Chapter 22: Not Giving Up

                                    

                                          
Five days earlier...
                          
Magnus's POV
                          
Alec's screams echoed through the empty room followed by Magnus's laugh. 
                          
"Do you give up yet, Shadowhunter?" Magnus smiled.
                          
Alec was breathing hard, probably would have fallen to his knees if the chains wrapped around his bloody wrist hadn't been holding him up. 
                          
Alec coughed weakly. "I'm not going to give up on you, no matter what happens." Alec choked out.
                          
Magnus lashed out with his magic, hitting Alec in the chest so hard that the chain broke and he fell to the ground. Magnus stood over him. 
                          
"When are you going to realize that the Magnus you once knew is gone? He's not ever coming back."
                          
Alec looked up at him, his eyes unreadable. "No, he's in there somewhere. And I will get him out. Whatever it takes."
                          
Magnus threw his head back and laughed. "Stand up." He said harshly. Alec stayed sitting on the ground where he was. "I said, stand up!"
                          
Alec shook his head. "I-I can't." He mumbled under his breath. Magnus scowled, grabbing his hands. He forced the Shadowhunter to draw a second loyalty rune on his hand, then activated his Iratze. 
                          
"Let's this try again," Alec squeezed his eyes shut, putting his hands to his head. "Stand up." The Shadowhunter groaned, pressing against his temples. Eventually, he stopped and stood up. 
                          
Magnus smiled. "Now, follow me." He walked out of the room, knowing Alec would follow him. He wanted to test something. He opened a door that led to a long hallway. Cells were placed on both sides. Magnus stopped in front of the third on the left, where a small boy of about eighteen years of age sat in the corner. A Nephilim.  Magnus turned to Alec and pointed at the boy. "Kill him."
                          
Magnus could tell the hazel-eyed boy was trying to fight it, but the power of two loyalty runes was enough to almost kill a Nephilim child, therefore making it impossible for even the strongest of Shadowhunters to disobey. 
                          
The fact that Alec didn't even seem to be weakened by it meant he was much stronger than most Nephilim.
                          
"I-I can't..." Alec stuttered.
                          
"Stop trying to fight it, Alexander. It's no use."
                          
Alec fell to the ground with a shout. He was stronger than Magnus thought, being able to fight it for this long. But Magnus was patient. He knew eventually it would be too much for him to handle. 
                          
When Alec stood up again, his eyes were as blank as a piece of printer paper before you used it. Magnus held out a seraph blade and Alec took it, watching as Magnus opened the cell door. He stepped inside. The boy inside stood up, ready to fight. But then he seemed to realize who Alec was. 
                          
"M-Mr. Lightwood?"
                          
"Cody Gladwater." Alec smiled cruelly. "Where's you parabatai? What was his name... Leo Skykeep?" He chuckled. "Never there when you need them, huh?"
                          
The boy...Cody...took a step back. "He's dead. He was killed the same night you were... I saw you die..."
                          
Alec twirled his blade around in his hand. "Well, you should go join him then. Parabatai are together forever, right?" Then Alec slit his throat. 
                          
Magnus was impressed by how easily Alec had killed the boy, who was only a few years younger than him. 
                          
"Did you know him?" Magnus asked. 
                          
"Yes," Alec replied. "I helped him and Leo with their Parabatai training. I trained them for years. What a shame both of them died at such a young age."