Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue

Magnus Bane was an old warlock, who had experience in many things in the world. Hell, he even dared to say he experienced everything he could. He had a handful of true friends, who showered him with concern on a daily basis. He had money, he collected throughout the years that he could spend into his heart’s desire. He had his title, The High Warlock of Brooklyn, which gave him respect among the downworlders in New York and outside the border as well. He thought he had it all and lived to his fullest.

Oh, how wrong he was!

The day he met Alexander Gideon Lightwood, a shadowhunter from the New York Institute, was a day his whole world turned upside down. Suddenly he felt lost at the sea of life. The day Alexander Lightwood showed up in his life, he realized he hadn’t lived his life at all. He realized that there’s been something he had missed for his whole life.

The feeling of real love.

True Love.

The one he only had heard from romantic stories written by mundane writers.

When Alec Lightwood clumsily stumbled into his life he realized that despite his belief, he had no idea what love truly meant. He was a fool before when he believed he knew what love is.

With Alec everything was different. He felt young and free with this young man, even though he wouldn’t believe himself to fall for a shadowhunter of all species. With Alec, he felt alive. He felt an immense joy. Everything was brighter, clearer,  more intense. Magnus closed his heart for over a century, and here was Alec waltzing into his life and crushing down the walls he had built around his heart.

How grateful he was for this.

All of this was surreal. In a short amount of time, Magnus began to feel so much for the young man. He couldn’t voice properly the name of the feelings. Hell, on some days he couldn’t keep up with his feelings at all. He desired him and in the same second, he wanted nothing more but care for him until Alec would join the angels of his kin in heaven. He needed him, he couldn’t do anything without thinking about the man, whether it was something trivial in his life or something that occurred his decisions as a leader.

Whenever Alec enters into the room, Magnus loses his breath. His heart beat faster, more alive. His skin tingled, whenever Alec was standing so close that he could feel his breath. He knew it was the love he felt for Alec. And yet, it was different.

Throughout the centuries, Magnus loved and lost many, but he never felt as strong as he felt for Alec. It took him a while to understand why Alec was different from all his previous lovers. Why Alec warmed his heart every time he professed his love for him.

“ I love you, Magnus.”

“I love you too, Alexander.”

Those words worked like magic on him. The greatest magic in the world. The most powerful that even the son of the Prince of Hell fell under its working.

Magnus Bane never thought he was looking for true love until this beautiful man stumbled upon his life. He never thought he wanted it until his eyes crossed with Alec’s blue ones for the first time. He never thought he would welcome it so easily when Alec’s lips touched his for the first time. He never thought he was deprived of it, until he made love with Alexander for the first time and sparks burst between them, both literally and figuratively.

And yet, here he was, tasting the true love in its purest form, every time he looked down at his right hand where the Lightwood’s ring was shining and the black rune tattooed over his heart.

Magnus thanked the Angels and Fate every day that they sent the beautiful blue-eyed angel at his path and granted him the feeling of true love.

Alas, fate decided to change it all and take the true love out of his grasp.

Chapter Text

Chapter I

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”

Present day

Magnus was enjoying his second martini with Raphael when he’s gotten a fire message from his husband about a demon attack. As the new Inquisitor, Alec had barely taken part of demon hunts, being swarmed into paperwork for the Clave. No wonder, Alicante was free of demonic attacks, especially now, when Magnus was the High Warlock of Alicante. However, when they had founded themselves in New York, visiting family and friends, demons seemed to smell them from afar and decided to come out from their lairs. How Magnus hated that. He didn’t miss it at all, ever since he and Alexander moved into Alicante.

“Everything alright?” Raphael asked, placing his mug with a coffee at the wooden table. They were currently sitting in the daylight, enjoying a midday sun in the cafe nearby the church Raphael was assigned to. “Magnus?”

“Typical,” the warlock mused. “Whenever we’re away from home, something comes up.”

“Do you need to go?” the young man looked at him in a question. Magnus shook his head.

“If Alec would need my help, he’d notify me.”

“So, how’s life in Alicante? Is it still sunny as before?”

“It’s busy,” Magnus replied, sighing. “Ever since Alexander become the Inquisitor and allowed the downworlders into Alicante, I have so much work to do. Almost everyone in Alicante wants me to adjust the wards around their places to allow the downworlders in. My calendar is packed for five months ahead. Can you believe it?”

“He really changed the whole world for you. He loves you so much.”

Magnus smiled at that, remembering the words, Alec had told him moments before their wedding.

When I die, I don’t want people to remember me and say, Alec Lightwood was the Inquisitor once or Alec Lightwood fought in the Mortal War or that he went to the literal hell and back. When they look at me I want them to say Alec Lightwood loved one man so much that he changed the world for him.

“And I love him equally,” Magnus sighed contently. “He’s my whole world. But enough of me and Alexander. Tell me, how are you, my sweet boy?”

“I’m really good, Magnus,” Santiago smiled genuinely, squeezing Magnus’s hand across the table. “I have finally found my place on the Earth. I feel the joy I haven’t felt in years. I’m still in progress of redemption. I’m not sure if God will ever grant me forgiveness for the things I’ve done in my past life. But I want to atone for them.”

“God is merciful, Raphael,” the warlock assured him. “You are a wonderful and good man. God sees it.”

“Father Louis says this too,” the mundane inputted. “He says that feeling remorse and want to atone for my mistakes is the first step to change and get closer to God. He says that as long as I want to, God will hear me. He will help me in my way to him.”

“I’m sure of it.”

They spent an hour more, talking about things in their lives before Raphael had to go back to the seminary. Knowing that Catarina had a morning shift in the hospital and Madzie was in the newest school for young warlocks opened by the High Warlock of Brooklyn Lorenzo Rey, Magnus made his way back to the Institute.

For the past few months, since Alec was promoted to the Inquisitor’s position, Isabelle Lightwood was appointed by him as the new Head of the New York Institute. While Jace was promoted to be the trainer of new shadowhunters who came to the Institute. It took his mind off a bit from the case with Clary. At least, until together with Magnus managed to speed up the process of her gaining her memories of the Shadow World back. She was back to the Institute for only a month, but it was a joyful month for their whole family.

“Magnus!” He heard his name being called behind his back. He turned around and spotted Max Lightwood who was running up to him. Magnus a few steps before the gate of the Institute and waited for the young boy. The youngest in their family caught up with him and threw himself into his arms. Magnus was dazzled every time someone of the Lightwoods’ family was hugging him and seeing him as a part of their family. Even though he and Alec were married for a little over a year now, it was still a bizarre thing for him to have a real family that loved him and didn’t want to use him as his father wanted before.

“Max, it’s lovely to see you,” he squeezed the boy back, shaking his head. The teenager was getting taller and taller with every time Magnus saw him. Just like his older brother. “How’s the L.A. Institute?”

“Good, good,” he replied as he grabbed his hand and led him inside the Institute. “Dad says that now since I’m turning thirteen I can get to choose where I can train. And dad transfers me to New York. Alec said yes too.”

“I’m sure Isabelle and Jace and your mother will be delighted.”

“I can’t wait to visit mom in her shop,” Max said happily as the door behind them closed. “And Luke too. I think they will get married.”

“I think so too.” Magnus looked at him curiously. He was still young and yet, he seemed to be not bothered too much over this fact. “Are you ok with this, Max?”

“I’ve never seen my mom so happy as she’s been with Luke. And dad is happier too,” Magnus rose his eyebrow in a question. “He’s been seeing a woman as well. Her name is Anna-Marie something. She’s nice. Makes dad happy.”

“Magnus!” their talk was interrupted by a male voice. They turned around and spotted a tall blonde man with curly hair. “It’s nice to see you.”

“Andrew, long time no see,” they shook their hands and smiled. “Where oh where is my husband?”

“In boss’ office,” Underhill answered and looked at Max. “And you, Max have to come with me. We’re done with your clearance and officially you’re the full-time resident of the New York Institute. I’ll give you a new schedule of training and introduce you to the new trainees you’ll be associating with for the upcoming weeks.”

“I’ll guess I see you at dinner, Max. Be good.”

“You too, brother!” Every time Max or Jace or Izzy called him their brother, his heart got bigger ten times.

Magnus made his way towards his husband’s former office. Not much has changed here, however, Isabelle made small adjustments to fit her persona better. There were few vases full of fresh flowers standing at the fireplace and at the small table in front of the leather couch Alec and Magnus made out a few times. Magnus guessed Simon was the one who’s been bringing her the flowers. Their relationship was developing beautifully. It was heartwarming.

“Magnus,” Isabelle stood up from her chair and came to greet him. Magnus embraced his sister-in-law and kissed the top of her head. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too, beautiful.” Despite the remarkable resemblance to Alec, Isabelle did not blush at every small compliment. She smiled warmly at him in gratitude, complimenting Magnus as well. “The power suits you.”

“Always a charmer, this one, huh Alec?”

“Got myself the greatest one,” Alec joked, kissing Magnus’s cheek lovingly. Never in his life, Magnus would believe he’d have so wonderful people surrounding him. “How’s lunch with Raphael?”

“Good,” Magnus sat down on the couch, Alec following his example. Isabelle sat across them at the red plush chair. He looked back at Isabelle. “Thank you for watching him for me, Isabelle.”

“He’s family,” Isabelle placed her left hand over right and on her knee. That’s when Magnus spotted a new shiny piece of jewelry on her left hand. A wide smile crept up onto his face when he looked from the ring to Izzy’s face. From the first time, since he’s known Isabelle Sophia Lightwood, the young woman blushed slightly. Alec looked confused between his husband and sister. “Yeah, I wanted to tell you the news in person.”

“Congratulation, my dear.” Magnus jumped to his feet and dragged Isabelle up as well. He drew her into his arms and squeezed lovingly. “When?”

“A week ago.”

“Hello? Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Alec spoke to them, confused.

“Simon proposed to me last week and I said yes.” Alec got up from the couch as well and came to hug his sister. He congratulated her sincerely, shedding a tear or two of which he’ll deny of course.  He was genuinely happy for his baby sister and her fiance Simon Lewis. “And before any of you will even think of it, Jace has already had a shovel talk with Simon. I don’t need any of you to scare him off.”

“ I’ll hold your brother down if he’ll try anything,” he promised to Isabelle. “We’re very happy for you two. If you need any help in planning, I’m your man.”

“I wouldn’t…” she didn’t have a chance to finish as a sound of alarm came out of her phone.

Isabelle rushed towards the Ops Center, Magnus and Alec hot on her heels. When they got there, most of the shadowhunters were already standing by the map with Jace pointing at a red dot by the East River, near the Brooklyn Bridge. Magnus spotted that few of the shadowhunters were already geared up.

“What do we know?” Isabelle asked in her Head of the Institute tone. Magnus knew it so well, he still remembered how Alexander was using it whenever he commanded his people.

“The seelies reported a group of Raums attacking near the docks,” Clary explained quickly, activating her runes. Thankfully, the Angels decided to give her back her memories and access to the runes. “There are not any casualties so far, but we have to check it.”

“Ok, Jace, take Clary, Underhill, and Ashdown with you and check it,” Isabelle ordered. “Wrayburn, you, Kingsmill and Gladstone will check the area on the other side of the bridge. The rest of you, look out for any potential new demon attacks.”

“I’m going too,” Alec suddenly said and made his way to the weaponry room.

A moment later he stepped out with one of the bow he left behind and a stack of arrows. Magnus knew better than argue with Alexander, whenever he wanted to go on a hunt. Deep down, Bane knew that his husband missed the simple hunts. Alicante was wonderful, but there was no thrill that Alec loved. Magnus sighed exasperatedly. He could kiss goodbye the shopping trip Alec barely agreed to. The warlock snapped his fingers and conjured himself a more fitting attire for a demon hunt. Black jeans, that may or may not belong to Alexander, a purple shirt and a leather black jacket that definitely belonged to Alec, but Magnus snatched it for himself. He extended his forearm towards his husband so the man could draw the familiar rune. When united by the alliance rune, Magnus and Alec were more powerful.

When they stepped out of the portal at the docks by the East River, Magnus expected it to be more wrecked. However, when they got there, they spotted two seelies fighting off two Raums, who weren’t even trying their most damn to kill the faerie. It looked as if the four were dancing with one another.

“Is this the group of the Raums?” Underhill asked, eyeing the scene before him. “I expected at least five of them.”

“Maybe the seelies killed them off?” Jace spoke as he took out of his seraph blade. They were here to kill the demons, no matter the number. Well, he was right.

Their group took a cautious step ahead towards the demons and seelies. Blue sparks of magic were already twirling around Magnus’s fist, as he was walking next to Alexander. With every next train, they were better at fighting together, especially when the alliance rune was activated by Alec. The demons were not concerned by them, still playing with the fairies, when suddenly Alexander took a step ahead. The demons looked at the approaches and if they could they would smile. The demons threw the seelies away with their tentacles and let out a loud growl.

Before they knew ten more Raums stepped out of their hiding spots and marched at them. Magnus began to throw electric balls at them, wanting to destroy them as soon as it was possible. However, he founded it a hardship. His balls of energy were bouncing off them but they did nothing to hurt them. Magnus cursed loudly and sent more energy at the demons, but still, his magic bounced off them.

“What’s happening?” Clary asked him, trying to fight off the Raum next to her and Jace.

“They’re protected!” Magnus shouted, realizing the facts. “A warlock’s magic!”

“Can you break it?” Jace pushed his blade through the body of one Raum and the demon disappeared. However, a moment later in his place two new popped out, attacking them. “Damn!”

Suddenly, Jace was flying across the docks, as he was hit by the tentacles of the one Raum.

“JACE!” Both Alec and Clary shouted at once. “Go to him, Clary. We’ll be fine.”

Magnus only saw a flare of the red hair running in the other direction before a demon came up at him. For a brief moment, Magnus thought he’ll be thrown back as Jace, but he was wrong. The demon knocked the seraph blade out of his hands and blocked him in his tentacles. Magnus shouted to his husband and Alec immediately threw himself in his way. The second he turned around all of the demons marched at him and circled him, leaving the rest of the team to mind themselves. The demons were growling at Alexander, while he was trying to fend them off with his arrows. Magnus looked to the side, hoping to see Underhill or Ashdown back on their feet, but to no avail. Both men were nowhere to be seen. Did Magnus miss them being killed by the demons?

“Tsk, tsk,” Magnus heard a sound by his ear. In a swirl of violet magic, the tentacles that were holding him changed into a pair of brown arms with a black tattoo on the hand that Magnus would recognize everywhere. The warlock looked down as he felt unnatural coldness at his wrist and found them bound by magical shackles that were preventing him from using magic. “Long time no see, Magnus.”

“Triana,” he seethed through his teeth. He should have recognized her aura of magic. “Let me go.”

“And where’s the fun in it?” She looked above Magnus’s shoulder, standing at her tiptoes, seeing as if she was smaller than Magnus. She eyed Alec, circled by the demons. “So that’s your mortal lover? I don’t see what’s so special about him?”

“What do you want?”

“See my competition in person,” she replied as it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Huh, he’s pretty I tell you that, but nothing more. He’s nothing more than a pretty face and pretty body, I assume. He has nothing on me.”

“He’s better than you,” Magnus retorted, sighing. He hoped he wouldn’t see the female warlock anymore since they broke up all those years ago, due to her obsessive behavior. In fact, she was worse than Camille, and she broke Magnus’s heart too.

“You think he loves you more than me? No one can love you as much.” she continued, stroking his arm. Magnus shivered under her touch and not in a good way. “Camille couldn’t love you as I did through the centuries, ever since we first met in Paris back in 1821. You charmed me in a way no one ever could. You saved me and provided me with love I’ve never felt before. You gave me your heart and I gave you mine. No one can love you as much as I do. Camille couldn’t, Etta couldn’t and for sure your Alec can’t.”

“I thought your delusions went away.”

The arms that were circling him disappeared from his body and Tamira stepped ahead of him. Her red eyes were flaring with fury and the feathers on her shoulders were pointed sharply. The usual light violet color of her magic changed into a deep purple as it continued to circle his wrists.

“You call my love for you a delusion?” her voice changed as well. Magnus remembered it good from the time he was with her that it heightened to a screech when she was mad. “My love for you is the truest thing I ever felt. And so did you, don’t deny it. You told me multiple times that you love me. A love like ours can’t be lost, Magnus.”

“I love Alec,” he stated firmly, eyes moving to his husband. The demons weren’t attacking him but were holding him away.  “He’s my only love. My true love.”

Triana laughed at him and looked back at Alec. She whispered to the demons in a demonic language and they stepped away from the shadowhunter. Before Magnus had any chance to react, the magic of the female warlock was holding Alexander up in the air.

“Alexander!” Magnus screeched, trying to release himself of the magical shackles of Triana’s. “Let him go!”

“Ma...gs…” Alec choked at his name.

“Triana! Let him go!” He shouted angrily, but the female seemed to not listen to him at all.

“I’ve gotten rid of Camille, sending her to that Russian mundane. I’ve gotten rid of Etta, by plaguing in her mind that she’s going to get old soon and you’ll remain the same. Imasu was a quick fling of yours so I did not concern myself with him. But the rest of them, I’ve gotten rid of them and now I’ll do the same with your little shadowhutner.”

“No!”

“You think him your true love does he think so too?” She drew Alec with her magic close to herself and looked deeply into his blue eyes. “You’ll never love him as I do. I am Magnus’s true love, not you. He is mine and I am his and it’s been like this for centuries. You have nothing over me.”

“Don’t hurt him,” Magnus begged, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Please, he’s done nothing wrong.”

“He took you away from me,” she reminded him. “Now I’m taking him away from you.”

Magnus tried so hard to break free of her hold to stop her as she began chanting in the old Latin. Alec’s body started to shake in the air, magic surrounding his whole body. Magnus began to scream not only Alec’s name but Clary’s and Jace’s too, hoping someone would hear him and come to the rescue. His prayers were heard, as a second later a seraph blade was flying next to him. The blade drove through the female’s warlock heart, making her fall to her knees.

Magnus broke free of the bonds holding him and ran towards Alec’s body that was falling from the air. He caught the unconscious man into his arms and fell to the ground with him. He laid him delicately on the cold ground and began to pour his magic into him. In the same moment Clary, Jace, Underhill, and Ashwood ran towards them. They dropped to their knees by Magnus and stilled in their movements.

The warlock’s magic was floating through Alec’s body but nothing was happening. It was frustrating. Not stopping the process, he turned his head towards the female warlock. Despite the blood running out of her heart and mouth, the woman was laughing. Jace grunted loudly and jumped towards her. He grabbed her by her throat and raised her in the air.

“What did you do to my brother, witch?!”

“If...he loves you truly...and you...love him…” she spat her blood at Jace. “He’ll find his way to you, my love.”

“Wake him up!” Magnus demanded, looking at her with his cat eyes. “Wake him up!”

“I can’t...he’s not here… anymore…”

In that very moment, the eyes of the hunters and Magnus’s turned back to the place where Alec’s body was lying a second ago, only to find it empty with remains of the violet sparks of Triana’s magic. Magnus was touching the ground frantically, trying to find his husband.

“Where is he?!” Magnus shouted attacking the warlock with his own magic. “Where is he?!”

“Not where, but when… See if he’s love for you is true as you claim.” As she finished her words, Triana changed her body into a Raum again and ripped her own heart out with a tentacle.

“NO!!!” All of them screamed as the body of the warlock burned itself down. They watched as the ashes disappeared into the ashes and the last amount of her magic blurred away as well.

“Where’s Alec?” Clary asked with tears in her eyes. Magnus dropped down to his knees again and let out an inhuman howl. Jace was by his side in a second.

“Where’s my brother?

Magnus took off his wedding ring and whispered a quick tracking spell but it didn’t work. When he tried to feel Alec through it, he found an emptiness. Magnus grabbed Jace’s shirt and rolled it up to reveal the parabatai rune. It was still there but it was more transparent there as if Alec was partly dead. It didn’t disappear, but it wasn’t as dark as before. Magnus touched the rune on Jace’s body and chanted another tracking spell, stronger than before. However, again he felt nothing but emptiness as if  Alec was dead.

The warlock swallowed hard and wiped the tears off his cheeks before he locked his eyes with Jace’s golden ones and whispered, barely audible.

“I don’t know.”

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter II

“My heart is your heart until I die”

Time stopped the second Alec disappeared and Triana’s ripped her heart out. Magnus stared at the place where his husband was lying mere moments before. His hands were roaming the cold ground, trying to find any traces of the place she teleported Alec away, but in no avail. Alec was lost somewhere and Magnus had no idea where to look for him.

He was slowly going insane. The only thing keeping him steady was the slightly faded parabatai rune on Jace’s stomach. Magnus kept his hand on Jace’s body, trying to get the feeling of his beloved shadowhunter, but there was nothing. Alec wasn’t dead, but he wasn’t somewhere accessible to them.

“What do we do now?” Jace asked silently, placing his hand upon Magnus’s on his body. “Magnus?”

“I don’t know,” the warlock sobbed. Tears began to roll down his cheeks. He couldn’t comprehend how Triana could attack an innocent man, who dared to love Magnus. If the female warlock wouldn’t have killed herself, Magnus would, after he’d get her to bring Alec back, wherever he was.

“We need some help,” Clary advised, kneeling next to Magnus and Jace. “We need to alert Isabelle of what had happened and then maybe go to the Silent City. Maybe Brother Zachariah will be able to help us find Alec.”

“We need real magic,” Magnus retorted and got up from the ground. He conjured a portal before them and beckoned at Jace and Underhill to follow him. “Clary, you and Ashdown get back to the Institute, try and find anything useful on Triana in your Institute’s archive. Her full name is Triana Umbra. I haven’t seen her for over seventy years so keep an eye on the latest news.”

“Where are you going?” Ashdown asked Magnus.

“Get help from the High Warlock.” Magnus grabbed Jace and Underhill by their hands and led them through the portal. A five seconds later they stepped out nearby Lorenzo’s mansion. Bane knew how strong the wards were around the area belonging to the warlock, especially now that he opened a school for the downworlders on his grounds. “We’re here.”

“Why did you take me with you?” Underhill asked as Magnus let go of their hands.

“A bargaining chip, Andrew,” Magnus moved ahead of them to the direction of the mansion. “Your presence will get Lorenzo in a better mood and he may be more willing to help me.”

The three walked through the wards without much problem, meaning the other warlock sensed them before. Underhill moved before Magnus and led their group in the direction of the second, newer building on the grounds. As they were walking, Magnus was occasionally bumping lightly Jace’s shoulder so the younger shadowhunter check his parabatai rune.  It was still there, barely, but still.

Jace looked at Magnus with worry in his golden eyes. He couldn’t imagine how his brother-in-law was currently feeling. When Clary disappeared from the shadow world after the Angels took away her runes, he felt broken, empty for weeks. He, of course, had found her the next day. Even though she couldn’t see him, Jace knew she was alive and alright as much as she could be, being thrown back into her mundane life. He could watch over her. But the situation with Alec was entirely different. They had no idea what had happened to him or where he was. And the only person who could help them, killed herself off so she wouldn’t be taken into the custody of the Clave or worse, the Spiral Labyrinth, where she would face the consequences of attacking the Inquisitor of the Clave.

Jace grabbed Magnus’s hand in his and squeezed reassuringly. He decided to pretend he wasn’t noticing the trembling of the warlock’s body and tears that he tried so hard to battle down.  

“Andrew, love,” Lorenzo greeted Underhill with a soft smile. He stood on his tiptoes and kissed his cheek lovingly. “Magnus, and Jace Herondale. What can I do for you?”

“We need your help, Lorenzo,” Andrew spoke for them, looking back at Magnus and then at his boyfriend. “Alec’s missing.”

The wide smile he wore before was gone in a second. His dark brown eyes widened in a shock as he finally looked at Magnus clearly in a pain.

“Let’s come inside and tell me everything. Ethan, send the kids to their homes early today,” he instructed the second warlock with pig’s nose. The man nodded and urged the kids inside the building. Lorenzo led them inside the living room of his mansion and gestured to sit by the seventeenth’s century wooden table he had gotten in Madrid while he was a high warlock then. Lorenzo sat at the top of the table and beckoned at Magnus to sit next to him. “What happened? When did he disappear?”

“Please, help me find him,” Magnus sobbed quietly. Seeing the evident pain of his friend’s, Lorenzo placed his hand upon Magnus’s shoulder and squeezed it. He knew that Alec Lightwood was Magnus’s greatest love and he wouldn’t be able to live without him. “Please.”

“Of course, my friend,” Lorenzo assured him. “Show me, what happened.”

Lorenzo placed his hands upon Magnus’s temple and chanted a quick spell that Magnus used a few times as well. The younger warlock watched the scene as a movie inside of his mind.

“The enchantment,” he drawled, as he took his hands away from Magnus’s face. “I haven’t seen anything like that in years. It’s powerful.”

“Can you help me find him?” Magnus asked again.

“I assume you tried tracking him both with your magic and the parabatai rune, correct?” When both Jace and Magnus nodded, Lorenzo sighed tiredly. “You must know that Triana is not your usual warlock. We warlocks usually have one mortal one demonic parent and based on who our demonic parent is, that’s how powerful we are. As you know, Magnus’s father is the prince of hell, he’s more powerful than your average warlock. The Princes of Hell are the fallen angels, but you know all of that. And the lesser demons sometimes are conceiving with other species than mundane, like werewolves, seelies, and unmarked shadowhunters.”

“What?!” Both Jace and Underhill exclaimed loudly. “Unmarked shadowhunters?”

“It’s not my story to tell, Mr. Herondale,” he dismissed him and got back to his story. “And Triana Umbra is the child of a Seelie and one of the Eidolon, which means she is part faerie and part warlock.”

“Why do I feel that the next part of the story won’t be liked by us?” Andrew quipped.

“As a warlock who spent years in a Spiral Labyrinth as the archivist, before I moved to Madrid to work with the High Warlock there, I know a thing or two about warlocks.  Triana Umbra’s parentage is no mystery to the warlock community. She is the daughter of the first Seelie Queen. She was conceived after the faerie divided into the Seelie and Unseelie Court. A mere moments before the first Seelie Queen, the ex-wife as you’ll say now of the Unseelie King was dethroned by Amara and set out to live in the mortals’ world with no protection of the Court. The first Seelie Queen broke the laws of nature by setting on fire the parts of the Unseelie Court. It was actually thanks to Amara that the king didn’t kill her off. She saved her but the second they were away from the Unseelie Court, she officially banished her and with the old magic of theirs she stripped her of her powers and title. Unbeknown to Amara, the first Seelie Queen had a lover among the seelies who loved her more than anything and the man sacrificed his own magic so the Queen could carry the baby as the mortal woman and give her the powers of the faeries.”

