Eyes in the Darkness

"Did you get him out?" Magnus asked as soon as he could see the contours of the room becoming solid between the waning white and silver flames that surrounded the pentagram. His expression mirrored the anguish and urgency of his voice, and his chest rose and fell in quick movements denoting his state of agitation and exhaustion. As soon as the last of the flames disappeared and he no longer felt the forces that had held him within the pentagram, Magnus attempted to take a step. But his legs refused to obey him, and he felt on one knee, his body drained beyond exhaustion. Somehow, Magnus managed to stop himself before totally collapsing to the floor, yet his head still swam, and he could see sparkles in the periphery of his vision, sparkles that he was sure were not the result of the vanishing gateway to hell. He turned and looked up towards where Tessa stood beside Alec's inert figure and saw the mixture of concentration and anxiety clearly written in his friend's strained expression.

Tessa was sending measured and steady short bursts of purple and green magic directly into Alec's heart, coaxing it to beat, careful not to lose control for fear that, instead of restarting it, she might cause the organ to explode. As soon as Catarina saw that Magnus was safely back, she too went to the sofa and placed a hand on Alec's forehead, sending gentle streams of magic to soothe pain and entice his lungs to open up and breath.

"Come on, Alec," Tessa urged. "Come on now, don't give up, you have come this far, just a little more." She closed her eyes and pictured in her mind the faces of so many of the Lightwoods she had known and loved over the years: Gabriel who married Will's sister, Gideon and Sophie, and their children and grandchildren, who had rebuilt the Lightwood's good name, ancestors of this young man whose life was now in her hands. "Come Alec, breath," she added as she called on the spirits of those Lightwoods to give Alec's soul the strength to fight his way out of the void. As she sent bursts of magic into the Shadowhunter, she also pulled with all her strength the lines of magic she had sent across the veil and with which she had captured Alec's soul, reeling in it towards the living world and back into his body.

Abruptly, Alec took a deep ragged breath, his back arching and then falling back on the sofa. His eyes flew open, for just a moment, before they closed once again, and he sank back into unconscious. Anxiously, Tessa looked at Catarina, whose hand was still resting on Alec's forehead and Catarina gazed back and nodded.

"He is breathing, and his heart is beating, which is a lot to say under the circumstances," Catarina confirmed. "But he is weak, and if his condition doesn't stabilize he may need mundane medicine: adrenaline, oxygen and a heart monitor at the very least. He may even need a Silent Brother."

"Alexander," came Magnus' faint voice from the foot of the sofa. Mastering all his strength, he had managed to get back on his feet and had been anxiously watching his friends' attempts to save the Shadowhunter, sorrier than ever for not having taken a more serious interest in healing magic before. As soon as Catarina confirmed that Alec was, at least for now, breathing, he came to kneel beside him, took his hand and brought it to his own cheek, anxious for the contact. Alec's skin felt cold and clammy against his own skin, but that didn't matter if it meant that life was again coursing through Alec's system. "We will get him to a hospital if we must, or we can get Jem here," Magnus said looking at Catarina. He was not sure how they would explain Alec's injuries to a mundane doctor or to a Silent Brother, but that didn't matter now. He would find a way.

"That took you long enough Magnus." Catarina's acerbic voice reminded Magnus that his friend's bedside manners, as usual, didn't not extend to him. "Did you decide to stop for margaritas on the way? Any longer and we would not have been able to get you out."

"We almost didn't make it," Magnus replied. "My father was quite insistent that we should remain. But we did make it, didn't we?" he added turning to Alec as if the Shadowhunter could answer or agree.

"We are not out of the woods yet," Tessa stated, "not by a long shot. Alec's condition is very delicate, and he still has a lot of fighting to do. And, Magnus, you need to call Jace right now, or there will be a serious incident between the Nephilim and the Spiral Labyrinth. Jem has been sending ever more urgent fire messages since the sun came out."

"Okay, but first, can we move Alec to the bedroom?" Magnus asked, standing up on shaky legs. "He would be more comfortable there."

"Right now, you cannot make a leaf move in the wind, Magnus," Catarina replied. "Your powers are completely spent, and Alec is too weak to be moved. Let's give it some time."

