50 Shades of Malec

The Meeting

MAGNUS' POV

I took my seat next to Alexander as the meeting began. "You good?" I was nervous about how he would handle everything. He was pretty much the head of the institute while his parents were away, now he's not. Lydia is. And even better, his parents were sitting across from us. 

I thought that I looked pretty great with my blue button-down shirt, black skinny jeans, and a sequin-covered jacket. It was pretty simple, my hair with some white streaks in it, a single necklace, and always my multiple rings... But Alexander looked stunning.

Alec was wearing nothing more than simple black jeans and a denim button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, but it melted everything inside of me. I just want to know how he does it. He looks perfect without trying. He looks so innocent, so beautiful. I loved it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But are you? You won't stop staring at me and I've been trying to catch your attention for a while now." He looked concerned.

"No, no. I'm fine. I was just marveling in how amazing you looked." He blushed pretty badly then.

"You look better Magnus. You always do. The only thing that I was wondering about is your outfit..." He trailed off. "It's very exotic. It's not your usual Magnus Bane. I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything, just... Wow."

At that exact moment, Miss Branwell stood up and clinked her glass with a fork. "Hello and welcome downworlders. As many of you may know, the demon Agramon has escaped. There was a spell holding him in place, but only as long as a bloodline lasted. That bloodline has died out. I have called you all here today to come to a decision for a course of action because he will be going after the New York Pack and any warlocks involved in casting the spell. Only two of those warlocks are still around. But Agramon will stop at nothing to destroy the New York Pack and then move on to the rest of the werewolves."

A downworlder stood up. "Well, can't the warlocks just cast a spell and put him back?"

There was a chorus of agreement from many downworlders.

I stood up. "Yes, well, the spell required a sacrifice. The pack leader at the time sacrificed himself and the spell lasted as long as the bloodline did. The course of action that would be discussed would be a sacrifice or to find some other form of restrainment which is very hard to find for a greater demon."

"Well, who were the warlocks? Obviously, their spells were defective, why not sacrifice them?" To my surprise, it was a Shadowhunter. The name of him was not. It was Raj.

Alec stood up. "It is our job to protect the downworld and the mundanes. We cannot go around sacrificing and killing downworlders because then you'll be just as bad as Valentine."

Raj was shaking he was so angry. "Well, why not? I bet it's your boyfriend! Why can't we just kill them off! The world would be a better place without those stinking filthy downworlders."

Shadowhunters and downworlders alike stared in shocked silence. They all began to stand up. "Hey! This is a collective issue. We have to work together. Guards..." He motioned for them to take Raj to a holding cell.

"The sacrifice has to be willing. We couldn't offer anyone who wasn't willing, so animals are out of the question. It has to be a sacrifice out of pure intention." I shook my head slowly. "We can't fight, the pack leader willingly sacrificed himself to save his family and his pack."

The downworld erupted and I walked out. I couldn't handle all of the downgrading political talk. I needed to be able to breathe. I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose when I felt a hand on my arm. I turned around, it was Alexander. Of course it was.

"You need to go back in there and help Lydia cool everyone off. My issues are my own. I'll be back in a minute. I just need to breathe." I pushed him gently towards the door. I wasn't being selfless I just really needed a moment alone.

"Alright. I will be right back." He was looking from me to the door where I could hear the downworlders yelling their heads off. "Right back."

I watched him walk away and heard him trying to calm everyone down. Enough was enough. I walked in and silenced everyone with my magic. I flicked my wrist and everyone sat down in their seats.

"I'm terribly sorry that I had to do that, but we have a greater demon on the loose and I sincerely feel that your insignificant downworld problems aren't very important compared to that. I'm very sorry that the packs couldn't protect their own and the bloodline died out." Everyone was staring at me in shock. "So, continue! No need to stare at me for the next eternity, even though I am wonderful to look at."

The Seelie Queen stood up. "I for one want to know exactly why the werewolf was set loose. You should have locked her up and never let her see the light of day again. That's what I would have done. She would have been safe, but now you have put the downworld at risk and I don't feel that it is my problem. We have been out of the angel's reach for thousands of years. The demon's too. I say fix the problem that you created, Magnus Bane."

There were gasps around the room. "With all due respect, your majesty, she was not a creature to be contained for eternity. Nor is any downworlder. If that is what you would have done, why don't you choose one of your people to be sacrificed." I was shocked by what I had just said. And to the Seelie Queen.

"Like I said, your Angels and Demons can't reach the Seelie realm." She smiled to herself.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that, your majesty. This is Agramon we're talking about. You remember the last time a Prince of Hell escaped...?" Her smile widened.

"I sure do Mr. Bane. As I remember, it was Asmodeus. Don't you have a special relationship with him?" My face felt hot.

"No. I don't. Half of your people were slaughtered. Are you willing to let that happen again?" Her smile faded. "That's what I thought."

She motioned for a Seelie warrior to come forth. "I am not doing this for you, Shadowhunter. Or you, Mr. Bane. Or even for the packs, Mr. Graymark. I am doing this for my people." She turned towards the warrior. "Are you willing to die for your people and your queen?"

The warrior bowed deeply. "I am."

She sighed, satisfied. "Do with him as you wish. I believe that our problem is solved. That makes this meeting, done." She turned and walked out with her entourage of guards.

Everyone made their way to the door except for a select few. Lydia, Alec, Jace, Clary, Simon, Raphael, Lucian,  Izzy, and the Seelie warrior. I walked over to them.

Lydia greeted me first. "Magnus, thank you. Without you, I don't know what we would have done."

I blushed, unused to Shadowhunter praise. "You would have lost many lives trying to find a willing sacrifice while fighting Agramon."

Alexander grabbed my hand. "Can't you just say thank you? Accept a compliment for once? You've earned it." 

Everyone in the semi-circle we had formed chuckled.

I cleared my throat and pushed up my sleeves. "Alright, let's trap a greater demon."