A Malec Story

Chapter 63: In Alec's Vision

Midway upon the journey of our life

I found myself within a forest dark

For the straightforward pathway had been lost.

I cannot well repeat how there I entered,

So full was I of slumber at the moment

In which I had abandoned the true way.

- Dante, Inferno, Canto 1, lines 1-3, 10-12

Magnus

Magnus was having trouble keeping his eyes open. When he woke up he found himself in a circular cell, surrounded by Endarkened Shadowhunters who had chained him to the floor. Luke was there, and Raphael. There was no sign of Jocelyn. As soon as the Endarkened disappeared Luke started shouting for her.

Magnus was lying flat on the ground now, wishing for Luke to stop. It was pointless anyway. He knew Sebastian kept Jocelyn somewhere else. She was leverage, for Clary. As to the three of them, he had no clue what they were to Sebastian. Toys to dispose of, maybe?

He felt the blood soar hot through his veins, the prickling beginning of fever and he knew what it meant. They weren't on earth anymore. They were in another dimension, and not just any dimension. This was his father's dimension. The dimension of one of the fallen Angels, Lucifer's right hand, Magnus's father. Asmodeus.

Asmodeus was as evil as the devil himself and almost as powerful. Magnus had summoned him once and paid for that dearly. He'd sworn to himself he was never going to do that again. But now he was in Edom. And his father ruled here. This was a huge problem. Obviously his father knew he was there, and there was no telling what he'd do to try to persuade Magnus to call on him again. Magnus already felt it, this dimension was slowly but relentlessly killing him.

He couldn't keep his eyes open and he told himself that he shouldn't try. There was nothing here to see, anyway. He gave into the feeling of tiredness and heaviness and let sleep carry him away.

The Hall of Accords was filled with people and decorated with blue banners. Each of them was gilded with the Lightwood Symbol. Magnus looked at his own hand where he saw the ring Alec had gotten him for his birthday. The swirling lines edged in the silver almost exactly the same as the symbol on the banners. He looked to his right and was not surprised to find Alec sitting next to him. He looked stunning, in a tailored suit with a blue tie. He sat in a higher chair than he himself, and looked extremely happy. At the other side of him Magnus noticed the rest of the Lightwood family. All of them, including Max, smiling happily up at Alec.

Magnus recognized Jia Penhallow walking up to their table and Robert took her arm, beaming with pride, "My son," he said to her, "My son won the battle; that's my son up there. Lightwood blood will tell; our family have always been fighters."

"Save it for the speech, Robert," she said, winking.

"Oh, God, the speech," Alec said, and he hid his face in his hands. Magnus reached out a hand and rubbed Alec's spine. He saw Jace looking over at them.

"As if we all haven't been in a room full of people telling us how amazing we are before," Jace said grinning. "Ah, just me, then."

"Leave my boyfriend alone," Magnus said. "I know spells that could turn your ears inside out."

At that point Robert stood up, clinking his glass, and started a speech for Alec's sake. He told the room how Alec had defeated Sebastian and how proud he was of him. He ended the story with saying that Alec was engaged to be married to his partner, Magnus Bane.

Everyone started clapping and Magnus waved at the crowd with his fork. He looked over at Alec, whose cheeks were burning an adorable red, yet Magnus felt as if something was off.