Alec began the evening with Magnus, not knowing it would end with Bane.
Thirty-two hours had passed since Magnus took Catarina's magic restoration potion. Unfortunately, the warlock had remained asleep for most of those hours. It was something Catarina had assured Alec over the phone as normal. Not only had someone slipped something in Magnus' drink at Pandemonium to weaken him, but Catarina's potent tonic required substantial rest to replenish magic.
Even with Catarina's reassurances, though, Alec struggled with bubbling anticipation while he waited for the warlock to wake up. Even his own Shadowhunter-bred discipline did nothing to quell his anxiety.
Alec's skin itched for Magnus' touch.
He ached to feel like he did when Magnus had simply looked at him and smiled. With or without his cat eyes, it didn't matter. He just wanted him to open his eyes and be there with him again.
Magnus was a magnet, pulling Alec in like steel.
He barely knew the warlock, but such feelings refused to go unexplored. And, for as crazy as it all would sound if he spoke any of it out loud, he just couldn't fight it. In fact, he didn't even want to. And maybe that was what scared Alec most.
Finally, though, Magnus had awoken. Alec was on the phone in the living room when Magnus emerged from the bedroom late in the afternoon.
"Thanks for the update, Jace. I have to go." He ended his call as Magnus wandered over to slide into the vacant corner of the couch.
He stared curiously at the cell phone in Alec's hands.
"You didn't have to end your conversation for me," he said, bringing his knees up to his chest and smiling coyly.
"It's fine." Alec had not received good news from Jace. Kaelie and the other Seelie who Bane interacted with at Pandemonium had been killed in the demon attack there that night. They had no leads on who tainted the drink or who gave it to the Seelies to pass off to Bane.
"So, how … how do you feel, Magnus?"
"Very well. I'm just sorry if I slept too long."
"You lost a whole day and a half, but Catarina said that's normal."
Magnus raised his arm in a graceful swipe. Both men watched as a trail of blue sparks, bright and alive, streamed from his hand.
"My magic appears to be to back to normal." He snapped his fingers. A mug of steaming hot coffee appeared in his hands. He grinned in satisfaction just as Alec frowned.
"Would you like one?" Magnus offered, preparing his fingers to snap another cup into existence.
Alec shook his head, biting his tongue before he could scold Magnus for using his magic.
The warlock shrugged and began sipping from the mug warming his hands.
"What do you remember?" Alec asked.
"You. With me. I asked you to stay with me… And you did." Magnus' lips quirked into a bashful grin.
"I did."
"And, you asked me to come back."
"And you did." Alec swallowed, unable to say more. Everything about Magnus appealed to him. The sheepish expression painting the warlock's face at that moment was new to Alec's eyes, and it caused his heart to melt even more.
"Now what, Alexander?"
The question snapped Alec's mind back onto the mission at hand. "Now. Now, we need to find out who's messing with your magic."
"Ah, yes. You mentioned something about a poisoned drink at this Pandemonium place?"
"Seelies gave it to you, but it wasn't Seelie magic. So, I think someone else had them pass it off to you."
"I'm sorry I can't be more helpful in this situation."
Alec flinched at the disheartened tone Magnus spoke in. "Maybe you can help with another situation. You spoke about some eternal candle before you fell asleep. What's that about?"
Magnus stared in confusion as he shifted through his hazy thoughts. "Oh, yes. I vaguely recall the candle."
"Is it real?"
"Of course it's real," Magnus replied with a small huff.
"What does it mean, though?"
"It's part of a spell. Or a curse. I can't… I can't remember the details."
"Does it have something to do with what happened to you and Bane?"
"Yes. At least I'm fairly sure."
"You said the flame never goes out but that it needed to be extinguished. Do you remember how to do that?"
Magnus gazed helplessly at the Shadowhunter. "I don't know. I..I don't even know where it is now."
Alec could feel the anguished frustration brewing inside Magus at not knowing such crucial details. Instinctively, he reached over and placed his hand on Magnus' knee and squeezed gently. A reverent intimation meant to console. Before meeting Magnus, Alec had only felt inclined to dole out such comforting gestures to his siblings.
"It's okay. We'll figure this out."
Magnus sniffed and nodded.
