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solarisrasa · 2 years ago

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All I Could Bring Myself to Want is You pt 9

A Malec fic canon divergent from the moment Alec hands the Family Ring back to Maryse Lightwood.

Read it here on Ao3

Discussion of death below

Part eight

“He left last night to visit Maia, when he didn’t come back I figured they were having a movie night or something. I called her as soon as I got your message but she said Simon left around midnight. If someone grabbed him it had to have been between Taki’s and the Institute.” Izzy was leaned forward, hands dancing over the map illuminated on the war table they were gathered around.

“I cannot believe someone grabbed Simon.” Jace huffed, “Again.”

“We really have to clarify to our enemies what a vacation is.” Magnus added.

Alec just blew out a breath. Just a few hours had passed since they’re breakfast had been interrupted and he was not pleased to be back in the Institute. It didn’t help that passing shadowhunters kept staring over at them and whispering. He’d heard Magnus’ name enough times to understand what had them so agitated.

“I notified Jia of the situation. Based on the fire message I would guess that this was orchestrated by someone in Alicante, we don’t have authority there. She cleared us for operations within the city if it comes to that. I would guess that whoever is holding Simon is probably regretting it about now.” Alec glanced around the table as he spoke.

“If he’s conscious.” Jace said with a touch of a smile, ignoring the glare Izzy sent his way. They all could feel the tension in the air. Simon was family, strong enough on his own now, but still one of theirs.

“Patrols are on alert, Maia has the pack out looking, but without a starting place there’s nothing for us to do…” Izzy tapped the map again, enlarging the section around Taki’s. Alec watched her examine the map, like the layout of roads could give her answers.

“Underhill even pulled the mundane security cameras in the area, but there’s just...nothing.” Izzy zoomed out again and Alec reached for her hand, squeezing her fingers in his.

“We can try tracking him again.” Jace offered, already reaching for Alec to parabatai track, when Izzy nodded.

“Wait.” Magnus said slowly. Alec knew that tone, he was thinking about something that might help.

“Jace, you and Simon have a blood connection. If I can tap into that I might be able to track him through it, it’s not something that is typically warded against and most deflection runes aren’t-” Magnus hesitated but Alec could see what he meant, so could Jace who nodded and switched gears.

“What do you need from me?”

“Nothing dramatic, just a little blood.” Magnus moved quickly so Jace, mouth open, didn’t have time to protest. He flicked one of his fingers, a sharp fingered ring sliced over Jace’s wrist and red welled up. Alec just shrugged at the affronted look Jace tossed him, he could feel how worried Jace was for Simon, his little show didn’t affect Alec.

“Magnus-”

“Hush.” Magnus slid his fingers through Jace’s blood, blue magic blooming around the red as his eyes closed. He hummed and Alec swallowed. He was beautiful, dressed in black and gold with his fingers dipped in red. He was like a painting, frozen as he worked to find their missing daylighter.

The flame of his magic vanished and he opened his eyes, brown flickering over gold faster than most might catch and stealing a little of Alec’s breath.

“You were right to contact Jia. He’s in Alicante. I can get a better sense of exact location if I can get closer.”

“By the angel, Magnus! How did you track him over that much distance?” Izzy asked, her eyes wide with surprise and no small amount of hope.

Magnus just smiled at her and spun his fingers around, “A good magician never tells.”

“I’ll let Jia know we’re coming. Gear up.” Alec pulled Jace’s arm toward him, running his stele over his Iratze and watching the small cut close up.

“Magnus?”

“With you, darling.”

Alec nodded and separated from his siblings to call Jia, Magnus pacing at his side as he headed for Izzy’s office.

Magnus snapped a silencing spell on the door as Alec pulled Izzy’s tablet toward him across the desk, opening up a line to the Consul’s office with his newly acquired access codes.

“Mr. Lightwood.” Magnus stepped up beside him and Alec leaned into the arm he wrapped around his waist, “Mr. Bane.”