“So she can use both faerie’s and warlock’s magic?” Lorenzo nodded to Jace’s question. “So how do we reverse the enchantment she did on my brother and how do we find him?”

“I believe that I cannot help you as much as you want me to,” Rey admitted sullenly. He offered Magnus a sad smile. “I may decrypt part of the enchantment that comes from the warlock’s magic but I don’t know that much of the Seelie's magic, especially the old one. We need a Seelie too.”

Before Magnus knew, he was sending a fire message to the Seelie Court to the current King of the Seelie Court, Meliorn. He was desperate enough to beg him for help and offer whatever the faerie desired.

“Before he gets here, tell me what you get from the vision?”

Lorenzo let out a long breath before he began.

“From the words I understood, I can guess wildly that it’s about the love of his towards you and yours for him. There was something of past loves but if I recall good there was no past loves on the side of your shadowhunter. There was as well something about memories, but the rest of the enchantment is from the old Seelie's language and I fear I know nothing about it.”

“Maybe I can shed some light on this,” a new voice reached their ears. The four men looked up at the entrance and spotted Meliorn in the attire of a king. There were four knights standing by both sides with the spears, ready to protect their king. “Hello, friends, it’s been a long time.”

“Your Highness,” Jace, Andrew and Lorenzo greeted them with a curt bow. “We’re truly glad you came here so fast.”

“Oh, Magnus,” Meliorn walked closer to him and placed his hand upon Magnus’s. “My heart is in pain with yours, my dear friend. I am sorry for your loss.”

“Alexander isn’t dead!”

“Of course,” the Seelie quickly corrected himself. “I believe you’ve written that your husband is missing and that you need my help in finding him. Because of our friendship throughout the years and all the work Alexander Lightwood did to change the relations between the downworlders and the shadowhunters, I feel obligated to offer my services. Not just as the King of the Seelie Court, but as well as a friend that I consider both you and Alec as.”

Meliorn placed his hands on Magnus’s temple and drew the vision out of his mind. The warlock could feel the intrusion harder than Lorenzo’s magic. Magnus felt that Meliorn was ripping out his mind to shreds to find anything helpful. The heart of his quickened its beating. His lungs had a difficultness to consume the air. Suddenly, Magnus couldn’t breathe. His whole body was on fire in a second.

“You’re hurting him!” He heard voices above his head. “Stop it, Meliorn! Stop it now!”

“Very well,” Magnus felt the pull of faerie’s magic leaving him. Before he knew he slipped off the chair he was sitting and fell to the floor with a loud thud. He coughed with blood as he tried to catch a breath. Jace, Lorenzo, and Andrew were immediately by his side, helping him to sit back on the chair. “I sincerely apologize, my friend. I needed a clear image of what happened, without the feelings on your side. I needed to become part of the scene to understand what had really happened.”

“I’ll be fine,” Magnus choked, as he finished the water Lorenzo conjured for him. “Have you seen anything useful?”

“I know what kind of magic she used on Alec,” the King replied with a sad smile. The faerie drew a chair for himself and sat between Magnus and Lorenzo. He looked between two warlocks before he began his tale. “For centuries, after Amara became our Queen, most of the faeries did not know about a princess growing up in a mundane world as a simple warlock. She was well protected by the original faerie magic. I only tell you this because you are my friends and you will not use the knowledge against the Seelie Court. The first Seelies made of Angel’s blood were more powerful than we, their children are. There were dozen of originals, who divided themselves into the Seelie and Unseelie Court. We call them the Royal blood, untainted by mortal blood like we are. They could create the most powerful magic, similar to those of the Angels and their Fallen brothers and sisters. Their magic had no bounds. They could bend time and dimensions to their will until they were cursed by the Angels. All of the Original Faeries were cursed to perish with the new age.” All of them raised their eyebrows in a question. “When Jonathan Shadowhunter raised Angel Raziel to clean the earth of the demonic blood, that’s the beginning of the new age. Shadowhunters, the first one strictly with Raziel’s blood, had a mission to kill of not just demons, but the original faeries, the first warlocks, vampires, and werewolves. And they were successful but had no idea that the demonic blood spread further than they imagined. You must know that Triana is an old warlock, older than you Magnus and you Lorenzo. Being a hybrid, coming off from the Original bloodline of faeries she could use their magic. From the old enchantments I’ve only heard stories about, I can guess she sent Alec through the whole timeline.”

“Timeline of what?” Magnus dared to ask, even though he knew he won’t like the answer.

“Your past loves,” the faerie replied. “As far as I understood, Alec will live through your past.”

“That’s why she said not where but when…” Andrew commented silently to Lorenzo, to which the warlock nodded. “So how do we find him?”

“I am certain that at some point, new memories of Alec will come to your mind, your past may be altered by that. Your whole life too. There is only one thing I cannot understand from the enchantment.”

“What is it?” Lorenzo quipped, looking worried.

“If I understood good, Alec will forget about you when he sees you, while you will remember him when he dies.”

“Wh...when he di...dies?” Magnus sobbed out, grabbing Jace’s hand in his.

“Two hearts as one, when one die the other dies too. The memory of true love remains alive until the heart begins to beat again only to be consumed by the dark.”

“Excuse me?” Magnus didn’t even register who was speaking now.

He was analyzing the words spoken by the faerie. He hated riddles. Nothing made sense for him now. He wanted Alec back and he had no idea when and where to find him. For all he knew, there was no way for him to bring his husband back. He had no means to get back to his past life and find him. That meant only one thing.

“Alec has to save himself…” he whispered as the realization hit him hard. “I can’t do anything from here...no one can. Alec has to find his way to me. If he truly loves me...if he loves me he’ll find his way to me.”

Now the words of the witch made sense. If Jace wouldn’t hold Magnus in a tight grip, the warlock would for sure burst out and set on fire the entire household of Lorenzo’s.

“He must find his way back to you,” Meliorn added, looking deeply into Magnus’s cat eyes. “Otherwise, he’ll be lost forever. Stuck in the past, where he can’t be with you.”

“I have faith in Alexander. If anyone it’s him that will figure this out.”

“So now what?” Jace asked when Meliorn and his entourage left Lorenzo’s mansion. The warlock and his shadowhunter partner left Magnus and Jace alone for a while so they could take the news in and figure out how to live now. “Magnus?”

“Now we must wait to see when Alexander will pop up in my memory.” Magnus swallowed hard, wiping the tears off his cheeks. “And hope that my angel will figure things out soon.”

On their way back to the Institute, which took them a while, since Magnus wanted to clear his head, both of them were silent. There was nothing each of them could tell the other that wasn’t revealing the pain of a loss again. Magnus pried silently in his mind to the Angels and God himself that Alec was safe, whenever he was. He pried for Alec to find someone in his past that he could help him find a way back to Magnus.

When they were mere steps in front of the Institute, a sudden wave of pain hit his head. Magnus screamed loudly and fell to his knees. Jace quickly by his side, calling out for him and holding his body close to himself. The pain was unbearable like someone was hammering his poor brain.

Suddenly a pair of familiar baby blues popped in his head, only to turn into a full view of his past. Magnus placed his hand upon his heart, feeling the pain breaking the organ in a million pieces.

“Magnus?!” Jace yelled by his ear. “Magnus?!”

“By the Angel…” the warlock whispered, looking at the parabatai of his husband with wide eyes. “I know when and where Alec is…”

Chapter Text

PART I

Chapter III

“A love like ours can never die”

Alec felt strangely light. Despite his weight, he felt as if he’s as light as a feather, floating slowly in the air. It was fantastic. Every worry of his seemed to disappear at once, leaving him at peace. What a wonderful feeling. Time seemed to slow down, almost to the point of non-existent, when he was hovering over the surface. There was nothing but him in the empty, peaceful space.

Suddenly the darkness slipped into his perfect world and laughed at Alec with its perfect, devious smile.  The air around him became heavier with each passing moment. He couldn’t breathe properly. The gravity was pulling his body down with too much force. He was falling. Like an Angel cast out of heaven. He tried to move his arms to slow his falling down, but he found himself unable to do so. His hands were suddenly bounded by some invisible force.

The ground was closer by every second. The speed that Alec was falling with increased to the point of a flash until he hit the ground. Alec could hear and feel every bone in his body breaking. The sharp parts of his bones were ripping his insides to shreds. He felt as if the whole blood poured out of his body and pooled around his body. His heart was beating too fast. A moment more and it will definitely jump out of his chest, both meaningfully and figuratively.

He wanted to scream for help. Scream his lover’s name, but he was unable to open his mouth. Lightwood felt a familiar warmth and tingling spreading through his body as the darkness engulfed him.

…

There was a sound above Alec’s ear, a loud one. Kind of familiar, though Alec couldn’t picture where he had heard it before. It was frustrating and he wanted it to be done. He wanted to bump Magnus on the shoulder so the warlock would take care of it, but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t move his arms for anything. They were too heavy.

“...Ags...Mag…” he called out to his husband.

“I think he is waking up,” a light, female voice reached his ears. Probably Isabelle’s. She was a true mother hen, whenever Alec ended up in the Infirmary. Although she wasn’t as bad as Magnus. “I shall go for Mrs. Branwell. Please, do not scare the poor man, Master Will.”

“Oh, Sophie, my beautiful Sophie, I’m too charming to scare anyone,” some male voice replied. “Time to rise and shine, mystery man.”

Alec fought hard to open his eyelids. The bright light blinded him, forcing him to close his eyes again. Alec tried opening eyes again. This time, he squinted his eyes and focused on some dark spot above him. He had no idea, how long it passed until the dark spot started to shape itself into some person. The image was still blurred, but Alec caught some flare of red.

“Clary…” the shadowhunter groaned.

“Can you hear me, Sir?” A strange accent was heard in the female’s voice. Alec shook his head and focused more. When his eyes adjusted to the part of surrounding, he realized that some unfamiliar female face was hovering over him. The female was kind of his age, maybe a bit older. She was definitely a shadowhutner. A black rune peeked from under the sleeves of her long-sleeved dress. “My name is Charlotte Branwell. I’m the Head of this Institute. Can you tell me your name?”

“Alec…”

“That’s an unusual name,” someone else said. Alec moved his head to the right side and spotted two more heads in the room. One silver and one red. The man with red hair was s leaning so close to Alec’s face than a centimeter or two more and he could kiss Alec.

“Alexander,” he replied again.

“Are you from Idris?” Another voice in the room spoke. Alec turned his head to the left side and opened his eyes wide in a shock. For a brief moment, he thought he was looking into a mirror. The same shade of crystal blue was staring into his own eyes. The black hair was falling in a familiar way, just like Alec’s was. If you’d look further, you could even find the similarity in the face. The sharpness of a jugular, the intensity of a look.

“Maybe he is your distant cousin, Will?” The voice from before spoke again. “Can you tell us your full name, Sir?”

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood.”

“Lightwood?”  The female spoke again. Charlotte Branwell. Alec wondered if she’s Lydia’s mother. However, when he looked at her, he saw no resemblance at all. Maybe some aunt? “I shall contact Benedict then.” She looked then at Alec. “Oh my, where are my manners. Do you feel alright? Shall we call for a Silent Brother? We activated iratze on you, but I can send someone for a Silent Brother.”

“No…” Alec in a hoarse voice. “I need my husband… he’ll heal me…”

“Excuse me?” All of the eyes in the room focused on him immediately. Eyes opened wide in a shock as if Alec said something abnormal. All of the shadowhunters knew already whom the Inquisitor was married to.  “Did you just say a husband?”

“My husband is a warlock...call...Magnus Bane…” The sound of the name of his beloved was the last thing Alec heard before the darkness engulfed him again.

Alec woke up again sometime later when the gong boomed in the room again. This time, when his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room. He groaned loudly and covered eyes with his arms.

“Turn the lights off, Mag…” he mumbled, rolling onto the side of his husband’s. He wanted his morning cuddles. When he didn’t meet with any warm body. Alec opened his eyes and spotted an empty space next to him on the bed. As his mind was waking more and more, he realized he’s not even in their bed. The shadowhunter looked at the obscure greyish wall ahead of him and the wooden cabinets. There were bowls and glass bottles standing on them along with rolls of white material, a gauze. An Infirmary? But where? Idris? No. Alec’s been in Alicante’s Infirmary twice, during the Mortal War and once when he become the Inquisitor, to meet the healers. This wasn’t the advanced infirmary he knew. In fact, it wasn’t New York’s Infirmary as well. Where the hell was he? And where in Angel’s name is Magnus?!

At the memory of his husband, Alec shot up on the bed. The image of the events from the day before winded up in his mind like a fastened movie. The demon attack, the witch and Magnus’s screams.

“Magnus?!” He shouted and wanted to jump out of the bed to go and look for his husband, but he was stopped by four strong hands trying to hold him down.

“Please, calm down, Sir!” One of the males in the room cried out.

“Oh, for the love of Angel…” the other said. “Knock him out, Jem. At least until Magnus gets here!”

“NO!” Alec cried out and forced himself to calm down.

“I believe Mr. Lightwood won’t cause more trouble,” the silver-haired, Jem stated firmly. Alec took a better look at him. Once again, he was shocked. The man was too familiar for Alec.

“Brother Zachariah?” he addressed him with uncertainty. He looked a lot like the Silent Brother, though he missed the runes on his face.

“Pardon me? My name is James Carstairs and this is my parabatai, William Herondale,” Jem introduced them with a soft smile. “You’re at the London Institute. We’ve already alerted your family. Gideon Lightwood and his brother Gabriel shall come soon. Same as the warlock Magnus Bane.”

Alec nodded to this, absently, before the train of the words hit him. London Institute, William Herondale. Gideon and Gabriel Lightwood.

Suddenly a memory came up to his mind.

My darling, I assure you, as much as William was dear to my heart, I have never loved him the way I love you. As you’re saying it now, I had a crush on Will and kissed him once when he was unconscious, and nothing more. He was a dear friend to me. And he’s dead for over a century, my love.

So, I’m the first shadowhutner you fell in love with?

You’re my first in many things, Alexander Lightwood.

“That’s impossible…” Alec whispered to himself. It couldn’t be true.  Alec must have heard it wrong or these two were making fun of him, whoever they were. “No, no, no…”

“Are you alright, sir?” Will asked again. Alec was shaking his head. This couldn’t be right. He needed to find Magnus. He will know what to do. Alec was trying to get up from the bed again but was stopped by Jem and Will once more. “You cannot go anywhere, Sir. Warlock Bane will arrive soon.”

The mention of his husband’s name was followed by the sound of a commotion behind the door. The two parabatai looked knowingly at each other, pretty much as he and Jace did, and Jem went to open the door. When the door was opened, Alec could hear the smooth voice of his beloved warlock.

“Believe me, Mrs. Branwell, I would most definitely remember if I ever got married… more to a shadowhunter, and a male. It is forbidden by both of our worlds. This man must make a joke out of you,” Magnus spoke softly and Alec could hear the disbelief and a sound of disgust in his voice. It hurt, beyond anything. Of course, Alec knew that Magnus wasn’t very fond of shadowhunters before, but it still stung. “I shall, of course, interrogate this fake husband of mine, but I am almost certain I do not know him. Have you contacted the Clave, yet?”

“Indeed, I made a call to the Consul’s office in the Alicante. They are to check his personalia with the Lightwoods living in Idris. Gideon Lightwood shall come here any minute as well. Although, when we conversed through the phone, he said he has no family member looking like this man with the name Alexander. He’s certain he is no family of theirs, but he shall come to see him anyway.”

“You said he has blue eyes and black hair, like Will,” Magnus added more. “Maybe he is William’s distant family and faked his name. Maybe he is some Clave criminal?”

“He is a shadowhunter,” Charlotte continued. “It is my obligation to help my kin.”

“Let’s see this shadowhunter and end this farce.”

As the footsteps were becoming louder and louder with every step, Alec’s heart began to beat faster. His whole body was becoming hotter with every next second, probably from anticipation that he will see his husband in a second. His body relaxed just at the thought. He took a deep breath and smelled the familiar sandalwood scent. The shadowhunter couldn’t help but smile widely. Finally, he saw the body he knew inch by inch. Alec raked his eyes over Magnus’s frame from toes to his face, slowly, until their eyes met.

The blue met gold and for a second, Alec felt on a cloud nine, before the darkness engulfed him again.

“Oh dear,” Magnus spoke, as he rushed towards the bed. The man lying in the middle of it was indeed very beautiful, but Magnus could swear he had never met him before. He was very similar to William and yet, something inside of him was telling him he was different. The warlock felt his heart skip a beat when their eyes met before he lost his conscious. Magnus never felt something like this before. It was odd, but yet, felt right. “I’ve never had any man faint on me before. It’s almost flattering.”

“William, call for Brother Enoch,” Charlotte ordered, standing next to Magnus by the bed. The Warlock called on his magic and spread it over the body of the shadowhunter. Physically there was nothing wrong with him, at least his magic didn’t detect it. But there was something strange inside of him. Magnus poured his magic into the heart of the shadowhunter. There was something unexpectable there. A sign of strong magic. A powerful enchantment surrounding the core of the man’s heart. “Mr. Bane?”

“He will be quite alr…” the warlock had no chance to finish his sentence, as the shadowhunter on the bed began to stir. His eyelids began to flutter and slowly he opened his eyes again. Magnus’s heart beat faster when he was met again with the streaking beauty of the blue pools. “Hello.”

“Hi…” Alec said dreamingly. The man in front of him was the most handsome man he ever saw. He wore a black suit full of glitter and a white shirt. His long, black hair was falling loosely on his shoulders with something blue shimmering in them. His gold-green eyes slit as if they were of cat eyes. A real angelic beauty. Alec could feel his body getting hotter just from looking at the man. He was sure that his cheeks were as red as a tomato.

“I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced,” the man spoke to him. Oh, the voice. It was smooth, elegant, wonderful. Like the most beautiful music to Alec’s ears. “I’m Magnus Bane.”

“Alec,” he replied awkwardly, biting down on his lower lip.

He wanted to slap himself. This shouldn’t go like this. Alec fumbled with the covers on the bed before he was able to jump out of it. The second his feet touched the cold marble, he felt dizzy and faltered. If it weren’t for the fast reaction of the man, the warlock, Alec’s face would meet the cold ground. Suddenly he felt a pair of strong, warm arms holding his body up, pressing him to something hard, but pleasant. It felt familiar and good, but Alec could not pinpoint from where he knows the feeling. He opened his eyes, not knowing when he closed them and found himself staring into Magnus’s eyes, his chest pressed to Magnus’s.

Alec lost his breath, his heart was fluttering as if it became a small bird in a cage of his ribs. His whole body shivered when he felt the warm breath of the man on his face.

They kept gazing into each other’s eyes. The world around them long forgotten. They would probably keep looking at each other forever if one of the other shadowhunters in the room would not clear their throat too loudly. The magic between them broke instantly. Magnus helped Alec stand on his feet properly and took a step back from the shadowhunter.

“Yes, well…,” the warlock smoothen his suit jacket before he looked at Alec again. “I hear you claim to be my husband? As much as flattering this sound, I must disinform you all. I am not married to this shadowhunter, nor I ever was. This is the first time we meet.”

Married? Alec shook his head. He wasn’t married to this warlock. In fact, he wasn’t married at all. The man was handsome, beautiful and Alec could consider marriage to him, even though it was forbidden in their society. But they didn’t even know each other, for Raziel’s sake!

“I am not married,” Alec stated finally. Jem, Charlotte, Will and the man on the wheelchair looked at him as if he has grown a second head. “I do not know this man.”

“Mrs. Branwell?” Magnus addressed the woman. “I took you for a noblewoman. And you are making a joke of me, just because I am a downworlder? And you too, William?” He moved his eyes on the Herondale man. “I was certain there was a friendship between you and me. I will take my leave. Have a pleasant day, shadowhunters.”  

Before any of them had a chance to react, Magnus made a beeline out of the room and downstairs. It only took a second or two, when something pushed Alec out of the room as well and he had founded himself following the warlock. He caught him by the door, a mere moments before some tall and bulky man opened the door for him. Alec grabbed the warlock by the bicep and turned him around to face him.

“I apologize in their behalf for making this joke,” Alec quickly explained. “I have no idea what they are talking about. I’m so sorry. I don’t know you, but I’d like to know you, Magnus Bane. How about we start from the beginning, huh?”

“You speak in bizarre words.”

Alec let go of his arm and extended his hand towards the warlock.

“I’m Alec Lightwood, a shadowhunter from New York.” The warlock took his hand uncertainly and shook it slowly. When their eyes met again they were shining with a warmth that Alec wanted to surrounded himself with. “I look forward to getting to know you.”

“I’m Magnus Bane, a warlock, currently living in London,” he replied, a small smile creeping onto his face. “I cannot wait to meet you properly as well, Alec Lightwood.”

When they parted their ways, a moment later, Alec stood in the entrance of the London Institute. He was watching Magnus as the man stepped into his carriage and took his place there. Just before the man took his leave, Alec smiled at him widely, feeling a warmth filling him from the inside. He didn’t understand it. Something was drawing him to this unknown man. Something magical was telling him to get close to him. He wanted to be near him, he needed that.

He simply couldn’t wait to get to know this man.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter IV

“A lost love can be found again”

There were a few constant things in Magnus Bane’s life. Magic, love, and heartbreak. Not in this particular order, but still. These were three things going through his life ever since he had gotten out of his father’s clutches at the age of seventy. He wooed some person with his magic, make them fall in love with him and he fell in love with them as well. Only for this to end up with a break-up and a bad heartbreak. It was no news for him, but it hurt like hell every time.

To be all honest, Magnus only counted days before the newest heartbreak will appear in his life. He was with Camille for two years already. They were not very serious, though the whole London Downworld recognized him as the lover of Lady Belcourt and thus he was quite untouchable. No one dared to go against Camille Belcourt these days. She was a powerful vampire, even though she abandoned Alexei de Quincey’s clan out of the revenge. The leader of the London Clan had killed off her former lover, Ralf Scott, a werewolf. Some creatures of the Downworld were shocked to the core that a vampire and a werewolf had a courtship.

However, as he was relaxing onto the ottoman in Camille’s house, he realized he may not be so much heartbroken by the upcoming parting with his lover. Even the ongoing rumor of her taking a mortal lover after her disappearance in the outcome of the latest events in the Pandemonium didn’t bother him too much. He would never admit it out loud, for he knew how to play the role of a heartbroken lover, but he looked forward to the new romance that came up in his life recently in the body of a shadowhutner.

For years, for centuries he has been living, Magnus would never even think that he could open his heart for a shadowhunter, let alone allow himself to be wooed by one. Of course, he had a friendship with few of them, namely William Herondale and by the extension James Carstairs and of course Charlotte and Henry Branwell. They were his somewhat acquaintances. But never in his life, Mangus would think that he’ll fall for one as he did for the mysterious Alec Lightwood from New York.

The man was a pure mystery. Coming of nowhere with the bizarre way of acting. With his strange way of talking. He was intriguing and Magnus couldn’t help himself but be drawn into him. Who could blame him? Alexander Lightwood was sporting his favorite combination.

Black hair and blue eyes.

His physical look was what intrigued Magnus at first, but what had made him fall for the young shadowhutner was his pure heart and his kindness. For a shadowhunter, Alec...no… Alexander Lightwood was different. Magnus knew a few shadowhunters throughout his life, mainly those from the London Institute and few from Idris when Magnus was called there by the  Clave to create the first Accords. Those shadowhunters were the exact description of how the whole downworld saw them. Acting like holly creatures, better than the downworlders.

And here was Alec, acting like he wasn’t better than Magnus. Like he was his equal. Alec did not care for the species of the creature he was talking to or helping. He saw everyone as a person worth his time. He was a real angel. At least that’s how Magnus saw him ever since he laid his eyes on the man for the very first time.

At first, he was confused by the call from the Head of the London Institute. A man who claimed to be his husband? That was the oddest thing he had heard throughout his whole life. It was so surreal but still, Magnus decided to indulge Madam’s Branwell wish and came to the Institute to see this supposed husband of his. Of course, it turned out to be a joke, just as Magnus predicted. For no shadowhunter would ever admit an opened likeness towards a downworlder, let alone a man to a man. It was forbidden, not only among the mundanes but the rest of the world as well. Magnus was grateful to Mrs. Branwell that she or no other inhabitant of the Institute didn’t report this to the Clave. Of course, downworlders didn’t give as much thought to this. Magnus was known to lain with both men and women throughout his whole life. However, as a well-respected gentleman and attender of the mundane’s activities, he was wary of keeping his preferences discreet.

And Alexander, the shadowhunter, a man who was supposedly coming from a well-respected family in London, although it was never fully confirmed from which brand of Lightwoods he was coming from, was making official advances towards him. Like he did on the second time they met, in an establishment for gentlemen of London.

“Fancy meeting you here, Mr. Lightwood,” Magnus greeted him, as soon as Alexander joined him by his table. This time, Alexander wore more fitting clothes, probably borrowed from William, as he was more of his body build. Alec smiled at him, biting down on his lip. A beautiful shade of rose decorating his lips, as their eyes met. “I did not peg you for a man, who enjoys such an entertainment.”

A woman clad in a burgundy dress was slowly unbuttoning the front of her dress behind a glass wall. Most of the men began to whistle and lean closer to the secluded room. Some men, who were closer to the room, began to groan and moan as their hands were going lower on their bodies.

“Every man enjoys watching beauty,” the shadowhunter replied in a hushed tone. “And I’m just looking at the most beautiful creature in this room. How could I not enjoy it?”

Magnus turned to face Alec, taking his eyes from the black-haired woman, who was done with unbuttoning the top of her dress. When he faced Alec, he realized that the man had turned his body to the warlock and kept staring at Magnus with chin leaning on his interlocked hands. For the first time in a long time, Bane felt his cheeks burning underneath Alec’s stare.

“Would you like a drink, Alexander?” he asked him, trying to get calm his racing heart. Alec was so beautiful like this, illuminated by the candlelight on their table. His pale skin was glowing and his blue irises were glimmering with joy.

