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thelostgirl21 · 1 year

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Watching the episode "Beside Still Water" (2.20), I've just realised something...

Is it me, or has the Malec fandom (myself included) somehow collectively managed to forget one rather essential aspect of the wish Valentine was trying to make to Raziel before Clary successfully stopped him from doing so?!

Because, in virtually every alternate universe scenario (ex: fanfiction, story outline, discussions, etc.) I've read where Valentine does succeed in making his wish, said scenario tends to assume that Magnus (Simon, Luke...) would die, and Alec & co. would be left behind to mourn the loss of all Downworlders.

Except the immediate death of all Downworlders was only one part of the wish Valentine intended to make... The scene actually goes:

RAZIEL: It has been a thousand years since I was last summoned to this place. Why do you summon me now, Nephilim?

VALENTINE: My Lord Raziel, the great men and women in the lineage of Shadowhunters, which you have created here, have failed in their mission to rid this world of demon scum.

RAZIEL: I see you are impatient. What is it you ask of me?

VALENTINE: Immediate death of all evil-blooded creatures, demon and Downworlder alike, as well as the disloyal Shadowhunters who protect them.

RAZIEL: The destruction of the souled creatures of the Downworld, and of our own Nephilim, that is not Heaven’s wish.

VALENTINE: What?

RAZIEL: But thou who spills thy blood, thou shalt compel from me an action.

Doesn't it mean that, should Valentine have succeeded in completing his wish, only the Shadowhunters believing in the righteousness of his cause would have survived?

Because technically, protecting Downworlders is part of a Shadowhunter's duty. Even those that are filled with prejudice generally agree that it is their responsibility to keep the Downworld safe and wouldn't wish to destroy them all. They just fear and generally don't trust them. And they sure aren't loyal to the Circle.

Sure, when creating an alternate universe, there's nothing wrong with the author wishing to alter more than a single element of it.

If you wish to have Clary fail to stop Valentine from making his wish to Raziel, while also changing the nature and intent of the wish itself, it's no problem at all! By all means!

What surprises me is the fact that I can't recall having ever read a single "Clary failed to stop Valentine from making the wish" story where Alec, Isabelle, Clary, and/or any Clave member that ever dared oppose Valentine's vision (a.k.a. the "disloyal Shadowhunters who protect [Downworlders]") all suddenly died alongside Magnus, Simon, Luke, Maia, and the rest of the Downworld when the wish was made.

Actually, I literally had to do a double take while watching the scene to make sure that I had heard right.

It's like the image of Magnus suddenly dropping dead right in front of Alec when Valentine successfully makes the wish (and all the angst and despair that typically follows it), is something that I've seen done so often in fandom that my brain had totally erased the part where Valentine's wish also included the immediate death of all "disloyal Shadowhunters who protect [Downworlders]" as well!!!

It's uncanny!

I've just realised that if an author was to write an A.U. where the ONLY THING changing about that Lake Lyn scene was Clary failing to stop Valentine from properly making that wish, both Magnus and Alec would be killed by it!

So would Clary, Isabelle, Maryse, Robert, Andrew, Lydia, Imogen, etc.

As tragic as that would be, part of me can't help but find the idea of a bunch of Downworlders and Shadowhunters suddenly all entering the afterlife together with no real prior warning somewhat hilarious!

Valentine: [Spills blood and makes wish.]

Everyone in the Shadow World that didn't agree with the Circle's ideals: [Dies.]

Raziel: It is done.

Alec: Wait. Where are we? What happened? Why does this look like some weird Downworlders-Shadowhunters convention, and what's with all the white?

Magnus: Don't panic, but I think we're dead.

Alec: What?

Isabelle: [Sighs.] Most likely.

Clary: Yeah, sorry. Valentine wished for the immediate death of all Downworlders and the Shadowhunters who protect them. I couldn't stop him.

Alec: Oh. [Small pause as he appears to consider it.] Okay then.

Magnus: Okay?

Alec: Yeah. Okay.

Magnus: You were killed by a member of your own kind simply for not wishing all Downworlders dead, Alexander! How is any of this [Gestures at the huge gathering around them.] OKAY?!

Alec: I just went through the soul-wrenching agony of feeling my parabatai die; meaning there was a very good chance that his attempt to stop Valentine had failed. Ever since, I've been utterly terrified that the man I love would just suddenly drop dead in my arms! Instead, I'm here, you're here, my soul feels whole again, I can sense Jace's presence nearby - meaning he must be here somewhere, too - my whole family [Gets distracted by something he sees in the distance.] HEY MOM! [Waves.] OVER HERE! [Brings his attention back to Magnus.] seems to be here, also... So yeah... I'm not happy that everyone I've ever cared about just died - or that the Mundane world is now at the mercy of the Circle - sure! But... Okay, I guess.

Maryse: [Waves back enthusiastically, looking relieved to see familiar faces, and quickly proceeds to make her way to them.]

Magnus: [Stunned.] I...

Clary: Yeah... The man you love dying in your arms? Not recommending it. Can't say I'm too upset that I won't have to go through the whole grieving process that usually comes after, though... Can you really sense Jace?

Alec: Yeah, don't worry, he'll turn up. We probably landed on opposite sides of... [Gestures at their surroundings.] whatever this place is. Best stay put, 'cause I know the little impulsive shit won't, and then we'll just be chasing each other around...

Maryse: [Hugs her two children as soon as she reaches them, then Clary, before surprising an already stunned Magnus by offering him a big heartfelt hug, too.] Is everyone okay? Have you seen Max?

Alec: Not yet, but there seems to be a rather large gathering of Shadowhunters from the L.A. Institute over there.

Isabelle: And we're good, Mom.

Maryse: Good? [Visually checks on everybody again.] Good. [Gestures towards the gathering Alec just mentioned.] Is it okay if I just leave for a moment to go find your youngest brother?

Alec: Sure! By the way, if you come across Jace, could you please let him know we're here?

Maryse: Of course! I'll be right back! [Briefly turns towards Magnus.] It's so good to see you, Magnus. Well, not that I'm happy you're - you know - dead. But I'm just glad that Valentine was wrong and, wherever we are, or are going, our spirits apparently still belong together.

Magnus: [Mightily confused, much to Alec and Isabelle's amusement.] Ah... Likewise?

Maryse: And I'm glad you two found each other again. [Smiles, looking at her eldest and Magnus in turn, before giving Magnus two affectionate pats on the shoulder and leaving in search of her youngest son.]

Magnus: Actually, we're...

Imogen: Lightwood! There you are!

Isabelle: [Sighs.] Figures...

Alec: [Mumbles.] Well, good to know she apparently was trying to protect the Downworld...

Imogen: I've been talking with Jia, and our latest intel never said anything about Valentine planning to wipe out a bunch of Clave members alongside Downworlders! Have you or his daughter been keeping information from us? [Starts speaking to him in hushed tones.] Word has it she was with Valentine when he made his wish. [Sends a suspicious side glance Clary's way.] How do we know we can trust her?

Clary: Hey! I'm right here!

Alec: First, she's family. Second -

Magnus: [Still trying to process what Alec had previously said, as well as his mother's reaction to seeing him.] Sorry to interrupt, but you still love me?

Alec: Of course, I still love you! Nephilim love once, Magnus. Well, maybe not polyamourous or aromantic ones - but most typically do. And even if that wasn't true, I know I've only ever truly fallen in love once in my whole life, and I can't imagine ever not loving you in the afterlife, either.

Magnus: [Incredulously.] Even after all of this? [Gestures to all the people that died, in part because Shadowhunters and Downworlders had stopped working together to stop Valentine.] After I lost faith in us, and pushed you away in favor of my people, thinking you were holding me back from doing what was necessary to protect them?

Alec: I gave you reason to doubt my word, and you were scared, Magnus... [Takes a small step towards Magnus to gently grab and hold his hands, and tenderly look in his eyes.] You don't stop loving someone just because they are afraid of making a mistake trusting you. You either find a way to win their trust back, or respect their boundaries if you believe you can't or don't know how to do that yet.

Magnus: [Gaze softens.] Alexander, I...

Imogen: [Rudely interrupts.] Look, it's all very touching, but that still doesn't explain why you believe we can still trust her! [Points towards Clary.]

Clary: [Sighs heavily.] Yup! Still here...

Alec: [Rolls eyes at Imogen, rather pointedly, and reluctantly lets go of Magnus' hands, whispering to him.] Sorry, just... hold that thought. [Back to Imogen.] As I was saying: First, she's family and I'd trust her with my - well - afterlife, I suppose. Second, Valentine killed Jace right in front of her! Pretty sure she felt very little sympathy for him after that - biological father or not!

Imogen: [Gasps.] Jace is dead, too? Are you sure?

Alec: [Incredulously.] I felt him die. [Gestures at himself.] Parabatai, remember? He and Clary were at Lake Lyn on a mission to stop Valentine from making the wish when it happened, and they both died trying to stop him. I mean, look around! You do realize that every single Shadowhunter on Earth died alongside the Downworld - except for Circle members and sympathizers - right?

Imogen: What?!

Clary: Yeah, I was there when Valentine made his wish. The immediate death of all Shadowhunters protecting the Downworld was a big part of it. And since watching over the safety of the Shadow World was pretty much our duty as Shadowhunters...

Imogen: [Finally acknowledging her presence.] Come with me! We have to report this to Jia and the rest of the Council at once!

Clary: [Incredulously.] What Council? We're dead! The Downworld no longer exists, and the Mundanes are out of our reach!

Imogen: [In shock, mostly to herself.] My grandson is dead... the whole Herondale bloodline has ended, again... For good this time... Shadowhunters have failed in their Heavenly mission, and the Clave is no more... How could we let this happen?

Clary: [Pats her back in mock sympathy.] There, there...

Isabelle: [Shrugging and looking very unimpressed.] By wasting time pointing fingers and trying to blame others for the Clave's mistakes, instead of improving on communications and collaboration with the Downworld in hopes of actually defeating Valentine?

Imogen: [Glares.]

Simon: [Suddenly showing up after having caught the end of their conversation.] Wait. Are you telling me that anyone here is actually surprised that Valentine was never planning on allowing those with the actual power and resources to hunt him down and hold him accountable for committing mass genocide to live after he made the wish?!

Alec: The dead guy's got a point.

Simon: Seriously?!

Alec: [Shrugs with a small amused smirk.]

Jace: [Making his way through the thick crowd.] Alright, sorry... Coming through... Look man, I got here first, and I'm trying to reach my girlfriend and my parabatai over there! So, unless you want me to make you move...

Clary and Alec: JACE! [Both rush over to throw themselves in his arms, nearly knocking him and a bunch of innocent bystanders over.]

Jace: Whoa! Easy! You'd think you guys thought I was dead or something! OW!

Alec: [Having slightly pulled back to hit him over the head.] Not funny, Jace! I felt the bond break, you dumbass!

Jace: [Wincing apologetically.] Yeah, that must have been unpleas - OW!

Clary: [Having just hit him, too.] And I watched you die.

Jace: [Rubs the back of his head awkwardly.] Okay, sorry. Too soon?

Alec: [Still visibly shaken and close to tears, throwing himself back into Jace's arm alongside Clary.] Just don't ever do something like that again. I told you to be careful?

Jace: [Tightening his hold on his parabatai.] I know, and I swear I was! Leaving you behind felt like a part of me was being torn apart, too, by the way. I'm sorry we lost, but I'm glad you're here. Death would have been Hell without you.

Clary: [Hugging them both, slightly amused.] You guys let me know if you need a moment?

Jace: [Almost possessively crushing them both in his embrace.] Nope! You two aren't going anywhere! I need both my soul and my heart here with me, thank you very much! At least for a few more minutes.

Alec: Good thing I no longer need to breathe. Clary: [Chuckling.] You and me both!

Imogen: [Wisely chooses to observe the very emotional reunion from a distance.]

Simon: So, Magnus, have you and Alec gotten back together yet?

Isabelle: Simon! We barely all just got here!

Simon: And they haven't even kissed yet? I mean, come on! What are they waiting for? I get you're upset that Alec didn't tell you about the Soul Sword right away, Magnus. But with the Clave threatening to take his position away, and Robert having used it as leverage against them...

Isabelle: [Warningly.] Simon...

Simon: What?

Isabelle: [Stares back pointedly.]

Simon: Wait. Was I not supposed to have known about that?

Isabelle: [Sighs.] I might, indeed, have forgotten to ask Alec for permission before telling you...

Simon: Oops.

Magnus: Telling me what? What is he talking about?

Robert: [Joining them with Maryse and Max.] The only reason Alec didn't take the fall and lose his position over Valentine escaping while in his custody was because I threatened the Clave to let Alec know about us having lost the Soul Sword, and they were scared the minute he did, he would let the Downworld leaders of New York know as well.

Magnus: Are you telling me that Alec wasn't supposed to know about the Soul Sword when I came to the Institute to have dinner with him, and the Clave indirectly finding out he did might have landed you both in hot water?

Robert: There's a bit more to it, but that could have been a possibility, yeah...

Luke: [Having finally reached them, Raphael in tow.] Told you Alec was trying, and we should have continued to trust him...

Magnus: Mistakes were made...

Raphael: Yeah, he probably needed a moment to figure out how to navigate that whole mess with the Clave… You know, in hindsight, we'd have stood a better chance continuing to work with the New York Institute rather than accepting the Seelie Queen's terms...

Magnus: I have regrets...

Luke: To be fair, she did say that the Seelie Court had been beyond the reach of the Angels and their powers for quite some time now, and promised us all asylum...

Simon: [Scoffs.] Pretty sure she just meant the Seelie Court had been beyond the reach of the Angels and their powers for quite some time because the Angels had shown no interest in reaching them for quite some time, too!

Magnus: [Blinks a few times as it suddenly dawns on him.] Oh.

Luke: ...

Raphael: Yeah. I can't believe any of us fell for that.

Meliorn: If that's any comfort, the Queen's been heavily sulking in that corner over there ever since we all got here...

Isabelle: [Almost jumps back, caught off guard by the sound of Meliorn's voice talking right next to her.] Okay, where are you all suddenly coming from?

Raphael: [Ignoring Isabelle's question, and pretty much having decided not to question anything that happens in this place anymore.] It is a bit of a comfort, actually.

Luke: Yeah...

Simon: Yup! Not to be the petty one, but serves her well!

Alec: [Returning to their small group and going to hug Max and his father.] Have I missed anything interesting?

Isabelle: [Shrugs with an amused smirk] Just Simon proving he's got more brains than all of us combined, apparently.

Alec: [Confused.] What?

Luke: He detected the hidden lie in the promise that the Seelie Queen made to keep the Downworld safe from Valentine upon hearing it right away, while we'd all missed it.

Simon: To be fair, after that whole kissing stunt she pulled on us, I've been expecting the worst from her.

Alec: We should always expect the worst from her.

Luke: Yeah, expecting the worst from the Seelie Queen is pretty much "Shadowhunting 101".

Simon: You know, I'm curious... Alec, if the Queen swore to you "You'll be safe in our realm. It has been beyond the reach of the Angels for millennia now", what would be the first thought that would pop to your mind?

Alec: That the Angels have had no interest in interacting with Seelies for millennia, so there's been no attempt on their part to reach it, and that you'll be safe from any Seelies attempting to harm you while you're down there, why?

Simon: [Breaks into a self-satisfied smile.] See!

Magnus: [Groans.] Okay, now you're just rubbing it in.

Alec: [Confused, while looking at all the other members of the Downworld Cabinet.] Wait. Did any of you actually fall for that?!

Magnus, Raphael, and Luke: [Trying to make themselves very small and all avoiding Alec's gaze.]

