Sorry, had a small writing blockade. Hope you enjoy it^^
Chapter 27
Magnus' POV
I felt a hand touching my head, slowly crawling through my hair and another hand sliding over my cheek gently. "Thank the Angel..." It was just a whisper, hitting my ear over and over again. I felt dizzy again, we were transferred to another place, the sounds of the crowd became slightly lower. My eyes fluttered open, it was like waking up after a nightmare, you're fighting for consciousness all the time, but it wouldn't come. "Alexander..." Ohhh... my voice sounded as if I had eaten some ash for breakfast, spiked with a few small stones for the better taste. My skin felt hot, the cool marble floor was soothing. I couldn't change it, I had to smile when I saw those ocean blue eyes, framed by black hair. "Hey... are you alright?" "Yes... Now I am." He leaned down and I felt his dry lips touching mine also dry and chapped ones, but it felt better than anything at that moment. We heard the double doors opening and broke the kiss to stand up, Alec had to help me stand straight. My father and Jace entered the room after the other candidates were transferred to another place, I looked confused at Alec's parabatai who pulled Alec into a tight hug, nearly pushing me to the ground. I heard Alec mumble: "I thought I lost you. I couldn't feel the bond breaking, but I thought that's because I lost you before... or was too shocked..." "It's okay, Alec. I recognized that it's part of the game right before I fell, I couldn't tell you anymore. I'm sorry you went through it."
I didn't understand what they were talking about, but I have to be real, I was jealous a bit... they were much too close, looking into each other's eyes, Alec's still watery, whispering words... it just was too intimate. My father sat down on his throne, looking bored and said: "It would have been easier for you to just drown, but your parabatai decided it would be better to let you suffer... I liked it more that way..." He smiled like a maniac at that, I saw Alec breaking his contact to Jace and the next things happened in the matter of a second. His body turned to my father, his gaze was directed over Jace's shoulder while he started to move to Asmodeus. "Izzy..." I looked into the direction Alec did and only now recognized Izzy in a servants outfit, picking something out of it and throwing it into her brothers direction. He caught it out of the air, while running over to Asmodeus, jumping on his lap, his knees caging him in, under his body and slicing a deep cut into Asmodeus' cheek before pressing the dagger into the skin of his throat. My father made a sound between quiet scream and sound of surprise, his skin was sizzling and smoke was rising from the wound. I just gawked with my mouth hanging open, it would have looked even more intimidating when Alec's gear would have been intact and not a collection of glued together holes but... damn! He looked hot! His expression grim, his hand fisting the jacket of my father's suit and pushing him back into his throne, the other hand holding the bone-dagger to his throat... wow...
"Enough." Alec's growled lowly and in a dark voice that made me shiver and the little Magnus inside my head giggle like a lovesick school girl. "You had your fun. We fulfilled our part of the deal..." Without letting Asmodeus out of his sight he said to his sister: "Izzy, get the others in here." My father closed his eyes a second and I saw him swallowing hard, he really felt pain, immense pain. The cut on his cheek went from the corner of his mouth, over the cheek, up to his ear. It was still sizzling and you could see the blood, muscles and white bones in it when the smoke flowed from his movements, it was working all the time, opening again after closing a little, that really had to hurt. And it seemed like my father was afraid and the dagger hindered him to use his power. He just sat there and glared up at Alec before saying: "I like the way you fight. I always love to have a hot nephilim on my lap." He tried to play it cool, the flesh on his cheek opened wider, not a cut anymore, but a real hole and showed the moving muscles, a few teeth, veins hanging there and blood flowing over the edge again with every word he said. Alec pushed the dagger deeper into his throat as his hands tried to grab Alec's ass cheeks. My father hissed and his hands slowly sank down onto the armrests again, glaring up to Alec vigorously.
Jace stood there as if nothing happened, looking down on his hands and cleaning his fingernails. He turned to the door as Izzy came back in, catching the seraph blade Clary threw in his direction and activating it immediately. Simon couldn't suppress a grin when he saw how Asmodeus was sitting under Alec's hold, pressed deep into his throne. "We won't be alone for a long time, we should hurry." Jem said and went over to the throne, too. He had the bone-dagger in his hand and observed the wound on my father's cheek. "Is that from the dagger? Nice... Need help here?" Alec didn't even blink and shook his head. "No. I'm good here." Clary was the last of our group who entered the room, Ezekiel on her hand, trying to hide behind her. "We're ready to leave. And we should leave, his guards will arrive soon. Why are they not here until now, anyway? He could have hide behind hundred of men..." I turned around in Clary's direction and answered: "That's why. He would have to hide behind something and he can't do that. He has to have the control over everything and he will never be threatened or in need of help. That's why he's alone here, when we are gone he can let it seem as if everything went right."