“I am not much of a drinker, so I will trust your choice, Magnus.” The way he said his name out loud sent shivers of pleasure down the warlock’s spine. He experienced such things for the first time in his life. It was terrifying, what this man was causing in him and yet, it was exciting at the same time.  

Magnus beckoned at one of the waitresses, who quickly strode to them. She offered her best smile to Magnus and leaned down to her, showing her barely clothed cleavage.

“Two whiskeys, darling,” the young woman nodded and went back to the bar. Magnus turned his eyes back to Alec only to discover that the man still kept staring at him. “Is there something on my face?”

“Only the pure beauty,” Lightwood retorted, smiling shyly. Cherry color slowly creeping onto his perfect cheeks. “I apologize if I am being too forward. I am not usually like this, but… I don’t know. I feel so comfortable around you, Magnus. I’m not sure if it’s normal...maybe I am not normal. Maybe I’m… I don’t know. But there’s something in you, Magnus.”

“Do not apologize, Alexander,” Magnus leaned closer to Alec and brushed his hand delicately. “I think I feel the same.”

Magnus hadn’t seen anyone who was smiling so brightly like Alec was in that very moment. His smile could light up the room they were in. It was the most amazing thing he had seen in a very long time. The warlock couldn’t help but smile as well. Their eyes met again and the whole world seemed to freeze around them. Suddenly everyone in the room blurred out, leaving only the two of them in their own little world. On instinct, Magnus began to lean closer to Alec and the shadowhunter copied his move. They were so close to each other, feeling each other’s breath on their lips. Two inches more and their lips would meet.

“Would I be too forward, If I’d steal a kiss?” Alec whispered, eyes moving from Magnus’s cat eyes to his lips.  

“Depends,” Magnus swallowed hard, feeling his throat go dry at the simple thought of kissing Alec. “Are you alright with being watched by the people in here?”

“I don’t think anyone pays attention to us,” Alec moved his head to the side and indeed when Magnus looked around, he realized that all of the men in the room were watching the woman behind the window, who was unlacing her corset. Slowly inch by inch she was revealing her bare curves.

Magnus turned his head back to Alec. The shadowhunter moved his chair closer to Bane so now their knees were touching. Alexander placed his hand back on the table, next to Magnus’s and raised his fingers to place them on the top of Magnus’s palm. He began to slowly, subtly brushing it with the tips of his fingers. The touch was so delicate, barely noticeable and yet, Magnus felt it with every cell of his body. Alec’s hand got bolder and moved forward up his upper arm, leaving the goosebumps all over it, despite the hot temperature in the room.

“Your eyes are so beautiful,” the shadowhunter spoke in a lower voice next to his ear. Magnus felt the hair on the back of his neck standing up from the feel of Alec’s breath. “You’re beautiful.”

“You’re very handsome yourself, darling,” Alec licked his lips, making them look more kissable if that was even possible.  His cheeks redden again at the endearment. “I think I will allow you to steal the kiss.”

Alexander leaned more towards the warlock and slowly put his lips over Magnus’s. Bane closed his eyes, the second Alec’s lips touched his. His lips were soft, just like the warlock imagined them to be. His hot breath was caressing the warlock’s mouth from the inside when the shadowhunter slipped his tongue in. When their tongues met, Magnus moaned involuntarily. Alec for sure knew what to do. The kiss was slow and gentle but full of passion at the same time. Magnus felt his body getting hotter just from the move of Alec’s lips and the soft moans the man was letting out. Magnus savored them like the best drink he ever had. He had no idea for how long they were kissing, but at some point, Magnus felt Alec’s hands slowly slipping underneath his vest and shirt. His cool hands were slowly caressing the small amount of a bare skin he could get.  The feeling was incredible! Magnus had a feeling that an electrical shock went through his body. A very pleasant one.

Magnus groaned with unknown desperation. He wanted more. He needed more. Alas, he was deprived of it, as Alec pulled away from him, panting loudly. The shadowhunter tried to catch his breath and Bane did so too. The kiss was so intense, so amazing, so passionate that both Alec and Magnus lost themselves into it, forgetting about the world around them.

Bane licked his lips to get the last taste of Alec Lightwood before he looked the man in the eye. Alec’s baby blues were sparkling with happiness and something more, but the warlock couldn’t detect it.

“Will I be too forward again…” Alexander panted out, placing his hand upon Magnus’s. He offered him a shy smile, as he swallowed hard before he opened his mouth again. “Will I be too forward if I ask you out?”

“Ask me out?” Magnus didn’t understand the phrase. Lightwood was speaking in bizarre words from time to time. “I do not understand.”

“Will I be too forward if I ask you for an agreement to courting you?”

Magnus’s heart stopped for a moment, only to began beat frenetically the next second. His stomach was twisting but in a good way. It was so sudden, but Magnus knew the answer immediately. He felt somewhat natural and comfortable around Alec and at the same time, everything with him was exciting.

“Yes,” he breathed out with a wide smile. “Yes, Alexander.”

“I will see you soon, Magnus,” Alec leaned in and placed a soft kiss over Magnus’s lips.

Magnus watched Alec as he walked out of the establishment. Before he disappeared in the darkness of the night, he shot Magnus’s one last look. When the shadowhunter stepped out, the warlock brought his fingers up to his lips. He slowly traced the shape of his lower lip, as he closed his eyes and recalled the feeling of Alec’s lips on his. He couldn’t help but giggle as the unknown warmth filled his whole body. Magnus opened his eyes again and smiled widely.

He was slowly falling in love with Alec Lightwood. And he liked it very much.

Chapter Text

Chapter V

“A love like ours knows no bounds”

Alec was certain of a few things. First, he was far away from his home. Second, he had no idea how the hell he ended up in London. Third, people in this Institute were strange, kind of like out of the time. And fourth, the most important, he was in love. 

Never in his life, he’d have thought that he’ll find love far away from his home. And yet, here he was. Completely and unconditionally in love with a man he had met only a few weeks ago. Call him crazy, but Alec Lightwood was in love with Magnus Bane. 

Call him a weirdo, but for him, it was love at first sight. Ever since he locked his eyes with the cat-eyed warlock for the first time his whole life turned upside down. Everything he knew so far, or he thought he knew about love was wrong. With Magnus, everything was different. He felt so comfortable with him since they exchanged the first words. It was like in all those romantic movies Isabelle forced him and Jace to watch with her when they were growing up. 

Magnus Bane came and swept Alec off his feet. Time seemed to stop when their eyes crossed. The whole world disappeared leaving nothing but themselves. His heart was beating so fast then, Alec feared it may jump out of his chest. He wouldn’t blame his heart for this. Magnus was too amazing. 

Ever since their first meeting, the first touch of their hands, the first look, Alec couldn’t get him out of his head and heart. He yearned to be close to him with every second of his life. He was lucky that Magnus seemed to like him as well. 

“I hear you thinking, darling,” Magnus spoke, breaking Alec out of his thoughts about the warlock. The shadowhunter looked at him and awed in silence. He wore an elegant deep purple jacket thrown over a beige shirt that Alec wanted to rip off him. They didn’t do anything sexual yet, but the shadowhunter wanted it. His black pants were slid into his black high boots, polished by the young boy on the streets when they took a stroll earlier this day. The warlock was holding the binocular with his right hand and was reading the Grimoire given to him by another warlock that Magnus introduced him to, Ragnor Fell. “What occupies your thoughts?”

“Only you, Magnus.”

“Charmer,” the warlock commented, hiding his nose in a book. However, Alec spotted the faint blush on his cheeks. He was so beautiful. “When do you leave?”

“I have to go back to the Institute in two hours,” he informed his lover. “I’m starting to train Tessa and Sophie today. Will can’t focus on training Tessa… I think he has some feelings for her, but she has feelings for Jem. So, Charlotte asked me to train them. When do you begin training Tessa in her warlock powers?”

“She’s not a usual warlock like I am,” Mangus explained, placing the book and binoculars on the wooden table next to the chair. “She’s a shapeshifter, I need to do more research about this. I haven’t approached one in years. Ranor has more experience than I have, but I can assure you, we will help her.” 

“She’s a nice girl,” Magnus raised his eyebrow in a question with a small smirk. “Relax, my eyes are not set on any woman.”

“And at who your eyes are set on?”

“You,” Alec replied as he got up from the cot. He licked his lips and slowly walked towards the warlock. When he was close enough to lean and steal a kiss from the warlock’s lips they were interrupted by the butler of Magnus.

The man knocked and silently walked inside. Alec never bothered to learn the man’s name, but he knew that he was the human Camille, Magnus’s ex-lover who disappeared last week, fed on. He eyed them with some kind of an offense in his eyes and turned to the warlock. 

“There are two shadowhunters outside, looking for this one, Master Bane.” The warlock nodded to this and waved the man off. Alec often wondered, why Magnus didn’t move out of Camille’s residence, even though they were no longer together. The rumor said she had a mortal lover in Sankt Petersburg. Not that Magnus minded much, at least he didn’t show it up. The butler left them alone and Magnus sighed.

“It seems your companions came earlier for you, love.” 

“Maybe it’s some emergency?” Magnus stood up from the chair and walked Alec towards the entrance of the residence. Before they opened the door, the shadowhunter placed his hands on the warlock’s hips and drew him closer. He crushed his lips onto Magnus’s in a lingering kiss. Kissing with Magnus always felt magical. Alec could feel electric shocks running through his whole body, whenever Magnus’s lips connected with his. It was an amazing feeling that Alec never wanted to end.  When they pulled away, he placed his palm on Magnus’s warm cheek and brushed it slowly. The warlock leaned into his hand involuntarily. Their eyes met again. Magnus’s goldens were full of warmth and happiness that Alec wanted to drown in. Before he knew, he began to speak again. “I lo…”

Alas, when he wanted to confess the state of his heart to his lover, he was interrupted by a loud banging on the door. 

“Magnus! Let Alec out! We need him!” Alec growled silently, hearing the impatience in Will’s voice. He was almost as much annoying as his parabatai Jace. Magnus laughed shortly and opened the door, revealing the two shadowhunters, shaking from the cold as the rain began to pour not so long ago. 

“Why so impatient, William?” Magnus asked the black haired one. “It is not like I keep Alexander hostage in here.”

“But you can…” Alec found himself whispering towards the warlock. When he realized what he said, he felt his whole face going hot. Magnus only gave him a curious look. Alec quickly looked at his shadowhunter companions. “What happened?”

“We have a new lead on Mortmain,” Jem explained quickly and ushered Alec to get going. “We could use your help as well, Warlock Bane.” 

“I shall aid you, shadowhunters.”

The four men jumped into Camille’s carriage and rode to the Institute. The entire ride was silent. Will and Jem were looking anywhere but the joined hands of Magnus and Alec. Lightwood couldn’t understand why it was bothering them so much that he had been seeing a warlock. Jem wasn’t better than him. He courted Tessa as well, she was a warlock too. Was it because Magnus was a man? Alec, of course, understood that they cannot be officially together, at least not around the mundanes and shadowhunters from Enclave as well. They were a gossiping bunch of people. Charlotte didn’t mind too much, nor did Henry. The worst was Jessamine, who constantly pointed out that courting a downworlder is a disgrace. Alec didn’t think so. He didn’t care what species Magnus was. He cared what kind of a man he was. 

And Bane was the most wonderful and kind man he had ever met. 

No wonder Alec fell for him in no time.

Who wouldn’t? Magnus was purely fantastic. 

Inside the Institute, all of the residents were already in the library with a map of the London sprawled on the table. They silently greeted Magnus and beckoned them to walk closer. 

Charlotte began to explain the leads they had on the Magister. They had learned that the man was still experimenting with automatons as Tessa and Jem approached during their stroll at the Blackfriars Bridge the other day. One of them wounded Jem, but the shadowhunter was saved. 

“We need to stay alert all the time,” Charlotte advised. “I don’t want any of you to wander through the city by themselves. We know that the Magister is after Tessa.” she turned to the female warlock. “You are bounded to travel through the city only with the constant presence of James, William or Alexander. Even if you’re going somewhere with Jem, I still want the two of you,” she pointed at Will and Alec. “To go with them.”

“You want us to play a chaperone?” Will asked the woman. The glare she offered him was enough of an answer. For the little time, Alec was here, he knew better than go against Charlotte’s word. She was a very firm woman, reminding him of his own mother. Lightwood only nodded to her order. Will did too, reluctantly of course. 

“Jessie, I don’t want you and Nathaniel to go by yourselves as well,” Mrs. Branwell instructed the younger girl. “We cannot be sure that the Magister will not attack Nathaniel out of revenge. He is Tessa’s brother after all.” 

“Oh, you’re here!” A male voice interrupted their talks. They looked towards the entrance and spotted Henry, wearing his lab coat and binoculars on his head. His arms were covered in grease. He looked around the room and at the table with a map on before he shrugged his arms and walked closer to Magnus. According to Jem, Henry Branwell wasn’t very interested in the Clave’s business. He was interested though in every form of technique and currently was working on the automaton they had taken from the Dark Sisters when they rescued Tessa. He grabbed the warlock by the hand and dragged him towards the exit. “I need to show you something, Magnus.”

Before he knew, Henry dragged Magnus out of the room, with Alec’s eyes following every sway of the warlock’s hips. The blue-eyed shadowhunter smiled at the view. His lover was gorgeous. 

“Ekhem,” someone cleared their throat behind his back. Alec shook himself out of the admiration and looked behind himself to spot exasperated looks on the faces of William and Charlotte. He shot them a questioning look. “Can we please return to the planning?”

For the upcoming days, there was no visible attack of the Magister and so Alec could indulge himself in dates with Magnus. Of course, under the strict order of Charlotte, he was often chaperoning Jem and Tessa, but that didn’t stop them from enjoying their time together. As they were now, enjoying a drink in the new household of Magnus, in the suburbs of London. Thanks to the courtesy of Ragnor Fell, who had a small residence in London as well. 

“Have you ever been with a man before, Alexander?”

“Not before you,” Alec admitted silently. “You’re my first.” 

Magnus smiled softly at this and reached out his hand towards the shadowhunter. Alec took it eagerly and let Magnus dragged him up from the hammock they were lying on. When they were standing eye to eye, Magnus leaned closer to him. His warm breath was caressing the left side of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. 

“Are you ready to be with me, sayang?”

“Yesss…” 

Alec let Magnus walk him inside the small residence and up to the bedroom. In the middle of their way, Alec crushed his lips over Magnus’s and began to slowly unbutton the fancy shirt of the warlock. When his pale hands touched the soft skin of the warlock’s chest, Alec was slowly stepping into heaven. When they were at the last step of the staircase, Alexander slowly slid the shirt off Magnus’s arms and let it fall to the ground.

“You’re beautiful,” Alec whispered, taking a better look at Magnus’s upper body. 

He was indeed well sculpted. He was well-built. Muscles were framed, though not as firm as a shadowhunter had, but still well visible. His fingers moved on their accord, tracing every line of the muscle on Magnus’s chest. The warlock’s breath hitched. 

“Beautiful like an Angel…”

“I’m far from an angel, my love,” Magnus unbuttoned Alec’s shirt and slid it off his shoulders as well. His eyes roam the pale body covered with runes. “Oh darling, you are the angel here.”

They began kissing again and taking steps into the bedroom Magnus took for himself. With the corner of his eye, Alec spotted a huge bed with a baldachin and white covers. He was moving forward until Magnus’s knees hit the edge of the bed. He crawled on it and laid on the middle. Magnus began to unlace his boots and Alec did the same. Once boots-free, Alec hovered Magnus on the bed and pressed his lips to the warlock in a passionate kiss. Magnus’s hands began to travel all over Alec’s back until they stopped on Alec’s bottom and squeezed it. 

“Magnus…” he moaned straight into the warlock’s mouth. 

Alec, without breaking the kiss, moved his hand down Magnus’s chest until he reached the buttons of the warlock’s pants. Magnus wasn’t behind for far too long. He moved his hands from Alec’s bottom to the front of his pants and unbuttoned them quicker than the shadowhunter did. Alec moaned again when he felt Magnus’s warm hands slid inside his pants to grab his sex. 

“By the Angel!” Alec exclaimed as Magnus began to move his hand up and down. He brings himself relief from time to time but feeling another’s man hand on him… it felt divine. “Oh, Mags…”

“You like it, Alexander?” he gasped into his ear, as Alec sucked on his earlobe. Before Alec realized, Magnus began to slid his pants down, massaging his bare bottom. The shadowhunter couldn’t help but moan, as Bane grinned his body up to Alec’s mostly naked. The feeling was too amazing. But Alexander knew, that when their naked bodies will meet the feeling will only increase. 

However, he was deprived of this feeling, as in that very second the door of Magnus’s bedroom burst open.

“Master Bane! Master Bane! Dear God!” Anna, a mundane with sight and Ragnor’s maid who was left to watch over the residence, halted in the entrance, covering her eyes. Alec quickly rolled off Magnus’s body and covered his own with covers. “I apologize, Master Bane. There was a call from the Institute. There’s been an attack.” 

Alec jumped out of the bed and pulled his pants back on. Magnus copied his movements and snapped his fingers. In a matter of a second, they were both dressed and rushed out of the residence. The carriage was already waiting for them. The ride to the Institute didn’t take long. Before it stopped, Alec jumped out of it and ran inside the building, Magnus hot on his heels. What they witnessed there was beyond anything Alec could ever expect. 

All the residents were fighting with the automatons. Alec called out to Magnus to conjure him some weapon. A second later a sword appeared in his hands. Lightwood was pushing the sword through the metallic bodies, but to no avail. Nathaniel Gray was commanding them, and even Magnus’s spells didn’t help them. 

“Kill them!” Gray ordered the four automatons.

 Two of them were holding down on Jessamine and Sophie. Alec tried so hard to get to them as fast as he could. As Alec cut off the robotic arm, he spotted that WIll was nowhere to be seen and Jem barely held his fight down. Alec pushed the automaton off himself and flung himself in the direction of Jem. However, before he had a chance to get to the man a sharp pain went through his chest. Alec was thrown on the back wall of the room.

“Alec!” He heard Magnus’s scream somewhere above him, but he couldn’t answer, although he wanted. 

He hardly could catch a breath. Whenever he opened his mouth to inhale the air he felt burning all over his body. Not the pleasant one. Alec felt something warm running down his face. A metallic, salt smell reached his nose. A smell he knew. Blood.

“Hold on, darling,” Suddenly Magnus’s face was above him. Tears were streaming down his perfect face. Lightwood wanted to reach out and wipe them off. Magnus was too precious to cry. “Dear god, I’ll save you, Alexander. I promise!” 

Alec felt some tingling all over his body, mixed with warmth. The feeling was too familiar for him, but he couldn’t pinpoint when he felt like that. He tried to keep his eyes opened, as Magnus was constantly begging him to do so. But it was so hard. He wanted to sleep, surrounded by Magnus’s magic running through his body.

“By the Angel!” Charlotte was kneeling by his side as well. Alec had no idea when she had gotten to the Institute anyway. She was supposed to go and arrest de Quincy for him being the Magister. “Call for a Silent Brother!” 

“He’s been poisoned by demon’s blood! The automatons had it on their arms!” Magnus cried out. “We don’t have much time. Just bear with me, sweetheart! Do not close your eyes!” 

“I lo...v...ve...yo...you…” Alec choked, opening his eyes. Magnus’s cat eyes full on display, his blue magic circling around the shadowhunter. “I love...you...Mag…”

“I love you too, Alexander...don't die on me!”

 Alec felt as his body was becoming lighter and lighter with every next second. He wanted to stay and hold on Magnus’s hand, but the light he’s been seeing was so beautiful. It was drawing him with its enormous power. It was warm like sun and Alec wanted nothing more but bask in its warmth. The light was getting closer to him, slowly overwhelming him. He stopped feeling any pain by now. Magnus’s magic must have work on him. Suddenly the light was getting smaller and smaller until it turned into a small light point ahead of him. The shadowhunter founded himself running towards the light until the light disappeared wholly and the place Alec currently was turned dark. 

Suddenly a new wave of pain went through his mind as memories began to float through them. Memories of him and his beautiful husband, Magnus Lightwood-Bane. Alec closed his eyes, the image of his husband on his mind and felt the cold darkness engulf him.

Magnus kept pouring his magic into the opened wound on Alec’s chest. He felt himself getting weaker, but he did not mind it at all. He would gladly give up his whole magic if it meant he could get Alec to open his beautiful blue eyes again and give him his adorable smile. 

“Magnus...you have to stop… he…” Charlotte Branwell put a hand on his shoulder. Involuntarily, he flinched underneath her touch. “Ave Atque Vale. Hail and Farewell, Alexander Gideon Lightwood.” 

“No, no, no, no…” Magnus cried out as he began to hit Alec’s chest in hopes the young shadowhunter wakes up. “You cannot leave me. I love you! I love you! Come back, please! Please!” 

“We need to prepare rituals for Alec, Thomas, and Agatha…” some other voice said above him, but Magnus dulled them all. 

He focused on his lover’s face and brought his hands up to it. Even with blood smeared all over his chin, Alec still looked like an angel. The pain in chest was something he didn’t feel before. It was ripping his heart and soul into shreds. Magnus wanted to hurl from the pain. He just found himself a true love, something that he never believed could happen only for the Fate to take him from him. An inhuman scream left his mouth, followed by an outburst of his magic. He did not care he could hurt someone right now. In fact, he wanted to hurt someone. Namely Nathaniel Gray, who ordered the attack. Magnus swore revenge for his lover.

The warlock looked at the beautiful face of his shadowhunter and leaned down.

“I love you so much, darling. You have no idea, how much of happiness you gave me. I will always love you.” 

Magnus pressed his lips to Alec’s cold ones for the last time.

Suddenly, a wave of pain shook his mind. Images began to flow through his brain in some kind of a fast presentation. 

“I don’t care how many people you have been with.”

“You and I, we always seem to find our way back to each other.”

“Not knowing if you’re alive or dead… I was terrified.”

“Magnus, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“When I die, I don’t want people to remember me and say, Alec Lightwood was the Inquisitor once or Alec Lightwood fought in the Mortal War or that he went to the literal hell and back. When they look at me I want them to say Alec Lightwood loved one man so much that he changed the world for him.”

“You are my heart and soul, Magnus Lightwood-Bane.” 

“I will love you forever, Mags.”

“I will love you forever too, Angel.”

Magnus gasped for air as he was clutching his chest. His heart began to beat too fast. The air around him was thick and heavy. He couldn’t breathe. Memories of him and Alec from the future overwhelmed him. He opened his eyes and looked at Alec’s chest, where the Wedded Union rune was drawn and he pressed his hand to it. A wave of pain and love shook his body, forcing him to drop on the ground next to Alec. His hand grabbed Alec’s on its own accord, squeezing it lightly. 

“My Alexander…” he whispered before he let the darkness engulf him as well.

…

Magnus was sleeping on Alec’s old bed in the Institute when he was woken by a pain convulsing his body. 

“ALEC!!!” His magic was going haywire, breaking the items in the room as he couldn’t get it under control. Someone burst through the door and soon he was engulfed in some familiar arms. 

Images were floating through his mind, like a movie he hated to watch. He couldn’t stop them as they were repeating the last moments from his past. 

“Magnus!” Jace and Isabelle called out to him, shaking his body. Both of the shadowhunters held him strongly in their arms. “What happened?!” 

It took him a while until he was able to even find his own voice. Tears were falling down his cheeks. His magic, after it recognized Jace and Izzy died on his hands. His body slowed its convulsing until the only shakes of his body were caused by sobs he was letting out. 

“Magnus? What happened?” Isabelle asked as she raised his chin so he could look them in the eye. “Magnus?”

“Alec…”

“What about him?!” Jace turned his face to himself. “Where is he? What happened to him?”

“He died…”

Chapter Text

Chapter VI

“A love like ours is one in a million”

Alec was running blindly around. The place was darker than cells in the City of Bones. Even his shadowhunter’s runes couldn’t help him see anything. The only thing he had heard was the voice of his beloved husband, who was calling out for him.

My Alexander. My Alexander. My Alexander.

“Magnus?!” the shadowhunter screamed at the top of his lungs in hopes the warlock would hear him. “Magnus?!”

But Magnus’s voice was so faint in this place like he wasn’t really here. But where was he? How could Alec get to him? Suddenly, Alec felt a coldness straight out of Hell. The shadowhunter felt his blood freeze in his veins. His skin hurt like someone would press pins into it. The air, despite the coldness, was too hot. Shivers were running down his spine as he heard some inhuman voice around him. It was a scream, a ripping one. It took him a while, but finally, Alec realized that he’s the one who made the sound.  

He was trying to catch a normal breath, as his heart began to beat in an erratic rhythm. Images flooded his mind. Memories of his time in London with Magnus. Their soft kisses, delicate touches. The intense looks they’ve been giving to each other since they met. And finally, Magnus hovering over him after Alec got wounded by the automaton in the Institute. Magnus’s expression was full of pain. Tears streaming down his face.  He was so sad, as he poured his magic into Alec’s body until Alec finally let go and let the darkness engulf him. 

A wave of pain hit his head. The air around him was thick and heavy, making it even harder to breathe. Alec had a feeling the room around him was getting smaller. Before he knew, Alec was kneeling on the floor, trying his best to calm his hammering heart. However, he couldn’t. The walls were closing at him, hurting his whole body. 

Feeling his strength leaving his body, Alec finally let go and let the darkness consume him.

…

Someone was nudging his side. Alec groaned in pain, hoping that it will stop in seconds. He knew who that was. There was only one option. Chairman Meow, one of the strays that Magnus insisted on taking to Alicante with them. He convinced Alec with simple words of how the tabby was too small and wouldn’t survive without Magnus’s constant care. That and Magnus was hella good in convincing Alec, especially with kisses or his puppy-eyes look. Alec often scolded himself for being so weak when it came to saying no to the warlock. But who could have blamed him? Magnus was quite magical.

“Go away, you stupid cat…” Alec groaned again as more his senses began to rise to life. The surface he was currently lying on was hard. There were many voices around him, but he couldn’t recognize nor understand them. Warm air was licking the bare spots on his skin. Someone began to shake his arm. Now that couldn’t be Chairman. For as smart he was, and he was a smart little beast, he couldn’t shake human arm. That had to be his sparkly owner. “Stop it, Mags.”