It was dark, or rather hazy, and Alec was lost in the freezing fog. "What happened? Where am I?" he asked as he tried to get his bearings, but the fog was so thick that he could not even see his own hands in front of him. He tried to look down at his chest, to ascertain why he felt such sharp pain there, but when he tried to move his head, a pain even more intense ceased him, a pain that burned and froze him at the same time. He gasped, but no air came into his lungs, only a burning and freezing pain that made him choke and taste blood. "I am dying," he thought as the darkness swallowed him, and the realization did not frighten him. For a Shadowhunter, death was, after all, a constant figure in the horizon, and at this moment, Alec would welcome death if it took the pain away.

Alec did not know how long he floated weightless and adrift in the darkness, but a few minutes. or perhaps a few centuries later, he thought he heard faint voices calling to him. He could not make up what they were saying or whose voices they were. He tried to hold on to the sound, walk towards its origin, but he could not move and soon, he was falling, heavy like a rock, unable to stop or help himself. When he thought he would hit the ground, he hit water instead and the water began to cover him and pull him under. He struggled for breath, but his lungs refused to obey, and he went down, only one thought in his mind: "this is what dying is like."

But Alec did not die, instead, a pair of golden and green eyes, the eyes of cat, their slit pupils penetrating, looked at him across the dark waters, and he felt himself being pulled up by the power of those eyes. "Alexander," someone called to him, the voice so familiar and sweet, a voice that made Alec think of nights in the warm shelter of a pair of strong arms. He followed the voice and the eyes up to the surface and when he broke through, he gasped, and the pain was back in all its intensity, spreading with relentless cruelty to every inch of him. He wanted to call for Magnus, the owner of those haunting eyes, but the name froze on his lips, the pain making it impossible for Alec to hold on to the name long enough.

"I need to heal the fractured ribs, or he won't be able to breath," another voiced said, and Alec could not tell whose voice it was or the significance of what the voice said. He could no longer see the eyes that had beckoned him and, disoriented once again, he let go of his feeble hold on reality.

Alec could not tell how long he was lost this time, but at some point, he felt the touch of hands on his leg, and then the pain, no longer burning or freezing, but cutting him with a thousand knives, cutting him in half, and then shredding his skin until there was nothing left of him. This time, he let go voluntarily, wanting with all his heart to be swallowed up by the emptiness, glad not to feel the pain anymore. "Open your eyes Alexander," someone said and although the voice was pleasantly familiar and loving, Alec did not reach for it.

"He is still too weak, and the runes Tessa drew don't seem to be enough," Catarina stated from the foot of the bed looking at Alec with an expression of concern and puzzlement. She thought that something was odd, not wrong necessarily, just odd, but she could not put her finger on it. It was something in the energy that surrounded Alec, the distinct energy she had learned to recognize in the souls that came under her care and that allowed her to distinguish between Nephilim, Mundanes and Downworlders. Something about Alec's soul was not yet completely back to normal, or perhaps it had been fundamentally changed by his ordeal. If she had to describe its condition, she would say that Alec's soul seemed to have carried a piece of the Seventh Circle as it crossed the veil, and something about it reminded her of the way Tessa's soul felt like.

"What is it?" Tessa, who was standing beside her, asked. Tessa looked at her friend with unease. Catarina was a great healer, perhaps the best, and Tessa had learned to trust her friend's instincts, and the puzzled look in her eyes told her that something was not as it should be.

"I am not sure," Catarina replied, not wanting to read too much into a situation that was already unpredictable enough.

After twenty-four hours that were touch and go and using a combination of magic and physical force, they had finally moved Alec upstairs to the bedroom. He now laid on Magnus' enormous bed, and the morning light that shyly shone through the windows and the white sheets that covered him made his skin look almost translucent and accentuated the dark bags under Alec's eyes. Magnus sat on the edge of the bed beside Alec and held his hand in a position that had become a permanent feature of the scene since the two of them returned from the Seventh Circle. Catarina could tell that despite the food that she had almost forced Magnus to eat, he was still exhausted; the fact that he refused to lay down and sleep was not helping either.

A noise on the window irrupted on her reverie and when she looked, she saw yet another paper bird tapping on the glass, another fire message demanding their attention, telling them that they could not continue pretending that it was just the four of them in the world anymore.

