It had taken almost an hour for Echo to dress. She had been so focused on what she was feeling when she touched the cup. She gave one last glance at herself in the mirror and left the room with her Stele in her pocket. When she entered the control area she found Lydia tapping at the screen.
Echo felt a sudden urge and she walked toward Lydia. Something inside of Echo told her that she could trust Lydia. Lydia turned when she saw a flash of red in her vision.
"Hello Echo."
"What happened at the Jade Wolf?"
Lydia lowered her Stele, "A Forsaken attack. Everybody is fine."
Echo folded her arms, "A Forsaken? Why would Valentine create a Forsaken?"
Lydia gave a small shrug, "I wouldn't know. Perhaps he needs soldiers."
Lydia was about to look away, but something caught her eye. She pointed to Echo's collarbone.
"Your rune."
Echo looked down at saw that her Angelic rune was suddenly disappearing.
"Is it disappearing?"
Echo's stomach dropped; she couldn't think of a single excuse, "Uh, yeah it is."
"I have never seen that happen before."
Echo rubbed the sudden bare skin, "Yeah, well a lot of things are happening that shouldn't be."
Echo suddenly spotted Alec and started toward him, but Lydia stopped her.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Echo licked her lips, "It's complicated."
"So uncomplicate it."
Echo pulled her arm from Lydia's grip, "Come with me."
Echo walked toward Alec as Magnus retreated.
"Alec."
Alec looked over at the two Shadowhunters, "My rune disappeared."
Alec glanced at Lydia, "Uh, which one?"
Echo noticed Alec's hesitation toward Lydia, "Lydia was the one who noticed it. The Angelic rune."
"Care to explain what is going on?"
Echo handed Alec her Stele and answered Lydia, "Valentine injected my mother with demon blood when she was pregnant with me."
Everything in the room sudden seemed to stop. The Stele on Echo's collarbone didn't move and Lydia held her breath.
After a slow second they both moved at the same time.
"What?"
Echo swallowed, "I have demon blood inside of me. I was Valentine's experiment."
Echo watched as Lydia's mouth opened and closed like a mechanical fish. Alec finished the rune and handed the Stele back to Echo. Finally Lydia spoke.
"How long have you known about this?"
Echo shook her head, "Only a few days."
Lydia gave a single nod, "Who knows about this?"
Echo glanced at Alec, "Alec, Isabelle and Maryse."
Lydia's eyebrows furrowed, "Clary doesn't know?"
Echo shook her head, "No."
Lydia set her shoulders, "This stays between us. Nobody else must know about this." She didn't wait for an answer; she spun on her heel and walked away.
Alec looked at Echo, "What the hell?"
Echo let her hands fly, "She saw the rune disappear. I couldn't exactly tell her anything but the truth."
Alec let his eyes roll slightly and gave a sigh, "Leave it to chance that a member of the Clave now knows about you."
**
There was a knock on Echo's door and she quickly stashed the photo back into the dresser as the door opened. Alec walked in and Echo's posture liquefied. Echo noticed how unsure Alec looked.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
Alec shut the door, "Can I tell you something?"
Usually Echo was the one to talk about whatever she needed.
"Yeah, of course."
Alec folded his arms, "My parents told me that I needed to marry for an alliance."
Echo's eyes widened, "What? Seriously? Why would they make you do that?"
Alec held up a hand indicating he wasn't finished, "They suggested that I marry you."
Echo's stomach fell, "Me? They suggested me? Why would they do that?"
"Both Lydia and my parents said that it would create peace with the Shadow World. They believe that if I marry you, it would indicate that the war that Valentine has created would flat line. Together we could stop this Shadow War."
Echo took a second to answer, "Alec, what good would I do? If the Shadow World found out what I am, they would boycott any alliance and probably take control of the Institute."
Alec shook his head, "I know this is weird and sudden, and trust me, I don't want to marry, but if this alliance could bring back my family name and stop Valentine's people, I would do anything."
Echo let out a breath, but didn't say anything. Her mind was whirling. After a few seconds she shook her head.
"Okay."
Alec's eyes widened, "Okay? Are you sure?"
Echo nodded and looked up at him, "If it means stopping Valentine then yes, I'm sure."
**
Echo stood in the control room next to Lydia and Alec, although she wasn't focused on their conversation. She was more focused on the feeling she was getting. The tingle was radiating over her whole body, but the feeling was different, almost warm. She looked up at Alec.
"Something's here."
Both Alec and Lydia looked at her with different expressions.
"Downworlder?"
Echo shook her head, "No, it's in the Institute."
Alec's attention spiked.
"What do you mean?" Lydia was lost.