Jia looked tired, her tablet obviously to one side of her, her other hand stopped over a page with a pen in hand. They had clearly interrupted her but she’d accepted the call so Alec wouldn’t apologize.

“Consul Penhallow. We’ve managed to track Simon Lewis’ location. He is in Alicante, I am leading a small retrieval into the city, requesting that Magnus be given access so we can continue to track Simon.”

Jia looked between them and Alec was struck with the realization that this was the first time in almost a year that Jia was actually seeing either of them. No doubt she’d noticed the runes on his cheeks but she could also see that he and Magnus were once again a united front.

“Granted. You realize, of course, that you might have to arrest some...higher standing members of the clave?”

Alec tried not to roll his eyes, “I am prepared for that outcome. I know, Consul, that my appointment was hardly a popular one. I also know that anyone who would use family to threaten me is not deserving of their standing, regardless of their political opinions. I fully intend to bring them in and see that justice is served for their crimes.”

Jia took a slow breath, her jaw flexing, “Very well. I would normally advise against such an upset so soon after your appointment, but, Inquisitor, I assume that you have plenty of plans to ‘rock-the-boat’ as it were. At the very least, you’re starting off with a clear line for the other’s to toe.”

Alec nodded, “I admit it’s less subtle than I’d like, but it is more than time for the Clave to leave archaic lawmaking behind and those who would allow this impasse to slide with no more than a slap on the wrist should know, I intend to make changes, when I am officially sworn in, still in a month. Get on the right side or face the consequences.”

He watched the way her lips pressed tighter at the reminder, he was doing this because he was personally involved but he was still not taking the post until his allotted time was over. He would not give up the time he needed with Magnus to give them both a solid foundation. There was a message that needed sending with this threat, but after he fully intended to take Magnus up on the offer to portal anywhere they wanted and just be.

“And you Mr.Bane? I have yet to hear anything in response to the position I offer you.”

Magnus smiled at her, his cool politically smile, “Apologies, my intended reply was rather...disrupted by this morning’s events. I am, of course, glad to accept the position of High Warlock. I will need time to settle my affairs here in New York, say, about a month?”

Jia’s hand that was still holding a pen twitched, giving her away. She had clearly hoped that if Magnus accepted the position she could at least get Alec to Alicante sooner.

“Of course. I will send details your way, after the issue at hand is resolved. I will clear Mr. Bane for entry into the city immediately. Good Hunting, Mr. Lightwood.”

Alec inclined his head as she cut the call and leaned into Magnus’ side for another moment.

“Well, I know I’ve seen it before, but you are a shark Alexander.” Magnus said, sounding proud. Alec offered him a small smile.

“I was actually trained for politics, you remember?”

Magnus pressed a kiss to his shoulder, “I do. Let’s go get Simon back so Izzy stops looking so frantic.”

Alec raised an eyebrow, his sister had only gotten better at hiding her feelings since she took over the Institute.

“Please. I may have been away a while, but I could write a book on Lightwood tells. She can’t stop messing with the damn map and her eyeliner is wider than usual, probably because she was shaky this morning.” Magnus touched Alec’s chin.

“You and Jace aren’t any better, you’re just trying to play cool for her. Now, if anyone’s harmed the irritating vampire, I can promise them pain beyond imagining, and that they will survive it for you to arrest them.”

Alec couldn’t, and didn’t want to, help but kiss Magnus. Just once and just a soft brush of the lips, but still.

“Let’s go.”

Alicante. The demon towers standing as darkened monoliths all around him, Nephilim moving about cobblestone streets, their crisp dress made stranger for the complete lack of technology. The gas lamp posts weren’t just for show here.

Magnus spared a moment to wonder what his companions thought of the lack of response the demon towers showed. Usually even one demon-blooded being, like himself, was enough to send a low level alarm out but there was no reaction. Izzy and Jace hadn’t even blinked when he’d opened a portal directly at the edge of the city and walked right through the wards. Alec had winked at him.

