West of Words (Alec Lightwood)

🗝 Chapter Six 🗝

"There's a letter for you."

Varian's baba  was in the kitchen when Varian woke up a few hours later, looking at the paper of the envelope with a completely confused look.

"I didn't even know people still wrote letters." Varian snorted as his baba  flopped the paper back and forth in front of his eyes.

Varian took it from his baba, confused as to why it didn't have any form of postage, but smiled as he opened it. "It's from Ragnor." Varian didn't have to see the name to know who wrote it. Ragnor's rolling scrawl filled the page.

His baba  cursed the Warlock by name under his breath, "Ragnor writes to you? He won't even answer me."

"I guess he likes me more." Varian said it in a teasing way, ignoring the look his baba  gave him as he glanced down at the letter. It spoke of Ragnor feeling something off in the world, and that he wondered if Varian had felt the shift.

He had.

Ragnor wanted Varian to come visit and sometime soon, but that he wasn't sure how safe it would be for him to give his location away. Varian sighed as he looked up at his baba, "Ragnor doesn't feel safe, and I don't blame him. The Circle has returned, Valentine has returned, there is to much going on for a visit, but he's invited me to stay if I need to get away."

Varian noticed his baba  open his mouth to say something, but stopped him as something came flying through the air at Varian. He snatched it out of the air, glancing down at the playing card and sighing.

"Duty calls, have whatever you want. I don't know when I'll be back."

Varian stepped out of the kitchen, rolling his shoulders a bit as he waved his hand to change what he was wearing into something a bit more ready to fight in. He pulled his shoes on the mundane way, lacing them before standing.

"It's cold outside," Varian turned just as his baba  tossed him a coat.

"Thank you." Varian puts his hands through the coat, fixing it on his shoulders as he starts towards the door. He reaches for an umbrella, and the second his fingers brush it it's form ripples and changes, turning itself into a sword. He clips it to his back, not having to worry about mundane's seeing it as it once again ripples and disappears.

The door opens on its own, revealing a portal instead of a hallway. Varian cringes, portaling is his least favorite mode of transport, he'd much rather walk everywhere then step through a portal, but he did it anyways, sensing the urgency from the card and thinking of Clary and Jace as he stepped through.

The feeling of being in a portal is strange, you feel as though you're being pulled in every direction, and when you finally land on the other side it's hard for most to keep their balance. Varian falls into this category.

His knees hit the pavement, and he was glad that he was dropped into an alleyway rather than the middle of the street or right next to the group of Shadowhunters.

Varian steps out of the alleyway, adjusting his jacket on his shoulders and letting his fingers brush along the hilt of his sword to check that it was there. He notices the red hair of Clary, approaching her and the rest quickly.

"Someone call for back up?" He calls, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets as he approaches.

The group turns, and mentally Varian goes through the names of the all. Clary, Jace, Izzy, and the dark haired Shadowhunter he hadn't had the chance to meet. The one who so willingly gave his strength to Varian to help heal the Werewolf.

"Where is Luke?" Varian couldn't feel the emotions of the Werewolf, and from the glances that passes between all of them, he is nowhere good.

"It's complicated." Varian snorts, but lets Jace continue. "We found the Cup. We have to sneak back into the precinct to get it. It's in the office on the fourth floor."

"And you called on me to help, wonderful." Varian mutters sarcastically, "Haven't you ever done anything like this before?"

"They haven't." Izzy said it with a smile, and I held my hand out to her for a fist bump, she snorted as she complied. The Shadowhunter next to her does not look amused, and Varian glances at him, looking him up and down before speaking.

"I remember you, you lent me your strength." Varian bows his head slightly as he speaks. "Thank you?"

It was spoken as a question, but the man didn't seem to understand what he was asking. Izzy smacked his side, "Oh," he shakes his head, "Alec-Alexander-Alec, Lightwood."

He, Alec, spoke with broken syllables, and Varian smiled at the apparent embarrassment that he was feeling. Alec reaches to shake Varian's hand, but he dodges it, muttering an apology as Varian avoids shaking his hand.

"Let's do this then?" Varian offered, turning towards the front entrance of the building.

"We need a plan-" Alec started to say, but Varian was already marching towards the front door. "Varian- wait!"

The group follows behind him, a few of them calling out in an attempt to get him to stop, but Varian continues, he learned that in most situations if you walk with confidence, you can convince anyone that you belong there and as he steps into the front room of the precinct he marches right past the front desk. The officer sitting behind it doesn't even attempt to stop him, and he looks over his shoulder.

"Lightwood, come on." He uses the last name in a way of making himself sound more official. Alec hurries forward, and as the other three attempt to follow the desk Sargent looks up and starts to nag at them.

"Wait," The dark haired boy attempts to wave the rest of them on through but is unsuccessful. He keeps in step with Varian easily, watching as everyone steps out of their way as they walk through the halls.

Varian steps into the main room of the precinct, before openly wincing and backing into Alec, hands appear on his shoulder, and he realizes just how tall the man behind him is. Varian turns, pushing against Alec's chest until they are out of sight of the door. Varian drops his hands, avoiding looking up at the Shadowhunter as he speaks.

"You'll have to do it."