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“Mr Lightwood, we received a call from your sister, it appears that she’s been having a problem with a rogue warlock. She thought you might be able to help.”
Alec taps his lip before standing up and walking towards Luke, he pats Luke’s shoulder and nods. “I’ll ask Magnus to portal me, it’s going to be a long day.” He rolls his eyes and leaves his office, knowing full well that Magnus is going to be mad about missing their date.
Magnus is understandably upset but he also knows that Alec has his duty and he doesn’t want Isabelle to get hurt. He waves his hands in a smooth, fluid circle. His magic creates a portal in the library. Alec attempts to go through alone.
“Wait, Alexander. A rogue warlock would kill you without hesitation, they are dangerous, I would know.”
“Magnus, this is a mission and you have your clients. I’ll be fine.”
Magnus gently places his hand on the side of Alec’s face. “I know you can do this on your own, I just want to help. Together.”
Alec sighs but nods and takes his husband’s hand. “Together.”
They spin through the portal at a rapid speed, their bodies are pulled from Alicante straight back to New York. They fall out of the portal in the training room of the New York institute to a crowd of shadowhunters. Alec looks around for his sister, the head. She’s standing just to the left of a pillar. “Izzy.” Alec says simply and pulls his sister into a hug.
She returns the hug with one hand before facing her shadowhunters. “Listen up everyone, Alec has come from Alicante to help capture the warlock known as Athena. You are to take orders from him as you would from me, Magnus is going to be our source of information.”
Magnus joins the two and gives a small nod to Alec and Izzy. His head is going wild, searching through his memories for any mention of a warlock who may go by that name. He figures she is a younger one but can’t confirm that. He could have overlooked her at some point.
Izzy guides them to a computer and brings up a photo of the warlock. “She goes by Athena, she has been killing men only. They all fit the same profile.” She brings up photo after photo of her victims, each one with similar features.
Short black hair, hazel or blue eyes, tattoos, thick eyebrows. Every single one resembles Alec.
Magnus instinctively takes Alec’s hand, his eyes flit over the pictures and he knows this can’t be a coincidence. She’s after Alec.
Izzy says nothing as the 20 photos come up, she already knows. Alec takes a slow breath and squeezes Magnus’ hand. “They.. They all look like me. Why?” He looks to his husband for answers but Magnus shakes his head, he has no idea how this could be.
“We have to stop her.” Izzy says. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Alec but this wasn’t something you say on the phone or fire message.”
Alec nods and looks at the photos. Warlocks don’t kill with blood and swords. They kill with their magic, the victims look like they are sleeping. But these men, they have been killed by hand. Some strangled, some stabbed, all have blood on them. This warlock is making a point. Alec just can’t figure out what that could possibly be.
“I understand that I brought you here to help Alec, but, you are not to leave this institute. Absolutely not alone.”
“Izzy, you know I can’t just stay behind and watch you all risking your lives.”
“Help Magnus figure out how to stop her, maybe she knows you both.”
“Izzy..”
She walks off before Alec can say another word. She knows he can’t let this go. He turns to Magnus and tries to speak, words evade him and he stands with his mouth open awkwardly.
“Alexander, don’t give me those puppy eyes. Come help me figure this out, no way am I letting this woman continue to murder mundanes.”
“Ones that look like me.”
Magnus’ face contorts into one of worry, one that shows his deep fear that his past could come back to haunt him and Alec. He ignores his feelings and walks towards one of the monitors, he sweeps through photos of the woman throughout New York. She doesn’t look familiar but something about her spikes an unusual curiosity.
“Do you know her?” Alec asks quietly, he stands beside his husband and puts a hand on his shoulder.
“I don’t. There’s just something.. Bugging me. I wonder if maybe she has been taken over. Her eyes seem young but in other photos they are dark. As though another warlock has used a demon to take her body.”
“Do you think we should change the order from kill on sight?”
“No. I don’t think she even has anything left in her. But, honestly? I’m more worried that she might have a master.”
Alec looks over at the monitor, right into the warlock’s eyes. “Why?”
“I have lived a long time, I have made many enemies that could decide to take their wrath out on you. I made some bad decisions when I was young, ill fated partnerships that ended in tragedy.” His voice is shameful, he knows that Alec has been understanding of his past before but jealousy can get ugly. Sure has in the past.