“Alright, let’s-” Alec tapped his arm where his stealth rune was and the others nodded. Magnus waited patiently, he’d already wrapped a glamour around himself that would function like the stealth rune and had the bonus of making him appear like a Nephilim himself, should anyone break through the stealth barrier.

“Okay. Magnus, can you get a better read on Simon?” Izzy sounded strained and he could see her clenching and unclenching her fingers, desperate to move.

Magnus wordlessly held out his hand to Jace who rolled his eyes, pushed his sleeve up, and gave Magnus his arm. He only pricked him this time, needing less blood for the trace since they were so close. He tapped the tip of his pinky to the red droplet that rose, allowing his magic to follow the thread of it into the aether, seeking Simon.

He inhaled as he settled back into himself, the extra awareness of a tracking spell fading. He opened his eyes and found himself looking directly at Alexander who was watching him, hazel eyes sparkling. Magnus blinked, he needed to focus.

“I’ve got him.”

“Lead on.” Jace made a gesture and Magnus spun on his heel, weaving them through the narrow side streets of the Nephilim city. He couldn’t help but look around as they went, shops denoted by a mixture of latin signage and runes, a blend of languages spoken in the street, though most prevalent were English and Latin.

It struck him, as they shuffled out of the way of a woman and small child that here really were the Nephilim. The angel-blooded beings, yes, but not the Shadowhunters. So many were not warriors, just people going about their lives, tucked away from the modern world in this place. For a moment Magnus felt immeasurably sad.

Too live detached from others, separated by culture, tradition, and literal magic and raising children who, if you were not an active Shadowhunter, you were likely to outlive. Alexander’s hand brushed his and he shook himself, now was not the time.

He hurried through another open thoroughfare and into a small alley. A narrow doorway opened into it from a dark house and he nodded at it, “Here.”

Jace whistled even as Alexander’s expression darkened and Izzy gasped, “The Bleakfallow’s?”

“They were strong supporters of Malachi, but not directly implicit in the Circle.” Alexander explained, “They are also a strong voice on the council.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow, “Unfortunate for them.”

He clicked his fingers and their door swung open, the warding around the house folding like paper under his powers. He held out a hand, “People with swords first, I think.”

Izzy snapped her staff out and followed Jace inside, Alec waved Magnus in after her and he had to hold back a smile. Alexander was always trying to protect them all.

The faint shine of seraph blades and the even softer glow of Alexander’s adamas arrows lit the way as they carefully cleared the side entry and then a sitting room.

Jace paused and the very soft sound of taps came from him. Magnus frowned, confused, until Alexander made his own little tapping answer. They could hardly see for hand signs and stealth relied on quiet. Izzy tapped twice and she and Jace split to the right while Magnus stuck with Alexander. He might not know their code but he knew enough to follow Alec.

They cleared the rest of the first floor, Jace and Izzy likely having headed to the second floor, when Alexander nudged him gently and directed him toward the outline of a door.

He opened it slowly, feeling a secondary warding behind it that he peeled off. Alexander caught his arm as he stepped forward to head down. Magnus waited, unsure why they were paused.

Jace and Izzy joined them only a moment later and he understood. Alexander must have been focusing on sending a feeling of need to Jace so they didn’t have to try to go down separately. He figured the second floor must be clear since there was no communication made otherwise.

The four of them headed down, Jace in front of Magnus and Alec bringing up the rear again. At the base of the stairs they could see a strip of light coming from under a door to the right. It gave them enough illumination to see what was once an open basement had been divided with a brick wall. Jace and Alexander moved to cover the door and Magnus lifted his hands, fingers glowing blue. Izzy’s staff shifted into her whip beside him as they tensed.

Alexander whistled, a long wavering note. Muffled voices could be heard on the other side of the door and at the sound, Jace reached out and knocked twice.

The door burst open, a man with light hair holding a seraph blade bursting through, only for Isabelle’s whip to slash across his face. He stumbled back and Magnus sent a burst of his magic through, forcing him fully out of the way so Alec and Jace could rush through. He followed them quickly, loathe not to be beside them.