"Tonight is a warlock party. We should tell Catarina you won't attend."
"What?"
"Some local warlock, Lorenzo. He's having some event. It's not safe. If someone found out about … you and … Bane… It's just not good right now with the attack on your magic."
Alec watched another fresh expression settle over Magnus. Determination. "You don't know me well yet, dear, but no one keeps me from a party."
Later that evening, Magnus was enthusiastically preparing to attend the gala hosted by a fellow warlock, Lorenzo Rey.
"Do you really think going tonight is a good idea?" Alec asked for the second time that evening, arms crossed over his chest. He leaned against the wall under the bedroom entryway, concerned.
"It will be fine, Alexander. You said Catarina told you the High Warlock is expected to attend all formal warlock gatherings. That, and you cannot fathom how long it has been since I've attended a party."
Magnus had been applying his makeup in front of the mirror but stopped to turn and face Alec.
Under Magnus' gaze, Alec felt a fluttering sensation begin to flap against his ribcage. He suddenly understood the mundane expression of having butterflies.
Magnus sparkled.
And the sparkle didn't just come from the glitter dusted over his perfectly coifed spikes of hair.
Not from the new stripes of shimmer that lined his eyes either.
Not even because his highlighted cheekbones caught the light in a dewy way that made it look like tiny stars were embedded in his skin.
No, it wasn't any of that.
Magnus himself sparkled.
The shine was like an aura, coming from his mischievous smile and the lively glint in his eyes. The tiny bounce in his step as he spun around to grab his last pieces of jewelry. The affection that exuded from him like a sweet-smelling cologne.
Alec noticed it all. It was everywhere, like Magnus himself was a spark, and he was making the whole damn room shine.
Magnus' soft laugh pulled Alec from his daze, which he might have been stuck in for a beat too long.
Magnus had noticed him staring. He sauntered across the room with smooth, gliding steps and came to a stop in front of Alec. His plush lips twitched into a smirk as he noticed a fresh blush creep across Alec's face.
"What is it, pretty boy? Do you like what you see?"
Alec couldn't hold in an aroused groan; it escaped under his breath, and he ducked his head self-consciously.
Magnus tipped it back up with a finger under the Shadowhunter's chin. A gentle fondness glowed in Magnus' brown eyes as he stared up at the slightly taller man.
"There's no need to be shy around me. You're beautiful, Alexander."
Alec's cheeks only flushed several shades deeper. Magnus' coy smile grew wider before he noticed Alec shift uncomfortably.
Magnus' expression grew quizzical. "Has no one ever told you that before?"
Alec shook his head stiffly, pleasantly frightened by how close to him Magnus now stood. "No, they haven't. I mean I-I'm not," he waved his hand in the air, "a pretty boy or whatever."
"Oh, but you most certainly are."
Alec scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly and scoffed. "Yeah right, whatever you say, fancy face."
Magnus' face lit in delighted surprise while Alec's froze in sheer mortification. The Shadowhunter swallowed thickly, not knowing where the nickname came from or why he would ever speak it out loud. Alec never spoke like that.
Magnus let out a mirthful sigh of contentment before tapping Alec affectionately on the tip of his nose. He stepped away to finish getting ready for the night.
When Alec's pangs of embarrassment settled enough for his blush to fade, he refocused efforts to make Magnus reconsider attending Lorenzo's party.
"I'm still not convinced showing up at the warlock event is the best idea, Magnus. You don't even know who Lorenzo is. Bane does; not you."
"I appreciate your concern; I knew you have a big heart. But everything will be fine."
"The other warlocks might notice something's off. You're very … different from Bane."
"Then, it's a good thing I'm such a talented thespian." Magnus waved his arms theatrically. "That, and I look exactly like him … you know, on account of us being the same person and all." He gave a lighthearted wink and whirled out of the bedroom.
Alec grunted softly in disagreement but otherwise remained quiet as he followed him out.
Magnus finished affixing a silver jewelry cuff onto his ear as he looked Alec up and down, eyes creased in sincerity as he smiled kindly.
"Though, perhaps you might want to change into something more … properly suited for such an evening out?"
