Bloodlines: An Alec and Magnus (Malec) Fanfiction

Chapter 10

I wake up early the next day in a dazed, coffee-craving trance. Dragging a sweatshirt over my pyjamas, I pad down the hall, trying to be quiet in case people are still sleeping. However, by the time I'm halfway down the staircase, I'm convinced I can hear something. Brows knitted in confusion, I pause on the stairs. There's another surge of noise, sounding like it's coming from the kitchen. Well, whatever, I'm heading there to get coffee anyway. I'll investigate en route. I'm not particularly concerned. It's probably just the Blackthorn kids playing, so I walk slowly, with the intent of just going to ask them to quieten down a little. I don't want to wake the other people who're sleeping.

Suddenly, however, there's a cry. Instantaneously and instinctively I know that this isn't innocent. I round the corner quickly, and stop dead. Two familiar figures are on the floor, hitting out in defence at a group stood over them, pulling at them and hitting them. One cries out in pain, throwing a hand up to their face and kicking out at their attacker.

"Hey!" I yell and the group parts, half a dozen panicked faces turning. On the ground, two figures crouch, breathing hard, confirming my fears: the figures on the floor are Helen and Mark Blackthorn.

I surge forward and push through the crowd to the centre. Someone grabs at my arm and I force my elbow back into their ribcage, shoving someone else in the chest who catches at my sleeve with a snatching hand. Thank the Angel for vampire strength, because I'm outnumbered one to six. I know for a fact that Helen and Mark are brilliant warriors and that they could hold their ground in a fair fight, or even a fight tipped slightly out of their favour. But this? This is just ridiculous. Two of them and half a dozen opponents? They stand no chance. They could be the best warriors in the world, but they're outnumbered.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demand of the small crowd of strangers.

I'm met only with silence and cold glares.

"What happened?" I repeat. "I demand an answer. Now."

One of the girls in the group shifts onto a hip, pouting and pushing her blonde hair from her shoulders with a little shimmy. I don't know if she's trying to flirt her way out of trouble but - clearly - I'm not falling for it. I fix her with a stony look and she looks away.

"Nothing happened." She sighs.

"Look at them!" I order, pointing at the Blackthorns. Mark looks absolutely furious, a red weal livid bright on his jaw. Helen, however, looks mortified, her sweater sleeve torn from the shoulder at the seam, her face flushed. "You expect me to believe you had nothing to do with this?" I question them angrily. "I'm giving you one final chance, tell me..."

"Okay, okay." One boy cuts in. "We'll explain."

"Please," I say dryly. "Go ahead. I'm sure it's all a big misunderstanding, right? That it isn't what it looks like? That there's a perfectly good explanation for why those two look like they've been beaten up and you are the only ones around? Forgive me for labelling you as the prime suspects."

I turn to Mark and Helen, not allowing my voice to soften. I don't want them to think I'm patronising them. "Stand up."

They get to their feet, and I spin back to the others. "Care to explain?"

"You have to see, these two are a complete undermining threat to our entire security system." A tall boy with tanned skin and dark, wavy hair says, sniffing imperiously. "It's completely illogical - not to mention recklessly dangerous - for them to stay here."

"And why might that be?" I enquire frostily.

"Because they're faeries, you idiot! Faeries are notoriously deceptive, and you're letting them into the very heart of our -supposed - safe place! What is the point of even having a refuge from the faeries if the stupid things are inside?" he looks me up and down and smirks as his eyes land back on my face. "Not that you would understand, of course. You Downworlders are probably all working together. Perhaps you were a shadowhunter, but you're not any more, are you? You shouldn't even be here! There's a reason you were banned; you're a Downworlder. You're not a shadowhunter, you're not a Lightwood. You're just a Downworld freak."