I feel terrible for posting so irregularly. I feel like I'm becoming one of those who abandons a fic halfway through. I swear I'm trying to update regularly, I just really don't have as much time anymore. I know I apologise basically every time, but I just want you all to know it really is because I don't have time, and not because I want to leave you waiting on purpose.

Alec didn't know what he'd been expecting. Lilith, ready to fight, surrounded by fire-breathing dragons, maybe? Definitely not this. Not silence. Not nothing. The room was big, but dark and empty. There was nothing there for Lilith to be hiding behind, but that meant there wasn't anything there for them to hide behind either. Alec drew his sword, looking around as if Lilith would suddenly appear right there.

"Magnus, can you… feel her?" he asked in a whisper. His voice echoed loudly in the room, and Alec winced at the thought of Lilith hearing it. She didn't know they were there, or at least she wasn't attacking them yet. The element of surprise was the best shot they had at this.

"No," Magnus replied, whispering as well. "But I can feel… something," he said, frowning.

"What is it? Is it something bad?" Alec asked.

"No, I don't think so. It's calming. I can't explain it, it's…" Magnus faded out with a shake of his head. "Let's go. I think it's this way," he said, nodding towards a hallway. It seemed like a random choice for Alec, but he followed him anyway.

The corridor was dark, and Alec was thankful when Magnus's hands lit up. The corridor ended in another room, this one separating into three other halls, as well as the one they had come through. "Any idea which way to go now?" Alec asked.

"Something telling me it's through that corridor, but I don't know if we should trust my gut," Magnus said.

"Well, your gut is the only thing we have, so it's better than nothing."

With that they walked into the corridor Magnus had pointed at. This one was brighter, although Alec couldn't tell where the light was coming from. It also seemed to be getting warmer, but Alec blamed that on his nerves.

As they kept moving Alec's mind drifted off and he found himself thinking of his siblings. What were they doing right now? Were they thinking about him? Would he ever see them again? Alec shook his head to get the thoughts away. It would do him no good to dwell over that now. He needed to be focused. Focus!

It was getting warmer, it was definitely getting warmer. What if it was the dragons? Dragons breathed fire, right? If the dragons showed up Alec would have to fight them alone. He was sure Magnus wouldn't hurt them, he was convinced they wouldn't hurt them. Alec wanted to believe that, but these dragons were working for Lilith. Why would they ever help them?

Alec held his sword high. He could feel Magnus's magic crackling around them. He was nervous, he wouldn't deny that. But he couldn't let it overtake him. He had to stay focused, had to look out for Magnus, had to defeat Lilith and the dragons. He needed to stay focused.

"Magnus… whatever happens, promise you'll look after yourself," Alec said, his voice low, scared someone would overhear.

"We'll be fine, Alexander. Don't lose faith this," Magnus replied, not lowering his voice at all. How could he not be worried? They were about to face the queen of hell, and Magnus looked like they were hunting bunnies.

"Just promise you'll take care of yourself. Please." The silence around them was unnerving, and Alec wanted to break it. But what would he say? Finally, Magnus answered.

"I promise I'll be fine," he said. Alec only nodded, and a second later the hallway opened into a room.

Alec couldn't ignore how hot the room was, and there was no way Magnus wasn't feeling it either. And yet he was smiling. Even if he thought the dragons might be on their side, why would he be smiling now? They were most likely about to die, and Magnus was acting like it was nothing. Alec didn't know if he was jealous or worried.

Magnus only smiled, and he gestured for Alec to follow him before he started walking again, into a dark corridor. They stopped outside a door, one identical to all the other ones.

"Is it in there?" Alec asked.

"Yeah," Magnus said with a nod, not a hint of doubt in his voice.

"How do you know?" Alec questioned.

"I just do." It was said matter of factly. Like he'd just told Alec he bought red apples instead of green ones.

"Magnus, are you sure about this? Maybe it is a trap," he said.

"It's not, Alexander. Trust me." Alec did trust Magnus. Probably more than anyone else, especially outside family. He nodded, silently telling Magnus to go on. Magnus opened the door, and even Alec could feel the dark energy radiating from the room. He looked inside, not quite sure what he was expecting.

The woman had her back to them and was dressed in a long, black dress. She might have been anyone, if they were at the castle Alec wouldn't have looked twice at her.