“If you’re worried about my reaction, don’t. Nothing you have done will make me love you less.” Alec pecks Magnus on the lips and touches their foreheads together. Magnus leans in before turning his attention back to the monitors.
“I have to figure this out, I have a few ideas.” Magnus types in various names, exs that could be holding a grudge. He can exclude a few because of opportunity, death or having moved on and married other people.
Alec leaves Magnus to his searching and wanders around the institute. He enjoys the familiarity of the place, the scent and the colours. This place has always been his home and will most likely always be. He walks down the hallway to the training room where he came in, the room holds a special memory. He closes his eyes and thinks of training with Magnus. Flirting and playing before pushing his boyfriend against a pillar and kissing him with newly discovered passion. Everything was new and exciting back then. It still is but his innocence has long since gone.
Magnus combes the pictures of his past, he thinks about how he felt about each one to see if it matches the idea he has of this woman. It’s draining, all these people seem like strangers since meeting Alec. He found his soulmate and it’s like every ex no longer exists, like they weren’t true loves. Time passes him by as he sits there, a headache begins to grow inside him but he can’t stop. Panic is starting to become a bit more prominent. The institute around him becomes quieter and quieter as shadowhunters go out to find this warlock. Somehow the quiet sets Magnus on edge, he feels like the situation is getting worse when really he has only been looking for a few hours.
Alec throws pages to the side and sighs as he reads through the book. He’s reading the names of warlocks currently known to the institutes throughout the world. The books around him begin to swirl and the alarms start to blare. He stands up and covers his face as papers swirl around him, a bright light fills the room. The light, the wind and the institute alarm are disorentating. Alec tries to find his way to the door but he can’t seem to find it. He can’t figure out how someone got through Lorenzo’s wards but that thought isn’t too big considering the immediate danger he is currently in. He’s thrown to the ground with a hard blow, he tries to crawl across the carpet before being grabbed around the waist and rolled over roughly. Someone sits on his hips and he can feel a cold sharpness pressing against his throat. “Ma.. MAGNUS!”
“Funny you should say that name, he’s the reason you have to die.” The woman leans closer and Alec recognizes her as the warlock they know about. So she was after him.
Magnus lays his eyes on a picture of someone he had almost forgotten. A warlock named Sophia Lanes, a dangerous woman with contempt for everyone who opposed her methods. She was supposed to have been sent to Edom. And that’s when it clicks, Magunus didn’t see her in Edom, then the whole place was destroyed. There’s no way she would have let herself die there, she must have escaped. It was messy when Magnus left her, he knew she was bad news very early on and he realised being lonely is worth it. As long as he was away from her, he would be safe. He knows it’s her, this has her signature all over it. It would be just like her to try and murder Alec. She wants Magnus under her control once more. I have to save Alec. Magnus is horrified as he makes the connection, this woman has no trouble getting through wards, it was always her specialty. She could make her way into the institute, she was trying to draw Alec out of Alicante. Magnus runs from the room and down the hallway just as the alarms start to wail. “Oh shit!” He races through the institute, opening every door to try and find Alec. He suddenly hears Alec screaming, he’s in the library.
The woman takes her sword and swipes it across Alec’s throat, she doesn’t miss a beat and plunges it into his heart. Alec didn’t stand a chance.
Magnus launches himself into the room and shouts at the woman. “SOPHIA!”
The woman looks up and drags the sword out of Alec. Her eyes are completely black, it is in fact a demon that has infested her.
Magnus’ emotions are sky high, he uses that to his advantage and throws a fireball of power directly at the woman. She is thrown to the bookcase and her portal disappears, leaving the room in silence.
Magnus tears up before he even looks down at his husband. It’s too silent in here, Alec is silent. He drops to his knees and checks Alec for a pulse, his fingers press against Alec’s neck but he can’t feel the pump of life. There’s no pulse. Magnus snaps his fingers and desperately tries to search for any sign of life. There’s none. Magnus covers the wounds on Alec’s stomach and neck with his hands, he knows there’s no hope but he has to try anything. Anything.
Jace and Clary are back to back, checking for any signs of the warlock. Her magic was detected in this area but only a little. Jace has a feeling it’s a trap but for who, he doesn’t know. Izzy snaps her whip in the alley and brings a loose piece of clothing towards her. “It’s this.. It’s bait. She’s trying to get us off the scent.”
“Why?” Clary asks.
