« I, Magnus Bane, the 605th son of the highest prince of Hell never found someone as annoying and maddening as you ! »
« Magnus ! » Alec called from the next room. « You can't be that bother by a meeting ! »
« Are you being serious now ? » Magnus answered with a frowned face. « You've been called out again on some Clave meeting for the fourth time this month ! »
« It'll be only a day or two ! »
« So you say ! Last time you said the same thing and you ended up being gone for two weeks ! »
« Well, last time, we had a major insurrection in Adelaïde, I couldn't just let them deal with it themselves telling them my husband was missing me in Idris ! »
« Alexander, I seriously wonder if your job is not more important than I am to you! »
« You knew when you married – and even before, from the moment we got together – how much the shadowhunters and downworlders' protection meant to me ! You can't reproach it to me now ! That's just not fair ! »
« And yet, I'm the one who has to wait at home like a housewife while you are out there to chase some demon and spend your time with some muscular walking gods ! »
Alec peered his head out of their bedroom, suddenly less amused by the scene they were having.
« Is that about Underhill again ? »
« No, it's about any shadowhunter looking buffer than a gorilla ! »
« Magnus ! » Alec exclaimed rolling his eyes and getting closer to him. « I can't believe I'm going to say this but I'm not that into muscles ! »
« So are you more into tall strong men who listen to you while you talk about your relationship issues ? »
«The only issue I have right now is with you being insecure about a work meeting when I need to get ready for a very boring sitting session with the Kyoto Institute. We're only going to discuss their expenditure irregularities in the last four years. No buffed shadowhunters sitting on my lap wondering if they have a chance with me ! »
Alec was now by his side, his smiling face getting so close that Magnus could feel his warm breath on his nose.
« Beside, you're the only man I allow to sit on my lap ! » he grinned as he kissed him softly.
« Oh yeah, I know how this boring meeting goes ! I remember having to swear on the Mortal Sword ! I also remember quite clearly Fuji Mu's greedy eyes all over you last time we saw him ! »
« What are you talking about ? »
« Oh ! You don't remember ? Let me refresh your memory then ! » Magnus said as he walked toward the window.
His eyes already burried in the past, he started recounting the very first time he met Fuji Mu, second in command at the Kyoto Institute.
It was autumn, two years prior. They had portaled to Tokyo for a shopping spree. Magnus had seen a great leather jacket that he believed Alec would wear perfectly. He had that sight in his head of Alec standing with the jacket on his back, with a kaki sweatshirt underneath and a pair of these fantastic boots he had seen somewhere around Brooklyn. The idea of his boyfriend being so classy and elegant got him all warm and fuzzy, knowing he was the only one who could have him.
They were in a small shop, browsing through their stock of jeans when Alec suddenly tensed by his side. Magnus rose his head from the clothes rack to see a two tongue demon getting closer to the cashier, his bulging orange eyes coming out of his head as if they were trying to see through the poor mortal skull in front of him.
Alec had already hopped over the display that separated them from the monster and taken his balisong out of his right combat boot, preparing to attack the demon. That one turned his head, facing Alec and spat something out to him, covering his face with a dark goo. Stepping back, the shadowhunter tried to get it off his nose and mouth, unable to breathe.
Magnus extended his arms in a split second and blew a fire ball out to the demon who exploded in red pieces over the counter under the aghast cashier who didn't seem to comprehend what had just happened. Then the warlock, panicked, ran to his lover in terror. He moved his hands over his head until all the matter had disappeared, his forehead still creased with worry.
« Are you alright ? »
Alec took in large gulps of air, heaving loudly, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. He managed a nod, still looking to get enough oxygen in his lungs to feel more in control of his body.
Magnus went to the cashier and staring right into his eyes clapped his fingers, erasing all memories from his mind.
« Well then, let's maybe try another shop... » the warlock whispered as he placed his arm under Alec's to take him to the exit door.