Izzy followed him and then ran past him at the sight of Simon, shackled inside a small metal cage in the corner. The bars were almost certainly adamas and while Simon was better off against the substance than many others, he wasn’t immune. He jerked back at the commotion and Magnus heard him yelp when he slammed into the bars.

“Simon!” Isabelle called out to him and Magnus lost track as a blade was thrust at him. Jace was dealing with another young woman and Alexander was backing an older man in a suit into a corner, his bow levelled at the man’s chest.

The blonde with a bleeding gash across his forehead tried to stab Magnus again and he huffed. This one needed more training. He clicked his fingers and burning ropes of magic tied up both his assailant and Jace’s just as he disarmed her. He waited for Alexander’s orders for the third.

“You and your filth are not welcome in this city Lightwood.”

“I don’t know how you got Simon here, but you had to know it was never going to work.” Jace said.

“If the warlock had stayed out it, we might have succeeded. No matter, we will still see you removed from your position.”

“We?” Alexander’s voice was smooth, warm and attentive in the way he could sound when he wanted something from you. His drawn bow didn’t move.

“There are several prominent houses that can see the doom your appointment spells. Penhallow may believe that new blood, peaceful cooperation, and all of that soft idealism is what we need but there are those of us who know better. We remember the true nature of downworlders, we remember what happens when we trust them. You’re a blood traitor Lightwood, filthy by association. It’s only a shame you took your sister and your parabatai with you. I warned Jia, appointing a downworlder’s whore was a mistake-”

Magnus sent a curl of magic, licking over the man’s bare knuckles and making him scream in agony.

“Magnus.” Simon’s rough voice cut through his anger and he stopped. He needed to let Alexander handle this.

“You will give me names, won’t you?”

The man laughed, shaky after Magnus’ attack, “Why? There’s nothing you can do to us. I didn’t hurt your vampire, in fact I could have you arrested for breaking into my home and attacking us. ”

Alexander smiled and loosed his arrow, letting it bury into the brick beside the man’s head, the adamas sinking in as though the wall was butter.

“I don’t think you understand what, exactly, is happening here.” Alec knocked another arrow but kept his draw loose, “Consul Penhallow cleared this retrieval, Simon might be a vampire but he can still put his hand on the sword and I am well within my rights to arrest you and anyone else I find might have helped you, both for abducting someone under the protection and employ of the New York Institute, blackmail, and threatening violence against an innocent. So you will give me names, now, or I will allow Magnus to have a turn.”

The man just sneered and Magnus reflexively tightened his hold on the other two, making the girl shriek in pain and the blonde man moan loudly.

“Simon.” Alec started, “Did he hurt you?”

“He didn’t but someone else hit me a few times, threatening to take my fangs. He called them Joshua. There was also a woman, about Izzy’s height, a scar on her temple?”

“Her name?” Alexander asked, casual.

The man against the wall, who Magnus figured must be a Bleakfallow, swallowed.

“Magnus?”

He let his magic seep toward Bleakfallow who eyed it and just before it touched him started speaking quickly, “Thornwell, Magdalena Ravenscar, Theron Yewcraft, another who only wrote to me and refused to give their name. Please, don’t let him-” Magnus pulled his magic back.

Bleakfallow slumped in relief.

“Garrick, Miranda, and Benjamin Bleakfallow, by order of the Clave you are to be remanded to the Gard where you will await trial. You have the right to an advocate, to be requested at any time. Magnus, if you would?”

Magnus dropped all three of them, not bothering to soften their falls.

“Thank you.” Alec put his bow away and hurried to kneel beside Izzy, Jace joining them as they examined the runes on the cage. Magnus kept an eye on their prisoners, confident they could open it without him. Sure enough the ringing of stele’s and then the clatter of the door falling open came quickly.

“Thanks for the save guys!. Again.”

Simon climbed out, wincing as he went and stretching as soon as he had room to.

