Nate followed hot on the other's heels, then wasted a valuable second staring at the otherworldly tendrils of light and blinking dumbly. "What is it?"

Isaac's shout snapped him back to reality, and he raced forward, squeezing his slender frame around the others and wrapping his arms around Clary's waist. He cringed as an exploratory tendril of light came a little too close for comfort, then braced himself for the tug of war. "We need to coordinate!" he gasped out. "Everybody, back on three!"

"One!" Sweat poured down his forehead, even straining he could feel Clary being pulled forwards, towards the mass of light.

"Two!" What even was it? It seemed only to be light, but it clearly had a form, not inconsiderable physical strength. Was it some kind of animal?

"Three!"