The Warlock of Notre Dame: Chapter Five- The Peace Before the Storm.

Alec Pov- "I think you should dress nice to go see Magnus tonight. Wearing your old sweaters all the time is going to make him think you aren't interested in him. Try for once in your life to look good," Clary criticized, going through my closet. She was trying to get passed my sea of sweaters to see if I had any 'decent clothes'.

"Magnus isn't the kind of person who cares about stuff like that. Besides, I think he likes my sweaters."

Clary sighed, standing up straight and turning around to look at me. "That's only because he doesn't know any better. What does he wear? A dirty T-shirt and some black pants? It's not his fault because that's all my father has given him to wear, but still, I bet he would dress nice if he could."

That sparked an idea in my brain. Maybe I should buy Magnus some nice clothes to wear. Would he be upset if I did? Maybe it will just come off as me being snobby and telling him he needs to be dressed better around me. I hope he doesn't misunderstand. He deserves to have new clothes and not wear the same thing every day.

"Maybe I should get Magnus something to wear… but what would I get him?" I was completely lost when it came to buying clothes. Isabelle used to go clothes shopping for me while I would just find nice sweaters at flea markets.

Clary put her hands up, shaking her head. "Sorry, I'm not the person to talk to when it comes to buying clothes for guys. The closest I have to a guy friend is you and Simon, and he buys weird shirts from America."

I frowned wondering what I should do. I don't want to buy Magnus something and then have him hate it. It's not like he will tell me he hates it. Knowing him, he will say it's nice even though it's stupid.

"You seem to be having a problem. It just so happens, I am the solution," an annoyingly familiar voice came from my bedroom door. I turned toward it, seeing Jace Herondale leaning on my door frame, smirking at me.

"Why are you here? This is the DDS Shelter home. You aren't supposed to be here," Clary growled, making Jace hold up his hands in defense.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second feisty. If you must know, I was escorting that werewolf girl home safely. She was finally found not guilty for stealing the fruit and Valentine had no choice but to let her go. I wanted to make sure she made it home without any problems."

I couldn't help but smile slightly at that. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you cared about a werewolf's wellbeing."

"Don't look too much into it Lightwood. I was just trying to help a cute girl get home. It had nothing to do with what type of creature she was."

He could say that all he wants, but Jace didn't fool me one bit. I could tell by the way he helped me with Magnus that he was a good guy deep down. He cared about people around him, unlike most Nephilim.

"How are you supposedly going to assist me," I asked, crossing my arms.

He gestured his hand down his body, showing off his tight black T-shirt, and leather pants that, I hate to admit, looked damn good on him. His black combat boots finished off the look.

"I happen to be an expert when it comes to buying nice clothes. If it's a nice outfit you want to get for Magnus, I'm the guy to help you find it."

Clary moved in front of me, staring Jace down with her intense, protective gaze. Something tells me she got that from spending too much time with me.

"What is in it for you?"

Jace shrugged, "nothing. I just want to enjoy someone else's company. I can only handle Jonathan and Valentine for so long. Alec and I already somewhat know each other, we might as well grow our relationship."

He did say before that he thought knowing me would keep his job interesting. Guess he needs his life to be more interesting as well.

"Okay… I'll accept your help," I agreed, making Clary look at me shocked.

"You are going to trust my fathers' top guard to help you get a present for Magnus? That's just crazy Alec."

I shrugged, grabbing my wallet off my bedside table. "He's harmless Clary. As for you, get to cleaning. All my sweaters better be back in my closet and hung up properly."

She smacked her lips, turning back to my closet and pulling even more sweaters out. "Oh please, I'm still trying to find something suitable for you to wear on your date tonight."

A flush spread across my cheeks. "It's not a date Clary. I'm just going to visit Magnus."

She nodded, not stopping her search. "Yes, in the middle of the night, the day after having a heated make out session with him."

"Can we not talk about that around…" I tossed my head toward Jace, making clary snicker.

Jace raised an eyebrow, a cocky smirk on his face. "You and Magnus are already that close? You work fast Lightwood."

"It's not like that! Magnus and I are still just getting to know each other!"

He threw his arms up in surrender but the smirk didn't leave his face. "Let's go get a new outfit for your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," I groaned, following him out of my room.

Once we were outside we walked down the road in silence. Again, I was shocked that this guy even knew how to be quiet for longer than five seconds. He seemed to always have his mouth open. I'm sure he just likes hearing himself talk.

"So Jace… tell me about yourself. Where did you live before coming to Paris?"

