The Warlock of Notre Dame Chapter Eight: Magnus's choice.
Magnus Pov- "How long do you think he's going to keep cleaning that bell? He's been wiping down the same one for the past hour," Ragnor's voice hit my ears but I ignored him. I couldn't focus on anything else but my worry for Alec.
There was so much spinning around in my head. Alec possibly killed Master Valentine, Jonathan was determined to kill Alec, and worst of all, half of Paris was currently on fire.
It started with the Antique store at the end of town that holds all the Vampires of Paris. I was standing at the Balcony looking out for Alec, when suddenly smoke rose up into the sky. Terrified that Alec could be in danger, I got on the roof of the cathedral to see where it was coming from. The building ended up falling in on itself, and by time the fire was out, there was only ash and the dust from the vampire's bodies left behind.
An hour later, the werewolf bar in the middle of town was the next to be caught on fire. One after another, every Downworlder establishment in Paris was set ablaze. The sun had set by now but the flames illuminating outside made it feel like it was still sundown.
I can't help but freak out by all of this. What was Jonathan doing to the city? Was Alec hiding in any of those buildings? What if he was dead?
No! I can't even think about the possibility that Alec could be dead. I refuse to even consider it. He is the strongest person I have ever met. Alec might be far from Paris by now, and I was just making myself sick with worry over nothing.
The thought of Alec leaving Paris hurt almost as much as the thought of him being dead. We haven't known each other very long, but I already can't imagine my life without him. He makes me feel things I have never felt before. He gives me a sense of confidence that I'm not ready to lose yet.
"Do you regret not going with him," Catarina asked softly. She was sitting on the edge of the balcony, looking out at the flames of Paris. I stopped cleaning the already spotless bell and glanced at her frowning. She hasn't said anything since the fires started.
Ragnor had done nothing but talk since they started. Speaking all the doubts I had in my head out loud, making them ten times worse. 'Alec has to be dead by now', 'Jonathan won't stop until he has him', 'maybe you should give up hope'.
The only reason I started washing the bells is because I couldn't stand Ragnors words any longer. I had to distract myself with something. Anything.
Catarina looked back at me when I didn't answer her question. I sighed, dropping the cloth that was in my hand before I walked over to the balcony, sitting next to her.
"Do I regret letting Alec go without me… yes, of course. That doesn't change the fact that I'm not safe out there."
She frowned, leaning toward me and putting her hand on top of mine. "You aren't safe here either Magnus. Being Jonathans 'brother' doesn't change the fact that you are a Downworlder. He could turn on you at any point in time. Why torture yourself staying here when you could go find Alec and be with him?"
I looked down at my feet, squeezing Catarina's hand in mine. "I've always been here Cat. This bell tower is all I have ever known. Jonathan, Valentine, and this institute is all I have ever known. What if I leave and something goes wrong? I'm a warlock. There are people out there who want me dead, right? I don't know how to fight with Magic and I can't just expect Alec to protect me. Besides that, Alec is the one who needs protecting and I can't do it."
"You said so yourself that Alec gave you confidence. Maybe being with him will help you learn about yourself and your magic. Staying here will only stall that growth."
Ragnor snorted at that. "Growth? The fact that he's still sitting here proves that there hasn't been any 'growth'. He's still the Nephilim's scared little pet. Being with Alec isn't going to change any of that. It's just him going to a new master."
Catarina glared at him. "Alec is different from Jonathan and Valentine. He treats Magnus like a person, not a low life. If he goes with Alec, then he can actually learn to be happy."
"Can you both stop talking about me like I'm not here?"
They both looked at me frowning and I ignored them, looking out the window. No matter where you looked, there was fire. I never noticed how many Downworlder owned buildings there were in Paris. It's seems like they are all gone now.
What were you thinking Jonathan?
A loud clunking sound pulled me out of my thoughts, making me look back inside and all around me. "Did you guys hear something," I asked, looking at Catarina and Ragnor. They both nodded, Catarina standing on her feet.
"It came from the stairs that lead up to the bell tower."