Someone spoke to him again. As Alec became more aware, he realized he doesn’t know the voice, nor the language. His eyes opening wide. The first thing he saw was the surface made of grey and red-ish stones that he was lying on. The second thing he realized was that he was outside, as the warm air was attacking his hurt body. Third, there were a pair of tiny feet in a caramel color right before him with dirt underneath their toenails. Alec raised his head slightly up and followed the shape of skinny legs with scraps all over it until he reached the red shorts and yellowish shirt with holes in it. It reminded Alec of one of his sweaters that Magnus burned right on his eyes because it was just a disaster and Magnus threatened Alec to rip it off him in public if he won’t stop wearing that horrendous thing. Alec believed him. 

Alec jumped to his feet in his shadowhutner speed and looked around. He was on some kind of a square, that’s for sure. People were looking at him with shock written all over their faces. However, when they deemed Alec alright, they walked away in separate directions. Someone was pulling on the side of his leg pants. Alec turned back and took a better look at the owner of a holey shirt. 

The boy couldn’t be much older than ten or maybe eleven years old. He had black, short hair that was ruffled maybe by the wind. Face dirtied with some black dust His chocolate eyes were full of concern and curiosity and there was something glimmering in them. Alec could swear that amber color tried to break through the brown. The look was kind of a familiar to him. But no… this couldn’t be…

“Magnus?” he asked the boy in front of him. But this couldn’t be.

“¿Está bien, señor?” Alec realized the boy spoke in Spanish. He wasn’t a pro in that language, but he knew the basics. “¿Señor?”

“Si,” he replied, still confused. “¿Como te llamas chico?” 

“Carlos Luigi Alvarez. ¿Y usted señor?” Alec breathed in relief. This boy wasn’t his future husband. 

“Alexander Lightwood,” Alec answered before a small wave of pain hit his head. Alec placed hands on both his and began to massage them. When his hands touched the right side of his head he realized there’s something warm and liquid there. He quickly brought fingers to his eyes and spotted blood. 

“Te golpeas la cabeza” the boy, Carlos said, pointing at his head. “Estabas corriendo y te derrumbaste al suelo.” Running? Alec was running but in the darkness. “Estabas gritando el nombre de alguien.” 

“Magnus…” Alec said involuntarily. 

“Si,” The boy nodded eagerly. “¿Es tu hermano o un amigo?”

“Amm…” Alec didn’t know how to explain who was Magnus to this boy, so he only nodded and chose the best option out of the two the boy offered. 

“Mi mejor amigo.”

The boy pointed at the visible deflect rune on Alec’s left side of the neck. So the boy had a sight. 

“Eres un cazador de sombras,” the boy grabbed his hand and probed on his angelic rune. “un ángel.” 

Alec only nodded to this and looked around again. The place looked so foreign to him. And people here despite speaking of Spanish were also speaking in some other language. The houses around the square weren’t big, but they were colorful, like the people here. Was he in Spain? But then, which city? The Institutes here were in Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Cordoba, Valencia, Saragossa. Where was he and how in the hell he had gotten here? Did Magnus’s magic transport him here? Did he portal him here?

Suddenly, Alec remembered a certain witch from New York. She sent him to London to the past life of his husband! But Alec didn’t recall her being in London there. So how in Angel’s name he had found himself in Spain? 

“¿Señor?” Carlos pulled on his leg again. Alec looked back at the boy and realized that he was pointing at the direction of some red house with a green fence. “Señor Eduardo. El es un angel tambien.”

So there was some shadowhunter here. He must have not lived in the Institute. Some of New York’s shadowhunters preferred to live outside the Institute as well. Like Alec, when he moved out to live with Magnus before they got married and moved to Alicante. 

“Where am I?” The boy cocked his head and shook it. Of course, he couldn’t understand him. “¿Dónde estoy?”

“You’re in Puno,” he heard behind his back. Alec turned around and spotted a man smaller than him. The man wore brown pants and a white shirt, slightly unbuttoned at the top. His eyes were dark and shining. He eyed Alec from head to toe and then looked to the boy standing next to him. He spoke to him too fast for Alec to understand. The only thing he caught was the quick negative reply of the boy. The man fished out a gold coin out of his pocket and threw it to the boy who eagerly caught it. Carlos smiled widely at Alec and dashed through the square. “He is a good child, sir.”

“You speak English,” the man nodded. “Wait...you said Puno...that’s not Spain…”

“Oh no, sir, you are in Peru.”

Peru?! But why?

“I am Imasu Morales and you?”

Before Alec had a chance to reply to him, a memory slipped into his mind.

Well, Imasu was my music teacher, love. I admit I had two reasons to want to learn how to play on charango. One, I felt I had a talent and wanted to become a charanguista. Although, Cat and Ragnor will tell you that I had no talent at all. And second, I wanted to learn how to play that thing to spend more time with him.

So he was that good looking? Black hair and blue eyes too? Alec joked. Even though learning about Magnus’s past loves was his idea, it still was hard. But, after their break up over him going to Camille… the worst mistake of Alec’s life, they decided to be honest with each other. Magnus realized his mistake in hiding his past from Alec and decided to share some things with him. The things that made him the man he was today. Alec was glad for this, even though he was slightly jealous of his past lovers. 

Oh, no! His eyes were deep brown and his hair was black, but it was his passion for music that intrigued and drew me. 

He sounds like a nice guy.

Yes, until he broke it off with me.

“I think you need to see a doctor, Sir,” Imasu’s voice shook him out of the memory. Alec crossed his eyes with him and thought again.

First, he ended up in London with Will Herondale and Camille Belcourt. Now here with Imasu Morales. All the people he had learned about from Magnus. All the people he had given his heart to. Once again Alec tried to remember what happened. He remembered the attack of demons. The shapeshifter witch who lifted him up in the air. She was talking to Magnus, he remembers that. Then she began to talk to Alec about her love for his husband. She began to speak in some foreign language. And then Alec felt some strange magic that smelled like the sweetest candy, almost sickeningly sweet. It circled Alec, burning his skin. It was hot. Blood was buzzing in his body until it stopped. Then came the darkness in which Alec felt as light as a feather. And the fall. 

Sine verus amor . Alec caught from her words.

Without a true love.

“No, no, no…” Alec shook his head violently as he slowly began to understand what was happening. “She cursed me!”

“I truly think you need to see a doctor, sir,” Imasu tried again and looked above Alec’s shoulder. “A friend of my friend is a doctor. She can heal you. This wound on your head looks dangerous, sir. “ 

“I need Magnus Bane…” Alec’s voice was barely audible, but Imasu heard it nonetheless. 

“You know Magnus Bane? He lives here and we will visit him. His friend, Catarina is a doctor, or so I heard, sir. I am sure he will be delighted to see a friend.”

Alec didn’t know, but something inside of him let Imasu walk him towards a small residence at the suburbs of Puno, by the coast of the Titicaca lake, as Imasu explained him. He was constantly talking, describing to him how he met Magnus, but he quickly changed the subject to himself. He told Alec about his music passion and how Magnus could not play for life. Before he knew, they were standing outside the house with a blue door and blue wooden window shutters. Alec spotted some plants in front of the house. 

“You should come to the Plaza Republicana,” Imasu continued, giving him a small smile. “I will be playing there in the evening. I promise I play better than Magnus.”

Alec gave him askew look. This man here dared to offense his husband’s skills? However, before he had a chance to scold him, the door of the mansion opened and revealed one angry looking middle-aged woman.

“¿Qué?” 

“Estoy buscando a Magnus Bane,” Imasu quickly replied and gave the woman smile full of teeth. 

“Señor Bane!” She called out into the house a few times. Soon they heard loud footsteps, followed by familiar laughter. 

“Magnus…” Alec whispered, smiling. His heart beat faster, like every time he was in the presence of his beloved. But this time it beat faster than usual, to the point of causing pain in Alec’s chest. As the footsteps were closer and the beautiful voice of Magnus was louder, Alec’s breath became heavy. There was some pounding in his head. On instinct, Alec held his head in hands and bit down on his lips to not cry out in a pain, even though it hurt like hell. 

Finally, Magnus stood before him and Alec’s head felt light. 

… 

There was something cool on Alec’s forehead, giving him much needed relief. The shadowhunter couldn’t help but moan at the sensation. It was such a wonderful feeling.

“I think he’s waking up,” a voice above him said. “Where did you find him, Imasu?”

“On the square. He looked so lost and the wound on his head looked dangerous. He looked like he needed help.”

“Thank you for bringing him here,” some female said. Alec knew that voice, but he couldn’t recall from where. “We will take care of him.”

“He mentioned knowing you, Magnus, so I brought him.” Alec’s eyes began to flutter. “I guess today’s lesson will not be happening. You need to take care of your friend, Magnus.”

“Indeed, I do.”

“Have a pleasant day.” 

“Can you hear me? Shadowhunter, can you hear me?” The female spoke again.

“He looks kind of familiar,” another voice reached his ears. “Kind of like Will Herondale, don’t you think so, Magnus? I can swear I saw him somewhere, but I cannot recall where.” 

“We’re about to find out, boys.”

Alec opened his eyes and surveyed his surrounding. Some blue and green mass was hovering over him too close to his face, as he tried to adjust his sight. The closer he looked the better he saw. The mass separated in two and with time formed into two faces. One had long white hair - a female and the second had horns on the top of the brown-haired head. 

Warlocks . 

Alec didn’t meet many warlocks through his life, but he heard they can have many colors of skin, which was mostly their warlock mark. 

“Oh, for the love of god, give the man some space to breathe!” The voice! Alec yearned to see the owner of it. The two warlocks step back and finally revealed the third man in the room. 

Dear Raziel! He was the most beautiful man Alec’s ever seen. 

His hair was put up in spikes. He was shining, could he be a fairy? Alec had seen fairies many times in his life, but this man didn’t have pointy ears as they had, so he wasn’t a fairy. Then Alec caught the eyes of the man. They were gold-green, looking like cat eyes. He was staring now into Alec’s blue eyes with curiosity and something else that the young man couldn’t figure out. There was something magnetic in those cat-eyes; something that Alec couldn't resist. It was like he was enchanted by those sparks dancing in those eyes. Alec had never seen anything so beautiful before. 

“Hello,” the cat-eyed man smiled at him. “My name is Magnus Bane. And these are Catarina Loss and Ragnor Fell.”

“Magnus!” The green skinned warlock scolded him. “He’s a shadowhunter! Don’t give him our names!”

“Oh relax, sweet pea, if he tries anything, I allow you to wipe out his memory and overpower him,” he turned back to Alec and sized him up. “Where are you from, shadowhunter? What’s your name?”

“I’m Alec Lightwood and I’m from New York,” he replied quickly. “I mean no harm.” 

“New York?” The woman, Catarina, came closer to them again. Alec could swear he knew her, she seemed familiar to him. “What are you doing in Peru?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

“Imasu said you claimed to know me,” Magnus opened his mouth again, giving him an askew look. “I don’t know you. I don’t associate with Shadowhunters. Especially from New York. How do you know me?”

“I don’t know you,” Alec explained, wondering. He had no idea who this Magnus Bane was. The only thing he knew was that the man was incredibly beautiful and Alec felt the inner need to be close to him. For the first time in his life, he decided to be bold. “But I’m sure we can get to know each other.”

“Excuse me?”

“Lilith!” Ragnor exclaimed and threw his hands in the air before a laugh erupted out of his mouth. “He’s making advances on you, Magnus. Now that is something interesting.” 

“I think you hit your head a bit too hard, Alec Lightwood...wait... Lightwood? Are you a family with Gideon and Gabriel Lightwood?”

“I don’t know them,” Alec felt some pressing on his wrist. He quickly looked to the side and spotted Catarina holding it and checking his pulse. Her touch was familiar too, so Alec didn’t retrieve his hand back. “I’m sorry,” he turned to the female warlock. “You seem familiar, do I know you?”

“I definitely do not know you, shadowhunter.” She looked back at him and moved her hand to take the rug off his forehead. “You are quite fine now. If you draw one of your runes, everything should be alright with you. Magnus,” she turned to the shining man. When Alec looked closer he realized it’s glitter. “You should show him to the Institute here. Or if you want we can open you a portal to New York.” 

“No!” The three warlocks looked at him oddly. “I’d rather stay here...well not here here but in the city. Is there some kind of a hotel here, where I could stay?”

“Near the tavern, Magnus will walk you.” The said man gave Ragnor an eyeroll but nodded. “We will appreciate if you don’t reveal our presence to anyone.”

“Of course, you have nothing to fear.” 

Alec got up from the bed and only thanks to his years of training he didn’t fall to the ground like a clutz. However, he did falter, when he tried to take the first step and if it weren’t for Magnus’s quick reflex, he might end up on the ground. Instead, he landed in the warlock’s arms. Alec raised his head up and looked the man in the eyes. The streaking beauty of the cat eyes was incredible. The was some curiosity in them when he was gazing into Alec’s blues. The shadowhunter’s hand grasped the warlock’s one without thinking.

Dear Angel in Heaven! 

When they touched, an electrifying wave went through his body. He never felt something like this before. It was so strange and yet, it felt so natural to him. Alec never believed in love at first sight. For it was something that only existed on the cards of romance books. But the second he touched his hand and looked into Magnus’s eyes his beliefs seemed to disappear at once. 

They were gazing into each other’s eyes for god knows how long. The world around them quickly forgotten. It was only them in their small, quiet world. 

“I think I shall walk you to the hotel, Alec,” Magnus finally broke the enchantment between them. 

“Alexander,” he sighed, not knowing why he suddenly felt the urge to reveal his full name. “My name. Alexander.”

“Alexander…” the warlock whispered. It was like music to his ears. Alec was never fond of people who were using his full name, but with Magnus...it was something he wanted to hear all the time. “A beautiful name for a beautiful man…”

Alec couldn’t help but blush at the compliment. 

“I’ll walk you to the hotel, Alexander.”

The way to the hotel in the city went too quickly for Alec’s liking. He and Magnus were walking in a step distance from each other. The warlock was pointing at some places they were passing and were sharing a small story about them. Alec could care less for the history of the city, but hearing Magnus’s voice was an amazing experience. His voice was deep, but also sounded like sweet, like honey. 

Suddenly they stopped in front of some poorly looking establishment. 

“It doesn’t look so spectacular, but it is the best in the city, and they have great drinks,” Magnus smiled at him. “Well, I guess this is it, Alexander.”

Magnus gave him a curt nod and turned on his heel to walk away.

“Hey, Magnus!” Alec called after him. The warlock turned back around. Alec ran towards him. “Can I see you again? I truly want to get to know you.” 

Magnus pondered for a moment, biting down on his lip. How cute! 

“Well, I think we can see again, Alexander,” he replied, giving Alec a wink. “I shall see you again soon, shadowhunter.”

“I can’t wait,” Alec spoke to himself, as he watched Magnus walk away in the direction of his house. “I can’t wait to get to know you, Magnus Bane.”

Chapter Text

Chapter VII

“A love like ours is everlasting”

Alec was content, despite the foul scent that was coming from the latrine beneath the room he was placed in. According to Magnus, the man he had met just lately, this was the best Inn they had in the city. Alec believed him, even though, now as he was thinking about it, Magnus had to make a joke out of him. The place was horrible. Cheap, but horrible. He could, of course, stay in the Institute in here, but he didn’t know the local shadowhunters. He’d rather stay here and suffer the awful smells and a poor job Imasu helped him get as a bartender in the tavern. He worked there for a place to stay and some food. 

“One whiskey, shadowhunter,” Alec heard a familiar voice, as he was wiping down the bar. He looked up and spotted the green skin of a warlock friend of Magnus. 

“I do have a name and you know it,” Alec replied, throwing the wet rug to the bin beneath the bar. He turned around and grabbed the bottle of amber liquid and poured the amount of two fingers into a crystal glass. “You have to cool it yourself. There is no ice today. Paulo couldn’t get it.” 

The warlock sighed but a second later he whispered some spell and the glass was covered with ice. Alec looked around the place in hope to spot the face he longed to see since last night. Since their lovely date. Alec smiled at the memory.

Alec was called grumpy before by his siblings on multiple occasions. But now, they could add a stalker to his description. Ever since his eyes landed on the beautiful warlock, Magnus Bane, he couldn’t stop thinking about him to the point of actually standing outside the residence the warlock was living at. Never in his life, Alec felt such an attraction towards any man. He wanted to be in his presence all the time and he barely knew the man. He only met him a bit over a week ago. For a brief moment, he thought that the warlock cast some spell on him. And if he did, Alec was ok with it. 

“You’re scaring my maids,” Alec heard behind his back. He quickly turned on his heel and spotted Magnus, leaning over the tree. 

“I waited for you to be done with your music lesson,” Alec informed him as he took a step closer to the warlock. His heart was beating fast, his stomach was making flips. But he was truly ok with this. He was more than ok. “How was it?” 

“Imasu says I’m good at this,” he smiled to himself. Alec growled silently at the sound of the other man’s name. He hated that Magnus kept meeting with the musician. He didn’t like him at all. The man was trying to steal Magnus from him. That wasn’t acceptable. “How was your day, Alexander?”

“Good,” he replied softly. Although I missed you like crazy - he thought to himself. Alec didn’t understand what was happening to him. In one moment he’s fine and a second later something strange is happening with his body, heart and mind and all of this only because he met the gorgeous man. “Would you take a walk with me?”

“Yes…” the warlock breathed out. 

Alec outstretched his hand towards the warlock and waited for his move. Magnus observed Alec’s hand for a while, alternating his gaze to the younger man’s face as well. For a second, the shadowhunter thought that he might have been too forward with the gesture. After all, Magnus was seen as a gentleman in the city. Maybe he didn’t want to be seen as a man who favorites men out in public. Alec was ready to lower his hand, pushing down the small feeling of rejection, when Magnus slowly placed his hand on Alec’s and interlocked their fingers. 

Alec’s heart began to hammer when he felt the warmth radiating from Magnus’s hand. When their hands touched, Alec felt tingling all over his body. It was an amazing feeling. Alec had held hands before with a few people. Isabelle, Jace, Max, their mother even father, when he was younger. But it never felt like this. Magnus’s hand fit perfectly with Alec’s as if it was made to be held by the shadowhunter. The smoothness of it was an equal balance to the calloused hand of Alec’s.  Before he knew, he was caressing Magnu’s hand with his thumb. It felt natural to him. 

Magnus took a final step and stood next to Alec. His golden eyes stared into Alec’s blues with so much intensity that it could burn Alec’s soul. Hell, if it did, Alec was cool with it. 

They were walking slowly down the shore. The moon cast its beautiful silver light at Magnus, making him even more beautiful than he already was. In fact, in Alec’s opinion, Magnus Bane was exquisite, gorgeous, magical. He was everything Alec could ever dream of. He was a gentleman, a kind soul, a wonderful man. He was a man right out of Alec’s wildest dreams. 

“A penny for your thoughts, Alexander?” he asked him. 

“You,” the shadowhunter blurted out, his cheeks hot at the instant. Alec was straightforward, people were telling that to him constantly. The shadowhunter looked at the warlock from underneath his lashes only to discover the slight blush on the glitter-covered cheeks of the older man. He was so beautiful. 

“You are a strange creature, Alec Lightwood,” the warlock hummed with a small smile. “You continue to surprise me.”

“In good ways, I hope?”

“I think you have yet to discover this, shadowhunter,” he teased, giving Alec a wink. Oh, game on - Alec thought. He was ready to discover everything about Magnus and the thoughts that were circling in that pretty head of his. “It’s such a lovely night, tonight. Won’t you agree with me, Alexander?”

“Definitely, although, I see something more lovely than night,” he replied. Magnus, who was looking at the moon and stars, looked back at Alec only to discover that the shadowhunter kept his eyes plunged at him. 

“Charmer,” Magnus commented and bit down on his lip before he changed the topic. “Have you finally visited the Institute here?”

“What for?”

“They are your people, Alexander,” 

Magnus looked around for some wood to sit. When he founded nothing, he was ready to snap his fingers and conjure some blanket, but, again, he was surprised by Alec. The young male took off his tweeded jacket and placed it on the sand. He gestured Magnus to take a seat and sat next to the warlock himself. They were pressed by sides, seeing as the jacket wasn’t very big. But, frankly, it bothered none of them. 

“I don’t want them to know I’m here,” Alec responded. “They will want to interrogate me and probably you too, for meeting with me. I don’t want to cause you any troubles. This is your home city, Magnus. If they’ll find out we’re friends they would probably strip me of my marks and lock you up for… corrupting a shadowhunter. My parents used to say things like that to my sister, who was having affairs with the downworlders.”

“Do you think I’m corrupting you?”

“Please, if anyone’s corrupting someone here, it’s me,” Alec laughed and Magnus joined him in a laughter a second later. “Don’t forget that I was insistent on keeping meeting with you. That and as you gladly pointed out to me, I’m scaring your maids.”

“I will talk to Lupita about you, but it wouldn’t hurt if you stopped standing outside and watch the house like some kind of a scoundrel,” Alec agreed with him. “If I am not in the house, you are welcome to wait for me inside. Or we can keep meeting in the tavern.”

“Ok.” 

A comfortable silence has fallen between them. Magnus kept starting at the surface of the water and the light illuminating on it. The view was truly marvelous, but Alec had something more beautiful to look at. His blue eyes were glued to Magnus’s face, even though the warlock didn’t spare him a glance in the past few minutes. Alec was mapping every line and curve of Magnus’s face. 

“Is there something on my face?” Magnus turned to Alec and raised an eyebrow in a question. 

“Only your beauty, Magnus.” 

Alec moved his eyes to Magnus’s slightly parted lips. They were glistening with something, Alec guessed it had to be some cosmetic product. Nevertheless, they looked very kissable in that very moment. The shadowhunter imagined multiple times what would it feel like when his lips would touch Magnus’s in a soft kiss. He never kissed before with anyone, but he had this inner desire to do it with Magnus. Alec dreamt about his first kiss for a long time now and ever since he had met Magnus Bane he wanted to share his first kiss with him. In his dreams, Magnus held him in his strong arms, pressed close to his chest. He would place his elegant fingers under Alec’s chin and raise it slightly. Then he would dip his head a bit and capture Alec’s lips with his own. The kiss would be awkward at first, for Alec had zero experience.  But soon, Magnus would take the lead and turn the kiss into the perfect thing, Alec read about in all those romantic books he secretly loved to read. Alec would close his eyes, not believing at first that he got to kiss a man of his dreams. He would put his arms around Magnus’s slender frame and run his fingers over the man’s sides and spine. Magnus would make the most wonderful sounds while Alec’s fingers would caress him. The warlock would too, touch Alec’s back of the neck, then he would move his hands to Alec’s chest to keep them around the younger man’s heart to feel how fast it would beat for him. Alec wouldn’t even be ashamed of it. Then Alec would start finally got a grip of the kiss and put all of his emotions in it. Hell, he would need to get a harder grip of Magnus’s for he would fear he might faint out of this bliss. Magnus would only laugh into the kiss and press Alec even closer to himself. The shadowhunter would feel then how Magnus’s heart would beat as well. He would feel the tingling and shivers all over his body just from a simple kiss. 

No. It wouldn’t be a simple kiss.

The kiss would be perfect. 

“You’re strangely quiet, Alexander,” Magnus finally spoke. Alec moved his eyes back up to look into the golden cat-eyes of the warlock. The shadowhunter licked his dry lips. Despite the hammering in his chest, Alec eyed Magnus’s lips again before he decided to be bold and make his dream come true.

“Would I be too forward, if I’d kiss you?”

Magnus opened his eyes and mouth wide in a shock, Alec could easily tell. He eyed Alec warily as if he was trying to detect if Alec was joking. But Alec was far from it. The warlock’s gaze was so intense, almost burning. The time seemed to freeze around them. The water stopped its movements. The night’s light breeze suddenly disappeared. Lightwood’s heart was going crazy. A million thoughts were running around his head, giving him negative scenarios of rejection. Maybe Magnus didn’t like him this way? Maybe he didn’t want to kiss Alec? Maybe he read wrong the possible relations between them? 

Of course. How stupid of him to even think that such a wonderful man like Magnus Bane would be interested in such a plain shadowhunter? Of course, Alec wasn’t a man that someone can find desirable. He wasn’t as handsome and talented as Imasu. No wonder, Magnus preferred the musician over him. 

Swallowing the feel of rejections down, even though it hurt like hell, Alec turned his gaze away from Magnus and was ready to get up and leave the shore. 

However, he was stopped by the warm touch on his bicep. Alec turned his eyes on the warlock again and had only a second before he felt the sweet taste on his lips.

The shadowhunter closed his eyes and let himself be drawn to the sweet taste of Magnus’s lips. When they parted and Alec opened his eyes, he smiled widely at the man before him and thought to himself. 

He just had his very first kiss. And it was just exactly how he had dreamt it to be.

“He shall come by after the music lesson,” Alec was brought back from his memories by Ragnor’s sharp voice. “He said to me that tonight should be his last lesson. Thank Lilith.”

"I'm sure he's very talented," Alec replied and went back to wiping the glass.  Then suddenly he smelled the familiar by now the scent of sandalwood. He smiled to himself and straightened his white shirt. He needed to look good.  Lightwood took a deep breath. His heart already doing crazy flips as he heard the closer footsteps of the warlock. Alec closed his eyes for a moment before he turned around and greeted the cat-eyed man with a wide smile.  "Good evening, Magnus."

"Good evening, Alexander," the warlock greeted him as well.  "I'd kill for a good drink now. "

Alec quickly poured him the best whiskey they had in the tavern. Magnus smiled in gratitude and drank it in one gulp. 

"Dear God, what has gotten into you? You never drink this fast.  You always keep telling me to enjoy the drink," Ragnor observed with a frown on his green face.  "What happened?"

"I parted my ways with Imasu," he explained. "And it was not very pleasant."

Alec was all ready to make the musician's life a living hell for causing any pain to Magnus.  He already planned a vicious way to make him regret ever meeting this wonderful man when Magnus spoke up again. 

"It wasn't meant to be anyway."

Alec was sure that his heart grows three sizes up at those words. A new set of chances stood open for him. He had a chance to win Magnus over.  

It was the best day of his life. 

