Magnus left his potion room to see where Alec and Cain had gotten to. They had spent the morning discussing strategies for breaching Lilith's defences before he had decided to finish off a new batch of potion grenades, as Simon had called them. Alec and Cain had muttered something about training before scampering off.
Having Cain in their space over the last few days had been easier than both of them had expected. He had plenty of insider knowledge about Lilith, tidied up after himself and had the decency to knock before entering a room. All in all, Cain made a good houseguest, unlike Simon. Simon really did make himself at home when he was told to.
Magnus smiled when he thought about how Cain and Alec had hit it off rather well. Cain had shared some stories of the centuries that he had walked the earth, mainly stories about old wars and the kind of weapons he had favoured in his early days, snaring Alec's interest and sparking several debates.
Magnus didn't mind so much that Cain and Alec spent most of their time training but he'd had to search Alec out a few times over the last few days, usually finding him holding some heated discussion with Cain. The whispering was starting to make him paranoid, considering how many times the conversations had ceased the moment he approached the pair.
Like now.
Sweeping Alec's training room with his gaze when he paused in the doorway, Magnus saw them huddled in the corner, holding another heated, whispered conversation. Alec's hand gestures were even more expressive than usual.
"Is everything okay?" Magnus asked when Alec stopped the conversation and approached him. The expression on Cain's face, over Alec's shoulder, seemed one of discontent. No, not discontent, more like exasperation.
"Fine. Did you want to go train with your magic?" Alec asked, pressing a kiss to Magnus' cheek.
"Sure. I wanted to have a word first though. In private if you don't mind, Cain?" Magnus asked, turning to the vampire in question.
"Not at all. I'll meet you both outside," Cain said, sighing when Alec ignored the pointed look he gave him.
Magnus pushed Alec back into the training room and closed the door behind him when Cain headed out to the throne room. Snapping his fingers, he placed a silencing spell on the room before turning to Alec.
"What's going on?" Magnus asked, deciding to get straight to the point.
"What do you mean?" Alec asked, shrugging when Magnus raised an eyebrow at him.
"You two are planning something," Magnus said, folding his arms over his chest. The look of innocence on Alec's face was a little too carefully crafted. "Every time I walk into a room the two of you clam up faster than a Seelie when confronted with a direct question," he continued when Alec refused to meet his gaze.
"We're not. We're just discussing tactics, that's all," Alec said with a tight smile, clasping his hands behind his back.
"What kind of tactics?" Magnus asked suspiciously. Alec was so bad at lying that he always knew when Alec was telling him the truth. Alecwastelling the truth but he was still suspicious.
"The quickest way to take Lilith down," Alec said, fighting the urge to fidget under Magnus' scrutinizing gaze.
"That's all?" Magnus asked, his eyebrows creasing into one line, Alec was telling the truth again. He still wasn't buying it though. Cain seemed to be permanently on edge whenever he walked into the room, giving Alec pointed looks, keeping his mouth shut whenever he approached.
"Absolutely," Alec said, smiling when Magnus nodded and brought the silencing spell down. "Are you ready for training?" he asked, sliding his hand into Magnus' when Magnus led the way out of the room.
"Sure," Magnus said, side-eyeing Alec. They got as far as the hallway before his wards went off, stopping him in his tracks for a moment. The magic, detecting an unfamiliar presence, pulsed through him. Alec too, he saw when Alec immediately went into a defensive stance.
Alec held his hand out, nodding to his husband when a sword appeared in his hand with a wave of Magnus' hand. He stepped forward when Magnus' red defensive magic coalesced on his palms and opened the doors that led into the throne room.
Magnus followed Alec out, noting that Cain had lingered in the throne room, looking thoroughly confused.
"Uninvited company," Alec said when he saw the expression on Cain's face. The words had barely left his mouth when a group of demons appeared in the doorway. Or maybe swarm was more appropriate.
Cain accepted a battle axe - his favoured weapon - when it appeared in his hand without comment, his eyes narrowing when he saw who had arrived.
"I don't know who you are but you are trespassing," Magnus said to the first demon through the door, who he assumed was the leader when he saw that none of the strangers was Lilith. He didn't bother to hide his magic when he stepped in front of his throne, standing shoulder to shoulder with Alec, Cain joining them on his left.