Could it be Jonathan coming to inform me on how the search is going? No. He doesn't usually make noise when he climbs the stairs.
Another thud echoed in the room making me jump in surprise. "Someone is coming up the stairs… or should I say being dragged up the stairs."
The thought of that made me panic. What if Jonathan really did kill Alec, and was now dragging his body up here to show me? Would he do something like that? I would normally think no, but with the way he has been acting lately… I don't know anymore.
Silently making my way to the secret entrance, I made blue fire surround my hand, hoping it would be enough to defend myself if it happened to be an enemy. The door built into the floor was flung open, making it slam against the wood boards. I cringed at that but didn't lower my guard as I prepared for the intruder's arrival.
The first thing I saw was a toff of blonde hair, making me lower my flaming hand slightly in confusion. The body the hair was connected to was flung into the room and it hit the ground hard, completely unmoving.
It took me a moment to realize it was Jace Herondale, the head guard of the institute. Why was he out cold in my bedroom? How did he even get up here?
As if to answer my question, another body popped up out the door, this time moving on its own. It belonged to a short girl with long curly orange hair and white creamy skin. She rubbed her wrist scowling before glaring at Jace.
"Did you really have to pass out while on the stairs? You only had a few more steps, lazy ass."
She climbed the rest of the way into the room and I wanted to ask her what was going on but was struck speechless when a familiar voice hit my ears.
"He's injured Clary, give him some slack."
Alec made his way into the room and my heart pounded in my chest at the very sight of him. Relief flooded over me the instant he turned toward me, his blue eyes practically glowing. The blue flames surrounding my hand vanished as I threw myself at Alec, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist.
Alec held me back tightly, hiding his face in my shoulder as he squeezed me. I wanted to hold him for forever, but I forced myself to pull back, and cup his face in my hands instead. I looked him over, making sure there were no injuries on his body.
"I'm so relieved that you're okay Alec. Jonathan told me he was planning on killing you and I couldn't stop worrying about you. What are you doing here? You should be out of Paris by now. Notre Dame is far from safe for you right now."
Alec searched my face before looking in my eyes. He looked like he had something to say but decided against it as he pulled out of my arms and grabbed my hand.
"Magnus, you and I will talk about everything I promise, but right now I need your help." He looked down at Jace who was still out cold on the floor. Blood caked his body and his usually golden skin was sickly pale.
"What happened to him?"
The girl sat down next to him, pulling his head onto her lap so he wasn't on the dirty floor. Alec watched them before looking at me again. "I was hiding in the Antique store at the edge of town. Jonathan had a hunch that I was using the vampires to hide me, so he caught it on fire. All the vampires of Paris are now gone. I was the only one who escaped the house. Jonathan caught me, and he tried to kill me, but Jace got in his way and was stabbed instead."
I frowned looking back down at Jace. Jonathan said he wanted revenge for our father, but would he really go that far? Killing innocent vampires and then stabbing his own friend. Jonathan told me once while we were eating together that he thought of Jace as a close friend. It's not like he has a lot of them.
"Magnus. I need you to save Jace. The only reason he got stabbed was because he was saving me from getting killed. There's no way he can die from this so please… I'm begging you."
I bit my lip, looking away from him. I've never used my healing powers without permission from Master before. Jonathan would be the one I would ask but seeing as he is the one who injured Jace, there is no way I can ask him.
He would die though if I didn't do something.
"Magnus please. Please save him," Alec begged, reaching out and grabbing both my hands. He squeezed them tightly and I looked down at them, feeling uneasy. What would be the harm of using my magic to save Jace? It's better than letting him bleed out in my room, right?
Alec was begging me to do it. I already told myself that if it was choosing between Jonathan and Alec, I would always choose Alec. That includes who I use my magic for.
I squeezed Alec's hands back before letting them go. "Take him over to my bed," I commanded, pointing to the blanket and pillow laying a little bit away on the floor.
Alec nodded before looking at the girl. "Help me take him over there, Clary." She nodded and grabbed one of Jace's arms, helping him pull Jace over to the bed.
