"There has never been a curse on you, Will Herondale. Not one put there by me."
Will felt like it was all collapsing around him. There was not a curse. There had never been a curse. "No," he said softly. "No, it isn't possible."
Marbas's eyes glowed in interest as he looked at the boy that had freed him all those years ago. "If you insist, however, there can be."
Magnus seemed to realize what Marbas meant a second too late. "No!" he cried out, magic appearing in his hands. Dark red flame, aimed straight at Marbas. But it was already too late.
"The curse is real," the demon said in his final moments, glaring at Will and then at Magnus, addressing his next words to him. "All are affected except for you." His eyes glowed in satisfaction as the flames consumed him, and a howl of agony filled the room.
Will dropped onto his knees. He couldn't breathe. "No," he whispered. "I wasted so many years of my life, and- and it wasn't even real-"
"Will, breathe," Magnus murmured, dropping down beside him and making soothing patterns on his back. "It's okay, it's okay…"
"It- it doesn't feel okay," Will whispered in a choked voice. "I can't go back to the Institute. I can't go back, I can't…" His eyes squeezed shut. "Because it's real now, and they- they love me, don't they? They- they love me- Charlotte, Henry- Jem- Tessa-"
Magnus brought Will in closer for a hug. "Breathe," he reminded him gently. "Breathe."
Will tried, but it was so hard. It felt as if his entire world were collapsing around him, and all he could do was try to listen to Magnus, to breathe. The task seemed too difficult to accomplish, but he tried, and eventually his breathing got more steady. Not normal, but steadier.
"You can stay here for now," Magnus murmured. "I won't be affected by the curse. That's what Marbas said."
"Why… why you?" Will whispered, a hint of confusion filling him.
"I think I know why, but it does not matter," Magnus said. "What matters is that you can stay here. I'll try to fix everything. There has to be a way to break the curse." He got up. "Will you be okay on your own…?"
Will nodded. Maybe he would even be better on his own. He curled up into a ball and squeezed his eyes shut.
"I'm sorry it ended up like this," Magnus whispered, and Will didn't have a response to that. "I promise, I'll try to fix it all." Then he exited the room.
The moment he heard the door slam shut, Will let himself cry.
Of course, since they were in Woolsey Scott's house, it was only polite to explain the situation to Woolsey Scott.
Woolsey was not impressed.
"You're telling me," the werewolf said slowly, "that the Nephilim boy thought he was cursed, came to you for help to remove the curse… and only ended up actually getting cursed?"
"That's the gist of it, yeah," Magnus agreed with a sigh. "Not my finest moment." He thought of Will, still in that room, trembling and so, so broken, and knew this was far past his finest moment.
Woolsey sighed. "You understand, Magnus, that it may not be the best idea for him to be in my house."
"You're kicking us out," Magnus summarized.
"Not right at the moment," Woolsey said. "I'm not that cruel. I'll help you find a place. But I can't learn to care for the boy."
"I understand," Magnus said. He felt a brief flare of anger at Woolsey for his actions, but at the same time, he understood. Woolsey didn't just have himself to worry about, but also his pack, and the entirety of the Praetor Lupus. If he died because of this curse, the werewolves in London could fall apart. Not just the werewolves in London, but in other places as well - the Praetor Lupus had members around the world.
"Forgive me for avoiding the Nephilim during his stay here," Woolsey said. "I'm sure you'll both understand."
Magnus thought of Will, terrified for those he loved, those who loved him, and said, "He will."
The London Institute didn't know where Will was. No Shadowhunter knew where he was, in fact.
A distant part of Will knew that Tessa and all the others were in danger from Mortmain and his clockwork creatures, but he also knew that they were in danger from himself. He could not risk their lives because he simply cared too much. They could deal without him.
Eventually, they would forget him, and they would be safe.
"Will," Magnus's voice sounded, and Will turned to see the warlock, carrying a plate of food. Not much - Will hadn't been eating much since the curse had been put on him - but enough. Will slowly began to eat.
He had been here for a few days now. The others were surely getting worried.
A few more days, and maybe they would realize his disappearance was a blessing. Will sure hoped so.
"I want to move out of London," Will said softly, and Magnus turned to look at him. "I want to get away from…" his voice choked. "From… everything."
"I understand," Magnus said softly. "I suppose London carries bad memories for me too, now."
"Camille." It wasn't a question. Will knew that she and Magnus had a bad break up. He thought he might even have been there for it, but his memory was fuzzy.