"You need to answer Magnus," Catarina said, as she walked to the window and opened it to allow the fire message to reach its destination. "Celestina Rays will not give up, you know that."

"I know," said Magnus with a sigh, opening his hand for the message to land on his palm. "I guess we cannot delay this any longer. I will arrange for Jace to portal to a place where I can meet him and bring him here. He is anxious to see Alec and we will need his help" he added standing up. With resignation, he looked at Alec's unconscious figure one last time before walking out of the room.

"Hey Alec, buddy," a voice called to Alec, familiar and safe, the voice of someone Alec knew as well as he knew himself. Still, it took him a moment to identify the voice as belonging to Jace, but when he did, a sensation of warmth took residence in the spot atop his hip where his parabatai rune was located, the sensation soothing the pain a little, inviting him back into the waking world. He wanted to follow the voice, hear its summon and open his eyes, but his eyelids felt like they were made of concrete and refused to obey him. So instead, he surrendered to the sensation of comfort and warmth Jace's voice provoked in him knowing that his brother would not begrudge him if he took a little longer to reply.

"I know it doesn't look like it, but he is doing better," Magnus' voice came after, and Alec, who had begun to surrender to unconscious once again wanted to turn and stay. He tried with a superhuman effort to open his eyes, to look at Magnus and ease his anxiety with a smile, but no matter how much he tried, he had already lost the battle.

For five days, Alec drifted in between worlds, lost and aimless. A few times, Magnus' voice beckoned him to come back, reaching him through the dark distance with sweet and loving words; at other times, it was the memory of those cat eyes shining in the darkness that enticed him to return; a couple of times, the pull came from the strength of the angelic runes someone drew on his skin. But every time he was about to break through the barrier that separated oblivion from reality, the pain seized him with all its force and he let go, choosing nothingness over the agony of being in a body that felt like it was being taken apart and put back together again. In more than one occasion Alec was tempted to let go for good, but then the image, clear and unforgettable, of Magnus stepping between him and Asmodeus made him reconsider and he stayed in that in-between place, biding his time until he could build the strength to push himself back into the world.

On the morning of the sixth day, Alec finally stepped over the threshold, and the first thing of which he became aware was the soft white light that reached his pupils through his still closed eyelids and the singing of birds in the distance. He then realized that he was no longer floating in the emptiness, that, in fact, he occupied physical space, had weight and substance. He knew this because his hands touched soft sheets and he could perceive the weight of his body against the mattress and the air touching his skin. He laid with eyes closed for a while longer, unsure whether he could open them, and when he decided to try, his eyelids were heavy and disobedient. When he finally gained control over them, he could see no more than blurry shadows.

And then, just like that, he was back. Or rather, his body was back; it came back to him all at once and the pain was excruciating. It was in his chest, his head, his side, every inch of his skin, and having already let go of oblivion, he could not avoid it or escape it. Alec reached out with his hand, and someone took it and held it, and with the sensation of another's touch, a face came into his frame of vision, gentle green eyes, and a round face framed by reddish-brown curls.

"Hey, there you are, welcome back," Tessa said, a broad smile on her lovely face. She then brought a cup to Alec's lip and helping him lift his head, which seemed to have become a boulder, enticed him to drink. The liquid was sweet and had a faint floral scent and as it run down his throat, it took with it the sandpaper that seemed to have taken residence there. As soon as it reached his stomach, the drink dulled the pain and cleared his head somewhat, and he felt a surge of strength spreading through him.

"Ma-Magnus," Alec managed to say once he convinced his throat to work, and his voice sounded foreign and hoarse after days of disuse. In fact, it felt as if his throat, his mouth and his voice were not his own, and he had to learn to use them again.

"Magnus is perfectly fine," Tessa replied. "He is not here right now but should be back soon. How do you feel?"

"Like…" he started to say but then had to catch his breath. "Like I was run through… a paper shredder." The last part of the statement came accompanied by a laborious exhalation.

"That is a fair assessment," Tessa said, her smile widening.