He shrugged, putting his hands in the pockets of his leather pants. They were so tight on his legs, I was surprised his hands could fit.

"I was born and raised in Idris. My grandmother is the Inquisitor, and she's very family oriented so she makes sure to have all the Herondale's close by. That being said, we are also known to be great war hero's. Every Herondale is expected to make a name for themself."

"I know how that feels. The Lightwoods aren't war hero's, but it is expected of us to be perfect in every way. That's why everything I've ever done disappointed my family. I'm far from the perfect Lightwood I was supposed to be."

Jace nodded frowning. "How old were you when you first started hunting demons, Alec?"

I thought about that for a moment. "Well… I guess you can say I started when I was Fourteen. I got my runes at ten like everyone else and started training from there. I went on my first hunt on my fourteenth birthday."

A sad smile appeared on Jace's face, and a look of… dread? Maybe even terror, was in his eyes.

"I got my runes at ten and was immediately thrown into hunting demons. By time I was fourteen, I was in the middle of a war. The enemy underestimated me because I was a child, but they quickly learned not to. A week into the war, I killed my first man."

I stopped in my tracks, looking at him shocked. I've never been at war and certainly haven't killed anything but a demon. Doing all of that at all, let alone when you're fourteen… by the angel. I would never be able to live with such a burden.

"Is that why you're here in Paris now? Because you needed to get away from the war?"

He nodded, clenching his fists at his sides. "When I first started fighting in the war, I felt powerful, like I was doing my family proud. I fought hard and took pride in every victory. Even when I would lose, I took pride in the fact that I had fought."

"Sometime last year, I befriended a Shadowhunter who was fighting for the other side. He was just like me, someone who had a family name to live up to. When it came down to it, our friendship wasn't strong enough. He dropped his weapon, not able to kill me… but I… I couldn't let my family down. I struck him, killing the only friend I ever had."

He looked down at the ground frowning. "After that day… something shifted inside me. I was compelled to stop and look around. There was so much destruction everywhere I looked. Corpses from each side scattered around like they were nothing. Soldiers stepped on the bodies of their enemies, as if they were already part of the earth and they weren't once a living person who mattered to someone."

He stayed silent before softly saying, "My grandmother and father told me that accepting this guard job was cowardly, and running away from the war makes our family look weak. I know that I have let them down, but I couldn't live with the guilt of taking all those lives. I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat. Every time I did manage to eat, I would immediately throw it up, having remembered all the dead. It all just… it became too much."

My father said my grandfather went through something like that. He was a great hero while he was young, but when he was older, he thought back on his actions during war and it made him sick with himself. He got sick to the point of death. He died a week before I was born.

It's rare for a Shadowhunter to go through guilt while they are still young. Jace started at a very young age so I guess he has more years on his record than most of those other hunters.

"Do you feel better now that you are a guard," I asked softly.

He nodded looking up again. "It's not the most rewarding job… but it is peaceful. I only have to keep people out of the institute and bring in a Downworlder or two."

He smirked at me now. "At least, I'm supposed to be keeping people out of the institute. Someone keeps getting passed me."

I smiled, not able to help myself. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure, you don't. Come on lover boy, let's get your boyfriend some new clothes," he said starting to walk again.

"He's not my boyfriend," I whined, following him.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You want him to be your boyfriend though, don't you?"

"I… well… I don't know. I mean, he's a really sweet guy and kissing him made me feel something I've never felt before, but there are so many things that could keep us apart. Is it really worth it to fight for a possible relationship?"

He shrugged smiling. "The best relationships are the ones you have to fight for."

"What about you? Do you have someone you're interested in?"

He nodded not even going to deny it. "As a matter of fact, I do. That feisty little redhead is on my radar. I've never met another girl like her. Do you think I have a chance with her?"

I shrugged, not really knowing if he did or not. I've only known Clary for a few months. There was no way I was qualified to figure out who she would be into."

"I think she likes you," was all I said.

He smiled excitedly, pleased with that response. We walked into a clothing store and he grabbed me by the arm, pulling me toward the back of the store. "All the best clothes are in the back."

He stopped by a rack of colorful shirts, starting to look through them. "You want to get something that will either go with his skin tone, or make his eyes pop. Bonus points if you get one that can do both."

I blinked, watching him in shock before asking, "Are you sure you aren't gay?"

He rolled his eyes at that. "A guy doesn't have to be gay to know about clothes. Some of us just like looking good for the sake of being hot."

I nodded, thinking he had a point there. "So, I should get a color that would look great with tan brown skin?"

He nodded, "or golden-green eyes, or both."