Just then a man, wearing all leather from head to toe, large tattooes showing on his neck and forearms, came running in. His hair was bound in a low ponytail, his skin a soft coffee tone with bright emerauld green eyes staring back at them. He was much taller than most people they met, close to Magnus's build but more muscular. In his back hung a bow and a quiver, similar to the one Alec had.
« Are you alright ? » the man asked seeing Alec unsteady and shivering.
« Wow ! » exclaimed Alec as he looked at him for a brief moment before falling to the ground unconscious.
« You can't seriously use that first meeting as any kind of valid reason to be jealous of him ! I was under the influence of a toxin ! I don't even remember any of that and for all you know I might have been admiring his bow and quiver... or even feeling the dizziness taking over ! » Alec argued as he sat down at the table, rolling his eyes in dispair.
« Oh really ? So you didn't find him handsome, then ? »
« Maybe I did but that doesn't mean I would cheat on you ! You probably found other people attractive too but I don't go around fearing you might act on it ! »
« His beauty is not my only reason to feel uncomfortable with you going alone to Kyoto and you know it ! You say you don't remember you drooling all over him when you first saw him but you must recall how he acted when you woke up ! »
« How exactly did he act then ? »
Alec opened his eyes in a medical bed, two men in white blouse turning their back to him and talking to a worried Magnus.
He looked around.
On one side rows and rows of beds stood against the wall with curtains to separate the patients while on the other, there was a larger area with a desk to welcome visitors and oversee the sick. It somehow looked like the New York Institute but it also didn't. There was something familiar in the way things were organised but the material was different and the people spoke a language he couldn't understand.
Magnus finally saw him and immediately running to his side, asked how he was feeling.
« You scared me ! » he added all to his excitement to see his boyfriend coming round.
« What... ? » Alec attempted, still feeling nauxious and drowzy.
« The demon infected you with some kind of poison. They had to administrate the antidote. »
« Oh ! » the shadowhunter answered, feeling even more confused, his head throbbing hard against his skull.
« You were lucky that I was tracking the demon... You would have died in the following hour without the antidote... » another voice added from the other side of the bed.
Alec turned his head to the voice and saw a tall strong-built Japenese man towering him, his bright green eyes gazing into his. He was a shadowhunter first and foremost but Alec, even though weak, could see that there was something else in that man, something that wasn't quite human, something that drew him to that stranger instinctively.
« What was that demon ? » he eventually managed to ask.
« We call them the Duos. They have two of each organ and can divide their body in twos when needs be. You can only kill them if you kill both sides at the same time. »
« Lucky I blew him up then ! » Magnus intervened casually, hands flying about, looking from one to the other.
Alec, though, didn't look back at his partner, too mesmerized by the sight of that extraordinary-looking man.
« We would like to keep you for a night in observation in our Institute to be certain you are completely free from the toxin,» the shadowhunter said, his arms in the small of his back, standing straight and strong.
Magnus examined him carefully, perplexed by that sight. He was under all observation the identical soldier Alec was, imposing and yet discreet, polite but cold. However, his eyes offered a whole new side of his personality. He seemed jovial and child-like, incline to give more than to take – more Alec than Alec himself pretended to be.
Magnus clenched his jaws.
« We could go back home. I can portal him here if there is any change in him... » he gestured with his natural charm.
« Obviously, you can but we'd rather you let us take care of your friend. »
«Boyfriend! » Magnus corrected drily.
« We can monitor him with our own devices and know in less than a minute if there's anything different... But if you want to go home, you could go for the night and come back in the morning to collect him. We'll take good care of him ! » the man smiled.
« I'm not going anywhere without him. »
« Good. Then I'll arrange for an extra bed to be brought in for you. Excuse me. »
He walked swiftly to the desk and gave some instructions in a low voice, his hands still behind his back.
Alec's eyes had followed the man as he had left, his eyes attached to him as if his life depended on it.