Meliorn: I didn't! To be fair, that's why the Queen had me temporarily removed from the Cabinet - or more appropriately put under house arrest. She was concerned I might experience a... conflict of loyalty over her intentions of siding with Valentine.

Isabelle: You mean she was concerned you'd attempt to warn us?

Meliorn: Well, she was pretty confident that her Alliance with Valentine, and promise that we'd just keep to our own realm - steering clear of Circle members and Mundanes on Earth- would ensure our safety as well as that of those that had chosen to take Sanctuary with us. But I knew he could lie... [Pauses.] Plus, you might all be credulous idiots - well, except the Daylighter and Mr. Lightwood here, apparently - but I may have grown rather fond of you lot.

Raphael: Are you still unable to lie, or...?

Meliorn: [Sighs and rolls his eyes.] Would you be unwilling to take my word that I didn't wish any of you dead even if I could? I mean, despite working for the Clave, Isabelle's always been willing to bend the rules and protect us at great personal risk. Her brother seemed to be coming around and trying to change the system from within... With the right type of support, I had hope he might succeed... At least, it kept things from being boring.

Luke: Sadly, now we'll never know...

Magnus: All because I overreacted, and pulled out too fast...

Simon: [Snorts.]

Isabelle: [Hits him, trying her own best not to laugh.]

Raphael: [Rolls eyes and sighs heavily.] Sexuals.

Magnus: [Eyes going wide while finishing his sentence.] ...of the Cabinet and the Accords! Lilith!

Alec: [Glares at Simon and his little sister.] Really?! I'll have you know that Magnus isn't - [Suddenly remembers he's got nothing to prove, and really couldn't care less what anyone might think of his love life.] - You know what? Never mind.

Simon: [Stifling his laughter.] Sorry.

Isabelle: [Regaining control over her own emotions.] It's been a long day. [Looks around.] Hey, where's Maia?

Simon: We came across some guy named Kyle on our way here.

Luke: Jordan Kyle?

Simon: Yeah. Apparently, they used to date, and he's the one that accidentally changed her into a werewolf, then left. There seemed to be lots of tension and unresolved business between these two, so I thought it best to give them some privacy.

Raphael: And you're not scared he might try to win her back?

Simon: [Shrugs.] Truthfully? I don't know if it's a side effect of being dead, or what... But I don't feel especially possessive over those I love right now? Kind of like... I don't see why her opening her heart to someone else should replace or remove my own space from hers, or make her love me any less. At this point, I just want all of us to be happy together and find our own peace, you know?

Meliorn: [Nods.] I do. So, once we've settled in this new plane of existence, would you and Isabelle be both interested in joining me to explore what unearthly delights the afterlife might have to offer us?

Simon: [Stunned.] I...

Isabelle: [Laughs and shakes her head bemusedly] You're not wasting any time!

Meliorn: [Shrugs, while smiling warmly and sharing in her amusement.] What can I say? There's obviously an easy chemistry between you two and, from what I've heard, your question about Maia wasn't entirely devoid of interest.

Simon: [Actively thinking this over...] I might need to discuss it with Maia first, and I've never been with a guy before, but... I mean... Well, I'm not sure about being sexually attracted to you, but I'm strangely okay about the idea of sharing an intimate moment and cuddling, at least... Does that make any sense?

Raphael: Yeah. Tons of sense. I'm really not into sex, but emotional intimacy, cuddling, and closeness is often good, regardless of gender.

Isabelle: [Smiles dreamily.] Raphael's cuddles are amazing. And this has nothing to do with the yin fen, by the way.

Meliorn: I'm into pretty much everything - even when not directly involved - although I'd never enjoy watching or sharing while knowing it makes anyone uncomfortable. If all agree, I say Raphael should be welcome to join us for cuddles, if he wishes!

Raphael: [Considering.] Maybe I will... Although, it may take some time for me to get used to the idea of cuddling up to a group of people...

Isabelle: Hey. We can start by spending some time on our own, too. Or even stop there if you're not comfortable going any further. Like Simon said, I don't think developing our own more exclusive relationships in a place like this would ever take away from anything else my heart might be comfortable sharing with others.

Simon: Agreed. No one should ever feel pressure to do anything they may not want to.

Raphael: [Blushing lightly.] Thanks. I'm not saying "no" to getting close to anyone else. It's just a lot of new things to adapt to for now, and I've always been someone that enjoys taking my time to build friendships. Even on the romantic front, such connections occasionally happen, but they don't exactly do so frequently, nor easily.

Simon: Yeah, I get why suddenly getting close to a bunch of people might be a little overwhelming in that context.

Raphael: Might have an easier time cuddling up to you, though.

Simon: [Shocked.] Me?!

Maia: [Showing up with Jordan, holding each others' arms, looking relaxed and happy.] Don't sound so surprised. You're a pretty amazing guy that makes people easily feel loved and safe. I mean, we might have been joking that everyone wants to have sex with Jace, but I think an even higher number of us just want to cuddle you up!

Clary: [Returning with Jace, looking slightly out of breath, despite not needing it, hair a bit tousled.] Who wants to have sex with Jace now?

Meliorn: I do.

Magnus: I don't.

Raphael: Me neither.

Alec: I thought I once did.

Maia: Been there. Done that. Might want to do it again.

Jordan: Yeah, I can see the appeal.

Luke: Bit young.

Raphael: Give it a few hundred years.

Luke: Still, we've got a bit of a father and son - or at least weird uncle - vibe going on...

Maryse: I think Robert and I will both pass.

Robert: Amen to that.

Isabelle: Yeah, and with the whole brother thing, for me that'd be too weird...

Max: Ew...

Jace: [Mock glaring at Max.] Geez! Thanks, bud!

Max: You're my big brother!

Jace: [Playfully ruffles his hair.] I know! Just messing with you!

Simon: I... might?

Isabelle: [Shocked, but also greatly amused by the admission.] Really?!

Simon: Truthfully?! There's a lot I'm questioning right now.

Imogen: I don't. He's my grandson.

Simon: [Confused, looking at Isabelle.] Wait. She's still here?

Isabelle: [Shrugs.] Apparently.

Jace: Well, as flattering as all the attention is - and I can't believe this is coming from me - but it would appear that I've been having rather strong monogamous instincts lately.

Meliorn: And we shall all respect that.

Clary: [Teasingly gasps in shock.] But what about your Bookclub?

Jace: [Leaning in to tenderly kiss her.] I'm sure they'll find something else to read.

Max: [To Robert.] So... If you can have more than one girlfriend or boyfriend, why did you cheat on Mom?

Maryse: Max!

Robert: Because the Clave's traditions would have us believe that it is wrong and against the will of the Angels - that everything about our lives has to be about resisting our impulses, leading with our heads, and putting duty above all else.

Alec: Yet I'm pretty sure that what hurt Mom the most isn't that you fell in love with someone else, too, Dad; but that you lied about it, and tried to keep it away from her rather than addressing the issue as partners.

Maryse: It's true. Although I've been so conditioned by the Clave to believe that loyalty and exclusivity in a matrimonial partnership between Shadowhunters is everything, that I might have wished to get divorced either way. Oddly enough, I think Robert and I have always been better together as friends.

Robert: I couldn't agree more.

Max: Okay, but if I wanted to have two girlfriends... Or a boyfriend and girlfriend?

Isabelle: [Laughs.] How about you start with one? You'll know if polyamory feels right when you get there.

Max: What about you, Alec?

Alec: I've got nothing against polyamory, and I'll admit to perhaps being a bit of a closeted "hugger", but -

Simon: I knew it!

Alec: [Fixes Simon with a stern stare over his sudden interruption.]

Simon: [Recoils sheepishly.] Sorry... [Grins, as he playfully decides to put Alec's declaration to the test.] Come here! [Starts to move closer with his arms held wide open.]

Alec: [Says nothing, but rolls his eyes and groans - pretending to be annoyed - yet still walks right into Simon's open embrace and wraps his own around him in a big, heartfelt hug.]

Simon: [Momentarily freezes and isn't exactly sure how to respond, because, to be honest, he was expecting Alec to back away from him and/or firmly tell him "no", like Jace had, once.]

Alec: [Closes his eyes and lets out a satisfied hum, relaxing further into the embrace, while making no indication that he's intending to let go anytime soon - or ever.]

Isabelle: [Is trying not to laugh.]

Simon: [Awkwardly shifts a bit, only causing Alec to tighten his hold to keep him firmly in place and hide his nose in the crook of his neck.]

Magnus: [Can barely breathe while doing his best to contain his laughter as well.]

Simon: [Whispering.] Izzy? Izzy, what do I do? He's not letting go, Izzy.

Isabelle: [Biting the interior or her mouth to help her stay in control.] Yeah, you might be stuck there for a while...

Maryse: [Chuckles.] Pretty sure he and Jace hugging it out could well last 10 minutes, sometimes.

Simon: [Eyes go wide as he mouths back "10 minutes"? to Izzy.]

Magnus: [Is now wheezing.]

Alec: [Shoulders start shaking lightly as he starts struggling to keep himself from laughing, too.] Yeah, but we're parabatai. Want me to let you go?

Simon: [Hesitates.] Yeah. Maybe? I mean, it's nice and all, but you basically went from being unable to remember my name and looking at me like you want me dead, to giving me one of the biggest hugs anyone's ever offered me in my life!

Alec: [Chuckles and moves back, but still briefly holds Simon's arms to steady him, only fully letting go once he's sure he's found his balance and is solidly standing on his own.] Can't want you dead now that you already are, Simon.

Simon: [Frowns.] Good point. [Realizes.] Hey! You said Simon!

Alec: [Smiles knowingly while shrugging it off.] I did. [Moves back to return his attention towards his little brother.] So yeah, I'm fine with hugging my family and close friends, but I'm pretty sure I'm rather strongly on the monogamous end of the spectrum as far as romance and sexuality goes...

Simon: [To Izzy.] Wait. Did your brother imply I'm part of his "family and close friends" group?

Isabelle: [Amused]. You mean, you didn't know?

Luke: Yeah, even I caught the exasperated big brother vibes rolling off him in waves whenever you're around.

Raphael: Or the way he'll get all worked up about you getting yourself into trouble, and express worry that you'll be doing anything impulsive and stupid that will only make his work harder.

Magnus: Pretty sure I even caught him saying "That little shit! I swear, next time I see him, I'm going to wring his neck!" once, before taking off to go fix one of the messes you'd inadvertently caused.

Isabelle: That bad, huh? Usually, that's the kind of talk he uses while referring to Jace.

Maryse: You've never had an overprotective big brother looking after you, have you?

Simon: No. Just one big sister. No brother.

Maryse: That explains so much.

Alec: [Eyes widen in distress as it suddenly dawns on him.] Oh, shit. Simon, I'm so sorry...

Magnus: [Looking at Alec with concern.] What is it?

Alec: [A little helplessly.] His sister, and his mother, they're...

Simon: [Looking a bit dejected, too.] Mundanes, I know...

Alec: [Taking this apparently really hard.] And we've left them all behind with a bunch of sociopath Circle members, and no one to protect them.

Luke: Well, at least the Circle was always about cleansing Earth from demonic influence to keep the Mundane world safe.

Raphael: Yes, until they all collectively decide that "demonic influence" isn't only defined by the presence or absence of demonic blood, and that anyone with "impure ideologies" must be cleansed...

Magnus: Somehow, if you're trying to be reassuring, I don't believe this is helping, my Dear Raphael.

Raphael: [Confused.] Is "being reassuring" what we are supposed to be doing?

Magnus: [Points towards Alec that seems to be starting to have a bit of a mental breakdown, and Simon's increasingly concerned looks.]

Raphael: Oh. Right.

Alec: [Mostly to himself, starting to pace...] I was so relieved that everyone I loved was safe - [Winces slightly, as he realizes that "being dead" might not be what people would typically considered "safe".] relatively speaking - that I was starting to forget about all those people we were supposed to protect, and that got left behind...

Magnus: Alec, they they aren't all your responsibility.

Alec: Aren't they?! Nephilim were created to protect the world from demon, and we just -

Sudden booming voice resonating in the white space: This is Raziel speaking. I am receiving an abnormally heavy volume of prayed requests for answers right now. This is thus a public service announcement. First, my apologies over what happened, but I did not have the power to refuse to grant anyone the wish as proper procedures had been followed; a mistake we angels shall try to avoid making in the future. Due to the current volume of new arrivals, your souls have all been placed in a temporary waiting area. If you are here, that means you aren't going to any Hell dimension. If some of you suddenly start glowing and vanishing - no worries - that only means your own corner of Heaven has been properly set to welcome you, and you should all be joining your friends and families in a timely manner. In response to the horrific nature of the wish that was made, please take note that all surviving Nephilim have been utterly stripped of their runes, sight, and any angelic powers, and all further attempts to contact or summon us shall be properly ignored.

[Pauses as the sound of collective cheering in the room would have made it difficult for even Raziel's voice to be heard.]

Raziel: Those that come to genuinely see the errors of their ways and repent might be granted salvation. Others shall be lost. Mundanes should be safe from any demon that has been killed through the wish until they fully reform in Hell dimensions and somehow attempt to return to Earth, but we expect this to take a few centuries. Until then, we shall be monitoring the situation.

Simon: [Looking relieved at the news.] Well, this is reassuring.

Alec: [Looking relieved, too, but still reeling a bit.] Yeah... Yeah, this is good. I mean, if Circle members are just a bunch of jerks without powers, Mundanes should be able to look after themselves, right?

Simon: Sure! Plus, I mean, a few centuries is a long time, you know? Long enough for them to start World War IV and possibly nuke the planet.

Clary: You know, Simon's right. Demons possibly returning to Earth in a few hundred years is likely not the first thing Mundanes should be worrying about right now.

Izzy: Well, that sure is a very uplifting thought.

Alec: Yeah... [Sarcastically.] I'm feeling much better about it now, thanks.

Simon: Anytime, bro'!

Alec: So, basically you're telling me the Earth is doomed regardless of anything we did?

Clary: Most likely.

Alec: Great.

Magnus: [Wrapping his arms around himself.] Well, at least, you're not the one that let his personal issues get in the way of his ability to think clearly, and made a terrible mistake that ended up indirectly costing all of us our lives, and breaking your heart in the process.

Alec: [Concerned and confused, taking a small step towards him while searching for his gaze.] How is any of what's happening here your fault, Magnus?

Magnus: [Hugging himself tighter.] Simon and you saw right through the Seelie Queen's hidden lie right away, Alexander! If I'd let you explain how you found out about the missing Soul Sword in the first place, if I'd known the Clave had been threatening to take the Institute from you, I...

Alec: [Interrupting while going to stand right in front of him, trying to get all of his attention.] Yeah, but you didn't know. And part of the reasons you didn't know is because I thought keeping my own problems from you would protect you from being under more stress after everything that had happened with the Clave and Valentine. [Grabs and tenderly hold one of his hands again.] Point is, we all made what we believed to be the best choices we could make with whatever knowledge and resources we had available at the time.

Magnus: [Stares back a him, listening attentively, but still looking unsure.]

Alec: [Reaches with one hand to cup Magnus' cheek with his free hand.] All I know is that I don't think I could have lived without you, and I'm pretty sure I simply can't move on without you now, either. [Almost pleading with him.] Magnus, I love you.

Magnus: [Gaze softening, reaching to cover Alec's hand with his own and closing his eyes for a moment.] I love you, too, Alexander.

Alec: [Beams back at him.] Good. Then I need you to let go of that guilt, and trust me when I tell you that things are going to be okay, alright?

Magnus: [Nods and lifts his head to kiss him, wrapping his hands around his neck.]

Alec: [Meets Magnus' lips halfway, securely wrapping his own arms around his back, holding him close.]

Simon: Ah, guys, I think you're...

Isabelle: Shh... Don't ruin the moment...

