Chapter Seven

No.

Dark eyes glared at the frozen screen before them, fury, betrayal, and jealousy burning in their depths.

When sent Branwell to the Institute as the Clave envoy, he'd done so for two reasons. The first, was to alert his love that he was still watching. That he had eyes and ears in high places.

The other, was because he knew Maryse. His former Left Hand was a practical woman and he knew that with the girl's pristine record, neither Maryse nor Robert would be able to resist tying her to their son, especially if it kept him from falling into relations with a man once more.

So why was he seeing what he was seeing?

Why was his Alexander kissing a warlock?!

Beneath his skin, his grace boiled, lashing against the tight control he held over it. Grabbing his phone, he dialed Branwell's number, watching as his love and the warlock broke away. Watching as his love paled slightly, his kaleidoscopic gaze flashing with that familiar gleam of fear, then he turned the screen off, snarling into the mouthpiece of his phone as the other end picked up.

"Get here. Now."

Hanging up, he slammed the device down, uncaring of how it crunched under his strength. Alexander knew better. He knew better!

How dare he?!

And with a filthy warlock!

That filthy warlock.

Oh yes, he'd heard of Magnus Bane and his proclivities. Had fought the powerful magic user during his first rebellion and nearly died as a result. Bane had been the only warlock, the only downworlder to get so close to killing him and now he dared to touch something that was so very obviously not his. And Alexander dared to let him!

He snarled wordlessly at the thought, burning black flames sparking at his fingertips before he ruthlessly boxed away his grace and forced his rage behind a wall of ice.

"Seems like I need to speed up my plans."

Knowing that despite his orders it would take a moment for Branwell to arrive, he grabbed his own seraph blade and left the room. Behind him the shadows wavered.

*/*

Panic.

Pure panic.

He could feel his heart racing in his chest as he stared into Magnus's dark eyes, his lungs constricting as the full weight of his actions registered in his mind.

"W-what did I just do?" He whispered, his gaze moving from the warlock to Lydia as her cell rang. He knew who it was even without the way her face seemed to drain of color. Knew it before he saw the fear that flashed in her eyes.

He knew.

And he was Furious.

And yet...he couldn't regret it.

His mother pulled him and Magnus from the room, fury and fear warring for dominance in her eyes. Behind her, his father stood with a stern expression, but anger lurked in his gaze.

"How could you be so careless, Alec?!" She snapped and he shuddered, adrenaline racing through his veins. "How could you kiss him in front of the entire Clave?! After everything we've done to keep this from them?"

Magnus frowned in confusion. He'd been under the impression that Maryse and Robert were oblivious to their son's sexuality, especially given how hard they'd tried to push him into marrying his former fiancée. To learn that they knew and still tried to force him into a loveless marriage just dragged his opinion of them down at least until Robert spoke.

"Alec, can't you see we only want what's best for you? I can't bury you, son, and Bane is powerful. That man may not have finished what he started but Bane has the power to."

Something in Magnus' blood ran cold at the implications. Surely he was wrong. Lilith, please let him be wrong.

Alec shuddered, but held firm. "Magnus isn't like him. He's a good man, a good person."

Maryse scowled, but her gaze softened, a single hand cupping her son's cheek in a display of affection that left Magnus bewildered. So much about this scenario didn't make sense. "You barely know him, hijo. Monsters can be good men too, until they are angry. Until they have a reason to shed their masks. Betrayal rarely comes from those we aren't close to."

"I won't hurt him." Magnus interjected and Robert glanced at him, gaze cold and full of something he hadn't seen since he'd faced the man down during Valentine's rebellion. Since he'd watched the man cut down a pack of werewolves with nothing but a battle ax and his own fury.

Yet it was his wife that responded, her gaze never leaving her son's. "One chance, Alec. Only one. If he hurts you, I will use everything I learned under Valentine to make him suffer."

The archer smiled, a tiny smile, yet the fear lingering in his eyes didn't disappear nor did the panic. "Thank you."

*/*

Hodge had betrayed them.

Hodge had betrayed them and Jocelyn was still lying unconscious in the infirmary and yet Alec could feel that things weren't done.

Not by a long shot.

The waiting was making him anxious.

He knew Valentine, or at least the parts that his former lover had allowed to bleed through his facade. Knew the possessiveness and the darkness, the passion that the man couldn't hide and he knew that there was no part of him that would stand for Alec's kiss with Magnus. That would stand for the way Alec could feel his heart trying to open for the warlock.

Truly, it would only be a matter of time before the man attacked, especially when they also had Clary and her mother. Distantly, he couldn't help but wonder how she'd react knowing that the boy she'd once treated as a favored nephew had been in love with her ex-husband.

Wondered what it said about him that the thought of her with Valentine, the thought of the man being obsessed with her, sent a dark flare of jealousy through him.

"Alec?"

He glanced at his mother, who was watching him again, had been since his farce of a wedding. She was waiting for the high of being with Magnus to wan, waiting for the inevitable breakdown he'd have when he discovered that his heart was finally letting go of the man that had nearly taken him from her. He wanted to tell her that it had already come to pass.