« Do you need anything ? I can conjure some food or clothes... »
« No, I'm okay. » Alec replied, finally turning to the warlock with a small smile. « I think I'll just need some rest. »
« Close your eyes then, I'm not going anywhere. »
Magnus stepped closer, pushing some hair off Alec's face. Almost instinctively the shadowhunter closed his eyes and sighed in relief. That was enough to make the downworlder smile, his forehead still creased with worry but at least a little less panicked by this situation. He straightened up again and observed him with his arms crossed against his chest. They had been together for a little more than a year and things had been running pretty smoothly but from time to time, he wondered if he hadn't somehow prevented Alec from living in his own world. He had so much more in common with that man than he would ever have with him.
« He'll probably sleep for a couple of hours... His body went through quite a lot. » the attractive man mentioned as he came back to them both.
«That's alright... » Magnus replied calmly, trying to sound as neutral as possible.
«My name is Fuji Mu, I'm Weapon Master for the Kyoto Institute. »
«Magnus Bane. »
« The famous Magnus Bane ? » the man smiled with interest.
The warlock grinned with more suspicion than pride.
« So this means that... this is Alec Lightwood ? » Fuji asked with excitement, eyes lighting up like a child seeing his hero.
« Yes, » Magnus confirmed, his lips tense. «The Head of the New York Institute. »
« One of the most famous Head of Institute and a high warlock in our modest institute, we are definitely lucky ! Let me show you around at least ! »
Magnus followed him begrudgingly, only glad that this would prevent that man from spending his whole time and attention at his boyfriend's side. The Weapon Master waved around to all the splendid high tech rooms filled with screens and devices, his eyes scrutinising Magnus's face to find something in there – questions that had been hanging in his head for a long time. The warlock didn't have the patience to deal with another nephilim's curiosity.
«How long have you known him ? » the man finally asked.
«Almost two years now. »
« He must be impressive on the field ! I heard about the capture of Morgenstern... And the Seelie Queen story as well ! People said that he even refused a promotion with the consul ! »
« You have a lot of interests in his accomplishments apparently. »
« He has revolutionised our way of doing things ! »
« He has more integrity than anyone I have ever met and he is the most qualified to be Head of Institute or more, this is certain. »
« I can't believe that the head of the New York Institute is here and we actually saved his life ! »
Magnus was about to interject something when a woman walked to them and addressing Fuji Mu informed him of a security breech in the North side. The man for a split second seemed rather embarrassed, avoiding any eye contact with the warlock and excused himself, proposing that the messenger accompanied Magnus to conclude the tour of the Institute. Bane would have rather gone back to his lover's bedside but not trying to be rude – conscious that he was after all in Alec's world and he had to respect the rules – preferred to let her finish.
Not quite listening, he walked after the young toned woman with sleek black hair and found himself contemplating a very large demon statue in the main hall. It had three heads, a mouth split in six long tentacles equipped with a sharp claw. It was somehow the perfect archetype of a demon and the classic way to imagine the evil that walked the streets in search of innocent preys.
« I wonder if they also have a downworlder's stereotypical statue somewhere in a dark corridor... » Magnus muttered to himself as they crossed the Operation Room.
By the time the young shadowhunter had finally brought him back to the infirmary, Magnus found his boyfriend's bed empty and no one in sight who could tell what had happened to him.
Anger was rising in the warlock's chest. He had been treated like an invisible person from the moment he had crossed that door and that was another perfect example of it. It was obvious that Alec hadn't just decided to leave him behind, unless he had been flattered into thinking he could help. They would go home the minute he found him.
The warlock went back to the main hall, focusing on his tracker instinct. Closing his eyes, he could feel him being near. He breathed out slowly and focused on that feeling carefully. He walked to the right toward the dojo, kept straight on after the weapon room and ended in a corridor leading to offices and private quarters. He frowned.
What was he doing here ?
He knocked on the fourth door on the left and waited as patiently as he could master, adjusting the sleeves of his shirt nervously, jaws clenched and half-expecting to see Alec opening the door with only a towel around his hips.
When no one came to open, Magnus waved his fingers dismissively and the door flew open instantly, revealing the Head of the New York Institute's body laying perfectly still in a luxurious bed with silk bedsheets and oak bedposts – all alone. He was quite clearly unconscious and not likely to have walked himself there, making this situation rather peculiar.
