Bloodloss: An Alec and Magnus (Malec) Fanfiction

Chapter 3

A hand rests on my shoulder, but I don’t lift my head. Izzy’s the only one left in the room, so I know it’s her. Plus, I can tell without looking.

“Alec, I’m so sorry.” She tells me, sounding devastated.

She squeezes my shoulder gently, but I still don’t raise my head. I just can’t believe it. I can’t believe that less than an hour I was sat in the apartment with Magnus, having the best day of my life. And now I’m sat on the floor of the Institute library, my head reeling, in unbearable pain.

 I’ve never believed emotional pain can hurt as much as physical pain. But now, as I kneel on the ground, my chest and head hurting so much I feel like I’m either going to faint or throw up, I know it’s true. This is excruciating, every moment worse than the one before. It’s more intense than any pain I’ve ever felt, worse than any wound or burn of demon poison. Not even being stabbed by Sebastian comes close to this pain. It’s without equal, utterly indescribable.

“Alec, listen to me.” Izzy says, and her voice demands my attention. She kneels down before me. “While you were waiting in the hall, they were discussing your sentence. I tried to reason with them, I argued, but they wouldn’t change their minds. Alec, your blood-draining ceremony is on Tuesday. You have two days left here. I’ll get your things from Magnus’s and explain. Okay, Alec?”

I move my head in a nod and stagger to my feet. I feel for tears on my cheeks but find none. Good, I think, at least the Clave didn’t see me cry. I don’t make a habit of crying in public. I glance up and see Jace come in. Izzy gets to her feet, closing the door behind him.

“Hey, Alec. Sorry I wasn’t there for the meeting. But I’m hardly the Clave’s favourite person, and I’m not the best at all of that ‘respecting my elders and betters’ stuff.” He glances up at the clock, which reads a time far later than feels possible. “Are you staying the night, or are you off home?”

Home. With its ever-changing décor, and the Chairman, and the familiar smell of sandalwood, and the glitter that clings to everything.

Home.

My home.

Magnus’s home.

Our home.

I yank the blue scarf from my neck and clutch it in my hands to hide their trembling.

“Alec?” Jace asks, alarmed, rushing to my side. “What’s wrong?”

I don’t say anything, but Izzy comes to my rescue and replies for me.

“Alec and Magnus can’t be together, the Clave has forbidden it.”

“What? Why?” Jace asks in disbelief.

“Alec’s having his shadowhunter-blood drained, and he only has two days until he has to leave the Institute. The Clave says that if Magnus was the cause of Alec turning himself into a downworlder, then they can’t be together. Now he has a curse on him so they can’t see each other.”