As the potion cleared his mind even more, Alec became aware of a sensation that was a mixture of vibration and heat on his arm and when he slowly turned his head, he noticed a fresh rune there. He observed the rune with a certain detachment as if it was not on his body on which it was edged, or rather, as if his body was not his own. He had the eerie sensation that his body was like a new suit to which buttons, zippers and seams he had to get used. 'This is what having your soul ripped from your body and then push back into it must feel like,' he thought.

"Jace drew that healing rune as well as a strength rune on your other arm," Tessa informed him. "I have been redrawing them every few hours to rebuild your strength."

"Jace was here?"

"Yes, he came to see you and to get Magnus and Catarina," Tessa replied.

"Can you help me sit up?" Alec felt his mind fading again, and his eyes were threatening to close against his will. He didn't want to fall asleep yet, at least not until he found out what was going on and why Magnus was not here. "Where is Magnus?" he asked as Tessa placed another pillow under his head and helped him to a semi-sitting position.

"You gave us quite a scare," Tessa said dodging the question. She helped Alec drink some more of the potion. "Even with the combination of angelic runes and magic, your recovery has been slow."

"Tessa," Alec insisted, bringing the full weight of his stare on the warlock, and feeling the reviving effects of the medicine. "What happened, where is Magnus?"

Tessa sighed loudly and then reached for an envelope that rested on the night table. "He left this for you in case you woke up before he came back. While you look at it, I will go prepare some more medicine. I will be back soon."

Alec took the envelope and for a moment looked at his name written in Magnus' ornate script, a script that made Alec think of Victorian love letters. With shaking hands, he turned the envelope and saw a wax seal with an M imprinted on it and smiled, likely his first smile in weeks, for that too was another proof of Magnus' love for old fashions. But the smile faded when he tried to break the seal and it refused to budge. He looked at it again, and suddenly, words that had been invisible slowly appeared on the envelope: "only true love's kiss." As he brought the seal to his lips, Alec thought that if his side didn't hurt so much, he would laugh. For Alec, who had never read any of the mundane fairy tales, the words evoked other memories, memories full of sensuality, memories of a rainy night of laughs and playful embraces, of warm touches and daring invitations.

At the touch of his lips, the seal gave way and the envelope opened, and when Alec took out the sheet of paper inside, an old brass key fell on his hand, big and with an intricate swirly design in its bow.

"Dear Alexander," the note read in Magnus' neat script.

"I am sorry I was not there when you finally woke up. It couldn't be helped. Our last misadventure has called the attention of the Spiral Labyrinth and, through them, of The Clave. Jace, Catarina and I are going to the Spiral Labyrinth to sort things out before we have a full-blown crisis in our hands. I know you would have wanted to come along, but there is still something very important you can do for me, or rather for us. This key is enchanted to work only for you. It opens all doors in the cottage and in my penthouse, including and most importantly, the safe in my office. There is a black book there, a book containing many secrets, secrets that some warlocks would pay dearly to keep hidden. I am planning to use those secrets as collateral to get Celestina Rays and the Spiral Labyrinth off our backs. I am entrusting you with the book. Should something happen, do with it as you see fit.

I will be back as soon as I can. Until then, I know you will keep getting stronger; for you are, after all, the bravest and toughest Nephilim, the toughest man, I have ever known.

Magnus"

For a moment, Alec looked from the key to the note, trying to clear the cobwebs that still clouded his mind long enough to make sense of their significance. But soon, the ominous tone that underlined Magnus' words –"Should something happen" – won over all other speculations.

Mastering all the strength that he had left in him, Alec turned and began to swing his legs out of bed, determined to get up, unsure yet what he would do, but completely convinced that he had to do something.

"Where do you think you are going?" Tessa's words came from the doorway, urgent and full surprise. She was coming back into the room with a tray containing what Alec suspected were more potions and medicines for him.

"I have to get in touch with Celestina Rays." Alec's head was spinning, and he could see bright lights in the periphery of his vision, but he was more determined than ever to get back on his feet. "Help me get up, Tessa, please."

"You are still too weak Alec," Tessa retorted. "Only a few minutes ago you were still unconscious. Besides, there are no means of communications between this cottage and the outside world, except for fire messages. Jace couldn't even portal directly here. Magnus had to go pick him up several kilometers away."

