EDITED 5/30/2020
"Looks like Azazel's heading south." Alec called out to Jace as he approached him. They met at an interactive table in the ops room. "We just recovered four dead mundanes with his signature M.O."
"Okay." Jace sighed. "Let's go." He turned to go get suited up when the Inquisitor approached the Parabatai.
"To catch a Greater Demon that you summoned to the Institute, defying all protocol and common sense?" She asked as she stood next to Alec.
"Don't put this all on Jace." Alec interjected. "I had a part in this, too."
"Look," Jace snapped. "If you want to bench your best fighter with a Greater Demon on the loose, I'm happy to oblige."
"No." The Inquisitor sighed, knowing that Jace was right. "First we vanquish Azazel. Then I'll decide what to do with you."
She walked off and Alec started to turn away, looking towards Jace. He arched an eyebrow, silently asking if Jace would follow.
"Go." Jace told him. "I'll catch up."
It took ten minutes for both men to suit up and meet back in the ops room, Clary joining them this time. Although she looked quite happy, the exact opposite of how she'd looked the day before, it was obvious to Alec that she was still very uncomfortable around Jace. She stood on the other side of the table than them and wouldn't make eye contact with Jace.
"Azazel's attacks go as far south as the meatpacking district and then the trail runs cold." Alec reported.
"It's no use just tracking the dead bodies." Jace voiced his opinion. "With his ability to dematerialize he could be anywhere."
"Maybe we can help." Izzy called out, alerting the other three to her presence. Jace, Alec and Clary all turned to watch her approach with a man they'd never seen before following close behind.
"Izzy!" Clary gasped, grabbing her sister into a hug. "We've been so worried about you! Where have you been?"
Izzy and Alec exchanged a glance. "Looking for Azazel." She turned back to Clary. "This is Sebastian Verlac, from the London Institute. When the demon came after me, Sebastian saved my life."
"Oh, I simply lent a hand." Sebastian replied modestly, smiling.
"Sebastian's am expert on all things Azazel." Izzy told her siblings.
"When I studied abroad at the Paris Institute, I specialized in Greater Demons." Sebastian elaborated.
"Thanks for saving my sister." Alec held a hand out to Sebastian who shook it. "I'm Alec."
"Hey. Yeah, thank you. I'm Jace." Jace also shook Sebastian's hand.
"The great warrior in the flesh." Sebastian remarked. "Your reputation precedes you." He turned to Clary. "As does yours. You must be Clary. Valentine's daughter."
"My father's name is Robert Lightwood." Clary corrected.
"So, tell us about Azazel." Jace interrupted. "How do we take him down?"
"The only way to banish him is to puncture his demonic core." Sebastian informed him. "In corporeal form, it's between the T8 and T9 vertebrae, but it's not that simple. The core is about the size of a pea."
"Oh, so the entry point's right below his sternum?" Jace asked, clearly interested in what Sebastian had to say.
Sebastian nodded; arms crossed across his chest as he hummed in agreement.
"If I can get close enough, I can kill him." Jace told Alec.
"You wouldn't have enough velocity." Sebastian argued, his tone not unkind. "And even if you did, the defeat's only temporary. The nasty buggers always find a way to break out of their realm and come back."
"Thank you." Alec interrupted; his tone harsh. "For the intel. We'll take it from here."
"If I can, I'd like to help." Sebastian requested, looking hopeful. Alec's expression didn't change. He didn't trust the man, it seemed too coincidental that Sebastian showed up at the same time as Azazel.
"We appreciate that, but you don't have clearance to go on mission." Alec told him, not looking appreciative at all. "Not this Institute."
Izzy laughed humorlessly. "Alec, you can't be serious."
Alec didn't say anything, Jace leaned in to whisper to him. "Hey, Alec, look. He clearly knows more than us about Azazel. We could use all the help we could get."
"Now, as far as tracking is concerned, we should think about -" Sebastian started to say.
"We have a very capable warlock for that." Alec interrupted. "You do what you want. I'm gonna work with Magnus."
"I'll go with you." Clary offered.
Alec just nodded and stalked off, Clary following close behind.
They made their way out of the institute, stopping to get their weapons and they took to the streets of New York.
"You gonna tell me what's going on?" Clary asked.
Alec shook his head. "Not my story to tell. But, if it was, I'd tell you. I swear."
Clary nodded. They rounded a corner and kept walking towards Magnus' apartment. Alec pulled out his phone, deciding to warn Magnus that they were on their way.
He dialed the number and held the phone to his ear.