Alec and Magnus: [Keep on passionately kissing while the light that's started to surround them gets brighter and brighter, and...]

Simon: Yup! They're gone!

Isabelle: It's alright, we'll catch up...

Jace: [With his arm wrapped around Clary's shoulders, him and her having both started to glow, too] Yeah, about that... Hope you won't be mad if Clary and I just...?

Isabelle: [Laughs while shaking her head fondly at the sight.] I know, I know, where he goest, you will go, and where he lodgest, you will lodge, and all of that.

Jace: [Returns her laugh, as the light surrounding him and Clary intensify, pointing towards Isabelle.] You seem to forget something else, too. Three go in... [Winks back at her before vanishing with Clary.]

Isabelle: [Noticing that she's also started glowing.] Three come out. [Extends her hand towards Simon.] Want to catch a ride?

Simon: [Laughs, and reaches for her hand, pulling her closer.] Think it'll work? [Quickly finds himself bathed in light, too.]

Isabelle: [Smiles smugly, leaning against his chest, looking up.] Looks like it.

Simon: [Briefly looks away at the rest of the group.] Hope you guys won't mind if we...?

Meliorn: No, you guys go right ahead!

Luke: Sure, you know. Just save us a seat, or a cloud, of whatever we're supposed to be sitting on when we get there.

Maia: Yeah, you can go ahead and kiss her!

Simon: T-t-that's... Wait, that's not what I asked! [The glow surrounding him and Isabelle keep growing brighter.]

Isabelle: Yes, but Mr. Simon Simon Lewis, would you like to? Unless you no longer think I'm hot?

Simon: [Chuckles and brings his attention back to her.] Oh no, you're still and always have been hot... And glowing... Wow, you're just glowing so bright right now! Think we - [Gets interrupted by Isabelle finally locking lips with him, to the sound of their friends cheering.]

Catarina: [Arrives with Madzie in tow, just as Simon and Isabelle are disappearing together in the middle of a heated embrace.] Hey guys! So if that was Isabelle, and Alec's not here, I suppose that means he and Magnus already moved on?

Raphael: [Nods.] Yeah.

Catarina: [Sighs.] Damnit. Madzie's been asking to see Alec and we've been searching for them ever since we got here.

Maryse: Yeah, you just missed them. My only kid that has yet to cross over is Max, over here.

Madzie: [Perks up as she leaves Catarina's side to go stand in front of Max, and extend her hand to him.] You're Alec's little brother? I'm Madzie.

Max: [Smiles back at her and shakes her hand.] Yeah, I'm Max. Nice to meet you, Madzie. Whoa? Are those gills? They look so cool!

Madzie: [Beams back at him and starts glowing. Max, too.]

Max: [Still holding her hand.] Wait. Are you doing that, or are we...?

Madzie: [Shakes her head "no".] Not the one doing it. [Turns towards Catarina with a questioning look.] Mom?

Catarina: [Reassuringly.] It's alright, Kiddo. You two go right ahead, we'll be there in a moment.

Madzie: [Spontaneously throws herself into Max's arms, hugging him.] Are you scared? It's okay. I'll protect you.

Max: [Chuckles and protectively wraps his arms around the Warlock child.] Yeah, I know you will.

Maryse: [Watches as the two vanish, amused.] Yeah, he must like her. Max didn't even argue about having completed his Shadowhunter training, and being the one supposed to keep her safe.

Robert: [Thoughtfully.] I was just thinking that.

Raphael: [Slightly annoyed.] So, are we all supposed to form couples before we're allowed to move on? Because I'm going to be stuck here for a very, very long time.

Catarina: [Rolling her eyes.] God, I sure hope not! But, you know, just in case. [Goes to Raphael's side and wraps and arm around his waist.]

Raphael: [Glares back at her, but doesn't try to move away from the embrace.] Seriously?

Catarina: Would you rather cross over on your own?

Raphael: [Challengingly holds her gaze, but stays silent.]

Catarina: [Smugly.] Just what I thought. Besides, Magnus would be upset if I didn't make sure his kids didn't get lost somewhere on their way home.

Raphael: [Sighs] I hate you.

Catarina: [Chuckles.] No you don't.

Imogen: [Outraged.] What are you doing, Seelie?

Meliorn: [Innocently, while linking arms together with her.] What? If Raphael's theory is correct, you'll be stuck here a very long time otherwise.

Imogen: [Still unimpressed.] And why is that?

Meliorn: [Chuckles.] Most people tend to run away at the sight of thorns. [Lifts one of her hands to bring a gentleman's kiss to it.] While we Seelies know thorns are meant to protect a much gentler, softer, pliant core...

Imogen: [Blushes, taken aback by the compliment, having obviously not expected it.]

Luke: [Having started to glow while standing on his own.] Yeah, I might have to put a question mark on that theory...

Maryse: Oooh! Wait up! [Moves to Luke's side to go wrap an arm around his waist.]

Luke: [Laughs and makes room for her, while putting his own arm around her shoulders and holding her firmly against his side.]

Maryse: [Smiles up at him.] Hope you don't mind. Kinda want to make sure all the kids are okay.

Luke: [Smiles back.] Not at all. [Extends his hand towards Robert.] Robert?

Robert: [Shrugs.] Why not? [Reaches for Luke's hand, coming to stand next to them.]

Catarina: [Points to someone in the distance.] Is that Lorenzo Rey making out with a curly blonde guy over there?

Raphael: [Nods.] Yeah, probably a good thing Magnus left early.

Maryse: [Follows Catarina and Raphael's gazes, as the light surrounding her, Luke, and Robert keeps on glowing brighter.] Oh! The curly blonde guy's named Andrew Underhill, by the way!

Catarina: You know him? A Shadowhunter?

Maryse: [Nods.] One of our best.

Catarina: [Bemusedly.] What is it with Warlocks and Shadowhunters, lately?

Raphael: [Notices that Lorenzo and Andrew have started glowing, too.] I don't know, but I'm not kissing you to see if it'll allow us to leave faster.

Catarina: [Gives him a pointed glare, while Luke, Maryse, and Robert vanish together.]

Maia: Ah, I wouldn't worry about that too much. [Looks around, as she notices that everyone else in their small group has also started to glow.] I think we're all catching the next ride.

Imogen: [Not listening to anyone in the group, too busy making out with Meliorn while attempting to start loosening his armor, Meliorn eagerly doing the same with her shirt.]

Raphael: Okay, he really wasn't kidding about being into pretty much anything.

Catarina: I... Don't think I can ever unsee that.

Jordan: Right there with you.

Maia: Here's hoping they show up somewhere in their own private room when get to the other side.

99 notes · View notes

earthtolottie · 1 year

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Title: Never Enough Fandom: Shadowhunters Pairing: Malec (Alec Lightwood & Magnus Bane) Summary: Alec Lightwood has always done his best when it comes down to following his parents orders. For a long time, he had pushed his own dreams and ambitions away in favour of following the path they have wanted him to walk since he was a child and like the good son, he wanted nothing more than to please them. Up until now, he had thought he was doing just that until the High Inquisitor visits and Alec is left doubting his ability to run the Institute. In turn, he goes to the one person he can trust and rely on for support; the High Warlock, Magnus Bane. Word Count: 7,376

Prompt: “Talk to me.” Alec’s head was pounding as he lay down on the couch in his office.

He knew that taking over the initial running of the Institute from his parents would be a lot of hard work, he knew that he would run up against some brick walls and he also knew that there would be a lot of paperwork which needed to be completed and filed away after every mission - he didn’t mind doing that, just like he didn’t mind staying up later than the others in order to make sure that it’s finished - that was all fine. What he did mind though, and what he never thought would happen in a million years, is getting this much stick from Isabelle and Jace when he accepted the role.

Ever since he said yes, they have been acting as if he’s no longer their brother, that he’s nothing more to them than just being their boss and he honestly hates that. He even questioned them about it when they got back from patrol one evening, not that it did any good, of course.

“If we would have told you about the last mission, you would have automatically disapproved.” Jace had told him as he reached for the Seraph Blade he had used for the last mission and put it back in the storage closet. “If you weren’t running this place, then you wouldn’t have thought twice about coming with us; you’re my Parabatai, and we go into battle together. But you’re too into following the rules, you don’t know how to loosen up.”

“I love you, brother, but Jace is right,” Isabelle had chimed in as she walked up the steps to the training area. “I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing, this is something that you’ve always wanted and I’m proud of you for being able to accomplish it but you need to remember to have some fun once in a while too.”

All Alec could do was frown after them as they walked away, talking between them about the highlights of the mission.

He couldn’t deny that they were right though.

It’s true that this has been something in which he has been working hard for ever since he was old enough to understand the purpose of the Institute and the importance of his parents job within the Clave but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t like to live a little. He’s been known to have broken a fair few of the Clave’s rules in his time, especially when Clary first came barrelling into their lives; he probably couldn’t even count them on one hand.

It’s not something he’s proud of though.

As the eldest of the Lightwood children, Alec is the one who has been chosen to take care of the New York Shadowhunter’s when his parents eventually decide to fully take a step back from the Institute, perhaps take some time to work on fixing the broken shard of a marriage for Max’s sake as much as their own. When that time comes, it’s going to be up to Alec to make sure that everything carries on running as smooth as possible. It’s up to him to carry the Lightwood name and fix the mistakes that his parents had made in their time, maybe even put some new rules into place among the Shadowhunters to help educate them better about Downworlders, and how they can be trustworthy allies if only they were given the chance to prove themselves and it’s up to Alec to make sure that any and all conflicts in the future are avoided.

Which often means saying no to his siblings.

As much as he wants to please them, by allowing them to conduct and execute the missions their own way, Alec has to put his foot down when it comes to making sure that they follow along with the Clave’s rules, regardless of how twisted some of them can be. The Law is the Law, he would solemnly remind them as they started to argue with him and he desperately wished that Isabelle and Jace would just take a second to understand that and to realise that when it comes down to official business, his hands are literally tied. He can’t always say yes and if things go wrong, then even he won’t be able to keep them safe from the Clave’s punishments.

But hey, if they want to learn the hard way, then they’re more than happy to takeover for a week.

They’d probably burn the place down within a day, Alec thinks as he lets his eyes close.

Alec can feel his eyelids getting heavier as he starts to drift off.

His head is still pounding as he shifts to get comfortable, finally settling on his left side after a few minutes and lets out a long exhale of breath.

For the past seventy-two hours, Alec had been working pretty much non-stop; he grabbed a few hours rest here and there but he doesn’t even think that he’s taken any time to grab something decent to eat, which mixed with the lack of sleep probably explains the pounding in his head. The Institute has been busier than usual and with news of Demon attacks hitting Midtown, Alec needed to keep an eye on the reports to make sure that there were no civilians harmed all the while allocating patrols to his team every half hour. He briefly considered sending Isabelle to check if Meliorn could persuade his Queen to help defend the Mundanes but he thought better of it. Ever since the night he had taken him captive and was due to deliver him to the Clave, things had been tense between them and he didn’t want to make things worse.

The last thing I need right now is a pissed-off Seelie, Alec thinks as he lets out a yawn. At least we sorted the issue out on our own.

His team had managed to get all the attacks under control after a few hours and it had allowed Alec to finally have some time to himself.

At least, that’s what he was hoping for.

“So, this is what you get up to when you’re not watching your rogue siblings.” A brisk voice calls out from the doorway to the office.

Alec’s eyes fly open and he pushes himself up from the couch, his tiredness forgotten as he looked around at the newcomer.

“Madame Inquisitor,” he greets with a slight bow, his lips dry. “I was just... I wasn’t informed that you would be visiting today.”

“And why should you be?” The Inquisitor responds, her tone sharp and her words short as she moves over to his desk. “You’re only the acting Head of the Institute while your parents sort through the official paperwork to make you the permanent choice... if you’re successful, that is.”

“Ma’am?” Alec asks, his head spinning as he moves to stand in front of the Inquisitor... in front of his desk.

“How long have you been running this Institute, Mr Lightwood?”

Alec takes a second too long to think; the Inquisitor is deliberately putting him under pressure in the hopes that he would slip up and say the wrong thing. He doesn’t want to say the wrong thing but he’s anxious about why she even dropped by unannounced, on today of all days.

“Mr Lightwood, is that too hard of a question for you?” The Inquisitor asks, her tone patronising.

“Two months, Madame Inquisitor,” Alec replies, his mind certain of the answer but his voice betrayed him, sounding unsure.

Madam Inquisitor doesn’t say anything in response to that, she just stares up at him through cold eyes.

Alec shifts nervously from one foot to the other.

He has been around Senior officials of the Clave before, but being scrutinised by the High Inquisitor of Idris... it made him anxious. Not only that, but he didn’t understand why he was getting a surprise visit from her, there had been no official reports filed that needed her assistance and as far as Alec is aware, everything had been running smooth enough that he was confident that he was at least doing an adequate job.

The look on the Inquisitor’s face told him otherwise, and he felt sick to his stomach as he waited for her to speak.

“You’re two months into running this Institute and you have already had more reported Demon attacks and unauthorised missions than any of the other Institutes combined. The majority of the missions involving your siblings, whether that’s a coincidence or now, I don’t know but I’m beginning to think that your parents made a very big mistake in leaving you in charge in their absence. Perhaps it would have been better for you to have more time to prepare for the role, or perhaps they should have made the decision to call in someone else to shadow you for a few days before leaving.” Madame Inquisitor says, her tone cold and her eyes never leaving Alec. “I must say I’m very disappointed, Mr Lightwood.”

“With all due respect, Ma’am, I’ve been running the Institute just fine without assistance.”

“Just fine,” she repeats, her eyes calculating as she looks up at him.

“That’s not...” Alec starts but she immediately cuts him off.

“I would certainly hope that even as an acting Head of this Institute that it would be run better than just fine, Mr Lightwood, though I wouldn’t have expected anything more than that from a Shadowhunter who has a conflict of interest when it comes down to dealing with Downworlders.” Madame Inquisitor states, standing back up from the chair and taking a step around the desk in order to face him as she continued to say, “Which is why I am going to be appointing Jonathan as the new Head of the New York Institute from this moment on, at least until the official vote has been taken.”

Alec’s heart stops beating for a second as he looks at her, shock spreading across his expression.

“Inquisitor...” Alec started but again, she cut him off.

“It’s Madame Inquisitor, Mr Lightwood, and I don’t believe that this is a discussion; you will step down effective immediately.”

Alec opened his mouth to protest but he quickly shut it again.

Arguing with her would do no good, and it certainly wouldn’t win him any points with his parents when they find out that he’s been demoted in favour of Jace, of all people. Don’t get him wrong, Alec is happy that Jace is finally getting a chance to prove his leadership skills but he doesn’t know the first thing about running the New York Institute, it was never in his plans and it most certainly wasn’t part of Maryse and Robert’s plans either.

Alec can only imagine how Isabelle is going to react when she finds out that there’s been a change in leadership when it’s time for the next meeting, which if Madame Inquisitor has anything to say about it, won’t be long now.

Letting out a sigh, Alec bows stiffly to the Inquisitor and turns to walk out of the office.

------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------

Alec had needed a walk in order to calm himself down, his tiredness long forgotten as he walked down an almost deserted street in China Town. His mind wasn’t in control of his feet as he walked, his head bowed down low and eyebrows furrowed as he thought about what had just happened.

Jace had been chosen to take over the role as Head of the New York Institute.

Alec had been asked to step down immediately, and it was suggested that he was to take some time away from the Institute and that was all before he had to pass his fellow Shadowhunters, walk past his own team that looked to him for advice and leadership, being escorted like he was a criminal by Madame Inquisitor’s security team down to the grand foyer with nothing more than his precious bow and quiver strapped on his back and a few minimal choices of clothes that should last him a few days stuffed into a duffel bag which he tightened his grip around the strap as he walks.

