Disclaimer: I'm not Cassandra Clare thus own none of her tormented characters.
Warning (?): Contains more drinking & some suicide images. (no one actually dies.)
CHAPTER 10 - The Price to Pay
"It's not about the price of something… It's about its worth… What are you willing to pay? For the one who is most precious to you…?"
Previously: "What do you want me to give you?" The girl smiled wickedly, looking like a fallen angel, and simply said; "Your soul."
ALEC
The boy's head shot up once more, and Niennor anticipated the look of terror in his eyes. Instead, the Nephilim, for the first time since entering the bar, smiled. It was a dazzling smile, full of hope, and the way it lit his face made her think he should really smile more. However, coupled with the lyrics of "Laugh I nearly Died" which was currently playing, that smile seemed to herald nothing good. His next words, spoken in a voice which had no trace of quivering, but instead was confident and calm, confirmed her thoughts. "You can have it." "Kid…" she said tiredly, "You can't mean that." Alec raised an eyebrow "Why not?" "Look, I know I look really evil with these eyes and stuff-" "No!" he interrupted "I'm sorry if I insulted you, I don't think you are evil at all… After all, appearance means nothing." he added thinking of Camille who looked like an angel, but whose soul was rotten to the core. Niennor looked taken aback. "Relax… I'm not insulted, on the contrary.." she smiled staring at him a look of wonder in her crimson eyes "You keep surprising me. A kind Shadowhunter… Never thought I'd meet one… " Alec looked confused "I… I'm not kind… I'm the worst kind of scum…" he murmured looking away. Niennor shook her head realising he wouldn't believe anything she said if she tried to change his mind and just muttered. "You're impossible kid…"
Alec gasped, a memory intruding on his mind; Magnus laughing at something he said, reaching out to caress his face and whispering in a loving voice 'You're impossible Alexander… I love you so much…'
"Sorry" he muttered again and took out his steele, burning two more runes onto his arms, while biting his lip, struggling to hold back tears.
"It isn't me… It isn't me… The one you've been looking for…"
"Why are you doing that?" she asked curiously "It helps me breathe…"
They sat in silence while Alec drew the runes, breathing slowly, trying to shake the memory away. "Are you okay?" Niennor asked after a minute studying him "You look really pale…" He laughed, a humourless laugh at the absurd question. 'I'll never be okay again…' However, he only said, "I always do…"
MAGNUS
Meanwhile, Magnus was spacing out, trying to ignore the music, when a song drew his attention. Let Her Go. "Lilith." he exclaimed. "Someone up there must really hate me…" And then he heard a phrase and froze. "No… I will never understand… Why I destroy everything I touch …" Was his answer to the song. "Make it stop…" he whimpered hiding his face in his hands.
ALEC
Absent-mindedly tangling his glass in his fingers staring at it, Alec was listening to a different part of the same song, accusing himself of destroying all his dreams for a life with Magnus. Finally casting the depressing thoughts from his mind, he asked. "So… do you want my soul or not?" "That was a joke kiddo… I may look the part, but I'm no demon…" he raised an eyebrow at her, perplexed "No you don't. Look the part, I mean. You are really beautiful…" he said without thinking, but then shook his head and went on as she looked at him astonished "Do… Do you think… a demon could erase my memory?" "Yes..." He smiled again; 'I can be free…'
His smile scared her. It was the smile of someone who welcomes death as peace. "It's not my place to tell you what to do…But please kid…" She pleaded with him "Don't do it… You will regret it, and Demons take no refunds…" "I won't regret it…" he whispered and she looked at him sadly, defeated. 'What can I do?'
"So…" Niennor began, a plan forming in her mind. "Here's what you need to do: water blocks magic, thus, if you stay near a river or the sea and also wear that…"
she said, conjuring a round, golden amulet with a blue stone (the shade of Alec's eyes) inlaid in its midst and leaving it on the table in front of him,
"…then, even the High Warlock of Brooklyn won't be able to track you!"
Her laugh was cut short, as the words she said trying to cheer up the boy had the reverse outcome. The Nephilim paled even more, any remaining colour draining from his face, and he took a sharp breath as if the Warlock had punched him in the gut. She might as well had, it would have hurt less. {And as before, the present song wasn't helping him cope with the situation any better. The song chosen to torture him now was "From Can to Can't".} Niennor's eyes widened as surprise first and then realisation hit her. 'Of course…' All the puzzle pieces clicked into place, confirming her previous thoughts. 'The High Warlock of Brooklyn.' Magnus, with his catlike eyes, which in a way were like hers… 'Magnus, who loved that song; singing it with a voice breaking under the weight of tears, whenever he reflected on his immortality…'
Alec was breathing heavily looking down, and she realised he was struggling to hold back his own tears. Feeling immensely sorry for him, 'He's barely 18… what caused so much sadness to someone so kind…? What happened between those two?' she thought, and her hand moved in its own volition to rest on his shoulder, to offer some comfort. At the touch the Shadowhunter snapped like he'd been slapped. Wide eyed and looking terrified, he stuttered "I'm… I'm sorry… Please tell me what you want in return…" The Warlock looked at him sadly as the previous song was replaced with a new one, which was bound to hurt. Hate me.
