Thank you for your reviews Mistiously and themostprofoundchild (btw the song you suggested it was very helpful. But it will be used at one of the last chapters. Thank you for that!)
So this chapter's song is Waiting For Superman by Daughtry. If you want, listen to it while you read the chapter. I think that song represents Isabelle.
Enjoy!
Chapter 4 (Waiting For Superman)
Isabelle didn't see her brother enough yesterday. She had missed him all those days he was staying with Magnus. At least she wasn't worried anymore. He wouldn't do anything reckless now, like before. He was safe with Magnus. He was smiling now. He was laughing and teasing, something he never did, even before he met Magnus. She was grateful for Magnus' presence in her brother's life. And even more so, since he actually had put up with him while never giving up on him.
She decided to pay a visit to her brother. She didn't think she needed to announce it, so she made her way to Magnus' apartment. She was not expecting to see what she found.
Alec was standing in front of her with red puffy eyes and tear tracks on his face. Izzy was immediately concerned about what happened. Nothing bad could have happened to Magnus…right? When he told her that Magnus left him, her body boiled with anger towards the warlock. How could he? How could he do this to her brother after everything they've been through? How could he string him along? How could he give him hope and rip it out a few days later? They loved each other! She had never seen anything like it; she couldn't understand why Magnus would throw that away.
She followed him and watched him putting his clothes in a bag. Her heart broke seeing him like this. He was looking at every nook and cranny of the room and many times he got a faraway look in his eyes. He was, no doubt, lost in his memories. She hated seeing him so fragile. He had always been the strongest person she had ever met. He was the one that most of the time had kept their family from falling apart. He was always watching their back, even at the cost of his own life. She hated seeing him like this, broken inside. He did not deserve it.
Magnus' arrival got her out of her reverie. He looked scared and hurt. Why? What right did he have to feel like that, when he was the one that broke her brother's heart for the second time?
There was something wrong, though. Magnus looked really scared. Last time she had seen him like that was when he was healing Alec. When he was afraid that his own magic was not enough to save him. So she didn't put up a fight when Magnus asked her to leave them alone. Obviously the couple needed to talk, but if he hurt Alec ever again, she would not hesitate to hurt him.
She went to wait for them in the living room. She was concerned about Alec and anxious about what happened. How could Alec think Magnus had left him, when Magnus himself had no idea what was happening?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the pull on her neck. Her ruby necklace was pulsing like crazy. There was demonic presence somewhere. She thought about calling Alec, but he had his own troubles to worry about. Either way, he wouldn't be much help in his situation, he wasn't feeling good enough. She figured she could go see for herself and if she needed any help, she would call them.
She stepped out of the apartment carefully; her fighting mode had kicked in. She tried not to let her back free while she examined the place before her. There was nothing in the hallway. She made her way down the stairs as soundlessly as possible. As she stepped off the last step a claw reached out for her. She tried to catch it with her whip, the only weapon she had on her, but failed. She turned around and got face to face with a Greater Demon. She was definitely not prepared for that. Isabelle has seen her fair share of demons in her life, and this was the ugliest one so far.
Before she could even think about calling for Alec, she was surrounded by it. Apparently this demon could either multiply itself or create hallucinations. Either way, she was in too deep. She knew, unless some miracle happened and someone came to help her, she would die.
As the demon lunged at her she saw her life passing her by. She relived the perfect moments in those seconds. She wished she had said goodbye. She wished her family knew that she loved them. She wished she could look Simon in the eye and tell him everything she's been keeping inside. She regretted not telling him the truth about her feelings sooner.
She saw Max sleeping on the couch back at the Institute. His manga book lay on his stomach, and his eyeglasses were halfway off. He was clutching the wooden soldier Jace had given him. He was having a nightmare and Izzy was there at his side in case he needed her. She was scared to wake him up. She didn't want him to feel worse. After all, he was holding the little soldier so hard, as if he was the one saving him from him nightmare. Izzy was certain the little soldier was in the dream chasing the monsters away from her brother.
She smiled at the memory. Another one flooded her. She was back at the first day Jace came into the Institute. By the Angel, the boy was rude and sad. She didn't want though anyone to be this sad. She hated the haunted look in his eyes. The boy seemed to warm up to her brother Alec, so every night Izzy would go to Alec's room and demand a report on Jace's well-being. She remembered the day of their parabatai ritual. They were both happy. Even back then, she was overprotective of her family, but then she knew they would have each other's backs no matter what happened along the way.
She saw Alec next. He was at Magnus' apartment. They were cuddling on the sofa while the whole gang was there for a movie night. Magnus was sitting in between Alec's legs, while Alec had wrapped his arms around the warlock's torso protectively. She noticed how her brother, instead of watching the movie, was watching the warlock's face. His stare was filled with so much love and adoration, that she felt like she was intruding an intimate moment just by looking at them. Her brother had finally accepted himself and given his heart to the only person he belonged to.