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go, Alec thought as he headed further down the street.

There have been times in his life that he could recall being classed as a disappointment to his parents, one of them being when he had called off his wedding to Lydia Branwell in favour of kissing Magnus Bane in front of the entire Clave that was in attendance but that compared to how he was feeling right now was a whole other level. When he called off the wedding, he felt like a great big weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he found himself being able to breath a lot easier when he realised what he truly wanted. It’s true that his Mom was beyond pissed at him and she did a pretty good job of giving him the silent treatment but he didn’t think that he could ever do something so wrong that it would top that moment.

He should have known that things were going far too smoothly; he hadn’t received any contact from the Clave for a few days, it was practically radio silence on their side, and Alec was too focused on dealing with the Demon attacks to even pay them any mind. He was doing the best that he could to contain the level of destruction the Demons were creating; he was trying his best to hold not only himself but the entire Institute together and he honestly believed that it was working out.

Ever since he was promoted to Head of the Institute following his parents departure, people were actually starting to listen to him when he gave them orders, they followed them without questioning his judgement and after so many years of having his orders ignored by Isabelle and Jace, even they started to listen to him... most of the time, at least. People were finally starting to listen to him and Alec had to admit that he liked it.

Growing up, he was always overshadowed by Jace and Isabelle, they were the most confident out of the Lightwood children and as hard as they tried, they couldn’t seem to bring Alec out of his shell. He was most content when he was training or spending time reading in his room. Growing up at the Institute, it didn’t exactly allow Alec to be social with others who weren’t Shadowhunters, but that all changed when he met Magnus.

From the moment Alec had laid eyes on the Warlock, it was like he was being seen by someone for the first time in a long time.

Magnus has always said that it was Alec who had unlocked something within him but in all honesty, it was Magnus who had unlocked Alec. It was Magnus that brought Alec out of his shell and gave him both the confidence and reassurance which he needed to become a leader that his parents would be proud of. Once news reaches them about this, Alec can only hope that Magnus would be able to reassure him that everything would be okay... that his parents would still believe in his abilities and would go against the Inquisitor’s decision to demote him.

As Alec stops walking, he lets himself think of the worst case scenario; even if Maryse and Robert take the news badly, Alec’s not going to be alone. Isabelle and Jace might be on his side but out of all of them, Magnus is the one that will stand by Alec, no matter what.

With this thought in mind, it didn’t surprise Alec when he finally looked up and found himself standing in front of Magnus’s apartment building.

It seems as though his mind was in control of his feet after all as this is exactly where he wanted to be right now.

------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------

“Alexander!” Magnus beams as he opens the door to his apartment but upon seeing the look on Alec’s face, he adds, “What’s happened?”

Alec shifts from one foot to the other, one hand rubbing the back of his neck as he looks at Magnus through thick lashes, duffel bag in hand.

“Would it be alright if I stay with you for a while?” He asks softly, his voice low.

“You never have to ask, Alexander; you’re always welcome to stay,” Magnus smiles, his tone soft as he takes hold of Alec’s hand.

Alec returns his smile with one of his own, a smile Alec notes, doesn’t quite reach his eyes as he lets the Warlock lead him over the threshold and into the apartment, shutting the door behind him with a quick flick of his wrist and with a minimal exertion of magic to put his wards back in place.

“Thank you.”

All of the tension that was in Alec’s body melted away the moment he stepped into the apartment, the familiar warmth of Magnus’s presence alone was enough to ease the tension out of Alec’s shoulders and once again the exhaustion he had felt earlier in the evening, came rushing back to him. He stumbled forward a step and was caught by Magnus, his hands resting on his shoulders as if to steady him.

“Hey, are you alright?” Magnus asks as his eyes scan Alec over. “Are you hurt?”

Alec shakes his head as he looks at Magnus, a soft smile on his lips as he leans forward until their foreheads touch.

“Alexander...” Magnus breathes out, reaching a hand up so that it’s resting on the back of Alec’s neck. “Talk to me.”

“I’m okay, I’m just a little tired,” Alec admits, letting out a small sigh. “It’s been a long day.”

Magnus catches Alec’s gaze and looks at him with concern as he contemplates his words.

Magnus knew that Alec worked harder than any other Shadowhunter he had known in order to get to his ambition of running the Institute, it was a quality in which Magnus could relate; he had to fight tooth and nail to become the High Warlock of Brooklyn and he didn’t want to think about how many all-nighters he had spent in dealing with one problem or another, his magic being pushed until he was on the verge of passing out.

It’s definitely a quality that has certainly helped Magnus to connect with Alec.

During all the late nights he spent with Alec in his office at the Institute, he watched the young Shadowhunter pouring over multiple reports, his hands running through his unruly hair when he was trying to work out the next piece of the puzzle, his shoulders tensing while his posture grew taller when he was addressing his subordinates. It made Magnus feel so unbelievably proud to see him in action, to see him dive into his role as the Head of the New York Institute, to see him achieving his dreams and following them that one step closer towards becoming the High Inquisitor of Alicante. However, the Alec that was standing in front of him now, wasn’t the same, confident Alec that he had watched countless times direct his own team... this Alec was dishevelled, tired and unable to keep from looking anywhere and everywhere.

To Magnus, he reminded him of a deer that was caught in the headlights, not knowing what to do next and the resemblance broke his heart.

“I’m sorry for just dropping by like this but I didn’t know where else to go,” Alec murmurs, his tone weary.

“Don’t apologise, I’m glad that you came to me. Now, why don’t you come and have a seat and I’ll get you a cup of tea,” Magnus replies softly, tilting his head up just enough to meet Alec’s lips, kissing him briefly before gesturing with one arm to the couch, his other remained resting on Alec’s shoulder, letting him know in his own way that he’s here for him and that he’s glad that he came to him.

“I don’t suppose you have anything stronger?” Alec asks as he leans back against the plush material.

Magnus looks over his shoulder at Alec, his eyebrows raised in question as he passes on his way to the drinks cabinet.

“Like I said, it’s been a long day,” Alec confirms, a small hint of a smile on his lips.

“Wine it is,” Magnus smiles back, summoning two wine glasses into his hand and turning back to the cabinet.

Magnus found it endearing really, that Alec had asked for something stronger than tea. When he had first met the Shadowhunter, he wasn’t much of a drinker, but after spending the occasional evening at Magnus’s apartment, he had seemed to have acquired a taste for alcohol, though Magnus was always careful in choosing the drinks he gave to Alec, not wanting to incapacitate the Shadowhunter in case he was needed back at the Institute.

It’s become one of Magnus’s favourite time of the day, enjoying Alec’s company as they connect over drinks.

Actually, who is he kidding?

Any time he spends with Alexander is his favourite part of the day.

He quickly pours their drinks and picks up the glasses, turning back to face Alec who was looking like he was a million miles away, a lost look in his eyes as Magnus slowly makes his way towards him. Magnus didn’t want to startle him so before he took a seat, he quietly cleared his throat, holding out one of the wine glasses for him to take, which he does with a brief smile, shaking his head from whatever thought was occupying it.

“I must say Alexander, you’re starting to worry me,” Magnus admits, taking a seat beside him and tentatively leans against Alec’s shoulder.

Alec doesn’t say anything in response and for a moment, Magnus thinks that he might have fallen asleep but then he heard Alec’s shuddering intake of breath and he knew that something horrible was definitely playing on the Shadowhunter’s mind.

“Alec,” Magnus calls out, shifting round on the couch so that he’s facing him, eyebrows furrowed in concern as he asks, “What is it?”

“I...” Alec breathes out, his voice cracking.

He didn’t want to tell Magnus what had happened through fear that the Warlock would abandon him, just like he knew his parents were going to do once the news reached them, if it hadn’t already - news tends to travel fast around the Institute and it doesn’t take long to reach Idris either.

In the back of his mind, Alec knew that he was being stupid thinking that Magnus would ever do such a thing, the Warlock has gone through his own fair share of abandonment in his extraordinarily long life, so he understands the pain that Alec is going through, but he just couldn’t face saying the words out loud, at least not yet. If he says them to Magnus, then it becomes real but if he holds it all in...

“Alexander,” Magnus presses, giving Alec’s shoulder a little shake.

“Madame Inquisitor arrived at the Institute and she’s demanded that I step down with immediate effect,” Alec blurts out.

Alec’s mind had apparently already decided to tell Magnus the truth.

As he let out the breath he didn’t realise he had been holding, he felt a tremendous weight life from his shoulders but that wasn’t enough to stop his stomach from twisting at the thought of what Magnus would think of him. He couldn’t stop thinking that Magnus would be disgusted at him that he couldn’t hold onto an important role, that he would think Alec useless and would push him away and out of the apartment. He knew it was ridiculous, of course, Magnus wasn’t like that and he certainly wouldn’t push Alec away, but Alec still couldn’t look him in the eye as he sips at the wine.

“That’s not all,” Magnus replies, his voice even despite the flash of anger that crosses his expression.

Whether it was directed at Alec or at the Inquisitor, Alec wasn’t so sure that he wanted to know.

Alec shakes his head as he raises the glass once more, but Magnus’s hand stops him from raising it to his lips.

“Alec, what else happened?” Magnus presses.

Alec knows that if he says the words, he’s going to crack.

He could already feel himself falling apart but one look at Magnus and his mouth started running itself.

“She made Jace the Head of the Institute,” Alec murmurs as he knocks back the remaining wine Magnus had supplied him with. “Apparently having a personal connection to a Downworlder means that I am no longer able to remain objective enough to efficiently run the Institute.”

Alec places the now empty wine glass down on the coffee table with a little more force than he intended, causing the glass to shatter everywhere.

“Shit!” Alec exclaims as he reaches for the broken pieces, not realising that a piece was sticking up until his hand connected and started to draw blood.

“Alexander...” Magnus breathes out, trying to keep Alec’s attention on him.

Alec was too worked up to notice what Magnus was doing, he was too focused on cleaning the broken glass up just in case Magnus somehow got hurt too. It’s an automatic reaction that has been drilled into him; if you make a mess, Alexander, it’s your responsibility to clean it up, his Mother used to scowl before turning on her heels and walking away from him, leaving him on his own to fix whatever he had messed up.

As Alec takes in a shuddering breath of panic, his hands shaking from the glass cutting him, he couldn’t help but think that if today has taught him anything, it’s that he’s not capable of doing anything right without something being messed up.

I can’t even put a simple glass down without it breaking, he thinks miserably as he keeps cleaning up the shards.

He faintly hears Magnus talking to him but his brain couldn’t comprehend what he was saying through his frustration and overall exhaustion.

“Alec, stop.” Magnus says firmly, reaching out to still Alec’s trembling hands while his eyes scanned Alec’s face until he caught his gaze and then added in a softer tone, “Just stop for a second and breathe with me, okay? It’s just a glass, I can easily fix it or make it disappear with a click of my fingers, just take a deep breath with me, okay? And then let it out... that’s good, can you keep doing that for me while I clean up your hand?”

Alec didn’t say anything, he didn’t trust his mouth with words at the moment so he simply nods in response, his hazel eyes never leaving Magnus’s beautiful brown ones, even when the Warlock waved a hand with an over-flourishment of movement and the wound on his hand closed. The blood that was quickly staining his skin disappearing a second later, not leaving a single trace that it had even been there in the first place.

Alec takes in another breath.

In all honesty, he doesn’t know why he’s getting so worked up about a broken wine glass, it’s as Magnus said, it’s just a glass. He knows that he’s being stupid, just like he knows that he needs to keep his breathing steady and under control but his mind is running a thousand miles per hour and it was feeling like everything was finally starting to crush him under the weight of all the pressure and responsibility he had to carry.

He was literally too exhausted to even care about breaking down in front of Magnus.

Alec doubts that Magnus would think any less of him if he did actually start crying but he shook the thought away as quickly as it came; Magnus has been his rock, his one consistent presence and has already pretty much witnessed every single mood Alec has gone through, whether it was intentional or not, and yet he was still here... Magnus wasn’t going anywhere and if he were fazed by Alec’s mood swings, then he didn’t let it show.

Magnus places a hand to the side of Alec’s face before pulling him towards him, his head resting on top of Alec’s as he holds him close.

“I’m sorry,” Alec murmurs into Magnus’s neck. “I didn’t mean to burden this on you, I’m just tired and I can’t think straight.”

Magnus tightens his grip on Alec as he places a kiss on top of his head.

“You don’t ever have to apologise, Alexander. It’s understandable that you’re frustrated; Imogen Herondale... well, let me put it this way, she’s not the easiest woman in the world to get along with,” Magnus states as he brushes a strand of hair away from Alec’s eyes. “It’s no secret that she respects honour and her family over anything else and she doesn’t beat around the bush in regards to her dislike of Downworlders and especially of me.”

“I’m sorry,” Alec says, his words honest. “The way that she treats you and every other Downworlder... it’s sickening.”

“It’s to be expected,” Magnus confirms. “We’ve come to accept our place around Shadowhunters. We may not like it, especially when we’re up against people like Imogen but we’ve all learnt to adapt and for the most part, we live peacefully together and every once in a blue moon, we come across a Shadowhunter with such a pure heart, it makes even the most grumpiest of Warlock’s sing... Shadowhunters like you, Alec.”

“You shouldn’t have to expect that though, no one should.” Alec says, his voice cracking. “And a pure heart can only get you so far.”

He knew that there were Shadowhunters out in the world who disliked Downworlders and would do all that they could in order to avoid helping them, his parents for starters were among those who wore their prejudice on their sleeves, they laid it out clear to those they were leading, making it abundantly clear to them that anyone who thinks otherwise, shouldn’t even be at the Institute. Alec hated them for that. He hated that they couldn’t see past their own teachings enough to realise that the world was changing around them, that it doesn’t matter if they’re Downworlders or not.

The Angel and the Shadowhunters are there to protect all those in need and that includes Downworlders, whether they like it or not.

It’s a lesson that Alec was determined to teach them as he accepted his place at the Institute but now... he can feel the built-up tears finally breaking free from his eyes as he tightens his grip on Magnus, his head burrowing deeper into Magnus’s neck as he holds back his cries.

“Shh, it’s okay, Alexander,” Magnus murmurs into his ear, his voice soothing as he runs a hand through Alec’s hair.

Alec couldn’t speak anymore, he couldn’t do much of anything anymore apart from grasping onto Magnus and just letting himself be held by the Warlock who against all odds, chose Alec to be his one and only; a choice that Alec is still processing.

Magnus doesn’t say anything as Alec cries.

He knows how much being the Head of the Institute had meant to Alec, and his own heart was breaking at the sight of his boyfriend crumbling to pieces in his arms at the decision of one bitter, grudge-bearing old woman. In the years that he’s known her, he had tried his best to get along with her, especially after he heard news of the death of her son, Stephen. He had offered her comfort and had tried to form an alliance, just in case she needed a Warlock for anything but she had turned on him quicker than he turned to his magic, pushing him away and shutting him out and now, she’s doing the exact same thing to Alec.

It had nothing to do with Alec’s ability to run the Institute.

She’s pushing him away and shutting him out for the choice he’s made in regards to a partner.

He could feel the anger bubbling inside of him but he forced himself to remain calm. It would not do Alec any good if Magnus unleashed his fury on the Inquisitor and it would most likely destroy him if he was taken away by the Silent Brothers and locked up for his actions. Any time away from Alec was painful enough, especially with how dangerous their jobs could be, and Magnus did not want to be the one responsible for Alec’s pain.

So, instead of creating chaos, he just sits there, running his hand soothingly through Alec’s hair as he holds onto him, not wanting to let him go.

------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------

Alec shuffles out of Magnus’s bedroom feeling much more refreshed but embarrassed by his breakdown the night before.

