The Mortal Instruments: City of Past Ghosts (Book 1)

Chapter 27: The Pain of Death

Chapter 27: The Pain of Death

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"Alec!" Jace screamed, the name clawing out of his throat.

He couldn't lose another sibling. Not his parabatai...

The scream of his name that left Alec's mouth was branded into Jace's brain and he couldn't shake the horror it brought on in him.

In the back of his head, Jace couldn't believe it. He refused to believe that Isabelle had brought Alec down with him. Looking out the broken window, Jace saw a bat flying away from the Institute, a glint of silver and gold on its wings. It flapped away like it was injured, one wing faltering every so often.

What the—?

In the most horrible moment he could have chosen, Magnus ran back into the library, looking flustered.

"What happened? I heard—" Magnus said but Jace had already zoned out.

The fact that Jace would never be able to feel the connection—

Jace froze for a moment. His parabatai connection was still there. He didn't feel anything different. Jace ran over to the broken window and peered over the edge.

For a moment, he was afraid that he was wrong, that he was just wrong about the parabatai bond, that he was just too numb to feel it. The last thing he needed to see was Alec's broken body lying on the stone pavement that surrounded the Institute.

Breathing every single praise to the Angel, Jace saw Alec hanging by the tips of his fingers over the edge of the window, grunting.

"Took you long enough," Alec grunted, scowling at his parabatai. Jace went to his knees and took Alec's hand, hauling his parabatai up.

If Alec fell now, hanging on by his fingertips, he probably wouldn't die but probably just make it out with a broken or twisted ankle. But if he hadn't managed to catch onto the edge and had fallen at the angle he was falling, Alec would've probably ended up with a cracked or dented skull, a possible broken spine and maybe a broken leg, not surviving the fall. Alec groaned, pulling himself up as well.

"I thought you were a dead-man." Jace said, groaning.

"Alec!" Magnus called in alarm, rushing to his side. Gripping Alec's upper arm while Jace had Alec's hand and forearm, they yanked him up. Alec groaned as he flopped onto solid ground again. He supported his upper body on his elbows as he kneeled on the ground, his breathing heavy.

Slowly, as if he were being mentally attacked, Alec put his head in his hands, his breathing turning ragged like he was inhaling acid.

Now that Alec was safe and after the rush of relief faded away slowly, Jace felt himself shut down, the adrenaline leaving his body, being drained away along with his ability to feel.

"Isabelle," Alec moaned. The name sliced through Jace and he inhaled sharply, his chest heaving.

"Alec?" Magnus said worriedly, placing a ring laden hand on Alec's cheek. "Tell me what happened? Alexander?"

"Oh God," Alec moaned, ignoring Magnus, as if he were in deep pain. Jace stared blankly at him. In the back of his mind and in the pits of his heart and stomach sharp slivers of despair, anger and anguish were mauling at Jace but he chose to shut down, folding and encasing himself again in the shiny untouchable shield that he had hid behind for sixteen years. It was weaker though, it had been a while since he had used that facade. He had grown out of practice. The shield was more vulnerable—he was more vulnerable. As hard as he tried to feel nothing, he still felt a flicker of cold, dark despair.