Winter Blooms (Alec Lightwood)

🗝 Chapter Fourteen 🗝

Varian believed that that was finished.

The party had ended, his counter spells would not be returned to him in the timely manner that he hoped for, and now there was the awful weight of having to find Madzie before Valentine could do anything to her.

Whispering caught his attention, though he couldn't discern the words, the frequency of them showed the annoyance and frustration behind what was being said displayed the unsure nature of it all. Varian turned, fixing a look on his twin and the blonde next to her.

They paused, and Clary turned, speaking before Jace could get her to stop.

"The angel Ithuriel." Clary held a hand up, stopping Jace with an offhanded gesture. "Valentine was going to use him to activate the Soul Sword, he needs someone with pure angel blood to activate it."

Jace sighed, carding a hand through his hair before speaking. "With the Soul Sword activated, Valentine could decimate the entire Downworld."

"That's impossible." Magnus spoke in such a sure way, that for just a moment the room fell quite, as if everyone were trying to make themselves believe him. 

The pair shook their heads, Clary spoke again. "The angel showed us a vision of a demon who could destroy the Sword, if we can find that demon, we can stop Valentine."

"Which is why you've been looking through Ragnor's demon field guide." Varian muttered, leaning into Alec's chest as he continued, "How did you free the angel? I wasn't even aware Valentine had been able to capture one, none of my, friends, in his organization had told me."

The use of the word 'friend' was a loose term, Varian did not have many connections to Valentine, and while he was not opposed to giving most of them a second chance, the trust had to be earned. Anyone feeding the Warlock information would double cross Valentine to share it, which meant that their morals were a little looser than most. They could easily betray Varian without loosing their standing with Valentine, and Varian found that fact a subtle anxious factor.

Glances were passed around the room, as if none of them were aware that the Warlock felt comfortable enough to have spies on the inside.

"It was with, uh, new runes." Clary stuttered the words out, she felt uncomfortable sharing, though Varian understood why.

Izzy looked almost insulted, like the fact that this new young Shadowhunter had a gift that she didn't was something that she felt the need to take personally. Varian shot a glare in her direction, almost waiting for her to say something threatening to his newfound younger sister.

"I believe Clary may have pure Angel blood, which would explain why Valentine wants her unharmed." Magnus sighed, carding a hand through his hair as he tried to process through everything. The threat to his family almost to overwhelming. "Clary can activate the Soul Sword."

Varian leaned forward, careful to not pull himself from Alec's arms, but moving just enough to gain everyone's attention. "I believe Clary and I have something to discuss. Jace, I will pull the most useful of field guides for you and I will meet you at the Institute once we finish."

His words left no room for negotiation, the Shadowhunters all said their goodbyes as Magnus created them a portal home. Alec stayed, not because Varian asked, but because he hadn't asked. Some part of the Shadowhunter knew that whatever conversation that was going to be had between the brother-sister pair was going to be a difficult one.

And though Varian had not asked, his baba stayed as well, tucking himself into the back room with Ragnor Fells books.

Varian once again found comfort in Alec staying. He pulled his boyfriend over to the couch, motioning for Clary to follow. There was a few moments of silence, before Varian spoke first.

"The gift of the runes," He started slowly, and with the smallest smile, "It's due to our father, Valentine's experiments-"

Clary interrupted, "He experimented on you too?"

There was such a rift between the two siblings, an accidental one that brought a painful reminder to both brother and sister. If only Jocelyn had been strong enough to raise Varian herself, if only Valentine wasn't evil. Clary wanted more than anything to have been raised with Varian rather than alone with her own thoughts, missing the other half of herself.

But seeing Varian, seeing her brother, leaning against his Shadowhunter boyfriend, wonderfully comfortable in the magically enhanced apartment that he owns. The black bars now marring his hands a riff between him and the Downworld that she was growing to love.

Varian nodded, "He did." It was said confidently, as if the powers didn't terrify him, and in truth they didn't. "I can- could," The adjustment was like a kick to the chest, Alec's arm wrapped tighter around Varian in a gesture that was well appreciated. "I could heal people, you saw it the night all of us first met."

"When you healed Luke." Clary clarified with a bright smile, proud of herself for recognizing what her brother was talking about.

"Yes, that is an emerald green color, bright and wonderful. With it, I could heal any injury, though it had a detrimental effect on my energy. The bigger the wound, the faster my energy would drain away." Varian smiled, the memory of first meeting Alec fresh in his mind. "I could also see the emotions of those around me, in etched out spaces filled with color surrounding everyone. Feel their emotions for them, or share my own, it could be overwhelming, but I couldn't turn it off."

Clary smiled brightly, this was the most she had ever heard about her brother. He could so easily talk about the magic he use to be able to control, she only hopes for a level of control to one day match.

"There's another." Clary phrased it as a question, though she had the strangest feeling that she knew what the last one was.

Varian spoke quickly, feeling the loss of his magic the more that he shared about it. "Control of heavenly fire."

While Alec had already know about the heavenly fire, hearing it be spoken again was something of a shock. The sheer control and power that his boyfriend had had over all of this power was something that took everything in him to comprehend. Alec felt the change in Varian's posture before leaning over to press a kiss to his forehead.

"Like, the Angel's fire?"

Varian nodded.

Clary reached a hand to Varian, and the Warlock leaned forward to connect their hands. "We're the same!" It was spoken in hushed excitement on Clary's side, and Varian couldn't help but smile.

"I suppose we are little Red."