Chapter seven: Tell

Alec was walking; again walking down the streets of Idris. The moon hung low that evening, looking as sullen and as grim as he was. The dusk of the heavens seemed to perch on top of the Glass City's buildings and droop in melancholy - just as the city lights seemed to be dimmed – adding in with the feeling of loss and unfortunate events that hung over Alec like a sharp, thin stake.

He felt lost. He was lost. Even though he knew this part of the city like the back of his hand, even though he had weeks of practice from spending his free time walking around, aimlessly. Alec felt alone. He was alone. Even with Magnus trekking beside him, even with him holding Alec close by one of his lean arms.

Magnus was speaking, but Alec felt as though his words poured themselves into a thick jumble; he was looking to the ground, watching them fall onto the bricked floors. "Alec…" Magnus said, as if sensing his silence. "Talk to me."

Alec shook and bowed his head. Silence overcame him; silence perpetuated, went through him in a never-ending ball of insecurity – the insecurity caused by the demons that haunted him. Normally, he'd have no problems fighting demons. He had a weapon, and he had the skills to fight them. But, this time, he didn't have any of that. All he had was his mind. All he had to fight was his own mind.

"Look at it this way," Magnus said. They were still walking down the roads; the roads that seemed to be as dead and as silent as the current, black night. "I can talk to you; you can talk to me. And nothing is going to ever stop… no one can ever stop that kind of communication we have." Alec acknowledged that to be true. They had now known each other for over a year, and they had almost never stopped talking to each other. It was just how they were, as a couple.

Alec looked at Magnus, then, straight in the eye. "You want to know what's keeping me awake," he said. It wasn't a question. Just as they neared the bridge ahead, Alec lifted his arms and rubbed his eyes. The bridge would arc above their heads as they would walk under; and it was always dark in there. Dark, murky and uncanny. But, of course, nothing a Shadowhunter or Warlock would notice.

"Well, yes," Magnus said. "Were you paying attention to my whole sleep-is-good-for-you lecture?"

Alec shrugged. "Not really. Sorry."

"It's alright," Magnus sighed. They were passing under the bridge, darkness overcoming and staying with them. The moon's light was gone, so it stuck onto their backs like a thick, black paint.

Alec's boots made loud, echoed noises and seemed to stick more and more into the ground with each step. "It's just the nightmares," he said. It came out fast, almost too fast for Magnus to understand. "Demons, Sebastian," he arcs his neck and looks behind him and Magnus – outside the bridge's entrance. He sees nothing but the buildings, homes and the moon's luminescent shine. "My brother."

Magnus gave him a disgusted look. "Jace?"

"No," Alec replied. "Max."

"Oh," Magnus says, looking up.

"What?" Alec looks to the ceiling. The only potentially icky things there were bugs; big bugs he swore had more than a couple hundred legs.

"Nothing," Magnus said. "I'm just thinking."

"Don't even think about it," Alec said. "There is no connection. There is none at all."

"I wouldn't say that..." Magnus pulled him in tighter. "But there always had been something about dreams."

Alec raised an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"

"Dreams always bring answers. Answers from your subconscious. Whether its stress, pain, something supernatural…" He pouts. "Or if you're lacking in sex-life."

Alec ignored the last part. "So you're saying I'm stressed." They exited the bridge, then, and the moon's light touched them once again.

"No. Well," Magnus looks at him. "You look stressed. But that's not my point." He looks ahead, once again – way too vigilantly to be the laid back, free spirited Magnus. Something was wrong. "You're saying you saw Max. Demons, Sebastian."

"Yes."

"I think someone could be giving you messages… multiple people, even. Remember when Valentine was killing those Downworlder children? I had dreams, then – given to me." Alec watched as the moon's light shone off of Magnus's skin. He watched as it made his eyes glint – just like the night sky's couple dozen stars. "By one of the children, I think."

"I was there," Alec voiced. "With Max. The day he died." He saw a middle-aged man – who was sitting on a bench nearby, smoking – eyeing them carefully.

Magnus looks at Alec sympathetically. "Remember; this is your own mind. If someone… something is trying to tell you something, it's passing through you. Things can be distorted. Things can even be lost."

Alec's heels dug into the ground and stop. Magnus (who's arm was still around him), was forced to stop along with him. Alec spoke. e "Then… what about before?" When he saw that Magnus looked confused, he elaborated. "With Jace."

"I don't know. I just know… whoever that was, it wasn't you."

Alec gets out of Magnus's grip and faces him, straight on. He lifted his arms and wraps them around Magnus's neck. Magnus takes his own arms and entangles them around Alec's waist. "Thank you," Alec said, not caring about the man behind him.

He kisses Magnus, and Magnus kisses him back.

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A note: As a part of The Day of Silence (4/16/2010), I'm dedicating this chapter to all of the silenced gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, queer and questioning teens. No one in today's world deserves to be silenced and/or bullied; not now, not ever.

And a thank you for all the reviews thus far! I never thought I would get 40+ reviews. And if you're confused, don't worry. It'll all make sense in the end (hopefully? LOL JK).