Alec's eyes flicked over the crowd that traipsed into the throne room, taking them all in. He assumed that the first man to enter was the leader until more of them came through the door. They seemed to be made up of four distinct, separate groups.
There were three men and one woman, each appearing to be the leader of a smaller group, even though they entered as a whole. Alec watched the first man who had entered, confusion setting in when he saw the golden scales that covered the skin that was exposed on his face and arms. There was something disconcertingly familiar about him.
Magnus leaned in when Cain gestured him closer, never removing his eyes from the group. None of them appeared to be armed or hostile but that didn't mean a thing where Edom's inhabitants were concerned.
"Lilith must have sent them, they are part of her alliance," Cain whispered in Magnus' ear, recognising three of the leaders. The woman was new.
Magnus nodded, expanding his magic to encompass his arms too. Cain had told them about an alliance that Lilith had formed with a few of the more dangerous and influential demons of the realm, demons that she had at her disposal.
"That's Belial," Cain muttered when the first demon stepped forward.
Alec stepped forward too, angling himself so that he could step in front of Magnus if the demon tried anything. Now he realised why he had found the guy familiar. The demon was Lorenzo's father.
"We meant no intrusion, King Magnus. Allow me to introduce myself and my companions. My name is Belial and these are Shinigami, Lempo and Nessraya," Belial said, affecting a bow to the son of Asmodeus.
Magnus studied the man who had addressed him, Lorenzo's father. The only resemblances he saw were the scales that were Lorenzo's warlock mark, a penchant for ostentatious clothes - his clothes were made of an odd material that looked a lot like leather - and the self-important attitude. Turning his attention to the other three, he inspected them quickly.
Shinigami was an odd demon, bald with pale and mottled skin, almost translucent. He wore an expression on his face that gave nothing away. His body, encased in black furs, turned into smoke for a moment, a bluish-gray that resembled the smoke from a lit cigarette, before his body solidified again.
Lempo seemed entirely bored, an almost resigned expression set on the oddly long features of his ,Magnus thought. The demon looked droopy. It was the only word he could come up with, eyes flicking over the dark thatch of hair that sat atop his head. It looked like toupe. Even that seemed to droop down the side of his head. And his odd tunic and pants combo looked baggy and droopy too.
Nessraya was unnaturally beautiful, making Magnus suspect she was a succubus. Nessraya seemed rather comfortable in her pale skin, wearing nothing but a green, sheer, floor-length skirt that was split up to her hips at the sides, a tonne of golden necklaces and bracelets and only her matching green hair to cover her breasts, her hair ending mid-thigh.
Nessraya had brought a couple of Succubi with her too, though they hung back, both equally as beautiful as she. Each of the other demon leaders had three others with them, lesser demons, various shapes and sizes, that barely garnered Magnus' attention. He was too busy keeping an eye on the Succubi who had turned their attention on him and Cain.
"Why are you here?" Magnus asked, switching to Chthonian, the most commonly used demonic language. Belial had used it when speaking. He subtly drew a shield around himself and Cain as he eyed Nessraya. Her icy blue eyes were fixed firmly on Alec, making his narrow, even as a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"We wish to come to an agreement with you, your Majesty," Belial said smoothly, drawing Magnus' attention once more.
Magnus held his hand up when Alec stiffened next to him. Excusing them, he snapped his fingers and created a bubble of silence around himself, Alec and Cain.
"It's some kind of trick," Alec said, knowing that the demons couldn't hear him. "Lilith probably sent them to lull us into a false sense of security. I don't trust any of them," he said.
"Neither do I," Magnus said, seeing an annoyed expression flit over Belial's swath looking face before the demon banished it.
"You're right not to trust them. They are the kind to switch sides the moment it looks like their chosen ally is going to lose," Cain said, elaborating when Magnus and Alec both looked at him with eyebrows raised in question.
"None of them supports Lilith but they joined her alliance because she is the most powerful demon in this realm. They aren't in strong enough positions to take her down by themselves but there were whispers amongst the castle's inhabitants that a few demons were banding together to stage a coup. Looks like these four are the ones," Cain explained.
"Sounds like the Seelie Queen," Magnus said, an amused smile tugging his mouth up when Alec sighed. "As much as I don't trust a single one of them, we need people on our side. Maybe we can take advantage of their duplicity. I think diplomacy is required here. Your skills in dealing with the Clave will come in handy, Alexander," he said.
