-Rating this one M just in case.-
2
Three Weeks Later…
"Alec, eat something," Isabelle begged. The boy shook his head, staring at his hands. He hadn't slept in weeks, eaten close to nothing, spoke little and cried in private. He was paler than usual, circles under his eyes as dark as his hair.
"We'll find him," she assured, "but it won't do anyone any good if you're dead."
"Not hungry," he mumbled. The idea of eating repulsed him. He was sure if he tried to choke something down it'd come right back up. He didn't want to eat. He didn't want to sleep. He wanted Magnus. He wanted to hold him, kiss him, love him, tell him it was alright.
"Alec-"
"I want him back, Izzy. I want my Magnus back. I want to know he's okay. What if he's hurt? Or scared? Or alone? What if he's crying for me to help him and I'm JUST SITTING HERE?" He slammed his fist on the table. He pressed his fingers to his temple, sniffing. "What if he's de-"
"Don't say that!" Jace barked. "We won't know anything until we find him or at least where he was last."
Alec bowed his head, a tear tapping on the table. He wiped his eyes furiously before he spoke. "I miss him so much," he whispered. It hurts… I just want to see him again." Jace frowned sadly, putting his hand on his shoulder. Alec jerked out of his grip as if he'd burned him.
"Guys!" Clary gasped, bursting into the kitchen. "Guys, I found him. I found the client Magnus was working for before he disappeared." Alec stood so fast the stool underneath him fell over.
"Where is he?" He demanded, hope in his bloodshot eyes for the first time in weeks.
"He's just outside," she said. "He's standing on the stoop. He can't come in, if you know what I mean." Alec strode toward the door, well, stumbling, his tired, haggard body hardly able to take anymore. Isabelle followed, making sure he didn't do anything stupid.
Jace smiled and kissed Clary's cheek. "I knew I kept you around for something." She rolled her eyes.
"Gee, thanks."
Cold, dark, body in terrible pain. The collar that had been fastened around his neck issued an electric current that wracked his body, burning, contracting, anguish. It went off when he misbehaved, and sometimes when he'd done nothing to provoke it.
These things enjoyed it when he screamed. They laughed when he was angry and snarled when he gave no reaction to their abuse.
They threw rotten food and rocks, cheering when they struck their mark or –even better- drew blood. The children made faces at him, adults reached out, shaking and banging the bars. He was like an animal to them, entertainment. A tiger in a cage.
Sometimes, when he didn't give the reaction the crowd wanted, manacles came from the ceiling at the floor, binding his wrists and ankles, leaving him spread eagle and humiliated in mid-air, where electricity came from all over. Sometimes the cuffs would glow orange with heat, searing and blistering his skin. He was whipped a few times.
The food they gave him was putrid and foreign. He had no idea what slop they shoved at him. So he ate only what he knew, stale water and moldy bread.
He shed no tears in front of them. He refused. But alone, at night, he curled into a ball, sobbing into his hands, wishing he were home. He didn't want Alec to come get him. They'd do this to him too, if not worse. He just wanted to go home, or wake up with Alec in his arms and find out it was all a bad dream. He'd even prayed to what had forsaken him long ago, pleading for forgiveness and a shred of mercy.
He didn't get it. And he didn't deserve it. He understood that.
He was lying in that ball now, crying, begging for those warm arms and blue eyes.
"What if we get caught?" I said nervously.
"We won't, relax," he smiled, leaning against my, my back pressing against the Institute door. "And who cares if we do?" I looked at him, lips pursed. Magnus nodded. "Right."
"I'm sorry, I just-"
"Shh," he pressed a gentle finger to my lips. "Come here." He softly pressed his lips to mine, making my heart stutter. He moved slowly, gently, carefully opening my lips with his. He had one hand cradling my face and neck, the other on my back, steadying me as I started sliding down the door, knees weak.
He smiled a little, looking at me with his bright eyes. He nuzzled his cheek next to mine, thumbing the skin behind my ear. His lips grazed my lobe and I shivered.
"God, you're soft," he whispered. I flushed.
"Sorry?" He didn't answer. I gasped like cold water had been doused over my head as he languidly kissed my neck. I swallowed hard.
"Never been kissed like this?" He asked, looking at me cautiously. I shook my head. "Do you want me to stop? I will if you want me to." I shook my head. He smiled gently, lids half-closed as he kissed my neck again. I shivered once more, dragging my fingers down the back of his neon yellow T-shirt.
