This is late, I know... Life has been catching up and I haven't had much time to write. Anyway, it's just a day late and not a week, right? Let's focus on that. I'm sorry though. But at least here it is.
Magnus didn't know if he should be relieved or scared when the drink felt like fire running down his throat. It definitely wasn't water. Magnus vaguely heard glass breaking as it hit the floor. But could barely hear anything through his heartbeat loud in his ears and his coughing, his body trying to get the liquid out. Already his vision got unclear, black dots dancing before his eyes. Magnus looked up at Alec, wanting to apologize, to tell to go on. He knew Alec could take Lilith. His body had other plans though, and before Magnus could even open his mouth he was out, eyes rolling back into his head as he fell.
Alec reached out to stop Magnus as he reached for the glass, but Magnus had swallowed the liquid before Alec could do anything. He was left only to watch as Magnus dropped the glass and had to hold himself up by the table. He immediately ran to him, but Magnus was out before Alec could reach him. He managed to catch him before he hit the floor and then placed him down on the chair. He didn't need to check for Magnus's breathing, it was coming in small, audible pants. Alec checked for a pulse and saw it was going much quicker than usual. But still least it was there. He had to focus on that.
"You said you cared about him!" Alec accused, turning to glare at Asmodeus. "Don't do this, don't hurt him. Please just heal him."
"Oh, I can't," Asmodeus said matter of factly. Like he hadn't just poisoned his son. "But there is something that can, and I have it in my castle."
"Where?" Alec questioned immediately.
"That's not up to me to tell you. This is all part of the game, little prince." Alec ignored the name, it wasn't important right now. He had more pressing matters at hand.
"You're willing to let Magnus die for a stupid game?" Asmodeus leaned back in his chair with a chuckle.
"I'm giving you a chance to save him and you're wasting it on yelling at me. He has half an hour at most. Tick tack."
"Magnus was right about you. You are a monster," Alec growled, but turned on his heels and stormed out of the room. He had to find whatever could help Magnus.
The castle was huge. There was no way Alec could search it all in half an hour, especially when he had no idea what he was looking for. Alec skipped the whole section with books. Even if there was anything that could help in them there Alec would never have time to read them all. Even if he just read the first phrase he probably wouldn't get through more than a tenth of them.
He walked past an empty room, quickly looked through what seemed like a kitchen, ran through a hall with no doors, searched a room stacked with books and things Alec didn't have a name for. He didn't know if he could find his way back to Magnus by now, but he kept looking.
It felt like hours when Alec opened the door to a room in which he found a bed and a sink and a cupboard full with glass bottles. It looked a lot like the infirmary at the castle in Idris.
"Magnus got poisoned so maybe I'll find something here," he thought out loud and began searching this room a bit more thoughtful. He looked at all the bottles and after a bit, he found a book labeled: "Spells, poisons and their reverses"
"Come on, there must be something here," he mumbled to himself as he flipped through the pages. The problem was just that Alec didn't really know what poison Magnus had taken. There wasn't any cure for transparent liquids, and without knowing the name Alec would never find the cure. Still, he flipped through the pages, desperate to find anything. That was when he remembered something Magnus once told him. "You need the poison to make an antidote and usually you can take the poison itself to create that by adding a few basic things"
He remembered what ingredients Magnus had mentioned and started looking around in the room, specifically the cupboard. Alec found most of the ingredients, and things he hoped could replace what he didn't find. He put it all in a bag and raced back to the room Magnus was in. He got lost a few times, but found it eventually. He ignored Asmodeus and refrained from pulling out his sword and cutting his head off. Maybe he would do that later but for the moment he sat down next to Magnus and got out all the things he had carried back. He then looked closer at the shattered glass, hoping to find some residue liquid. He found a piece of glass with a drop on it and dropped it into the bowl he'd brought. Next he mixed in the rest of the ingredients but then realized he really had no idea what to do and so he stopped. He considered asking Asmodeus for a second, but discarded the thought immediately. This man was the reason they were in this situation so he would not ask him. He tried to remember what Magnus had told him, what he'd seen him do. He'd mixed the ingredients, right? He'd crushed them and added water till it was a liquid, Alec was sure that's what he'd done. Once he had achieved this he looked at the mixture and then at Magnus, who was still panting so Alec knew he was at least still alive. Was there anything else he had to do? He thought very hard but couldn't think of anything else so he picked up the bowl and moved over to Magnus.