"Camille," Magnus agreed. "We'll find a place outside of London."
"You don't have to come with me," Will muttered.
"On the contrary, I do," Magnus said. "I will go wherever you want to go."
Will fell silent. He didn't know where he wanted to go, he only knew where he didn't want to go.
"I have an apartment in Paris," Magnus said. "We can go there for now."
Will nodded slowly. "That works."
"We'll go tomorrow, then," Magnus said, getting up.
"Tomorrow," Will agreed softly.
As Magnus left, Will once again let his thoughts drift into despair.
Will hated himself for leaving London, and all those he cared about, behind. Yet, he knew he had to. For their own safety. Maybe they would understand someday. They'd forget about him.
His fingers glided over his parabatai bond. Jem will never find someone to replace me, he thought distantly. I'll forever be his parabatai, his only parabatai. They were bonded together until death.
Jem wouldn't forget him, couldn't forget him, but the others would.
"Welcome to my apartment!" Magnus said loudly, breaking through Will's thoughts, as he swung the door open. Will peeked inside and hesitantly stepped in. Magnus walked in after him and closed the door.
"It's nice," Will said quietly.
"Why, thank you!" Magnus said happily. Will assumed he was keeping up this cheerful attitude for Will's sake. "I'll show you where you can sleep."
Will dragged the little bit of luggage he brought to the room that was now his. With a wave of his hand, Magnus summoned a comfortable-looking bed into it, and Will settled down.
"I'll be around if you need me," Magnus said, heading towards the door.
"Magnus, wait!" Will called, and the warlock paused and turned back to Will. Will froze, unsure what he was going to say. "N-nevermind…"
Magnus headed back into the room and sat down next to Will. "If you want to talk, I'm here."
"I don't know what I'd even talk about," Will muttered.
Magnus turned towards Will, his cat eyes glimmering in the light. "Anything."
Will paused. "Then why- why aren't you affected? By my curse?"
Magnus was the one to pause this time. "...my father," he finally said. "I don't wish to elaborate more on the topic."
Will nodded. "I understand," he murmured. Your father is a demon, after all.
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?" Magnus questioned.
"Sure," Will said, because he had nothing else to do, and Magnus's company just felt nice.
Magnus spent a lot of time by himself researching. Will would occasionally pass by his room, the door closed and locked, and wonder why Magnus would waste all this time to try and find a cure for Will.
Will could live like this, if it meant keeping everyone he cared about safe. Charlotte and Henry, those who had taken him into the Institute. Jem, his parabatai. And Tessa…
It had been so long since Will had left the Institute that he was not sure he even loved Tessa anymore. But he knew he still cared for her, and did not want her to die because of him.
One day, when Magnus left his room, Will was outside waiting for him.
"I'm fine," Will started. "I… I've survived, living like this, without… without anyone from there. You don't need to find an imaginary solution."
Magnus frowned, looking unconvinced. "Will…"
"I'm fine," Will repeated, quieter this time.
"You miss them," Magnus said, and it was a statement, not a question. "I can see it clearly. You miss them, and it hurts you every day. And do you truly not believe that they miss you?"
Will closed his eyes. "It's better not to think about that," he whispered. "It's better to believe that they are glad I am gone."
Magnus stepped closer to Will. "I'm going to keep looking for a solution," he said. "I'll do it for as long as I have to."
Will nodded slowly. The fact that Magnus was so close to him made his heart flutter. Something about Magnus these days seemed different to Will.
I think of him the way I thought of Tessa.
"Thank you," he said out loud instead, not wanting to admit to the feelings deep inside him.
Magnus smiled. "Now, let's get something to eat, shall we? You haven't been outside the house for such a long time, and if you act unpleasant to everyone, you will have nothing to worry about."
It had been two years now.
Will had felt it so long ago when Jem died. He had broken down, and Magnus had been there for him, as he always had been for a long time now. The spot where his parabatai rune used to be hurt.
Jem had died and had never known why Will had disappeared.
That night had been the one where Will, consumed by grief, first kissed Magnus. And once it was clear that his actions were not fully brought on by grief, that he truly loved Magnus, their relationship had grown into something different. Romantic.
It had been two years now, and Magnus finally found a cure.
And that was why Will stood in front of the London Institute, Magnus by his side.
I can never return to the life I once had, Will thought, but I can still see the people I once knew.
He knocked on the door.
If you enjoyed reading, please leave a comment!
My upcoming works are on my profile!