Tell her that he'd spent the night after his wedding, after the attack, in his room and cried his way through a panic attack. That he'd choked under the weight of his sobs and that it was all he could do to keep Jace from feeling through their bond. He didn't. Instead, he hummed questioningly, turning his gaze back to what he'd been looking at.

Max.

His s- "little brother" was training under his diligent eye, his skill with his seraph blade eerily familiar in a way he dared not think about. Not while already on edge.

"Are you alright?"

No.

"I'm fine."

Just as the words left his lips, the institute's alarms blared and a cold dread washed over him.

"Max!" He barked. The child moved to his side immediately. Go to my office and lock the door. No one comes in, unless me or mom come to get you. Understood?"

Nodding, the boy raced off to do as he was bid, his heart racing in his chest as he heard an undertone in his brother's voice that he'd never heard before.

Fear.

Maryse heard it as well, and resolved to stick to her son like glue. Something about this had her son terrified and she would find out why.

*/*

"He's here."

The words felt like ash in her throat as she took in the fear and anger in Clary's eyes, and the terror and determination in Simon's. Unlike her brother, she didn't care that Clary was Valentine's daughter, how could she? They were friends, and worse, their parents had been in the circle. To dislike Clary based on her parentage seemed a bit hypocritical, though she figured his dislike had more to do with her growing closeness to Jace. She wasn't blind, she knew her brother was in love with his parabatai, yet she'd hoped that Magnus' arrival would abate that. She'd seen the way the warlock's gaze lingered over her oblivious brother, the way her brother's eyes began to drift more to the warlock than his golden haired bonded and she'd hoped.

Then Alec had kissed him at the farce of a wedding her parents had set up and she'd thought they were finally getting somewhere. Yet Alec's feeling for Clary didn't seem to be getting any kinder. In fact, now that her mother had been saved, he seemed to be avoiding her, something unreadable lingering in his eyes whenever they landed on her, a strange tension hovering over him. She'd wanted to ask, yet she couldn't bring herself to.

Instead, she continued to comfort her friend, hoping he would come around.

A purple portal opened a few meters from the red-head and Valentine stepped through with three armed circle members at his side.

"Clarissa," he greeted, voice calm, yet there was something dark and fierce lurking in his eyes. "How nice to see you again. Where is your brother?"

Clary sneered at him. "You think I'd tell you?"

The man stepped forward and Simon lunged in front of her. "Stay away from her!"

Valentine flung him aside, the shadows shifting restlessly at his feet.

"Simon!" Lashing her whip, she wrapped it around the man's wrist to stop him from harming the young vampire only to gasp as he wound it around his hand and used it to toss her to the side.

"Stop!" Jace yelled as he burst into the room, seraph blade at ready. Izzy felt her heart leap into her throat especially as she, Clary, and Simon were grabbed by Valentine's companions, their blades at their throats.

"Finally ready to kill your own father?" The man murmured.

"You've been dead to me." Jace replied coldly and Valentine hummed, his attention seemingly divided.

"I was trying to protect you. You've finally become the warrior I've trained you to be."

The blonde's glare darkened. "I remember everything you taught me."

Valentine hummed. "Not everything."

The door opened and she felt her breath hitch as more circle members entered the room dragging Alec, her mother, and Magnus. Yet, Valentine continued to speak.

"And I know why. I know why you allowed yourself to forget what I taught you, when I myself nearly suffered the same fate. Maryse," He greeted mildly, walking past Jace as if the blonde didn't exist. "How wonderful to see you again."

Her mother glared at him defiantly. "Valentine."

He ignored her, and Izzy felt confusion war with terror as that shark-like gaze locked on her brother. Alec stared back at him, his gaze full of emotions she couldn't name, and she felt as if she were intruding. Worse, she couldn't help but wonder why they seemed so familiar with each other.

"Alexander," the archer's name left his lips in soft breath of air, as if a prayer, and before anyone could react the man was standing right in front of her brother.

"Get away from my son!" Her mother shouted but Valentine seemed oblivious to her call. Instead he stood silent, the tension in the room mounting as if it could do nothing else.

"Get away from him!" Jace snarled, only to be thrown away from the man when he lunged for him. She struggled, stiffening as her own captor tightened his grip on her.

"Wait!" Clary yelled. "I have the Book! You can have it if you let us go!"

Valentine finally glanced away, the fatherly love he'd been projecting fading into mild interest, before he dismissed her and turned back to Alec.

"The book was never part of my plans," He said and Magnus, trying to get the man's attention off of his shadowhunter, spoke up.

"Then what was?"

To his surprise, that gained the rebel's attention and Izzy could see the flash of panic that went through her brother's eyes as the man turned to Magnus. When she saw his expression, she could see why.

There was nothing but fury and hatred in those eyes.

"Bane," He snarled, low and furious, his genial facade failing.

Magnus smirked. "You can't still be mad that I almost killed you."

Valentine snorted, but the rage darkened, and behind him the shadows seemed to shift. "No," He agreed, voice calmer but still full of rage.

"Valentine." A plea, and she couldn't help but wonder why her brother was pleading with the madman. Returning to the archer, he smiled, dark and full of possession and fury.

"Oh, mio angelo," He purred. "I wish I'd had the strength to kill you."

TBC...