The happiest memory of her parents being together flashed before her eyes. The Lightwood family was in the training room. The parents were teaching the siblings how to fight with a seraph blade. Robert and Maryse watched their children as they repeated every move they had shown them so far. The both looked proud of them and happy that their family was so close. It was the day they told them there was another Lightwood member on the way.
She finally saw Simon whispering with Clary at Taki's. She remembered that day clearly. It was the first time she noticed the jealousy flaring up in her stomach when she noticed him still giving her those lovey-dovey-looks. She was even more surprised when she found herself wishing it was her he was looking at this way. It was the day she knew she was falling for him even though she refused to admit it.
She saw now his hazel eyes looking at her like she was his sun. She saw his messy brown hair and longed to run her hands through it. She saw his familiar face with his eyeglasses on. Before she would say "Come on, he's such a nerd!" Now her only thought was "He's my nerd."
She couldn't hold on anymore. She felt the darkness waiting to cloud around her. She tried to hold on. She tried to fight it. She couldn't leave her family alone. Alec needed her. Jace wanted her by her side. Her parents would miss her. They wouldn't bear to lose another child. Simon loved her. She needed to hold on.
She didn't have the strength to fight anymore. As the darkness enveloped her, he heard Simon's voice telling her "You're not scared of anything."
She only whispered in her head "And you are not scared of me." Her last thought was the day she told him about one of her deepest fears. She now only hoped heaven was waiting for her on the other side.
"Let's go back to the Institute to see if they know anything." Alec suggested and Magnus followed.
Alec run down the stairs only to find what he never wanted to see in his life. He saw his sister lying motionless on the ground. He stared at her lifeless body in horror and went to her side immediately. "Magnus! Magnus! Run!" he yelled at the warlock needing him to assure him that she was alive.
He tried to assess the situation. He guessed those must have been claw marks. He couldn't know for sure though. The marks were bigger than any demon he could think of. He saw Magnus rushing down the stairs kneeling by her side.
"She's alive. Barely, but alive."
Alec felt tears running down his face. He didn't know when they started, but he didn't really care. "Can you save her?" he whispered. He was afraid of the answer. Her wounds were deep and there was too much blood on the floor. But he refused to let her go without trying to save her. Hell, he refused to let her go, period.
Magnus didn't know what to say. He didn't know if he could save her. He was afraid that they were too late. He knew those claws were caused by a Greater Demon. He also knew that if a Greater Demon came here personally, he was here to finish something, not leave it undone. He must have mistaken her for dead. He wanted to tell Alec everything was going to be okay and that she would be able to walk around in no time. But he couldn't lie to him. "I can try." He focused his magic onto her heart. Hopefully it would spread faster that way in the rest of her body. He could feel it as his magic flowed into her body, fighting the burning demon blood. It was too much. He didn't have enough strength. He had only been healing her for five minutes and he already started feeling drained. "I don't know if I can do this. I don't have enough strength." Magnus whispered. He felt a tear escape his eye. He really wanted to save her, but he didn't know if he could.
"Take my strength. Do anything you need to do to save her." Alec pleaded.
Magnus looked at him thoughtfully. He was expecting any time now the demon to come back and finish the job. He couldn't risk being unprotected. He was weak himself, and if Alec was too, then none of them stood a chance. But Jace would get here shortly. He had called right after he stepped out of the apartment. He had heard Alec's screams and told him to come by immediately. He only hoped that he would be there in time. "Okay."
Alec felt his energy flowing from his own body to Magnus'. He felt light-headed, but tried not to show it. He didn't want Magnus to stop just because he was worried about him. He had to save his sister. After a minute or so he felt his eyes close and he was pulled under.
Magnus felt now strong enough to heal Isabelle, but he was not strong enough to fight off a demon too, in case they came back. He heard a chuckle coming from the doorway and saw his father coming in. Of course Lucifer would be involved.
"You'd really do anything for this boy, wouldn't you?" Lucifer shook his head.
"I guess I should have known you are responsible for this." Magnus said, ignoring his question. It must have been rhetorical, because everyone knew Magnus would give his life away for his beloved Shadowhunter.
"Me? Oh no. I didn't do this. But I know who did, if you're interested." He grinned.
"It doesn't matter who executed the act, only the one who ordered it." Magnus looked at him knowingly. He did everything he could for Izzy. Now he had to see if his magic would take the desirable effect.
"You still don't want to take up my offer? You know for you it still stands. I will even make sure that no harm will come to those little Shadowhunters you appear to be so infatuated with." He tried to indulge Magnus' protective side. He had a plan in his mind. And if Magnus hasn't given up within the week, Lucifer will have to up his game.
