Imagine in that gif that it's Cami in Alec's arms not Magnus for the purpose of this chapter...I mean, if you want. Idrc.

***

A deep rumbling sound shakes the walls and shelves of the apartment as Magnus' attempts to keep Luke under his protection. This time, Luke hadn't taken just one shot of Magnus' magic. He needed more.

He was dying.

"I'm running out of magic!" Magnus alerts us and I kneel beside him

"I'm here when you need it" I assure him, raising my hand, ready for him to take it

"Thank you" Magnus smiles at me, "And I'm sorry Alec didn't come."

"That's not our primary concern at the moment, Magnus" I laugh, "Just concentrate on saving Luke. I'm ready when you need me."

"What can I do?" Clary frets, her hands flitting uselessly in the air

"I can't leave him, but the potion stock still needs Komodo scale" Magnus informs her, "Find it, add the rest when they get here. You'll have to feed it to Luke."

"What about you?" Clary asks, "Magnus, how much longer can you do this."

"Don't worry about me, just go!" Magnus pants and I watch as his eyes fall closed and he starts to slip back

"Magnus!" I yell, pulling him back up, "That's it, you need my help, you don't have it in you anymore"

"You're right" Magnus sighs, "I'll try to take only what I need."

"Do it!" I encourage him, offering my hand and pulling Magnus and I to our knees

"This might hurt" Magnus warns me before clasping his hand in mine

It was like being shocked by lightning, I feel a huge current of energy flow through me in one huge, shocking blast. I gasp and my eyes screw shut, my other arm flying out behind me as though someone was pulling me upwards from my chest.

I groan in pain but my mind does nothing to stop it. Slowly but painfully, I feel the energy receded in small amounts, each time the shift in energy felt as though fire was spreading it's way inside my veins from my head, down through my shoulder and arms until finally fleeing from my hand and disappearing through to Magnus.

It was as if he was quite literally slowly sucking the life out of me.

Shit.

"Cami!" I hear Alec's voice from behind me but I can't even muster the strength to turn my head or even open my eyes to face him.

I hear the thud of feet as they run towards me and the dull slam of his knees knocking to the ground.

"Magnus! Stop it, stop what you're doing! It's killing her!" Alec urges Magnus

"I can't!" Magnus groans, "I'm sorry, it's too late, I need her energy or Luke will die. She knew what she signed up for!"

"Take my energy instead! Surely that could help!"

"She's too powerful" Magnus pants, "If I attempted to break the connection now, it could scramble her mind. It's a process, I can't just let go"

"Well, do the process and use me!"

"It's too late, Alexander!" Magnus snaps, "If you had been here earlier, I could have but the process takes too long. By the time I break it, Luke would be dead. Cami won't want that. And there's no guarantee your strength is enough."

I let out another gasp of pain as the current of fire and electricity pulses through me again. I feel my body shudder and my chest rise even higher, my head falling back as though I were being exorcised.

It was the strangest feeling. I felt bot powerful and weak. In control and out of control. It was simultaneous and painful yet relieving.

"Cami" Alec's voice is by my ear now, he must have moved, "Cami, I'm so sorry I didn't come earlier"

"Don't touch her!" Magnus warns, "She's like an electrical current, if your strength flows through her, too, it would short circuit her brain. It will kill her"

Alec sighs and I hear the sound of his hand dropping to his lap. Oh, how I wish I could just see him, one last time.

I could feel the energy pulses leaving me faster now. I was down to my last few currents. I was dying.

"Clary!" Jace's voice punctures the sound of the rumbling room and I feel hope swell dully in my chest. Maybe I really won't have to die.

"Do you have it?"

"Yeah"

A few moments later, I feel the energy leave my body in one fell swoop, knocking into me like a brick. I groan and feel myself fall backwards, my chest deflating and my hands flying forward as if I were falling from a great height.

My body slumps into someone else's, a solid, warm body whose arms wrap around me, helping me into a sitting position as I try to catch my breath.

"Cami, Cami" Alec's voice whispers to me through the darkness, muffled and strained, "Cami. Are you okay?"

I muster the little strength I have to pry my eyes open. My vision is blurred and obscure, but the one thing I can make out is Alec's face

"Alec" I breathe, smiling weakly, "Mm, you came."

"Of course I did" Alec smiles back, "Don't talk, you're too weak"

The presence of a hand in mine prompts me to turn my head, where I spot Magnus, lying on the ground, panting. He seemed as if he were still trying to concentrate.

I attempt to take my hand from his but Magnus grips it tighter, "Don't let go, Buttercup. I need to severe the link properly"

I do as told and, before long, Magnus releases my hand. I pull it back to my chest and snuggle further into Alec's lap, feeling drunk and tired.

"How are you feeling?" Magnus asks me, on his knees beside me, "The syphoning process and experience is rather different for someone of your nature...it can be painful and confusing"

"I'm a little confused" I giggle childishly, "It did kinda hurt. Like a lightning shock. Boom!"

"What's wrong with her?" Alec questions, "Did you scramble her brain? She's acting like a child"

"Just a side effect of the connection" Magnus assures him, "Like an anaesthesia. She needs rest. She'll be feeling it when she wakes up."

"Is Luke okay?" I snicker

"He's alright" Magnus chuckles at my loopiness, "The antidote worked. Clary's with him, he's okay."

"Good" I sigh, yawning animatedly, "I'm tired. Can I go to bed now?"

Magnus nods and tells Alec that I can rest in his room. Alec nods back, scooping his arm under my legs as he lifts me up. Acting on juvenile instinct, I curl further into his chest, closing my eyes and allowing the warm scent of him to fold over me like a blanket.

"Rest now, okay?" Alec instructs, placing me gingerly on the bed before turning to leave the room. I reach out clumsily, trying to grab onto his arm but managing only to knock his arm with my hand, "What is it? Are you sure you're okay, Cami?"

"Better now you're here" I mumble tiredly, "Please stay with me."

Alec looks to the door and back but sighs, nodding in confirmation as he moves to sit in a chair.

"Not there" I protest, giggling foolishly, "On the bed, silly"

"Cami, I don't-"

"Please" I beg, pouting like a child

"Okay" Alec chuckles, but there's a strange undertone of guilt in his voice as I scoot over and he lies beside me but I don't have the energy to mention it so, instead, I ignore it, cuddling into his side as I feel exhaustion sink into me

"Thanks for coming" I yawn before the black takes over me

*****************

Gotta say I'm loving that little Alemi moment there.

Did you guys pick up on the guilt?

If not, it's because of the whole marriage thing. In Alec's mind, in this story, he's already accepted that he's going to marry someone else to save his family but knowing how you both feel about each other now...yeah is sad.

Do you think I'm gonna break up the wedding or make Lydia and Alec get married? Cause I could do either...teeheehee