*PoV Magnus*

"Deception."

"Disgrace."

"Evil as plain as the scar on his face."

"He asked for trouble the moment he came."

"See you later, agitator."

I looked into the cracked mirror, tracing the scar that ran from just above my eye brow to my cheek bone with my eyes. I hunch my shoulders as I drop my head, looking down at the plug hole.

Closing my eyes, I flashed back.

"Deception. Disgrace. Evil as plain as the scar on his fate."

They stood above me, outside the burning ruins of my house, which my father had run into. I was crouching on the ground, my head on my knees, my shaking hands clasped over my head, covered in dirt. Someone pushed me over.

"Demon!"

"Traitor!"

I looked around, seeing angry faces. "He is not one of us. He has never been one of us."

"Kill him!"

"Let him run."

"Let him live."

"But do not forget what we cannot forgive."

"Stand up boy!"

Someone hauled me to my feet, and then pushed me away. All around me, angry faces. My heart pounded, hammering painfully in my chest.

"RUN!"

"See you later, agitator."

I ran as fast as my feet could carry me. Far out of town, I collapsed. I turned back towards town and started to crawl back slowly. Tears flowed down my face.

"He is not one of us."

"Deception."

"Disgrace."

"Evil as plain as the scar on his face."

Their words rang through my head. I punched the ground, sending up a cloud of dust. I let out a howl of rage, making the things within a fifteen foot radius of me explode.

"Born in grief, raised in hate, helpless to deny his fate."

The words whispered in the back of my head were sad, lonely, making me sob even harder.

I looked down at the small puddle in front of me, made by my tears. I mixed the dust in it, and then splattered the mud in my eyes. I screamed out in pain, my eyes stinging, but I did it again. Maybe, just maybe, my eyes would be destroyed and I could go back…. Home? My home's gone. I never had a home. My own father threw a knife at me, nearly cutting my eye out.

The sun was setting, I think. The mud was making my eyes too cloudy to really see.

I felt a hand on my back, cold, with sharp nails. "Come now, little one, what's the matter?"

I flinched away from the voice, which was French, crying out, "Don't touch me! Go away! I'll hurt you…"

"No you won't little one. I'm more dangerous to you then you are to me." The voice was female. "You're just a small human boy, how could you hurt a powerful vampire like me?"

I heard rustling, and then felt hands wrapping themselves around my neck.

"NO!" The woman was flung back, away from me, and I heard the crackling of flames once more. "No! I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"

I howled in self hate and anger, scuffing my hands through the dust again.

"Warlock," I heard the female voice mutter. "You don't have a mark! That's impossible!"

I turned my head in her direction, my eyes clouded over by the mud.

"Oh," she said. "Destroying your eyes won't make the mark go away, dear." There was a long pause. "I know where you can go to feel better. Some where you can be trained you use your powers."

"NO!" I yelled. "I'M A MONSTER! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"You're no monster," the woman said. "You're gifted."

I felt a hand on my back, warm, calloused from training.

"Magnus, what's wrong?" Alec asked.

"Just thinking."

"In the bath room, half naked, crying over the sink? That must be some serious thinking."

"Do you think I'm a monster?"

I felt Alec wrap his arms around my waist, and then rest his head on my shoulder. His hair tickled, but in that nice way. "Of course not, honey. Do you think you are?"

I turned in his embrace to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck. "There was a time when I did."

Alec looked at me with those deep blue eyes, full of honesty and intelligence. "Come on, honey, let's go back to bed. You can check under the bed for monsters. You won't find yourself."

I chuckled and went back to bed with Alec, wrapping my arms around him as he curled up.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too," he whispered back.