The cut on his cheek closed slowly and he began to smile. "You know me too well, my son. Like I said, I have to save my face. And I believe, even if I would have surrounded myself with bodyguards, this young lady was too close. She was your backup, right?" He nodded to Izzy, the wound in his face stopped sizzling, but there will definitely stay a scar in his face. "My sister. You already know her, you've seen her in Edom." He looked at Izzy more concentrated. "Mmh... Could be. Now... Let us get you home, right? But you have to stay back with those daggers, the contact is blocking my powers." My father looked as bored as he sounded, but I knew him better, he wasn't bored and he wasn't calm. Alec looked to Jem who went back from the throne and over to me, Clary, Jace and Ezekiel. Clary gave her dagger over to Jace and Izzy came over to us holding another dagger in her hand, ready to throw it. Alec let himself slide down from Asmodeus' lap, the dagger still in his hand, ready to attack again. "You don't know how much I hate it to let you go like that. Every cell in by body wants to kill you." My father smiled, looking up and into Alec's face. "Oh boy... you don't even know how much you really want to kill me right now. Wait until my son told you what happened here... maybe you will come back to me... I will wait for you, sugar..."
I felt the tension in the air boiling up, saw Alexander clenching his jaw tightly and heard his thoughts to attack my father, rip his heart out and let him it eat before he dies... But he went one step back, then another and I saw the wound closing completely. He moved his hands, watched his fingers stretching and closing. "Ahh... that's better. You know, I could kill all of you with one motion of my hand now... but we made a deal..." He stood up and looked down at us as if we were a group of insects. "I made a spell to delete the superficial memories of the weapon, it will be activated when the last of you goes through the portal I create. For that, I need the people who know about it. Who knows them all?" He played with his fingers and watched us closely until Jace left the group. "I know all of them." Asmodeus nodded into the direction of the dagger in Jace's hand and he gave it back to Clary before going over to my father. Jace stopped in front of the steps, my father laid his hands onto Jace's head, after I nodded him that it's okay, and searched his mind for the people who knew about John the Baptist. Jace began to breath heavier as Asmodeus went deeper into his thoughts, but not enough to hurt him badly.
My father let go of him and Jace came back over, Clary watched him closely, but was soothed when he smiled at her, his hand laying on her shoulder, the other taking back the dagger. "Good. That's enough for the first round. Like I said, I will send one of my people to delete the memories of John the Baptist properly." He moved his hand and a portal opened behind our group, although only myself, Ezekiel and Clary were looking at it, the rest still stared Asmodeus down. "That's it. Now please be so kind and leave those daggers behind here somewhere before you leave." Alec looked at me and said: "Take Ezekiel and go through to your apartment, we will follow." I watched him a second, fighting with myself to turn my back on him and leave, trying to read Alexander's mind, wanted to see what he had planned. I looked over my shoulder, seeing my father as proud as a peacock, took Ezekiel's hand and went through.
Alec's POV
I looked over my shoulder and saw Magnus and Ezekiel passing the portal, turning around on the over side and watching us. Izzy threw the dagger into the back-rest of the throne, passing Asmodeus' body only by an inch and than she turned around and went through the portal too. Clary was next, just leaving this realm. Simon, Jace and Jem did the same as Izzy, spiking the throne in daggers before leaving. I went backwards a few steps still considering to kill him, even when the portal closes instantly and I would have to stay or die here in this realm. I felt every deep breath going into my lungs as my thoughts raced behind my eyes. "Alexander..." His voice flowed slowly into my mind like honey running over a surface before gliding over the edge. "Alexander... He's not worth it. I can't loose you..." I was enticed to look over my shoulder to see Magnus' beautiful eyes, but stopped myself.
I raised my arm, aimed and while taking the last step back I let the dagger go, seeing how it bored its way into Asmodeus' stomach. The last thing I saw before the portal closed was Asmodeus sink forward, his hands gripping the dagger and pulling it out, leaving a deep wound, sizzling skin and steaming blood... and his glare filled with hate, the noises of pain. I knew stomach wounds were the worst, but not deadly every time, sadly. I remembered that I had hurt him a second later but not which weapon it was that I used for it. I turned around a little bit confused but forgot that confusion when I felt Magnus' arms around my body. His smell surrounded me and I just got lost in it. I felt his lips connect with mine, moving together and I closed my eyes to drown in those emotions, but my friends and family had the opinion that it could wait and cleared their throat or coughed. "We really don't want... Okay, we want to destroy your official reunion. Magnus is still a neko... so if you could please wait with fulfilling your desires, that would be nice..." Simon said and the others looked like they were thinking the same. Ezekiel looked from one to the next, not understanding what they were talking about. He looked like a hit puppy and very alone in that group. I gave Magnus a small peck on the lips and he nearly fell backwards as Izzy swung herself at him.