…

To be continued 

Chapter Text

Chapter VIII

“A love like ours is like a fairytale”

Magnus has gone mad. Definitely. There was no other explanation for the current state he was in. At least, according to Ragnor, one of his two best friends, who was gladly reminding him of it every available moment. 

“You’re impossibly mad, Magnus,” the green-skinned warlock spoke again, between bites of his freshly cooked dinner. “It will cause you nothing good. It will bring troubles for all of us.”

“I assure you, my dear cabbage,” Bane pointed his cutlery at him. “That my love life will not be a bother to anyone.” 

Ragnor gave him one of his famous looks. 

“Had any of my previous conquests gave you trouble, Ragnor?”

“How much time do you have?” Fell put down his cutlery. “I can list many people that you’ve taken to your bed that caused the problems for me and Catarina. Shall I start with the first woman you’ve brought to my home, only ten years after I’ve taken you in? She was promised to another and you shamed her. We had to leave the village, for you were against marrying her.”

“Oh, I did not shame… Maria? That was her name, I believe,” he smiled at the memory of a curvy black haired woman. “She was very willing to every activity we’ve performed during our stay there. Besides, she never wanted to marry that old prick. He could have been her grandfather, for heaven’s sake.” 

“She was eighteen,” Ragnor pointed out. “Back then she was looked up as an old lady. She should be lucky that someone wanted to marry her. You know that was the time where girls have been married off at the age of fourteen.”

Magnus just shrugged his arms, before he spoke again.

“You don’t have to fear, my little olive, I won’t shame Alec nor will I have to marry him. And he’s over twenty-two.” 

“I could care less if he was twelve or seventy, Magnus,” the older warlock argued back. “But he’s a shadowhunter! You cannot trust him. We don’t know anything about him. For all, he could have been sent by the Clave to watch us. Lilith! We should just leave the town and get ourselves a new place. Maybe we should get back to London.”

“Alexander isn’t here to spy on us,” Magnus tried to calm his friend down. “He didn’t even go to the Institute. He has no shadowhunter weapon with him. Hell, he doesn’t even have a stele. He means no harm to us.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Don’t you think that if Alexander meant any harm to us or would have some big plan to end us, wouldn’t he act already? He’s been here for three months already. I think that if he had planned something, it would be done by now.”

“I cannot help but worry about you, Magnus,” Ragnor stood up from the table and moved to the window in the dining room. The sun was getting low now, lying a beautiful shade of orange at the surface of the sea. This was one of the things that Ragnor liked in this house. He got to experience such beautiful views every single day for the past seven months. The warlock felt a warm hand over his shoulder and a light squeeze. “I hate to see you in pain.”

“And I love you for that, Ragnor,” Magnus was the taller of them, but he bends his frame to rest his head on Fell’s shoulder. “I know that I’ve caused you many troubles throughout the years of our friendship. And I know that you’ve put your trust in many of my decision and most of them were not good. But trust me in this. With Alexander… I feel that it is different from my other’s relationships. He is different. I feel different around him. There’s something in him that draws me and it’s not just his good looks. There’s something in him that makes me… I am not even sure how to describe it. But I feel that he will be good for me.”

“I just hope he will not break your heart, Magnus.”

“I hope that too,” Magnus admitted more to himself than to Ragnor. For all, he believed that Alec Lightwood won’t break his heart. 

“And let’s hope that he won’t kill us off.”

Magnus only laughed heartily, as he made a beeline out of the room and house. Alexander was already waiting for him, hidden in the shade of their tree. As soon as he was by the tree, Alec drew him into his arms and lift in the air, spinning. A moment later he placed Magnus on the ground again and crushed his lips over the warlock.

Ragnor watched them for a moment longer through the window. He knew that his best friend fell in love so easily and wholly from the very beginning. He was that kind of a man. Gave his heart away too fast, every single time. The warlock sighed troubled, shaking his head. 

“I truly hope, he won’t break your heart, my dearest Magnus. I truly hope so.”

…

Magnus was in awe. There was no other way to describe the way he felt for quite some time now. And it’s all because of a certain black-haired and blue-eyed shadowhunter.  From the very first second when he saw him after the shadowhunter was brought to his home by his ex-; then current; boyfriend Imasu, Magnus was struck by the beauty of the man. The beauty of his was what drew Magnus towards him at first, but it wasn’t what made him keep coming back to Alexander. No. It was his pure heart and kind soul. The man was remarkable. So different than the rest of his kind. Magnus met a few shadowhunters in his entire lifetime. Some in Spain, some in Australia and some in London and some in Alicante, when they asked him to come. They were offended by his presence and gave him their most disgusted looks. Hell, Magnus believed that if he dared to speak his mind around them, he’d end up dead. But, Alec was different. He didn’t care that Magnus was a downworlder. Lilith, in most of their time together, Alec didn’t act like a shadowhutner at all, but more like a regular mundane. He worked in a tavern as a bartender. Helped those in need in the local community. All women, married or not, were swooning around Alec, not just because of his beauty but the kindness as well.  That, of course, brought some problems to the younger man, but as soon as he voiced his lack of interest over the women in the city, he was left alone by the angry husbands, fathers, and brothers. 

Yes, Alec wasn’t interested in women in the city. But he was very much interested in Magnus Bane and the warlock loved it. 

Being with Alec felt very natural to Magnus. It was like Alec provided his gravitation around himself and Magnus was happily circling in it from the very first second. He felt so good with the hunter, so easy, so delightful to the point that Magnus let his guard down around Alec all the time, despite the constant warnings from Cat and Ragnor. 

But what could they know, right? They didn’t know Alexander at all. They didn’t know what kind of a man he was.

“What are you thinking about?” Alec asked as they were lying on the beach. The sun was getting low by now. The warm air was licking their bare feet, as they discarded their boots. Alec went even further and discarded his shirt as well. Not that Magnus minded. He liked the view very much. 

“You,” he replied with the usual response of Alec. The shadowhunter turned his head to the right side and smiled widely at the warlock. A small amount of rose decorated his cheeks. It was amazing how the man could blush and yet be so bold sometimes, especially when it came to physical activities that they started late. It was wonderful. 

“I have some thoughts to share too,” Alec revealed. Magnus sat on the beach and looked at Alec in a question. Alec sat too and turned his body towards the warlock. He was nervous, Magnus could tell. He swallowed hard and wiped his sweaty palms over his pants. It had to be something big, Magnus guessed. Alec wasn’t usually this worried. Maybe he wanted to break up with him? Maybe he was to leave the city? Or maybe someone from the local Institute found out about him and forced him to lock Magnus up in the Silent City for corrupting a shadowhunter? Or maybe… “Magnus? Are you listening to me?”

“Are you ending things with me?”

“What?” Alec asked confused. “Haven’t you heard a word I said?”

Magnus just shook his head and Alec laughed a bit. 

“I said that I’ve talked with Senor Lorho,” Alec began again. “He said that he has a small cottage on the other side of the city. It was supposed to be passed to his son and his wife. But Mario died a year ago out of a pox. Same as his newlywedded wife. The place isn’t very big or renovated...it definitely will need some touches before it can be able to live in, but… I thought… of course, if you’d want to… maybe you’d like to move in there… with me…” 

Magnus didn’t know what to say. No one, ever before, asked him to move in with. Magnus blinked a few times. He quickly thought of every possible pluses and minus of living with Alexander. 

For starters, they would spend more time together, which was a huge plus. Second, they could get to know each other better and let the feelings between them evolve. And third, they could finally act on their passion without the constant worry of someone interrupting them their sweet time. 

Magnus dreamed about all the things they could do behind closed doors, on their own. Suddenly all the possible negatives of this idea blurred out and a smile crept on his face. There was only one answer he could give to his shadowhunter.

“You hate this idea... I understand…” Alec spoke sadly, eyed dropping to the sand. He reached for his shirt. But before he had a chance to put it back on and leave Magnus all alone, the warlock stopped his hand in the middle. Alec dared to look at him again. Magnus placed his hand upon the hunter’s cheek and caressed it lovingly. Alexander leaned into the touch and sighed. 

“I would love to, Alexander.” 

Magnus never saw Alec so happy before. He practically glowed with happiness. Before Magnus knew, Alec threw himself on him. In no time, they were lying back on the sand, laughing. 

Alec got himself up and dragged Magnus with him. He crushed his lips onto Magnus’s in a searing kiss. Kissing with Alec always was exquisite. The man, though he was inexperienced before, knew how to make Magnus melt. 

“I love you, Magnus,” Alec declared between kisses, freezing Magnus with the statement. Magnus quickly pulled away and looked the man in the eye. He could practically hear how fast Alec’s heart was beating. Or maybe it was his own? 

Did Alec just confess his love for Magnus? Or the warlock misheard him? 

“What?”

“I love you, Magnus,” Alec repeated himself, grabbing Magnus’s hand in his and squeezing it. “It’s ok if you don’t feel the same… but I can’t bottle this up inside of me any longer. I love you. I love you, so damn much. It’s crazy.” 

The air around him changed. The time stopped. His heart hammered in his chest. But not because of fear, but because he felt exactly like Alec. He has been harboring the feelings for the hunter for a while now. Only now he knew how to properly name them.

“I lov…” he had no time to finish his declaration, for Ragnor and Catarina showed up on the beach, running to them like some hellhounds were chasing them.

“DEMONS IN THE CITY!!!!” Ragnor’s voice boomed. 

Alec’s shadowhunter’s instincts kicked and he got up from the ground and made a beeline after Ragnor and Catarina. Magnus cursed loudly and ran after his lover, hoping that they won’t be killed off today, for he still has to confess his heart to his beloved shadowhunter.

...

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter IX

“A love like ours survives all”

Ragnor didn’t lie. A dozen demons were demolishing the poor city. When the three warlocks and a shadowhunter got to the middle of the town, the battle was already in the rush. Shadowhunters from the local Institute were trying to fight them off. Alec recognized some demons as Raums and Drevaks, but there were some he couldn’t name, despite his education. Maybe they were some new form of demons? Alec cursed loudly for he had no stele to activate his runes nor any shadowhutner weapon. He was so stupid to not go to the local shadowhunters and ask for some weapon. 

“Magnus!” he called out to his lover, who was a step ahead of him. “I need some weapon!” 

A second later a long sword appeared in his hands. Not his favorite choice of a weapon, but he’ll deal with it. Alec quickly calculated their chances. There were three warlocks and seven shadowhunters against dozen of demons. The chances to get rid of the demons were high and Alec had a hope that they will manage to succeed. He prayed to Angel Raziel for it. 

Alec struck at the first demon that came launching itself at Magnus. The young shadowhunter jumped to the warlock and pushed him behind himself and drove the blade through the middle of the demon. However, despite the effort, he had put in attacking the demon didn’t bring the ultimate result. The demon with claws spat at Alec with its ichor and pushed itself more on the blade and closer to Alec. The shadowhunter tried to retrieve his blade but found it unable. Something inside of the demon was blocking it. The demon was closer to him, only an inch. It was raising its clawed hand to attack Alec, when a ball of magic hit it and it blasted, splattering its guts on Alec. The shadowhunter picked wiped the ichor from his face and realized it was Ragnor Fell who had saved his life. He smiled upon the warlock in gratitude, before he felt a warm touch on his shoulder. 

“Are you alright, darling?” 

“Yes, and you?” he addressed his lover. Magnus only nodded, before he heard a painful scream. Alec looked as well in the direction of the scream. 

One of the local shadowhunters dropped to the ground with claws stuck in his calf. The demon above him was sipping a venom from his mouth right on the wound. Magnus quickly rushed towards them and sent an energy ball at the demon. The creature burst into million pieces, as Magnus dropped to his knees by the hurt shadowhunter. 

“Damn!” Magnus cursed as he inspected the wound. Blue magic circling his hands. “Cover me, Alec!” 

“Got it!” Alec stood before Magnus with his blade raised in the air. The rest of the shadowhunters were still battling off demons, same as Catarina and Ragnor. 

“Get away from me, you filthy warlock!” the wounded shadowhunter tried to crawl away from Magnus.

“I’m here to help you, you imbecile!” 

“I don’t need help from a demon!” 

“Without my magic, you’ll die!” Magnus argued back with the hunter. “You have a demonic acid inside of your bloodstream. If I don’t retract it, it’ll get to your heart and then even your angel Raziel won’t help you. Your iratze won’t help you as well. You’ve been poisoned, shadowhunter and if you value your life at all I strongly suggest you let me help you.” 

“No…”

“Listen here,” Alec turned his head to the two men. “Either you let Magnus help you or you die. Magnus is a skilled warlock and he means no harm. He can help you. Or let yourself die and this city will have one less protector.”

“You’re a shadowhunter…” the man realized before he coughed loudly with blood. “You cannot trust this warlock. They’re demons too.”

“I trust him with my life,” Magnus couldn’t help but smile at this statement. He felt the same about Alexander. “Let him save you.”

“Ve…” the man’s heart began to hammer in his chest and he struggled to breathe properly. Magnus decided to act on instinct. He let his magic slip into the young man’s body and retract the venom. The shadowhunter’s body convulsed underneath the workings of Magnus’s magic. The black liquid was running out of his wound on the calf, while he was screaming in agony. No wonder, the acid was burning him from the inside. When Magnus was sure the last remnants of the acid were gone from the hunter’s blood, he sent a jolt of his healing magic to the man’s body. The wound clasped itself slowly, leaving only an angry red mark.

Magnus collapsed next to the hunter and breathed heavily. Alec was quickly by his side and held him in his arms. 

“You can put an iratze now,” the warlock panted. “It will help.” 

The shadowhunter quickly pulled out his stele and drew the familiar mark. The rune flashed in gold before it turned inky black. Before they knew, the man got up from the ground and ran towards his comrades, who were still fighting off the demons.

“Ungrateful pig,” Alec commented loudly and helped Magnus stand on his feet. He took a better look at his lover. Magnus’s face was paler, his body was heavier. He was exhausted. Not only he fought off some demons but saved the asshole’s life too. “You need to portal out of here, Magnus. You need to rest.”

“I can’t leave you here to battle those demons alone,” Magnus shook his head to Alec’s idea. 

“Then take my strength,” Alec offered. It felt natural to him to offer such a thing. He had no idea how did he come up with this or if it was even possible, but he knew he has to. He grabbed Magnus’s hand in his and smiled upon his beloved. “Take it, it’s yours, my love.”

Before Magnus knew, his magic acted on its own. Blue light mixed with Alec’s golden was slowly slipping inside the warlock’s body awaking it to life again. It was a wonderful feeling. A one that Magnus had never felt before, and yet, it seemed to feel familiar to him, good and natural. He slipped his hand on the back of Alec’s neck and drew him closer to himself. Their lips were only inches apart. Both of the lovers began to lean to each other. However, before they could connect into the kiss full of love, they were interrupted by a familiar voice with a Walsh accent. 

“There’s no time for this! Another horde of demons showed up!” 

Alec looked at the battlefield. Ragnor was right. There were new demons here, attacking the shadowhunters and poor mundanes who showed up to help them. Alec grabbed his sword and ran to the middle of the square. Magnus, Ragnor and Catarina hot on his heels. 

Time seemed to fasten it's running, as Alec was slaughtering demons on his left and right. Of course, if he only had some of a shadowhunter’s weapon or a stele he knew he’d be more successful. Suddenly a loud cry erupted closely to him. 

“Ah!!!” Both, Magnus and Alec turned their heads back when they heard the painful scream. 

“Catarina!” Without thinking, Magnus rushed towards his female friend. He was in such a haste that he didn’t see a demon lurking behind the tree. As soon as Magnus was close to it, it launched itself on the warlock. 

Time seemed to slow down in one second. Alec jumped towards Magnus and pushed him to the ground before the demon’s claw could even touch him. Instead, the clawed paw ripped his chest. 

“ALEC!!!” Magnus cried out, while his magic made the demon disappear. The warlock crawled towards the hunter and looked at him. “Oh no, hold on, Alexander. Hold on, my love.”

The blue sparks of his magic were poured inside the wounded chest of the hunter. But nothing was happening. It was as if Magnus was pouring his magic into a void. Tears began to fall down his cheeks, as Alec was crying out in a pain. 

“Don’t leave me, Alexander,” Magnus begged him. “I love you!” 

“I...love...you...too...Mag…” 

Catarina and Ragnor joined Magnus next to Alec and began to pour their magic into his body as well. 

“He’s not responding!” Cat shouted. “His heart is damaged by the venom...what kind of a demon it was?!”

“I don’t know…” Magnus whispered. “Please, save him… I love him…”

“There’s nothing I can…” 

Alec’s heart fluttered underneath Cat’s hands only to stop beating a moment later. His blue eyes became darker in one second and were pointed at Magnus. Red swirls of magic danced around Alec’s heart. Ragnor and Cat couldn’t understand what was happening. This wasn’t their magic, nor Magnus’s. 

“NO!!!!!” Magnus cried out again and let himself fall at Alec’s chest. “Come back to me! Come back! I love you!” 

“Magnus...he’s…”

“No! No! No!” 

Suddenly the red magic changed into a golden light and revealed something on Alec’s ripped chest. They couldn’t be sure what the mark meant, but Magnus was. The second his blurry cat-eyes spotted the mark an image slipped into his mind. 

“And I promise to forever be your loving husband,” Alec and Magnus said in unison, smiling at each other. 

“It is my honor to pronounce you one,” Brother Zacharaiach spoke with words and Alec grabbed Magnus by the lapels of his tuxedo jacket and drew him closer to himself. 

“I love you, Magnus Lightwood-Bane,” Alec whispered between kisses. “You’re mine forever.”

“I love you too, Alexander Lightwood-Bane.”

“Is that a wedding band?” Ragnor asked, pointing at the golden band that showed out of nowhere on Alec’s right hand. “What in the Lord’s name?”

“He was married?”

“To me…” Magnus managed to say before he felt a burning on his chest. He ripped his shirt apart only to reveal the familiar rune on his chest. 

Wedded Union Rune simmering with warlock’s blue magic. 

“My beloved husband…” Were the last words of Magnus, before he collapsed on the top of Alec’s body again.

Catarina quickly reacted by checking his vitals. Magnus seemed to be alive, only unconscious. A strange sound was heard behind their backs. Suddenly, there were no more demons there and the shadowhunters were staring at each other confused. No one seemed to understand what was happening around. Cat and Ragnor looked back to the two men only to jump back in a surprise.

Alec’s body was no longer there. 

“What in Lilith’s name is going on here?!” Ragnor exclaimed as he touched the ground where Alec’s body was lying seconds ago. There was no sign of the blue-eyed shadowhutner. As if he wasn’t here at all. “I don’t understand...where did he go? He was dead!” 

“Ragnor look…” the green-skinned warlock followed the blue hand of his friend. She was pointing at the ripped shirt of Magnus. When Ragnor looked closer at his chest, he realized the rune was glimmering in gold, before it vanished from Bane’s body. Fell was so confused. 

Magnus’s eyelids began to flutter and soon the warlock opened his cat-eyes. Seeing his two best friends hovering over him made him wonder, just how much he had drunk last night. 

“Are you alright, Magnus?”

“Yes, my cabbage, a bit hungover, but ok nonetheless,” Bane sat upon the ground and looked around. “What am I doing here?” 

“Excuse me?”

“Did I drink so much last night I ended up sleeping at the square? That’s so shameful.”

“There was a battle…” Catarina tried to correct him but the man gave her a confused look. “Demons attacked the city, Magnus… and Alec…”

“Who’s Alec?”

“Alec Lightwood, a shadowhunter…” Ragnor tried to explain, but when Magnus just shrugged his arms and got up from the ground he was even more lost in this. 

“I don’t know any Alec Lightwood...let alone a shadowhunter,” Magnus replied and snapped his fingers to fix his damaged attire. He should not drink as much after his break-up with Imasu. His head was pounding like crazy… he needed a drink. “Let’s go home before we’ll be accused of witching in the city.” 

Magnus walked ahead of them, leaving the two warlocks with their jumbled thoughts about what just happened right in front of them. 

Chapter Text

Chapter X

“A love like ours is a dream come true”

Alec’s head was pounding like crazy. It felt as if someone was hammering inside of it with a huge pneumatic hammer. It was unbearable. Alec squinted his eyes, even more than they already were, hoping it would pass soon, but to no avail. Instead of lessening, the pain seemed to increase with every second. 

He prayed to Angel Raziel to end his existence soon. He was sure he must be dying. Probably from the demon attack that he fought no so long ago. Some demon had to hit him too badly and Magnus probably wasn’t able to save him. 

“Are you ok, sir?” suddenly he heard very clearly some female voice. The pain stopped in one second when he felt a cool touch on his arm. Alec tried to open his eyes and was met with a soft smile of a beautiful woman.

She had lovely blonde hair, reaching till her shoulders. Her dress, Alec couldn’t tell an exact color but it was decorated with many beads. Alec’s eyes moved from her high heels up her legs hidden behind black fishnet stocking’s; Alec knew what they are because he had seen Izzy wear them from time to time. She was crouching in front of him looking at his face with concern. 

“Mister?”

“I think I’m...good…” he stuttered, as he tried to sit upon the cold ground. Suddenly a wave of memories came back to his mind.

Magnus screaming, crying and begging him to stay with him. Magnus declaring his love for Alec. Alec and Magnus laying together on the beach, talking about their future together. Their first kiss. Magnus admitting that Alec charmed him like no one else before. 

“Mister?! Mister?!” a faint voice tried to crush through Alec’s scream of agony. His chest, where the wedding rune was drawn by Magnus began to burn. Before he knew, Alec ripped his shirt open and placed his hand upon the glimmering rune. 

“Mag…”

“Are you a shadowhunter?” the woman asked him. “My friend told me about people with strange black marks on their bodies.”

“Who are you?” he managed to ask when the burn in his chest lessened and he was able to breathe properly again. 

“My name is Etta Williams, I’m a singer in the club behind you.”

Suddenly a memory slipped in Alec’s mind again.

“Etta was a remarkable woman, my love. She was so beautiful, more than Camille. And she charmed me the second I saw her singing in her club. It was back in 1938 if I remember correctly.”

“You loved her.”

“I did. I asked her for a dance on that night. We danced to...Prelude to a Kiss... “ Magnus began to humming the song as he swayed into its melody. “By the end of the song, she admitted she had fallen for me. I told her that I had fallen for her the second I saw her.” 

“I loved her dearly, but it wasn’t as strong love as I have for you, Alexander. You’re my dream come true.” 

“I’m not jealous,” Alec added, standing up. He was glad that Magnus shared his past with him. To be all honest, he was glad for all of Magnus’s past lovers. For they shaped him into the man he was today. The man that Alec loved beyond anything. The man of Alec’s dreams.

“My friend can do magic… he can help you, even though you are a shadowhunter.” 

“I’m sorry?” Alec didn’t focus on the words she spoke to him. 

“My friend Magnus Bane…” 

A new wave of pain hit his head and Alec groaned loudly. More memories from Puno came back to his mind. The first seconds when he was woken up by that boy. The meeting with Imasu. Walking to Magnus’s house. Then something like a glass ball surrounded Alec. He saw himself talking to Magnus for the first time, but he didn’t recognize him. It was like Alec in the memory didn’t remember his husband. 

But how was that possible?! Why did Alec forget him?!

Alec saw himself laying on the ground with Magnus hovering over him. The warlock was crying and begging him to stay when the crystal ball around Alec burst into a million pieces. Alec’s whole memory about him and Magnus slid back into his head with such an impact that his poor heart couldn’t bear it much longer. On his last breath, he confessed his undying love for his beautiful warlock. 

“Let me take you to my friend, sir,” Etta started again, as she stood up and reached out her hand towards Alec. “He’s skilled in magic, he can help you. You are clearly unwell. If you don’t want his help, I’m certain he can help you get to your home.”

“I can’t…” he whispered. 

However, his body betrayed him. In no time Alec was back on his feet and reaching out to hold Etta’s hand. There was something inside of Alec. The magic that pushed his body into the direction of wherever Etta wanted to take him. Slowly they started their walk. Alec quickly recognized the path they were taking. The streets they were passing were different, but still, few things remained the same until his time. 

“New York…” Alec spoke to himself, as his feet were carrying him forward, behind Etta. 

“Yes, we’re in New York,” she confirmed. “We’re heading to Brooklyn. Magnus lives there. I must warn you though if you mean any harm to him, I have some friends that can take care of you.” 

She turned back to him and gave him a serious look. Alec wondered briefly if she meant some downworlders or some gangsters that Alec watched the movies about. 

“What’s your name? Where are you from?”

“Alec Lightwood,” he answered without thinking. But he decided to not tell her his place of living, or his time of living. “Do you have sight?”

“Well, of course, I can see clearly.” Her angry voice was mixing with the clicking of her high heels. Alec had to admit that Magnus was right. She was truly a beautiful woman. 

“No, I mean… you could see my runes, right?” she confirmed with a single nod. “So you must have a sight. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to see them.”

Etta just shrugged her arms. 

“What year is this?” Alec asked again, deciding that it’s a safe question. Etta must have thought crazy of him already anyway. 

“It’s 1953,” she halted her moves and turned back to Alec again. She looked all over Alec’s face and clicked her tongue. “You must have hit your head pretty badly, Alec Lightwood if you can’t tell which year we have. How did you even end up in front of my club? Did someone beat you?”

“I think I lost my conscious, Miss Williams.”

“Oh please, call me Etta,” She smiled at him again. She was very nice. No wonder Magnus loved her. “I’ve never met a shadowhunter before. I met warlocks and fairies. The grumpy vampire boy... Oh, and I met this nice werewolf man, that Magnus was helping… Should I tell you this?”

“I mean no harm to Magnus, believe me.” 

“Well, that’s good.” She gave him a curt nod and pointed at a high building before them. This wasn’t the loft they used to live. “He lives here. He’s expecting me, so he is for sure at home by now. We should go.”

Again, something pushed him to walk to the tall building, even though Alec tried to resist this magic. Before they knew, they were across the road, standing before the entrance to the building. Etta reached out for the doorknob when the door was opened from inside with a huge impact. 

A tall man, but not as tall as Alec, ran out of the building. He stumbled at Alec, as Etta jumped to the side. The impact was so strong that Alec ended up on the ground with the man on the top of him. 

“I deeply apologize!” the man quickly jumped off him and unwrinkled with his hands his deep green suit. He realized his faux pax and outstretched his hand to Alec to help him get back on his feet. When Alec spotted the hand of the man, he looked up immediately at his face.

