Bloodlines: An Alec and Magnus (Malec) Fanfiction

Chapter 6

When I get to my feet the next day, an excruciating pain shoots up my leg, making the skin burn the moment my toes touch the ground. I slump back onto my bed, feeling nauseous. At least I'm in the right place to be unwell, sleeping in the Infirmary and all. To my relief, Jace - who has been on Infirmary duty this morning, checking on the wounded and trying to help - saunters over to me.

"Alec?" he asks, as I take some deep, sickness-relieving breaths, trying to ignore the pain in my leg. "Are you alright?"

"Remember how I said yesterday that the pain in my leg wasn't too bad?" I mumble.

Jace nods.

"Well, now it's bad."

He bends down beside me and touches a hand to the skin of my leg where the Drevak spine went in, his fingers scarred and rough with battle. He looks at me, and starts to bind the wound, then ties the end of the bandage and stands up.

"You're going to the LA Institute again today, right?" he asks.

I nod, pushing myself onto my elbows.

"I'll go get you some crutches." He says and turns to leave.

He returns a few minutes later and I get to my feet awkwardly, sliding my arms into the supports and pushing myself to my feet. I take few shaky first steps before getting used to them and following Jace out of the Infirmary. I take the stairs slowly, Jace walking in front of me, reminding me not to fall because I'll squash him, which would - Jace said - be extremely selfish of me. When we reach the portal, Magnus is waiting, and he groans when he sees me.

"Alec, why? You can't possibly go with the Blackthorns like that."

I look around at them, already gathered and eyeing me worriedly, like they're scared that Magnus is right and I'll tell them I can't go. I can't break my promise to them, though.

"Of course I can, I'm fine." I tell Magnus dismissively, and then remember what Magnus said yesterday - about me forgetting him in the midst of business - and I turn to him on my crutches. "But, will you come with me?"

He smiles. "Sure."

Portal travel is fairly unforgiving when it comes to injuries. It spits me out in the broken foyer of the LA Institute, heedless of my wound. Magnus catches my arm as I stagger and I grip his hand in thanks. The Blackthorns look shell-shocked at the state of their home and Emma takes Julian's hand comfortingly as he looks around in horror. Livvy moves closer to Ty as they all look on quietly at their destroyed home, at their possessions littering the floor in various states of disrepair, at their walls and floors cracked by the attack they so narrowly escaped.

"Well, this is clearly a little unexpected." Helen says into the silence, her voice betraying none of the sadness her eyes show. She seems strong, and she's giving off a comforting air her siblings are clinging to. "Magnus, if you wouldn't mind helping Emma and Julian collect their things and I'll take Livvy and Ty."

He nods. "Of course."

He turns to the two children and his voice softens soothingly, bending down before them. "Come on, it'll be okay. I know it looks bad, but be brave. I've heard you were very brave on the night of the attack, so just be brave now, too." He lays a hand on each of their backs, ushering them towards the staircase. "Come on, let's go and get your things, okay? Just be careful on the glass."

He helps them up over the fallen grandfather clock blocking the stairs and they disappear. My only consolation is that I know we disposed of all the demons, so the children aren't under threat in that way.