"You're seriously going to heal him? What would Jonathan do if he found out," Ragnor asked, crossing his arms over his chest. I frowned looking over at him. He was right. If Jonathan comes up here while I'm healing Jace, not only will he hurt Alec, he might hurt me as well for betraying him.
Catarina smiled at me, putting her hand on my arm. "Don't listen to him. Warlocks were made to save peoples lives. That's why we have healing magic in the first place. I believe in you. Go save him for Alec."
I took a calming breath before nodding and going over to the bed. Luckily, Jace wasn't bleeding anymore, so he wasn't making a mess on my bed. It would be hard to hide that from Jonathan when he does eventually come up here.
"I'm going to need silence. I need complete concentration if I'm going to do this properly," I informed them. Alec sat on the floor next to me, his blue eyes intense and determined, as if they were telling me that I could do it.
Just the look in his eyes filled me with confidence. The nerves left me as my hand glowed blue and I pressed them on top of Jace's chest. The flood of power going through his body caused Jace to scream, but Clary held him down, putting a cloth in his mouth for him to bite onto.
I ignored his screams, focusing all my energy on stitching his wound closed. It was deep, going all the way through his stomach and back. A lung was punctured as well, it's shocking that he's even still alive.
Stitching together skin was one thing, but fixing a lung? I've never had to do something so advanced before. I don't even know if my magic is strong enough to do so.
We stayed like this for a half hour, his skin was healed but no matter how much magic I put into it, I couldn't fix that damn lung. Sweat slid down my face as I felt my magic dissipating. If I ran out, then Jace would die instantly.
"Are you okay Magnus," Alec asked taking the sleeve of his sweater and wiping my forehead. I shook my head no, my eye sight starting to go in and out. This wasn't good. If I pass out here, then Jace…
"Alec… My magic isn't strong enough… I- I don't know if I can do this."
Alec's hand landed on top of mine, his fingers wrapping around it and squeezing it tight. "I believe in you Magnus. Do whatever you need to. Take my strength if you need to. I will happily give it all to you."
I looked at him surprised "You want to help him that much?"
He shook his head. "Not just because of Jace. I want to give you my strength because you are someone deserving of having it. You are the strongest person I know Magnus, but even strong people need help sometimes. I want to help you. Please let me."
I watched him in shocked silence for a moment before squeezing his hand tight and glaring down at Jace's chest, now putting all my focus on his lung.
The feeling of Alec's strength washed over me like a wave, energizing my body like a battery charger. The blue of my magic in my hands glowed even brighter as it seeped deep into Jace's chest. In my minds eye, I could see the lung stitching itself back together, not even leaving so much as a scar behind.
Once it was fully healed, Jace let out a huge gasp, finally able to properly breathe. Alec sighed in relief, tears stinging at his eyes. "Thank the angel," he whispered softly.
Clary sighed too, now gently running her fingers through Jace's blond locks. With both his lung and skin healed, I took my hand off him, but Alec didn't take his own hand back. Instead, he kept it tightly grasped to mine.
I looked deep into his eyes, having so many things I wanted to say, but nothing would escape passed my lips. Alec searched my eyes in return before softly asking, "can we go somewhere quiet to talk?"
I nodded leading him away from Jace and Clary, taking him to the latter that led to the top of the cathedral. We climbed it silently and once we were on the roof, Alec leaned on the edge, looking out at the burning city.
The illumination of the fire shone on his pale face, making him look almost angelic. It's sad that something so tragic can also make someone look devastatingly beautiful.
"Do you think I killed him," Alec asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I frowned at him confused before realization hit me. Was he talking about Master Valentine? He was asking me if I believed he killed him. Biting my lip, I looked away, wondering. Did I think he killed Valentine?
When he last came to see me, Alec was so shaken. He said it was because someone had tried to harass him. Did I believe that explanation? Alec doesn't seem like a liar. Besides, I already decided who it was I was going to believe.
"No… I don't think that."