"Well then. I'll make you a deal. The payment I want will be patience. Do not try finding any demons yet. Wait for at least three days and if by then you still want to disappear, come find me and I'll summon the demon you need myself, free of charge too." He looked terrified at the thought. "I can't last that long!" "You are unlucky then… I'm the second stronger Warlock in Brooklyn." she paused letting that sink in, now expecting the wince that followed as Alec realised what that meant. "And I don't think you can afford the first one… or any other to be honest…" "Are you sure you don't want my soul after all?" he tried. "No." "There is no hope then… I accept."
MAGNUS
Magnus, who had dozed off exhausted, woke up with a start.
'It was a dream…' He thought panicked,
'Only a Dream…' he kept telling himself trying to shake it off,
'Just a dream…' but his breathing was still erratic.
"Alec…" he had seen the Nephilim, lying in a dark place weeping… Unable to help himself any longer he had run to him, turning him around to face him. "Please don't cr–" his words were cut short by the sound of a knife hitting the ground. Alec's arms were littered with multiple deep cuts gushing blood, as he looked at Magnus, the light fading from his blue eyes. "It's all your fault… I loved you…" were his last words before collapsing limply in the terrified Warlock's hands who woke up, gasping the Nephilim's name.
"My Alec…" noticing the song, he muttered "What IS good for you? If you hated me, would you be happy?"
ALEC
"Until that night arrived… When with a heavy heart he spoke those cruel words to me…"
'Magnus…'
"Don't look into my eyes… Don't ask me why I run… Why I'm going away into Oblivion's Land; only my soul knows the answer to that…"
'Like you'd answer anything I'd ask…' he thought bitterly 'Why, oh why, didn't I keep my mouth shut?'
"No, Don't look into my eyes… You know you're hurting me… I will discover every secret of this Earth… And when I do, I'll return and tell them all to you… I'll find you…"
'If only… You're never coming back to me…'
He fell back to his chair again, a refilled drink in hand wondering how he was going to survive three days through that pain.
And then as if things weren't bad enough, the worst song so far, came up. What have you done.Alec gasped. 'Angel. Someone up there must really hate me…' he thought, fighting for breath.
That one hurt too much, he couldn't take much more; as the refrain began, he felt like he was being stabbed repeatedly through the heart. He covered his ears in vain, and closed his eyes, curling in the chair, making himself as small as possible. Suddenly he thought he heard Magnus' voice screaming something and his breath caught in his throat, his eyes shooting open, but before he could react, an explosion echoed, cutting off the loud music mid-accusational phrase.
If Alec had turned to look behind him, he would have seen that the sound system had gone up in blue flames, and the Vampire Dj was running for his life terrified and shrieking.
He also would have seen the one person he longed to see more than anything, running away as if all the Demon's of Edom were on his heels, and banging the door behind him.
Alec didn't care, thus didn't bother to turn, he was just glad that Angel-forsaken song had finally shut up. He sighed, finally able to breathe again. 'I was imagining things… He wouldn't be here…'
He looked at Niennor who for some reason was staring behind him, her crimson eyes wide with disbelief and surprise. "So" he started, but then, another song echoed out of nowhere, rubbing salt to his wounds…
October & April.
"WHERE THE HELL IS THAT COMING FROM?!" "Sorry, that would be my phone, don't mind it." Niennor said turning it off. Alec huffed, placing a hand over his eyes "I'm sorry… I have to go… This place is messing with my head." he said getting up "Alec, wait a second…" she said, stalling for time, but also, wanting to try and comfort him somehow "I know you don't believe it, but it's gonna be alright…" "You are right…" he replied sceptical, and the girl beamed.
"I don't believe it… Nothing… will be alright, ever again…"
So… That's it for now, what did you think? I'll try editing/posting another one today or tomorrow!
{Once more, if you are interested in reading the uncut version contact me, and I'll be more than happy to send it to you!}
"The parts written on this format" are another 2 roughly translated songs. {1. Don kixotis= Don Quixote by Dytikes Synoikies 2. Olis tis gis ta mistika = All of Earth's Secrets by DeFacto.}