« You'll understand that we had to give him more respectable lodgings now that we know who he is... » Fuji Mu anounced as he came in quietly, as if he had taken Magnus to the room himself.
« How come no one else could tell me where he was ? » Magnus growled, facing the Weapon Master who seemed rather amused by the warlock's rage.
« Oh ! Well... you know these places ! Sometimes we change shifts without letting the others know anything that was valuable ! » the other dismissed with a quick smile. « We are going to bring you a bed immediately. »
« We've been sharing a bed for long enough. I will find some place at his side, thank you. »
« That wouldn't be advis... »
« Thank you for your hospitality ! » Magnus interrupted drily. « I'm sure more pressing matters will steal your attention. I can now deal with him myself. You have your machines to check on him. Goodnight. »
The Japanese man only nodded politely and left without another word, his eyes still shining as brightly as gem stones.
« I've never met someone as irritating as him since... that little Napoleon III ! » he exclaimed before smiling, thinking how Alec would react to that comment.
He turned his gaze to his lover and went to the other side of the bed, sitting by his side.
« I'll better ring Izzy and Jace I suppose. Just to let them know... » he whispered to his ear before planting a kiss on his cheek. « You'd better be here when I come back because I have no patience to run after you one more time. »
When he did finish telling everyone of their shopping misadventure, Alec was still sleeping peacefully, his little snore the only real sign that he wasn't in any sort of danger.
Sipping a Martini on the brown leather sofa that stood in the centre of the room, Magnus conjured his agenda and attended to his meetings from a distance, getting his clients to appear to him instead of going to them. They would all look around in surprise but, thank to his own magic, none of them was able to see Alec or understand where they were.
Once everyone had been looked after, quite exhausted by all the magic he had had to summon, the warlock, slid himself in the bedsheets next to the sick patient who hadn't even rouse in the past three hours, and fell asleep almost immediately.
The shadowhunter felt him by his side and soon shifted position to circle his man with his arm – as he always did, breathing slowly against his shoulder.
However, in the middle of the night, probably because he had been sleeping for so long by then, Alec woke up, quite refreshed – which was unusual for him. Laying on his chest was Magnus's head, his face the paragon of bliss. He looked so quiet and at ease that the shadowhunter couldn't help but smile, not daring to move at the risk of waking him up.
A light knock on the door took him out of his contemplation. He saw a face peeking through it and the figure of the Weapon Master getting in.
« I didn't want to bother you but the machines picked up a difference in your breathing so I preferred to check on it, » the man smiled as he came closer to look at the device by the bed.
« I woke up feeling as if I had been already awake for hours, which is unlike me ! » Alec admitted, looking at the monitor with curiosity. « All in order ? »
« It appears so. In the morning, we'll do an effort test to see if everything is as it should... »
« I'll have to find something to do in the meantime then... » Alec sighed in embarrassment.
That man was different from the ones he would normally meet. He had the same contenance as any shadowhunter but maybe because of his eyes or his double lineage, there was something else that you could find in his face that left Alec quite perplexed.
« It seems all in order... For now, at least, » Fuji Mu said, matter-of-factly. « Maybe, if you feel ready for it, we could do that effort test now... »
His green eyes seemed to light up as he pronounced the words, making it an offer quite difficult to resist.
Alec slid his arm under Magnus's head and lifted it off his chest, placing it softly on a pillow. Then, moving ever more carefully toward the end of the bed until he was able to put his legs down, he got up. He half-expected to feel a little dizzy or not to get enough strength to walk straight away but it really felt as if he was waking up after a good night rest.
Fuji Mu left discreetly and came back a few minutes later with some trousers and shirt that fit Alec perfectly. The Head of Institute thanked his host and followed him to their Dojo, hands behind his back, observing his surroundings with interest.