Alecs' shoulders relaxed but he still kept his back to me. "There are so many people suffering right now because of me. I didn't kill Valentine… but no one is ever going to believe the truth. I barely believe the truth."
I cocked my head in confusion. "What is the truth Alexander? Do you know who killed Master?"
He squeezed the edge, his knuckles turning white from how hard he was holding onto it. "I do… but I'm not going to tell you."
I frowned at that. "Why not? Don't you trust me?"
He nodded, still not facing me. "I do trust you Magnus. I know you would believe me if I told you the truth… but I don't want to do that to you. That can't be a deciding factor for you."
I was even more confused now. "A deciding factor for what?"
He finally turned his head toward me, looking at me over his shoulder. "On wither or not you'll come with me."
My entire body stiffened. Alec was once again throwing out an invitation to leave Paris with him. What should I do? It's true that I have been worried sick about Alec and regretting not going with him since he left, but does that mean I should just throw caution to the wind and follow Alec where ever he goes?
"Alec…"
He completely turned around, grabbing both of my hands in his. "I know I'm asking a lot of you. You barely know me and it's a lot to ask of you to leave the only home you've ever known. This isn't a real home though Magnus. It's a prison, and you don't deserve to stay here. You should be free to see the world. You should be with me."
I clenched onto his hands as tight as possible without hurting him. "Alec… I'm a warlock…"
He shook his head. "I know. I know that being a warlock puts you at risk. It's dangerous for you to be out in the open but I won't let anything bad ever happen to you. We will be safe if we just stay together and watch each other's backs. Please don't turn me away Magnus. I… I can't go without you. I think… I think I love you."
He shook his head no, looking at me with the fiercest blue eyes I have ever seen.
"No, I know I'm in love with you Magnus. I love you."
My vision got fuzzy as a film of tears formed in my eyes. I couldn't stop the emotions from taking over me. I felt horrified and ecstatic all at the same time. Turning away slightly from him, I put my hand over my mouth, trying to compose myself.
Alec frowned reaching out and placing his hand on my shoulder. "Magnus?"
"I'm sorry Alexander… it's just… no one has ever said those words to me before."
Alec smiled sadly at me. "Well I mean them Magnus. I'm truly in love with you, and I don't want to ever live without you. Please come with me."
I turned my back to him, really thinking about this decision. If I left Paris, then Jonathan would be all by himself. He wouldn't have any family left to lean on. If I stay, then I lose Alec and will be stuck in this institute for the rest of my life, wondering what would have been. Both the people I love need me… but Alec needs me more.
I swallowed hard before turning back around, facing Alec. "Okay Alexander… I will come with you."
Alecs eyes widened in surprise before he smiled happily, tears filling his eyes. He threw his arms around my neck, smashing his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms tight around him, pulling him as close as possible to me. We kissed passionately as I lifted Alec slightly off his feet.
He moved his hands from around my neck, to cupping my face as he looked deep into my eyes. His were filled with pure happiness as I looked back in them. He chuckled slightly before kissing me hard again, his tongue slipping passed my lips and exploring the inside of my mouth.
For a moment I was surprised, but it quickly vanished as that thrill of confidence that only Alexander Lightwood can give me, started to take over me.
I wrapped my arms tighter around his waist as we both dropped onto our knees. My mouth dominated his as he gave into me and let me take the lead. After about five minutes of chasing each other's tongues, Alec ended up on his back with me laying on top of him.
Our lips finally broke and Alec pushed me off him enough, so he could grab his shirt and pull it over his head. I felt my cheeks heat up at the sight of him shirtless, but I ignored it as I leaned down and kissed down on his perfect neck. He moaned softly, running his hand into my hair and leaning his head back to give me more room.
"Alec!" Clary's voice boomed from downstairs. "I just saw Jonathan walk into the Institute! He will be up here any moment!"
Alec cursed under his breath as we both sat up. He grabbed his shirt, throwing it on before looking at me frowning slightly. "We will continue this when we get out of here. We need to find a way to get Jace out of here."
