DEAR DARLIN' • ALEC LIGHTWOOD

xiii

"I'M RUNNING OUT of magic." Apollo started gasping out. Clary cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"But you're a god. I thought that you were invincible. You got killed and woke up a couple hours later." Clary was inquisitive.

"I am a god. But my power relies on being worshipped. On sacrifices. Luke doesn't believe in the Greek gods, or more so doesn't have faith. So I am using y powers of healing on a non-believer. There's only so much I can do for him." Apollo explained. Clary then realised that he wasn't the indestructible big brother she always saw him as.

"What do I do?" Clary asked, putting her warm hand on Apollo's ice cold cheek.

"I can't leave him," Magnus started, holding out his hand for Apollo to accept his energy as a sacrifice. "But the potion stock still needs Komodo scale. Find it, add the rest when they get here. You'll have to feed it to Luke." Both the magical beings gasped out, Magnus due to the dull pain he was feeling from the extraction of his energy and Apollo feeling more lively. Apollo started putting a bit more energy into restoring Luke.

'What about you both?" Clary asked, worried.

"I'll hold on as long as I can. Go!" Magnus shouted out to Clary, seeing Apollo hold back on taking his energy. She ran out to keep making the potion.

"Take more, Apollo." Magnus urged, though he already felt so weak.

"I can't. You're already so pale and its only been a couple insteps. I can't risk killing you." Apollo grunted, his teeth clenched as he let go of the warlock, letting his magic flow, his skin glowing brighter.

"At this rate you'll kill yourself!" Magnus shouted o the god. A tear ran down Apollo's cheek.

"Death is better than going back there, my friend." Apollo told him, seeing hw close the clock was ticking to midnight.

"It feels like you're going to give a heartfelt goodbye, but I will not accept it. You are not dying and I wont let you stay with them for long. Trust me, sweetpea, I will get you back."

Apollo let out a chesty laugh, a smile spreading across his golden skin as Magnus got up to search his grimoires. Apollo almost fainted in that moment, however he was caught by two strong arms. Apollo turned to see Alec holding him, basking in his warmth.

"Help him, he needs your strength." Magnus told Alec as he left to go help Clary with the potion. Alec just gripped the god in tighter, intertwining their hands as a pang of sadness shot through Apollo's heart.

"Take what you need." The Shadowhunter said, his voice string and his heart heavy. Jace and Simon run in with a bag, shouting for Clary, not bothering to stop and look at the scene before them.

"Do you have it?" Clary asked them, looking at Luke with an indecipherable emotion.

" Yeah." Jace gave her the ingredients.

"Thanks." She breathed out. She put the rest of the ingredients in the potion, letting Magnus prep Luke for the liquid. She purrs it down the werewolf's mouth as Apollo's body gives out.

Exhausted, Apollo collapsed against Alec's warm body as his face begins to regain colour. Alec tightens his arms around the god as he breathes heavily.

"Hey, Clary." Luke breathlessly groans out, a smile crossing everyone's face as they see he is okay. Alec looked down at the god who was rest on his chest, his forehead glistening with sweat and his eyes closed.

"You okay?" Alec asked. Apollo opened his eyes, looking deep into Alec's hazel iris'.

"Yeah." Alec starts to get up, helping the god up too, to move into another room to lay Apollo down.

"Alec, wait." Clary stopped the shadowhunter. "If you hadn't gotten here in time, I'm just, I'm glad you and Jace are okay now." Clary was breathless. 

"I didn't do this for Jace." Alec looked at the man in his arms. Clary's eyes softened.

"Then I'm glad you did it for you." She smiled at him.

"Thank you." Alec walked into the other room and lay Apollo on the bed, stroking his face gently. Alec left as Magnus was walking in.

"It's almost time." His voice was quiet. He wasn't ready to let his best friend go.

"How long do I have?" Apollo asked, tears already clouding in his eyes.

"Long enough to say your goodbyes."

"Well then," Apollo took a deep breath, pulling Magnus to sit on the bed. "Magnus Bane. You have been my best friend since I properly left Olympus. You taught me how to live in this world. You took me in and you loved me like family, a real family, and I can never thank you enough for that. You are my family. Not related by something as accidental as blood, but by something stronger. By choice. And I am going to miss you more than I can put into words. Thank you for everything that you have done for me. I love you, alway and forever, my friend." Apollo let out a soft sob as a tear ran down Magnus's cheek.

"I'm not ready to say goodbye to you, Apollo." Magnus hugged the god in tight.

"But you will, because you are strong ." Apollo caressed the mans back.

"I think you have to go say goodbye to Alexander." Magnus wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"I'm not ready to say goodbye to him, Magnus."

"But you will." Magnus knowingly smiled. Apollo nodded and got up off the bed.

"You know I have magic for that, right?" Apollo spoke up, after watching Alec cleaning look off of Magnus' sofa. A soft smile spread across the shadowhunters face.

"I think you've exerted yourself enough for one day." Apollo hummed in agreement before moving over to where Magnus had his drinks.

"Drink break?" The god asked, knowing that he would be needing it for what came next.  Alec move up to grab the drink from the god. Apollo took in a shaky breath.

"Are you okay?" Alec asked, moving to put his hand on Apollo's arm.

"I have to say something to you. But you cant," Apollo cut himself off to silence a soft sob. "You can't interrupt, okay?" Alec looked confused, and concerned. But instead he just nodded.

"I'm leaving." Apollo said breathlessly. Alec opened his out to speak but Apollo just put his hand up to silence him. "My family have finally come looking for me. I've been gone too long apparently. They are not happy with me."

Apollo downed the rest of his drink before pouring himself another glass.

"So this is my chance to say goodbye." Apollo said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.

Alec was silent for a couple of seconds, the tension in the room growing.

"I don't want you to go." Alec said, so softly that if Apollo were mortal, he never would've been able to hear him.

"I don't want to go either, my darling. But either I go, or they'll kill everyone I care about to force me to come back."

"I don't want you to leave me, Apollo." Alec felt a tear roll down his cheek. Apollo moved forward to lay his hand on Alec's cheek. Alec leaned into Apollo's touch.

"I will fight to come back to you, Alexander. Nothing can keep me from you. I promise." Apollo could feel Alec's breath on his lips.

"Swear it. On the angel. Swear it to me." Alec leaned his forehead against Apollo's, breathing his scent.

"I swear to you, Alexander Gideon Lightwood, I swear on the angel that I will come back to you. No matter what it takes." With that, Apollo leant forward and connected their lips.

Their lips melded together, a heavenly kiss, their tears mixing with their tongues. It lasted for eternity, yet it was eternally too short. As they broke away for a breath, they both heard the clock strike midnight.

"Goodbye, Alexander."

- - -

So yeah, a bit sad, a bit exciting. How is Apollo gonna get back? Everything seems a bit hopeless. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's a little short, sorry.