"Hey, you're okay, you're okay," he whispered cupping Magnus's cheek.
"Careful what you give him now," came Asmodeus voice from behind. "Anything that isn't the antidote will make the effect quicker. And more painful." Alec tried to ignore him as he placed the bowl at Magnus's lips. He tilted the bowl back urging Magnus to drink it. Most of it ran down his chin, but some of it Magnus actually swallowed.
Magnus didn't show any sign of getting better, but he didn't seem to be in pain either. Alec caressed his cheek as he watched for any reaction, fear and worry surging through him. Suddenly Magnus started coughing, and Alec turned his head just before he emptied his stomach on the floor. Alec hoped the poison had left his body along with everything else.
"Will he be okay?" He asked Asmodeus, still holding himself back from stabbing him.
"Only time will tell," Asmodeus replied, chuckling. Alec picked Magnus up, he couldn't be in the same room as the demon. He carried Magnus to the room they had been in earlier and laid him down on the couch carefully. He then reached into the bag in which he'd brought the ingredients for the cure and grabbed the bottle of water. He held Magnus's head up as he tilted the bottle. He was relieved to see Magnus swallowed most of it. That had to mean he was getting better, right?
"You're okay, Magnus. You'll get through this, okay? I promise you'll be fine," Alec whispered, holding Magnus's hand tightly. He just hoped Magnus would wake up as soon as possible so they could leave this damn place.
Magnus's breathing had calmed and was now almost normal. Alec checked his pulse and felt that it was slower now. Slower than it should be. But it was there, and it was persistent and steady. That was all Alec could hope for.
Magnus was on fire. He felt like he couldn't breathe, his heartbeat was the only thing he could hear. He couldn't hear his own thoughts, but even if he could it probably wouldn't make sense.
Suddenly something cold ran down his throat. Magnus vaguely felt something on his cheek, but couldn't think much of it as suddenly his throat was on fire again as everything came up. The taste was left of Magnus's mouth, but his stomach calmed, his heartbeat slowed down, and suddenly breathing wasn't so hard.
Now he was floating between dreams and reality. One second he could see his mother telling him how disappointed she was, and then suddenly Alec's soft voice. And again he drifted off back to Idris where Alec's father, king Robert, was waiting. He could hear his voice clear in his head, "This man has been proven guilty of using magic and witchcraft. The punishment for using and practicing these arts is death." He could almost feel flames flickering against his skin, could feel himself burning. And he cried out, gasping and screaming for someone to help him. And just as he felt like he would die Alec would be back with soft touched and words. It's okay, he would whisper. You're here, you're safe, Magnus heard him say. And Magnus believed him.
It was hours later, after countless of nightmares and more nightmares, only interrupted by Alec trying to comfort him. Magnus's eyes opened ever so slowly, adapting to the light. He had to take a moment to just breathe. His head was still pounding and his whole body was aching. And yet instead of hearing Alec's voice, the first thing he heard was Asmodeus.
"Look at that. Seems you managed," he said. "You saved my boy. As a reward, you'll both get to leave alive."
"I swear, I'm gonna kill you," he heard Alec growl.
"Alec," he called out, his voice soft and weak. Alec turned immediately, face soft as he leaned over Magnus. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here, you're okay," he said, stroking Magnus's cheek. "Are you thirsty? Hungry?" He asked. Magnus shook his head softly. "You just lay there then, okay? I'll be right back," he promised. So Magnus laid back, let his eyes close, and drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Alec turned to Asmodeus as Magnus closed his eyes. His hand was resting on the hilt of his sword. "I'm gonna kill you," he growled again. Asmodeus chuckled.
"Well, little prince. I'm not stopping you," he said, opening his arms.
"After I end Lilith I'm gonna come for you," Alec promised, not about to get into a fight he knew he couldn't win. He turned on his heels, picked Magnus up carefully, and left the castle, hoping he would never have to see it again.