He wasn’t sure at which point they had moved from the couch into Magnus’s bedroom but he was grateful at not having to sleep on the couch; it was comfortable enough to make out with Magnus but sleeping on the thing took a strain on his back and neck. Alec shudders at the reminder of the first time he stayed over and he awoke the next morning, hardly able to move. It took ages for him to lose the stiffness from his limbs that had crept into his bones and muscles while he slept.

This morning though, he felt like he had slept on a cloud.

Following the scent of coffee, Alec finds Magnus bustling around the kitchen, hand brewing a pot of coffee like a Mundane instead of summoning one like he usually did.

When he first saw Magnus summon a coffee from the local coffee shop, he was amazed but felt guilty about him just taking the coffee without paying for it, so when he left to head to the Institute, he called in on his way and just left some money on the counter which caused the girl that was standing by the coffee machine to give him a look as if to say ‘what are you doing? I haven’t taken your order’ but he shrugged his shoulders and mumbled something about ‘paying it forward’ before quickly leaving.

It eased the guilt and he was able to enjoy the rest of his day.

He isn’t sure if Magnus ever found out about him leaving money in return for the coffee but he hasn’t seen him summon a cup since.

Alec leans against the door frame, a smile on his face as he watches Magnus for a few moments.

He takes in the sight of his morning attire, he takes in the way his hair was still ruffled from sleep and he listened to the content humming as he moved with ease, gathering mugs and milk; he moved as easily and with the same contentment he shows when he’s working on a new potion or learning a new spell.

Deciding to make his presence known, Alec straightens up and steps behind Magnus, his arms wrapping around the Warlock’s slim waist as he nuzzles his nose against the back of his neck, breathing in the scent of the Sandalwood shampoo he loved so much.

Magnus chuckles softly as he turns around in Alec’s arms, his own wrapping around Alec’s waist as he tilts his head up for a kiss; Alec is more than happy to oblige.

“I must say, Alexander, this is a wonderful way to start the day,” Magnus beams when he pulls back from the kiss.

His forehead remains resting against Alec’s as they both take a moment to catch their breaths.

“I’m glad that I could make it up to you,” Alec murmurs, his nose grazing affectionately against Magnus’s.

“What do you mean?” Magnus asks, confused.

“You know... for coming round so late and having a breakdown... you can’t say that it didn’t ruin your evening,” Alec murmurs, his voice low.

“Alexander, as I told you last night, you never have to apologise to me, ever, and I would much rather you have a breakdown here than have one when you’re on your own and unable to calm down. It’s like I’ve said before, your burden are my burdens and we will get through them together.”

Alec closes his eyes and pulls Magnus closer to him as he recalls the fear he had felt last night.

He had been so afraid that if he laid his worries out in front of Magnus, that the older man would turn and push him away. He knew that it was stupid to think that way last night but now, hearing Magnus’s words, he wanted to laugh at how ridiculous he had been. Alec had nothing to worry about when it came down to Magnus’s feelings for him. He should know to have more trust in the Warlock. It was hearing Magnus’s words that made Alec realise that it didn’t matter what position he held at the Institute, or how his parents and fellow Shadowhunters viewed him - the only person’s opinion which Alec really cared about and counted on was Magnus’s.

Still, it doesn’t hurt to want to hear the words spoken out loud every once in a while.

“I love you,” Alec announces, his lips brushing against Magnus’s once more.

“And I love you... so much so that I have a little surprise for you,” Magnus smiles, returning Alec’s kiss before he spins on his heels to face the door as the buzzer sounds. “Now, I know yesterday was a bad day for you and as much as I know you love my magic tricks, I thought I would do one better.”

Now it was Alec’s turn to be confused.

He tilts his head to the side as Magnus swings open the apartment door, revealing Catarina and Madzie standing on the other side.

“Magnus!” Madzie smiles as soon as she sees him and wraps her arms around his neck when he kneels down to her height.

“Sweet Pea!” Magnus greets with a smile of his own as he embraces the young girl.

Alec folds his arms across his chest as he leans back against the door frame, a smile on his face as he watches the two Warlock’s embrace. He had told Magnus before that he would make a great Father, if the future was kind enough to allow them to start a family together. Magnus had spent so much of his life taking care of others, that his skills are unmatchable. His eyes briefly glance up at Catarina who gives him a warm smile of her own.

He takes a step forward and watches as Madzie’s eyes go wide as she spots him standing behind Magnus.

“Alec!” The young Warlock cries out as she rushes towards him, smile wide as she jumps into his arms.

“Madzie! Hey! How’s my favourite little sorceress?” Alec asks, a grin of his face as he adjusts his grip so that she’s resting on his right hip.

“I’m going to have a sleepover with Magnus!” Madzie exclaims excitedly, wrapping her arms around Alec’s neck. “Are you going to stay too?”

“Yeah!” Alec replied, placing a kiss on her temple.

“Can we play Sharks and Minnows?!”

“You bet we can!” Alec smiles and starts to tickle her sides as she giggles.

Magnus looks over at Catarina who had a hand over her heart; she was completely enamoured by how much love Alec had for Madzie.

It’s no secret that Catarina was skeptical about Alec at first, Magnus knew that and she wasn’t the first one to express doubts either. Raphael was quick to jump on him about his decision just like every other Downworlder he came across but after properly meeting him and spending some time with him, Catarina had grown to respect Alec for who he is and to not judge him based on his position at the Institute and amongst his Shadowhunter peers.

It really meant a lot to Magnus that his best friend was trying her best to get to know his boyfriend, and vice versa.

Magnus smiles from his place at the door, allowing the warmth to spread through him as he watches Alec and Madzie interact with each other. He wishes that Catarina could stay a little longer to enjoy this precious moment but he knew that she had to head off and so, he turned his attention to her.

“I really appreciate you bringing Madzie here and allowing her to sleep over,” Magnus begins.

“It’s not a problem at all, actually your call came at the right time; I’ve been asked to speak at a conference in Marrakesh and I wasn’t sure what to do with Madzie - they have some pretty strict rules over there about children and conferences,” Catarina explained, glancing over at the little girl. “But it seems as though this is the right place for her to stay while I’m away.”

“You know that I would be more than happy to look after her whenever you need, right?” Magnus asks, taking hold of her hands.

“I do but I know how busy you get,” Catarina smiles. “Especially now that you’re helping Alec at the Institute.”

Magnus drops his gaze at her words, the smile slipping into a grimace at the mention of the place that’s caused Alec so much stress.

“You are still helping at the Institute, right? They haven’t banished you or anything along those lines?” Catarina presses, picking up on Magnus’s discomfort around the subject; she had always been able to read him like a book, it was part of the reason why he liked her so much.

“Actually... it appears that at the moment Alec is the one who has been pushed out,” Magnus murmurs, his voice low enough so only she could hear.

“What? Why?” Catarina demands, her voice just as low as she leans in closer.

“Imogen Herondale has made an appearance and made an informal decision to choose her own Grandson as the Head of the Institute while Alec’s parents are away sorting out their marital issues. Alec didn’t exactly take the news as well as the Inquisitor had hoped he would and he broke down last night. Which is why I called you to see if we could have Madzie for a few days; she’s the best at distracting him.” Magnus explained, looking back at the young Warlock and the lost Shadowhunter as they take turns pulling a variety of funny faces at each other until they both burst out in playful laughter.

“Well, we all know how Imogen can get and honestly, I’m not surprised with her choice.”

“Yeah, me neither but that doesn’t mean she’s right; Alec was born for the role, not Jace.”

Catarina was quiet for a moment as she followed Magnus’s gaze to where Madzie was sitting contently on Alec’s hip as he spun them around.

The sound of Madzie’s laughter reached her ears and she couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle of her own; she loved seeing Madzie happy and when she was around Alec, she couldn’t help but have a great big smile on her face as she played her favourite games with him.

“Take her for as long as you need,” she says, her voice soft.

“Are you sure?” Magnus asks, wanting to make sure that Catarina was really okay with it.

“Yes, besides it looks as though she’s doing a great job already of keeping Alec occupied; she’ll wear him out by lunch if she keeps up this pace,” she smiles. “Tell Alec that I’m sorry to hear his news and just give me a call if you need anything, or if Madzie needs anything, okay?”

“Of course, my dear, thank you.”

Magnus reaches out to embrace Catarina before bidding her farewell.

She takes one last look back at Madzie before turning and walking out the front door to the waiting portal that will take her to Marrakesh.

Closing the door behind Catarina, Magnus puts a smile on his face and spins back round to face Alec and Madzie, clapping his hands together.

“Okay, who’s up for some pancakes?”

If you would like to support future works, then please consider buying me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/earthtolottie - I appreciate you all!

#EarthToLottie #FanFic Writer #Shadowhunters #Alec Lightwood #Magnus Bane #Malec #Emotional Hurt/Comfort #Panic Attacks #Catarina Loss #Madzie

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bytheangell · 2 years

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Waiting Up

Flufftober Day 20 - Bedtime Stories (Read on AO3)

Lydia didn’t mean to get stuck at work so late, but some simple paperwork turned into a full-blown report when a patrol went wrong. She sends approximately 387 apologetic texts to Catarina, knowing she’s not only missing their dinner plans but also completely throwing off the nightly routine they’ve built up for the nights Lydia stays over… which, recently, seems to be more nights than not.

It’s nice. Lydia never expected Catarina, but she’s so glad she has her. Especially on nights like tonight when Lydia barely keeps her eyes open long enough to sign her name on these reports. She’s fueled only by the patient understanding and gentle encouragement of her girlfriend and the knowledge that, at the end of all this work, she has someone waiting for her at the place she’s started to consider home.

It's late when Lydia finally arrives at Catarina's, quietly pushing open the front door that she has her own key to. Cat waits on the sofa, a beer in hand and a glass of wine waiting next to her for Lydia.

"You don't have to tip-toe," Cat says. "She isn't asleep yet."

Lydia double-checks the time. "Why not?"

"She insisted on staying up to wait for her bedtime story," Catarina explains with a fond smile.

Lydia shakes her head, laughing lightly before going over to give Cat a kiss she wants nothing more than to collapse into.

"I did promise the end of the story tonight, didn't I?" Lydia sighs, straightening up. "I'll be back soon."

Cat, however, gets up to follow Lydia to Madzie's room.

"I want to hear it, too," Cat smiles. "I'm very invested in the princess and the blue-skinned sorceress."

They walk to Madzie's room only to find her eyes closed, fast asleep propped up on her pillows in a slumped-over, half-sitting position.

"Guess I’ll have to save the thrilling conclusion for tomorrow," Lydia whispers, shutting the door quietly.

"I can't wait," Cat says, leading them back to the living room. Lydia wants to stay up and talk, to catch up on her girlfriend’s day - except, much like Madzie, forcing herself to stay up late isn’t in the cards.

Within minutes Lydia is fast asleep sitting up on the sofa.

#lydia branwell #catarina loss #catarina x lydia #shadowhunters #madzie #elle writes a few deadbeat lines #flufftober 2022

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malec-ao3feed · 2 months

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The Past Bleeds Golden

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/ZucPwGK by Foodsies Some days, Magnus almost convinces himself he remembers his mother's voice, the warm joy in her eyes when she spoke of soul marks and twisting gold. But then, red would seep into his vision and water into his lungs and he should be getting better. Alexander is healthy, Madzie is safe and Magnus should be getting better. He doesn't know why he isn't because Alexander is. Alec is. Throughout the day he is. But at night, when fantom pains and his mother's disappointment haunt his every breath, Alec asks himself the same. Words: 1949, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 2 of All Was Golden - main, Part 6 of All Was Golden - extended universe Fandoms: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood, Isabelle Lightwood, Jace Wayland, Ragnor Fell, Catarina Loss, Madzie (Shadowhunters TV), Max Lightwood, The trainees, Jessica Hawkblue, Valentine Morgenstern, Maryse Lightwood Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Additional Tags: Magnus Bane & Ragnor Fell Friendship, Magnus Bane & Catarina Loss Friendship, Alec Lightwood & Andrew Underhill Friendship, Good Parabatai Jace Wayland, Good Parabatai Alec Lightwood, Warlock Alec Lightwood, Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood, BAMF Magnus Bane, BAMF Alec Lightwood, Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Magnus Bane Is a Nice Thing, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Alec Lightwood Is a Nice Thing, Sassy Max Lightwood, Adorable Madzie (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Madzie is a Lightwood-Bane, All of the trainees are a Lightwood-Bane, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Alec Lightwood is suddenly in charge of too many children, Magnus is too, No Beta we die like Dot: Again and again and again read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/ZucPwGK

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #shadowhunters #tmi #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #magnus x alec #malec fanfic #the mortal instruments

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alexanderlightweight · 1 year

Note

Could you write downworlders seeing and reacting to Alec hanging out with Madzie or protecting Magnus before he can even respond.

this is a continuation to my incompetent shadowhunter fill a and I hope you enjoy it!

Magnus snarls, sending out a spear of magic without a look as he opens up a portal.

Once again, he’s on a battlefield and this time he has his own people to protect as well and while they are helping maintain the shields around them, they can’t protect themselves at the same time.

It’s almost more work, protecting them and closing the rifts rather than doing it all himself and Magnus needs backup and it’s without a second thought that his magic insistently, demandingly finds who he wants.

There’s no time to send a message and Magnus sends a tendril through the portal, hoping the possessive familiarity of his magic will do the trick.

Alexander steps through seconds later.

He’s in boots and sweats but otherwise bare, a towel around his neck and his hair dripping wet.

Magnus closes the portal and grabs him, manhandling him close so he can press greedy hands to the bare, runed skin available to him.

It’s only been a week and they’ve both been busier than ever, but Magnus ignores the battle to soak in Alexander’s damp warmth and to pull him even closer.

“Magnus?”

“I need you—” Magnus tells him, voice a low demand. “I need your strength, your skills, your authority. Will you give it to me, Alexander?”

Alexander sways towards him but an explosion catches his attention and Magnus hisses as he closes himself off. An arm around Alexander’s waist keeps him from stepping away and Magnus lets his fingers dip past his waistband.

“Okay—” Alexander shrugs like it’s not a big deal, “take what you want Magnus. I’ll handle the rest.”

Magnus is greedy and he isn’t cautious or polite this time.

He gets a hand in Alexander’s hair and tugs him into a feral kiss, with teeth and blood and Magnus tongue-fucking into his mouth with a claim that Alexander will taste until the battle ends.

Magnus lets him go with a final, delighted sigh.

Once again, he’s brimful and sated and the power of Edom in his veins is temporarily tamed, nipping at his heels and begging to be used.

Alexander wavers and Magnus magicks him into better gear, using his own clothing and using magic to tailor it to fit him. He nods, already distracted as he summons his weapons and then he hesitates before he leans over and kisses Magnus.

Clumsy and almost hesitant, none of his cold authority or feral rage.

It’s hauntingly sweet and Magnus croons into the kiss and wants to stamp a brand to Alexander’s soul. Instead, he comforts himself with the knowledge that Alexander is brimming with Magnus’ energy and his lips are bruised from Magnus’ pleasure.

Then Magnus focuses back on the rifts.

Alexander will protect Magnus’ people, perhaps not out of the goodness of his heart, but because Alexander is a battlefield commander, and he considers every accidental causality a failure on his own part.

Which means he’ll protect Magnus’ people more than he’ll protect the other shadowhunters on the field.

Because Alexander has already written them off as fodder.

—

Valois steps through the portal and wonders when time stopped aging his body but continued to age his bones.

He feels weary, down to the very core of himself and it’s with a deep and exasperated exhaustion that he traverses space. It will be his job to evacuate any exhausted warlocks as well as check on Bane.