It was much smaller than the New York one but they had some fine technology and were able to do as much as any others. He knew by name the Tokyo Institute and had followed their progress with curiosity over the years. They were skilled fighters and incredibly good at hunting demons. More often than not, they were even able to settle disagreements with downworlders in a quiet way, things they had great problems with at the New York Institute.
Once in the dojo, the Weapon Master presented two wooden staffs and handed one out to Alec, a smile spreading across his face that he erased as soon as he realised it could be seen.
Alec examined him again with even more fascination. Everything this man showed looked perfectly mastered. Yet, once unaware of being seen, he displayed some child-like eagerness that Alec couldn't quite explain. That man was a better master of his own emotions than he ever was and that intrigued him.
« En garde ! » the man said, bending his knees, both arms on the bo he was holding.
Alec smiled as a reply, enjoying a good adversary.
They were both skilled and prepared, fighting with equal strength for a good hour, never quite dominating the other yet still able to give a few clever blows. Alec was good at using both his legs and arms to strike harder Fuji Mu was better at anticipating and countering than attacking. Between the both of them they were the perfect warrior and they could have taken over any demon without real effort.
Alec relished in the strain and the challenge, feeling more and more excited by it. He wanted to win the fight fair and square or lose it with as much pride as he could master. Losing wasn't even a bad thing in this match, after all, he had a really strong opponent. Short of breath under the exertion, his heart drumming in his ears, he could barely remember where he was, not having a single thought about Magnus, his sister, his parents, his parabatai or all his duties as a head of Institute. Here, he was only a warrior trying to outsmart another one in a game where none of them would die. Or shouldn't at least.
All to his concentration and the mastery of his weapon, he didn't pay attention to what was happening around, to the crowd that had started gathering at the windows of the Dojo, observing the fight with great interest. Magnus, in front of all the others, observed rather captivated his boyfriend being completely emerged in his own little world with no one else to prevent him from being absolutely and unexcusably himself. There was no frown marking his face, no concerned look, no sulking face – only sheer passion and pleasure.
The warlock couldn't help but notice how his lover had never been able to be with him like he was just then. They were very much in love and Alec had admitted himself how strongly he felt for Magnus but who he was wasn't quite the same as who he was when they were together. Part of himself remained so private when they spend time alone, as if there was a whole section of his life that had to stay hidden from anyone else. Yet, here it was, as clear as the daylight that was poking through the Dojo's blinds, the excitement he felt was visible to everyone else and they all whispered their enchantement and jealousy at seeing it so explicitely displayed in such a public place.
This side of his personality was a shadowhunter to the core, without the apparat that it normally wore stiffly with his arms behind his back or the restraint he showed when getting the demons. No, this was the hunter's delight at knowing the art of fighting for their own amusement. And that was clear how he was enjoying it, sweat dripping down his face and neck, his mouth summoning some more air to attack once again. He had forgotten himself completely and was playing with all his heart.
Magnus clenched his jaws, feeling even more envious than he had been before. This Fuji Mu was taking too much of Alec and that wasn't what the warlock had signed for.
Suddenly, without anyone else expecting it, Fuji Mu's bo cracked in two as Alec's foot hit it with yet another blow, the two pieces flying in the air for a fraction of a second.
The audience just outside of the room roared in laughter at the sight of such a ridiculously impossible situation and the two fighters, taken aback by the racket, froze. They looked at the mass of shadowhunters that had grouped and wondered for a moment when they had appeared there.
Short of breath, they decided to call it quit and shook hands with a smile. Alec, just then, spotted Magnus who was walking away from the scene and sensing by the way his shoulders were slumped that he was upset, ran after him. His long and agile legs were still running on adrenaline just then and it was without much difficulty that he reached him in a matter of seconds.
« Hey ! Where are you going ? »
« I was considering a shower but I'd rather have it at my appartment than stay here for another minute, » Magnus answered coldly.
« Well, I'd love that too ! » Alec replied with a cheeky smile. « I most definitely need one ! »
The warlock didn't try to rebutt anything to that, only walking to the room as if he had forgotten something there.
« Have you slept alright ? » the shadowhunter dared cautiously.
