City of Shattered Glass

Part 15: Between the Wars

When Alec woke again, he was in the Basilas. He was in an empty hospital room trying to figure out why he was there when the events of the night before came flooding back. The attack on Brocelind Plane. A sword in his gut. Magnus' voice. Impenetrable darkness. Jace's voice in the darkness. Magnus' slitted eyes looking down at him as if he were a miracle. Jace rushing off with help from Magnus. Darkness returning.

Alec pushed himself up so that he was sitting upright, his hand rubbing his forehead as he looked around the blindingly white room. He put a hand to his middle, expecting there to be some ugly mar in the skin or stitches, but there was only a clean white bandage covering a thick white scar that ran vertically from his bellybutton to just below his chest. He ran his fingers lightly along it, finding that it was not even an upraised scar. He should be dead. He had died, but something had pulled him back. Jace? Magnus? It was a complete mystery to him on how he was alive, but he wasn't complaining. At the moment, he had a lot to live for.

It wasn't long before Alec could hear commotion outside of the door and an unmistakable voice yelling, "MOVE ASIDE YOU ROTTING ORANGES! I WANT TO SEE ALEXANDER!"

Alec suppressed a smile at the tenacity of his boyfriend. Nothing could stop Magnus, just another quality he loved. And Alec was beginning to understand one very important thing: he loved Magnus like he'd loved nobody else before and if the Clave, or even his parents, didn't except him for that, then screw them. He wasn't going to make himself miserable for their sakes.

When Magnus came through the door the lights came on and Alec cringed back from the bright light. The lights were so white it seemed as though they themselves were in mourning of a bulb that had just burnt out. They really should consider putting dimmer lights in healing rooms, it felt more practical. Not that it really mattered at the moment, but Alec had to blink a few times before he was able to actually see Magnus.

"Good Morning Sleeping Beauty." Magnus beamed, sitting himself in a chair at Alec's side.

"How long have I been out?" Alec asked, stretching his arms out above him.

Magnus tapped his chin as if thinking, "37 hours, 32 minutes, and 46 seconds. Not that I've been counting," he shrugged, "I also had an alarm spell set that would alert me when you were awake."

"Isn't that a bit, umm—obsessive?"

The warlock only shook his finger at him, "I am not letting you out of my sight for a very long time after that little—incident—on the battlefield."

"Fair enough," Alec said, holding his hand out to Magnus, "but also, I died Magnus. I'm pretty sure that's less of a 'little incident' and more of a big problem."

"I agree," Magnus' demeanor seemed to change quickly, going from his usual casual carelessness to a more worried fear, "You almost killed me Alexander. You were dead in my arms. I-I've never been so terrified in my long life than that moment when I saw that faerie standing over you."

Alec placed his hand over Magnus', lying on top of the blankets, "But I'm here now."

"Yeah," Magnus mumbled, seeming unamused, "Only because Jace has weird resurrection powers like that one guy from Star Wars or was it that Disney movie—Tangled or something? It's honestly probably neither of those but whatever. The point is Jace did some weird Parabatai type thingy and now you're alive and not dead—which I am very grateful for—but how?"

"Where is Jace?"

Magnus shrugged, "Probably in the next room with Clary. She also had a very umm—close to death experience, if you can call it that. She's been out for as long as you. Her mother has been sitting next to her for every second."