Magnus is powerful but he doesn’t normally have to deal with so many difficulties and another warlock was supposed to follow him and cover those protecting the entire field.

However said warlock apparently had too many ales in a pub and was nursing off a hangover and about to be found by Catarina Loss.

Valois was given the option to stay and witness her fury or go and aid Magnus and completely remove himself from her line of fire.

Valois is nearly six hundred, he knows when to fight and when to retreat and, knowing that Catarina Loss is about to string a warlock up by their magical veins and thrash them until they never make the mistake of endangering Magnus Bane again.

So, Valois gets there and sighs, already tired especially when he sees the shadowhunters all focused on themselves and leaving the warlocks trying to help them unprotected.

A demon peaks in the air, wings beating furiously, and Valois readies a spear only for it to drop, something gleaming and red protruding from its eye.

It explodes as it falls, a mess of ichor and ash and Valois watches as a shadowhunter calmly notches another arrow and sneers across the battlefield.

He’s protecting everyone the best he can from long distances, but he’s not with the rest of the nephilim and Valois watches shocked as Magnus, the closest to him, suddenly turns.

Magnus pulls down the shadowhunter by his quiver-strap and kisses him, it’s a lewd, risky move for a battlefield but Valois can feel the ebb of a deep magic, older than his rocking between the two men before it settles into place.

Magnus looks visibly refreshed, like he hasn’t been fighting on this battlefield for eight hours alone and Valois realizes that Magnus hasn’t been fighting alone.

#writing wednesday #writing wednesdays #lumine writes #magnus bane #alec lightwood #malec #shadowhunters #my fics #my fanfics #my ficlets

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sandylee007 · 1 month

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'In a Valley of Deep Darkness (I Found You)' chapter 1 is now out.

ALTERED CANON MALEC

Valentine Morgenstern is gone. But the two halves of the Shadow World are still starkly divided, full of prejudice and violence on both sides. Clave struggles to rule with an iron fist. But behind the powerful surface a great divide grows and a centuries old foundation of order shudders, about to collapse. Most of the remaining Downworlders hide. Many of them are bitter from the terrible losses they’ve suffered and wait for a chance to seek revenge. The war against Circle and Valentine ended with a great personal cost to Magnus Bane. Since then he’s done everything in his considerable power to avoid Shadowhunters. He lives solely for protecting his remaining people. Alec Lightwood’s most shameful secret coming out is the day the life as he’s known it ends. Deruned, exiled and hunted by Downworlders who despise his parents, he struggles to survive. Then an encounter with a warlock child named Madzie changes everything. Prejudices are contemplated. Secrets are revealed. Loyalties are tested. And nothing is the same for the two men who were supposed to be enemies.

ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF CHAPTERS MAY CHANGE

#shadowhunters #malec #shadowhunters fanfiction #malec fanfic #ao3 #shadowfam

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the-great-lightwood-bane · 2 years

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bloody but unbowed Malec | Rated general | tw implied/referenced torture, discrimination against Downworlders | Canon Divergence, Bad Sibling Isabelle Lightwood, Bad Parabatai Jace Wayland, Bad Parent Maryse Lightwood, Angst with a Happy Ending, Captivity, Rescue

Summary: “Now,” Imogen says — quietly, sternly, insistently. A promised pain in her tone makes Alec want to flinch away, but the bindings on his chair keep him still as the statue he must pretend to be. “Tell me where the Downworlder base is.”

Twenty years ago, the Circle won. Six years ago, Alec Lightwood began freeing every Downworlder to enter the Institute’s cells. A week ago, he was caught.

Nobody’s going to free him.

A/N: This fic was created for the Shadowhunters Reverse Bang 2022: Presented by the @malecdiscordserver.

Art (above, you can also see it here) is by Twigen!

Title is from the poem Invictus by William Ernst Henley.

Read it on AO3 or below the cut.

“Now,” Imogen says — quietly, sternly, insistently. A promised pain in her tone makes Alec want to flinch away, but the bindings on his chair keep him still as the statue he must pretend to be. “Tell me where the Downworlder base is.”

“I don’t know anything,” Alec manages, voice hoarse, throat sore from hours of screaming and dehydration. It’s only partially a lie — he knows where several Downworlder haunts are, places he makes sure to keep patrols away from, but they’re not technically Downworlder bases. The Hunter’s Moon is just a bar, Pandemonium is a club, and while the Hotel Dumort and Jade Wolf are the main headquarters of the vampires and the werewolves, respectively, the place most like a Downworlder base is probably Magnus’ loft — which Alec has intentionally never learnt the location of. Even so, Alec knows perfectly well she’d love to learn about the other Downworlder haunts, and therefore he cannot let her know anything.

Her lip curves up in disgust. “Liar.” A gesture, and the man standing beside her steps forward, stele in hand. Alec tries to cringe away, but it’s no use; he’s weak from too little food and too much pain, and anyway, he’s tied too tightly to the chair.

The stele traces remorselessly over the Agony rune on Alec’s shoulder, mostly black but tinged with red from frequent usage. Alec is well accustomed to the moment of breathless peace when the stele moves back, but there’s no getting used to the abrupt surge of pain that follows, and he loses himself in screams.

—————————————

A week earlier, Alec walked quickly and quietly down the hallways of the New York Institute, seraph blade at the ready although he hoped not to use it.

It was quiet — noon was approaching, and for now, most good Shadowhunters were in bed catching up on the sleep they’d missed overnight. Demons were nocturnal; therefore, so were Shadowhunters. Alec knew he was giving up on precious, already-scarce sleep to do this, but that was a sacrifice he was willing to make. Magnus had told him about the most recent captures, including his friend Catarina Loss and her daughter, Madzie. Alec wasn’t about to let a child stay in the Institute’s cells a moment longer than necessary. Magnus’ message had been relatively short and to the point, anger visible in every line. Alec had immediately agreed to break everyone out of the Institute later that day.

By now — after six years of rescuing every Downworlder the Institute managed to lay hands on — Alec had plenty of practice in subduing opponents; he stepped silently up behind a guard, slammed the hilt of his seraph blade down on his head, and activated the guard’s somnos rune to keep him down. He’d wake up in fifteen minutes with no memory of falling asleep.

The next hallway had two guards, which he dispatched as easily as the first. Nobody, after all, expected Alec Lightwood — Head of the New York Institute, heir to the Lightwood name, scion of one of the proudest Shadowhunter bloodlines, eldest son of Valentine’s greatest devotees — to be the traitor breaking Downworlders out. The latest rumour going around was about an underground movement with several hundred people in it, as, apparently, only that could explain how Downworlders kept disappearing from the Institute’s cells. The guards on duty today would be investigated for misdemeanours, as would the people watching the monitors, but Alec was diligent in his efforts to conceal himself from all suspicion; as Head, his access to the camera feeds allowed him to hide his presence in the cell corridors and then remove any traces of tampering in the recordings. The investigation into this breakout would be as stumped as all the others had been.

He turned another corner soundlessly, and the last guard dropped to the ground. Cells lined this corridor, at least fifty on each side, but only ten were filled — it hadn’t been long since his last rescue, but he’d sped up the timeline for Madzie’s sake. He saw her immediately, a girl who looked younger than the six-year-old she was, and for a moment, he was frozen with a furious horror that they’d dare capture a child.

Shaking himself out of it, Alec pulled out the guard’s stele and swiped it over the cell doors, one after another, then activated the rune that’d unlock the prisoners’ chains. When he’d rescued Magnus a bit more than three years ago, Magnus had looked up at him with golden cat eyes which, even then, had taken Alec’s breath away, and asked how he knew Magnus wouldn’t just kill him where he stood. Alec’s reply — that without a Shadowhunter’s help, he wouldn’t be able to make it out of the Institute to a place where he could portal away — had, apparently, satisfied him; he’d followed Alec’s lead in silence and winked at him before portalling out. He’d been dirty and bruised from the Shadowhunters’ rough handling, but Alec had thought he was the most beautiful man Alec had ever seen.

The ten Downworlders climbed warily to their feet: two warlocks, Madzie and a blue-skinned woman, presumably Catarina Loss; a faerie, androgynous and tattooed with vines; four werewolves, including a Black woman with scars along her neck whom Alec recognised as Maia Roberts from the Hunter’s Moon; and three vampires, one of whom Alec knew as Simon Lewis. “You’re Shadow?” Catarina asked, head tilted to the side.

“Yes.” The pseudonym was a necessity — if they knew his name was Alec Lightwood, they’d never trust him, and they’d probably all end up getting caught. (Shadow seemed fitting, seeing as Alec worked in the shadows and was hunted by, well, Shadowhunters.) Only Magnus knew Alec’s true identity, and the fact that he trusted Alec despite it was one of the reasons Alec loved him.

(It was, perhaps, ridiculous to be in love with a man he’d seen a grand total of twice, but he’d seen plenty of Magnus’ personality in their conversations — his quips, comments, and clever questions, even before their communications had strayed from strict practicalities. By now, Magnus knew more of Alec than anyone else, and not only because he knew Alec was Shadow; Alec had told him secrets, emotions, dreams, and hopes, that he couldn’t even tell his parabatai.

He didn’t know if Magnus felt the same. In any case, it wasn’t like there was much of a future for them; after all, Alec’s people were doing their utmost to exterminate Magnus’. That thought always brought him back to earth from any dreams of love.)

Most of the Downworlders came out of their cells easily enough — they probably knew of Alec already; Magnus had mentioned that Shadow was fairly famous by now — but Madzie remained in hers, pressed against the wall as far from Alec as she could get. Catarina knelt in front of her, trying to encourage her out; judging by the wary glances the young girl was sending Alec, she didn’t want to trust a Shadowhunter. Alec couldn’t blame her, but he wondered what had happened in her short life to make her fear him so much.

Carefully (but quickly, as they didn’t have infinite time), Alec went down on one knee, a little way away, to make himself seem smaller. He caught a glimpse of small slits on the sides of Madzie’s neck and guessed they were her warlock mark. “Cool gills.”

She looked up, a small smile blooming on her face, and with the help of the friendly expression Alec wore, Catarina soon succeeded in coaxing her out of the cell.

Alec beckoned everyone forward, and took them through the winding route of passageways which led to the exit where the portal would be waiting. His watch told him it was 11:56; Magnus’ portal would open at twelve, so they had enough time. It was much easier to do this with Magnus’ help than it’d been before — he’d had to hope that one of the captive warlocks had enough power to make a portal, or else he’d need to help them across the city to one of the Downworlder haunts he knew. Shortly after he’d rescued Magnus, there’d been a close call with a guard, and a Downworlder had been injured to the point where he couldn’t walk; there’d been no warlock capable of portalling them to safety in the group. Fortunately, another prisoner had been Raphael Santiago, a friend of Magnus’, and he’d called Magnus using Alec’s phone. The High Warlock had opened up a portal, and Alec had seen the Downworlders safely to the other side before returning to the Institute to avoid detection.

(Magnus had given Alec the journal they used to communicate a few days later; it was spelled to mirror an identical journal of Magnus’ so they could write to each other without more traceable phones or fire messages.

Magnus’ inventiveness was another thing Alec admired him for.

The most stunning thing about the journal, though, was the level of trust it displayed: Alec could so easily have set up a trap for him using it, and while he was sure Magnus took precautions, there remained a chance they’d fail. It was a calculated risk, and Alec would ensure that it turned out for the best. He could not betray that trust.)

Their small group of Downworlders was only two hallways from the exit when the Institute’s alarm sounded.

Alec realised with a jolt that in his hurry and horror at Madzie’s treatment, he’d forgotten to activate the last guard’s somnos rune. The blow to his head had knocked him out, but that wouldn’t — couldn’t — last; he must’ve woken up, seen the prisoners missing, and hoped to sound the alarm before everyone was in the clear.

Before Alec could tell everyone to hurry up and get out, he saw Madzie’s pale, terrified face. “Shh, it’s okay,” he said softly, gently. “I’ll keep you safe, okay?”

“Okay,” she said trustingly, and Catarina smiled at him. That wasn’t enough, though; she was still too young to move quickly, and the Downworlders seemed too weak to carry her.

“We’re going to need to go fast,” he told her. “Can I give you a ride?”

She hesitated for a moment, and Catarina tensed slightly, but then she nodded, and Alec scooped her easily up onto his back. He barely noticed the weight; already, the other Downworlders were following him down the hallway. 11:58 — two minutes until Magnus’ portal would open up and bring the Downworlders to safety.

“Is your name really Shadow?” Madzie asked in his ear as he hurried forward, careful not to outstrip the slowest Downworlders.

“No,” Alec told her honestly. He knew it was unlikely he’d get out of here alive; keeping his identity secret didn’t much matter anymore. “My real name’s Alec.”

“Alec.” He felt her nod confidently against the back of his neck. “I’m Madzie. You can be my friend.”

“Gladly,” he said, lips pulling up into a smile. Whatever his fate, he liked this girl, too quiet and careful for her age but still with a child’s willingness to make friends.

They reached the exit only moments later, and Alec let Madzie gently down to the ground. She grinned at him, brighter than before, but he didn’t have time to smile back before the first guard came running out the door.

Alec moved without hesitation, pushing Madzie behind him as his seraph blade lit up in his hand. This wasn’t the time to spare lives with somnos runes and knockout blows; Alec’s blade sliced easily through the man’s neck, and blood spattered, thankfully more on Alec than Madzie. He hoped he hadn’t lost her good regard, but her life was more important.

“Behind me!” he called, hoping the Downworlders obeyed as he took up a position in front of the exit. Like this, the space was narrow enough that his opponents would have to come at him one at a time; he wouldn’t last forever, but he’d last the sixty seconds until Magnus’ portal opened up. A flash of movement farther down the corridor; he unslung his bow and sent an arrow through the next guard with enough force to kill the woman behind him, too; the third guard, at her side, growled and threw herself forward — directly onto Alec’s blade, swapped with his bow and held at the ready.

Those three would’ve been stationed closest to this door; he had about fifteen seconds before the rest of the Institute arrived, and then he’d need to hold them off long enough for the Downworlders to get through the portal, and then he’d— well. It was best not to think about what would happen to him. Only one thought pierced his mental shields: I’ll never see Magnus again. He pushed it away before he could linger on the emotions it brought.

“Alec?” Madzie’s voice, nervous. Alec spared a moment to turn to her with a small smile and nod for her to continue, one eye still on the doorway. “Are you coming with us when we leave?”

“I can’t, little princess,” Alec told her gently. “They’d be able to track me too easily, and then they’d find all of you.” He had a parabatai, after all; the Clave might not be able to track Downworlders through Magnus’ wards, but Alec doubted if any wards could stand up to the force of parabatai tracking. He couldn’t lead the Clave to the main headquarters of the Downworlder resistance.

Madzie looked upset, but the fifteen seconds were up, and now a group of twenty more people were hurrying down the hallway to confront Alec. Too many; he wouldn’t be able to hold them all off, not long enough for Magnus’ portal to arrive.

He threw back his hood, drawing himself up into the attitude of a commander, of a leader — the leader they’d all been trained to obey without question. “Halt!”

Instinctively reacting to his tone, the Shadowhunters paused, and Alec gained nearly three seconds to send arrows through the necks of those nearest to him. That left a total of ten bodies on the ground, hampering the other Shadowhunters’ movement forward; even once they’d recovered from their shock that Alec Lightwood was the one smuggling Downworlders out, they still had to climb over their fellows’ corpses to reach Alec, and he dispatched them one after the other. This was better; he could keep this up for as long as he needed to.

He heard the swoosh of an opening portal, then the sounds of people passing through — one, two, three, four — he blocked a strike and stabbed his seraph blade into a woman’s chest, but she managed to wrench away from him before he could pull the blade out again and he had to waste precious moments drawing a new seraph blade — seven Downworlders had gone through, eight, nine, ten.