I frowned thinking about it before standing up. "You and Clary get out of here. I'll hide Jace until he is strong enough to move again."
Alec frowned at that, standing up on his feet. "Magnus, you said you would come with me."
"I will come with you Alexander. Jace isn't strong enough to leave this place. He will be sleeping for another hour at most. We can't just leave him here and there is no way we can carry him out without being caught."
Alec glanced away, knowing I had a point. There was no way we could all leave and not be noticed by Jonathan or another member of the institute. It's a miracle that they even managed to sneak Jace up here in the first place.
"You're right… I'm still not leaving Paris without you Magnus. Promise you will meet me tonight at the old barn at the edge of town. Do you know where that is?"
I nodded. "I see it all the time from up here. Don't worry Alexander, I will meet you there. I promise."
"At midnight. Meet me at midnight. It's already ten. Please don't keep me waiting for too long. Who knows how much longer I will be able to keep hiding."
"Midnight or sooner. I swear it."
His smile was small as he walked up to me and kissed my lips gently. "I love you Magnus."
Those words sent chills up my spine. I wanted to say them back, but before I could Alec turned away and quickly climbed down the latter. I composed myself for a moment before following.
By time I got down there, Clary and Alec were already making their way down the secret entrance steps. I quickly shut the floor door before running over to Jace, wondering what the heck I should do with him. It's not like I have a lot of places to hide him. Where could I put him that Jonathan wouldn't suspect?
An idea hit me and I quickly grabbed Jace by the arms, dragging him across the floor and up some steps until we were in the bell area.
"A bell? You're seriously going to hide him under a bell," Ragnor asked, looking at me like I was stupid. I ignored him, dropping Jace on the floor and pushing him under the biggest bell with my foot.
"I think it's a great hiding spot," Catarina encouraged, making Ragnor snort and cross his arms.
"Yeah, until Jonathan makes you ring the bells."
There was no time to argue with Ragnor, because I could already hear Jonathan calling out my name as he climbed the secret entrance steps. Seeing at he wasn't heading toward the prison cells, I was relieved to know that he didn't catch Alec and Clary on their way down.
I quickly jumped off the steps and rushed over to the floor door to greet Jonathan. He opened it staring at me in confusion. I normally don't stand by the door waiting for him. He usually has to find me since I'm off cleaning or talking to Catarina and Ragnor.
"How strange of you to greet me at the door," he said, climbing the rest of the way up.
"From the look of the city, I figured you have had a long day and would want to talk about it," I told him, shrugging.
He nodded moving over to the balcony and sitting on the edge of it. "Good news is that there aren't any more Downworlder owned businesses in Paris. Bad news is Alec Lightwood is still on the loose."
I frowned, hesitantly walking up to him. "Jonathan if I may ask, why did you burn down all those places. Was it really just for catching Alec?"
He shrugged, opening a water bottle in his hand and taking a chug of it. "You could say it was hitting two birds with one stone. Father has always wanted to find a way to get rid of the pest problem in Paris. I figured why not just turn them all to ash?"
"Did you find Alec in any of those places" I asked, glancing back at the bells to make sure Jace didn't wake up and decide to come out of hiding.
He nodded sighing. "The first one actually. He thought he could hide behind the vampire accords and keep away from me until nightfall. Well he was surely mistaken. I set the place ablaze and smoked him out just like I knew it would. He would have been disposed of if it wasn't for that traitor Jace. He defended Alec and even got in the way when I tried to stab him. I hope he's dead in a ditch right now."
I frowned never hearing Jonathan say such harsh things before. He's usually kind to the people he cares about the most. He said he cared about Jace. He says he cares about me. Would he call me a traitor and turn against me too if he knew I helped heal Jace and was planning on running away with Alec?
As if reading my mind, Jonathan's intense green eyes shot up and stared me down. "You haven't seen Alec, have you Magnus? You would tell me if he came here, right?"
I nodded, though every part of my brain that was trained not to lie was screaming out.
