West of Words (Alec Lightwood)

🗝 Chapter Fifty-Seven 🗝

Et unus talea per, est silentium imposuisset.

The words started the moment Alec woke, Latin phrases missing to many words for the Shadowhunter to translate.

Et secundus, mundus ferrum.

Jace was there for only a moment when Alec first came to, his hand wrapped in Alec's and the brightest smile on his face when they he had realized that his Parabatai was alright. There were hugs and tears and happy smiles, but all the while the world was slightly off, something was missing.

Et, mens vacua remansit.

Or more specifically someone, but the thought on who was interrupted by Victor Aldertree storming through Magnus Bane's apartment and demanding the arrest of Jace Wayland. The room fell silent as Magnus focused on Alec's health, offering potions and concoctions that all tasted foul but did wonders for how he felt.

Et quartus, est abiit.

"Where is Varian?" The question was finally asked, and the answer was not in an way comforting.

Magnus paused while mixing drinks, and Clary couldn't seem to form the right words. It was Izzy to speak. "He got Clary off the ship, and Jace, and a couple hundred Downworlders-"

"It was really impressive." Clary piped in, her voice higher pitched than usual.

Alec shifted in his bed, pushing himself up to rest on his elbows as he glared down his sister in a way that told her to tell the truth. He asked again; "Where is Varian?"

"He hasn't shown up." Magnus' voice was firm, but quiet. A sadness hidden behind the words as he turned, a martini in hand. "No ones seen him, and the ship hasn't shown up on any radars as abandoned-"

"There's no way Valentine would continue to use a location that's been compromised." Alec supplied, ignoring the ache in his back and his shoulders as he pushed himself into a seated position before finally into a standing one. There was a shuffle in his steps as he walked forward, ignoring the way his sister put her hands out to him to make sure he didn't fall.

Magnus was the one to interrupt his thoughts. "I can't feel his magic anymore." It was barely above a whisper, and when Alec looked at him the High Warlock was clutching at his chest as though it ached in a painful way.

The words made Alec panic, his heart started beating harder in his chest the longer he thought about his boyfriend disappearance. The last time Varian had disappeared at such a level he showed up nearly two days later with a broken wrist and a bruised face.

"We need to find him."

And the moment the words left his mouth an image appeared in his head, a cloudy haze flashed over his eyes and he was no longer in Magnus Bane's apartment.

The sound of the Hudson river was the first thing that Alec noticed, waves lapping against the shore, beating against the rocks in a way that could have been peaceful if Alec could understand what was going on. The sun had risen hours ago, but the clouds still wanted to be pink and purple, the moon sat just behind him.

Alec took a step forward, not missing the way his foot hovered above the rocks below him. A groan echoed strangely, as if spoken through a dream, and just on the edge of the water half sunken was Varian.

The world twisted back into reality, Magnus stood inches from him, a hand lifted to reach out to him, his mouth forming Alec's name repeatedly.

"I know where he is." Alec reached out, acting in a way that he didn't understand, his hand pressed into Magnus' hand sharing the image with the Warlock.

Magnus' eyes widened in panic, and with an easy snap of his fingers a portal formed beside them. "We have to go, Varian can't swim and that's the bank of the Hudson River that you showed me."

Everyone moved without any further prompting, dashing through the portal and landing on the other side with an easy bend of their knees. Immediately they all spread out, scanning the rocks and docks that decorated the shore line.

"Find him!" Magnus' voice was panicked as he shouted the command, practically sprinting up and down the shore line without regards for his own safety. The idea of his son being in the one place that made him panic no matter the situation made tears form in his eyes. "Come on Birdie, where are you?"

It was spoken as a mumble, just under his breath as his eyes flitted from crevice to crevice, trying to find his son. Alec could practically feel the panic rolling off of him, his movements much slower, more practiced as he moved from rock to rock in an attempt of being careful but still moving fast enough to be practical.

"I've got him!"

It was Izzy who made the satisfactory call, the shout that made everyone breath deeply and forget their troubles for just a moment. Their favorite Warlock had been found, and all four converge on the unconscious form.

Alec took him from Izzy, holding him tight to his chest as he pressed two steady fingers into the side of his neck, the beating of his heart slow but strong. Alec practically sobbed in relief as Magnus dropping to his knees on the other side of Varian, pressing a hand to his chest and muttering a spell in a language that Alec didn't recognize.

The moment the spell stopped, Varian looked better, if that were possible. His skin flushed with color, if anything making the bruising and scrapes on his face look worse. Varian's eyes cracked open ever so slightly, moving almost in a daze between his baba  and boyfriend.

When his mouth opened a scraping voice passed through, one that surely did not belong to the soft spoken boy in Alec's arms.

"Et unus talea per, mundi est silentium imposuisset. Et secundus, mundus fuerit ferrum." It was the same words that had been echoing in Alec's head since he'd woke up. His mind supplying that the words came from the deep sleep that the Parabatai tracking had caused, rather than his connection to Varian. "Et tertius, mens vacua remansit. Et quartus, magicae est abiit."

Varian's eyes fell shut almost immediately afterwards, his breathing shallow but steady. Alec looked up at Magnus, the question of what the words meant dying on his lips at the panic in the Warlocks eyes.

In a flurry of movement that elicited a whimper of pain from Varian, Magnus gripped both of his sons hands in his own, a sob passing through his mouth as they were held in the light for all to see.

The beautiful hands that had one held Alec's so delicately, the beautiful hands that could form a portal with a flick of a pinky and make fire dance across the room, now marred by two black bars over the back of each hand. Crusted with blood, and obviously tender to the touch.

The sudden silence of the world all the more loud as the four realized what was missing;

The hum of a Warlock more powerful than the rest, his magic now obsolete and drifting through the empty cavernous voids of the world.

Valentine Morgenstern will pay for this.

~~~~

Et unus talea per, mundi est silentium imposuisset. Et secundus, mundus fuerit ferrum. Et tertius, mens vacua remansit. Et quartus, magicae est abiit.

Latin Text: Translation--- And with one bar, the world is silenced. And with the second, the world is dull. And with the third, the mind is empty. And with the fourth, the magic is gone.