AN: so I said the next one would be Alec but Magnus wouldn't let it be. Sorry guys but the sparkly Warlock has spoken. This chapter contains characters from the Infernal Devices and very mild spoilers for Clockwork Prince so proceed with caution. I've included explanations for a few other daemons here as well :)
Phoenixes symbolise rebirth and immortality. Alarick means noble or regal.
Will's daemon is an arctic wolf which symbolises strength and purity (lolz) and is also seen as loyal and powerful guardian and protector. Rhiannon is a Welsh/Celtic goddess of the underworld symbolising enchantments, death, joy and oblivion.
Jem's daemon is a Maltese tiger (which may or may not have existed) and in Chinese lore tigers symbolise royalty, protection, generosity and illumination. The blue tiger is also seen as the ruler of Spring and earth elements. Jiao is a mandarin name meaning beautiful or loveable.
Tessa's daemon is a barn owl which symbolises wisdom, mystery, transition, intelligence, mysticism and his name is Aeolus Greek God of the winds meaning quick moving and changeable.
Magnus and Alarick had lived for hundreds of years and while they occasionally forgot a face, or a name, they never forgot a daemon.
Magnus' mother had a beautiful, larger than normal, cat with auburn coloured fur named Cassiel. When they were younger she used to let Alarick ride on her shoulders and would sing them sweet songs while Magnus' mother cooked. Their then father's daemon had been a silver fox named Glanzend and Alarick used to mimic her form. They still remember the day their mother killed herself and father tried to drown them, Glanzend with Alarick clamped firmly in his jaws, but what they remember most is Glanzend's howl of pain and their fathers scream as they burst into flames. They remembered how Glanzend had shivered and vanished in a puff of gold dust leaving their father's body alone and cold.
Alarick had settled that day as phoenix, reborn from the ashes, Magnus thought bitterly.
Their first serious girlfriend had been an ancient warlock named Morgana who had a small, elegant, emerald winged-serpent for a daemon. Martyn had liked to coil himself around Alarick's feathered neck and tug gently, gently. Their first serious boyfriend had been a human with bright red hair and big blue eyes, his daemon had been a nervous lemur with huge, unblinking yellow eyes and clung to her human as though her life depended on it.
Camille's daemon was a jet black spider with a red-hour glass design on her abdomen, "A black widow," Alarick had supplied, rustling his wings nervously.
The spider daemon never spoke to Alarick and Camille never spoke to her daemon unless she thought they were alone, that was the only reason Magnus knew her daemon was a male. As soon as he and Alarick would enter room Camille would turn to them and the spider would scuttle up her arm to rest on her shoulder. Alarick was always on edge when they were together but there was something about Camille and her secretive spider daemon that fascinated Magnus.
"I don't like them, Magnus. Her daemon's not right somehow." Alarick would whisper, nipping gently at Magnus' ear.
There was something odd about her daemon, Magnus never even found out his name, but Magnus put it down to the fact that most vampires were distant from their daemons, acting as two separate beings instead of one. Alarick was put on edge by the fact that unlike with most daemons it was hard to read the spider's thoughts or emotions. Truth be told that was kind of what had attracted Magnus in the first place, Camille was something new. But eventually Magnus had to admit what Alarick had been saying all along; Camille thought of them as a game and nothing more.
Leaving her and staying with Woolsey and his peacock daemon had been one of the best decisions of Magnus' life and Alarick, snuggled up against Ilya the peacock, definitely agreed.
Yes, Magnus and Alarick never forgot a daemon and that was why when Alec and Nyx walked in to their lives they found themselves momentarily thrown back in time.
"He looked like..." Alarick had breathed after the Shadow Hunters left.
"I know," Magnus cut him off. "And his daemon..." he muttered. They hadn't seen a wolf daemon for a while, hardly anyone had wolf daemons in this day and age and they most certainly had not expected to see another Shadow Hunter with a wolf daemon.
The last one they had met had been in London over a century ago. "Will and Rhiannon," Alarick whispered.
Magnus closed his eyes and saw the boy with the deep blue eyes and dark hair and his quick witted white wolf with amber eyes striding along beside him. Rhiannon had been beautiful with flawlessly smooth snowy, white but for a long scar along her chest, just where her heart would be. And then he saw the silver boy, Jem and his silent, padding blue tiger, Jiao. Seemingly the only ones who had any control over Will and his wolf. He remembered how flawlessly the two daemons had worked together, how they had been able to finish each other's sentences and speak without words.
"I miss them too, Magnus," Alarick said softly and Magnus had hummed.
Then he thought of Tessa and her little owl daemon. How young she had been then, how naive and hopeful.
He thought again of Alec, beautiful and broken and his big, black wolf. "Should we, Al?" he asked.
His phoenix daemon's eyes twinkled, "You've already made your decision."
When Alec returned (Magnus knew he would) they were both surprised when it was Nyx that spoke to them. "Go on," he said roughly, pushing Alec forwards.
When they had first met Nyx and Alec previously the wolf had stayed silent, watching everything carefully and Alec had always had one hand resting on his daemon's shoulders, "For support," Alarick said, his voice full of sympathy. "They are adorable," Magnus had decided, smiling.
For the first few days they spent together Nyx did most of the talking for Alec, Alarick spent most of the time perched on the wolf's back and Magnus got the distinct impression Nyx liked him a lot more then Alec did. Until one day as Alec was leaving (after another evening spent with Magnus, Alarick and Nyx doing the talking) Nyx paused as they were about to leave and ran back to Magnus.
"He likes you a lot," the daemon said gazing up at Magnus. Nyx's eyes were the same shade of amber as Rhiannon's had been. "He's just shy." Then Nyx had leant forward and very slowly touched his noise to Magnus' hand. Magnus' heart skipped a beat.
Alec had breathed in sharply, "Nyx," he whispered, shivering slightly. The wolf grinned at Magnus and ran back to the Shadow Hunter.
After that everything seemed easier between them.