"Magnus has a way, I know it. He left me the key to his desk, there is communication equipment there." The first time he and Magnus were in the cottage, he had seen the laptop and the big flat screen hidden behind an enormous painting on the wall in Magnus' office. Magnus had told him that he had devised a spell that allowed the laptop to undetectably connect to the outside world, but that it was meant to be used only in emergencies. Alec suspected the present situation qualified as an emergency. "How long ago did they leave?" he now asked Tessa, his voice full of determination despite the fact that it still sounded a little feeble. "How long Tessa?" He repeated the question when Tessa failed to reply.

"They left yesterday," she finally said with a loud sigh.

"And you have not heard from any of them, have you?"

"No, but that doesn't mean anything. Time has a different meaning for warlocks, especially those in the Spiral Labyrinth" Tessa argued, wanting to ease Alec's mind. "It could be that they are just taking their time sorting things out."

"Magnus would have been in touch," Alec replied, "even if just to check on us."

Tessa had to agree; Magnus had been reluctant to leave to begin with and had agreed to go only after Tessa had assured him that she would look after Alec. Still, he had told her that he would be checking in every couple of hours.

After the incident with Aldous Nix's spell book, and when she failed to get any of the New York warlocks to surrender Catarina and Magnus, Celestina Rays had gone directly to the New York Institute and had accused Magnus, Catarina and Alec of stealing a precious book from the Labyrinth's archives. She had obviously failed to report that the book belonged to Aldous and that it contained information about the ancient warlock's research and demonic activities.

Jace had done all in his power to appease Celestina, but it had been to no avail. By the time Magnus had finally gotten in touch with Jace, Celestina was threatening a full-blown diplomatic incident with The Clave. Magnus had had to agree to a meeting; he had no other choice. Jace had insisted on coming along, arguing with Celestina that Alec was away on an important mission and that he, Jace, as acting Head of the Institute, was the highest-ranking Clave representative in New York. Prior to the meeting, Jace had portalled to a location about a hundred kilometers away, and Magnus, using his portal key – the only way in and out of the cottage – had gone to fetch him so he could come see Alec.

"Magnus, what did you do to my parabatai?" Jace had asked when he saw Alec lying unconscious on the bed, half healing burns covering his skin, and bandages wrapped around his torso and foot. "I have been out of mind with worry. In more than one occasion I was sure he was dead or dying."

"We were on a demon hunt," had been Magnus' curt reply, not wanting to reveal more information than what Alec might consider appropriate for Jace to know.

"What happened? Wait don't tell me. It is better than I don't know if I am going to help you sort out the mess with that irritating and arrogant warlock," Jace had stated and Tessa had had to smile. For Celestina must have given Jace a run for his money if he was calling her arrogant.

Jace, Magnus and Catarina had left twenty-four hours ago. Since them, not even a fire message indicating that they had arrived at the Labyrinth had come, nothing, no news and no word, and no matter what she now told Alec, Tessa was growing increasingly worried.

"Get me my stele," Alec asked Tessa once his feet were on the ground and he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He felt dizzy and more than a little nauseous, but he was fully awake and planned to remain so for as long as necessary. Remembering his training, he forced his lungs to breath slowly and steadily through the pain that threatened to overcome him.

Fifteen minutes, two potions, and two stamina and two pain relieving runes later, Alec was in Magnus' office, leaning against Magnus' desk, and looking at the surprised faces of the warlocks that sat around a table at the other side of the computer screen. He could see Magnus, Jace and Catarina there, but he resisted the temptation to acknowledge their presence or to look at Magnus. Instead, he put on his best Institute Head's expression and looked straight at the woman at the head of the table. He had never met Celestina Rays in person, but he had seen pictures of the serious bleach blond woman with the pixie haircut and the glasses that Alec was sure she did not need, but that she wore nonetheless, likely to inspire respect for her authority.

"What a surprise Mr. Lightwood," Celestina said by way of greeting. "I was under the impression that you were indisposed."

"Not indisposed," Alec replied, his voice steady and authoritative, "but rather busy. Catarina and Magnus were helping the New York Institute on a secret mission of great importance when you summoned them. I expect that you have a powerful reason for interfering with my mission." Casually and assuming the demeanor of a cat playing with a mouse, Alec turned a page on Magnus' black book, which he had retrieved from the safe and now held in his hands, strategically positioned for Celestina to see. After pretending to read a few sentences, he looked up at Celestina. "When can I expect them back Ms. Rays?"