Jace rubs his neck and winces, he doesn’t feel anything at first. Then his parabatai glows brightly and a sharp pain spreads through his very soul. “Alec.. ALEC!” He screams as he falls to the ground, he groans and screams while rolling around on the ground.
Izzy turns white and Clary’s face drops, they can’t do anything but watch as Jace writhes in pain on the cold, wet ground. He’s crying as he grips his parabatai rune, he can feel Alec’s pain but it’s more than that. Alec is dying. “Alec..” He groans and breathes heavily. The rune fades under his fingers and Jace doesn’t feel anything.
Clary leans down and touches Jace on his shoulder gently. “Jace?”
“He’s.. Alec’s dead.” He gasps.
Izzy’s face turns grave, he grips her whip in shaking hands. “It was a diversion. Get everyone out of the institute, attack him on the inside. Whoever this bitch is, I am going to kill her.”
Magnus is covered in Alec’s blood, the room around looks like a bomb went off. The woman lays on the ground still unconscious but Magnus doesn’t notice or care. He’s trying to hold on to Alec, he feels like he can hold Alec’s soul if he stays close. He can’t let that horror settle within him. He can’t accept that Alec is dead.
Izzy, Clary and Jace burst through the door at the same time. Jace falls to his knees and sobs, he reaches out and takes Alec’s hand. He’s still warm. Clary covers her face in horror and falls against the wall, sliding down it until she hits the ground. Izzy shows no emotion at first, she takes out her stele and runs it over Alec’s healing rune. She, like Magnus, refuses to believe the sight in front of her eyes.
“Magnus,” She says. “You can heal him right? Use your magic, bring him back. He’s still warm.”
Magnus shakes his head and finally takes his hands away from Alec’s body. “I tried Isabelle, I tried so hard.. I never should have left him alone… Sophia.. How could she?” Magnus asks in shock, he doesn’t know what to do or what to say. He’s lost, he’s missing a part of his soul. Just as Jace is.
The woman in the corner begins to stir, she’s now free from any corruption but not hidden from the eyes of every angry person in the room. “What the..?”
Izzy takes her whip and turns it into a staff, she heads towards the woman and slams her up against the wall. “You killed my brother!”
The woman puts her hands up and whimpers. “I’m so sorry! Sophia.. She held me down, put a demon down my throat and made me summon her from Edom. I tried so hard to fight it but the demon overpowered me. I tried to stop myself..”
Magnus, despite being broken, stands up and takes the staff away from Izzy. “She’s telling the truth. Sophia is the one responsible, I will not hold you back from her. She will be dead by morning.”
Magnus washes the blood from his hands, the blood of his soulmate. No worse pain exists in this world. He breaks down halfway through and falls to his knees in body wracking sobs. Jace opens the door to the spare room where Magnus sits, he’s stumbling a little, like his balance is off now. He takes Magnus’ hands and lifts him up from the ground. “Let me help.”
Magnus blindly follows as Jace helps wash the remaining blood off, scrubbing under Magnus’ nails and around his wedding ring. It seems Jace is compensating for not being here. He decides right there and then that he is not leaving Magnus’ side. Not for a second.
Jace wipes Magnus down with a towel. Both let silent tears drip down their cheeks but neither want to acknowledge them, it’s too soon. They stumble back to the bed and sit beside each other, both physically and mentally exhausted. Jace lays back on the bed and curls into the fetal position, his hands covering the spot where his parabatai rune was. Magnus lays back beside Jace and looks up at the ceiling, his tears falling down to the sheets below him. They don’t sleep, only resting their eyes for moments at a time.
The woman was a young warlock named Athena Dania, she is a friend of Catarina Loss. She’s only 90 years old. She has long blonde hair that’s braided down her back, blood still mingles with her hair. Alec’s blood. The more she learns about the man, the more she hates herself. Alec was the perfect leader, a soldier, a loving husband, the perfect brother. He was everything good about shadowhunters.
They don’t blame her, the shadowhunters at this institute. But they should. She feels the thick dread in the air as Alec’s family arrives in tears, ready for his funeral. Izzy is still tracking Sophia. She won’t stop, won’t sleep, until the warlock is dead. There’s been some animosity towards Magnus, as though he is responsible completely for Alec’s death. Everyone has a past, he made a mistake but he didn’t know better at the time. He doesn’t deserve this.
Athena tried to help with tracking but Sophia is clever, she never stays in one place for too long and she knows the Athena is now in the hands of the shadowhunters.
