Alec walked inside the Institute's library, looking for the librarian. He had a upcoming trial coming up for a shadowhunter that broke the accords and he was trying to find his alibi that he could he freed. But being totally honest, Alec took on the case just because he didn't have to do anything else. With the case taking up all his time, The Clave insisted that he would take the rest of the day off after his work on the trial. And Alec loved the time off. Because he could go back to the beach and see and speak with Magnus. Alec always enjoyed their talks. He would sit on the sand and watch Magnus swim around as they talked about their day and their struggles and anything in life. It made Alec feel... like a person. Not just a shadowhunter knight who's job was to go on missions and kill demons every day. Magnus opened up something in him. Spending every day with him for the past week.
Alec approached the desk and smiled at the librarian, who just happened to be Underhill. Underhill would always take missions, trials and training when he could but Alec always noticed that he preferred being in an office, filling out paperwork and especially keeping watch of all the important books inside the library of the Institute. "Mr. Lightwood." Underhill said with a welcoming smile.
"I've told you many times." Alec said, shaking his head. "It's Alec, you don't need to us formalities with me."
"Okay then Alec. I didn't expect to see you here. Is everything alright?"
"Everything is normal Underhill." Alec told him, adjusting his blazer sleeves and cuff links. "I need to know if a certain Harold Carolten was in here four days ago. Unless you weren't working here last week."
"No, no. I was. Can you give me a moment to check my log?" Underhill went under the desk and flipped through the pages. Alec held his hands behind his back as he allowed Underhill to look through the book. Alec looked around and saw two people standing near a bookcase. They were whispering, which was pretty normal in a library. But they looked like they were angry. Like they were plotting something. Alec raised his eyebrow and pulled out his stele. He pulled up his blazer sleeve and traced his hearing rune, which was right near his elbow. He looked over at the two and listened closely to their conversation. The lighter skinned one, who Alec recognized as Johnathan Morgernstern, one of the Morgenstern's from The Clave meetings and Clary's unfortunate stepbrother, starting yelling at the shorter darker skinned one, who Alec knew was the asshole shadowhunter Raj.
Johnathan was yelling at Raj in as low as a tone as he could. "Those filthy demons are coming from the waters." he said. "If if wasn't for your incompetence of leaving that downworlder to suffocate, these fights would have been done ages ago!"
Alec immediately thought of Magnus and the day that they met. Magnus had even told him as a joke that if it wasn't for him he would have suffocated. Alec looked back at Underhill, who smiled at raised his hand for another moment to look. Alec nodded, grateful for more time to listen and he discreetly looked back at Johnathan and Raj.
"I locked the net tight!" Raj retorted. "That downworlder shouldn't have been able to escape! The net was made of iron, and merfolk can't get out of those."
"But he did! And whose fault is that? Because it certainly isn't mine or any of the other men with us."
Alec growled silently. They were talking about Magnus. Magnus had been trapped in an iron net that fateful day that they met. These met be the men in dark blue hoods that Magnus was talking about. Johnathan rolled his eyes and Raj and crossed his arms.
"You're incompetence to kill that merman will be the death of us. You know that he will go to the rest of his downworld filth and they will come to The Clave. And The Circle as we know it will be eliminated!" Johnathan licked his lips in anger and sighed, shaking his head. "For now, we'll have to ignore this. But I will speaking with him and see what he says."
Alec raised his eyebrow. Who was this Him that Johnathan was speaking about. Probably the leader of this coup. Alec turned back to Underhill, who was pulling a page from his log. "Here you are Alec." he said with a smile. "Harold Carolten. He was here, checked out a few books."
"Thank you Underhill." Alec said, he looked back at the bookcase where Johnathan and Raj were previously standing and raised his eyebrows a bit. "Hey um... can you help me with something else?"
"Name it."
"What do you know about The Circle?"
"The Circle? Can't say I've ever heard of it. Do you want me to check the shelves, maybe there's something there?"
