Jace flung his last seraph dagger, watching as it flew through the air, hitting its mark with practiced precision. The demon screamed and flailed, crumpling to the floor before exploding into a cloud of dust; sent back to hell, right where it belonged.
Another demon replaced the one that just fell, one of four still left in the room, and Jace smiled as he tightened his grip on his sword.
"Come on ugly, let's dance."
The demon lunged, barbed tentacles outstretched, only making it a few steps forward before Jace separated its head from its body with one swing of his seraph blade. Its head toppled from its shoulders and landed on the floor with a sick, wet, thud before it disintegrated.
The Shadow hunter turned in time to see Izzy send her own demon to hell with a flick of her whip, and to see Alec fire an arrow at a demon that had shapeshifted into the form of a rather attractive woman. That's if you ignored the tentacles coming out of her gaping mouth.
"Nice Alec! Right in the face!"
The Lightwood siblings turned to him, their amused expressions quickly turning to ones of horror.
"Jace behind you!"
The Wayland boy turned at Izzy's warning, instinctively ducking the clawed swing. Once the arm had cleared he sprang up and kicked the creature backwards, giving him enough room to swing his blade forth and throw it at the creature. This particular demon seemed to be smarter than the others however and dodged the blade, coming towards Jace with a guttural scream of rage.
There was a shout then, his name, and he was shoved backwards onto the floor, a black blur jumping between him and the demon. Rolling quickly he managed to land on his feet again, just in time to see Alec being clawed by the thing.
Alec cried out in pain, though he clamped his jaw shut to keep it in, and managed to kill the demon with a seraph dagger before crumpling to the floor. Izzy screamed her brother's name and ran to him as Jace tried to follow, his Parabatai rune burning.
Stumbling to his fallen brother he knelt beside the boy, taking in the damage. There were claw marks raked across his chest, shirt torn to ribbons in the wake of the demons bone claws, blood seeping quickly to dampen the fabric red. Izzy was desperately drawing runes but they faded into Alec's skin like disappearing ink and refused to take.
The girl screamed in frustration and took her brothers face in her shaking hands.
"Alec stay awake okay? We'll fix this, we'll get you back to the institute and have you all patched up in no time. Just stay awake okay? Look at me. Alec."
Alec was already fading, eyelids drooping over his glassy eyes, lips mumbling but never forming words. He was gasping, trying to drag air into his burning, damaged lungs. Izzy looked over at a frozen Jace.
"The demon venom is spreading too fast, he's going to die if we don't get it out. Jace!"
The blonde's head snapped up from where he had been staring at his Parabatai, Izzy's dark eyes sharpening his mind and clearing the fog of panic.
"I'll call Magnus."
Jace dug through his pockets, scrabbling for his phone, but kept his eyes on his best friend as Alec coughed, blood painting his lips red. Izzy was lifting the archer onto her lap, cradling her big brother against her chest, in an effort to help him breathe, back and head supported in her arms as she whispered to him.
Jace could feel his Parabatai rune burning, throbbing and heating his skin in a thumping rhythm and Jace knew it was pulsing to the beat of Alec's heart. He almost stopped breathing when the beat faltered, tripping for a moment before returning to its sluggish pace.
Finally finding his phone on the floor where he had been tossed earlier, Jace stripped off his jacket and laid it over Alec's shaking form, pressing it onto the gashes with a wince as Alec groaned in pain. His fingers flew over the dusty screen of his phone, finding the name he needed and pressing the call button. Jace pressed his jacket to Alec's chest and begged the bleeding to slow, listening to the ringing of his phone with growing impatience.
"Pick up the damn phone Warlock."
…
Magnus hated when Alec went out on Shadow Hunter duty. He trusted him of course, lord knows Alec was very good at what he did, but it was dangerous and he never quite knew if he would see his Angel again in once piece.
Magnus wouldn't ever ask him to stop. Alec was raised for this, his whole family, his core beliefs all centred on his duty as a Shadow Hunter and Magnus wouldn't ever try and take that away from him. Even so he still got nervous.
They had been having some drinks, a thin excuse for a date but with a Nephilim Magnus would take what he could get, when Alec had been called in for duty. The kid had stuttered an apology, looking genuinely sorry that he had to go, and promised they would finish their date.
Magnus was disappointed to see the boy leave, though how nice it was to watch him go, and hoped the boy would keep his promise.
It was a few hours till he heard anything.