Izzy takes some shadowhunters and heads out to follow up on a lead, she wants to be the one to avenge her brother’s death. Athena thinks about other things, she thinks about the angel Raziel and how best to summon him. The flashes of horror hit her over and over. The blood of so many men that didn’t deserve this, none more so than Alec.
The angel is not the easiest to get a hold of, Athena understands the risk. She sneaks into the weapons room and finds some atemis particles that will do the trick. Summoning an angel could cause her immediate demise, it will be worth it in the end she decides. She throws up a portal and throws herself into it. She comes out in the forest on the edges of Idris, the best place. She lays out the dust into a circle and recites the correct Latin words. She calls to the angel with her hand and her heart. “Raziel, please.”
A bright white light fills the surrounding area as a furious angel appears. “Who dares to summon me?”
“My name is Athena, I called you here for a very special request. I was controlled by a demon and I murdered a young shadowhunter, his name was Alexander Lightwood. He was one of the best, he always served in the angel’s best interests. He was parabatai to Jace who has Itherials blood in his system. Please, I am willing to exchange my life for his. Lose a half demon to have your best angel soldier back.”
The angel considers, his anger lessened. He reaches out with one hand and explains, “what you ask is too much of me, I can assist but you will need the help of a greater demon as well. The transfer will kill you with his first breath. You must be sure.”
“I am.”
“Find a demon willing to help, my hand will guide yours when the time comes. Simply call my name and reach out with your magic.”
“Thank you.”
Athena stumbles out into a dimension of hell, she needs the assistance of her father. Deusmos. She enters his small lair and looks around. “Father?”
A tall man with long blond hair that matches Athena’s appears from thin air. “Athena!”
They embrace happily, Athena wasn’t exactly close to her father but they are on civil terms. Athena hands her father a bag of priceless jewels that she knows will tickle his fancy.
“I’m guessing you need a favour then my darling.” He takes the bag and smiles a half sly smile.
“I do, and I’m afraid, it’s a big one.”
He raises an eyebrow.
Alec’s funeral has people spilling out the door, all dressed in white with faces streaked with tears. Right at the front are members of Alec’s family, his friends and Magnus. Magnus looks as though he too is dead, his face ashen and dark. His eyes have no life in them anymore.
Athena is late, the ceremony has started when she bursts through the door, straight from hell. She shoves people out of the way until she reaches Alec. Magnus grabs her arm roughly and pulls her back. “Just let him rest! Go away!”
Athena pulls away and snaps her fingers, bringing her magic up in flames. “Trust me Magnus, this is a good thing.”
He tries to grab her again but Jace grabs Magnus’ hand and holds him close. “Wait..”
Athena waves her hands back and forth over Alec’s body, his head comes uncovered as the sheet flows away in the wind. He looks like he’s sleeping after Izzy patched the cut on his throat. Athena throws one hand up and yells to the sky. “I call upon Raziel for this exchange!” Her other hand goes down by her side and she yells again. “Father, I call you up for this exchange. A life for a life.”
Raziel’s hand is represented by a white glow reaching down and taking the blue flames of magic from Athena’s hand, her other is red flames reaching up from the ground. Flame trickles up and down Athena’s body. The crowd watches as the magic is pulled from Athena, her soul is pulled out through her and covers Alec. The angel pushes down on her until she can barely stand it, the white light blinds her until it fades and she knows her magic is gone. She walks over to Alec and looks down at him, he should be waking up. Suddenly a spark flows from her to him and he gasps.
Athena takes a last breath and falls to the ground in death.
The exchange has been made.
Magnus walks unsteadily towards Alec who is now puffing and sitting up on the table he once laid. Alec looks around, he’s confused. He somehow knows he was dead but he’s alive right now, isn’t he?
Jace pulls up the side of his shirt to see his parabatai rune back where it should be, he tears up and also walks to Alec’s side.
Magnus takes Alec’s face in his hands, his eyes full of tears and his heart aching. “Alexander, is that really you?”
Alec nods and grabs Magnus around the back of his head to bring him close, they press their lips together passionately and desperately. Magnus sobs into the kiss and runs his hands down Alec’s neck to his shoulders, he presses his hand over his heart to feel that throbbing beat once more. Their lips part but Magnus holds Alec’s hand tightly, unable and unwilling to let him go.
Jace takes Alec’s other hand and gasps quietly. “You’re really back..”