"No, no. That's quite alright. I should be going anyways. Thank you Underhill for the log page." Alec said with a wave.
Underhill bowed his head a bit as half a joke and half respect and he adjusted his own blazer. "Have a good night Alec."
"You too." Alec said, walking out and heading to the stables. As he walked through the halls, he was too busy thinking of Johnathan, Raj and Magnus. If what he was thinking was right, they could have been the ones that kidnapped Magnus that faithful day they met. And this Circle coup that they were talking about might be the start of something going wrong. Not just for him and Magnus but for the Clave and the Institute. Alec turned the hall, not looking where he was going and bumped into his little sister. Izzy looked at him as if he was crazy, because he seemed so out of breath for no reason at all. It couldn't be running because Alec wasn't running when he bumped into her.
"Alec, are you okay?" Izzy asked, pushing back her dress's red frilly sleeve to press her palm on Alec's head. "Are you getting sick?"
"No Izzy. I'm not getting sick." Alec said, pushing her hand away with a smile. "I'm just a bit stressed from the trial. Don't worry Isabelle I am fine."
"Okay then." she said. "But hey. We're having a family dinner tomorrow, will you be okay to come?"
"I'll let you all know if otherwise, okay?"
Izzy nodded and walked off. Alec sighed and he kept heading over to the stables to get Ilio and see Magnus.
Magnus swam out of his bedroom and through the ballroom to get to the exit that was closest to Alec's beach and Alec in general. He swam out of the way of his father's servants and he went over to the hall that would lead to his secret entrance. Magnus smiled, he had been excited to see Alec all day. Most of his day had been stuck with attending planning meetings with his father and practicing his singing. But now he could relax and unwind and speak to Alec. He doesn't know or understand why, but when he's around Alec... the waters below him seem to calm and everything is right as rain.
Magnus stopped swimming and sighed, waving his hands along the water that surrounded him. "I know that you're there Azazel." he said.
Azazel, who had been hiding behind one of the pillars, swam out and crossed his arms in front of the prince. "How did you know that I was following you?" he asked.
"Uh, that's easy." Magnus said, twirling his fingers around the waters. "I can feel you rippling the waters. Surface creatures never have to deal with this, maybe you should move there? You'd be a great person over there, instead of following me per my father's orders."
Magnus rolled his eyes at the other merman and started to swim away. Azazel swam with him, moving as fast as he could to float right in front of Magnus. "My prince, as your father's most trusted adviser, I would like to know where you are going?"
"None of your concern." Magnus said, pushing past him. "Now if you will excuse me."
"If you are planning to go to the surface, need I remind you what happened to your mother."
"And need I remind you what happened the last time you tried to use my mother against me? I shocked you and you swam around with a black eye. And lucky for me, water makes bruises heal less." Magnus swam away from him and out of the hall exit that he was looking for you. Azazel sighed and shook his head. He swam down another hall and towards the hall where King Asmodeus was swimming.
"Let me guess." Asmodeus said as soon as Azazel swam into the room, looking at the various mirrors that were on the hallway. "You failed to stop my son from leaving the palace?"
"I am so sorry my king."
"No need to be sorry. My son can be very troubling. Allow me to take care of things."
Asmodeus took off his crown as he swam towards Azazel and shoved it in his arms. Azazel barely caught the crown as he tried to speak with the king. "Your majesty, I can find the prin-"
But the words were caught in his mouth as Asmodeus swam off. Azazel sighed and took the crown back to the throne room where it belonged. Asmodeus swam over to the same exit that his son had used and used as much strength as he could muster to catch up with his son. Asmodeus swam under him and floated in front of him. "Father." Magnus squeaked, hands moving up over his chest as if for a protective manner. "I-I thought that you were planning something."