“At least when I was a rat I didn’t have to sleep in a cage. Can we get out of here?” He asked and Magnus laughed at the good natured ribbing that Jace started. Isabelle was wrapped under one of Simon’s arms and Alexander dragged their prisoners together.

Magnus nodded at him and snapped open a portal, “Everybody grab a bad guy, I’m going to have to bring them around a little so we don’t misplace them on the way through.”

“Are you sure?” Jace asked, sounding a little put out and Magnus rolled his eyes.

“Only a handful of beings deserve that fate and unfortunately, these are not among them.”

They returned to the loft after making sure that Simon was settled, Isabelle asking Underhill to remain in charge for the night so she could spend time with him. He’d been chipper but Alec could see that he needed a few less people crowding him.

Jace had headed to Clary’s again, jittery.

“I hope you don’t think badly of me if I say I hope everything about their trials gets tied up in paperwork for a while.”

Alec laughed, hanging his jacket before turning and pulling Magnus into his arms, “Of course not. I, for one, just want everybody to get too busy to need us for a while. I want to take a shower with you and watch something terrible and-”

Magnus kissed him and Alec let himself fall into it. The soft press of Magnus’ lips and the light taste of his chapstick as Alec deepened it. They parted with smiles.

“We should get out of the doorway.”

“Yeah.”

Magnus tugged him back into a kiss and Alec hummed, ready to follow him into more, when a sharp panic tugged at him. He stepped back, blinked.

“Alexander?”

“Oh for-something’s wrong with Jace.”

Magnus’ soft worry changed immediately into a sharper sort of concern, by passing irritation as Alec pressed a hand to his side.

Magnus snatched a book, one that Jace had Izzy bring over, off the side table and Alec waited.

“He’s...he’s on his way here?”

Magnus frowned and Alec stepped away from the door just as Magnus’ eyes widened.

“Clary’s on her way up, I let her through the wards. I imagine Jace is with her, though I didn’t-oh. Yes. He’s just behind her a bit.”

Alec didn’t understand why Clary had come, especially because based on what Magnus said Jace had probably chased her.

The door flew open and Clary, eyes wet with tears and nose red, headed straight for Alec.

“You-you!” She looked enraged and Magnus threw a wall up between them while Alec raised his hands, confused. He had no idea what was happening.

She punched the wall of magic, “You murderer!”

Oh. He knew immediately what she’d remembered but it didn’t make it easier. When he’d been possessed and the demon had forced his hand through Jocelyn’s chest he didn’t know what it felt like to lose a parent, he’d been horribly guilty and it had taken a lot to get past it all but he hadn’t been able to connect with Clary’s loss the way he did now. He knew the ache of it, the constant desire to reach for someone who was no longer there, the lost feeling that snuck up out of nowhere. He knew how the grief could catch you over strange things, leave you hollow and hurt at the sight of a perfectly regular object.

It was different too, in that Clary had never blamed him in the moment. Sure, Iris had made him think that but this was...Clary was furious, screaming words he couldn’t make sense of over the ringing in his ears.

Jace was there, eyes wild as he looked between where Clary was raging, sobbing as she slapped her hands against the magic keeping her from touching Alec and Alec who was staring at her, perfectly still, no color in his face. Magnus stood to the side of them both, repeating Alec’s name.

“Clary! Clary, stop!”

Jace grabbed her and pulled her away. The numbness spreading through his bond with Alec was terrifying but he could only focus on one thing at a time. Magnus moved behind him, grabbing Alec tightly.

“He killed her! Jace I remember it, he took her heart!”

He pulled her down to the floor with him.

“Listen to me, Clary, I would never have forgiven him if he’d done that. Alec was possessed, a demon possessed him. You don’t remember that part yet. Alec would never, never have done that. It wasn’t him Clary.”

She shoved against him, “I remember-”

“You remember watching a video, right?”

“Yes!” She sobbed.

Jace knew he had to try and drag the rest of the memory out of her, before she could make things worse, “Who was watching it with you? Who were you with Clary?”

“No! Alec, but I-”

“Clary, remember the first time you were here? Remember Alec on the balcony?”