"Great," Alec muttered, eyeing their guests. He had thought the days of dealing with snakes were over. He followed suit when Magnus sat down, taking a seat on his throne, mentally preparing himself for the battle of wills that was about to commence.
Magnus snapped his fingers, conjuring a chair for Cain before he removed the silencing spell when they were seated, knowing he didn't need to tell Alec to tread carefully. His husband was an expert at dealing with two-faced back-stabbers. He didn't miss the way all eyes fell on Alec when he sat in the second throne.
"What are your proposed terms?" Alec asked Belial, also in Chthonian, thankful that his old tutor, Hodge Starkweather, had drummed the language into him as a child. Sitting back in his chair, he folded one leg over the other. He didn't drop his guard for a moment but the demons didn't have to know that he wasn't as relaxed as he appeared.
"Your Majesty," Belial said, turning to Magnus. "Maybe your advisors would be more comfortable…?" he cut off when Magnus raised his hand.
Magnus focused his magic in front of him, Alec and Cain, shaping it into a solid invisible wall, slamming it against the four distinct tendrils that snaked invisibly towards him. Their guests were probing with their own magic, trying to feel him out, probably trying to gauge how powerful he was.
Magnus dropped his glamour while he was at it, needing to remind them that they weren't dealing with some weak human. Their expressions ranged from surprise to shock, the four demon leaders left reeling.
"Nessraya, are you trying to seduce my husband?" Magnus asked, focussing on the female demon's magic, which she was trying to wrap around Alec. Not that he needed to use magic for that, he could see the way she was physically trying to make herself more appealing, the features of her face changing to something she probably thought Alec might like. She wasn't exactly subtle.
"I'm afraid your power won't work on him, my dear. You aren't his type," Magnus said, a smirk tugging the corners of his lips up when he saw the expression on Alec's face out the corner of his eye. It was one of utter incredulity.
"Not at all," Nessraya said, smiling at the King where he sat on his throne, her eyes flitting to his beautiful companion. To say that she was perplexed was an understatement, she was every male's type, no matter what species they were. The King's companion didn't even flinch in her direction.
"You all obviously know who I am already," Magnus said, silently adding,or you wouldn't be here,as he slid his hand into Alec's grasp."Let me introduce you all. This is Alexander Lightwood-Bane, King-consort of Edom. He is my husband, not my advisor," he said when he saw the confusion on all of their guest's faces.
They had agreed on King-Consort rather than Prince-Consort or Crown-Prince. Magnus had insisted that Alec use the title, wanting the inhabitants of Edom to treat Alec the same as him when they finally got rid of Lilith and actually settled down to the task of ruling the place.
All diplomacy went out of the window for Alec when he felt a pulse of Magnus' magic slide up his arm. He could clearly feel the magic that their 'guests' directed at his husband, through their joined hands. Storing it away to ask Magnus about it later, he turned on their guests.
"We were under the impression that you were a part of Lilith's alliance. So why are you here?" Alec asked Belial the question but let his eyes flick to the rest of them, watching them mutter to their companions. They might not realize it but he could hear their discontent, their muttered questions about why Belial was speaking for all of them not lost on him.
"She is an arrogant, spiteful bitch and we want her gone. She has ruled this realm for too long. But she is weak now. It is time…" Belial cut himself off before he could go too far. Just the mention of Lilith's name usually set him off. But these were negotiations.
It is someone else's turn to rule over the realm,Magnus silently filled in, not for a second fooled by Belial's simpering smile. It was obvious that Belial saw himself as King material, making him wonder why the others were there and if each of them thought the same about themselves.
An image of them all duking it out in some crazyGame of Thronesstyle battle for his seat filled Magnus' head. As entertaining as a real-life version of the show would be, he had no intentions of giving his throne up. At least Lilith was a known quantity. What would they be stuck with if one of these lot tried to depose him and Alec?
"Is that the only reason?" Magnus asked the others. So far, Belial had been the mouthpiece of the group. He didn't know whether the demon was more powerful than the others or if Belial had appointed himself their leader but he had a feeling that they weren't exactly friends.
Each group stood apart from the others, making Magnus suspect that they were there together out of necessity rather than out of any sense of loyalty toward each other. He suspected that each group had their own agendas, rather than just one common goal and his suspicions were confirmed when Shinigami stepped forward.