The warlock's phone rang and he smiled as he snatched up the glittery object but frowned when he saw it was Jace calling. Why would Jace call him?
Magnus' stomach dropped uncomfortably. He knew why Jace would call. If something went wrong and Alec couldn't call, himself.
He answered the phone, every muscle tense and every fibre of his mind concentrating on what the young shadow hunter was saying.
"Magnus we need you." Jace's voice was shaky and thin, his breaths coming quickly through the words. It was as if he was trying not to cry. But Jace never cried.
"It's Alec." Magnus had guessed as much but the name, Jace's voice cracking over it, made his heart clench all the same.
And then, to the warlock's horror, Jace heaved in a breath and began to cry, forcing words through his gasps as he did.
"It's bad Magnus, it's really bad you have to hurry."
The Warlock could barely breathe as Jace gave him the address, mumbling apologies as soon as he finished.
"I'm sorry Alec I have to stop the bleeding. I know it hurts, I'm so sorry."
Magnus' vision blurred white and he had to grip the counter to stop from falling. He could hear his poor Nephilim's whimpers though the phone and it was all he could do not to pass out right then and there. But Magnus had lived for a very long time and he had seen his fair share of tragedies. He knew what to do. Heaving in a breath the Warlock set his jaw and focused his mind. He would not fall apart. He would save Alec.
Magnus told Jace he would be there in a few seconds and hung up, grabbing a few potions and various ingredients before clicking his fingers. Blue sparks of magic flickered, expanding out as he created a glowing portal. He stepped through it hastily, barely pausing to shut it behind him.
The Warlock almost lost his focus again at what he saw. Izzy on the floor, holding a bleeding and unconscious Alec in her arms, and Jace, pressing his jacket to his best friends' chest as he cried.
Their two faces turned towards him, both tear stained and wrinkled in worry, showing the same agonized desperation in their eyes that Magnus felt himself.
He knelt beside the Shadow Hunters, not at all thinking of the blood, ichor and dirt that was soaking into his silk pants as he did, and leaned over Alec.
He was so, so pale, skin almost grey in the dim light of the warehouse, and his lips were splattered with blood. The red on his lips and his black hair that clung to his sweat dampened forehead contrasted starkly against his skin, making him look almost dead. Magnus noted that the blood seemed to have come from the boy's mouth, and hurried his actions further, knowing that his time was limited.
Lifting Jace's jacket from Alec's chest, Magnus sucked in a lungful of air; feeling greedy for taking such a large gasp while Alec was barely breathing at all. Alec's chest was torn open, blood pouring from the wounds and showing no signs of stopping. Magnus grabbed a potion bottle.
"The demon venom is stopping his blood from clotting. It will travel through his bloodstream and attack all of his organs, eating away at them until they shut down. He'll die from blood loss in twenty minutes or from the venom in thirty."
Jace blinked as more tears fell while Izzy let out a sob and held her brother tighter.
"Can you save him?" Magnus didn't spare a glance at the Wayland boy, focussing instead on pouring the potion onto Alec's wounds.
"I can try but it will take all of my strength to do so." Magnus didn't care about giving his strength to save Alec, he would give up anything to save the boy in front of him, what he was worried about was fainting before the job was done. If he used all of his strength to take the venom out and passed out before he could heal the wounds or make a portal, Alec would die of blood loss or simply be killed by more demons come to finish the job.
Jace thrust a hand towards him. It was wet with Alec's blood but there was no hesitation.
"Take mine. Whatever you need, just save him."
Magnus didn't hesitate either, grabbing the boys offered hand and drawing out strength from him while pouring magic from his free hand onto Alec.
The venom was difficult to pull, determined to kill the archer, it seemed to crawl through his veins with a cruel mind of its own. But Magnus would not be beaten, pushing his magic out from his hands and pulling the venom out. Alec's panting grew laboured during this process, the venom burning as it was dragged out of him, but he didn't wake.
Once the venom was out Alec sighed a little, body relaxing as the pain eased some. But he was not out of danger yet. Now that the venom had gone his body had nothing to fight, nothing to keep the flow of adrenaline going, and so Alec could slip away soon if his bleeding wasn't stopped.
Jace slumped, hand falling from the Warlocks as he tried to stay upright, the drain of strength taking its toll. It had taken a lot of magic to drain the venom and Magnus had to be careful to save enough to make a portal to take them home.