Alec looked himself over, finding nothing overtly wrong with his attire. Black jeans and a black V-neck tee-shirt, which may or may not have had a few holes ripped through it. He wasn't even wearing his sweater jacket - something so faded and unraveling that even he considered the garment to be on its last legs.
"I don't have anything nicer with me… or even back at the Institute really."
Magnus seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding carefully.
Alec shrugged. He had never given a second thought to the clothes he wore because he never expected to feel a desire to impress anybody in that way. After all, his upbringing at the Institute taught him not to hope for much. Especially in Alec's case, where he learned early on that he could never have what he genuinely dreamed of: finding love in someone … another man. The Shadowhunter way-of-life did not openly condone such things.
Alec was surprised by the poignant look of understanding in Magnus' expression as if the warlock had somehow gleaned such a nuanced piece of Alec's inner struggle without needing to be told.
Magnus blinked a few times, appearing to clear something caught in his eye. Then, he clasped his hands together and his smile grew impossibly warmer.
"Yes, well you do look lovely as you are, darling, truly. But let's celebrate in style tonight … erm … may I?"
Alec gave an apprehensive nod. Before he could decode Magnus' intent, the warlock had already flicked his hands out. Alec yelped in surprise as blue streams of magic became aimed at him; they began swirling around his body.
Magnus' magic began to dance along his skin, causing Alec's mind to flash on a memory. Abruptly, he recalled the sparkling orange torrents of magic that Bane had used to save him from falling to his death on the night they first met.
The sensation of Magnus' magic when compared to Bane's was both at once familiar and entirely brand new.
Bane's magic had been fiery and alive. Tinged by darkness like the dusk. It was magic fueled by longing and desperation and even guilt-ridden hopefulness – all swirled together and hiding within its folds like shadow. Confusing but utterly captivating, nonetheless.
Magnus' magic now was bright and open. Warm. Lighthearted and free-wheeling. Playful even.
Alec found the fascinating warlock's magic to be different when he yielded it as Magnus from when as Bane. Yet, it held something in common. Both strains of magic cocooned Alec in a distinct sense of warmth, relaxed and protected. It felt like coming home.
"There we go."
Magnus' words snapped Alec out of his ponderings. He looked down to see himself dressed in an entirely new outfit. Clothes that weren't his but still fit perfectly, even if a tad snugger than he was used to. Dark navy slacks and a matching blazer. Shiny shoes and a crisp button-down shirt. He didn't own something as nice as this suit.
"Uh, thank you?"
Magnus' eyes gleamed with pleasure.
"But, ah, maybe you should still take it easy with the magic, Magnus."
"Nonsense. I feel right as rain. Besides, magicking a change of clothes is hardly more than a tiny pinch of energy."
"Look, I know Catarina's potion helped, but it depletes quickly."
Magnus rolled his eyes, pursing his lips into a pout.
"We can chat more about that gloomy topic after the party, I promise. Come now. Let's head out. I simply cannot wait to see Cat tonight."
Alec's eyebrows furrowed, but he made a concentrated effort not to push any further. Who was he to tell a centuries-old warlock how to use his magic anyway?
Lorenzo's gala was at a Downworlder venue called, Lacuna. A large, skyscraper of a building. The tallest Shadow World building in the United States, and one that served many purposes. Several floors were dedicated hotel rooms, while others made up office and convention space for international Downworld gatherings.
Neither Alec nor Magnus had been there before. Magnus couldn't be sure if Bane ever had. Regardless, a portal trip was out of the question in this case. A mundane cab ride would have to suffice. Both men appreciated the quiet comfort of sitting next to each other as the vehicle made its way through the city.
Magnus had rolled his window down, despite the frigid autumn air. He couldn't seem to stop looking at the city lights and bustling traffic. Every few moments he would turn to face Alec with glints of wonder dancing in his wide eyes.
Alec felt the corners of his lips tug into an affectionate smile as he watched Magnus take in the city as if he was seeing it for the first time. Alec then realized it just might be his first time – seeing it as it looked now anyway. He felt a pang of sadness when he thought about how long Magnus had been trapped in … in whatever limbo he was relegated to when the warlock's mind split into two selves.
Hesitantly, and to come across as accidental a gesture as possible, Alec inched his fingers closer to brush against the other man's hand. Magnus hooked his pinky finger around Alec's as he continued gazing out the window.