"We also want the rift opened," Shinigami said, levelling Belial with a look when the demon took a step in his direction, fury etched into the lines of Belial's face. He couldn't care less what Belial had said about not revealing their reasons for coming.
"When you closed the rift you sealed off the entire realm. None of us can get out. You have cut off our food supply," Shinigami continued when Belial stepped back. Some of them didn't need portals to move from realm to realm. Or hadn't, until King Magnus had sealed Edom up with all of them trapped inside.
Magnus didn't need to ask to know that Shinigami was talking about humans. They could all feed on each other until there wasn't a demon left in the realm for all he cared. He wasn't reopening the rift for anyone. And certainly not so that they could go feed on the inhabitants of his home realm.
"Lilith has caused too many problems and she has declared war on us. We have no choice but to deal with her," Magnus said, speaking to all of them. "But the rift will remain closed. You will have to find another food source," he said.
Alec didn't need Cain's uttered warning. He saw the furious expression on Shinigami's face for himself. The moment Shinigami turned to smoke, he stood and stepped in front of Magnus, putting himself between his husband and the enraged demon that came for him, moving faster than any of them could track.
Everyone, with the exception of Magnus and Cain, skittered back when Shinigami solidified in front of Alec for a split-second before the demon disintegrated, turning to ash in front of their shocked eyes. Alec hadn't even flinched.
A symbol had lit up, on his forehead, a set of fangs had snapped out and a snarl had ripped from his throat but the King-Consort hadn't made a move to defend himself. Shinigami was gone, a cloud of dust falling through the air before settling at the King-Consort's feet.
Magnus turned to the group who watched them when Alec returned to his seat beside him once more, noting Belial's shocked, almost scared expression, the demon and his cohorts jumping backwards as though they were waiting for him to set Alec on them too.
Magnus also noted the wariness that crept over the so-far silent Lempo's face. The silence and the wariness had him marking Lempo as the most dangerous of the group. The demon had appeared to be bored, his droopy features hinting at slowness that was most certainly a deception. He had no doubt that there was a calculating intelligence lurking behind the soft-looking countenance.
No one in the throne room missed Nessraya's reaction. Her darkening face screwed up into an ugly mask of hostility, skin and hair turning black, a hiss escaping past the huge array of fangs that now filled her mouth. The nails on her hands and bare feet had turned into snaggled claws. As had those of her companions.
It was Shinigami's remaining demons that had Magnus moving. Two of them had skittered back through the door, disappearing from sight. The third demon, however, ran forward with jerky movements. The sound of nails on a chalkboard reverberated around the room when it screeched for the loss of its master.
Magnus jumped to his feet and flicked his hands, two fiery whips curling from his palms, the same magic that he had defeated his father with. Snapping his wrists forward, he wrapped the ends of the whips around the demon's neck and severed its head from its body with a flick of his wrists, his cat eyes glowing brightly.
"When I banished my father to Limbo and took this realm from him, I had no intentions of coming here to rule with an iron fist. But mark my words, if any of you come for our thrones again, we will destroy you and all that you hold dear," Magnus said, his voice magically booming through the room.
"King Magnus Lightwood-Bane is not somebody you want to go up against," Alec said when he saw Belial twitching with anger in the corner. "You should spread the word, in case anyone else decides to try their luck. Believe me, it will end badly for them," he added, speaking to all of the remaining demons.
Alec hadn't moved to defend Magnus when the second demon had come at them. They needed to see that Magnus was a force to be reckoned with in his own right. The disintegrating demon obviously hadn't gotten the message. But the rest of them were getting it now.
"The rest of you have two options. You can either join us or you can get the fuck out of our way. Either way, Lilith will be destroyed and the riftwillstay closed. If you are with Lilith then you are against us. I suggest you choose wisely," Magnus said, his tone brooking no arguments. He wasn't foolish enough to trust any of them if they joined them but he would let them nonetheless. They needed numbers.
Cain watched Magnus and Alec, deep respect for them forming. They could have destroyed the remaining demons, who had blatantly come to destroy the pair if their demands weren't met, and they would have been well within their rights to do so.
Their actions inspired respect and loyalty, a desire to follow them. Not out of duty to the two rulers of the realm he now resided in but because Cain believed that they were worthy of following. Catching Alec's eye, he gave him a silent nod, knowing that Alec understood when Alec returned the gesture.