Jonathan watched me for a moment before standing up and reaching out, grabbing my hands in his. "You would tell me if you knew where Alec was, wouldn't you Magnus? We are brothers, and brothers don't keep lies from each other."
I looked down at our joint hands frowning. "I would tell you Jonathan."
"Really, even though Alec has been nothing but kind to you?"
I nodded glancing away. "You are my brother."
He watched me for a moment before a sad expression appeared on his face. Reaching up, he cupped my right cheek in his hand frowning. "I'm so sorry I hit you yesterday. I don't know what came over me. You know I never intend of causing you harm."
I nodded again, not saying a word. It was very out of character for Jonathan to strike me the way he did. It was more like our father to do so. From the look in his eyes, I can tell that he really does feel guilty about it.
He moved his arms around me and pulled me into a hug, laying his chin on my shoulder. I couldn't see his face, all I could do was hesitantly hug him back. Even though Jonathan is nice to me, he's never given me a hug before. It was so alien to me, but it also felt a little nice.
"Magnus… I really am sorry,"
His voice broke as he spoke, and when I leaned back to look at his face I was shocked to see tears in his eyes. He quickly let me go, wiping fiercely at them, but they wouldn't stop coming down his face.
I've only ever seen Jonathan cry once when we were children. Master had punished him with a whip and he had ran up to the bell tower to cry. That's how the two of us met. He didn't even know about me until he stumbled across me that day.
"Why are you crying," I asked too stunned to do anything.
"You're all I have left Magnus. You're the only real family I have left, and I treated you like shit. I've been so confused and agitated and I don't know what to do about it. A lot of things about me have changed but I never wanted the bond we have together to change. I really do love you like a brother Magnus and I don't ever want anything bad to happen to you or for you to leave me like everyone else has."
Guilt ate away at me by his words. I was planning on leaving him to be with Alexander. He was going to have his heart broken by me and the very thought of that broke my own heart. Jonathan was my brother. He was the person who always stuck by my side. The one who snuck me food and treated me like a decent human being.
Still… Jonathan can't give me the freedom that I crave. If I stay in this bell tower, I will forever be chained down by him. I can't live a life like that. More importantly, I can't live a life without Alec.
Jonathan finally managed to stop crying, taking deep calming breaths before looking at me again. "Swear to me that you don't know where Alec is. Promise that you aren't going to go running off with him and leaving me behind."
"I would never even think of it," I answered softly, barely above a whisper.
He searched my face for a moment before giving me another hug, this one shorter. He let me go a moment later smiling. "The bells."
My entire body stiffened at his question.
"T-the bells?"
He nodded, "isn't it time to ring them?"
"What? Oh, yeah of course. It's time to ring the bells. I'll get right on that."
He leaned against the Balcony edge still smiling. "Mind if I stay here while you ring them? I've never listened to them up close before."
"If you do that then you will go deaf," I pointed out, hoping that would make him leave.
"Only if you listen to them too much up close. Once shouldn't hurt. Please Magnus."
I nodded heading over to the bells, hoping my worry didn't show on my face. Jace was hiding in one of those bells. You really don't want to be under them when they are ringing. Did Jonathan know that Jace was there? Was he testing me? No. There isn't any way for him to know he's there.
I grabbed the rope that connected all the bells, before glancing down at the biggest one. Jace was laying on the ground underneath it, awake and giving me a glare that said, 'don't you dare.'
Smiling sheepishly, I tugged on the rope hard, making all the bells start clinging. Jace closed his eyes and covered his ears, his entire body shaking from the vibrations the bells made. A part of me wanted to laugh at his situation but I couldn't do that without drawing Jonathans attention.
I turned back to Jonathan who had his eyes closed and was just listening to the bells. It really shocked me that it wasn't hurting his ears. The only reason it didn't hurt mine was because I have a special spell placed on me for it.
Once the bells stopped ringing, Jonathan stood up. "Thank you, Magnus, it's nice to know that even when disaster is plaguing Paris, Notre Dames bells will still sing for the city."
Who does he think is causing all this pain in Paris?