A realization hit him like lightning.

He knew that man! 

Their eyes crossed for the first time. The man’s eyes widened in a shock as he looked into Alec’s blues. The sound around them seemed to mute itself. The only hearable thing was the fast beat of Alec’s heart. 

The man shook his head a few times before a statement left his lips. 

“It’s impossible… You’re dead!” 

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Chapter XI

“A love like ours is unconditional” 

Alec has been whisked away in a portal so fast that he had no time to react. The portal threw him out a moment later and the shadowhunter landed on the floor with a loud thud. His stomach was twisting, his head was hammering and he could easily feel the last thing he ate in his throat. He fought so hard to not throw up on the floor of the place he was at, but it was pointless. The second he opened his mouth to take a small breath, the yellowish-grayish substance that reeked ended up before him. 

“That is disgusting, but I believe it is my fault,” the voice said somewhere above him. A moment later the green sparks danced before his eyes and the mess was gone. “Ah, you shadowhunters are not used to portals, I should be more concerned.”

“I am used to portals, but usually no one drags me through one so fast that I can’t even blink.” 

“Apologies,” Alec placed his hand on his stomach and rubbed it for a while. When he deemed that he won’t throw up again, he stood up slowly from the ground and looked up at the man before him.

Oh, Alec knew him. He remembered him. The snowy white hair. His emerald eyes. Two horns standing out of his hair. And his green skin. Alec quickly recalled the last time he had properly seen him. When the demons attacked the poor city.

“Ragnor Fell,” Alec greeted him.

“Alec Lightwood,” The shadowhunter nodded in confirmation. “How in the Devil’s name are you alive?!” 

“Um…” Suddenly something wet hit his face. Alec wiped his face and discovered some droplets of strangely smelling water. “Holy water? For real?” 

“I needed to check if there’s a possibility of you becoming a vampire, somehow.” Ragnor came closer to him and grabbed his face between his hands and began to pull it. 

“Ouch! Let go!” Alec protested loudly and tried to shake the warlock’s grip off. “Are you stupid?!” 

“Never insult a warlock, boy, for it could cost you your life.”

“You’re not a warlock nor a werewolf…” Ragnor pushed Alec’s sweater down a bit and spotted the deflect rune on his neck. “All right, you’re still a shadowhunter. How are you alive? I saw you die. Your heart stopped beating under my hands. How are you alive?”

“I’m cursed,” Alec stated simply. 

The shadowhunter had heard about this warlock before. Ragnor was Magnus’s best friend, and although he hadn’t met him in his lifetime, from all the stories Magnus shared with him, he felt as if he knew the man. According to Magnus, Ragnor Fell was one of the most powerful warlocks on the entire earth. He was one of a few could easily travel through dimensions and not lose himself in them. He was too a son of some greater demon, but Magnus never shared which one of them was his parent. But Alec concluded that it had to be a powerful demon, like Azazel or Lucifer himself. Magnus was also powerful for his blood relation to Asmodeus. 

Suddenly, Alec felt a spark of hope in his heart. Maybe the fate wasn’t so bad at all. Maybe there was a reason he ended up bumping into Ragnor Fell when he was walking with Etta. 

Maybe Ragnor Fell could help him get back to his beloved husband. 

“Cursed?” The warlock raised an eyebrow in a question. “How come? There was no other warlock in Puno but me, Magnus and Catarina. I do not think that Magnus cursed you.”

“I was cursed in my time by some warlock named Triana,” Ragnor blinked a few times and sat down on a wooden chair. He pointed another chair for Alec and when the young man sat down, he eyed him suspiciously. 

“Your time?” 

“I’m from the future,” Alec began explaining. “ From 2019 exactly.” 

“It’s impossible,” Ragnor spoke after a while. “No one can time travel. The creatures that could bend time have vanished centuries ago. Demons can only see the future, but only those powerful ones. Some warlocks can see the future as well, but none can travel. You are lying.”

“I’m not lying, Ragnor,” Alec wondered briefly how could he convince Fell to his words. Suddenly a memory slipped into Alec’s mind.

“Oh darling, Ragnor was my teacher for years, a brother I never had. He found me on the streets of Paris after I escaped my father’s realm. Ever since then, we’ve been inseparable for many years. He was the one who taught me how to glamour my eyes from the world. We’ve been kind of like you and Jace. Although we loved each other, we also were making each other’s crazy. When I took Raphael, he and Ragnor ganged up on me. They’ve formed a bond out of constantly grumping about my life. Although, at first Ragnor thought that there’s something between me and Raphael. Can you believe it, love?”

“You’re lying, Mister Lightwood.”

“Then how would I know that you took an instant liking to Raphael Santiago that Magnus saved in 1953? Actually…” Alec remembered something that Etta said to him. “We’re in 1953… and you’ve visited Magnus that year because you haven’t seen him in few decades… ever since Imasu. You came to him and founded Raphael. You thought that he’s Magnus’s new lover.” 

“That’s… you cannot possibly…”

“Magnus told me all about it.” Ragnor seemed to ponder at the revelation he had heard from Alec. From the expression on his face, Alec could easily tell that the warlock was confused, shocked and not entirely believe him. “That witch, Triana… she cursed me during a demon attack in New York. I came to New York with my husband…”

“Magnus… the strange mark I saw on his chest that disappear later… that’s a wedding rune,” Alec confirmed with a single nod and reveal the part of his chest to the warlock. “He’s your husband.”

“We got married at the beginning of this year… I mean, at the beginning of 2019. I was the Head of the New York Institute… now I’m the Inquisitor of the Clave and Magnus is the High Warlock of Alicante.”

“Magnus is living in Alicante? I can’t believe it!”

“We’ve been living there for a few months…” Alec smiled a little. “We’re very happy. We’re also… we were to adopt a baby soon…” 

“Magnus and a domestic life… tell me… how my future self is reacting to this? I bet I embarrassed Magnus at your wedding.”

Alec’s smile dropped in an instant. 

“I’m dead in your time, am I?” When Alec didn’t reply but dropped his gaze to his hands folded on his lap, Ragnor understood immediately. “How? Or wait...don’t tell me. It can change the future more than it already did.” 

For a moment there was an awkward silence between them before Ragnor broke it off.

“Tell me all about the curse.”

And so Alec began. He told Ragnor about the whole day in New York in 2019 when the demon attacks started with as many details as he could remember. 

“... and then I was floating in the air and she was chanting something.” 

Ragnor cleared his throat and licked his lips before he got up from his chair. He walked around the table and stopped before Alec. The warlock raised his hands close to Alec’s head and looked at the hunter. 

“May I?” Alec agreed for he knew what the warlock meant. He’s seen Magnus looking into someone’s head so many times before. 

Alec felt Ragnor’s presence in his head. The warlock was pulling on the memory of that day and replayed it a few times until he hummed loudly and retrieved his hands from Alec’s head.

“Interesting.” The warlock hummed to himself. Ragnor looked into Alec’s eyes again, before he sat down on the chair next to him. “I always knew Triana is a powerful witch and that she’s a half-fey as well. However, I never knew she can reach out to their oldest enchantments. She’s more dangerous than we thought.”

“Do you understand the curse?” Alec asked. “Can you take it off me?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t,” Ragnor admitted with a sad smile. “No one can for the curse is not… how to explain it to you. Ah… when Triana was cursing you, Magnus’s magic infected the curse. So whichever effect she wanted to do on you, it did not work. The curse is not fully done. It has loopholes. However, it cannot be broken by another intrusion of magic.”

“So, you can’t help me?”

“I did not say that.” For a brief moment, Alec thought Ragnor an angel. There was a chance for the warlock to help him. “Let’s state the facts I learned from your memory.”

Alec nodded eagerly.

“If I deducted correctly, you end up in different stages of Magnus’s life, whenever he fell in love. There’s a path here. You started with the time where he was in love with both, Camille and William… oh!” Ragnor suddenly clapped his hands. “I knew that you seemed familiar to me before! We’ve met in London! Magnus introduced us when I let him stay at my apartment in London after he and Camille ended their relationship.”

Alec had to agree. He indeed met Ragnor not in Puno for the first time, but in London. Briefly, but still. 

“So, Camille and Will were first, then Imasu and now Etta… if I understand it and the enchantment, you’re going in the times when he loved the most. The last one will be Magnus’s biggest love… I don’t know the future, but, until this very day, Etta Williams was Magnus’s biggest love.”

“Until me…” Alec added in a whisper. When Ragnor raised his eyebrow at him, the shadowhunter began to explain. “For years we’ve been together, Magnus often says that even though he loved before, strongly, he never loved as much as he loves me.”

“But of course!” Fell exclaimed as he jumped out of the chair. Alec felt the instinct to reach for a seraph blade that he didn’t have with him. “What a fool I am! You are his true love! The wedding rune… It contains Magnus’s magic, that’s why it messed the curse.” 

Ragnor began pacing around the room and whispering to himself words that Alec did not understand.

“Hmm...the memory thing...you forget him and he remembers you at the end...clever...but if you’d tell him, he would probably believe you… but you can’t, you won’t be remembering…” Ragnor stopped his pace and jumped to Alec. “Tell me, how do you forget him?”

“I don’t know. I remember waking in the Institute in London and telling Jem and Will to bring Magnus for he’ll heal me. Then I saw him and some darkness. When I woke up again… I was dying and the rune burned itself again on my chest and everything about us came back to me.” Alec explained as much truthfully he could. “Then when I was walking with Imasu to his place, I suddenly saw him and again, there was this darkness… I woke up in the middle of the city with my chest ripped and Magnus crying and begging me to stay. When I woke up on the streets of New York, before Etta’s club, I suddenly remembered our time in Puno.”

“I’m not expert in Seelie’s language, especially those old enchantments, but from your words and memories, I can tell that you forget him the second you see him and when you die, he remembers and you wake up. It’s like you’re in some kind of a coma, but you function properly… this is so interesting!” 

“I’m glad it’s interesting to you, but can you help me?”

“I need some more time to figure this curse out,” Ragnor stated, scratching his beard. “For the time being, you stay here. We need to keep you as far from Magnus as we can. You cannot meet him for now.”

Before Alec knew, he felt this strange pull inside of him again. He jumped to his feet and grabbed his chest. The rune was burning him. Lightwood began to breathe heavily. The air around him got thicker, heavier. Suddenly, his knees touched the ground. The world around him began to twist. His body was trembling. His mind became dark and empty. 

There was only one thing he needed right now. 

He needed to get to Magnus.

“What is happening?!” Ragnor kneeled before him with magic already sparkling on his green fingers. “Alec?! Alec?!”

“I need...Magnus… get me...New York…” he managed to say before he started to choke. 

Both him and Ragnor too engrossed in the situation that befalls on them, that they missed the usual shaking of the wards around Ragnor’s house. The warlock felt the trespassing at the last second when he couldn’t stop whoever decided to visit him. 

But there were only two people besides him that could easily walk through his wards. 

A portal opened in the middle of the room, right behind his back and another warlock stepped out of it. 

Alec’s head snapped up immediately when the familiar scent of sandalwood hit his nostrils. Blue eyes met the beautiful gold-green cat-eyes for the first time again, before the whole air escaped Alec’s lungs and he let the darkness engulf him. 

“Oh dear… is he dead?”

…

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter XII

“A love like ours is wild” 

It was official. Ragnor had no idea what to do. Alec was lying on the floor of his house, unresponsive to his magic. He was alive, the warlock could tell, but he wasn’t waking up for a long time now. 

“What happened to him?” Magnus asked, as he kneeled next to Ragnor and watched Alec curiously. “He’s alive, is he?”

“He is,” Ragnor responded, sighing loudly. He turned to his best friend and watched him closely. “What are you doing here, Magnus?”

“I was curious,” Bane replied shortly. “Etta told me that she founded an unconscious shadowhunter before her club. She recognized his marks from the stories I’ve been telling her. She told me she wanted me to see him, help him and he was eager to come with her to me. And then she told me that some green-skinned man was running out of my building and bumped on the shadowhunter. Then she told me you’ve opened a portal before her and dragged the shadowhunter with you.” 

“I was curious,” he added after a moment. 

However, Ragnor knew better. He guessed that if Alec was feeling the need to get to Magnus, the warlock could feel the same, even though, he might not recognize the feeling. Ragnor decided to test his new theory. 

“Was it just curiosity that you felt? Or maybe something more?”

“How did you…” Magnus had no chance to finish his sentence, because, in that very moment, Alec took a deep breath and sat up on the floor. His blue eyes were running around the room until they crossed with Magnus’s cat-eyes again. The shadowhunter smiled. A small blush crept onto his pale cheeks. “Hello…”

“Hi…” Alec managed to say. 

“I’m Magnus Bane.”

“Alec...Alec Lightwood.” 

“Is it short from Alexander?” the shadowhunter only nodded. “A beautiful name for a beautiful man.”

Suddenly, Ragnor felt like the third wheel. There were some sparks in both men’s eyes. The air around them changed into more thicker, and Ragnor could easily feel it. There was this aura around them, and if he looked closer, he could see red color around them that looked like some light that was pushing one to another. It was strange to see this, to be both active and inactive part of this. Strange and yet, so interesting. 

“Are you a warlock?” Alec asked, his eyes never leaving Magnus’s face. 

“Yes, I’m from New York. I’m friend with Ragnor here,” Bane pointed at the green man next to him. “We’re at his house now.”

“Oh, hello! I’m Alec Lightwood.”

“I’m Ragnor Fell,” he introduced himself to the clueless shadowhunter. With the corner of his eye, Rangor spotted a frown of confusion on his best friend’s face. Magnus had to figure something out. “Are you, ok? Does your head hurt?”

“I’m fine. What was I doing on the floor? How did I get here? And where exactly am I?”

“You’re in London,” Ragnor answered. “In my home. I took you here from New York. You hit your head badly and was injured. I healed you, but you lost conscious again.” 

“I thought you knew him,” Magnus made an input, eyeing him curiously. “Isn’t that why took him?”

“I bumped into him so I decided to help him,” Ragnor tried to lie smoothly. 

“Since when do you help shadowhunters?” 

“Since today!” Ragnor decided to break the subject. 

He turned his eyes back to Alec and observed him. The shadowhunter seemed to not recognize him at all. He probably didn’t remember the talk they had a few minutes before Magnus’s arrival. Ragnor needed to think. He got up from the floor, after deeming Alec fairly ok, at least physically. He walked towards the window and looked at his garden. The curse was activated again. It seems real. Alec lost his memories about Magnus, the second their eyes met again for the first time. Now, it was only a matter of time, before the shadowhunter will die somehow. 

Ragnor feared there was nothing he could do to stop his death. He needed to figure things out quickly. He needed to resolve the curse as fast as it was possible before Alec will disappear again. 

“Of course, I can take you back to New York, Alexander. It will be my pleasure.” 

“Thank you, Magnus,” Alec replied and grabbed Magnus’s outstretched hand. He got up from the floor and smiled widely to the cat-eyed warlock. 

“I’m coming with you too,” Ragnor announced, startling two men. He needed to be close to them during this time if he wanted to figure out how to save Alec. He will stay with Magnus and observe, how things will move forward. Yes, it was a good start. Plus, he needs to meet with an old acquaintance of his.

“Why?” Magnus raised an eyebrow in a question. 

“I want to meet Raphael better,” it seemed to be a good excuse. The young vampire was interesting and Ragnor never was close to vampires. “If he’ll act on his new instincts it will be better if both of us are there to stop him.” 

“Alright,” Magnus agreed and opened a portal for them. “But I swear on Lilith, if you and he start to gang up on me, I’ll send you both to Edom.” 

Ragnor just waved him off and stepped through the portal behind Alec and Magnus. When they stepped out in New York, close to Magnus’s apartment, Ragnor looked at the two of them again. They were smiling at each other, Alec more shyly than Magnus. Their eyes never breaking eye contact. There was some magic between them. 

Ragnor smiled to himself. They were indeed each other’s true love. 

“Can I see you again?” Alec asked when the sun came up. 

“I think I’d like that, Alexander.” 

Alec went in the direction of the Institute, while Magnus into the building of his. Both with dopey smiles on their faces. When they disappeared from Ragnor’s eyes, the warlock decided that he needs to act as fast as possible. He snapped his fingers and quickly sent a fire message to an old acquaintance of his. 

If there was a way to break this curse, he will know. 

PRESENT TIME:

Magnus was sitting on the couch in Isabelle’s office. The tea in his mug already went cold. He was sitting here for two hours already. Lately, ever since Alec’s missing, Magnus sits mostly in Izzy’s office, trying to help them in their tasks. He couldn’t go back to Alicante without Alec. People would start to ask too many questions as of where their Inquisitor was. And frankly, Magnus had no idea. The memories of his past come to him at different times, some are stronger, some are lighter. By now, he saw that Alec appeared back in London when he dated Camille and he fancied Will for a bit. He also saw him in the memory about Imasu and Puno. The memories were both, amazing and painful at the same. It was so hard, to remember his beloved’s deaths all over again. 

Magnus lost a count of how many times he cried at night in Alec’s old room and how many times Jace sat or slept by his side, holding him close. He too felt Alec’s absence strongly. Maybe not at the same level as Magnus, but strong too. 

A new wave of memory hit his head and he winced in a pain. 

“What is it?” Izzy asked from above her papers. 

“Alec’s in New York.” 

“What?! Where?!” She quickly jumped towards him with a huge smile on his face. 

“Don’t get your hopes up, Izzy,” he placed both of his palms on his head and massaged his scalps. “He’s in 1953.” 

“You were in New York then?”

“Yes, living my big love with Etta Williams,” he sent few sparks of healing magic to his head, relieving some of the pain. “That was also a year when I met Raphael.” 

Isabelle looked at him in a question.

“I didn’t love Raphael like that. He was fifteen by then. But that year, I… my love for Etta grew,” Magnus slowly explained. “At first, when I met her, I fell for her immediately. But our love changed. It grew into something stable if I can call it like that. I’ve never been with someone for so long before. She was very special to me. I wanted to be with her for more years, but she was a mortal. Back then, I wasn’t ready to be a stated husband… she wanted that, but I didn’t. I loved her greatly. I visited her for years after we ended things...back in 1953… she died briefly before your brother’s birth. I still visit her graveyard.” 

“Does Alec know about her?”

“Yes, he visited her graveyard once with me. He knows I love her and in some way, I will always love her. Alec knows I love him truly.” 

Izzy was about to say something more, but Magnus’s phone interrupted him. The number was unknown. Magnus pressed the green button and pressed the phone to his ear. 

“Hello?”

“Hello, am I speaking with Mr. Magnus Lightwood-Bane?”

“Yes, who’s this?”

“My name is Melinda Archer,” the female voice spoke. The name said nothing to the warlock. “I’m calling from Ashdown’s Orphanage…”

Now it made sense. Suddenly he recalled who was his caller. The female werewolf was the dean in the orphanage for the downworlder children. When Magnus and Alec decided to adopt a baby Catarina’s mundane co-worker founded at the steps of the Beth Israel Hospital they placed their candidature in the place. The baby warlock was cute and Alec instantly loved him. They wanted to keep him from the beginning, but Catarina advised them to do it officially. So she put the baby boy, Max Michael, as they called him in the privacy of their home, in the orphanage. It happened two months ago and the paperwork was in progress. Mostly, it was Alec who was interrogated by a warlock working in the orphanage. The man, Laurie, believed that Alec will corrupt the child with his shadowhunter traditions. Alec was far from the traditional man. They also were very reluctant to let a baby warlock live in the shadowhunter’s country, but Alec quickly stated that they can easily come back to live in New York. 

And so, a week ago, just when they came to New York, the orphanage was to make a decision. 

“The decision has been made,” she started again. “The warlock baby can be adopted by you and your husband. All you need to do is come to the orphanage and fill the rest of the papers and you can take your son.”

“Really?” Magnus couldn’t hide his excitement. At first, he wasn’t very keen on adopting Max, but with time, the little blueberry grew on him. He was scared of being a father, but with Alec by his side, he could do it. At least, that’s what he’s been telling himself then. 

“I expect you to come at three p.m. You and your husband. Good day.”

Before Magnus had a chance to say something, she hung upon him. 

“Everything ok?” Magnus shook his head. How was he to show up with Alec, when his husband wasn’t here? “Magnus?”

“We were planning on telling you when we’ll be sure… Alexander and I are adopting a baby warlock… That was the orphanage. We can take the baby home. We just need to come and sign the papers.” 

“Oh my god! I’m going to be an aunt!”   

“I can’t go there now… I’m expected to come with Alec… how…”

“I’ll take care of this,” Izzy smirked and pulled out her phone. She pressed a few buttons and brought the phone to her ear. “My office, now.”

A moment later, the door was opened and a panting Jace ran inside. 

“What’s wrong?” he heaved and pressed his palms to his knees, as he bent his form. 

“Look, Isabelle, I appreciate your will of help, but even though the werewolf is old, she will see that Jace is not Alec.” 

Isabelle and Jace shared a knowingly smile. Magnus looked between the siblings with confusion written all over his face. Jace straightened himself and took the stele that Isabelle handed to him. He drew some symbol on his left forearm and threw the stele back to his sister. Jace’s form began to glimmer as if some spell was activated around him. The golden sparks were moving so fast that if Magnus was a mortal he might not see them at all. 

Soon, Jace’s training clothes disappeared and instead, he wore black jeans and midnight blue dress shirt. His tanned skin turned pale and new runes showed up on his arms. Runes that Magnus knew by heart. His eyes moved up and spotted an equally familiar rune on the left side of a pale neck. Magnus’s eyes shot up even more. There was the familiar line of thin, but kissable lips. The not too big nose that scrunched in an adorable way, whenever Alec tasted something he didn’t like. The furrow black brows that frown too many times. The black hair that Magnus loved to run his fingers through. 

And finally. The beautiful blue eyes that Magnus has fallen in love with at first sight. 

“Alec…”

And then he heard his most beloved sound.

“Hi, Magnus.” 

……

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter XIII

“A love like ours is unstoppable” 

Ragnor waited precisely three weeks until he got a response from the Court. He knew that the old king wasn’t very keen on meeting with him. They were friends… no that was too much to say, but they were acquaintances for sure. They helped each other’s several times in Ragnor’s entire existence. 

Now he was standing under an apple tree to hide from the midday sun. This hot weather wasn’t very good for Ragnor’s health. He preferred cooler air. The warlock unbuttoned the two first buttons of his shirt to breathe better. He was waiting for an hour now. He hated that he couldn’t get into the Court by himself. He needed to be invited by the King himself or led in by one of his people. And the King was very smart about whom he invited to his court. He couldn’t blame him. The last time he let some stranger into his court it ended up in a massacre of a few of his people. 

“Ragnor Fell, we meet again,” he heard a voice behind his back. It was regal and high, typical for an ancient royal creature. He turned around and spotted the man. 

Arawn, the King of the Unseelie Court, was tall and lean, taller than Magnus and Ragnor himself. The warlock dared to say that he was even taller than Alec. There were two large, white horns curling on both sides of his temples. His pallor was unbelievable. His white skin contrasted with deep black long hair, perfectly held by the golden band around his head that symbolized a crown. But it was his face that was a truly horrifying view. It was divided in a half. His right side of the face was young and handsome as if he stopped aging there when he reached adulthood. And his left side was deformed with thick skin covered in many scars. His right eye was in a beautiful shade of emerald, and on his left side, he had an empty eye socket. 

He was both, beautiful and fearsome at the same time. 

“Your highness,” he bowed to the man with respect. “It’s been a long time.” 

“I was surprised when I received your fire message, dear friend.” 

Arawn stepped closer to Ragnor and pointed at the old looking small white wooden house behind them. Ragnor didn’t see it before. It had to be hidden underneath the faerie’s magic. Arawn walked first and opened the door with his magic. Ragnor quick on his heels. The house looked small, but when they stepped inside, space turned out to be huge. It was all wooden. Tables, chairs, stools, all made of wood. The backs of chairs were covered in green ivy. Arawn pointed one of the chairs for Ragnor and he sat across the table. 

“You asked for my help,” Arawn spoke again, eyeing the warlock before him. Despite having only one eye, he could see everything very well. “What can I aid you in?”

“I have a problem with a curse cast upon a friend of mine.” 

“I am no warlock, Ragnor Fell,” Arawn touched his horns. They were glimmering in the sunlight that sneaked into the room through a large window behind Ragnor’s back. “Curses are not my mark.” 

“But this curse was thrown with an ancient fairy’s magic.” 

At that, Arawn’s eye widened in shock. Ragnor could see how the emerald eye of his turned darker and the wicked smile he wore on his lips disappear in seconds. 

“Tell me.” 

Ragnor started with the fact of how he met Alec for the first time, back in Puno, over fifty years ago. How he watched Alec and Magnus fall in love. How Alec died on his eyes. How the wedding rune showed up on both his and Magnus’s chests. How Alec’s dead body disappeared from Puno and how he reappeared in New York over fifty years ago. He told him then what Alec has told him about the curse, what he had seen in his mind. And how Magnus and Alec saw each other again and the shadowhunter lost his memories again. 

“Hmm…” Arawn hummed to himself, licking his lips. “May I see?”

Ragnor nodded and let the King look into his mind. It was different when another warlock looks into the mind of another. It was easy, unless, a warlock was restraining. But when a fairy tried to look into the mind of someone, it hurt beyond anything. Ragnor felt as if his mind was invaded by a hundred small swords that were cutting through it. He could feel how the natural magic of Arwan was ripping his memories out. Soon, his mind replayed every small thing he knew about Alec Lightwood. 

“It is impossible…” Arawn spoke after his hands left Ragnor’s temple. “She is her daughter… she has the magic of my brother…”

“Triana is a half-fairy and half-warlock. I made research, within the Seelie Queen, Amara,” Ragnor explained. “She told me a story about the first Seelie Queen, your wife. She told me how she saved her from your wrath, but exiled her and took her position. She also told me, who left the court with her. Amur, your brother.” 

“He must have blessed the child with his magic,” Arawn concluded. “Did you know he was in love with that heartless wench? And she broke my heart.” He added more to himself before he shook his head and looked up at Ragnor again. “The curse is not finished. This Triana is not a full blood fairy. She can use the ancient enchantments like I, her mother and my brother could, but not to the same expanse. Her pure, Seelie's magic has been tainted with the demon’s magic. She cannot use the magic of her people in the full meaning.”