She stopped fighting him as hard, glaring at Alec over his shoulder where Magnus was guiding him to sit down.

“I felt so bad for you.” She snarled and Jace hurried to cut her off before she could say something more awful.

“Clary. Stop. Alec was up there because of a spell, it made all of our fears more real that night and he heard you telling him you hated him and wished he died instead of your mom. Clary, he didn’t kill her. I promise you. Please, try to find the rest of the memory.”

She sobbed harder and he tugged her close, holding her tightly and hoping. As he rocked her he reached for Alec and then he was crying, the tide of guilt and grief was back and when he turned to look over his shoulder as Clary cried he saw Alec.

He was staring at nothing, Magnus kneeling in front of him, hands pressed to his cheeks and talking fast. Alec didn’t acknowledge him and Jace remembered vividly the night he and Izzy found Alec in the bath, fully submerged.

“I-” Clary’s voice came from his throat, “Oh..Oh god.”

Jace squeezed her tighter, “Alec. Oh, no, no, Alec!” She squirmed until he let her go, crawling across the floor under Magnus’ watchful, worried gaze.

“Hey, Alec?” She paused just in front of him, tentatively reaching for him. When no magic stopped her she took his hand, ignoring the way he flinched.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t...I only remembered seeing the footage.” She looked up at him, “It wasn’t your fault Alec, it wasn’t. I think…” She went a little unfocused, like she was remembering something, “I think she would’ve died anyways, if not you, someone else who was possessed would have found her that day. She was too closely tied to Valentine not to draw the demon.”

Alec blinked at her even as she repeated herself. Jace came to sit beside Alec, wrapping his arms around him to ground him.

“C’mon Alec. Come back.”

“I’m right here.” Alec mumbled as Magnus joined them on the couch, fingers squeezing over Alec’s knee.

“I’m so sorry.” Clary said again.

“It’s...it’s okay Clary. Just, next time, wait a while when you get a new memory?”

She nodded, wiping her eyes.

Jace pushed calm into the bond as Alec’s feelings started to subside, not gone but giving way for him to feel other things. He was tired, they all were, and Jace could feel that he wasn’t sure what he wanted, to be alone or not.

“Can Clary stay here?” Jace asked.

Magnus nodded, “Of course. The guest bedroom is yours if you want it, Bisquit. Are you going to be joining us Jace?”

Jace looked at Alec who curled his fingers into the sleeve of Jace’s shirt.

“I think I should.”

They didn’t go to bed right away, Magnus sat with Alexander while Jace showed Clary the bedroom and where to find extra toiletries. She came back after a while and sat leaning against Alec quietly. It seemed to help a great deal, the both of them.

Magnus forgot, with all the time between them, that Alec and Clary had finally reached equilibrium before everything fell apart. He remembered Alec hugging her tightly, promising she did the only thing any of them would have. She might not remember all of it yet, but Alexander certainly did.

When she left to go to bed Alexander sighed heavily, “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize Alec, that was...I tried to stop her.” Jace grimaced but Alec shrugged.

“It’s okay. She’s always been a force of nature. I wasn’t ready for it.” He hesitated, but when Magnus rubbed a hand over his back continued, “It was bad, because now I understand what she lost, what I-what the demon took from her. I didn’t know, then, but now-”

Magnus brushed his fingers over the black lines on Alec’s cheeks.

“It will get easier, eventually, to think about. The hurt never goes away and there will always be hard days, but Maryse wouldn’t want you to suffer over her Alexander.”

Alec closed his eyes and leaned into Magnus.

“Can we just go to sleep?”

“Yeah.” Jace said and Magnus brushed a kiss to Alexander’s cheek.

“Tomorrow’s a new day.” He said, standing and reaching a hand toward Alec.

“A new day.” Alec repeated, taking it.

part ten

#Malec #Malec Fanfiction #Shadowhunters #Magnus Bane #Alec Lightwood #Jace Wayland #Clary Fray #Fanfiction #All I want 9 #All I want

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