He walked toward the secret entrance but stopped once he got to it. He kept his back to me before looking at me over his shoulder. "Starting tomorrow I don't want you staying in this mangy old bell tower anymore. I'll make you a room in the institute right next to mine. You will have hot meals every day and can go out whenever you want… only when I'm with you of course. It's not safe to go by yourself."
I stared at him speechless. Why was he offering me these things? Did he know that I was planning on leaving him? Was it written on my forehead or something?
"Why are you doing this for me," I asked softly.
He smiled at me. "You're my brother. It's because I love you."
With those final words Jonathan made his way down the steps, closing the door in the floor on his way down.
I just stared at the door as Jace made his way out from under the bell. "If you didn't just save my life, I would kill you right now. Damn those bells are loud."
He stood next to me, rubbing his head before looking over at me. "So, what are you planning to do now?"
"Jonathan's never told me he loved me before," I whispered softly, guilt seeping into my chest.
Jace raised an eyebrow at that. "What then? Are you going to forget about Alec and stay here because Jonathan offered to treat you with a shred of dignity? I never pegged you as stupid Magnus. Wither you live in the bell tower or in the institute, you will always be a prisoner here."
I ran my hand over my face frowning. "I love Alec, of course I want to go with him. Jonathan is my brother and I'm the only family he has left. What will happen to him if I leave?"
Jace frowned putting his hand on my shoulder. "What will happen to you and Alec if you don't?"
Those words hit me hard. Alec made it clear that he didn't want to leave without me. No matter what I do, someone is going to end up getting hurt.
"I love Jonathan… but I also love Alec. He's the one who needs me the most."
He was silent for a long moment before saying "Magnus, look at me."
I hesitated before sighing and turning to look at him. He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "Don't think about what Alec wants or what Jonathan wants. Think about you. What is it Magnus Bane wants to do? You are the one who will have to live with your choice."
I glanced away, rubbing my arm nervously. "I'm not used to having a choice. Master Valentine and Jonathan have always decided everything for me. What if I don't know how to make choices for myself?"
"Just choose whatever you think will make you truly happy. If you think your life will improve from staying in the institute with Jonathan, then that's alright. On the other hand, if you think Alec can give you something more, then you can choose him. It's all up to you."
I closed my eyes doing as Jace said and truly thinking about what it was I wanted. I could choose to stay here with Jonathan and hope that my life can get a little better, or I could run away with Alec and live a full life yet have a risk of being killed.
I put my face in my hands frowning. "Alexander. I want to go with Alexander. There's nothing else I want more than to be with him, even if it means putting my life at risk and hurting my brother."
Jace smiled putting his hand back on my shoulder. "I promise you that your life will be a lot better with him Magnus. Alec won't let anything happen to you. If you both look out for each other, I know you will be happy no matter where you both end up."
I looked at him frowning. "What about you? What are you planning to do?"
He shrugged, dropping his hand and putting them both in his pockets. "Maybe join the DDS. Without Alec there, they are going to need someone to help all the Downworlders that will be needing help."
"The Downworlders that are left," I said softly, looking out at the flames still reaching the sky.
"We will get them through this. All you need to focus on is getting Alec out of Paris. Maybe go to America. I hear New York is nice this time of year."
I cocked my head in confusion. "America? New York? What's that?"
Jace frowned at that. "You can't possibly think Paris is the only place in the world… do you?"
I just glanced away, feeling very idiotic and embarrassed.
"Yeah, you really do need to get out more. Leaving with Alec will be the best thing for you."
Sighing, I looked out the window once again at the burning city. This would be the last time I see Paris from this view. A part of me knew I was going to miss it. Another part of me was glad to be rid of it.
"Okay… let's go find Alec."
A/N: I'm sorry this took so long to come out. With my new job I do a lot of physical work and it makes me really tired. It took me a week or so to adjust, but now I should be good. Updates should be back to normal, hopefully.
There are Two more chapters until this story is over. After this story I will be doing a super cute lovey dovey Malec story. I feel like you guys will deserve it after this story.
