Alec sat in the library, leafing through books on demons with Magnus.
"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Magnus asked.
"To find out more about Lilith and Asmodeus, remember?" Alec reminded him. "Anyway, this was mostly your idea. Note my emphasis on mostly."
Magnus laughed. "I know. Just teasing you."
Alec sighed. "This is insane. I read about ninety books on Lilith, and they don't tell you what do if she gets into the realm and wants to kill you and your boyfriend."
"Well, most Shadowhunters don't have to deal with that."
Alec thought that was a great point. This situation truly was extraordinary. He had no idea on what to do, and he wanted to curse loudy almost every second. The only thing that kept him going was Magnus.
"Hey, Alec?" Magnus asked a few minutes later.
"Yeah?"
"Can you do a favor for me?"
Alec smiled at his boyfriend. "Anything for you, Magnus."
"Can you break into my apartment and get some stuff for me?"
He stared at Magnus for a few seconds before he spoke again. "Sure . . . but why can't you do it yourself?"
Magnus tugged awkwardly at his collar. "I could, but there's, like, ten people that are probably swarming the place, looking for me. They'll know."
"Not that bad," Alec said and shrugged. "What do you want me to get?"
"A few eyeliner pens, some nail polish, other cosmetics, clothes, warlock stuff that's in a box marked 'warlock stuff', and the Book of the White. Oh, and the cat with his stuff."
"You forgot about the cat?"
"Didn't mean to." Magnus shrugged. "Everything's been so crazy. I kind of had more to worry about. I'm also really surprised I forgot the Book of the White. If Valentine ever got his hands on that thing . . . I shudder to think of what might happen."
"I know," Alec said. He got up and sat down next to Magnus. "This whole thing is just messed-up. We're still fighting for the happy ending."
Magnus kissed him on the cheek. "Now go and get my stuff for me. Please?"
An hour later, Alec was standing in front of Magnus's apartment building, wondering what mess he'd gotten himself into. Turns out, Magnus was right about the guards swarming around the place. Sadly, by guards, he meant a singular Shadowhunter who was probably drunk. Hopefully drunk, Alec thought.
Technically, he wasn't breaking into Magnus's apartment. Alec had a key, had had it for quite a few months. To be honest, he had no idea why Magnus gave him the key. Now, it would make sense for Magnus to give Alec a key, but a few months ago? Their relationship was completely different.
Alec sighed. He was going to have to do this.
He walked up to the door, knocked out the guy (which wasn't that hard), and ran up the stairs into Magnus's apartment. Just standing in the place was enough to give him serious nostalgia. He remembered coming here after their first date, the two of them kissing up the stairs. This was the place where Alec had thought he would never see Magnus after that day.
Right, Alec thought. I just need to find the cat and the other stuff and stick it all in my backpack, and run out of this place. And then I'll be back with Magnus.
He found most of the stuff really quick. Magnus must have been planning to leave if he had to, because most of it was in a corner, ready to be packed. The only thing that was missing was the cat who, upon closer inspection, was sitting on a bookshelf. Chairman Meow jumped over to Alec the moment he saw him.
"Hey, kitty," Alec whispered. "How you been doing?"
The cat meowed pleasantly. Then Alec heard a crash from the other room.
"What the hell?" he asked. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to check it out." He shoved the cat in the bag, making sure to keep the zipper open a little so he wouldn't suffocate.
Alec silently walked into the next room. Standing in the middle of the room was a Shadowhunter dressed in black gear. He was holding a seraph blade, and was hacking down all the furniture in the room. The sound he'd heard was the guy cutting down one of Magnus's bookcases.
"What are you doing?!" Alec asked. "Why are you messing up my boyfriend's apartment?"
"Oh, the Downworlder boyfriend we had to drag you away from?" he asked mockingly. "What? It's not like he's going to come back here to live in it."
"I know," Alec lied. "But I keep hope alive he'll come back to see me. Why do you think I came back here?"
"You can have it," the Shadowhunter said. "I don't care. I came here to wreck this apartment to vent out my pented-up rage over a vampire draining my father when I was little."
Alec left the guy to his misery. He couldn't for give him for what he did to Magnus, but maybe he could understand him a bit more.
Magnus sat in the Institute, waiting for Alec to come back. He couldn't help but be worried for Alec, even though he wasn't the one in danger. Everything going on-with his father, and with Valentine, he was so worried for his boyfriend. Honestly, Alec should be the one worrying for Magnus, but Magnus was worrying for Alec.
While Alec was out, Magnus was leafing through the books on demons. They were so boring. The books were probably written for unruly Shadowhunter children to put them to sleep forever.
Clary ran into the room. She looked panicked, and she was running her hands through her hair. She was upset.
"What's up?" Magnus asked.
"Valentine has Jocelyn!" Clary shouted. Magnus gasped. "He has her, and he's going to do something to her if we don't surrender to him."
Sorry for the slow update. I've been having terrible writer's block. But thanks for sticking with this story this far! I hope you like how it turns out.
I'm planning t update this story about once a week, but I can't promise I'll stick to a schedule.