Alec held his sword tightly as he stepped into the room, trying to stay as silent as possible. He wondered if he could sneak up on the queen and cut her head off without her even noticing before it was too late. He gave up on that when she turned, eyes boring into Alec.

"Well, well. What do we have here? If it isn't the once and future king. I'm impressed you have made it this far," she said, her voice almost sweet. Not at all how Alec expected her. "I think you deserve a reward for being so good, so I'll make you a deal. Leave now and I'll let you leave."

"That's not gonna happen," Alec said, raising his sword. He charged at the queen, hoping to take her by surprise. She flicked him to the side easily, and Alec would have hit the wall if Magnus hadn't caught him with his magic. It put him down gently. The queen was looking at Magnus now, an interested look in her eyes.

"And who might this be? So much power… you don't even know how to use it right," she said.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You have much more power than you think, warlock. Maybe if you knew how to control it you could actually defeat me, but like this? You have no chance. Leave while you can."

"You can't scare us away," Magnus said with a glare. "Surrender willingly or we'll have to take you down." The queen's laugh echoed through the room, and Magnus didn't even try to hold himself back as he lashed out.

The blue burst of magic would be enough to knock anyone into the wall hard enough to knock them out cold, and yet Lilith simply waved her hand at it, dodging it into a wall. "Like I said, pathetic." She flicked her wrist, and Magnus was thrown against a wall, hitting a mirror with such force that it smashed. Alec ran, not sure if he wanted to attack the queen or help Magnus, he wanted both. But before he could do anything a table was pushed into his way and pressed him up against the wall. "Well, this has been nice, but I have a ritual I need to finish," she said before walking out of the room, leaving Alec pressed against the wall and Magnus—hopefully—unconscious. After a few minutes, the table stopped pressing Alec against the wall, and Alec immediately ran to Magnus.

"Hey, Magnus, it's okay. You're okay now," he said, pulling Magnus away from the shattered glass. He was relieved to see Magnus hadn't been stabbed by any of them, although some had left some cuts on his back. None were deep though, and they weren't bleeding much, so they didn't need immediate attention. Magnus had hit his head pretty hard, but there was no blood, luckily. Alec was scared he might have a concussion, but at least his pulse was relatively steady and his breathing was there.

What should Alec do? He had to stop Lilith. She said she had a ritual to finish, what if that was what Asmodeus had told them about? What if she was opening a portal out of Edom? Alec couldn't let that happen, Magnus wouldn't want that. But he couldn't just leave Magnus here.

After a moment Alec decided to take Magnus with him, and he threw him over his shoulder so he could carry him and still have his sword in his hand, ready to defend both himself and Magnus.

Now, as he walked through the castle, Alec could feel Lilith's dark energy. He didn't get how he hadn't felt it earlier, it was like a cold stream of air that went straight into his soul.

Alec followed it, and it led him to a big room with ceilings as tall as the sky. Alec set Magnus down by one of the walls, making sure he would be fine before moving on. Lilith was standing in the middle of the room over some golden, egg-shaped thing. She was saying something in a weird language. Whatever it was it couldn't be good.

Again Alec tried to approach without her noticing, but either she could sense his energy or she had a really good hearing, because before Alec could even think of doing anything she turned around. "You again? I thought you would have some sense and stay away."

"You hurt Magnus. I'm not letting you get away with that," Alec replied.

"Oh well. I didn't want it to come to this, but I'm afraid I have no choice." With that Lilith snapped her fingers.

At first Alec didn't see what had happened. He thought maybe Lilith had snapped her fingers just to scare him, maybe it was all just a bluff. But then he heard a loud roar. Alec felt his heart sink in his chest. He couldn't defeat a dragon all alone, and even if he did it would probably give Lilith enough time to finish the ritual.

He looked up and saw it was the same, red dragon he had seen earlier. But it wasn't alone. There was another, a light blue one, as well. Alec was definitely screwed. But much to Alec's surprise, the dragons didn't fly towards him, nor did they aim for him. Instead, the blue one sent a wave of flames straight towards a wall.

A wall on the edge of the room, basically in the corridor.

The corridor Alec had come through.

The wall where he had left Magnus.

Before Alec had time to react at all, Magnus was surrounded by a wall of flames.