A/N: Hello :)
Characters belongs to Cassie Clare, except for OCs.
Enjoy reading.
Chapter XVII
"Time is running out"
Alec walked Jia to the portal, as they ended their conversation about the funeral of Robert and Valentine. Penhallow stated that the ceremony should take place in the Silent City and then they should move to Idris to have a small reception. Yet, Alec declined it. Now that his mother became the official leader of the New York Institute because of her age, Alec must stand up for her position, as she is still in a coma. Lightwood decided that they will come home after their visit in the Silent City, to spend the time as a family in their grieving.
Jia agreed to it, saying her farewell to him and Isabelle. Jonathan had left them before, stating that he'll go to wake Jace up, before they'll go.
"I'll go and change, ok?" Isabelle asked, brushing her hand over Alec's. The boy just nodded to that.
When his sister disappeared from his eyes, he decided to go look for both Morgenstern's boys. He went upstairs, straight to Jace's bedroom, which was next to John's and knocked lightly. No one answered, so the young man decided to let himself in.
But he didn't expect to witness such a thing.
Jace was lying unconscious on the floor, with red sparkles floating around him.
"Jace?!" he ran towards younger boy and dropped to his knees next to Jace's body. Alec placed his hand over Jace's heart to feel his heartbeat. It was weak, too weak. Immediately, he fished out his stele and revealed some of the skin on the chest of his parabatai. He brought the tip of the stele to it to draw an Iratze, but then he heard a faint sound.
"Alec…" Lightwood moved his eyes towards the direction of the sound. There, in the entrance of Jace's bedroom stood Jonathan Morgenstern with Alec's sister in his grasp. Isabelle seemed to be frozen, like Jace, though she was looking at Alec and could speak.
"Izzy!" Alec didn't know what to do in that moment. Save his parabatai or his sister. He loved them both equally. "Let her go!"
"Alec, Alec, Alec," John said in a singing voice. "Drop your stele, it won't help Jace. He's under a magic spell." The boy complied with the order. His stele fell next to Jace's right thigh. "Now, be a good boy and listen, or Jace and Isabelle won't survive this."
"Why are you doing this?"
"I said, be quiet and listen, Alec," there was an obvious threat in John's voice. The archer did as asked, but his eyes never left his sister. It seemed that Isabelle wasn't in pain now, but he yearned to rescue her from him. "You see," John started again, pushing Isabelle towards the middle of the room, where Alec stood. Yet, he didn't let her go straight to Alec, instead he ordered her to kneel next to Jace. "Because of my sister, we need to hasten my plan. If she wouldn't find a way to contact Jace, everything would be different. Now, I couldn't let my little brother to mess with my perfect plan. Not when I almost have what I need."
"What do you need?" Alec dared to ask with a shaky voice. He imagined that it must be some kind of powerful thing that the other wants, otherwise he'd have had it a long time ago.
"Power, of course," he stated like it was an obvious thing. "But you must wonder what kind of power, right?" When Alec didn't do a single thing, John continued. "You see, my father was petty. He only wanted the power to rule the shadow world. He'd be good with having the Mortal Instruments to call on Raziel to gain some power. But not me. Angel's power is nothing in compare to what I want."
"You want demon's power." Alec came to a conclusion.
"Ding, ding, ding." John laughed with his response. "I always knew that you're the smartest here, Alec. You see, I don't want some low-class demon's power. Oh no. I want the best. I want the power of the greatest demon. And that's when you come into my perfect plan."
"Me?" Alec was confused by that. What use could he be to John in his little plan? Was he ought to catch some demon and steal his power for John? No, it had to be something else. Something more complicated, but Alec couldn't grasp the idea.
"Of course! You're the main part of my plan, Alec," John came closer to him and grabbed his upper arm in a hard grip. With his other hand, he knocked at Alec's heart. "You and your heart."
That's when it began to be obvious to him. How could he not think of it before?
"Magnus." The name of his beloved escaped his lips. John just nodded with his usual smirk. "You want to use me against him. You want to force him to help you with me."
"Your intellect beats me. Of course, Alec. You will be the anchor of my plan in gaining the demon's power."
"And if I say no?" John turned back to Izzy and Jace and pointed his seraph blade at Isabelle's heart. It was the statement that Alec didn't want to come to life. He nodded his head, agreeing to this crazy plan of John's. He needed to help him, to save Izzy and Jace. He just hoped that maybe Magnus will come up with some plan to save them all, that is, if the warlock still cares about him enough to come and help.
…
Alec was dropped on the hard, wooden floor in the middle of some apartment. He had no idea, where he was, was it still New York or some other city. All he knew that it had to belong to Jonathan. Lightwood's hands were bonded with a rune the older boy put on him, before they stepped through the portal, leaving frozen Isabelle and Jace back in the Institute. His stele was back home, as John threw it underneath Jace's bedroom. He had no weapon with him, he couldn't do anything but comply with every order of Morgenstern.
"Alec?" A familiar, female voice reached his ears. He tried to sit on his knees to look up, but he failed. There was some movement before his eyes, all he could look were red sneakers and the edges of jeans. "Alec? My god…"
He recognized the voice.