I looked through the rack, dismissing every color I saw until an olive-green shirt caught my eye. It looked a lot like Magnus's eyes and the shade of green seemed like it would look great with Magnus's skin tone. Jace must have agreed because he grabbed it, looking it over thoughtfully.

"This is perfect. Let's find him a nice pair of jeans and we will have the perfect outfit." He walked away with the shirt and I watched him thinking before following him.

"Can I ask you something?"

He nodded as he looked through a few pairs of jeans. "Sure, go for it."

"Why are you helping me? Letting me talk to Magnus at all goes against everything your job is about, yet you are here helping me pick out clothes for him. Why?"

Jace kept looking through the jeans, not answering me. I started thinking I wasn't gonna get an answer when suddenly he said, "I miss having a friend… I hoped that you and I could… you know…"

I cocked my head to the side in wonder. "Be friends?"

He nodded, not saying the words out loud. His cheeks were flushed slightly as if talking about friendship made him uncomfortable. I suppose it would if you murdered the only friend you ever had.

"I don't mind being your friend, Jace."

He looked back at me surprised. "You don't?"

I shook my head no. "What about you? Can you really have a member of the Downworlder Defenders Society as a friend?"

He nodded without hesitation. "I'm used to befriending the other side."

'We saw how well that worked out for you last time' I thought but didn't voice out loud.

"Then I guess you and I are officially friends," I said instead. He smiled at me before grabbing a pair of jeans, handing them to me.

"These will go great with that shirt."

I took them, looking them over before nodding in agreement. "Thanks again for your help."

He waved me off before walking with me to the register to pay for everything. Once that was all done, we walked out of the store and headed down the road. I stopped at a weapons shop to pick up some special arrows I had made and Jace looked at them curiously.

"Is the arrowhead made of silver?"

I nodded, pulling one of my arrows out of the bag and holding it out to him. Originally, I had my arrows made like this to hurt werewolves, back when I was still a Shadowhunter. Now a day, I just like how they cut through things. I'm the only Nephilim in the world who ever had their arrows done like this.

I bought a new bow as well, before heading out the store with Jace, looking at the time. "It's almost time for me to see Magnus," I said looking up at the sky, pink from sunset.

"Come to the door closest to the back tonight, I'll be there to open it for you. Valentine has been locking the doors lately for some reason."

I nodded thanking him. "It would be a lot easier seeing Magnus with your help."

He smiled at me but lost his smile when a voice from ahead yelled, "Jace!"

We both looked forward, seeing Jonathan Morgenstern walking up to us. Once he was in front of us, he glanced over at me, his eyes trailing up and down my body. It made me shiver uncomfortably.

"What did you need, Jonathan," Jace asked, also looking slightly put off by Jonathans obvious attempt to discreetly check me out.

He finally stopped looking at me and turned his gaze to Jace. "Father wants to see you. He thought you would have been back from taking that Werewolf girl home. Which, he wasn't very happy about I might add."

Jace looked at his watch frowning. "I didn't realize it had gotten so late. Sorry Alec, I need to head back to Notre Dame to start patrolling the area."

I nodded at him. "Good luck."

He nodded before starting to walk away, he stopped though when he noticed Jonathan wasn't following him.

"Are you coming, Jonathan?"

He nodded, not taking his eyes off me. "I will meet you there. There is something I want to discuss with Alec real quick."

Jace glanced at me, silently asking if I was going to be okay and I just nudged my chin, telling him to go ahead. Maybe Jonathan wanted to ask me something about Clary or talk to me about Magnus. Both have told me that he is a sweet guy, so there couldn't be too much harm in talking with him.

Jace seemed hesitant but left anyway. Jonathan watched him go before moving over to the alleyway close by. Feeling slightly awkward, I followed him. "What did you need Jonathan?"

He turned back to me, searching me with his eyes again until his met with mine. He smiled sweetly, reaching up and gently brushing his fingertips against my cheek. That cold shiver went down my spine again, making me pull away from his touch. I pulled an arrow out and put it in place on my bow, just in case I had to defend myself.

"What are you doing?"

He glanced down at the weapon in my hand but his smile didn't waver. "Alec, I've decided that I want to join the DDS."

That shocked me, causing me to slowly lower my bow. "You… you what?"

"My father is wrong. He has always been wrong. Raziel is as well. I don't need to follow them anymore. I only need one thing now."

I frowned at him confused. "Are you talking about your mom and Clary?"

He shook his head no, reaching out to me again, making me hold my bow in a fighting stance again. I didn't want him touching me anymore.