It seemed self-preservation won out over the desire to take Alec and Magnus on. Nessraya was the first to step forward.
"I am with you. You are a far better option than Lilith," Nessraya said, a charming smile lighting her face up for the two Kings.
Alec stared when Nessraya's fangs and claws disappeared. The woman's entire appearance changed. Her long hair remained black but her skin changed, turning a beautiful golden hue, her nails appeared to painted with black nail polish and her eyes shifted. The shape and hue of them changed, now golden with slitted pupils. She looked like a female version of Magnus, almost an exact replica, aside from the female body.
"You still aren't his type," Magnus huffed, glaring at Nessraya's blatant attempts to snare his husband. He refrained from crossing the room to rip her long hair from her head. Nessraya could change herself into a man for all the good it would do, he knew Alec was content with him.
"I too will join you," Lempo said, stepping up beside Nessraya and the harpies that followed her, rolling his eyes at the three of them. One of her fellow Succubi had altered her appearance to resemble a female version of King Alexander, the other was focused on Cain, her features fluctuating as she tried to find something that would attract him. Succubi were all the same, draining your seed and life from you until there was nothing left.
Magnus repressed a shudder at the deep boom of Lempo's voice. It sounded desolate, the sound of a thousand lost souls, echoing from out of a deep pit. For some reason, he had been expecting a soft, lazy drawl. The demon's voice had every hair on his body standing on end. He reminded himself to keep both eyes on the demon.
"Of course, I will join you," Belial said, stepping forward too. He didn't bother to add that they were his only shot of getting rid of Lilith.
"Lorenzo would be so pleased," Magnus said to Belial, silently adding,that we don't have to kill you.
"Who?" Belial asked, watching when Magnus snapped his fingers, a large round table appearing in the middle of the room.
"Lorenzo," Magnus said, taking a seat at the table, gesturing for the others to take their seats. The incomprehension on Belial's face had him clarifying. "Lorenzo Rey, your son? He's a friend of ours," he said.
"Friend" was stretching things but Magnus hoped Belial wouldn't be such a douche if he thought they were friends with his son.
"Forgive me, I have many children," Belial said as he took his seat at the table between Lempo and Nessraya, a smile on his face. The name rang a bell but it had been centuries since he had bothered with any of his children.
Magnus exchanged a glance with Alec, seeing his own shock mirrored on Alec's face. Asmodeus might have been an asshole but at least his father had known who he wonder Lorenzo acts like a dick,he thought, deciding that he would try to be nicer to his fellow Warlock if he ever saw him again.
Alec took a seat next to Cain, the only one left. He noticed it was the furthest one from Nessraya but chose not to comment on the fact. She was still trying to get his attention, her skin glowing brightly, batting her lashes at him. He couldn't help but find Magnus' scowl absolutely adorable.
Magnus conjured a few bottles of wine and a jug of blood for Alec and Cain, along with several glasses. Filling the glasses with a wave of his hands, he sent them forth before they settled down to discuss numbers and strategic positions. He had a feeling they were going to need the alcohol.
"That went better than expected," Magnus said, leading the way into the loft when their guests left, heading for his potion room, Alec and Cain following behind.
"I still don't trust any of them but at least we have the numbers now," Alec said. It wasn't enough compared to what Lilith had but they were in a far better position than before their new allies had shown up. Each demon had promised a quota of bodies for the upcoming battle against Lilith.
"The reason for this," Magnus said, pointing to one of the barrels of Alec's grave dirt. Clearing a space on the floor with a wave of his hand, he grabbed a handful and knelt on the ground.
Alec and Cain watched over Magnus' shoulder as Magnus used the dirt to write a note;
Catarina, my dear friend,
I hope you and Madzie are well.
We miss you both so much.
We need your help.
Could you do some research on the demons Belial, Lempo and Nessraya?
We have enlisted them in our fight against Lilith.
Anything you could find on them would be helpful.
All our love, Magnus and Alec.
Magnus snapped his fingers, setting fire to the message and watching it burn before the words faded. "I want to know everything there is to know about our new comrades," he said when it was done.
Alec took Magnus' hand when he stood, looking down to see a reply to Magnus' message forming on the concrete floor, a sigh of relief escaping when the words appeared.
We miss you too.
Consider it done.
Catarina.
Now they just had to wait to see if their willingness to accept help was misplaced.