"Alexander, this is a beautiful night. Absolutely beautiful."
At the end of their cab ride, they were still several blocks away from Lacuna. Magnus had wanted to walk the rest of the way.
They strode through the city's crisp night air, soon coming across an older woman tucked against a concrete corner formed by an apartment building and the stairway leading up to it. It seemed she might have been homeless. Her skin was dirty, her hair matted, and her clothes riddled with holes. She was rubbing her hands together as if trying to stay warm, and Magnus found himself stopping on the sidewalk in front of her.
The woman looked up and hissed, "Whatcha lookin' at?"
"Good evening, miss." Magnus' greeting was steady and warm.
The lady merely glared at them both, possibly to figure out if they were here to cause her trouble or ridicule her. That's what people tended to do when they didn't just walk on by and ignore her completely.
"It's chilly tonight. I'd like to offer you this." Alec watched Magnus shrug off his long jacket.
The woman snorted at that, but she accepted the garment anyway, rough fingers catching along the silky inner lining. It was clear to her that it was an expensive piece of clothing. "This is too nice to wear. Out of place here."
Magnus chuckled as if refreshed. "I've come to learn that most things, and even people for that matter, are out of place."
The woman smirked as she continued to admire the heavy coat in her hands. "Ain't that right."
Alec stayed a step back as he watched the exchange silence. The woman's tone had softened.
"I can't use this here," the lady claimed again, more adamant.
"Then feel free to sell it. It's definitely top of the line." Magnus held his hands behind his back casually, and with a subtle snap of his fingers, a small pile of blankets and a bag of toiletries appeared on the steps above the woman.
He stepped over to pick them up, quickly setting them beside her. She gasped when she caught sight of the items. "Where did all this come from?"
"Does it matter?" Magnus asked with an innocent wink.
Alec stepped up beside the warlock. The air was frigid, but he absorbed the warmth radiating from Magnus.
"Ma'am, would you like us to escort you somewhere? A friend's maybe, or the mission?" Alec asked. "It's going to be a cold night."
The woman smiled finally. "No, boys. I'm good. I get there every night just fine on my own."
"If you're sure."
"Yes. Th-thank you for this." She smiled again, and it was genuine.
"Take care, miss." Magnus patted her shoulder before they moved on.
"That was nice of you," Alec said when they were half a block away.
"It was nothing, actually. Tomorrow, she will still be on the street."
Alec noticed Magnus' voice had lost a bit of its enchantment.
"Still, you helped her. Kindness goes a long way."
"Kindness is not enough. Demons may be what Shadowhunters protect mundanes from. But there are other forms of darkness being suffered in this world. I don't like seeing it. I like inaction over it even less."
Alec nodded, unsure of what else to say. But internally, he began to buzz with excitement. Something shifted within him at hearing Magnus' words. He had never thought of things in that way.
To protect both the mundane society and the Shadow World, Alec was raised to do one thing only: hunt demons. But both worlds carried other kinds of shadow. Shouldn't the Nephilim use their angel-blooded power to do something more? His mind began to race with ideas on what that something more could be.
He walked beside Magnus, becoming more enamored by the moment. They both fell into a comfortable silence on their way to a warlock party.
Alec marveled. Inside Magnus lived a demon, a madman, and something closer to an angel than any Shadowhunter would ever be.
"Catarina said Lorenzo's party is on the seventieth floor," Alec said as they entered the lobby. How over-the-top, Alec mused as they stepped into one of the elevators.
"Seventy? As in seven-zero?" Magnus asked, eyes widening in awe. He watched Alec nod and press the number's button as the doors slid closed.
The elevator cab lurched to a stop only a minute into its ascent. Magnus and Alec looked regained their balance from the unexpected jolt and looked at each other in confusion. Before either could speak, though, a thunderous bang came from the ceiling and shook them again.
"What was that?"
"Not sure." Alec pulled his seraph blade out and stepped to the other side of the cab, placing himself in front of Magnus as they both stared at the ceiling.
Scratching sounds made it clear whatever had landed on the top of the elevator intended on getting inside. A loud keening sound assaulted their ears followed by gnawing.