"No Alec. I don't need my father, Raziel, my mother or my sister. All I need now is you."

Those words made my ears ring. Did he really just say what I thought he said?

"Me? I don't understand."

He suddenly moved fast, getting closer to me. I was so surprised, that I let go of the arrow and it went flying passed his head, sticking into the alley wall behind him instead. He quickly grabbed my arm, twisting my wrist enough to make me drop my bow.

I cried out in slight pain as he pulled me forward, slamming my back onto the wall and pressing his body against mine. He had a tight grip on my wrists, making me unable to pull them away no matter how much I tried.

"Let me go Jonathan!"

He didn't listen to me, instead he leaned his face in close against my neck, breathing me in before licking up my neck. I cringed, trying harder to pull my wrists out of his grip.

"Get off me!"

He silenced my scream by smashing his lips against mine, his tongue tasting every inch of my mouth. He let go of my wrists, moving his hands to my neck, to hold my head in place to kiss me deeper. I placed my hands on his shoulders, trying to shove him off me, but he wouldn't budge.

I bit down hard on his tongue, making him yelp in pain. Using that as my chance, I shoved him off me and smacked him across the face making his head snap to the other side. My breathing came out harsh as I tried to get oxygen back in my lungs.

Jonathan touched his cheek before looking back at me, looking genially surprised by my rejection. I wiped off my mouth with the back of my hand, the taste of his tongue still on mine. It made me feel sick.

He stared at me silently a moment longer before his face changed to one of rage and he charged at me, grabbing my shoulders and slamming me against the wall again.

"Why are you being this way? I finally gave you what you wanted, didn't I? You have been coming to me for days! Torturing me with things I have always wanted but could never have! Now that I have finally accepted it, you're choosing to reject me?! You are the one who came to me!"

I shook my head, having no idea what he was talking about. "Whatever you think you saw, it wasn't me. I don't even know you!"

"You will know me," he seethed, grabbing me by the jaw painfully. "You have awakened something inside me Alec Lightwood. You are all I want. I will have you no matter what it takes."

He kissed up my neck making me clench my eyes shut tightly.

"I worship you Alec. I will do anything you ask of me. I love you."

Those words made me feel cold inside.

"let. Me. Go."

"You don't need the DDS. You don't need Magnus. All you will ever need is me. We need each other. We will love each other."

"I said LET ME GO!" I thrust my knee forward as hard as I could, it colliding with Jonathans groin. He grunted in pain, falling to the ground. I quickly gathered my bow and the clothes I bought Magnus before running out of the ally. Even all the way down the road, I could hear him yelling at me.

"You do not want to make an enemy out of me Alec! I will have you one way or another!"

I ignored his declaration, running down the street as fast as I could to get away from him. He was crazy! Why was this happening?!

My legs led me to Notre Dame, probably the last place I wanted to be at the moment. Even so, Magnus was in there, Seeing Magnus would help me calm down. I always felt calm around him.

Taking a calming breath, I snuck in through the door Jace told me about, going to go visit Magnus and get my mind off what just happened.

Jonathan Pov- How could he just run away from me? The nerve of him to even think of doing such a thing! He was the one who came to me first! He tempted me, gave me a taste and now that I want the full meal, he is keeping it away from me!

There had to be a way to convince him to be with me. He wanted me once, he could want me again. Even if he doesn't want me, I will make him be with me no matter what it costs. I will sacrifice everything I have, to have him.

"What do you think you were doing?!"

My fathers' voice echoed in the alley, making me flinch in surprise. I turned around and he walked out of the shadows, his face red with rage.

"Father… how long have you been here?"

"I was here the entire time. Something has been off with you so I followed you to see what it could possibly be. I never would have expected it to be some sinful love affair with a man."

I growled at his words. "What Alec and I have is no love affair!"

He crossed his arms. "That's right, he looked like he didn't want anything to do with you. Forcing someone down like that is distasteful Jonathan, among everything else you were doing with that boy."

He sighed, running his hand over his face. "First Clary, and now you. Where did I go wrong with you kids?"

"There is nothing wrong with me! I am in love with Alec Lightwood and he loves me in return! We are going to be together!"

"It didn't look like he loved you from where I was standing. In fact, he looked like he was desperately trying to get away from you."

"He's just confused right now. He will come to his senses and see that he and I are meant to be together. I will have him be mine, even if I have to force it upon him."

I walked passed him and up to the wall where Alec's arrow was still sticking out. I pulled it out, turning it over in my hand and looking over the silver arrow head. It was an interesting little quirk that no other arrow had.