« Well enough until I realised you had disappeared, again. »
« I woke up a few hours ago and was unable to go back to sleep so I took on... »
« Fuji Mu... » Magnus completed, annoyed.
« Fuji Mu's offer for a fight. It was meant to be testing my reflexes and abilities to see if there was any toxin left in my blood stream. »
« We are now certain there's none. »
« Are you angry with me ? »
« I woke up and you weren't there, again. »
« When did I disappear the first time ? »
« When they put you in one of the luxurious rooms and didn't care to let me know. »
« I'm sorry, Magnus, » Alec started, grabbing Magnus by the arm. « I didn't know about this. And I should have considered you'd be worried if you woke up and couldn't find me. I haven't considered it and I really am sorry for that. »
The warlock avoided his gaze for a moment but Alec, lifting his boyfriend's chin with his thumb and index, forced him to look at him in his eyes. Then, unable to resist the contrite look on the shadowhunter's face, Magnus dared a small smile and accepted his apologies.
« Let's get our things and say our goodbyes, » Alec offered. « Time to go home ! »
Taking their leaves was even more painful than seeing the match. Magnus had to witness Fuji Mu's pride for his victory over a warlock and the clear bond that was born from their fight. Alec was in awe, almost to the point of appearing besotted with the man and it felt like another betrayal to the warlock who knew how cold Alec normally was with people he barely knew.
That man was his equal. More than Magnus could have ever been.
« It was just an effort test! That's it ! It wasn't any different than my fighting practice with Jace or Izzy or anyone else ! » Alec replied defensively.
« Anyone else or any shadowhunter ? »
« What does that mean ? We have trained together ! Don't you remember how it went ? » Alec smiled a little too amused at recalling that memory. « It was more exciting to me than a fighting practice with a man I barely knew ! »
« You fail to comprehend me, Alexander. »
« What is there to understand, Magnus ? » the Inquisitor insisted as he put his hand over his husband's arm instinctively.
« We can be married and I do not for a moment doubt the sincerity of your attachment for me or even the committment you have made in our marriage... »
« Then what ? »
« This man is your equal. »
« Every man is my equal but if you mean, with that, to say that Fuji Mu is my alter ego and a person more suited to my... personality, you are wrong. He was educated as I was, yes, went through the same training, the same practice, the same teaching, yes, but we are as different as it comes. I have followed his progress since then. »
« Of course, you have. »
« Do not put any wrong ideas behind this. I followed his progress as I did with every shadowhunter or downworlder I have encountered. We must always make sure we know who our true friends are. »
« He is not mine, for sure. »
« He isn't mine either. His behaviour toward downworlders isn't one I condone. Many Seelies and werewolves alike have completely vanished since he became head of Institute and I have received reports mentioning degrading practices against downworlders. This is the real reason I am going there, not to look at their finances but to make sure we have not given power to a person using it for his own agenda. I wasn't meant to let you know about it but I fear you need to hear it. »
« Then, let me come with you. »
« No, Magnus. If you come with me, he will be more on his guards. »
« So, I have to stay here while you are going back there to a man you found so fascinating and I should feel relaxed about it ? »
« Yes, you should. We will not speak of my progress in this case until I have some certainties, as we could be spied on – which I do not doubt we will be – and when I come back, I will tell you everything. That I promise you. »
Magnus observed his husband's face carefully. He certainly had made progress at communicating. Maybe he could trust him.
« Alright then. »
Alec smiled frankly and kissed him softly.
« Good, » he whispered.
Alec left not even half an hour later, reaching the rest of his team in the main office. Seven of them were going, a group which did not include the large guarding troup that remained posted nearby in case of need. All seven crossed the portal and stepped directly into the entrance hall of Kyoto Institute, Fuji Mu and his three main commandants welcoming them following the official protocol.
He barely had changed since the first time they had met, his face still impassive but intense with those large emerauld green eyes that pierced anyone's soul with only a glance. He was now wearing clothes more suited to his new position but his general appareance hadn't changed, no signs of the passing time visible at first sight.
