I own nothing. All right to Cassandra Clare and her fellow authors that helped her with The Bane Chronicles. Read and Review, thank you.
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Alec was tied to a metal chair in a dark room. All his weapons had been taken, and he had received several ounces to the stomach and face when he tried to escape. Thankfully, he wasn't gagged or blindfolded.
He wondered what would happen. He knew that the Clave would never surrender for him, as much as the truth hurt. After all, he was an outcast. Especially after the kiss with Magnus, not that he regretted it. He was happy he didn't have to hide anymore, but also scared of what would happen next. He loved being a shadowhunter and didn't want to lose his marks or his family.
He just wanted to leave whatever place he was located, and return to his parabatai, his sister, and his boyfriend.
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"We can't leave him with Valentine, he's our brother!" Isabelle has been pacing for 20 minutes straight. The Clave leaders had gathered to decide what to do and had told them nothing.
"Izzy, sit down. You're giving me a headache." said Jace not to kindly.
After Isabelle had reluctantly sat down, Robert spoke, "The Clave is discussing what to do, but I think we all know the answer. Alexander is not that important to them."
Isabelle gasped. "Robert!" Maryse chastised.
"He's right, the Clave is not fond of Alec nowadays," Luke said, "That's what makes no sense. Valentine would know that Alec wouldn't make a good hostage." He shock his head, none of them could understand Valentine's plans.
"That's because Valentine doesn't want the Clave," said Ragnor, who was laying on one of the sofas. He was still weak from his attack. "He wants you two," he pointed to Jace and Clary. "The Book of White too, Magnus. That's why they took Alec and not someone else."
Magnus only looked at his friend with tired eyes and said nothing. The last thing he needed was to think that Alec had been taken because of him.
Jace nodded, "They know that we would do anything to save Alec." There was troubled silence after that.
Ragnor then noticed the absence of his vampire friend, "Where's Raphael?"
Simon spoke, "I saw him outside by the pond, he told me to go away when I tried to talk to him." Simon wouldn't say he was concerned, since he and the other vampire had never been close, however he understood that the help of the Night Children would be needed in the fight against Valentine.
"I'll go see what's wrong," even as he went out the door, Ragnor felt he already knew what caused Raphael's absence.
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He found Raphael looking at the stars, sitting right next to the small pond in the garden of the house.
"Oi! Why are you sitting out here like you're not involved in this situation?"
Raphael didn't look at him but said, "I'm not needed in there, nor wanted."
Ragnor frowned and shrugged, "Never bothered you before."
The vampire didn't answer.
Now Ragnor really looked at him. Raphael never really expressed himself through his face, but now his defense were down. He could see a longing in his friend's eyes as he looked at the sky. A bit of confusion too.
"You're bothered by Valentine's words," the warlock concluded.
After a moment of silence Raphael answered him, "He is right. When I die, well…Me voy al infierno. I've tried to ignore it for all these years, but I never could. I've always know."
Ragnor didn't know how to respond to his friend's confession. He never had been one for feeling talk, but then again neither had Raphael. The warlock opened his mouth but was interrupted.
"I was a good person. I never entered any gangs. I went to church every Sunday for mass, and from Monday to Thursday I went to help the Padre out with ceremonies. I took a vow to stay pure until marriage. I helped my mother and my siblings. But I got cocky," he shock his head, " my friends and I thought we could get rid of the vampires who were taking some of the people in el barrio. Over a decade of being the best I could be so I would be accepted in el cielo, and in one night, everything was lost." He looked close to tears, but it just be a reflection of the light.
Ragnor was speechless. From what he knew, Raphael had never opened up to anyone. Not even Magnus.
"I killed my friends," something that sounded like a sob escaped him, and Ragnor put an arm around him. Raphael didn't push him away. "Francisco, Enrique, Gabriel, I was the closest to them when I turned, and they were bleeding so I just.. I killed them. It wasn't just my sire. I became a murderer the very night I intended to become a hero." He sniffed and pushed himself off Ragnor. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, "So you see. I deserve Hell. Soy un maldito monstruo."