"Hey, Alec." Magnus answered, sounding a little off. Alec's brow creased; Magnus usually called him 'Alexander' not Alec.
"Hey, look. I know you had a rough night, but, um . . . I need your help tracking Azazel."
There was a pause before Magnus replied. "I wish I could help, but I'm busy with a client."
Today was Magnus' day off. He had told Alec that he wouldn't be meeting with any clients that day.
"Are you okay? You sound strange." Alec replied, glancing down at Clary to see her looking at him, worried.
"I had a rough night. Look, I need to get back to my client. If you need a warlock, call Dorothea." He hung up.
Alec shoved the phone back into his pocket with a sigh, looking down at his sister as they paused on the sidewalk.
"Is everything okay?" Clary asked.
"He sounded strange." Alec told her. "Like he wasn't himself. He called me Alec, refused to help and then said to call 'Dorothea', he never calls her that, and if he was going to recommend a Warlock, he'd recommend Catarina, not Dot."
"That's odd." Clary told him, her brow furrowed as she crossed her arms and shifted her weight.
Alec nodded. "Last night, a guard came to me, told me that Valentine was claiming to be Magnus."
"What?" Clary asked, she raised her eyebrows in interest.
"What if Magnus is acting strange because he switched bodies with Valentine?" Alec whispered to his sister, as if he were telling her some deep, dark secret.
"It would explain his behavior. How about we go to the loft anyways and see him? If he's still acting strange, we'll go talk to Valentine."
Alec nodded in agreement and they walked the rest of the way to the loft.
When they got there, Alec banged on the door and shouted for Magnus. "Magnus! Are you there?"
Magnus wrenched the door open and paused when he saw Alec and Clary.
"Hello." He said in an odd voice.
Clary looked at him strangely and glanced up at her brother.
"What's going on?" Alec asked.
"Nothing. Why?" He still hadn't moved from the door or opened it all the way. He had it open just enough for them to see him.
"Well, it's just that," Alec made his way into the apartment despite it being obvious that Magnus didn't want him to come in. Clary followed his example and squeezed past Magnus. "you were acting strange on the phone, just now. Terse."
"I told you." Magnus said as he shut the door "I'm busy."
"Right," Alec said as he walked further into the apartment. "It's just that, uh, you've never refused to help me when I need it. And I just... Magnus, what's wrong?" Magnus had a very uncomfortable look on his face. Alex reached out and cupped his cheek. "Hey, talk to me."
All the sudden Magnus was thrown to the side.
"Did I not tell you to get rid of him?" Azazel asked, threateningly as he emerged from the guest room.
"Azazel!" Clary gasped.
Alec pulled his bow out and notched an arrow as Clary pulled out her Seraph blade.
"Alec! Don't!" Magnus cried.
"I've got this." Alec replied as Azazel sent both him and Clary flying backwards. Alec released his arrow as he fell, and it hit right below Azazel's sternum. Azazel roared in fury before disintegrating.
Magnus got to his feet, stumbling a little in shock. "No, no, no." He mumbled, grasping at the ashes that Azazel left behind, dropping to his knees next to them. Alec and Clary got to their feet, sharing a look.
"Are you okay?" Alec kneeled next to Magnus, Clary standing behind him.
"Fine." Magnus said, panting.
"Why'd you tell me to stop?" Alec asked.
"I was afraid something terrible would happen. Something that couldn't be undone."
—
"I think you were right. He didn't want you to fight Azazel, he was upset when you vanquished him, calling you 'Alec', being so terse. We have to go down to the cells and talk to Valentine." Clary reasoned.
"You stay outside the cell, keep watch. I'll talk to him." Alec said as they got on the elevator. "No one can know about this. Not until we're certain."
They'd left Magnus' apartment quickly after Alec got rid of Azazel. It was clear that he'd wanted to be left alone and had no interest in speaking to either of them any longer than he had to. While Alec was sure that it wasn't Magnus they'd been speaking to, it still hurt that it was his voice and his face that were rejecting him.
"I'm going to go in there and I'm going to act like I have no idea. I'm going to test him."
"Good idea. We can't take any chances." Clary praised.
They got off the elevator and made their way towards the cell. Clary stood outside the door and they listened to and watched what was going on inside. Valentine had taken his shoe off and he chucked it at the camera.
"I know you're listening!" He screamed. "Please! I'm not Valentine! I'm Magnus Bane."
Alec steeled himself and threw the door open making it bounce off the wall. Clary grabbed it and shut it behind him. Alec surged forward and grabbed Valentine by the front of his jumpsuit and shoved him against the wall making sure he wouldn't hurt him.
"That's enough!" He shouted.