"Jonathan, what do you think Raziel would say if he saw the way you are behaving? The angel isn't forgiving. If you turn your back on him now, you will have no place in the City of Bones."

"I don't give a damn about Raziel," I snapped, making my father's face turn pale with shock.

"You can't possibly mean that…"

"I do. The only person I worship is Alexander. He is the only one that matters anymore. I will worship him, love him, do anything for him. I would even kill for him."

Father frowned before quickly walking over to me, grabbing me by the arms. "You aren't well. I can call the Silent Brothers to look over your mind. We can get you help. It's Magnus, isn't it? You spend too much time with that worthless creature and now you are being corrupted. We can fix that Jonathan. I'll have Magnus put down. Poison his food and let him die in peace, then he won't be able to taint you any longer."

"Magnus has nothing to do with this father. You say 'put him down' as if he is a dog. Magnus is my precious brother. He is not the cause of this corruption inside me. That title goes to Alec Lightwood. He is the one who awakened this desire in me."

"Then I will have him arrested. I'll run him out of town so he can't hurt you ever again."

I frowned at that before moving out of his grasp, turning my back to him. I glance over the arrow in my hands, slowly spinning it against my fingers.

"You are right about one thing father. For Alec to accept me, I may have to use drastic measures. Arresting him just might be the thing I need to force him to submit to me."

Father glared. "Only the head of the institute can command arrests. I will not lock him up to indulge in your twisted fantasy. I will send him far from Paris, where you will never see him again."

I stopped turning the arrow in my hands. "You're right, father, only the head of the institute can command such dramatic actions."

Without another word, I quickly turned back around, slamming the arrow deep into my father's chest, right through his heart. Father gasped, blood pooling up his throat and out his mouth, seeping down his chin. He fell to his knees, his eyes turning gray, on the verge of death.

I gasped, putting a hand on my chest and faking panic. "Oh no, my father has been murdered in cold blood. Stabbed in the heart by a custom-made arrow."

I smirked. "With a special made weapon like that, only one person could have caused it."

Father tried to talk but he just kept choking on his blood. Finally, he fell completely forward, dead on the spot. Putting up the act, I screamed in agony, falling to my knees next to my father. Moments later, a group of Nephilim came running, freezing when they saw my fathers' dead body.

"Who did this," one asked, outraged.

I sniffed passed my tears, pulling the arrow out of his chest. "Only one person could have done it. These are special made arrows for an ex Shadowhunter name Alexander Lightwood. It could have only been him."

One of the Shadowhunters looked down at my father before looking back at me. "With your father dead, we now take our orders from you. What do you want us to do?"

"Put out a warrant for the arrest of Alexander Lightwood. Make sure all of Paris knows of his crimes. He is to be brought to me alive, for the murder of my father. I will take care of him from there."

They nodded before going off to spread the word. I watched them go before glancing down at my father. "Well, would you look at that. It seems you were useful to me after all. Enjoy your precious city of Bones."

With that, I left to alley, not being able to keep the wicked smirk off my face. This was all going to work out in the end. Either Alec will accept me and love me, or he will be put to death for the murder of my father.

I am the only one who can have Alec. Not the DDS, not Magnus, no one else but me.

Either Alec Lightwood will be mine, or he will burn in hell.

Magnus Pov- I paced around the bell tower, waiting for Alexander to arrive. The sun had just set and the moon was now high up in the sky. Alec said he would come after sundown, so he should be here any minute.

The excitement in me was echoed by the loud thumping of my heart. What happened between us yesterday replayed in my mind all day long. The way Alec's lips felt on mine was heavenly, and the confidence being with him like that gave me was intoxicating. I wanted to have that confidence again.

"Magnus?" Alec's voice came from the secret entrance and I quickly rushed over to meet him there, a big smile on my face. I lost that smile though when I actually got a look at him. His black hair was a mess, his blue eyes wide and his skin deadly white, as if he saw a ghost.

I rushed over to him, grabbing him by the arms but he quickly flinched and pulled away from me. That stung. Why would he pull away like that? Did he finally see touching me as a way of being tainted? I couldn't hide the pain on my face as I slowly backed away from him.

Alec must have noticed because he quickly dropped everything he was holding and got rid of the distance between us by wrapping his arms tight around me and hiding his face in my chest. He was shaking slightly, making me frown and wrap my arms back around him tightly.

"Are you alright? You look so pale and you're shaking badly. What happened?"