"I was." Asmodeus said. "Until my dear friend Azazel told me about you leaving the palace again." Asmodeus' hand hovered over Magnus' face, making the younger prince shiver in fear. The king spoke in a calm and collected voice, which only made Magnus more afraid of what's to come. "What did I tell you about leaving the palace to go the surface world? Have I not warned you?"
"You have sir." Magnus responded, hanging his head down.
"Why are you going up there? When everything you ever want is down here?" Magnus said nothing, continuing to look down at the ocean floor. Asmodeus rolled his eyes. "Fine. If you're going to continue to go the surface, then you can't possibly go without something."
Asmodeus swam closer to his son and pulled him close, enveloping him in a hug. Magnus was confused as to why his dark, dangerous and always angry grabbed his son and hugged him of all the things he's done. Magnus had so many scars to show what else he would have done. Magnus didn't hug back, still shaking of what is father might do or say. He might have been holding a dagger and he planned to stab his son in the back. "Make this be the last time that you go to the surface. Things are going to get really... really bad up there." his father whispered.
"What do you mean?" Magnus whispered back.
Asmodeus pulled back and smiled at Magnus. He cupped his cheek and slapped it a bit harder than what would have been comforting. It stung and Magnus knew that it would leave a small bruise. "Let this be the last time that you go up to the surface. Or else I'll lock you up in the deepest, darkest cell in my cavern dungeons. Do you understand me?"
"Yes father." Magnus said with a nod.
Asmodeus grabbed Magnus neck now and tightened his clutch on it. "Do you understand me?!"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Asmodeus let his son go and nodded. "You may think that I don't know anything, but I now everything my son. I know about you going missing a week ago. I saw the iron burns before they went away. This is me keeping you safe."
"Yes sir." Magnus said nodding quickly, his hand lingering over the neck where he had just been choked.
"You are a prince of Edom after all. You need to stay safe."
With those last thirteen words, Asmodeus swam away. His black and holographic tail shifting in the waters. Magnus' hand went to his cheek, it stung. It would leave a mark most definitely. Magnus sighed, forcing his rising panic away and swimming back towards Alec's beach. Magnus got closer to the surface and he heard Alec calling out his name. "Magnus."
Magnus giggled, hand going to his scales as he remembered that Alec wore one of them as if it was a jewel found in a cave full of diamonds. Magnus swam up and splashed as he made his grand entrance. Alec shielded his face and clothes as water went everywhere. "You called Alexander?" Magnus said with a smile.
"Magnus." Alec said. "I have something to... what the hell happened to you?"
Magnus' hand went to his cheek. The bruise must have emerged faster under water. Alec pulled off his boots and blazer and walked over to the water. He forgot to roll up his slacks, but he was focusing on Magnus right now. Alec reached over and saw that there were marks on his neck as well. "Alexander, don't overreact." Magnus said holding up his hands. "Look at me. I'm fine."
Alec sighed and held his finger, telling Magnus to wait one ran out of the water. Magnus splashed his fingers around for a minute and Alec came back with a tall, silver vial. "I always carry this on me." Alec said, walking back into the water.
"Why do you have medicine?" Magnus asked with a smile. "I thought that you shadowhunters have runes for that?"
"Well, maybe you don't have the time for drawing a rune. Here, stay still." Alec poured some of the lavender blue cream onto his palm and he rubbed it onto Magnus' bruised cheek. "My brother and I always keep one of these on us for missions."
"You have siblings?" Magnus asked.
"Have I not told you yet? Damn I sound like the terrible friend."
"I beg to differ darling." Alec smiled and rubbed the cream over Magnus' neck. "I wish I had someone." Magnus whispered.
"Do you not have siblings?" Alec asked, capping the bottle.
"No. It's just me and my father... well and you."
"Because I make an excellent friend, am I wrong?"
Magnus and Alec laughed. Alec felt a bush forming in his cheeks. "So Alexander... what is it that you are trying to tell me?"
Alec sighed and shook his head. "Nothing. Don't worry about it. So... tell me about your day? How was it?"
