Johanna groaned as she regained consciousness. Her body felt as if she had been flung against a brick wall multiple times, but she was use to this. Every time Ithuriel took over, it seemed she grew weaker and weaker. Ithuriel explained that even in the weakened state that he was, it was difficult for even a Nephilim body to contain such power. However, this time felt much different. Johanna suddenly felt ill, suddenly realizing what was about to happen, she heaved herself over the side of the infirmary bed just in time.
"That was gross." The now recognizable voice rang.
Johanna looked up to see Jace, seated in a wooden chair at the end of the boy named Alec's bed. Ignoring the boys comment she wiped her mouth, only for her hand to come back a scarlet red. Johanna stared down intensely at the smeared blood.
"Is that blood?" Jace observed, changing his tone of voice to concern.
"Th…This has never happened before." She murmured, mostly to Ithuriel. But there was no answer. He must be resting, she thought to herself. It usually takes quite a toll on him as well.
"Do you need me to get one of the others?" Jace asked, concern still evident in his voice.
"NO!" She all but yelled. "No, please don't do that. They don't need to know."
It really does a number on you, doesn't it?" He asked.
"Yeah. This time more than usual."
Jace's eyes fluttered to the now sleeping Alec, relief evident in his eyes as he watched over his friend.
"Thank you." He whispered. Johanna suddenly realized he seemed to be holding back tears.
"You really care for him." Johanna pointed out, as she laid her head back onto her pillow.
"He's my Parabatai."
"Parabatai?" Johanna questioned.
"Yes, we are brothers, bound together by an oath to protect and care for one another. Something I failed to do today." Jace replied solemnly. "If it wasn't for you, I would have failed my oath to my Parabatai, so thank you."
Johanna gave him a nod.
"Just curious though," He spoke up again. "How-"
"Did I come about sharing a body with an archangel?"
"Yea…" He confirmed.
"Long story, but let's just say, we saved one another from a bad situation, and ever since, Emmanuel has raised me as his own."
"Interesting." Jace noted, nodding his head. "But you are a shadowhunter?"
"Well," She answered, resting her arm over her throbbing head. "Depends on what you call a shadowhunter. My parents were, yes, but I was raised by a pack of werewolves, so their way is the only thing I know."
"Ugh." Alec grumbled from his bed. "What happened?"
Jace quickly jumped from his place in the chair, and was at his Parabatai's side in an instant.
"Alec?" He murmured breathlessly. "You awake?"
"Of course I'm awake." Alec said dryly. "I just asked what happened didn't I?"
Alec's gaze fluttered to where Johanna lay, not far from his own bed. Revealing to her his piercing blue eyes, that seemed to carry an intensity she had never quite seen before.
"Who is she?" He questioned flatly.
"She, my friend," Jace smiled, the first smile Johanna had seen from him the whole time he had been here, as he clasped his hand onto his friend's shoulder. "Is the angel that saved your ass."
"I'm sorry, the what?"
"It's a long story." Jace and Johanna answered in unison.
Johanna hobbled slowly to the stove to heat up the now cold stew, while the others sat near the fire place, speaking to Jace, and the now walking Alec.
"Johanna," Oliver called as he jogged up beside her. "You really shouldn't be doing this, you need to rest, let me do it."
"It's fine." She reassured him, snatching the wooden ladle from his hand. "Besides, I need to walk around a bit, it helps ease the stiffness."
"Whatever you say." He sighed, kissing her gently on top of her long, dark hair. "You're too stubborn to listen to me anyways."
Johanna let out a low giggle as she scooped a spoonful of stew into a bowl.
"Come on everyone." She announced. "The food is done, and I'm sure you are all starving. We can discuss everything over dinner."
Without a word of rebuttal, the wolves were to their spots at the table in an instant, with Alec and Jace not far behind. One by one she placed a bowl in front of the group of men, and took her seat near the head of the table next to Emmanuel, sitting right across from the two shadowhunters.
Emmanuel took his much awaited first bite, giving the others the go ahead to follow suite.
"Holy crap this is delicious!" Jace grumbled in disbelief, shoveling another spoonful of stew into his mouth.
"You think we should trade her in for Isabelle back at the Institute?" Jace nudged Alec playfully. Alec sat silently, his gaze falling on Johanna once again in suspense, something that he had been doing, since he had heard of what she was.
"The institute?" Johanna questioned as she downed her own spoonful of stew.
"So," Emmanuel interrupted. "The much anticipated question is, why were two shadowhunters, and a whole pack of hellhounds, running around on werewolf territory?"
"It wasn't just hellhounds." Alec finally spoke in his usual dry and uninterested tone, while Jace finished off the last bit of his stew. "There was a Greater Demon."
"Greater demon?!" Samuel spoke up.
"You know," Alec rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Really big, dangerous, has a mind of its own, usually can control lesser-"
"I know what a Greater demon is." Samuel growled. "But what the hell was it doing out there?"
"Not sure," Jace spoke. "We had been tracking it for some time now. It took us almost a week to finally track it back here, that's when we were ambushed by the hellhounds, with no greater demon to be found."
"If a Greater demon had hellhounds…" Oliver started, worry flashing in his forest green eyes.
"It had to be tracking something." Emmanuel finished, the same worried look washing over his face.
Johanna looked up from her bowl, realizing everyone's gaze had fallen fearfully onto her.
"What?" She asked quizzically. "Do I have something in my teeth?"
"Johanna." Emmanuel spoke, his breathing becoming increasingly heavier. "Do you think…"
"What?" She scoffed. "That he found me?"
"That who found you?" Jace questioned intensely.
"My father." Johanna finally spoke acidly. "Valentine."