"Clary?" The girl helped him stand on his feet, so he could finally take a look over the place. The room they were in was suited modernly. White-black leather couch and chairs were fitting with black furnitures and hospital-white walls. "Clary."
"I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to contact Jace earlier and warn you before," she started with an apologetic voice, as she led him to the couch. "But I only remembered the spell of lately. It was hard to cast it. I needed to wait until he brought her here, so I could steal her fairy powder."
"What?" Alec didn't understand the sense of her words.
"John," she explained, squeezing his hands lightly. "He works with the Seelie Queen and her fair folk. I figured it out, when he brought her here for the first time. He thought me unconscious, but I overheard them. They used all of us. You, me, Magnus and Raphael. We are just pawns in his game."
"He said that he needs Magnus. He wants some demon's power. " Clary nodded to Alec's statement. "But how is he sure that Magnus will help him?"
"Because…"
"Oh, I see you've awoken, Alec dear," the cold voice of Jonathan interrupted their talk. Clary shuddered as he stepped closer to them and sat down on the glass table before them. John looked at them clearly amused by the whole situation. "Great, because we need to discuss the rules."
"He's not going to help you," the boy expressed, looking directly into the black eyes of John. "Magnus won't agree to your plan. Do you think he cares for me? I accused him of mur… YOU DID THIS?!"
Suddenly it hit him like a lightning. Everything was laid before his eyes for so long, yet he'd managed to ignore it for the time being. It wasn't Magnus nor Raphael, who killed Max, Robert and Valentine. It was John. It was a part of his plan. Not having a way to attack the other boy, he did the only thing he could. He spat on him with so much force, so his saliva landed just under his left eye.
It wasn't very satisfactory, but it was something.
John squeezed his lips in a tight line and wiped the saliva off of his cheek. He glared for a moment at Alec, before he stroke his cheek hard. It stung so much, but Alec didn't give him a satisfaction of wincing in a pain, despite the fact that his lower lip was broken now.
"Bad boy," John scolded him, wiggling his ring finger before Alec's nose. "Act nice and I won't kill Izzy and Jace."
They heard Clary taking a loud intake of air. She whispered the name of the blonde boy with a shaky voice.
"I still can't believe that you like him better than me, sister," John addressed her without looking at the girl. He eyed Alec meaningfully, before he spoke again. "You see, all of you are part of my plan. You, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Raphael Santiago, my father, your father, even Max."
Alec growled loudly, feeling the desire to kill Jonathan once and for all.
"You killed an innocent boy. I'll kill you." He warned him. "I will find a way to kill you. I'll rip your heart out, mark my words."
"Oh Alec," he smirked in a wicked way. "I didn't know you had that in you. But guess what? You can't best me. No one can. You will all fill the parts I've prepared for you."
"Roles? What is my role in this sick plan of yours?" Clary asked, once again grabbing Alec's hands in hers. The boy offered her a small smile for this comfort. There was some strength radiating from her, which Alec found reassuring.
"But of course, the only role you can have." He stated like it'd be obvious. "You'd be the rightful queen, right next to me. The new king of the whole shadow world."
John was looking at the window, through which the daylight was streaking. He got up from the table and went in the direction of the door. He opened it and stepped through, closing the door behind him. Alec didn't hear the sound of key-locking, so there could be an opportunity to escape this place, wherever they have been now.
"Don't bother," Clary said, as she saw him looking longingly at the door. "They're spelled. Only John and the Queen can open it. If you try to touch the doorknob, you'd be electrocuted." She rose her hand up to his eyes, so he could see the burn in the middle of it. "See? I've tried."
For a moment there was a deep silence between the two shadowhunters. Alec was thinking about their possible ways of saving themselves, without hurting anyone in the process. Anyone but Jonathan. He deserved the worst. And by the Angel, he'll deliver him the worst fate he could think of. It was a time to stop being always the good boy. It was now time to be the protector of his family and friends, as Alec had failed in the role before. He needed to defend Izzy, Jace, Clary, his mother and Magnus.
Alec promised to himself that he'll make amends with his beloved warlock. He loved him, truly loved him. He only realized it now. Even though he broke his heart, accusing him of many things, he hoped, that deep in his heart, Magnus Bane still cares for him. Alec vowed himself to do all in his power for Magnus to forgive him. He'd even beg on his knees, if only Magnus would be willing to look at him and let him apologize for all the things he had done.
For Alec it didn't matter anymore that at first Magnus played him. He truly didn't care that it was meant to be a part of a plan to get information. Whatever the first reason was, it all changed during those months. Magnus was caring, gentle with him. He even protected him from Raphael. It had to mean something, right? Magnus even admitted that he loves Alec, or loved Alec, although he admitted that not out loud.
Nonetheless, now, maybe they could start everything over. A fresh start.
If only they will survive the game that John had prepared for them.
A/N: Did you like it?
Thanks for all reviews, follows, favotites. You are amazing ;)
Once again, I'll post the link to the poll for my Master's Thesis. If you're at least 16 you can fill it ;) It will be very helpful to me.
docs. google forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHcOF0_BP3g5-I5LvtM42viZSDh0SAhJmL-SurRzc0BUb8Eg/viewform
In the next one: MORE DRAMA! And finally the whole gang will meet :)
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Intoxic