Magnus pretended to consider it. He didn't believe for a moment that Lucifer, of all people, would protect the people he loved. If anything he knew the moment Magnus agreed to join him, he would kill them in a heartbeat to make sure that Magnus had no one to leave him for. He could see that his father had a plan formed inside his head but he didn't know where he himself fitted in the equation. He had to try to get it out of him. "I know why you want me. And it won't work." Hopefully, Lucifer was not good enough to see through his bluff.
He certainly looked interested though. "And why's that?"
Just then Magnus saw Jace coming in and stopping just behind Lucifer. "We've got an audience. I'm sure you wouldn't want me to reveal your plans to the Nephilim?" He raised an eyebrow and pointed at Jace.
"Oh, yes. The Angel boy" He turned his full attention to Jace "Although with your actions I wonder sometimes if it is my blood running through your veins and not my brother Raziel's."
"I'm sorry, and you are?" Jace asked being polite and sarcastic at the same time.
Lucifer didn't like it when he was not recognized immediately, but he had to give the boy the benefit of the doubt. After all, it was not every day someone saw a Prince of Hell. And those books of theirs did not do justice to the real deal. "I am Lucifer. As known as the Light Bringer."
"You mean the one who was supposed to bring the light to earth but obviously forgot it back in heaven?"
Lucifer appreciated the wit, but that didn't mean he liked it. "I have to admit, I like your sarcasm, but it will get you nowhere with me." He then turned back to Magnus. "So, son. How long before you see where you belong? Do more people need to die for you to take the place that you deserve?"
Magnus ignored him once again. He hated having to repeat himself all the time. "I know how to beat the war you always seem so eager to talk about. " He smirked, trying to make it more real. Honestly, he didn't have a clue about this war. He didn't know where and when it would take place, and he didn't know who the participants were. He saw Lucifer eyeing him carefully, and he took an enormous leap of faith. He let his face show realization. "You didn't know?" he raised an eyebrow. He knew he was taunting him for information and he would probably die by the end of this conversation but he needed to trick him. He wanted to change the rules of this game. It was time to play his way. "I guess you'll never find out. Unless you find it, something I highly doubt by the way." He winked and started chanting a spell in Latin in order to make him go away. He didn't have much power left, but what he had he would use to send that bastard back where he came from.
Lucifer laughed when he saw what Magnus was trying to do. "Really, son? That will not work on me and you know it." He said as he disappeared.
"Obviously it does." Magnus murmured.
Jace was trying to wrap his head around what just happened. "How did that work?" He asked finally. He had so many questions; he didn't know where to start.
"Because I created it for that purpose; I modified an ancient spell to my liking."
Jace saw the bodies on the floor and immediately rushed towards them. "Are they okay?"
"Isabelle; I don't know. I tried to heal her and now we wait and see if it worked. Alec; he's only unconscious. He gave me his strength to help Isabelle. The Greater Demon that attacked her was too strong and I didn't have enough power." Magnus explained.
Jace tried to take it all in. it was too much for only being here for ten minutes. Another thought sprang into mind "Son?" he raised an eyebrow, referring to the way the demon called him before.
Magnus nodded. "He's my biological father."
Jace didn't comment on it, only nodded. "Let's get them upstairs."
Lucifer was in his office with the Greater Demon he had sent after Isabelle. He didn't know how Magnus had managed to send him away, but apparently he shouldn't have underestimated him. "So tell me, what did I ask you to do?" he said pacing around his desk patiently.
"To kill the girl Master."
"Okay. And what did you do?" he asked calmly. He felt his anger burning inside. He decided he wouldn't kill his servant, since his strength was valuable, but he would still set an example.
"What you asked of me, Master."
"Unless Warlock Bane has started practicing Necromancy, no, you didn't." he said accusingly. The demon was speechless, he didn't have an excuse for his actions. "You're going back to the Void." He started angrily. He could see the fear inside the servant's eyes. The Void was a dimension no one wanted to live in. Everyone attacked anyone. You would be lucky if you lasted a month there. "And spread the word; if anyone ever makes such a tremendous mistake ever again, they will be right there with you. And I'll make sure the longest they last will be only seconds after setting foot there." He snapped his fingers and sent him away.
He sat down on his chair with thoughts running in his head. You could almost see the wheels turning in his mind as he tried to understand what the "it" Magnus was talking about was. "So, Warlock Bane. What are you hiding from me?"
What do you think Magnus is hiding from Lucifer?! It seems like our favorite couple keep on trying but they seem to lose. Hopefully they won't. What do you think? If you have a song to suggest, please review and tell me about it! Don't hesitate! I need inspiration :)
Thank you!