"By the Angel! I'm so glad your okay! I missed you and I was worried as hell!" Clary wrapped her arms around him from behind and Simon awkwardly patted his shoulder. After the girls let go, Jem pulled him into a tight hug, patting his back and whispering that he was really concerned. I looked in Jace's direction and he just crossed his arms over his chest, watching Magnus. "I won't cuddle with you anymore. I kissed you, that's enough... and I won't ever talk about that again." Clary looked from Magnus to her boyfriend, frowning. "No can do. We have to talk about that. I nearly fainted when I saw it and today was absolutely horrible! What happened in this realm has to be discussed!" Jace went over to Clary and wrapped his arms around her tiny frame, trying to sooth her. "You know we were both influenced, right? Magnus was drugged and that heightened his neko charm to the maximum, there was nothing normal about that situation and we wouldn't have done anything of that in normal circumstances." Clary cuddled deeper into Jace's chest. "I know... but it hurt none the less." I turned to Magnus, who was talking to Jem about contacting Tessa and Catarina, who were still in the institute and tell everyone that they are back.
I went over to the couch in the living room where Ezekiel sat down. "Hey shorty. I know you're not okay, so I won't ask the silly question, if you are. Do you want to talk?" Ezekiel's fingers were picking at the cotton from the couch in a nervous manner and he tried to avoid to look at me. "No... I just don't know what to do now... My Mom always... he will kill her..." I picked him up and sat him down in my lap, slowly rocking back and forth, while my hand slid through his hair. I felt him crying into my chest, even when he tried to be silent, I knew how he felt and just tried to sooth him, like I did with Max so often. "You will stay here with us, me and your brother, if you want to. We can take care of you, protect you from now on." I couldn't mention his mother, I knew he was right about his guess that Asmodeus wouldn't let her stay alive. He snuggled deeper into my destroyed jacket, his arms were tightly gripping my chest, trying to find a hold in this new world. I heard the others talking in the spell room, telling each other what happened and after a few minutes of just concentrating on Ezekiel's silent crying and caressing him, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I looked up, my cheek still laying on Ezekiel's head and saw Magnus' concerned eyes. "The others will come over through a portal in a few minutes. Do you think we should bring him into our bedroom, so he could rest?" I nodded softly, wrapped my arms around the small form and stood up to carry Ezekiel over to our bedroom. He didn't look up one second, just hid his face in my chest. I could feel Magnus following us, I laid Ezekiel down onto our soft mattress and he immediately hid his face into the pillow while I covered him with a thick blanket. Magnus sat down on the other side and I could see his typical blue sparks when he caressed his small brothers head. I didn't know how much I missed it to see Magnus using his power, it was so abnormal for him to be without it. I saw how Ezekiel closed his eyes, he was forced into the sleep by Magnus' magic, but he really needed some rest now and all the cheery people in the next room won't help. "Will he be okay?" "He will sleep, his body rest... but okay? No, that will take time." I watched the two brothers a few seconds before I stood up and went over to the wardrobe, picked out some intact clothes and changed into them as fast as possible. "We should go into the spell room. They will be here any second." Magnus watched his brother all the time only looking up now, a little confused. "What?... Oh... Yes, for sure." I went over to him, softly touching his cheek, making him look at me. "It was the right decision, honey. We will talk about everything later. Now let's say 'welcome back' to everyone. They were all concerned and worried about your wellbeing."
Magnus' POV
I got into other clothes too. I missed my clothes sooo much! The colors, how they fitted every inch of my body, how they covered most of it... I never thought I would ever say something like that! It was all a big fuzz of arms and kisses and hugs and laughter. The chairman was clinging to me as if I was about to leave again. I answered questions after I got new furniture for the living room. I didn't realize what we destroyed in here as we got assaulted. My God! How I had missed my magic! Jace had mentioned Ezekiel and now they were standing at the door to our bedroom and watching him sleep like they were in a zoo and watching a tiger. I shooed them away and closed the door again, hearing Maryse asking Alec: "What are you going to do with the warlock child? Give him to another warlock to raise him?" Alec didn't look at me before he answered: "He will stay here with us. Ezekiel is Magnus' brother and a child which is in need of help." I looked at his back, a little shocked, he wanted to adopt him just like that? "Are you ready to raise a child, Alexander? It's a lot of responsibility..." I went over to him and saw him smile before he looked back over his shoulder before answering: "We are ready for that. And I know we are not alone, when we need help, we got you all, right?" Maryse smiled too, taking his hand in hers. "For sure. You have to bring him over to us some time so we can get to know the small man."
Maryse was okay with it? I didn't even know if I was okay with it... Until now I was just responsible for cats. The rest of the time they all were here, I was like on autopilot. I just wanted to be alone with Alec. After they were all gone for today, I let myself fall onto the new couch, Alec sat down beside me, cuddling into my side and under my arm. "So... you want Ezekiel to live here with us?" "Don't you?" I picked up the chairman and sat him down in my lap, Tessa took good care of him. "I don't know... I never thought about being a big brother or something like a father. I'm not very good with children..." Alexander let his fingers glide over my knee and somehow I could feel that he was smiling. "You're his brother. You already try to protect him without thinking about it. I can say 'no' to children's pleading puppy eyes and you can teach him how to use his powers. We will survive it." Alec didn't wait for an answer. He let his leg glide over my lap and sat down in it, kissing me deep, hungry, soft, gentle and any other way I knew. I melted into his touch, his caressing, searching hands, his soft lips... in him.
