"Hmm, this is strange."
Alec turned in a circle, wrapping the scarf tighter around his neck and adjusting his bag. Magnus staggered as he hit the ground and fell ungracefully to his hands and knees. Thankfully, Alec kept his back turned, because that was the kind of thing a man did in private, falling over. He jumped easily onto a bench and stood on his toes, peering into to the distance.
It was cold—Alec had been right. A cold wind hissed across the cobblestone and cut into Magnus' skin. He shivered as he stood up, pulling his scarf up over his mouth and nose and tucking the hat over his ears.
"What's strange?" Magnus began, but was cut off by a deafening bang from behind him. With an undignified screech, he spun and stared upwards in shock. It was a noise he hadn't heard in a long time. They were standing at the foot of Big Ben, the sun setting behind it.
"Well, I did forget to factor in the time difference," Alec said, in the pauses between the bell tolling eight, "and when I thought of the hotel, I thought of the view from our window. Said view, is Big Ben. So, I suppose we ended up at Big Ben instead."
"Where's the hotel? Far?" Magnus inquired, brushing his jeans off and straightening his coat.
"A couple blocks." Alec dropped back onto the pavement. The wind grabbed his scarf and strung it out in front of him. Magnus coughed weakly, shoving his ringed hands into his pockets. Alec strode off down the sidewalk and Magnus trailed along behind. He looked off in the distance and saw the tallest spire on Westminster Abbey piercing the sky. His heart leapt as he recalled being able to see the palace from the Institute. They couldn't be that far!
They walked a couple blocks before Alec paused under an overhang, and Magnus drew up beside him. Alec's face was set and he stared mistily off into the distance.
"Last time we were here," he murmured, so quietly Magnus had to strain to hear, "Ragnor almost got pickpocketed, and he grabbed the kid and threatened to throw him into the path of the next oncoming train."
"Slightly excessive, I think," Magnus commented, rolling forward onto the balls of his feet, hands tucked safely into his pockets, one around his phone, the other around his wallet. "I would have merely castrated the bastard, and permitted him waddle away with his life."
This earned a startled laugh.
A bus pulled up and cut off their conversation there. Alec allowed Magnus board first and grabbed a map from next to the driver as they passed. Magnus found two empty seats facing each other in the back, and they settled in as the bus lurched into motion.
London was a lot different than Magnus had remembered. The buildings were taller than he had remembered—but maybe he had just gotten used to New York. The cobblestone was uneven under the tires, resulting in a bumpy ride. People hurried by on the sidewalks, heads bowed against the cold. Magnus caught the eye of a werewolf, sitting facing their way, who growled throatily at him, sneering. He ducked his head. He had forgotten how cold the Downworld of London was toward Shadowhunters. Alec was buried in his map and didn't catch it. He looked out the window after a moment.
As they rumbled down Euston Square, Alec raised a gloved hand and pointed to a massive building standing at the corner with Melton Street. "That's where the conference is tomorrow," he said. "30 Euston Square."
"At that massive venue?" Magnus asked, cocking an eyebrow and peering up at the towering building. "It looks expensive."
"Maddox Pride spares no expense when it comes to his Council," Alec replied with a smirk. He pulled his phone out and frowned at the screen, typing quickly. "Jace seems to doubt my ability to make it to London in one piece."
YOU ARE READING
Outcast
Fanfiction"My name is Magnus," he introduced himself, gold eyes shining. "Magnus Lightwood." "I didn't know Maryse and Robert had another kid," Alec said, much more sharply than intended. "Adopted," he amended, shrugging one shoulder. "My parents-died. Year...