"Alexander, thank God you're here. You have to listen to me -"
"No! You listen to me!" Alec shouted in his face, watching his expression carefully. "This sick game of yours is over!"
"It's not a game." Valentine shook his head. "I know it sounds crazy but I'm not Valentine. I am Magnus. Azazel switched us with a curse. Unum ad Unum."
"You're insane." Alec said. He was nearly certain that the man in front of him was Magnus, but he had to be completely certain.
"You gave me that Omamori charm that I carry with me every day. It was after our night in Tokyo." He tried to push Alec's arms off him, but they fought until Alec pushed him back up against the wall. "We were at the palace hotel. And then we kissed on the terrace and then you..."
"Stop!" Alex shouted.
"And then you took me in..."
"Stop!" He shouted louder than before. "How do you know these things?"
"Because it's me, Alexander. The day after Valentine's massacre you told me you loved me. So, if you love me, please you have to believe me."
Alec nodded. "What did you give Clary as a gift for becoming a Lightwood and when did you give it to her?"
"The blue necklace that she wears. I gave it to her after Max's rune ceremony."
"What does it do?" Alec pressed.
"It tells me if she is in danger and allows me to track her." Valentine was near in tears.
"What's our Son's name?" Alec asked, this would be the last test. Next to no one knew about Madzie.
The man before him looked confused. "We don't have a son."
"We don't?" Alec tasted, keeping his face void of emotion.
"No. We have a daughter. Her name is Madzie."
Alec just looked at him and turned to walk away.
"No! Alexander, please." Magnus begged.
Alec made it to the door and knocked on it five times. Clary opened it and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Together they walked back over to Magnus and stood before him.
"Valentine doesn't know that we know, that's our advantage. The hard part is getting Imogen to believe us. She'll be convinced that this is just one of Valentine's games." Alec addressed the two of them.
"You believe me?" Magnus almost sobbed.
"Of course, I do. I love you." Alec referenced Magnus' earlier plea.
Magnus visibly relaxed, the weight coming off of his shoulders. Tears ran down his face as he stared up at the man he loved.
"How are we going to convince her? She'll never believe us." Clary asked Alec.
"Who won't believe what?" Imogen asked from behind them. Alec and Clary spun around.
"Madame Inquisitor." Alec addressed. "May I have a word?"
Imogen eyed him with distaste before gesturing for him to lead the way out of the cell. Alec glanced at Magnus reassuringly before walking out, Imogen following close behind him.
Magnus sunk to the floor and Clary sat next to him grasping one of his hands in both of hers. Alec and Imogen were gone for fifteen minutes before Alec returned, Imogen waiting outside of the cell.
"The torture will stop. But until we can get Valentine back here and you switched back, you'll have to stay here. I'm sorry. It was the best I could do." Alec apologized to his boyfriend.
"How'd you convince her?" Clary stood up, Magnus following her lead.
Alec looked uncomfortable, looking back over his shoulder.
"Mr. Lightwood." Imogen called. "I'm waiting."
"Alexander." Magnus asked. "What did you do?"
"Someone has to take the punishment. You won't be tortured so long as I agree to take your place."
"Alec!" Clary gasped.
"Alexander! No!" Magnus cried.
"Mr. Lightwood!" Imogen barked.
Alec spun on his heel and left.
—-—
Clary was only allowed to stay with Magnus for five more minutes after Alec was taken away. They put him in a cell adjacent to Magnus' and wouldn't allow Clary to see him either. After they'd removed Clary from the cell she went outside and sat on a bench.
How could things have gotten so screwed up so quickly?
Almost as soon as she sat down, the tears that had been building in her eyes spilled over. She hunched over and brought her hands up to her face as she cried.
"Clary?" Isabelle called.
Clary straightened up and removed her hands from her face as her sister approached her.
"Clary! What's wrong?" Izzy gasped as she sat next to her and pulled her into her arms.
"Alec!" Clary sniffled. "Imogen locked him up. She's torturing him."
"What?" Izzy asked sharply. "Why?"
"After you disappeared, we thought Azazel had taken you. So, we summoned him here, Magnus helped us. We offered him Valentine in exchange for you, but he broke free and for some reason he switched Magnus and Valentine's bodies. Valentine is Magnus and Magnus is Valentine. When Alec and I found out, we were coming up with a plan to convince Imogen that it was true, but she overheard us. He convinced her to stop torturing Magnus, but the price was that he had to be tortured instead. She's horrible, Izzy."
"It's all my fault." Izzy groaned.
"No." Clary wiped the tears from her face. It isn't."