He moaned, surprised, biting down on my neck out of reflex.
"OH!" I nearly screamed. He stifled me with his lips.
"Hush, Alexander!" He giggled. "You want to get caught, don't you?"
"Sorry," I swallowed hard. He smiled and pecked my cheek.
"Jusqu'à demain, Mon cher," He said softly.
"Huh?" I gulped.
"Until tomorrow, my darling."
"Alec." The boy shook his head, snapping him out of his daze. "You alright?" Jace asked.
"No," he said stiffly. He looked around the alley, expressionless; inside he was in agony. They were looking for something, anything that might hint Magnus had been here.
Where are you? He thought despairingly. Where are you, baby? I'm gonna find you you. I'm gonna bring you home. You've saved me so many times…It's my turn.
"Izzy?" Jace asked, answering his phone. "Yeah, we haven't found anything yet. We're still lookin'. How's it going with the fanged wonder? Yeah? Ew, ew, ew, okay, okay, enough. I'll see you- aw, gross!" He slammed his phone closed.
"Hey, Alec?" Clary asked, bent over, her back to him. "What was Magnus wearing when you last saw him?"
"Blue wife-beater, yellow leather pants and a leather coat."
"Was it red?"
"Yes," he said, anticipating. She turned, a torn piece of red leather in her hand.
Alec snatched it from her, staring at it, tears in his eyes. "Magnus."
"AHHN!" Magnus shrieked, electricity coursing through him violently. A zapping sound flooded his ears as –slowly- his fingers started to spark and shoot spells all over. By some sort of miracle they missed him.
IT stopped and he fell, chains clanging. He took shuddering breaths, joints aching, fingertips blistered. "Damn it," he spat. The crowd laughed inhumanly.
"I wanna touch it, Mommy," a demon child said in a language that sounded like a series of hisses. And it was one the warlock spoke.
"This isn't a petting zoo," he snarled. The child and mother jumped, startled that he understood the dialect.
"Mommy, it talks!" He squealed. "Can I touch it, Mommy, please?"
"No, dear, they bite."
"No they-" Magnus grinned wickedly, baring his sharpened teeth.
"You want to make that a bet, kid?" He cackled.
"Nonsense," a familiar voice chuckled. Magnus froze. Esekial was standing behind the two, grinning horribly. "He won't hurt a fly, just watch." A clawed hand reached through the bars in a flash, snatching Magnus up by the throat before he could react or try to get away.
He was pulled through the bars, the iron turning to a liquid-like substance. Esekial slapped his mouth, leaving a malleable piece of metal the size of an average piece of duct tape on his mouth, sealing his lips entirely. He couldn't even move his jaw. He scratched and clawed at the vast hand, gaining nothing.
"Ah, ah, ah," Esekial ticked, squeezing tighter. Another current surged his beaten body. He screamed, shaking violently without control. He went limp when he stopped, coughing weakly in the strange gag, chest tight. Esekial grinned. "Good boy."
Esekial dropped him, holding the back of his collar like a dog. The chains on his wrists held his arms behind him. Esekial smiled.
"See, son, he can't move."
A crowd had formed around him. The boy reached out and petted him, his jagged hands cutting his face.
"It's squishy!" He squealed, delighted.
He stopped struggling.
God, there's no point, he thought miserably. No, no he'll just hurt me some more. Not worth the pain. I can't take any more of that. I can't, I can't…
He bowed his head, shutting his eyes, utterly humiliated.
People touched him with claws, razors and scales, scraping his skin, making him bleed.
Magnus swallowed hard, tears behind closed lids.
"Shh, hush, baby." He could almost hear Alec's voice. "It's okay, Magnus, I'm here. Shh…I've got you. It's okay." He imagined warm arms and gentle hands holding him close.
"It's okay, baby. You're safe, you're safe, shh…"
It helped him escape their hands and jeers, the faces they made at him and their painful touches. It turned a nightmare into a dream.
Esekial eventually tossed him back inside the cage, taking the gag with it. The chains released him, leaving blistered and bleeding skin behind on his ankles and wrists.
He huddled in the far corner, face in his bruised knees. It was awful here, so unbearably awful. If only he knew how much worse it would be.
-Poor thing... Please Review.-
