Chapter 14
The swirling magic of a portal began to shift and morph on the old stone wall that surrounded the back garden of the New York Institute. A lone figure stood, tense and anxious waiting to receive the arrivals. The first figure to emerge was Alec, his face clearly displaying the anguish caused by the news that brought him home so abruptly. Josh and Ian tumbled out behind him and stood by helplessly while Magnus held his distraught shadowhunter tightly in his arms.
With great effort, Alec pulled himself away from Magnus and scanned the warlock's face understanding immediately that his husband had no good news to impart, he waited for Magnus to speak.
"Jace and Izzy are in your office;" Magnus' voice was quiet, but Alec could hear the urgency behind his words. "I'll bring everyone up to date as soon as we join them." Waiting only for the briefest nod from Alec, Magnus turned on his heel and led them briskly into the Institute, pausing only once to ask the new housekeeper to send some coffee up.
The woman inclined her head slightly to indicate she'd heard and moved past them to fulfill her mission. Alec frowned slightly as he watched her move silently down the hall. She was the first tangible sign of the horrendous changes that had happened at the Institute during his brief absence. He had been quite fond of her predecessor, the cheerful, kindly woman who had lost her life trying to protect his beautiful Aiden. Alec couldn't suppress the sob that broke from him, and Magnus hasten to place a comforting arm around his beloved.
As they entered his office, Alec could see Jace and Izzy sitting around the fireplace and wondered how things could still look so normal, when his world was spinning out of control. Jace rose and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. No words were spoken on either side, but Alec knew Jace would move heaven and earth to bring Aiden back to his family.
Magnus sat in one of the large armchairs, pulling Alec into his lap, giving and taking whatever comfort he could from the proximity of his husband. It was a mark of how close the small group at the New York Institute was that this open display of affection seemed perfectly natural and welcome, easing some of the tension in the room.
Once everyone was settled, Magnus relayed the story that Janus Dark had told him, about the death of Xavier Malum, and the secret of the Curatio Daemonium Insanitas and the Hellfire Club.
"You mean to tell me there are shadowhunters alive today that risk the fate of Benedict Lightwood for fun?" Isabelle asked sharply. The Lightwood family rarely spoke of Benedict, but they all knew the price he'd paid for consorting with demons.
"I'm afraid so;" Magnus replied; "Some shadowhunters, downworlders, and even mundanes are not immune to such depraved tastes. According to Janus the curatio he prepares, although not a true cure for demon pox, eliminates the symptoms of the disease for as long as the victim takes it regularly."
"And you think the Hellfire Club is responsible for Aiden's kidnapping?" Alec interrupted.
"It would make sense, with Xavier Malum dead, Aiden would be the only source of the blood they need for the curatio." Magnus said, steel in his deadly calm tone.
"Surely Janus Dark wouldn't continue making the potion for them if they sent him the blood;" Josh spoke up for the first time since entering Alec's office.
"No, he wouldn't, but Janus said the Hellfire Club had been trying to make the curatio themselves for quite some time, and now they know the secret of the blood, it's unlikely that they would need him to."
"So;" Jace said, a grim smile spreading across his handsome face; "How do we go about finding this Hellfire Club and getting Aiden away from them?"
Anxious faces turned toward Magnus and were shocked to see thea fleeting look of fear and desperation cross his face. "I-I've spent the last several hours trying to use a tracking spell to locate Aiden, without success." Magnus said, voice breaking slightly. Alec alone knew what it cost the self confident, powerful warlock to admit, that when it mattered most, his magic had failed him.
"Magnus;" Alec spoke his husband's name softly, and might have tried to offer words of comfort and encouragement, but the warlock raised his hand to forestall him and continued grimly; "When I found the body of the housekeeper in the park, I was able to recall her spirit briefly. There were three men involved in the abduction, a warlock, a shadowhunte, and, from her description, a greater demon by the name of Belial."
"Belial, he's one of Asmodeus' lieutenants, isn't he? Alec asked.
"It's a good thing someone was paying attention during Hodge's demon identification classes;" Jace quipped. "What's his claim to fame, other than being a flunky for the demon of lust?"
Brushing aside his earlier dip into feelings of despair, Magnus continued; "Belial is a seducer and collector of souls, he can appear in any form, and usually chooses something that will be most appealing to his chosen victim. He has the ability to wield hell fire, but only in his natural form. I suspect that it is his power that is preventing my tracking spells from finding Aiden;"
"So, what do we do now? Izzy asked; "How are we going get my nephew back home where he belongs?"
"I have sent out requests for information on the Hellfire Club to all my extensive downworld acquaintances;" Magnus replied; "I hope that one of them will be able to provide us a lead." Magnus' arms tightened around Alec, knowing how his words would affect him. If you could feel another's heart break, Magnus knew he would be feeling Alec's break now, and was glad that, from this position, he could not see the despair in his lover's eyes.
As everyone struggled to come to terms with what had been said, the tension in the room increased. Jace, unable to curb his restless spirit, began to pace the room, frustrated by their inability to take more direct action to find Aiden. "There has to be some..."
Before Jace could complete his sentence, a fire message erupted in front of Magnus, startling everyone in the room. The warlock grabbed the message and quickly scanned the contents. "It's from Aidan Briosag!" Magnus exclaimed; "And it seems he might have the lead on the Hellfire Club we've been praying for!"
~~~~~ ! ~~~~~
Shivvy McRae was stunned by McKenzie's words. The man was trying to blackmail her into marrying him by threatening to expose her brother's romantic attachment to his parabatai, Josh Cameron. An attachment that was strictly forbidden under Clave law.
"Shivaun;" McKenzie continued; "If Blackwell has proof, your brother will be questioned by the Mortal Sword, and if he is found guilty, his marks will be stripped. I know how much Ian means to you, and I promise that if you give me the right, I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen."
Shivvy, who had kept her eyes firmly on the floor while she struggled to master her emotions, looked up now, straight at the man who believed he had her at his mercy. She would willingly have given her life to save either Ian or Josh if that had been asked of her, but her heart rebelled at the idea of marrying the cruel, heartless man in front of her. Even if she had not already given her love and loyalty to Daniel, the young vampire who had risked so much to help them against Lucia, how could she betray him?
Gerard McKenzie squirmed slightly under the gaze of this courageous, unspoiled girl. Long standing depravity, such as his, quickly found its footing, however, and he demanded; "Unfortunately, I need your answer now my dear, if I am to have any chance of forestalling Blackwell and preventing this tragedy,"
Shivvy took a deep breath: "To save my brother, I will marry you, and fulfill the obligations of that decision. But, I will not pretend, to you or anyone else, that this marriage is anything other than a debt you have forced on me."
Gerard smiled, a small, wicked smile. He did not care if the girl loved him, only that she could produce legitimate children, other than Addison, to carry on the McKenzie line. Things were falling into place, and he was pleased, very, very pleased.