"Clary. You said it yourself, if I hadn't run off then Magnus and Valentine would've never switched, and Alec wouldn't have offered himself up to Imogen."
"If you're looking for someone to blame," Clary fires back. "It was Jace's plan to summon Azazel. Azazel was the one who switched them. Imogen is the one who wanted to torture Alec. Alec agreed."
Izzy sighed. "You're right. Now we just have to find a way to get him out of there."
"Right. Where's Jace? He'll help."
"Oh, no." Izzy groaned. "He said that Magnus texted him, he wanted help planning a surprise for Alec. He went over there. I completely forgot!"
"We need to tell Imogen. We have to take Magnus over there and get them switched back."
—-
Magnus was huddled in a corner of the cell he was trapped in sobbing quietly as the sound of Alec's screams echoed through the basement. Alec had intended to stop Magnus' torture, but instead he's subjected him to a whole new kind of torture. This one was worse than the agony rune. He'd much rather take that then have to listen to the love of his life being tortured.
That's right, Alexander Gideon Lightwood was the love of Magnus Bane's life. No one could come close to Alec. No one held a candle to him. Magnus had never met anyone like this beautiful man. No one had ever considered having children with Magnus. Now he and Alec had Madzie, their daughter. No one had ever taken his place like this before. No one had ever made me feel as deeply as he did now. Alec was Magnus' forever. There would be no one after him, of that Magnus was sure.
A particularly anguished scream pierced the air and Magnus clenched his fists, a sob passing his lips. How could the Inquisitor do this to her own kind? Weren't Shadowhunters meant to stand together? A united front? Alec was no criminal. He'd done nothing wrong, yet Imogen saw fit to torture him. Magnus would never understand them.
Suddenly it was silent. Magnus was unsure if that was good or bad. Surely, they hadn't killed Alexander. No, he thought, they wouldn't do that. After ten horrible, silent minutes Imogen appeared in the window that took up the front wall of the cell. Magnus stood as three more people came into view. Clary and Izzy were holding up a very pale, sweaty Alexander. He looked to be barely conscious as he leaned heavily on his younger sisters, looking at Magnus through lidded eyes.
"Mister Bane." Imogen addressed. "It has come to my attention that Valentine Morgenstern has taken one of our own. Should you agree to aid us in his capture, Mister Lightwood will no longer be needed down here."
"I'll do it." Magnus was quick to agree.
Imogen opened her mouth to speak but someone else beat her to it.
"You've taken my light; your darkness will come."
The four Shadowhunters spun around and they saw Valentine standing there, Jace next to him, hands bound.
"What did you say?" Imogen gasped.
"I'm repeating your words back to you." Valentine replied. "You remember the fire message you sent to me the night Stephen died. The good news is, in exchange for my freedom, you can save your pure-angel-blooded warrior."
"I don't make deals with the devil." Imogen said coolly.
"You chose the wrong bait." Jace told him. "For all she cares you could slaughter me right now."
"I don't think so." Valentine didn't look away from the Inquisitor. "Imogen wouldn't dare slaughter her grandson."
"After all your lies, you expect me to believe I'm a Herondale?" Jace asked, amused.
"Stephen Herondale was your father, and his wife Céline was your mother." He turned to Imogen. "You ever think about poor Céline? Nine months pregnant when she took her own life. Her dead body ravaged by werewolves; her unborn son eaten alive. Or was he?"
"You didn't." Imogen whispered.
"The Clave took so much from me. So, I took something in return. But I'm sure you want further proof." He held up a ring.
"My family ring." Imogen said in disbelief. "Where did you get that?"
"Off Céline's very hand." Valentine revealed. "You have one hour to meet my demands, or your grandson dies."
The pair disappeared in a flash of blue.
—
Forty-five minutes after Valentine and Jace had appeared to them, Alec, Clary and Sebastian were stalking down the hallway of Magnus' apartment building.
"I don't know why you felt the need to bring him here." Alec complained to Clary. He was still pale and shaky, but he was much better than he'd been earlier.
"We need all the help we can get." Clary told him as she hurried to match his pace.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Alec caught her just as she was about to walk into the wards that had been placed on the door.
"Wards are up." Sebastian said, unnecessarily.
"You said Valentine wouldn't have this kind of warlock power." Clary addressed Sebastian.
"Yeah. As always, he defies expectations. Look, we're gonna need you."
Clary looked to the wards and pulled out her stele.
She tried three times, drawing the rune that would take down the wards. It didn't work. She couldn't do it. She felt like a failure.
Just after the third time, Sebastian surged forward and grabbed her by the tops of her arms.
