Skin and Bones | Alec Lightwood

Chapter 08

08| wildfire

"What happened?"

Magnus opened his doors, leading us inside his apartment as we dragged Luke inside.

"He was attacked!" Clary breathed out, struggling to keep ahold of Luke, "He needs a warlock."

Magnus meet my gaze as I trailed behind them, "He needs you, Magnus."

He nodded, rushing to the couch and arranging the pillows and sheets of blankets as we carefully lay Luke over it, "Put him here."

"Where are you?" Luke groaned, his face contorting in pain, "I can't find you."

Clary held back a sob, quietly shushing him but Luke seemed to be trapped in some sort of trance - he looked like he was in delirium, "Where are - Where are you? Where are you?"

"Jocelyn?" He panted, "Jocelyn!"

I stepped back, falling beside Magnus. My lips quivered, and I could hear my heart pounding in my ears because of anxiety. Clary kneeled beside him, holding his hand tight.

"No, Luke, it's Clary." She said, holding his hand against her cheek, "Can you hear me?"

"Clary, listen to me." He breathed out, "Listen - You have to listen to me. I have to tell you, just in case -"

"No, don't even say it, don't."

"No, listen to me." Luke shook his head, cutting Clary off, "No, you need to know! Listen-"

"Was he bitten by an alpha?" Magnus asked with a frown.

I nodded as my hand through my hair, tears prickling my eyes, "Yes."

Simon looked up to us, his brows furrowing at the long pause from Magnus, "Why?"

He sighed, and started counting, "Three, two, one -"

Luke let out a growl, his eyes flashing bright green.

I gasp, stumbling back along with Clary, "Oh my god."

Magnus rushed back into another room, holding a gold relics, and kneeled beside Luke, "Hold him down," He instructed, "We don't have a lot of time."

He pushed a small piece of bark inside Luke's mouth as he yelled in pain, forcing him to chew on it, "It'll take a few moments to take effect."

"What's happening to him?" I asked.

"Random werewold transformation," Magnus explained, "It's a side effect of the poison in the alpha bite."

-

'Where are you?'

I winced at the sound of my mother's voice, rubbing my throbbing temples. I licked my lower lip, glancing at Clary and Luke as I stood at far corner of Magnus' apartment.

"I'm at Magnus."

'And what are you doing in a warlock's place?' She asked, her tone rising. I could almost feel her heated glare, ready to strip me down.

"Luke needed help." I said, hoping that would somehow help in simmering down her anger. She knew Luke. She knew he was a close friend of dad's. She was his close friend too - I know it because I used to saw pictures of them along with Maryse. There was a brief pause, I had to pull back my phone to check if she had yet again hung up but the call was still on, "Mom?"

'You shouldn't be interfering with Downworlders, Amaris.'

"I know but -"

'You know but you don't think.' She snapped, 'But what should I have even expected from you? Get back to the Institute now.'