Brothers by Blood (Alec Lightwood twin)

Chapter 50

*Later – At the Institute*

BEN'S POV

I had retreated to my room for two reasons. Firstly, to take the potion that Magnus had given me for the pain in my chest. It was gradually getting better and didn't hurt as much anymore, which was good, and secondly, to get away from everyone. Especially Sebastian. I had weird vibes coming off him and, although I will give him a chance because he saved Izzy and seems to be helpful, I am still going to be cautious of him. I was also thinking back on when we summoned Azazel, for a reason still unknown, and Jace activated one of his runes without a stele. That's just not possible for a Shadowhunter. It's probably due to his pure Angel blood though. I also noticed that Clary's rune ability had stopped working. I wonder why?

ALEC'S POV

"I know you're listening! Please! I'm not Valentine! I'm Magnus Bane!" Valentine called again. I flung the door open, stormed over to him, and pinned him against the wall, holding him by the collar of his shirt.
"That's enough!" I screamed at him.
"Alexander, thank God you're here. You have to listen to me." He said.
"No, you listen to me! This sick game of yours is over!" I said, looking him in the eyes. But there was something different about them.
"It's not a game. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm not Valentine. I am Magnus. Azazel switched us with a curse. Unum ad Unum." He said quickly.
"You're insane." I sneered.
"You gave me that Omamori charm that I carry with me every day. It was after our night in Tokyo. We were at the Palace Hotel, and we kissed on the terrace, and then you-" He said, words tumbling out of his mouth. What? How does he know this?
"Stop!" I said.
"And then you took me in-" He continued.
"STOP!" I yelled. "How do you know these things?" I asked suspiciously.
"Because it's me, Alexander. The day of Valentine's massacre, you told me that you loved me. So if you love me, please. Please, you have to believe me." He replied. I stood there, not knowing what to believe. Part of me was seeing Valentine, the man who had caused so much pain and suffering, standing in front of me. But the other part was seeing Magnus, the warlock whom I loved so much and who loved me in return. He was acting so much like Magnus. That's what scared me the most. He reached forward to take my hand, but I pushed him back. "Alexan-" He began, but I cut him off. I held my hand out in front of me, keeping him at arms length.
"Just...stop." I whispered.
"Alexander!" He called out to me, but I was out of the room before I could hear much more.
I walked out of the cell, closing the door behind me. I couldn't stay in there with him. I was starting to believe him. The look in his eyes, the way he called me Alexander instead of Alec, how he knew details that only Magnus would know, the way he was looking at me, and how he was speaking. It made me want to believe him. Thinking of how weirdly Magnus was behaving and speaking this morning, it might be possible. I thought it was just because Azazel was at his apartment this morning and the way Magnus had acted to Azazel being banished. How he didn't want me to do it, and he didn't show me any affection when I was around him. It was starting to haunt me and I didn't like it. I needed advice, someone to talk to. I needed Ben.

*A little while later*

I exited the elevator, and walked out. Funnily enough, the person I wanted to see was walking past at that very moment.
"Hey." He greeted me.
"Hey. Ben, we need to talk." I said.
"Yeah! Heard you banished Azazel. Congratulations!" He congratulated me. I honestly couldn't think about that right now.
"Yeah. Um, this is gonna sound crazy. I was just with Valentine, and he says that he's Magnus, that Azazel switched them with some kind of a demonic curse." I told him, my voice low.
"What?" He asked.
"I know. It's hard to believe, but it's just that he knew things that only Magnus could know. Like, intimate details." I revealed.
"OK. Well, he could have had a warlock steal your memories." Ben suggested. I shook my head. I still had those memories so that wasn't possible.
"No, that's not possible. I would have noticed." I said.
"OK, well-" I began, pulling me to the side. His voice then lowered when he began speaking again. "By the look on your face I can tell you still have doubts."
"Yeah." I said.
"Well, I'd say trust your gut. There have been many a time when you say something will end it tears, and it usually does, so trust your gut. But Alec, be careful." Ben warned. "Anything to do with Valentine, whether his body has been switched or not, is dangerous." He added. I nodded. I then looked at Ben and could see the look on his face.
"You look troubled. What is it?" I asked him curiously. Ben glanced around before looking back at me.
"Not here. In my room." He said, before grabbing my hand and leading me towards his room.

*In Ben's room*

BEN'S POV

I closed and locked my door, drawing a Soundless rune on the door. I then walked over to my bed and sat down next to Alec.
"What's wrong?" Alec asked. I took a deep breath in and out and then started speaking.
"Sebastian. Honestly, I don't get why people are so blindly trusting of him. I mean, I get that he saved Izzy, but he pops up out of nowhere, and he seems like he has the answers to any question we have. There's just something about him that doesn't really sit well with me, and it worries me. I guess I should give him a chance because he makes Izzy and Clary happy, but I have a fear that something is going to happen that is going to effect us all, and Sebastian is going to be at the centre of it. It may just be the protective older brother in me, but I just can't shake the feeling." I said.
"I was the same with Clary when she arrived. She popped up out of nowhere, and Jace and Izzy would run around after her and didn't care how many rules or laws they broke in the process. Angel, I almost married a woman because of her. We eventually got over our issues and now we are friends. Sort of." Alec told me.
"I know, but this is different. I just can't shake the feeling that something horrible is going to happen because of him." I said. "I would never be mean to him, but I just don't trust him."
"I agree with you, and, if it makes you feel any better, I don't trust him either." Alec told me. I sighed. "Look, we'll keep an eye on him. It didn't seem like Jace trusted him either with the way his hand was on his seraph blade and the uncertainty he felt towards Sebastian. I could feel it through our parabatai bond." He added. He was right, it didn't look like Jace trusted him much more than we did.