"We are pursuing an investigation of our own Mr. Lightwood. We have received reports of unusual demonic activity in New York."

"Demonic activity?" Alec replied feigning surprise. "And since when does the Spiral Labyrinth investigate demonic activities? I thought that was our job."

"Our reports indicate that warlocks were involved in these demonic activities, and that some of those warlocks took a precious book from our archives likely in order to pursue said activities."

"Failing to report Downworlder involvement in demonic activity is a serious bridge of The Accords, Ms. Rays. I assume you reported this and any other such incident to us." As he turned another page in Magnus' book, Alec thought that if he was not in so much pain he would be enjoying this conversation. He looked back at Calestina Rays and thought for a moment that the women had the expression of a fish that had found itself suddenly out of the water. She was trying hard to remain cool, but Alec suspected that she was terrified of what Alec might be reading in the book.

"Of course, we abide by The Accords," replied Celestine finally finding her voice, her face a study in outrage. "That is why we requested to meet with Mr. Herondale."

"And what, may I ask, do you think Magnus and Catarina have to do with the loss of your precious book? I hope you are not accusing the High Warlock of Brooklyn or the New York Institute of theft. That would be a serious accusation," Alec added, his voice measured and his eyes steady. "Let me assure you, Ms. Rays, that Magnus, Catarina and I have been on a very important demon hunt for the last several weeks. I do not know of the book of which you speak. I know of other books, however, books that contain many secrets, secrets that many might want to keep hidden."

Alec thought he saw a small twitch alter Celestina Rays' impassive expression, but she quickly regained control of her features, plastering a pleasant smile on her face. Some of the other warlocks sitting around the table were less adept at deception, however, and more than a few shifted uncomfortably in the seats. Alec resisted the urge to smile or gloat, for he knew that, like the cat that finally gets the mouse, he had Celestina and her warlocks exactly where he wanted them.

"I am making no accusations, Mr. Lightwood. We are just investigating."

"Well, in that case," Alec said, his expression a study in indifference, "and since I do have a very important and potentially destructive demon to catch, I expect Magnus and Catarina to return to their duties presently. The Clave does, after all, pay the Spiral Labyrinth a handsome commission every time we secure the services of a warlock. You do not want to delay the fulfillment of our mission or damage our business relationship, do you?" He turned another page of the black book for good measure and to finally bring the point home.

"Of course," Celestina Rays replied, her tone equally deliberate. "We do not want to interfere with such an important collaboration between the warlock community and the Shadowhunters."

"I hope you find your lost book soon, Ms. Rays," Alec stated in a tone that conveyed that the conversation was over. "Now I must return to my duties, demons do not hunt themselves after all."

As soon as he cut off the call and the screen went black, Alec leaned forward, rested his hands on his knees, and took a few rapid and ragged breaths, the pain and exhaustion finally winning over his determination to remain on his feet. His body began to shake uncontrollably and a thin sheen of sweat covered his brow and back. "I think I need to go back to bed now, Tessa," he said, his voice strained. "Can you help me?"

Tessa, who had remained standing by the doorway and out of sight of Celestina. walked forward and put her arm around Alec's waist supporting him before he collapsed to the ground. They then slowly made their way back upstairs and to Magnus' bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Alec closed his eyes, and the last thing in his mind as he fell into a deep slumber was the image of Magnus' looking at him from the other side of the screen, a faint and proud smile rising to his slips.

Hours later, Alec opened his eyes when he felt the touch of a soft hand against his cheek. The room was in shadows and he suspected that it was night, but even in the darkness he could clearly see the cat eyes that were looking at him with a tender expression. "Magnus?" he asked.

"I am here," Magnus replied, his voice tender. "As I have said many times before, Alexander, you never cease to amaze me. I knew you would come through for us. Now go back to sleep. I will see you in the morning."

Alec closed his eyes once again, exhaustion winning over his desire to speak with Magnus, and as sleep reclaimed him, he breathed in deeply, feeling more peaceful than he had felt in weeks.

Tying lose ends as I approach the end. I appreciate any comments you may have, even if to let me know that I am not writing just for myself.