“Yeah..” Alec wraps his free arm around Jace and sobs into his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t even go there.” Jace says and squeezes his parabatai to his chest.
Alec’s mother, father, brother and sister wrap their arms around him, a large group hug that they don’t ever want to leave.
They called in a few experts from Alicante to check Alec over but they all agreed, this was the will of the angel. It wasn’t simply bringing someone back from the dead, it was an exchange, one life for another.
Jace, Clary, Magnus, Izzy and Alec’s family sit beside his bed. They can’t take their eyes away from this miracle, this sacrifice. Athena gave up her life so Alec could be with his family again. Magnus does his own quick examination with his magic.
Alec looks directly at his husband with all the love in his heart. “Magnus, I missed you.”
“Alexander, you could not begin to understand how much I missed you.” Magnus meets his husband’s eyes and leans over for a quick kiss before turning back to his job. He looks up at Alec’s family.
Maryse wipes a tear from her cheek and takes Alec’s hand. “Magnus, is he okay?”
“He is.” Magnus takes a deep breath, worried about how these people will react. “He still has his runes and his angel blood but he also has warlock powers. Athena appears to have given up everything she had to him but his mind is clear of her. She gave him her remaining days.”
Alec looks over at Magnus, suddenly anxious. “How many days did she give me?”
“An.. Infinite amount.” Magnus almost whispers, he feels like literally jumping with joy but he doesn’t know how Alec will react.
“What do you mean?” Alec’s father asks.
Magnus turns to face the family and holds his hands out almost defensively. “Alec has warlock powers but he also has Athena’s immortality. Alec is now immortal”
Alec doesn’t know how to react, his jaw drops and his mind races. Half of him is completely ecstatic that he will be able to live forever with his husband, the other half knows he will have to watch his family and friends grow old and die. He will have to see his parabatai die, again.
Jace is the one to stand up, to make a motion. Magnus backs off and lets Jace say his piece, whether it be good or bad. Jace wraps his arms around Alec and holds him. “Alec.. I love you man.”
Alec holds his parabatai. “I love you too.”
Jace pulls back and looks into Alec’s eyes, seeing the confusion and the pull from either direction. “Alec, this is a blessing. You and Magnus can be together, forever. I will always be in your heart, we all will.”
Alec smiles and takes Jace’s hand.
It takes a long time but eventually Alec is cleared for duty, he’s proved that no complication has arisen from being brought back from the dead. He is given his position back as the inquisitor in Alicante but with a catch, he can only stay in the position for 100 years, then he will need to stand down and let others have the job. Alec wasn’t upset, he didn’t think he would even get 100 years in life to do this job. Jace is now the head trainer in Alicante, he couldn’t leave Alec again. This of course meant that Clary had to portal in every day in and out. She wanted to stay with Isabelle as her parabatai but Jace is her true love. And of course there is Simon coming in and out. Magnus is going to need a co high warlock at this point but he has never been happier, he looks forward to the future with much more hope than he had in the past. He will never have to say goodbye to his husband. Their lives will be more perfect. Alec has become content with his immortality, he is starting to enjoy his powers too. He doesn’t use them often, he is always going to be a shadowhunter. It is fun making little surprises for Magnus, one day Alec even decided to try out a new look complete with eyeliner and sparkle. Magnus nearly had a heart attack but ultimately Alec went back to his old look.
One day, Alec sits alone at his desk. A fire message came to him from Isabelle. ‘We got the bitch.’ Alec can only assume she means Sophia, he didn’t realise how much he was being held back by knowing that woman still walked the earth. He smiles a wide smile and sends a fire message back. ‘I’m so proud of you Izzy.’
Now, Alec loves his job but he has somewhere else to be. He makes himself a portal and disappears into Magnus’ apartment, he just has to see his husband. Magnus is perched on the edge of the couch writing in his diary so he knows when his next appointment is. “Alexander?”
Alec walks straight to his husband and places one hand on either side of Magnus’ face, he leans over and kisses his lover with everything he has. Magnus is surprised but wraps his arms around Alec’s lower back and lifts him into his arms. They stumble into the bedroom and fall gracefully on to their marital bed, Alec on top. Magnus leans back and smiles cheekily at his husband. “What do you want from me tonight darling?”
“Make me feel alive.”
Magnus’ eyes flicker to his warlock cat eyes as he imagines all that that entails. Magnus is quite possibly the luckiest man alive, he was given the gift of Alexander. A gift from heaven, and from hell.