« Mister Inquisitor. This is a great honor to receive you again in our modest Institute, » he smiled reverently.
« No need for such flatteries. I was a man in need last time we met and I have already told my colleagues how well I had been treated at the time. I hope we will get the answers we are looking for today so that we won't interfere long with your routine. »
« We have already set up the library for our meeting. »
« Let's proceed then. »
The library was a 30 feet per 30 feet square room with bottom to ceiling bookshelves, empty but for the seven chairs on one side and a small table left in front of it where the sword would be placed.
Alec walked to the central seat and waited for everyone else to take their own place, his eyes observing everyone in the room as if he was counting the absentees. He noticed how most faces he could see around hadn't changed since that first visit of his. But again, that might have been Fuji Mu's choice to appear like a traditionalist who couldn't have possibly walked astray from what others had done before.
The Kyoto's Head of Institute was standing opposite him, the perfect image of an open friendly face and Alec felt tempted to believe this was the same man he had fought against for a few hours two years before. Yet, Magnus's voice rang in his ears like a warning. Maybe the problem wasn't that he hadn't changed but maybe the fact that he could have always been that same person, that same corrupt person. Alec was perhaps the one who looked at this situation differently.
« Kyoto Institute, we are here to discuss some irregularities that my advisers have found in your accounts in the past 4 years. First, we would like to talk to the head of finance for the Institute, Master Aheem. Then we will proceed with the interviewing of the second in command followed by the interviewing of the Head, Fuji Mu. »
His voice was so solemn that not a single word was uttered until he signaled to his colleague to proceed with the usual legal references. Yet, Alec's eyes and attention were not given to the proceedings but only to Fuji Mu who appeared the epitome of calmness. His eyes were casually following the conversation as if they were only talking about their daily routine.
Suddenly he turned to Alec, staring straight at him and his eyes lit up like green fire, startling the Inquisitor to the core. He could sense the fascination produced by the contact but also felt the fear that it arose in his chest. He was being played.
«Thank you, » Alec interrupted suddenly, feeling the urge to stop all proceedings.
He instinctively considered acquitting the whole Institute and leaving but a voice in his head called for caution, knowing he was being used.
« I'd like to hear Fuji Mu, now. »
Everyone looked at him in confusion, Fuji Mu the most baffled of them all. For a moment, no one moved, as if no instructions had been given. Kyoto's head of Institute stared at Alec but this time, the Inquisitor felt less partial against him. Magnus, of course. Whatever he had done to him, it was the reason why he didn't feel as sensitive to that man's suggestions.
« Fuji Mu, please touch the Soul-Sword and swear on it. »
Alec's voice was cold and harsh. The awareness of having been tricked before was suddenly boiling his blood Magnus's magic nothing compared to the anger he could sense suffusing in his whole body. He clenched his jaws and breathed out slowly.
Fuji Mu walked toward the stand, his fists closed so tightly that his joints had turned white. A green mist floated around his head and diffused around the room in small volutes that seemed absorbed by the people around. Restlessness grew in the rows of witnesses, the two shadowhunters at Lightwood-Bane's side already started to discuss his decision to shorten the hearing.
Everyone was under his spell but the sword would help – at least the Inquisitor hoped it would.
Fuji Mu walked to it and held out a hand toward the sword, his eyes still on Alec.
Yes, it would work.
« Do you promise to tell us the truth, Fuji Mu ? »
« Yes, Master Inquisitor, » he answered, a grin spreading on his face.
« Do you promise to tell us the truth without any subterfuge so that everyone can hear and understand it ? » Alec interjected, carefully weighing each word.
The smile on Fuji Mu's face disappeared in a split second. He had no other choice but swear on the sword.
« I promise, » he uttered, his anger mastered in a moment.
Alec rose to his feet and walked to him. He was a little taller than the Asian man, his brow furrowed to see him even more closely. That man's magic was more palpable up close, his eyes even more magical than the Inquisitor could think possible.