The portal closed, and Alec let his weapons fall to the floor.

They dragged him in front of Maryse.

Of course they did; with the Head of the Institute out of commission — guilty of treason, in this case, but it would be the same if he were unconscious or dead — the Headship passed to his Second in Command: Maryse. Usually, that rank would be occupied by Jace as Alec’s parabatai, but leading the Institute didn’t really suit him; Izzy was in training to take over as Alec’s Second, but until she completed her training, Maryse would fulfil that role. She didn’t often need to.

Now, Alec’s mother looked at him with eyes full of nothing but disgust. If there was betrayal in them, it was buried deep; she wouldn’t let such a personal emotion show in front of anyone, let alone the son she now knew was a traitor. The traitor, really. Shadow.

She didn’t meet Alec’s eyes, but he could read her well. They both knew that now, in these interminably long seconds, she had a choice to make: she could use the influence and power of the Lightwood name to deny or cover up the evidence of his wrongdoing, perhaps blame it on one of the guards — she was unscrupulous enough for that — and shelter Alec from the worst of the consequences, although she’d lower the prestige of the family name; or, she could turn Alec in, distance herself from him as much as possible, keep the Lightwood name well clear of Alec’s disgrace to protect the rest of the family, and abandon him to his fate.

Logically, he knew — they both knew — that the latter was the only choice she could ever make. Maryse Lightwood was ruthless, and if she needed to sacrifice one son for the rest of her family, she would do it.

That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt, however, when she ordered him put in chains.

It hurt more when she called in Izzy and Jace — Robert and Max, Alec thought dully, must have remained in Idris — and explained the situation in crisp, cold tones. Alec’s siblings stared at him in shock, then confusion, then denial; when Alec didn’t deny anything Maryse accused him of, their expressions morphed into betrayal hidden by cold anger. The three Lightwoods — Alec’s family, however flawed, however prejudiced — left the room without another word.

They just — left. Abandoned him, to torture and certain death, because he’d saved the lives of Downworlders they could never see as people.

The guards dragged Alec before a Silent Brother, mouth and eyes sewn up tight, who silently removed the parabatai rune from Alec’s side. Full deruning wasn’t necessary — it would weaken him to no purpose — but this would spare Jace the pain of Alec’s torture. Alec found himself grateful for it; even if Jace had abandoned him, even if Jace hated Downworlders with a passion that made no sense to Alec, it would be better if Jace didn’t have to feel any of the pain coming for Alec.

Their bond was already weakened by rejection and secrets; when it shattered, rune fading to a pale scar, Alec closed his eyes to ride out the ache and almost wished it had hurt more.

Then, they brought Alec to one of the cells he’d so recently broken the Downworlders out of, where he waited for Imogen Herondale and agony.

————————————————————

After a while, the Agony rune subsides. Thankfully, they don’t last long, although Imogen applies them again and again until Alec’s runes scream from overuse.

Alec can remember studying the rune at the Academy, learning how to draw it, learning what it felt like to experience it — first academically, then practically. They taught that the recipient would first experience physical pain, then recall painful memories, and then go through yet more painful mental delusions; then they seared the rune onto his skin, and he felt it all himself.

The thing with the Agony rune is that it only amplifies pain the receiver has already experienced. The first time Alec bore the rune, the physical pain was bad — every broken bone, every scrape, every ache piled on top of each other — but the memories were worse, combining fear for Izzy’s life the time she’d fallen off a rooftop with every disapproving glare Maryse ever sent him; his delusions were all of his family dying, desperate, dead.

Now, it’s different. The physical pain is worse thanks to the severing of the parabatai bond; he sees his family turning away from him, Maryse’s cold expression, Magnus chained up in a cell; he imagines Izzy and Jace dying, and worse, he thinks Magnus dies too, hurt and chained and broken. He doesn’t know how much longer he can do this.

They’ve had him for a week, and he knows nobody will come to get him. His family chose to reject him rather than endanger themselves, and nobody else will break him out — not his subordinates who he’s betrayed, not Magnus who can’t gather the chaotic and opposing groups he leads to free Downworlders, let alone a Shadowhunter. A Lightwood.

Imogen is there every day, demanding answers; Alec wishes he knew less, wishes he couldn’t give away the few precious hideaways the Downworld has, because at least then they wouldn’t be at risk. He doesn’t tell her anything, of course — he is trained in both giving and resisting torture, and he has always excelled at the latter; perhaps it’s what Jace calls called his idiotic hard-headed stubbornness — but he knows eventually they’ll wear him down, whether it take weeks or months or even years. The Agony rune brings unimaginable pain; someday, he will forget to keep his mouth shut as he surfaces from it, and the secrets will come spilling out.

Thankfully, the Soul Sword is no longer an option — Valentine tried to use it to destroy the entire Downworld, but Alec stole it and passed it off to Magnus, who destroyed it. They can’t compel Alec to tell the truth with anything but raw, naked torture, and that is not a quick process. He has time, but sooner or later, he will give in, and he cannot let that happen.

The best solution, of course, would be to escape, but even without the parabatai bond to track him wherever he goes, there’s no way he can get out; Imogen still seems to think Shadow might be a group rather than an individual, and she’s tripled the guard on his cell in case any compatriots try to free him. (He wishes he had compatriots.) The guards watch him carefully, day and night (or what he thinks is night if his internal clock is still right); he’s never unchained, and the door only opens to admit Imogen. He can’t free himself.

The second-best solution is to set himself free in the other sense. If Alec dies, he won’t betray anyone; the Downworld will be safe — or, at least, as safe as he can make it, which is not very — and Alec, well, perhaps he’ll be better off dead than feeling the burn of the Agony rune again and again.

Unfortunately, the practicalities are harder: Imogen is well aware that he might choose that fate and has taken precautions. There aren’t any sharp edges near enough for him to reach, and he’s force-fed — or, if he refuses, knocked out and put on an IV drip full of enough drugs to make him worry he’ll let something slip. He’s been eating enough to keep them happy but not enough to stop himself from weakening; he’s heard stories of the Agony rune shorting out a heart, so he can at least hope for that. Otherwise, he’ll have to wait for an opportunity to present itself.

His muscles are tired, and possibly atrophying, seeing as he can’t move from the chair. They feed him regularly enough, but thanks to his voluntary starvation, his stomach rumbles with hunger; he’s weak, but he cannot falter. Mistakes endanger the Downworld, and he cannot let anything happen to them — to Madzie, to Raphael, to Maia, to Cat, to Magnus.

(Magnus, who he loves. Magnus, who he will never speak to again. Magnus, who he’s only met twice but knows better than anyone else.)

He made a mistake with the guard, forgetting to draw the somnos rune, and now he can no longer free the Downworlders that New York captures. The cells at the opposite end of the hallway are filling up, and he knows these Downworlders, like Alec himself, will not find a miraculous escape.

Alec wakes up when his cell door swings open.

It’s a different noise than it usually makes — the guards throw it open easily, carelessly, well-accustomed to opening it. Certain of their right to be there. It squeals harshly on the stone floor, loud enough to drag Alec from sleep.

This time, it opens slowly; the squeak is softer but persistent. The touch is more tentative, careful, as though the opener is uncertain of their welcome. Alec shakes off the last traces of sleep quickly, well-used to the aches of waking in his uncomfortable position in his chair. Whoever this is, they’re not the usual guards that precede food or one of Imogen’s visits, and that means he needs to be even more alert than usual.

The corridor is dark, lit only by witchlights at irregular intervals that brighten when Nephilim pass by; they’re not illuminated now, despite the dark outline in the doorway, and he blinks rapidly to make out who it is. The outline clarifies into a person as his eyes grow accustomed to the dark—

“Magnus?”

He’s dreaming. He has to be; Magnus wouldn’t come here, into the depths of the New York Institute, of his own free will. If this is a dream, though, it’s a strange one — he’s only met Magnus twice in person, after all, and although the memories are mostly distinct, he doubts if his subconscious could conjure up Magnus’ face in such precise detail. He’s even more beautiful than Alec remembers, clichéd as it sounds; he’s wearing dark clothing, more austere and utilitarian than the dirty, torn outfit his captivity left him in or the brilliantly-coloured one he wore when he portalled Raphael and the other Downworlders away.

“Alexander,” Magnus says softly, and Alec couldn’t possibly be dreaming because he’s never heard Magnus say his name aloud before, and no imagination could come up with this. Magnus has written Alec’s name often, in its full length, and Alec will never admit that he sometimes traces over the curves of Magnus’ handwriting with his fingers, but he thinks he might like it even more when Magnus says it aloud.

“What are you doing here?” Alec asks, rather than voice the I love you that sings quietly in his blood.

“Rescuing you, of course,” Magnus returns, a shadow of a grin visible through the dark as he bends down in front of Alec and sends blue sparks toward Alec’s chains.

Rescuing you. Magnus — Magnus has come here, into the Institute, into danger, to free Alec — to rescue a Lightwood, of all people, from Imogen’s clutches. Why would he risk himself—

But of course, he knows that Alec could tell Imogen about Pandemonium, the Hunter’s Moon, the Jade Wolf, or the Hotel DuMort. All the Downworld’s last sanctuaries, endangered by Alec’s stupidity in getting captured; Magnus would need to prevent him from giving anything away.

No, that doesn’t explain it. Magnus has never managed to free any Downworlder captives, although they, too, could have told where the Downworld gathered. It’s impossible to get anyone out of the Institute without all the Downworld factions working together, and Magnus has complained at length about how difficult it is to get them to do so; vampire/werewolf rivalries are, of course, common knowledge, but faeries don’t much like vampires either, the warlocks and the faeries fight over which race is older, and the werewolves are unwilling to participate in any rescue attempts as, due to the other races’ immortality, captivity would be just the blink of an eye for them. Magnus hasn’t been able to gather sufficient forces to effect a jailbreak.

And even Magnus can’t break anyone out on his own. The Institute’s cameras are heavily runed against warlock interference, and surveillance is constant; Alec knows the only way for a Downworlder to get into the cell corridors is if there’s another attack elsewhere in the building, drawing attention away from the cameras. Alec listens intently; sure enough, he can hear faint echoes of fighting from the corridors above them.

Somehow, Magnus has united the Downworld to rescue Alec.

Now, however, is not the time to marvel over that. Magnus has managed to break the chains binding Alec to the chair; Alec pushes himself to his feet, but a rush of dizziness makes him sway on the spot until Magnus catches him. He can’t walk like this, and Magnus needs to save his magic for their escape. “Can I have one of the guards’ steles?”

Magnus flicks his fingers, and a stele appears in Alec’s hand. Despite the burn of rune exhaustion threatening to overwhelm him, he activates iratze, mendelin to strengthen his constitution, and Stamina and Nutrition for good measure. His skin itches painfully, and he knows he’ll crash hard when the runes wear off, but it’s worth it as he steadies on his feet. Magnus hesitates to release him, so Alec pulls away himself, trying not to regret the loss of contact.

A fire message whistles through the air and into Magnus’ hand, still outstretched toward Alec. He glances at it and scowls. “The others are drawing back. We’re on our own getting out.”

Presumably, the Institute has recovered from the shock of the attack and is successfully fending off the Downworlders who’ve attacked upstairs. No matter; they’ve done enough, allowing Magnus enough time to get here. “We should get moving, then,” Alec says aloud.

Magnus nods sharply and thankfully spares Alec the indignity of asking whether he thinks he can make it out on his own. Alec knows what he is and isn’t capable of; thanks to the runes humming to life under his skin, he’s strong enough. Barely.

He takes the seraph blades of a guard at the door — best not to be unarmed if they’re seen and attacked — and follows Magnus at an easy run. The passageways twist back and forth in the familiar route from the cells to the exit; Alec is horribly aware of the cameras fixed on them, recording every movement rather than the looped videos he always uses while breaking Downworlders out. (Videos he used. He’ll never be able to break anyone out again.)

Fortunately, they get most of the way to the exit without being intercepted. Unfortunately, two corridors away from the door, Shadowhunters come spilling out of a side passage to block their way.

Alec activates his seraph blades, praying his runes hold up and wishing he had his bow. A blast of magic knocks about half the Shadowhunters to the ground, and then the rest are too close for Magnus to cast spells without risking Alec, so it devolves into close battle.

Magnus fights with magic wreathing his hands, though Alec knows it must be harder than usual, thanks to the adamas and magic-dampening runes surrounding them. He covers Alec’s back, and Alec does the same; being Shadow, combined with hours of training to keep up with his rather more gifted siblings, means that Alec fights better than most of their attackers even when he’s not at full strength, but he and Magnus are still outnumbered several times over. A Shadowhunter lands a deep blow to his side, but he ignores it in favour of killing her, quick and efficient. This is only a reserve group, not the full force of the Institute (thankfully), but if they can slow Alec and Magnus down enough, they’ll be trapped, and Magnus will be captured.

Alec cannot let that happen. (Not again.)

Two Shadowhunters fall to the seraph blades he wields; a spurt of magic knocks another one to the ground, and Alec steps over the body to sink his bloody swords into a ribcage, a neck, an abdomen. He doesn’t know if he’s imagining the tramp of disciplined footsteps in the hallways approaching them; if he isn’t, they only have moments left, and he fights with a renewed ferocity. Blood spatters, and Alec knows his runes will give out soon enough, but a last burst of magic kills the two Shadowhunters still blocking their way, and Magnus takes his arm as they run for it.

There are definitely footsteps behind them, running footsteps of properly-runed Shadowhunters who aren’t nearing collapse, but the door is closer than the guards at their heels, and Magnus opens a portal just beyond the doorway moments before they step through, Alec almost stumbling, falling headfirst through the swirl of blue sparks that vanishes behind them.

The last thing Alec sees before unconsciousness claims him is Magnus’ face bending over him, lips forming his name.

When Alec wakes up, it’s to three warlocks sitting by his bedside, bathed in morning light.

It takes him a moment to remember that he’s not in the cell anymore; he’s safe, Magnus came for him, but the feeling of that cell still casts a shadow over his skin and leaves a phantom ache in the Agony rune on his shoulder. To distract himself, he looks around.

Magnus is slumped over in a chair, head at an awkward angle, obviously asleep. Catarina Loss is in a second chair on the other side of Alec’s bed — or, Alec realises, Magnus’ bed; this must be Magnus’ apartment — but she’s in a much more comfortable-looking position. Madzie is sitting on the bed near Alec’s hips, watching him intently with a crease in her eyebrows.

Alec has barely enough time to note that he’s aching, though less than he should be, before Madzie’s eyes light up with the realisation that he’s awake, and he finds himself with an armful of excited warlock. “Alec! You’re okay!”

His aches don’t exactly appreciate the impact, but he sits up anyway, grinning at her. “That I am, little sorceress.”

“Cat said you would be, but I was still worried,” she tells him with all the earnestness of a child. “You were nice about my gills, and you saved all of us from the bad Shadowhunters. I asked Cat if they’d hurt you and she didn’t answer, so I asked Uncle Magnus, and he looked sad. Did they hurt you?”

Alec thinks of Agony runes and screams, of painful memories that drift into still worse hallucinations. He can’t exactly tell Madzie about all that, young as she is, but he doesn’t want to lie to her either, so he compromises. “I’m all right now. Don’t worry about me.”

“We were all rather worried about you,” a voice says from beside the bed, and Alec’s head whips up to see Magnus, apparently awoken by Madzie’s excited speech. There’s something warm in his eyes as he looks at the two of them, Madzie in Alec’s lap, and Alec remembers that she called him Uncle Magnus — he loves this little warlock, clear as daylight.

“You’re lucky I was here with Madzie when you two portalled back,” Cat adds, also apparently awake.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay after Magnus saved you,” Madzie explains, dark eyes serious. “Cat said I should let you recover, but I don’t think I’m hurting you — am I?”