"Hey!" Alec protested.
"Tell me what it feels like to have your entire family ripped away from you." Sebastian requested.
"What?" Clary asked, blinking in confusion.
"That's enough." Alec grabbed his arm to pull him away from her.
"Trust me on this, okay?" Sebastian asked Alec. "Trust me."
Sebastian turned back to Clary, not letting Alec respond. "Look, your mother? She's never coming back. Jace is not your brother. You feel like you're all alone in this world, don't you?"
"Stop it." Clary told him.
"She has us!" Alec protested. "Don't say that to her. Clary. You're not alone. You have me, Izzy, Max, Magnus, Mom, Dad, Simon. You're not alone. You have a family."
"Feel it, Clary. Feel it!" Sebastian urged, ignoring Alec. "Your mother is never coming back."
"Don't." Clary hissed.
"Your father will never love you. The only reason he wanted you was to use you."
"Sebastian, Stop!" Alec shouted.
"You wanted a brother so badly because at least then you'd have someone to share in the pain."
"Stop it!" Clary cried, tears running down her face.
"I can't stop it, Clary! The Lightwoods took pity on you, they gave you a place, but they aren't your real family. Maryse didn't give birth to you. You didn't grow up with them."
"I said stop!" Alec roared.
"That empty feeling that eats away at your soul and makes you feel like you want to die day after day after day after day it never stops. Now take that pain and use it."
Clary turned to draw the rune just as Alec seized the front of Sebastian's shirt and pushed him up against the wall. "How dare you say those things to her? We didn't take her in out of pity! She is every bit as much a Lightwood as any of the rest of us! That's my sister!"
"Alec!" Clary called. He looked up just as the wards fell and Clary charged in, Alec just behind her. Sebastian followed the siblings into the apartment.
As they burst in, they saw Magnus and Valentine struggling with each other.
"Alexander!" Magnus cried.
Clary sprinted to Valentine and wrapped her arms around him, pushing him and herself into the portal that was open across the room.
"Clary!" Alec shouted. That hadn't been a part of the plan.
"She'll be okay." Sebastian reassured him. "She'll have taken him back to the institute and I'm sure -"
"Get out." Alec spat.
"I beg your pardon?" Sebastian looked confused.
"I said, get out." Alec hissed.
Magnus watched the scene in confusion as Sebastian backed out of the apartment uncertainly. He closed the door behind him as he left, and Magnus turned to Alec.
"What was that?" He asked.
"He told Clary that we took her in out of pity. That she isn't a real Lightwood. That bastard made her cry, Magnus." His jaw and fists clenched as he glared at the door. Then he relaxed just as quickly as he had gotten worked up. Magnus watched as all the tension left his body, his shoulders drooped, and his spine bent, even his face relaxed from the stone-cold poker face he'd been sporting.
He turned to face Magnus and a corner of his mouth quirked. "I'm just glad you're safe."
"You're an idiot." Magnus returned, barely a second after the words had left Alec's lips.
Alec looked as if he'd been slapped. He was blinking rapidly, as if trying to get his bearings after being surprised. "What?" Was all he could seem to coherently say.
"You're an idiot." Magnus repeated. "You're a heroic, self-sacrificing, idiot. How could you offer yourself up like that? How could you offer to take my place? How could you endure that kind of torture when you didn't have to?"
Alec just smiled sadly. "Don't you see?" He asked. "Are you really so blind? I love you. I would do anything for you. I know you know that Shadowhunters only love once, how can you not see how much I love you? You're it for me, Magnus. Of course, I would take your place. I didn't even need to think about it. I didn't need a minute to consider. I'd take any kind of torture to ensure that you never have to suffer like that. You, you mean more to me than you'll ever know."
Magnus practically tackled the man in his rush to get to him. He grabbed the collar of his leather jacket and used it to pull Alec's lips to his own. He kissed Alec with an urgency that was unfamiliar to him and yet it felt so right. He needed Alec. He needed him like he needed air to breathe. Like he needed food and water to survive. That need frightened him, but ultimately, he didn't care. He would give anything to be with this man.
"You, Alexander Gideon Lightwood," Magnus pulled back from him to utter. "are the love of my life. No one I've ever been with could possibly compare to you."
And with that, he leaned in for another searing kiss.
Parts of this suck, I know. This chapter was hard because I changed a lot. I promise this is going to get better, we are just going through the beginning of the story and sometimes it's hard to gain traction. It'll get better just bear with me.
Instagram account that is related to this story, I'll be posting updates and information for this story on there booklivesmatterff it has the same profile pic as me on here.