A Malec Story

Chapter 68: Where I Lay Dying

Magnus

Sebastian came into their cell and persuaded Raphael to side with him. And Raphael agreed. Magnus was stunned, after all these years of knowing Raphael and his ice cold control, he'd never thought he'd do something this stupid.

Raphael was trying to save his own skin, he was selfish like that. But didn't he know that Sebastian wasn't to be trusted? Sebastian gave him promises which Magnus knew he wouldn't keep. Yet Raphael fell for it with his eyes wide open. Magnus felt surprised by his own disappointment in Raphael. He didn't think he cared that much. Then again, he'd known Raphael for a long time, had saved his life even. Now he wondered if that was a mistake.

Sebastian drew out a misericord and handed it to Raphael. "Take it," he said.

Raphael held the blade a little awkwardly, not used to handling weapons.

"Very good," said Sebastian. "Now let us seal our agreement in blood. Kill the warlock."

Magnus closed his eyes and he heard the knife fall from Raphael's hand to the ground.

"We do not kill with knives," he heard Raphael say. Magnus opened his eyes again, thinking that now, after four hundred years of walking the earth, he'd find his death in his father's realm at the hand of a person whose life he once saved. There was a certain irony in it.

"You do now," said Sebastian. "I won't have you tearing out his throat; too messy, too easy to get it wrong. Do as I tell you. Go to the warlock and stab him to death. Cut his throat, pierce his heart—however you like."

Raphael turned toward Magnus and Magnus saw Luke move, probably to block him. With some effort Magnus held up his hand. "Luke, don't."

"Raphael, if you do this, there will be no peace between the pack and the Night's Children, not now or ever again," Luke tried to change Raphael's mind. Magnus knew it was futile. Luke couldn't do anything to persuade Raphael, and Sebastian knew it too.

He laughed a cold laugh. "You can't imagine you'll ever hold sway over a pack again, can you, Lucian Graymark? When I win this war, and I will, I will rule with my sister beside me, and keep you in a cage for her to throw bones to when it amuses her."

Magnus saw Raphael approaching him with the misericord outstretched in front of him.

"If you think Clary would tolerate—" Luke began, and moved toward Raphael, but Sebastian blocked his way.

Magnus wasn't afraid as Raphael bent over him and the blade touched his throat.

"That's right," said Sebastian from behind Raphael. "Cut his throat. Let the blood run out over the floor. He has lived too many years."

Magnus thought of Alec then, of his blue eyes and steady smile. Of how afraid he was to lose him. How heartbroken he'd be when Alec died and how heartbroken he was now just for being apart from him. He wasn't afraid to die but he didn't want to die. He wanted to see him again. If only once for a short time.

"You remember," he said to Raphael, so soft that Sebastian couldn't hear him. "You know what you owe me."

"You saved my life," Raphael replied. "A life I never wanted."

"Show me you're serious, Santiago," said Sebastian. "Kill the warlock."

"I have no soul," Raphael said, looking down on Magnus. "But I made you a promise on my mother's doorstep, and she was sacred to me."

"Santiago—" Sebastian began.

"I was a child then. I am not now." Magnus saw the knife fall and Raphael turned around. "I cannot," he said to Sebastian. "I will not. I owe him a debt from many years ago."

"You disappoint me, Raphael," Sebastian said, as he moved forward and picked up the misericord. "You disappoint me very much," he said, and then, too swiftly for the eye to follow, he drove his Morgenstern blade into Raphael's heart.

Raphael crumbled to the ground and lay still. Sebastian stood over him and glared at Magnus. "Very well, you'll live, for now. I doubt it will be long, but we'll see."

He turned and walked out of the room, leaving Raphael lying there. Undead but dead. Magnus sighed deeply. "I can't believe he's actually gone," he whispered as he pulled his hands up to his face.

Luke walked towards Raphael then and laid him on his back, closing his eyes. "Sebastian isn't to be trusted," he said, "It was a stupid thing to do."

"At that," Magnus said, sinking down to the floor. He closed his eyes once more and wished, for the millionth time, that Alec were here. If Alec were here he'd be okay, he could die, it would be fine. If only it were possible to see his smile again, his beautiful blue eyes.