Game of Survival-Shadowhunters

Instinct

Echo paced the floor of her room several times over with her Stele in her hands as a distraction. Ever since she had returned from the Citadel she had been on edge. Her body had reacted to the feeling and expressed them in a mess of ADHD. She couldn't keep her mind straight and her body was constantly in motion. She tapped the Stele against her palm and let out a breath.

She had originally planned on going to Alec to tell him what she was feeling, but the Shadowhunter had been MIA with Magnus for the past day and a half. Echo wasn't angry with Alec for going off with Magnus, she was happy for them, but she didn't know how badly she needed him until he wasn't there.

Echo licked at her lips and bit the inside of her cheek as she wore the carpet underneath her feet. Being inside of the Citadel made Echo itch. When she returned back to the Institute she could feel her skin tingle and she wasn't sure why. Echo felt her non-dominate hand start to shake. She narrowed her eyes and pulled her hand up to her view. The action wasn't hers and she was completely confused.

She quickly dropped her hand in a huff before she threw her Stele onto her bed. When it landed, Echo could hear the soft ricochet. Echo twisted her head at the noise. The Shadowdemon let out a breath before she brought her fingernails up to her skin and started to scratch with intensity.

Echo grit her teeth in frustration. She had no idea what was wrong with her. She let out a frustrated shout, which in turn caused her mind to suddenly become disoriented. Echo rubbed and scratched at her skin up until a knock sounded on her door.

"Hey, Ec. You in here?"

The sudden sound on the door caused the Shadowdemon to react in a way that she hasn't experienced in a long while.

The sudden anger that engulfed her seemed random and uncontrollable.

Echo quickly went up to the door and ripped it open to find Alec. Alec reacted to the forcefulness of the door. He staggered back slightly before taking in the sight of Echo. His eyes went wide, but Echo's words came first.

"Where the hell were you? I called you!"

Alec was confused. He stepped into her room and gently closed the door, "I'm sorry, I was with Magnus." Alec knew he told her this, but he suddenly seemed to be standing on eggshells.

Echo rubbed at her arms again, "Typical. Typical." Echo twitched at her second word and Alec suddenly felt uncomfortable with her behavior.

Alec noticed how Echo was twitching slightly; almost as if she were a robot that had suddenly malfunctioned. Alec took a hesitant step forward and hovered his hand over his glamoured bow and arrow.

"Hey, Ec. Look at me."

Echo flicked her head at Alec with involuntary anger on her face. Alec held a hand out to her.

"Okay, I think I know what's wrong."

Echo licked her teeth, "Who said anything was wrong?" Echo's body started shaking.

Alec swallowed and kept his words even, "There's a big storm coming in and it messes with the demons. I think you are being affected."

Echo barred her teeth as she flinched her head. She brought a hand up to the back of her ear and gave a small, quick scratch.

"Nothing is wrong with me." Echo's voice switched to a smile, "I've never felt more alive!"

Alec saw how serious Echo was and became defensive. Exactly how he had been trained.

Echo let out a laugh filled with ecstasy, "I never thought that feeling like this would feel so damn good! Alec," Echo took a step forward into Alec's face, "I have never felt this happy."

Echo felt how her demon clutched onto her and sunk its claws deep into her mind and she loved the feeling. The pain was so pleasurable.

"This pain that I feel is so pure." Alec watched how Echo shifted. He could feel how distant she really was.

"Echo, this isn't you. Snap out of it."

Echo took a step back from Alec with sudden anger, "Snap out of it?" Echo stressed her word with a flick of her head. The trained Shadowhunter was suddenly at a loss; he knew what his instincts wanted, but his heart wanted to let her live. Alec's quiver came out of the glamour and Echo reacted sharply. She pulled in a breath and jutted her chin up.

"What are you going to do with those?"

With furrowed brows, Alec quickly pulled an arrow into his bow and pulled it taut with the arrow pointed at Echo's shoulder away from her heart.

"Don't make me do this." Alec's words broke.

Echo grit her teeth, "You aren't going to do it." Echo could hear the disorientation in Alec's mind, "You don't have the courage." Echo let out a smirk, but the smirk didn't last long. Echo's lips turned up in a snarl as she looked at the door behind Alec.

"Little sister, always ruining everything." Alec heard the venom in Echo's voice.

"Clary, get out of here!" Alec shouted at Clary, whom he assumed was behind the door, while keeping his eyes on Echo.

The door started to open, "Alec, what—" Clary's voice stopped when she saw the scene before her, "What the hell?"

Alec kept his eyes on his wife, "Go get Isabelle." Alec's words were slow and Clary quickly followed.

"You really think you can keep me here?" Echo eyed Alec with slow and haunting words.

Alec's hand on his bowstring started to shake, "Please, Ec."

Echo felt a twitch in her neck and hand and carried it out. The sight looked odd to Alec; she looked out of control.

"You don't know what I feel." Echo let out a euphoric breath, "I don't know why I ever pushed my demon down. This feels too good."

Alec let out a slight wine and Echo noticed his slip. Echo took slow, sensual steps forward until her chest was pressed against the tip of Alec's arrow.

Echo glanced down with a smirk, "You won't do it."

"Alec."

Echo snapped her eyes over to Isabelle who had wide eyes, "Ah, Isabelle." Echo's words were uncharacteristically slow for a greeting, "Welcome to our party."

"Alec, what's going on?" Isabelle's words were slow as well and that made Echo angry.

Echo's face turned up in anger, "Can we stop with the careful words!" Echo twitched at her word and felt the heat start to rise.

"Her demon is reacting to the weather." Alec spoke to Isabelle.

The Shadowhunter took a step forward and Echo saw her snake whip start to unwind itself.

"Sorry Echo." Isabelle went to snap the leather, but Echo gave a smirk. She looked Alec in the eye before she pulled in a breath and vanished from the room.

Isabelle's whip snapped in midair and both of the Shadowhunters let out a breath. Alec dropped his arrow and turned to face his sister, "We need to find her. She's out of control."

Isabelle started to wind the whip back around her wrist, "We have two problems."

Alec raised his eyebrows to let Isabelle know she could continue.

"The Citadel was breached. Magdalena is dead and Cleophas is missing."

Alec let out a breath, but Isabelle said her thoughts, "I think Echo can wait. We need to fix this first."

Alec raised his eyebrows, "No, I'm going out to find her before she hurts herself or somebody else." The Shadowhunter quickly pushed past his sister with a huff. Isabelle looked back at her brother and let out a sigh; she also had other things on her mind other than the breach of the Citadel. Both Lightwoods suddenly felt guilty that they put their own problems before their duty to the Shadow World.