“Not at all,” Alec tells her, ignoring the pain in his side. “I’ve never been better.”

Cat glances at him more critically than Madzie, eyes slipping down to his aching side where he could feel the pressure of a bandage below Madzie’s weight. “But as we know Alec’s alright now, why don’t we leave him to rest a bit more?”

Madzie’s lips purse, but she jumps off Alec’s lap without protest. “Bye, Alec! I’ll come visit you soon!”

“Please do,” Alec tells her with a grin. “I’ll be waiting.”

She beams back and waves enthusiastically as Cat leads her away.

That leaves him alone with Magnus, who’s also smiling, something gentle and fond on his face. “You’re good with her.”

Alec shrugs. “I’ve got practice — three younger siblings, remember?” The thought of Izzy and Jace brings an abrupt surge of hurt — they’d just left, so easily, as though he meant nothing more to them because he’d dared to save the lives of Downworlders — but he swallows it down.

Apparently, however, Magnus can read him well, despite the brevity of their in-person acquaintance, because he winces apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

It’s an expression of sympathy, not an apology, so Alec just shrugs. “Thank you for rescuing me.”

“Of course.” Magnus is smiling again, and although Madzie’s gone, there’s still that warm affection in his eyes. “I owe it to you, after all — you broke me out of there, and hundreds of Downworlders besides.”

That makes sense, Alec supposes, but he still doesn’t understand— “How did you get enough Downworlders to cooperate for the frontal attack of the Institute?”

There’s a hint of something in Magnus’ smile, now — pride? — that turns it into a smirk. “Everyone in the Downworld knows Shadow, Alexander. A fair number have escaped thanks to you, and those who haven’t been caught know those who have. You’ve saved more of my people than I can count, and they recognise that. When I asked for volunteers to get you out, I knew I’d get a lot, but every single Downworlder present wanted to fight for you, infighting and inter-race rivalries be damned.”

For a moment, Alec simply blinks at him in stunned silence. “For me?”

Magnus’ smile is still half-smirk, but it softens into something warmer. “For Shadow, who saved so many. For Alec Lightwood, who betrayed family and people for our sake. For the man who refused to portal out with those last ten Downworlders because he knew he’d be tracked, and gave up his freedom for ours.”

Alec doesn’t know what to say to that, doesn’t know what to think — the Downworld knows who he is, all that he is, his last name, and they fought for him like his parents and siblings refused to.

“But Cat’s right,” Magnus goes on when Alec says nothing. “You do need rest. You also need food, so—” he flicks his fingers, and an array of dishes appear in front of Alec. Despite the early hour — judging by the light, it can’t be past ten AM — there’re not only breakfast foods from all over the world but several more substantial-looking dishes Alec’s never had before. It’s far too much food for one person, or even for two, but Alec digs in with a will; he needs to regain the strength he’s lost thanks to captivity and starvation and Agony runes.

Magnus joins him, explaining what the dishes are that Alec doesn’t recognise, and they fall back into the easy cadence of conversation they learned in writing to each other through the journal. Magnus shares stories of the first time he had this or that dish, where it comes from, and some cultural tidbits — Alec knows he’s banned from Peru, so he’s curious as to how Magnus managed to obtain rocoto relleno from there; the spicy pepper burns his throat, but he’s always liked spice more than the Shadowhunters around him who’d rather have something bland and Western, so he eats it eagerly.

Eventually, Alec’s far too full to even think about eating more, and although his stomach might regret his indulgence later, he’s appreciating the feeling of having eaten enough. Sleep is pulling at him now, too; rune exhaustion doesn’t vanish with a few hours’ rest and a solid meal. He has enough experience with it to know that he won’t be able to use any runes for a solid twenty-four hours after this, and longer if he doesn’t get some rest.

“I’ll leave you to sleep,” Magnus tells him, perceptive of the tiredness Alec can usually hide so well. A wash of magic clears away the mess of food and summons a glass of water to leave by Alec’s bedside. The curtains close, fully blocking out the light from the window.

Alec’s asleep before Magnus shuts the door.

Imogen smiles at him, all teeth. “Tell us what you know.”

Alec shakes his head, refuses, but a stele lights up, and then there’s a burning in his shoulder that spreads like scattered starbursts of agony across his body, and he thinks the world whites out; he doesn’t know anything but pain, anything but the soul-deep ache that grows and grows and grows amidst fears and dreams and imaginings that tear into his heart with razor-tipped claws.

When he comes to, Imogen leans in closer. “Tell us, and it’ll all be over.”

Don’t, Alec tries to tell himself, but his lips don’t obey; he’s screaming inside, struggling not to speak, to protect the Downworlders that Imogen will kill, but the words come spilling out regardless. Places. Names. Everything Imogen needs.

She smiles and says in Magnus’ voice, “Wake up, Alec!”

Alec surges upright with a jolt, aching side protesting, and nearly slams his head into Magnus’.

“Alexander,” Magnus says, reaching out a hand toward his shoulder.

His shoulder. Alec flinches away, and Magnus’ hand falls to his side. “Alec, are you with me?”

Still silent — he can’t speak, can’t open his mouth, or he fears he’ll give everything away — Alec nods. His shoulder isn’t actually hurting, and while his side’s still injured, the Agony rune hasn’t been reactivated. It was a dream, only a dream. A nightmare, nothing more.

“You’re okay,” Magnus says softly, soothingly, somehow both a reassurance and an oath that he would make it so. “You’re safe here, Alexander, and I will not let them hurt you again.”

Alec relaxes into his voice, letting it wash away the last traces of Imogen’s. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Magnus replies immediately. “We’ve all got nightmares.”

Most of Magnus’ likely came at Alec’s people’s hands. “Still. It must be late” — the blinds don’t let enough light through to know the time, but Alec’s internal clock suggests he’s been asleep all day — “and you were probably asleep.”

Magnus shrugs in response. “My guest bed’s a bit less comfortable than this one, and I was lying awake when I heard you.”

Heard him screaming? Spilling all the Downworld’s secrets? Pleading with Imogen? Another thought hits Alec with all the force of a truck: “Wait, you mean this is your bed? You don’t need to sleep in the guest room; I don’t want to kick you out of your bed—”

A graceful wave of the hand. “It’s no trouble, darling. In all honesty, I’d likely have been awake anyway, guest bed or no.” Magnus’ smile reminds Alec of his earlier words. We’ve all got nightmares. Magnus has plenty of reason for them; the Downworld is fractured, on the verge of being hunted to extinction by the Clave.

“Still,” Alec says. “You shouldn’t need to leave me your room.”

Magnus dismisses that with a smile and a hand wave. “In any case, you’re probably hungry again. Midnight snack?”

As a matter of fact, Alec is hungry, so he agrees with a smile. Magnus summons up more food — a few of the dishes Alec particularly liked last time, including the rocoto relleno, along with a variety of new foods that Magnus explains with gusto. It’s all delicious, and the last vestiges of Alec’s nightmare drift away.

Magnus snaps away the last remains of the food when they’re done. “Tired?”

“Not really, actually,” Alec replies. “Sleeping all day has messed with my sleep schedule.”

“I doubt I’ll be able to sleep, either,” Magnus says, holding out a hand to help Alec up. It’s more reminiscent of an old-fashioned, courtly gesture than a way to get Alec to his feet; Alec is impossibly grateful for the small amount of dignity that affords him. He takes Magnus’ hand and heaves himself up, wincing as the pain in his side intensifies.

“Oh, I can help with that,” Magnus offers, blue wreathing his hands; at Alec’s nod, it encases his side, and the pain eases away. Alec doesn’t know if it’s fully healed or if Magnus’ magic is acting as a painkiller — probably the latter; injuries caused by seraph blades are notoriously hard for warlock magic to heal — but his shoulders relax as the ache ebbs.

Magnus directs him into an open space with a large table in the middle, chairs arranged around it and papers scattered across the top. Alec hesitates, but Magnus doesn’t stop him when he leans over to look at the papers; there’s a map of New York, the Institute in red, Downworlder hideouts in blue, lines and boxes in both colours indicating where it’s safe for Downworlders to go and where it isn’t. He recognises all the Institute’s patrol routes in bright scarlet — information he leaked as soon as he was sure he could safely do so.

Another paper has lists of names, presumably Downworlders, in one column, and then dates and times in the next — the label at the top of the sheet reads CHECK-INS, and Alec realises that the Downworlders are all making sure to check in at least once a day, so they know as soon as possible if anyone’s taken. There’s a pile of notes with MEETING MINUTES along the top; Alec glances through them, and they seem to be mostly arguments about supplies and refusals to concede to other groups’ requests, mixed in with dire warnings about the Clave — except for the last meeting, which ends with a consensus on rescuing Alec. The werewolf Alpha in that meeting is different from the one in the older papers; somebody named Theo has been replaced by Luke Garroway, who seems more cooperative than his predecessor.

Still, the Downworlders are obviously divided between themselves and terrified of the Clave’s next threat. Alec reads through the notes again; the old werewolf leader, Theo, was particularly unwilling to cooperate, and the faeries are (as always) isolationist. They can’t seem to work together long enough to form a coherent strategy to defend themselves, let alone fight back. He forgets for a moment where he is, lost in understanding and digesting the political situation, the Downworld’s forces, and the potential for resistance.

“We’re not very good at working together,” Magnus observes dryly at his shoulder, and Alec’s almost surprised he doesn’t jump at the sudden voice. “Nobody’s exactly trained in strategy, and nobody wants to listen to the other races above their own.”

Alec glances up at him, considering. “But you’ve got substantial forces. More Downworlders than the Clave knows about, for sure; with some preliminary battle training for everyone, you’d be able to overwhelm the Institute with sheer numbers.”

“If everyone worked together, yes,” Magnus agrees. “But that’s unlikely, and what about after that? Even with the New York Institute under our command, the Clave would simply send more Shadowhunters to fight us.”

“No, they couldn’t,” Alec replies. “The Downworld doesn’t know this, but the Clave is overstretched. There aren’t enough new Shadowhunters being born to keep up with the demon threat; between their insistence on fighting Downworlders, the lower birth rate of the last few years, and the loss of the Cup, our — their — numbers are dropping.” It’s odd to think of the Clave as a separate entity from himself, when he’s faked allegiance to it for so long, but it’s also a relief. “The Institute would be easy enough for us to fortify, and they could only get in through the permanent portal from Alicante; to overwhelm an Institute controlled by this many Downworlders when they’re in such a disadvantageous position, they’d need…” he pauses for a moment, calculating “…upwards of seven hundred troops. There aren’t seven hundred troops to be found.”

“It’s still a precarious position,” Magnus says slowly, but he’s clearly warming to the idea, light flaring to life in his eyes. “That won’t last forever; to have lasting peace, we’ll need to keep the Clave permanently out of New York, which means either blocking all portals from coming in — difficult and annoying, but possible — or defeating the Clave entirely, worldwide, which is harder, but if we succeed—”

“We could free Downworlders everywhere.” Alec’s grinning, ideas spinning almost too fast for him to follow; he’s always liked strategy, more than Izzy or Jace ever did, and he’s often spent hours planning out careful moves in his office that balance the Downworld’s needs and the necessary pretence of loyalty to the Clave. He’s always been alone while strategizing, though, and there’s a whole new thrill now that he’s talking with somebody else, somebody clearly as knowledgeable about strategy as he is. And now, he’s not trying to balance what he thinks with what he must do; he’s fighting for something that he believes in far more than the Clave, planning for a concrete future he actually wants. It’s freeing.

“We’d need worldwide support,” Magnus points out. “Right now, I’ve got some communication with other warlocks, but it’s nowhere near enough to actually form a global movement to take on the Clave.”

The words — a global movement to take on the Clave — send shivers of something between excitement and terror down Alec’s spine. “But it’s possible. And if we take New York, we’ll have a precedent, which will serve to bring more of them to our cause.”

“It’s possible. Our numbers are superior; if we work together—”

“—and if we can take down all the Institutes at once—”

“—even if we can’t take Idris itself—”

“—we’ll be able to stop them from hunting Downworlders.” The light in Magnus’ eyes is echoed in Alec’s soul, and he suddenly feels as if he could take on the world and more with Magnus at his side. This is hard — this is almost impossible — but it’s also necessary, and Alec had always prided himself on his ability to do what needs doing. “Demons are obviously a problem — that’s why Shadowhunters were created, after all — but between rebel Shadowhunters and Downworlders willing to do patrols, I think a permanent solution could be found.”

Magnus beams at him, lit up from within like a beacon, like the angels in textbooks. “First, we take New York.”

Alec pulls a blank piece of paper forward, and Magnus snaps up a pencil. The plans of the Institute are easy enough for him to recall and draw out; he can mark every exit, every camera, and every hub of activity, thanks to his dual life as Shadow and Institute Head. He knows where they can attack and where they should avoid, and he marks them all on the map in red pen.

Leaning over his shoulder, Magnus points to a spot, asks a question, and Alec explains. It should’ve been odd, planning an attack on the building he’s guarded all his life, but instead, it feels right: he has hated the Clave far longer than he ever loved it, and he’s been trapped into helping them for so long, unable to leave or fight back in any way except as Shadow. Now, he can finally do something about it, and sitting at Magnus’ table with papers scattered around him in a starburst of plans and ideas, he doesn’t think he’s ever felt so free.

“This is incredible, Alexander,” Magnus breathes, at last, eyes fixed on Alec, letting a pen fall to the table. The plans are as complete as they can be without talking to the other Downworld leaders; by presenting them with something as fully fleshed-out as this, Magnus is hopeful they can convince them to help, especially with a Shadowhunter’s insider knowledge on their side. “We can — we can actually do this.”

“I should hope so — we’ve thought it through enough,” Alec returns, teasingly, but he feels the same way: a mixture of exhilaration and impossible hope that makes all their dreams close enough to touch, so close he can scarcely believe it.

Magnus huffs out a you know what I meant and pulls Alec up to his feet. “Dance with me?”

He tugs Alec out into the living room without waiting for a reply, music emanating from somewhere in the room. It’s dark outside, New York lights outshining the stars but not the moon, the lamps on the table spreading illumination into the living room in slants of gold. “I don’t know how to dance,” Alec protests, but weakly, because Magnus is looking at him like that, visible even through the darkness of the room, and he doesn’t know if he could ever say no to him.

“Then I’ll teach you,” Magnus returns, and guides Alec’s steps to the simple beat of the music. Alec’s not exactly a dancer, but he is a Shadowhunter; he knows how to use his body, and he’s at ease here, and the music seeps into his bones as he follows Magnus’ lead.

He spent a week in a cell, certain that he would not last long, and now he is here, free, and in Magnus’ arms. There’s a breathless incredulity blending with a determined joy in his chest, golden hope glowing through him, glowing in Magnus’ eyes.

The dancing devolves into quiet swaying on the spot. Alec’s wordless, looking at Magnus, brilliant and beautiful and full of life, with a heart that has suffered so much but is still brighter than the moon outside the window. He doesn’t know what to do with the feeling in his chest, warm and heavy yet light at the same time, but he knows he loves Magnus, and the look in Magnus’ eyes whispers that it’s returned.

Despite all the planning they’ve done, all the dreams they share, the future is murky; something will go wrong, as it always does, and they’ll be fighting for their lives sooner or later. Success is possible but not probable. There are demons in Alec’s head in the red-black shades of the Agony rune; Maryse, Imogen, and the Clave are strong and stand together against them. But between Alec’s strategy and knowledge, Magnus’ vision and power, and the Downworld’s hidden strength, they have at least a chance, and that is enough — that is everything.

Alec leans in to kiss Magnus’ smiling lips, and somehow, impossibly, all is right with the world.

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