"Demon." They both surmised in unison. Magnus called his magic; his hands became engulfed in dancing flame as he readied himself for battle alongside Alec. The elevator swayed with the beast's frenzied attempts to claw its way in.
A sudden tug in Magnus' mind caught him off guard. He shook his head to clear away the sensation.
Alec looked over to see alarm washing over the warlock's face.
"It's okay. I got this, Magnus." Alec pushed Magnus further behind him.
"No. It's not that. It's … I can't." He fell to his knees and grabbed his head in his hands.
One of the ceiling tiles started to shake loose. A snapping sound echoed through the air, and the entire elevator cabin swayed.
Magnus shouted from the floor, not words but growls of anger and alarm. He squirmed away from an invisible force as if fighting against something within him.
Alec knelt and put a hand on his back. "What's wrong, Magnus?"
"I'm s-sorry, I can't stay-" he rasped out before curling further inside himself.
"Magnus." Alec shook him hard. "Magnus!"
The warlock pulled his face out from behind his hands. "What in the hell is going on?"
Alec gaped down at Magnus, only to see wild eyes staring angrily back at him. Alec saw the way the other man's jaw clenched tightly and at once knew it was Bane. Magnus was … gone.
"Demon attack."
"Are we in an …"
"An elevator? Yeah."
Suddenly, the entire ceiling caved in, tiles and debris raining down on them. Along with the pieces toppled in an angry shax demon.
Bane seemed still out of his senses from waking up to a demon attack in a teetering elevator. And so, he wasn't prepared when the creature lunged and knocked him flat onto the ground.
The cab tilted to the left and swung again before another snapping sound came from above. The final cable cord snapped apart, dropping the entire cabin into sudden free fall.
Alec stood up and sliced through the demon easily enough. The damage was already done, though; the elevator continued to plummet, flying tens of floors down.
Bane pushed himself up, wasting no time after that. His arms jutted straight out on either side of him. He grunted and forced his magic to clamp the emergency brakes shut. The elevator slowed down at once before screeching to a full stop.
Alec caught his breath, activated his strength rune, and tried to pry the metal doors apart. Several moments later, they still wouldn't move. He pounded at them in anger before turning back to the warlock. "They won't budge."
Bane's eyes were pinched shut and a line of sweat had formed along his forehead. Alec estimated the elevator weighed somewhere over five-thousand pounds. The magic streaming out of Bane was the only thing keeping it up in the air.
"What about a portal?" Alec asked.
Bane pried his eyes open only to roll them at Alec's suggestion. "I need to know where I am to do that, not only where to go."
Alec looked up to where the ceiling used to be. He could see the dark vertical shaft they were in. Perhaps they could climb out and use the rafters as steps.
Bane grunted painfully. The cabin suddenly slipped down another few feet before he refocused his magic's grip.
"I can't hold this much longer," Bane said what they both already knew.
A determined look settled over Bane's face. He slowly raised his left arm and pointed it at the ceiling, diverting his magic from one of the emergency brakes to the shaft above them.
The cabin tilted, lurching lop-sided downward where Bane's magic no longer held the left brake in place. The elevator cabin continued to slip at an angle, screeching with every inch.
Alec's eyes fell back on Bane, who was focusing on the space above them. The stream of orange magic whipped out from his hand, forming a long, rope-like beam above them.
"What are you doing?" Alec asked as he stepped beside him and stared up.
"Getting us the hell out of here. Grab onto me now before I let go of the other brake."
Alec stared blankly, not understanding the demand.
"Now, Shadowhunter!" Bane yelled.
Alec didn't hesitate again. He stepped closer and wound his arm around Bane's back as tightly as he could. Though it was awkward, he pressed his fingers firmly against the warlock's chest.
Bane suppressed a growl of pain as he lowered his right hand, finally relinquishing control of the other emergency brake's clamps. His now free arm snaked around Alec, pulled him more securely against his side just as the last brake clamps popped open, throwing the elevator into utter free-fall once again.
"Hold on, Alec," Bane instructed as he focused all of his magic through his right arm, raised above them.
Even as the elevator itself plunged to the dark pit of the building, Alec and Bane suddenly rocketed out of the cabin, shooting up the vertical shaft toward the roof - tethered to Bane's ribbon of magic like a bungee cord.