"I can feel the presence of Downworlders and demons."
Echo pulled away from them and walked forward. The direction made the feeling stronger. Alec followed a few feet behind Echo. Echo heard a sudden crash and hurried to the sound, but when she rounded the wall of the training room, she came face to face with a Forsaken.
The Forsaken looked at Echo for half a second before taking his clawed hand and slashing it across her neck and chest. Her grey shirt tore open as a sudden burn radiated. Echo was suddenly pushed back as Alec pulled out his bow. Echo looked down at her chest. The marks were sizzling and were beginning to burn. Echo let out a strangled scream. She hadn't been able to feel the pain of Shadow Weapons, but the burn in her chest, she could feel.
Echo hurriedly pulled out her Stele and tried to activate the healing rune, but at that moment, it wasn't working. Echo leaned against the wall in agony as Hodge killed the Forsaken. Alec had been hit to the ground and Isabelle was at both Echo and Alec's side. Hodge, Alec and Isabelle all shared a glance, but Echo couldn't quite tell who was who.
Echo pulled her hand away from her bloody chest and her fingers were covered in red. The pain was eating at her and she couldn't grasp onto reality any longer. The people and objects soon became disoriented and replaced with horrible images. Echo let out a low scream when she felt hands on her arms. She looked to the side and saw a black figure with tentacles for arms. The figure didn't seem to have eyes or a nose only a smooth, large forehead and a mouth.
Echo felt a dull pain on her arm and after a few moments the horrifying images cleared and she was looking at Isabelle and Lydia. Echo let out a series of pants and looked down at her chest. Her entire shirt was now stained red.
"Echo, hey look at me!"
Echo looked up at Isabelle with pain clearly written on her features.
"Iz, it hurts."
"The healing rune isn't working. Magnus is going to have to heal you."
Echo quickly turned her head to the side but let out a painful shout.
"Stop it, stop moving."
"Where's Alec."
"He's okay. Hodge has him."
Echo glanced at Lydia, "What the hell happened?"
"A Forsaken, it attacked you."
Isabelle glanced outward as Echo spoke, "W-why, am I feeling this pain?"
Echo tightened her eyes as Lydia spoke; "The Forsaken was injected with Angel blood."
Isabelle shook her head, "That doesn't explain anything. I'll figure it out."
Suddenly Magnus was in Echo's vision. Without a word, he gathered Echo up into his arms and carried her to her room. Magnus ordered Isabelle and Lydia to gather ingredients for a healing potion. As soon as they returned with their hands filled with exotic herbs and roots Alec had burst through the door with a bandage on his arm.
Magnus used his magic to keep Echo from moving and to dull the pain, but Echo could still feel the burn in her neck and chest. Alec rounded to the other side of the bed and took her hand. Echo gasped and looked over at him.
"Alec, your arm!"
Alec shook his head, "Don't worry about me."
"Isabelle, I'll be needing that potion."
Behind Magnus, Isabelle and Lydia were measuring and stirring together the herbs. A flare of pain went through Echo and she gripped onto Alec hand. She arched her back and let out a harsh growl. The noise startled Magnus and Alec.
"Here, here."
Isabelle held out the potion and Alec took it. He tilted the liquid into Echo's mouth and the foul taste went down her throat. When the potion was in her system, Magnus lifted his magic. Echo could feel the potion coating her veins.
She gave an intake of air when she felt the burn in her wounds dull. Echo looked down at her chest and saw the bubbling wound slowly close. Everybody in the room watched as they waited for the wound to disappear, but they were all sorely disappointed when the wound closed, but angry pink scars were still visible.
Echo took her free hand and gently touched the raised scars. There were four of them reaching from just under her jaw line all the way down to the bottom of her sternum.
Isabelle was the first to speak, "Did it work?"
Magnus took a closer look at the scars and gave a grim expression, "Yes, but I'm afraid that the scars won't disappear."
Echo blinked and slowly started to sit up with the help of Magnus and Alec. Every inch of Echo's body ached when she moved. When she was sitting up right she looked down at her torn shirt. The grey shirt was destroyed leaving her in a black bra, but she didn't feel embarrassed.
Echo looked up at Isabelle, "The Forsaken, why did it burn me?"
Isabelle swallowed, "The Forsaken was runed with the same runes as on Alec's arrows. Protection runes. When the Forsaken scratched you, you must have had a reaction to the runes."
Echo sighed and looked up at Magnus, "Thank you, Magnus."
Magnus gave a wave of his hand, "Oh, but it was nothing." He gave her a smile and exited the room. Echo just noticed that Lydia was standing in the doorway, but neither of them said a word to each other as Echo slowly got up and grabbed another shirt.