Alec just held me tighter, keeping his face hidden from me. I frowned at him, placing one of my hands the on top of his head and running my fingers through his messy hair. This seemed to relax him because after a few minutes, he stopped shaking.

"It doesn't matter what happened… I feel better now that I'm with you," he said softly.

I didn't want to leave it there, but Alec lifted his head and pressed his lips to mine, silencing any complaint I was about to make. I immediately melted into the kiss, never able to focus on anything while Alec's lips are against mine.

He pushed me backwards until we were at the corner of the room where a pile of blankets made up my bed on the floor. He lowered us down on top of it and he sat in my lap, moving his arms around my neck as he kissed me deeper.

I had a feeling we would be doing more of this tonight, but I thought we would at least have a conversation first. Alec didn't seem to want to converse. Instead, he kissed me desperately, as if my lips were the only cure to help him get through whatever was making him so upset.

Not being able to take it anymore, I tore my lips away from Alec's, reaching my hands up and cupping his face in them so he couldn't look away from me.

"Alexander… what happened? Please tell me what's wrong."

He glanced away from me, his beautiful blue eyes looking sad and a little frightened. What could have possibly made him feel like this?

"Jon… some guy tried to sexually harass me in town today. He pressed me against an alley wall and started kissing my neck and forcing his tongue in my mouth. It was disgusting and made me feel… it made me feel like trash."

Alec was trembling again and I pulled him against my chest, laying my chin on top of his head as I held him tight.

"You don't have to be afraid Alec. You are safe here with me."

I noticed Alec glancing toward the secret entrance, as if expecting the person to hurt him to come strolling on up and do it again.

"Magnus… this might be the last time I come to see you for a while."

I pulled away from him, looking down at him stunned. "What? Why? Did I do something wrong? Alexander, if I did something to hurt you, I'm sorry. I would never intentionally hurt you!"

He reached up and cupped my cheek in the palm of his hand, shushing me quietly. "No Magnus, my reason has nothing to do with you. I just… I don't feel safe coming to the institute right now. I have been chancing it too much. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me. I'm only going to lay low for a little bit to get Valentine and Jonathan to stop trying to catch me coming up here."

My body relaxed at his words. He wasn't leaving because he didn't like me. He was staying away to protect me and himself from masters' wrath.

"I'm going to miss you Alexander," I whispered softly.

He smiled sadly at me before making a face like he remembered something. He got off me and walked back over to where he dropped his things. He picked them up and sat back in front of me, putting the stuff down by us.

The first thing I noticed were some arrows. They weren't like any I have ever seen before. Hesitantly, I picked one up and looked over the silver arrowhead, going to poke it with my finger but Alec grabbed my wrist to stop me.

"That's really sharp Magnus. You don't want to cut your finger open."

I nodded looking the arrow over some more. "What kind of arrow is it?"

He took it from me smiling. "It's the only one of its kind. The arrow head is made of pure silver. No other archer in the world has arrows like these."

"Wow, that's really impressive. What's in the bag," I asked glancing down at it.

A flush made its way to Alec's face as he pulled the bag against his chest. "Um… well… I bought you something. If you hate it don't be afraid to tell me. I won't mind if you do hate it… I was just thinking it would be a nice gift."

I blinked in confusion. "What's a gift?"

Alec's eyes met mine, looking sad for me. "You don't know what gifts are?"

I shook my head no and he nodded looking down at the bag.

"A gift is something someone gives to another person to make them feel good. It could be for a holiday or just because you wanted to. In this case, it was because I wanted to give you a present."

He handed me the bag and I hesitantly took it before pulling out the things inside. My eyes widened, seeing a nice cotton olive green shirt and some jeans. They were so clean! I forgot clothes were supposed to be nice and clean like this.

"I'm not trying to tell you that you dress badly, if that's what you think. Clary was talking to me about clothes and I thought it would be nice to get you something new to wear… do you hate it?"

I set the jeans on my lap before picking up the shirt, letting my thumbs brush over the softness of the fabric. I've never held something this nice in my hands before. It was just a plain T-shirt and jeans, but it meant so much more than that. To make it better, they were from Alexander.

Smiling, I pressed the shirt to me cheek, loving the softness of it. "These are amazing Alec. Thank you so much for thinking about me."

Alec's tense shoulders relaxed and he smiled again, seeming happy with my response. "I'm just glad you like them."

I nodded standing up and tearing my shirt over my head, making Alec's eyes skim over my chest before he blushed and looking away.

"Like what you see," I asked, once again not knowing where the confidence to even say that came from. Something about Alec just made me feel so free. It was like I could say or do anything around him, because I know he won't reprimand me for it.

