned earlier?"

    "More than likely."

    "The ones you said wouldn't bother us unless we tried to go upstairs?"

    "I did say might," he said, still looking up. Something slammed into a wall, and loud, slow footsteps came from the top of the stairwell.

    "Okay, then," Spencer said. "We'd better get out of here. Clary, clear the way and open the doors. Simon, you carry Isabelle while Jace and I get Alec."

    They all nodded, Simon scooping up Isabelle while Clary kicked away wood and bricks and anything he might trip on.

    Spencer and Jace each placed their hands under Alec's shoulders. "On three," Jace said. "One, two, three."