« Do you really believe that I would come unguarded ? » Alec asked with pride.
« I do not think you even knew about it, Mister Inquisitor. »
« My husband is indeed resourceful and he had witnessed what had happened last time we met. »
« Then I surrender and will answer your questions. »
« Good. Let's then proceed... »
Less than two hours later, Fuji Mu had confessed it all. He was half-faery and half-shadowhunter and had always use his magical abilities to push his career forward. His plans did not extend further than being Head of Institute, knowing all too well that he would be uncovered sooner or later. This was, indeed, the reason why a few downworlders had completely vanished from the country. Once they had uncovered his secret, he had had no other choice than to take care of them in the only way he could.
Alec listened without judgement, feeling that there was a part of his recounting that did explain his behaviour, though it couldn't be forgiven.
Everyone else, hearing for the first time the tale, couldn't believe what was happening, still recalling so many entertaining and peaceful days spent in Fuji Mu's company – most of which made up.
«For your unforgivable actions against downworlders and your unlawful use of magic to serve your own interests, we, the Clave, punish you to be stripped from your runes and exiled. In accordance to the Accords, we will also notify the Downworlder Council so that they decide what to do with your powers. I do not believe they will be lenient for the crimes you have committed against their peers. »
Fuji Mu clenched his jaws, accepting the sentence in silence. Too many people were present and it would have required much more to prevent them from taking him in. Too late.
Magnus was writing a few notes on his last visitor when Alec came back. For a split second, he felt uneasy – quite sure he would be told off for the magic he had used on his husband and quite certain it was nothing compared to the jealousy Fuji Mu still inspired him.
« Fuji Mu has been sentenced to be stripped of his runes... » Alec started as he walked to the alcohol table.
He mixed some gin and vermouth in the shaker and poured the content in a single glass.
« Alec... » Magnus began with caution, not having yet seen his husband's face and ascertain his feelings.
« If you hadn't done whatever you have done today, I wouldn't have been able to know the truth and more than anything else, I would probably have been toyed around... I might even have done things I wouldn't have even thought of otherwise... »
Magnus frowned. It wasn't something he had thought he would hear. Alec genuinely seemed sorry about the situation as if he really had done something he shouldn't have.
« Alexander, did something happen ? »
« No, not really but I keep thinking... »
« Of what already happened? How far it would have gone this time ? »
Alec nodded, a blush of shame rising in his cheeks.
Magnus, a broad smile suddenly appearing on his face, rose to his feet. He walked swiftly to his spouse and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it hard. The proximity of their bodies still provoked some funny feelings in him. He had believed for so long that the excitement of staying close to him would fade now that they lived together and were even married but everytime they spent even one night away from each other, he felt the need to touch him as if for the first time.
« Alexander, » he started, focusing on what he wanted to say and not on what he wanted to do. « I know you wouldn't do that. »
« I blamed my father for so long for what he did to my mother and I now feel that I am no better than him... »
Magnus sighed, running his hand from the shadowhunter's shoulder to his cheek so that they would both stare at each other.
« You are not your father. He married a woman without being certain she would be his life partner and then he decided to leave her for another because he couldn't resist the appeal... If you had done something with that man, however horrible it would have been, you wouldn't have been responsible of your decision. He used his abilities to twist people around his finger... You would have been a puppet. »
« I wish... »
« Don't even think about it. I forbid you from considering what might have been but to put your mind at ease know one thing : I would be hurt if you cheated on me but nothing would compare to you feeling for another the way you feel about me. I wouldn't bear it. »
« This is impossible ! » Alec smiled weakly.
« Good ! » Magnus concluded, grabbing the Inquisitor's drink from him and taking a sip. « Now, I rather fancy an early night, what do you say ? »
Alec's smile was this time earnest, his eyes cheekier by the second. He bent a little down and kissed his husband hard. There was still some urgency in his kiss but the way Magnus answered to it chased away all concerns. They were both safe and sound and nothing had ruined their relationship. He closed his eyes and let go.
It was time to go to bed.