Alec looked away still blushing for a few minutes before glancing back at me. "Yes actually, I do like what I see. I like everything about you."

Those words made my heart start pounding in my chest. It felt like it wanted to rip out of my ribcage and land in Alec's hands, hoping he will keep it safe.

I quickly threw on the new shirt, trying to ignore the feeling. Once the shirt was on, I started taking off my dirty jeans, making an eek sound escape passed Alec's lips and he covered his eyes with both of his hands.

I smiled, thinking he was adorable before I shimmied my pants off and put on the ones that he gave me. Surprisingly, they fit perfectly.

"How do I look," I asked, doing a slow twirl.

Alec lowered his hands from his face before smiling, skimming me over with his eyes.

"You look amazing Magnus, that shirt really does go with your skin tone."

He looked at my face saying, "and your eyes… the color of them pop so much, it's making me feel breathless."

Another flush invaded Alec's face when he realized he said something so embarrassing. I thought it was sweet though, so I dropped to my knees in front of him and cupped his face in my hands before pulling him in for an even sweeter kiss.

He smiled against my lips, putting his hands on my wrists.

We stayed like that for a while, but before I knew it, we were laying down on my bed of blankets, Alec beneath me as we kissed each other hungrily. I broke the kiss to lick a trail up Alec's neck, making him throw his head back in delight.

I used that as my chance to bite down on some sensitive sink on his neck, sucking on it and making cute little noises escape passed Alec's slightly parted lips. Those noises lit a fire inside me. Suddenly there was so much more I wanted to do with the ex Shadowhunter.

My fingers snuck underneath the fabric of his shirt before my hands glided up his abs and chest, pushing his shirt up with me. Alec's blue eyes looked slightly surprised by my actions, but he didn't object to it. Instead, he grabbed the rest of his shirt and pulled it over his head, so it was completely off his body.

That gave me more access to Alec's beautiful porcelain skin. I leaned down and started kissing him from his belly button all the way up to behind his ear. When I got to his ear he grabbed onto my arms, giggling from my breath tickling him.

I smiled against his skin, thinking Alec's laughter was the sweetest sound in the entire world. He cupped my face again, pulling me closer until our lips were touching again. This time the kiss wasn't hungry. It was just a slow brush of lips but it made me feel ten times hotter than any kiss had. It felt like electricity passed through us as our lips touched. I wonder if Alec felt it too?

Suddenly, Alec broke the kiss, looking deep into my eyes. He searched my face before reaching up with his right hand, brushing a strand of my hair out of my face. I smiled at him, leaning in and kissing his palm gently.

"Magnus… I don't know when the next time we see each other is going to be." He leaned up on his elbows, meeting my lips with his again before slightly pulling away. "The way I feel about you scares me… it just happened so fast. Even so, I don't think it's wrong. I feel like we were simply meant to be."

I could feel the burn of tears trying to form at the corner of my eyes. No one has ever said something like that to me before. Sure, Jonathan calls me his brother, but he also calls me a monster. Alexander has accepted me from day one, and he says we are meant to be together.

Someone actually wants to be with me.

I must not have done a good job at fighting the tears, because I could feel trails of wetness going down my cheeks. Alec leaned up again, kissing the tears as they fell down my face.

"I want to give you something to remember me by… so when we are apart you won't forget about me."

Frowning, I looked down at him wide eyed. "Alexander, there is no way I could ever forget about you." I glanced away sadly. "If anything, I am the forgetful one. Surely you will find someone better for you while you're away."

He rubbed his thumb gently against my cheek, shaking his head no. "I promise you that won't happen Magnus."

I looked over his face, trying to detect a lie but there was none. He was telling the truth and that made my heart soar even more. Smiling slightly, I leaned down to kiss him again, but stopped when the echoes of yelling hit my ears. It was coming from the second floor where the Nephilim living quarters were. Something big must have happened because I rarely ever hear anything coming from there.

Alec frowned hearing it too and he sighed, "I should probably go. Going by all that commotion, I'm going to assume security is to be bumped up. I should get out before there are too many guards to sneak passed."

This caused me to frown. "You have to leave so soon? When will I see you again?"

We both sat up and Alec wrapped his arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. "We will see each other as soon as I feel it's safe to come back here."

He stayed silent for a moment before saying, "unless… unless you want to come with me?"

I searched his face before glancing away sadly. "Alexander… I can't."

"The world isn't as bad as you think it is Magnus. You just had a bad experience. Wouldn't being with me make the risk worth it? Do you really think I would let anything bad ever happen to you again?"