“Yes, I concluded too that the curse is not finished, however, I could not understand what went wrong.”

“Magic of your friend interfered with the curse too. However, Triana meant to send Alec into the past of your friend. She succeeded in this part, although not perfectly. This man, this Alec, will forget and then die all over again, every time,” to that Ragnor was nodding. “But he can never come back.” 

“Never come back?” Ragnor asked, confused. Arawn nodded to this. “How so?”

“This Triana she wanted him to...hmmm… got lost in the past of your friend. But Magnus’s magic on this shadowhunter blocked it, alternated it. And he gets to live through every love of Magnus. And all over again. And when he’ll be done, he will get lost entirely, for he will alternate Magnus’s life in every aspect.”

“Is there a way to break the curse?”

“No magic can break the curse,” he replied emotionless. “Not mine, not yours, Ragnor Fell.” 

For a moment the warlock was quiet, as he was analyzing what he had learned from Arwan. Alec couldn’t go back to his own time. The curse could not be broken…

Suddenly Arawn’s voice ringed in his mind again.

“You said, no magic can break the curse,” to that the Unseelie King nodded. “But there is another way?”

“I can only tell you that the answer to this is very mundane,” Arawn stood up from the chair and walked towards the door, that opened itself for him. He turned back to the warlock again and smiled wickedly at him. “You must hasten your actions, Ragnor Fell. For the time is running out. The longer he stays in the past, the more changes are happening in the future. Farewell, my friend. I wish you the most luck.”

Before Ragnor knew, Arawn disappeared behind the invisible wall that separated the Unseelie Court from the mundane world. The warlock sighed loudly and left the wooden house. He opened the portal back to New York and sighed tiredly. He needed to look for some new ways of how to break this curse.

Magnus shouldn’t be surprised by the outcome of his latest decisions. He should have expected that Etta will finally dump him. He couldn’t blame her. He would have dump himself as well if he was in her shoes.

“I’m no longer in your heart, Magnus,” she told him, as they were sitting in her club after they danced for the last time. “I’m not angry. We’re from different worlds. And he… he is from your world.”

“Etta… I…” but there was nothing he could tell her. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too,” she smiled at him sadly. “I hope you will be happy with Alec.” 

“I hope you will find happiness too, Etta. I still love you.”

“But not the way you love him,” she finished for him. “I see it in your eyes, Magnus. You truly love him. And it’s good. You’re a warlock… I’m a human… I…”

“I know I could never give you what you wanted,” he added, standing up from the stool. He left a hundred dollars on the counter of the bar for both their drinks. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her glittered cheek. “I wish you all the best in the world, Etta Williams.”

“I wish you all the best as well, Magnus. Be happy with Alec.”

And so like that, another chapter in Magnus Bane’s life ended. He was sad that Etta and he broke up, but it was for the best. His heart opened itself for another creature and he didn’t want to hurt and be unfaithful to Etta. Nothing serious was happening between him and Alec, but he desired it. He desired to kiss Alec again. For the shadowhutner stole a kiss from him two weeks ago, after their dinner in Magnus’s apartment. It happened so fast and Alec quickly pulled back and ran out of the place that for a moment, Magnus thought he imagined it. But then, when the shadowhunter showed up at his place a few days later, blushing like crazy, Magnus knew it was real. 

Something was growing between them. Something wonderful. 

Magnus couldn’t wait to explore it more.

Ragnor was walking down the streets of New York, still wondering what to do to help Alec and Magnus. He had no idea, who could help him decode it. He needed to look more into some ancient spellbooks. 

He passed some household, where he heard angry voices of mundanes.

“I care not that this is your house! Get out!”

“It happened only two times, darling,” the man pleaded to a woman who was throwing things at him. “She meant nothing to me.”

“I wish I could go back in time and never meet you!” 

Ragnor walked further to avoid being hit by some undergarments of the cheater. However, before he reached the corner of the streets he halted his movements and opened his eyes widely.

Suddenly, he knew what to do. He figured how to break the curse. 

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter XIV

“A love like ours is a treasure”

The wards around Magnus’s apartment immediately let him in, the second he founded himself before the door. As soon as he stepped in, he could hear unusual silence. It was strange. Usually, Magnus’s apartment was buzzy, not only because of Magnus’s laughter or talking, but even you could hear him working on some spell or potion. Sometimes, you could hear him consoling or arguing with his newest roommate, Raphael Santiago, a newly turned vampire. 

But this time, the apartment was dead silent. 

Ragnor moved forward to the living room and spotted Raphael sitting on the couch, staring ahead at the small glass table. Fell’s eyes moved in the same direction and he realized what’s the vampire is looking at. A crystal glass filled with metallic scented red liquid. 

“If this isn’t your taste, I can probably ask Cat to get you some B-, or AB,” he spoke to the vampire and sat across him on a turquoise chair he was fond of. It was a new piece of furniture in Magnus’s house and Ragnor found himself liking it very much. 

“I’m testing myself,” the younger man grumbled in response. “Magnus’s advice, even though he hates when I do it.” 

“Testing?”

“I want to see my family.”

 Ah. Of course. Ragnor should have known better. Raphael has been turned only a few months ago and had only a small control of his actions. The warlock knew, from Magnus, that Raphael wants to see his family again. He learned the whole story of the young vampire. He didn’t deserve to become a Night’s Child. He was still young, barely fifteen. He was a very religious boy, who felt God calling on him for a while now. When he would grow up, he wanted to be a priest. And now, the holy water was his biggest enemy, just after a fire. Ragnor felt sorry for him. And if Raphael wouldn’t kill his own maker, he would do it for the boy. He liked him very much. Not just because he felt the same for Magnus, but overall. Raphael Santiago was a good young man. 

“I try to familiarize myself with the scent of blood to kill off the desire to rip people’s necks.” Ragnor nodded to this. “Where were you? I haven’t seen you for two days.”

“Had a little meeting.” Ragnor got up from the chair and looked around the house. It was dark and silent. “Where are the lovebirds?”

“Magnus mentioned something about dinner at some downworlder’s restaurant in Manhattan. Then he wants to take Alec to some hotel, I don’t know. I don’t listen to him when he speaks about the shadowhunter.” 

Ragnor sighed tiredly. He had no idea, how long he has before Alec will die again. He still didn’t know what to do with the knowledge he has now. 

The mundanes on the street helped him understand Arwan’s words that the answer is very mundane. But still, knowing that didn’t make it easier. The answer to the curse was so simple, that Ragnor cursed himself multiply for his own stupidity. How could he not figure it out earlier? 

If you wanted something to not happen, you have to stop it from happening. It was so easy. All Alec and he had to do were to stop Magnus from meeting Triana. And this is where the trickery started. From analyzing the lovers that Alec met, he figured out that Alec was traveling through less significant love to the most treasured by Magnus. Ragnor was a witness to most of Magnus’s loves and he could easily tell that by now, Etta was his biggest love, until he met Alec. And if he wasn’t wrong, Triana thought herself being Magnus’s biggest, true love. Ragnor was sure that the last stop on Alec’s travel will be the time where Bane met Triana, back in Paris in 1821. 

Their relationship didn’t last long, for the woman quickly showed her true colors. She was a crazy woman, even Catarina said so. She was very manipulative and dangerous to Magnus. She used Magnus, just like later Camille did. The only wrong of Magnus in that was that he falls in love so easily and wholly at once. It took a lot of convincing from Cat and Ragnor so he would leave Triana and cut all ties he had with her. She swore revenge on him then, but none of the three warlocks took it seriously. 

A big mistake of theirs. 

But Ragnor will fix it. He will. 

“You’re awfully quiet, Ragnor,” he heard behind his back. Ragnor shook his head and realized, he’s been standing by the window and looking out at the dark starry sky. Suddenly, he felt a cold hand upon his shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, I can’t hold it in anymore,” he blurted. Fell turned to his vampire friend and looked him in the eye. They were almost black. Raphael needed to eat something soon. “You better sit down, because what I tell you, will be straight out of books.” 

Raphael complied and looked at Fell in question.

“You probably noticed how I or Cat are acting strange around Alec.”

“Yes,” Santiago replied. “For a moment, I thought that you are jealous of Magnus. I thought that you like Alec as well.”

“God no.” He opened his eyes in mock horror. “Shadowhunters are not my thing.” 

“So?”

“The reason we act like this is that we know Alec Lightwood.” Raphael just shrugged his arms. “This is the same Alec Lightwood I met in 1893 in Puno and the same Alec Lightwood I met in London in 1873.” 

“It’s ridiculous,” Raphael shook his head and fell silent for a while. “Either he’s a vampire or a warlock or you met his great grandfathers. If this would be the same man he should be around 100 years old. It’s impossible.” 

“He’s a shadowhunter,” Ragnor sat next to Raphael on the couch and took a deep breath. “I know it sounds impossible, but it’s true. Alec Lightwood travels through time. Moreover, this Alec Lightwood comes from the future. More precisely from 2019. But that’s not all. Alec is married to Magnus in the future and they have a baby or will have.” 

“You’re crazy.” 

“I’m not. I’m telling you the truth, Raphael,” Santiago was shaking his head. He didn’t believe him at all. “When he came to New York and met Etta, I bumped into him. I thought him dead. He literally died in my arms in Puno so it was quite a shock. Then he told me everything and showed me his memories. He was cursed in his time to travel through Magnus’s past loves. When he meets Magnus he forgets him and when he dies, Magnus remembers him being his husband. It’s like Magnus can see at the end the memories of his future self. I’m not sure it makes sense, but it’s kind of like that.”

“But how?”

“A very old and powerful magic sent him into the past.” 

“Can you send him back to his time?” the vampire asked. 

“Not magically.” Ragnor then explained Raphael the ordeal of his meeting with Arwan and the surprising answer he found out on his way home. Santiago was silent for a moment, pondering about the warlock’s words. “Do you believe me?”

“Until I was turned into a vampire, I believed such things could not exist, but now… I do believe you, Ragnor.”

“Good, because I need your help.” Raphael raised an eyebrow in a question. “I need to find a way to pass a message to my past self and someone has to look out for Alec and Magnus when I’ll be gone. I must go to the Spiral Labirynth and talk with Tessa and maybe Lorenzo Rey, he’s used to be an archivist in there, so maybe he has some knowledge about passing a message. And you need to keep them safe. Alec cannot die before I’ll be back.” 

“Maybe we should tell Magnus?”

“Tell me what?” suddenly they heard a voice from the hallway. Soon, the glittery warlock and his shadowhunter lover stepped into the living space, holding hands and wearing bright smiles on their faces. “Well?”

“I think your cat ran away,” Ragnor quickly lied. “He finally understood your craziness and decided to abandon you.” 

“How dare you?! Great Catsby loves me beyond anything,” Magnus huffed at him and began to call for the fat cat. Alec soon joined him in his search. 

“You can’t tell him,” Fell hissed to the vampire. “They cannot know. And I’m sure they wouldn’t believe you anyway. Keep them safe, alright? If anything occurs, send me a fire message.” Ragnor snapped his fingers and conjured a small wool bag with a magical powder he got from an old friend of his. “Write a message on a paper with my name on it, spread some powder on it and lit it up. I will get the message.” 

“Alright,” Raphael took the bag and hid it in the pocket of his black pants. “Good luck with your searching. I hope you will succeed.”

“So will I.” With that, he opened a portal right to the Spiral Labirynth. He hoped that he’ll find in there the ultimate answer to this problem.

Magnus was woken up from the nap he took with Max by the shrieking of his phone. He cursed himself for forgetting to turn it off an hour earlier when he finally succeeded to put Max into sleep. Single parenting was a hardship. The baby warlock cried and his father tried to console him.

“It’s ok, baby, it’s ok. Shhhh…” He whispered, rocking Max back and forth, just like Maryse taught him two weeks ago. “Shhh…”

The phone kept calling and Magnus spotted Raphael’s name on the screen. He magically picked it up and growled at the man.

“This better be extra important because you woke Max.”

“Tell me, why in the god’s name Alec shows up in my memories from 1953?” 

“It’s complicated,” Magnus answered and realized that Max was silent and listening to Raphael’s voice.

“I’m coming over and you’ll explain everything to me.” 

“Uncle Raphael is coming over, baby,” Magnus could swear there was a small smile on his son’s lips when he heard the man’s name. It was true, the baby warlock was very fond of the priest and ever since he met him, he wanted to be held by him. More than by any one of their extended family. Raphael had something in himself that drew people to him. It was something that drew Magnus to him as well, not just because his mother paid him to find him. For years, he kept Raphael close to himself, as a part of his small family. A son that he raised. 

Magnus hummed to himself. Of course, Alec shows up in his memory. Just like he showed up in Magnus’s memory. New memories come to Magnus’s mind as well. The first kiss they had when he still was with Etta. The first night they spent together after Etta broke up with him. They spent their first time in the best hotel in New York then. Hotel Dumont. Each memory that hit his mind was precious to him, even though they hurt. They were precious like a treasure. For their love was the biggest treasure Magnus ever had. 

Chapter Text

Chapter XV

“A love like ours is soul binding” 

Nothing has changed in the Spiral Labirynth since the last time he was here, over a hundred years ago. The same old, wooden doors were opened before him and heavily closed behind him as soon as he stepped inside. As soon as he was inside, the eyes of the fellow warlocks were on him. Marcus Lins, the High Warlock of the Labirynth approached him.

“Ragnor Fell,” he greeted him. Fell only bowed his head to the older man. In fact, Marcus was only ten years older than him, but he held a high position in the ranks of warlocks. He was practically a leader of them. A king among them. A protector of all. 

“High Warlock Lins.”

“What brings you to the Spiral Labirynth? Do you seek guidance or a shelter?” 

“Guidance,” he took a step closer and leaned towards him, not wanting others to hear him. “I’m looking for some way to contact someone who’s in another timeline.”

Marcus gave him a thoughtful look as he scratched his white beard. Marcus Line was the exact type of a warlock that mundanes put in their books. Old, whitehaired with a long beard and a white, long coat. Sometimes, Ragnor wondered, if he was an inspiration for writers back in the day. 

“Hmmm…” Marcus hummed to himself. “Theresa is our new archivist, she may be able to help you find an answer to your problem. If I may ask, to whom you want to pass the message?”

“I have a friend who’s cursed and…” Suddenly, Ragnor stopped himself from revealing the information. He couldn’t tell him about the time-traveling Shadowhunter, for it could have disastrous consequences. He needed to come up with a better story. “And he stuck in another time, and I know how to help him, but I cannot tell him. I know it’s not much, but I can’t tell you more. I need to tell him what to do.”

“I have never heard about a curse like that. It has to be a powerful curse,” Marcus commented. “Must be a Greater Demon’s magic.”

Ragnor only smiled askew. Lins pointed out the direction of the Archive. Fell quickly made his way inside, not stopping when people were trying to talk to him. He needed to take care of this as fast as he could. 

Ragnor has been in the Archive maybe six times in his entire lifetime. The last time he was here was over a century ago, when Magnus discovered who was his father. When the younger warlock asked Fell for some information about the Greater Demon, Ragnor offered himself to look for them in the Archive of the Spiral Labirynth. He was lucky that Lorenzo Rey was the Archivist then and he was very detailed in his writing. They had to admit, even though Rey was a pain in the butt, he had great knowledge about demons. 

“Ragnor?” He heard his name being called by a familiar voice. Ragnor turned around and spotted a young-looking woman clothed in a black, long dress. Her hair made up in a perfect bun. She quickly approached him and threw herself into his arms. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello, Tessa,” he kissed the top of her hand like the gentleman he was. “I’m looking for something.” 

“Can I help?” There was a small smile on her face. A first one in twenty years. 

Tessa was one of his longest friends, besides Magnus and Catarina. He met her in London, in the late nineteenth century, when she traveled there to look for her brother. She didn’t know she’s a witch then...or a hybrid. Half witch, half shadowhunter. A remarkable creature among the downworld community. However, for most of her life, she remained by the side of shadowhunters, being married to one for over fifty years. She even was a mother to a new generation of Herondales. 

Suddenly a vague image came to his mind. 

“Do you, by any chance remember Alec Lightwood?” At first, Tessa shook her head, however, after a moment she looked at him in a question. “He came to the London Institute around the same time as you did. He was courting Magnus…”

“Oh! Oh! The one that claimed that he’s married to Magnus and then denied it? Now I remember him. He was a good man,” Tessa nodded to her own words. “He died in the attack on the Institute. I remember now. Magnus left London after that. He must have been truly devastated. However, when we met in Paris after Will died, he seemed to be over him. I remember that he was a Lightwood but he wasn’t Gabriel’s family. He was a bit strange, but he was a great trainer and a good man. I was sad when he died by my broth...by Nate’s hand.” 

“Well...you better sit down, Tessa,” Ragnor pointed at the chair by the window. The female warlock sat down and Fell sat across her. He took a deep breath and began to speak. “He’s alive.”

“Wha…”

“Alec Lightwood, the one you met in London, over sixty years ago is very much alive.” Tessa was shaking her head. “And let me tell you more, I met him again in Puno in 1893, when he just showed up out of nowhere, like in London, and started to date Magnus. But that’s not the end. Right now, in New York, Alec Lightwood showed up again and dates Magnus again.” 

“It’s impossible...unless he’s a…”

“He’s not a vampire, nor a warlock or a demon. He’s a shadowhunter.”

“I don’t understand.”

“There’s the biggest thing now,” Ragnor continued, observing Tessa. Oh, she had the same facial expression as Raphael and himself, when Alec revealed the truth about himself. Pure shock and confusion. “He’s actually from the future. From 2019.” 

Tessa was silent. Her mouth slightly opened. Her brows frowned in a confusion. Ragnor let her think things over. He had a difficulty to comprehend it as well at the beginning. No wonder, it shouldn’t be possible. And yet, it happened. 

“Can I see him?”

“You can come with me to New York, yes,” Ragnor agreed to her idea. She will believe him more when she sees him. “He’s been cursed…”

Ragnor began to tell her the whole tale he learned from Alec, with every detail he had gathered so far. His friend was nodding to his words, even though it was hard to believe. He couldn’t blame her. It was truly hard to believe. 

“... and then I figured out how to break the curse. At least I think so. Arwan said that the answer is very mundane and how can you stop things from happening in the future?”

“Avoid doing them?” 

“Exactly.” 

“But how do you want to do it?” 

“Simply, Magnus just cannot meet Triana.” Tessa leaned closer to him and gestured him to continue his thoughts. “I think I figured out the path Alec is traveling through. From Alec’s words I know he was in London, where Camille happened, then in Puno, where Imasu was and now he’s in New York, where Etta is. And before I remembered him correctly, I told him that so far Magnus’s biggest love was Etta. But then he said to me that he’s Magnus’s biggest love, at least that’s what Magnus says in his time. But, Triana believes herself being Magnus’s biggest true love.”

“So you think, the next stop on Alec’s travel will be Triana?” Ragnor confirmed it with a single nod. “Hmmm… it makes sense, I guess.”

“All I have to do is to stop Magnus from meeting Triana.” 

“How did he meet her?”

“He saved her from burning down on a witch trial in 1821, in Paris,” Ragnor explained, recalling that day. “He saved her and took her to his place and offered her shelter and… they fell in love. She was a good girl then until she went a bit… crazy. She was manipulative, used Magnus for her own reasons. Made him be dependant on her for years until he found a will in himself to break free. Actually, the will had the name of Camille Belcourt. Magnus fancied Camille ever since he saw her at the Theather at the Shakespeare performance. Romeo and Juliet, I think. But she was with Ralph Scott then. But when Ralph died, Camille sought Magnus out and they hit it off. Triana was mad. She swore revenge on Magnus.”

“And she used the poor Alec…” Tessa sighed, knocking her knuckles over the wooden table. “How do we help them?”

“I need to pass a message to my past self about how to help Alec.”

“I think I know how.”

Magnus was making silly faces as he was making the spoon the airplane. The yellow mousse made of bananas was decorating the white table of the feeding-chair. The little warlock was laughing, but whenever Magnus tried to feed him a spoon, his son closed his mouth. 

“Come on, baby, open up,” Magnus tried again, but Max refused to eat. “Otherwise, we’ll have to prepare you a bottle, Blueberry.” 

A loud knocking was heard from the outside. Soon Magnus heard the familiar steps of his friend. Raphael walked inside the living room, throwing his coat on the couch. Surprisingly, he wasn’t wearing the usual black attire. He wore black dress pants and a green sweater Alec and he got him last Christmas. 

Max smiled widely at the former vampire and waved at him, splashing the food on the floor. Raphael walked closer to him and kissed the top of his head, minding the small horns that were slowly showing up. 

“Speak,” Santiago sat next to him on the chair with a demanding look. 

“Do you remember the lunch we had lately?” Raphael nodded to that and took Max on his lap as the baby made a grabbing hands on him. “It was the time of strange demon attacks on the city. I went with Alec and shadowhunters to kill them and it turned out that this attack was led by a witch, well half-Seelie half-witch who was my ex-girlfriend almost two centuries ago. She cursed Alec because she believes herself being my true love. She sent Alec back in time to live through my love life.”

“Ragnor told me the same,” Raphael bounced baby Max on his lap. “In 1953… I mean in the new 1953? If that makes any sense.”

“Ragnor? Of course!” Magnus jumped off the chair as he exclaimed loudly. “Alec must have founded Ragnor there and ask him for help. There’s no one else that could help Alec more than Ragnor. My husband is in good hands.”

“Well...he doesn’t remember he told Ragnor about the curse. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know he’s cursed at all.” 

“Yes,” Magnus replied shortly. “He’s ought to forget about everything when he meets me. Meliorn explained it to me.” 

“He figured it out,” Raphael suddenly revealed. Never in his life, Magnus turned around so quickly. If he would be a regular human, he might have pulled some muscle in his neck. The warlock jumped towards the priest and grabbed his bicep strongly, scaring his baby for a moment. Max snuggled up closer to Raphael. Magnus apologized to his son and took him from his friend. Santiago stood up from the chair and put a comforting hand upon Magnus’s hand. “Ragnor figured out how to break the curse.”

“How?”

“He went to Spiral Labirynth to look for some answers,” Of course, Magnus should have thought about it too. “He told me...the other me to guard and keep safe you and Alec until he’ll be back.”

“Ok.”

“You have to have hope, Magnus. Hope, that soon Alec will come home to you. Ragnor knows what to do. He always did.” 

“I truly hope so. Ragnor is Alec’s best chance to come back to me.” Max looked up at Magnus in wonder. “You hear that baby, daddy will soon come home to us.” 

Chapter Text

Chapter XVI

“A love like ours is a bliss among the chaos”

Alec was officially in heaven. He didn’t die or something like this, though when he thought harder, he could be dead after tonight. He reached his highest bliss and he was sure that there was nothing in his life that could top it. 

Tonight he and Magnus, for the first time, performed an act of physical love.

And Alec was in heaven! 

There were no words that could describe the things Alec felt when Magnus showed him this side of love. It was beyond anything he ever felt. It was all so new, and yet, somehow his body knew how to react to the pleasures Magnus has been giving to him. His body craved Magnus’s delicate touches, even though Alec had never imagined that some man will be touching him like that. And here was Magnus Bane, the fantastic warlock, who knew exactly how to make Alec’s body a proper receiver. 

Magnus was lying on his side of the bed, propped on his elbow, as he was looking down at Alec’s naked body, glistened by sweat. With the left hand, he was tracing the shape of Alec’s runes, memorizing them in his mind. He’d never expected a shadowhunter to be so amazing bed partner. But he was happily surprised and glad to be wrong for the first time.

“You were spectacular, darling,” he complimented the young man. 

“Me? You were... “ he looked at Magnus, bliss still seen on his beautiful face. “I thank you, Magnus.”

“I should be the one thanking you, Alexander,” the warlock leaned down to kiss slightly dry lips of his lover. “I should thank you that you gave me the honor of being your first. I could only hope that you were satisfied enough.”

“It was more than I ever imagined, Magnus,” he replied, taking Magnus’s hand in his and interlocking their fingers. Alec placed their joined hands upon his heart and smiled at the warlock. 

There were so many things he wanted to say to Magnus, but he couldn’t. It was too soon. Alec knew that. That, and he didn’t want Magnus to think he said so just because they had sex for the first time. From all the movies his sister forced him to watch, he knew it’s a cliche thing to do and most of the time it ended up in a split of a couple. And that was the last thing he wants. He doesn’t want to end this relationship ever. He wants it to last as long as he will live.

For Alec loves Magnus Bane with his whole heart. 

Magnus Bane is Alec Lightwood’s one true love.

Nephilim loves once, his mother used to say, but when they do, they do it so fiercely and wholesome. When Alec realized his feelings for Magnus, he knew that his mother was right. He loved Magnus Bane more than anything in the world. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for the man who loves glitter so much. Magnus was the center of Alec’s life and it was both exciting and terrifying. Secretly, Alec loved this feeling.

“You’re something else, Alec Lightwood,” Magnus said, as he sat on Alec’s laps. Their naked bodies covered in sweat let Magnus slowly slid back and forth on Alec’s lap, causing amazing friction for the young shadowhunter. He couldn’t help but moan. 

“Something good I hope?” Alec moaned when Magnus moved again. 

“The best,” Magnus replied and leaned down to capture Alec’s lips with his own. 

Kissing Magnus was the second best experience Alec had in his twenty-four life. Topped only by the first time they made love. Kissing the glittery man was amazing and so natural for Alec, like breathing. Yes. Kissing Magnus was like breathing. He knew his thoughts sounded cliche, but he couldn’t help it. When he wasn’t kissing Bane, he felt as if he’s suffocating, like the air around him was too heavy to breathe. 

They pulled away brutally when someone barged into their bedroom. Yes, theirs, for Alec moved in with Magnus two days ago, seeing as there was a fire in the building he was renting a small apartment. A neighbor of his left a flaming cigarette near the gas tank he had in his apartment. It was a true Angel’s blessing that no one died then, but the apartments on the fired level were too damaged to live in. 

Ragnor and Raphael walked into their bedroom. The young vampire had his hand over eyes to not see the nakedness of his roommates, however, Ragnor wasn’t even touched by the view.

“Rise and shine, lovebirds,” the green-skinned warlock greeted them and threw the canary yellow sheet at both naked men. Alec quickly grabbed the sheet and covered himself and partly his lover. 