Magnus waved his hand over the Shadow Hunters chest, watching the muscle and skin knit itself together. The wounds had been deep and he knew he couldn't heal all of it to perfection without using up the rest of his energy. Magic poured from his palms onto Alec's chest, the blue flames licking at the torn skin until the bleeding slowed to a safer pace.
Izzy was staring down at the glowing sparks in amazement, watching as her brother was brought back from the brink of death. She leant down and pressed a kiss to her older brothers' hair, before looking up at Magnus.
"Thank you."
Magnus met her eyes for a second and nodded. He curled his fingers into fists, regretfully shutting off his magic, and turned around, clicking his fingers to summon a portal.
…
Magnus had taken the Shadow Hunters back to the institute, immediately transferring Alec to a bed in the infirmary and placing Jace in one himself when the boy wobbled on his feet. It had taken the worried voice of Izzy to get him to stay in a bed while she and Magnus tended to Alec.
Magnus sat beside the Shadow Hunters bed and carefully washed his wounds, bandaging them with nimble fingers as Izzy drew healing runes on Alec's arms. Magnus was exhausted from his power drain but fought his drowsiness off with a fierce determination to be by Alec's side when he woke.
It would be a while before he did, the blood loss and venom had made the boy very weak, but Magnus stayed despite this.
Hours passed, and Izzy eventually caved and fell asleep in the bed next to Jace's, both choosing the beds closest to Alec, not wanting to be far from their brother even to sleep.
He held Alec's hand in his, kissing the archers pale fingers while carding his other hand through the boys dark hair.
"Oh Angel, I do wish you would be more careful. You promised we would get to finish our evening and I had rather hoped you'd fulfil that promise. We'll just have to pick up where we left off once you're better. I do believe you were about to pluck up the courage to kiss me but I'd be happy to claim all the courage for myself and kiss you if you'd just wake up. I know you need your rest but I'd feel so much better if I could just see those beautiful eyes of yours and know for certain that you're okay."
Magnus took in a breath and watched Alec's lax face, cheeks slowly returning to their faint pink as his blood replaced itself. Magnus didn't want to cry but all the emotion he held back when he saved the Shadow Hunter came at once, demanding recognition. He sniffed and squeezed Alec's hand as he spoke.
"I've never seen Jace cry, or show any emotion really, apart from arrogance or rage, but when he called me I barely recognized his voice. Then I heard Isabelle sobbing in the background, calling your name and I could hear you struggling to breathe through the pain. And then I saw you laying there, barely breathing at all, bleeding out and I….
"You asked me what I risked by being with you, Alexander. I risk this. Feeling something so deeply and so strongly for someone and then losing them. Living an eternity without them, counting the days I could have had with them if I had been quicker to save them, or if I had met them earlier. Losing you, Alec, would be too much. You mean the world to me Angel.
"Other immortals have warned me from forming attachments to mortals but you, I couldn't resist. You've awoken something in me that I've been repressing for centuries and I will not give you up easily."
Magnus wiped a tear from his eye and brought Alec's hand to his face, pressing a kiss to the boys palm before holding the open hand to his cheek. After a few silent moments Alec's thumb slowly moved over Magnus' skin, wiping away a stray tear that the Warlock hadn't caught. Magnus leant forward, watching the pale face closely with baited breath until Alec's eyelids flickered, opening lazily to reveal those beautiful blue iris's that Magnus loved so much.
"Magn..us." Alec's tired tongue had slurred his speech but Magnus smiled all the same.
"I'm here darling. You have no idea how happy I am to see you awake. Does anything hurt? Do you feel alright?" Magnus had already raised a hand to take his pain but Alec turned his head to the side in an exhausted attempt at a head shake.
"No, I'm okay. I'm just glad you're here. You saved me."
Magnus nodded, Alec's hand still pressed to his face.
"I'll always save you Alexander."
Alec's lips pulled into a slightly dopey smile.
"I love it when you say my name like that. Say it again?"
Magnus tried not to laugh at the boy's slurred speech, taking Alec's hand down from his face to hold it properly. He leaned in closer and watched Alec's bright eyes as he purred his name.
"Alexander."
Alec closed his eyes and hummed in appreciation as Magnus stroked his face, the Lightwood immediately turning into it to press his cheek to Magnus' palm.
"Oh my poor Nephilim, you're practically high from blood loss."
Alec opened his eyes and his smile grew wider.
"Your Nephilim. I like that."
Magnus laughed and brought his face to Alec's rubbing their noses together.
"My Nephilim. For always."
Alec mumbled a happy 'always' back and Magnus could feel his smile as he kissed him.