"No, I don't think you would Alexander. That doesn't change the fact that I don't belong out there. I belong here with my master and my brother."

Alec frowned, grabbing my hand and placing it over his heart.

"You belong with me."

I smiled at him sadly, reaching my free hand up to cup his cheek. He leaned into the touch, glancing away.

"I wish everything was that simple Alec. You know as well as I do that it's not. I'm a Downworlder and a warlock at that. I need to stay here. I'm sorry."

Alec closed his eyes tight before dropping my hand and slowly standing up. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it back on before looking down at me again. I stood up, not taking my eyes off his. He reached up to stroke my face, before leaning in and giving me the softest kiss we have ever shared.

"I will come see you when I can."

"I'll be here waiting," I replied softly.

He smiled sadly at me before gathering his bow and arrows and walking to the secret entrance. I watched him go, feeling a piece of my heart going with him. Once he was gone, I sat back down on the blankets frowning.

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?!"

The volume of Ragnors voice surprised me. He didn't usually yell at me like that. Sure, he belittles me and bickers at me, but never yells.

"What," I asked frowning.

He shook his head at me. "You just let him go?! He wanted you to go with him Magnus! Why didn't you?!"

I scoffed at that. "You know very well why I didn't go. There is no way I can survive out there. You saw what happened when I tried. Alec is just one person, he can't protect me from everything that's out there."

Catarina frowned sadly at me. "Magnus, you love Alec, don't you?"

I nodded, hugging myself frowning.

She nodded back. "Don't you think love is worth the risk of getting hurt?"

Frowning more, I thought about what she was saying. It's true that I am absolutely terrified about being out in the world again, but would being with Alec make the fear worth it? Spending every moment with Alec, seeing him smile and hearing him laugh. A part of me feels like everything would turn out okay.

"Magnus? Where are you," Jonathan's voice echoed throughout the bell tower, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I'm in bed brother," I called back before standing up.

He found his way to me, and I frowned at the sight of him. His eyes were red and puffy like he had been crying. I don't think I have ever seen Jonathan cry.

"What was all the commotion going on downstairs," I asked, thinking that his tears may have something to do with that.

He reached his gloved hands out, grabbing mine and looking at our joint hands. He did this for a moment before looking up to meet my eyes.

"Magnus, father has been murdered."

Those words made me feel like my blood turned to ice.

"W-what do you mean? How do you know?"

He let go of my hands before walking over the window, looking out at the town below. A part of me hoped he didn't see Alexander leave the cathedral.

"Father was missing for a while so I went into town to find him. When I did locate him, he was laying on the ground in an alley, stabbed in the heart by a silver head arrow."

The blood in my veins got even colder if that was possible.

"A-A silver headed arrow?"

He nodded, pushing off the window and looking at me, his sad eyes now filled with rage.

"It was a special made arrow. Only one Nephilim in the entire world has one like it. Alexander Lightwood."

My heart was practically pounding in my chest. This couldn't be possible, could it? Alec wouldn't do such a thing… would he? He came in here looking so shaken. His story was that someone was trying to sexually abuse him. Was that the truth?

Maybe Valentine was the one who tried to hurt him, and Alec was just defending himself. Somehow, I don't see Master as the type of person to do something like that.

"So… so you are saying that Alec Lightwood, murdered Master?"

Jonathan nodded, a fierce fire now in his eyes. "Yes, and now that I am the head of the institute, I will make sure that he pays for his crime. I will find Alec Lightwood, and he will be put to death."

I couldn't stop the loud gasp from escaping passed my lips. "No! You can't!"

He stared at me intensely. "Magnus, he murdered our father in cold blood."

Confusion was eating away at me. Could Alec really have done such a thing? I just can't believe it!

Jonathan frowned at me sadly, reaching up and cupping my cheek in the same way Alec did. His wasn't as comforting as Alecs.

"Oh Magnus, you poor thing. You have been tricked by that devil of a man. It's alright, I know how he operates."

He dropped his hand from my cheek, now glaring at the wall.

"He pulls you in close and gets you to trust him, and once you do he shoves you away. He is wicked Magnus. He's wicked and the wicked shall not go unpunished."

I just stayed silent, not knowing what to say anymore. My whole world felt like it was spinning. How could Alec do this? He killed my master yet… yet I can't be angry at him.

He's Alexander. My precious Alexander.

He was the most important person to me now. Even my 'brother' couldn't compare. That means, if it comes down to choosing between my family and Alec…

Without a doubt, I will always choose Alec.