“What in the god’s name, Ragnor?!” Magnus exclaimed loudly, glaring at his best friend. 

“Oh, please, don’t be so modest now, Magnus,” Fell waved his hand nonchalantly at them. “It’s not the first time I see you in your buff and it’s definitely not the first time I walked on you and your lover. Relax. And you, Alec, breathe or you’ll suffocate underneath that sheet.” 

“Is it safe to open eyes?” Raphael asked from behind Ragnor’s back. Fell quickly confirmed and soon the vampire was looking anywhere but the bed occupied by Alec and Magnus. 

“What do you want?” Magnus asked, snapping two silky robes from his closet, one for himself and one for Alec. “We were in the middle of something.”

A loud groan escaped Alec’s lips, followed by the name of his lover. “Magnus!”

“They knew anyway, my love.” Magnus tied the robe and stood before Ragnor. “What are you doing here? And where were you for the past three days, huh?”

“In the Spiral Labirynth,” at that Magnus frowned. “I have a client who’s been cursed and I’m looking for a way to break the curse. I found the way but needed to find a way to pass him the information without causing any unwanted consequences.”

“A curse? You didn’t mention it to me. What kind of a curse?”

“Ah, there was no need to mention it and if you want to know, the curse was thrown by the ex-girlfriend of his new boyfriend. My client was sent far far away from his beloved and tries to find a way back home,” Ragnor explained and looked at Alec. The shadowhunter finished tying his robe and stood next to Magnus. Lightwood had no idea what was the warlock’s deal. For the past few weeks, he’s been watching him closely, speaking of some strange things to him. At first, Alec thought that maybe that’s the way of making friends with people. If Alec was honest, he wanted to be friends with Magnus’s friends. He knew that it will please his lover. But Ragnor Fell was a hard cookie. He was too odd. “But don’t worry, I already know what to do.”

“Do you know who created this curse?”

“Not really, but it truly doesn’t matter now. I know how to break the curse and sent him to his home.”

Fell pulled out his small pocket watch and clicked his tongue. 

“Ok, but…” Magnus started but was interrupted by a phone ringing in the living room. He quickly made his way there to pick it up. A mere moments later he ran back to the bedroom and looked at his friends. “A demon attack on the local pack. There are about fifty demons and the shadowhunters from the Institute refused to help them.”

Before Magnus stopped talking, Alec was already pulling on clothes he had last night. He grabbed the stele that Magnus had stolen from the Institute for him and activated several runes on himself. Bane snapped his fingers and conjured on himself black pants, a simple shirt and a leather jacket that he had bought last week to match to Alec. 

Ragnor smiled knowingly to Raphael. There were still two hours before the sun was up, so the young vampire could go with them. Soon, Ragnor was opening a portal for the four of them. They stepped out near Manhattan, where the demons were attacking werewolves. Alec threw himself in the middle of the fight with a bow he had gotten for himself lately. There were dozens of Dahaks here. Alec was shooting them with everything he got, same as Magnus, who threw his fireballs at demons, who were nearby them. Suddenly, Alec realized that someone has been watching him from afar. When their eyes crossed he immediately recognized the demon from the database they had in the Institute. 

“Azazel!” Magnus looked ahead and spotted the demon too. He was ordering the minor demons around, Magnus could easily tell. Bane needed to destroy him. 

Lightwood shot an arrow in the direction of the Greater Demon. However, the arrow was dismissed by Azazel, before it could even scratch his body. Alec was no match for him, they both knew it. They needed something stronger to destroy the demon. Great magic that only Magnus possessed. 

“Magnus,” Alec shouted to him in the middle of the battle. The warlock looked at his beloved and nodded to him. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Alexander.” 

Soon enough, Alec grabbed Magnus by his hips and dragged him closer to himself. He crushed his lips over the warlock in a searing kiss. The time stopped between them, as they were engulfed in a loving embrace. It felt as if they were alone in their own world, not minding the ongoing battle around them. Their hearts beat in the same rhythm. Their breaths were mixing and taste of lips became one. 

“I love you so much, Magnus Bane.”

“Aku cinta kamu, my darling Alexander.” 

Magnus made a beeline towards Azazel, attacking some minor demons on his way. However, as he was five feet close to the demon, Azazel suddenly disappeared. Magnus halted his movements, confused by such turn. 

“Magnus!” he heard his beloved’s voice. He turned around quickly and spotted Azazel behind Alec with his hand pushed into Alec’s chest from behind. The demon retracted his hand which was covered in Alec’s blood. 

“ALEC!!!” Magnus ran back towards his beloved, who was now falling to the ground. The warlock had no idea how long he was running, but it felt too long for his liking. Finally, he reached his shadowhunter. Magnus dropped down to the ground next to his lover and turned him on his back. “Oh love, hold on. Hold on, my heart.”

“Mag… I love...you…” Alec choked out. Blood running down from the corner of his lips. “Love…”

“I love you too. Don’t leave me!” Bane screamed as he poured his magic into the body of the hunter. However, to no avail. There was some blockade around Alec that Magnus couldn’t break through it. “Don’t leave me, Alexander. Please!” 

“Move!” Ragnor kneeled next to them and placed his hands on the wound. He pushed a small dose of his magic into Alec’s heart and turned to Magnus. “I’m so sorry for doing this, but one day, you’ll understand that I had to do it.”

“What are you talking about?! Save Alec!”

“I have to do this, I don’t have a choice.” Ragnor took his hands off Alec and created a fireball on his left hand. “I am truly sorry, my friend.”

Ragnor shot the fireball at Magnus, knocking him out completely. 

The demons around them disappeared in a second that Azazel stood next to him. His form glimmered and soon a young woman was standing next to Raphael and Ragnor. 

“Is he ok?” Tessa asked, looking down at Magnus’s frame. 

“He’ll be fine in two hours or so.”

Ragnor looked at Alec, who was at the edge of death. The hunter’s body was shaking, blood was pooling underneath him. Ragnor knew that he didn’t have much time left. He pushed his hand into Alec’s opened chest and grabbed the core of the magic around the hunter’s heart. The young man’s eyes shot open in fear and pain.

“I know you remember by now,” he said quickly. “I know where you’ll end up now, all you have to think about is Triana. Think hardly of her now. When you’ll be in Paris, you must find me first. Give me this,” he showed him a golden ring with an emerald jewel and pushed it on Alec’s middle finger. “I transcripted a message for myself in there. I will help you there, but you must come to me first. When you’ll be feeling like you’re falling, think of me then. You must do it, Alec. You must find me if you want to go back home to Magnus.” 

Ragnor retracted his hand and let go of Triana’s magic. He pushed a bit of his own magic into Alec’s heart again to fasten his death. 

“Dios Mio…look,” Raphael’s voice forced him to turn his head back to Magnus. Ragnor realized that Magnus’s chest was glimmering. He snapped his fingers and magically opened the shirt of his friend to reveal the Wedding Rune on his chest. “It’s true…”

“They are really married…” Ragnor could only nod to this. Suddenly there was a swoosh heard behind the three downworlders. They turned back and saw that there was no longer a sign of Alec or his blood on the ground. “Where did he go?”

“Hopefully to Paris in 1821,” Ragnor answered and looked back at Magnus. Raphael already gathered him in his arms and waited for a portal to appear. “I truly hope so.”

“And I hope that Magnus won’t kill me for killing his husband.”

“Don’t worry, Tessa,” Ragnor smiled at her and opened a portal to Magnus’s loft. “He won’t remember it at all. When he wakes up, he will no longer remember Alec Lightwood and so we cannot tell him the truth.” 

“So what do we do now?” Raphael asked as he placed Magnus on his bed. Ragnor snapped his fingers and wiped the room of all remnants of the shadowhunter.

“We live here as we did before Alec showed up and Alec, hopefully, finds me in the past and we send him home, back to 2019.”

“I hope you’re right and he’ll succeed,” Tessa commented.

“I have faith in Alec Lightwood. He’s remarkable.” 

Chapter Text

Epilogue

“A love like ours is the True Love”

Despite all his efforts to not get lost, Alec felt that the darkness surrounding him was pushing him into many different directions. It felt as if he was thrown around by some force inside the thin space he was in. The movements of his body were drastic for a while until they stopped altogether and Alec fell. The fall was too familiar to him. However, it was fast this time, as if someone snapped their fingers and Alec was suddenly hitting the ground with a hard thud. 

A big wave of pain shook his body violently. It felt as if every single bone in his body broke into a million pieces. He couldn’t move. Even breathing was hard. 

He was going to die, here and now, and nobody would help him. And nobody will tell Magnus. 

Oh, how he missed his beloved husband. There wasn’t a day when Alec was conscious of his mind and memory when he wasn’t remembering his lovely warlock. His cat-eyes, his black hair with colorful highlights, matching his outfit for a day. His voice soothed every worry that Alec had born within himself. His laugh which was the best sound Alec ever heard. His inhumanly slow heartbeat that used to lull Alec to sleep. His warm body heated Alec’s at cool nights. But most importantly, he missed being around Magnus. 

He simply missed Magnus. 

Maybe if he died here his body somehow, magically get back to New York, even lifeless but still? Oh, Alec knew it was a fool’s hope. He was lost, wherever he was. 

The young shadowhunter dared to open his eyes. The sky above him was dark, almost black. A few small, bright stars were filling the sky. Dogs were howling somewhere far away from him. Other than that there was no sound around Alec. It was so peaceful. A good way to die. 

“Êtes-Vous Bien, monsieur?” Alec suddenly heard a voice near him, before a face appeared in front of his eyes. Alec didn’t know the man. He was young but very good looking. He could be Alec’s age, maybe a year or two younger. He had vibrant green eyes which shade Alec hadn’t seen before. “Monsieur? Avez-Vous Besoin d'un médecin?”

The language… Alec knew it, but his head was in too much pain to connect any dots. 

“Monsieur?”

“Je vais bien,” he found himself replying automatically. French! Alec remembered out of nowhere. Was he in France? “Où suis-je?”

“Le Paris.”

Alec closed his eyes for a second again and he heard a voice. 

“...When you’ll be in Paris, you must find me first. Give me this”

The memories started to roll as a movie in his mind. Familiar faces were surrounding him talking through one another. But one face was too focused on him. The face was moving its lips as if it was talking to Alec. He couldn’t hear the rest of the words but he recognized the face. He knew the face. 

It was Ragnor Fell. 

“Ragnor Fell,” Alec whispered more to himself. 

“Je connais Ragnor Fell,” Alec opened his eyes immediately and looked at the man. Before he knew, he sat up and leaned closer to his companion. “C'est un ami de Magnus Bane.”

Again, Alec heard Ragnor’s voice in his mind. 

“Find me first…”

“I must find Ragnor Fell…”

“I speak English too...not very well...Magnus teaches me.”

“And who are you?”

“Marcel Saint Cloud,” the man in front of him smiled at him and Alec could swear he spotted the sign of fangs. A vampire. It was just his luck to stumble upon a vampire. Alec tried to recall if Marcel’s name ever dropped in a conversation between him and his husband. But he wasn’t sure. He didn’t know if this Marcel was a true friend, like Raphael or Simon. Alec decided to not trust this vampire. “I take you to Ragnor and Magnus.”

“No thank you, I know my way.” Alec tried to get up from the ground, but he was held down by Marcel’s arms. Alec sighed loudly and hoped that his body was ready for a fight. 

“I do not think so.” He flashed Alec a smile, fangs out. “You will be a treat for my clan.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” Alec jumped on his feet and quickly looked around. He didn’t have any weapon with him, but he was good at improvising. He learned it from his parabatai. He spotted a few branches laying on the ground nearby. Alec pushed the vampire off him, thankful that even without activated runes, he was still fairly strong and he made a beeline for the branches. Marcel threw himself after Alec, but before he could even think of grabbing Lightwood, Alec broke the branches in a half and stuck the pointy end into Marcel’s chest. The vampire was too shocked by the sudden attack that he jumped back from Alec and grabbed the branch that stuck out of his chest. “Je suis un chasseur d'ombres, imbécile. Je tue des vampires tous les jours.”

“Un Nephilim,” Marcel pulled the branch out of his heart. 

“It will be wise for you if you do get lost, vampire. I won’t back down easily.” Alec broke a few more branches. “I know a way to kill likes like you.” 

“Je pensais, je vous ai dit de cesser d'attaquer mundanes, Marcel.” A voice said behind Alec’s back. Alec knew that voice. The shadowhunter quickly turned around and grinned when he spotted a familiar shade of green skin on the man. 

“Ragnor Fell…” Lightwood whispered and before he could stop himself, he threw himself at the older warlock. Ragnor didn’t even have a chance to stop him and soon enough, Alec was circling his arms around the man. “I’m so glad that you are here. Thank the Raziel!”

“Pardon? Do I know you? You are a shadowhunter…”

“You will know me… but we must go now. I promise that I’m not here to hurt you, I need your help.”

“I’m afraid I cannot help you, Sir,” the warlock pushed the hunter off himself and took a step back. “I’m here with my friend and…”

“Magnus Bane?” At that Ragnor raised his eyebrow in a suspicious. “Yeah, I know him...or I will in a few centuries. Look, I’m cursed and you’re the only one that can help me. But we must go before Magnus will see me or I see him. Please.” 

Ragnor looked unimpressed by that. Think, Alec, think! The young shadowhunter fisted his hands and felt something unusual. He quickly opened his hand again and spotted a new piece of jewelry on his left hand. A golden band with an emerald jewel. Suddenly a vision came to Lightwood’s head and the hunter took off the ring of his hand. He grabbed Ragnor’s hand in his and pushed the ring on his finger. 

Ragnor’s eyes momentarily turned white, like Magnus’s when he was looking into someone’s head. Alec would give everything to see what was hidden in the ring, but it was beyond his skills. 

The warlock’s eyes came back to its usual green and he looked at Alec horrified. 

“How...I don’t...how…”

“Magic and a crazy ex of my husband.”

“Magnus will be here soon, he was just flirting in the Theater with some lady…” Ragnor mused under his nose. “Let’s go. We’ll find a carriage nearby and go to my house… well, it’s our house… or better! I have a friend in the suburbs of the city that Magnus does not know. She will help us.” 

“Ok,” Alec agreed with him. “Who’s your friend?”

“I met her a while ago, her name is Triana Umbra, she’s a witch too.”

“She cursed me…”

“Oh…” Ragnor clicked his tongue and scratched his chin. “Well...then we will go to...I know.” the warlock grabbed Alec’s hand in his and dragged him towards the north. “Let’s go.”

When they stepped out of the carriage, Ragnor first, Alec realized that they’re standing in front of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. He recognized it immediately from the honeymoon trip he and Magnus started in Paris. He couldn’t help but smile at the sweet memory. The green-skinned warlock tugged him closer to himself and led him to the massive door of the Cathedral. With a quick wave of his hands, the door opened before them and the two went inside. 

“Won’t mundanes catch us?” Alec asked as he followed the warlock to the left nave. 

“At this hour there are hardly any mundanes here, shadowhunter. Besides, mundanes see what they want to see,” Ragnor sat down on the bench and pointed a place next to himself for Alec to take. Once sat down, the warlock looked at him warily. “I still cannot believe that you are from the future. It’s beyond any knowledge I ever received. It’s beyond anything I ever encountered in my whole existence. And I cannot believe that I’ve seen my future self! From which year is that message?”

“1953.”

“Lilith! So I survive with Magnus another century! Ha!” Alec only nodded to that. “And he’s your husband?! This is unbelievable! A warlock and a shadowhunter. Is he happy with you?”

“Yes,” Alec confirmed. Outside the few fights they had, they were very happy. “We were about to adopt a baby warlock too.”

“Are you telling me that Magnus, my insane, wild best friend is… a home man in your time? Unbelievable.” Ragnor was shaking his head in disbelief. “How is the future? How is the shadow world?”

“Look...I’d love to chat about everything with you, but I must hurry...we must hurry. I want to get back to my time, to my husband...and you’re the only one that can help me. So, please…”

“Of course, of course,” Ragnor patted his shoulder in a friendly way. “Well, my message said that we must stop Magnus from meeting Triana altogether, so she wouldn’t fall in love with him and he with her. It said that Magnus saved Triana from the burning at the stake… however, I heard of none of such actions now. So we must wait and keep our ears opened or we go to her and eliminate her now. But I do believe she will fight us back and if she was capable of creating such a curse, she must be truly powerful, more than me, more than Magnus.” 

“So what do we do now?”

“We keep you away from Magnus and keep our ears and eyes opened.”

Alec agreed to this and asked for a place to hide. He knew that the spell will work soon and he’ll feel the push to find Magnus. Thankfully, Ragnor was willing to help him and offered a place to stay at the church’s attic. Ragnor was friends with the priest from the Cathedral. He was beneficent of late and so he was allowed to place the shadowhunter at the attic, hidden underneath the bubble of Ragnor’s magic. 

He didn’t know how long he’s been lying on the cold ground on the attic. It could be days or hours, Alec lost a track of time. How could he not? All he had been doing was thinking about Magnus. With every passing second, he was feeling more the pull towards the warlock. He was sure that Magnus must be feeling quite similar, however, he did not understand the pull. There was a time where Alec was panting from the pain that was ripping his heart to the shreds, and he was ready to destroy the barrier and ran towards the direction his heart would surely take him. But he knew that Ragnor’s magic was powerful and would not let him go easily. So he remained in his place, letting the pain overwhelming him wholly.

Until one night. 

Alec was woken by loud chants coming from the outside. He got up from the fix-cot he made for himself and jumped to the oval window. He looked down through it and saw a dozen men walking down the street with torches and pitchforks. From all the mundane history lessons Hodge provided them in the past, Alec knew that this is how the witch hunts looked like. 

Alec scratched his head. He needed to get to the people as well. He was sure that they were going for Triana. How could he get out? Alec paced back a few steps until he bumped into something. He crouched down and spotted a small white crystal, hidden behind a wooden column. He took it into his hands and then it happened. 

A white, blinding light glimmered for a moment before it died. 

A fricking magical cage! Alec should know it. He saw Magnus doing it once or twice on demons and rough downworlders. Ragnor had to do it the same on him. Lightwood ran towards the door but founded them locked with heavy locks. Well, he couldn’t break it down without causing a ruckus and scaring the poor people in the Cathedral. He needed to think of something else. 

Alec turned back to the window and sighed exasperatedly. He looked down at the crystal in his right hand and he suddenly knew what to do. With all the force he had within himself, Alec threw the crystal in the middle of the window and shattered it. He stepped back to the door and accelerated his run and jumped out of the window, silently praying to Raziel so he’d survive. Thankfully to the years of practicing, Alec landed on his feet and managed to not break any bone in his body. Sure, his ankle felt like it was sprinted, but Alec could endure such a pain. 

He ran towards the direction, where the men went. When he had gotten to the place, even though he had no idea how he knew it, six men were already holding Triana back by her hands so she wouldn’t be able to cast spells. Three men were already setting up a stake behind her house.

“Triana Umbra!” A man, a priest Alec recognized from the cathedral, shouted. “You are hereby charged with witchcraft. We, people of Paris are sentencing you with burning on the stake, so your demons would not poison the society furthermore. Bring her!” 

The men who were holding her brought her to the stake and bound her towards it with chains and ropes. She was struggling against them, trying to break free, but to no avail. Her hands were tied, all she could do now was insult the men. 

“May God forbid you your crimes and curse the devil out of you.” 

Alec watched as two men brought their torches to the stake. He wondered strongly, whether save her or not. She was partly a human being. And no one deserved such treatment. But on the other hand…

A rustle was heard from his side. 

“We must help her, Ragnor! She’s one of us!” Alec would recognize the voice everywhere.

“If we do it, we may as well burn there with her. They will burn us too, Magnus!” 

“We’ll disappear and people forget.” Something colorful ran past Alec. The shadowhunter shook his head quickly and looked ahead. Magnus was already by the stake, hiding behind it from the human’s eyes. The fire was licking his arms too closely.

“Alec, save him!” Ragnor shouted behind Alec, as he ran towards his friend too. 

Alec didn’t need to be told twice. He ran, faster than Ragnor and when the fire touched Magnus’s hand burning it, he pushed his husband out of the way. Lightwood knew that he didn’t have much time before the curse will start itself again and he’ll forget Magnus again. Bane landed a few feet away from the fire, Ragnor quickly by his side. 

Lightwood turned towards the witch on the stake.

“Aidez moi!” she called out, the fire already taking the down on her body. “Aidez moi!”

“You took me away from my husband,” he whispered to her, barely audible, but she heard him nonetheless. “You made his life a living hell and took a few people away from him. I’m hardly a bad man, but I will not let you ruin him again.”

She was watching him with a plea in her eyes.

“Goodbye, Triana Umbra, may the Angels forgive you.” 

Suddenly there was a huge burst of energy, that threw people away from the stake. Alec landed near Magnus, just in time before the fire started to grow and spread on the ground around them. 

“No!” He heard Magnus screaming. 

The warlock was already up and preparing to cast some spell. Distracted by the screams of Triana, Magnus missed that the fire was too close to his legs. In a matter of a second, Alec got up and threw himself on Magnus, tackling him to the ground and covering with his own body, as he rolled them away from the flames. He pinned the warlock to the ground and looked at his face. Magnus had his eyes closed for a moment, his breath was quickened. When he finally opened his eyes, Alec was met with the most beautiful shade of golden and green he ever met. 

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. 

He didn’t forget Magnus. He still knows who he was. 

“Alec!” Ragnor ran towards them and shielded them all with his magic. The shadowhunter looked at the green-skinned warlock and grinned. “Are you ok? Magnus?”

“I am…” the younger warlock replied, looking up in Alec’s blue eyes. “You saved me.”

“I always will.”

“But I don’t even know you,” Magnus continued. “You are a shadowhunter...are you going to kill me now?” 

“Never...you are too precious.”

“Who are you? I don’t know you.”

“But you will. You will know me.” 

Then Alec felt it. A familiar burn on his chest and magic spreading all over his heart. The good magic, the one he was used to. Magnus’s magic hidden in the wedding rune. Alec couldn’t help but smile widely. 

“Alec? You’re shaking!” Ragnor exclaimed next to him. “What is happening?”

“It’s ok...I’m going home. The curse is broken.” Alec looked back at Magnus and looked him in the eye. “Be happy Magnus. And never close your heart, even if it’ll be broken by a few people. And one day, I guarantee, your heart will find its match. Be happy, Magnus Bane. Until we meet again.” 

Magnus could only stare confused as the shadowhunter disappeared in a cloud of red smoke. His words ringed in Magnus’s mind for a while, until they sunk down and a realization hit him. He couldn’t wait to meet this man again.

“Dude, are you ok?” someone was shaking Alec’s shoulder violently. “Drake...I think we need to call 911. This man is totally out.”

“Check his pulse.” Alec felt cold fingers pressed onto his neck. He jumped at the sudden coldness. “The hell?!” 

Lightwood shook his head for a while until he woke himself up. He spotted two young boys with skateboards and baggy clothes standing in front of him. They looked strangely mundane. 

“Where am I?”

“Are you ok, man?” one of them asked.

“Where am I?”

“New York, East River docks to be precise,” the other answered. “I think the river threw you out here. Are you ok? Should we call for 911? Maybe police?”

“Which year is this?”

“2019? Did you hit your head?”

A wide grin crept onto his face. A wave of happiness ran through his body and Alec couldn’t stop himself from grabbing two boys into a hug. He squeezed them hard before he let go of them and made a beeline in the familiar direction of his house. 

Alec couldn’t believe that without activating his runes he still had so much energy to run through the streets of New York. He didn’t mind bumping into other people on the streets. Sure, he yelled a few apologies to the people he startled but at the moment, he couldn’t care less. He needed to get to his place as soon as it was possible. When he finally reached the high building, he couldn’t stop tears that threatened to fall down his cheeks. Alec was jumping three steps at the time until he finally stood before their door. The familiar warmth of Magnus’s magic was felt from the wards around the door. Alec pressed the doorknob slowly and took a deep breath. 

The apartment was covered in darkness. Alec could expect it. The hour was late already so Magnus could be asleep by now. He silently tiptoed to their old bedroom and slowly opened the door. There was Magnus, lying on his usual right side of the bed, face turned to the left and a small bundle was next to him. 

More tears began to run down his cheeks as he stepped into the room. As much silently as he could he sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at the blue baby warlock. To stop himself from loud sobbing, Alec covered his mouth with a hand. However, the baby heard a small gasp of his and opened his eyes. Small deep blue irises looked up into the bigger ones. It’s been a while since he last saw Alec and the shadowhunter hoped that the boy didn’t forget him. 

“Hi, baby, I’m your daddy,” he whispered as he took Max into his arms. Max seemed to recognize him as he smiled widely showing the first small tooth he had. “My precious baby. Daddy’s finally home.”

“Alexander…” A gasp and a quick movement on the bed startled both him and Max. A moment later a familiar pair of arms locked itself around him and his son. Warm lips captured his in a hungry kiss. Of course, the kiss could not last as long as Alec would like to for Max soon started to whine, seeing as his parents were ignoring him at the moment. They pulled away and looked down on the boy in Alec’s arms, before looking into each other’s eyes. “You’re back.”

“I told you, we will meet again.” 

“Everything changed in my mind, my memories...some are gone but there are new ones too,” Magnus whispered, acknowledging that Max has fallen asleep in his father’s loving arms. “There’s no Triana, time with Camille is changed too… and you are there too, in my past. It’s strange...but I must thank you, Alexander… it changed, but for better. And even though your disappearances didn’t impact my past self because I didn’t remember them, but I remember I was happy with you, very happy.”

“You deserve the whole happiness in the world, Magnus.”

“I have it, with you and Max, my love. I’m the happiest I ever been.” Magnus leaned closer to Alec and connected their lips. The kiss was just like their first one. Loving, sweet, slow and passionate. Alec smiled during the kiss and felt Magnus smile as well. “I love you, Alexander.”

“I love you too, Magnus, so damn much. You and Max. You both are my whole world.” Alec interlocked their fingers and brought them to his mouth, leaving a small kiss on top of his husband’s palm. “No matter who will curse me, I will always find my way back to you.”

“I knew it, you know,” Alec raised an eyebrow in a silent question. “That you will make it. You are my true love, Alexander, it was just a matter of time.”

“And you are my one and true love, Magnus Lightwood-Bane. Always and forever.” 

THE END