Bloodloss: An Alec and Magnus (Malec) Fanfiction

Chapter 19

Dead bodies litter the ground, Downworlders and shadowhunters alike, looking so similar in death. My eyes scan the floor for familiar faces, but - to my relief - find none. The craters in the ground have been stained with scarlet blood, filled with the bodies and weapons of the fallen. There's a small werewolf boy - one of Luke's pack, I think - huddled on the ground. He'll be killed for sure if he stays there. I hurry over to him and bend down by him. There aren't any faeries around that I can see, and I'll just have to trust he'll tell me if one appears behind me.

"Hey, are you alright?" I ask. "Are you hurt?"

He doesn't respond, so I start checking him over. No visible injuries, but looks like he's in shock. He's only young, maybe thirteen, and shaking violently, drained of colour. He's not in wolf form but his claws are out, covered in blood, and his face is streaked with dirt and tears. He won't look at me, so I gently tilt his head up with a hand, checking for injuries to his neck. But no, he seems okay. Thankfully.

He points a shaking finger to a faerie by his side, her eyes rolled back into her head, and deep claw marks in her neck. Dried blood covers her throat and a pool of red surrounds her. Clearly, she bled to death. And by the look on the werewolf boy's face, it was at his hand.

"Hey," I say, my voice gentler. I'm dealing with someone who has probably never fought before, and is in severe shock. I have to approach this right. "Hey, come on. Are you alright?"

The boy gulps, fresh tears welling in his big golden eyes, and shakes his head.

"I killed her. I've - I've never killed anyone in my life. I wouldn't have, I swear, but she had a dagger and..."

I cut him off.

"Okay, it's okay." I assure him. "Calm down."

His eyes widen and he yells, "Behind you!"

I spin and pull my bowstring back reflexively, landing an arrow in a Kelpie's stomach, pushing the boy behind me. Then I turn back to him and kneel back by him.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"Matthew." He replies shakily.

"I'm Alec. Are you hurt, Matthew?"

He shakes his head and I squeeze his shoulder comfortingly. "Come on," I say, pulling him to his feet. "Let's get you out of here. It isn't safe for you to stay there."

This boy can't possibly fight, though, I know. He's far too panicked to be defending himself. I can see more faeries coming towards us in the distance. He stays at my side whilst I'm deciding what to do for the best, when a yell pierces the air above the clatter of blades and thumping of hooves on dry ground. Magnus.

I take off at a run, Matthew at my heels.

"Magnus!" I call, frantic. "Magnus!"

Then my body slams into an invisible wall and I look forward. Through the carnage of fighting and bodies, is a familiar figure, curled around himself on the ground, completely still. My stomach drops. I think I'm going to throw up. I turn to Matthew, terrified nausea washing over me, and grab his shoulder.

"You see that man there?" I say, pointing to Magnus. Matthew nods. "See if he's okay. Get a shadowhunter. Whatever you do, you do not let him die and you do not leave his side. Do you understand?"

Matthew nods and races off to Magnus's side, dropping down beside him on his knees. He touches Magnus's shoulder, rolls him onto a side. On Magnus's hip is a long slash that's torn a rip through his tailcoat and shirt. A deep cut is oozing red and I have to look away. Magnus, oh my god. This cannot be happening.

I can hear Matthew talking to Magnus, bent low to his ear.

"Hello? Please, please wake up. Hello?" Then he looks up and calls out, "Please, I need a shadowhunter! Help!"

I stagger, reaching out for support and finding nothing. I'm shaking so violently I can barely stay on my feet. Magnus, oh my god.

I stumble and someone puts a steadying hand on my back. They smell familiar, of vanilla and sweat and blood. Isabelle.

"Alec, what's wrong?" she asks, taking my arm to steady me.

"Magnus." I say, pointing, forcing my gaze back to the scene. "He's not moving. He's really hurt, Iz. And...and the curse won't let me get close...and..." I break off to gasp in a breath I don't need, but somehow seems to steady me regardless.

Izzy squeezes my arm.

"I'll protect him with my life. I promise." She says. "Now go."

Then she leaves me, runs forward, and drops to Magnus's side. She slashes away bloodied fabric to get a good look at his wound. She tells Matthew what to do, talking to Magnus all the while:

"Hey, Magnus. It's Isabelle. You're fine, you're fine. You'd better be; Alec's freaking out. But you're going to be fine. Looks a lot worse than it is. Sorry to ruin your jacket, Magnus, but I just need to get a good look at this wound." And so on. Somehow, hearing her sound so calm helps to relax me. I turn away, trusting Izzy will keep Magnus alive, and run purposefully in the opposite direction.

I run, dazed, back into the fray. It's dangerous, fighting with so little concentration. I need to focus. I tap my bow, trying to calm myself, to stop the tingling in my hands.

"Okay." I say to myself. "You can do this. It's going to be okay."

I'm sure I sound positively insane, but I doubt anyone can hear me over the cacophony of sound of the fighting. A wall of sound. Loud enough to drown out the doubts in my mind.

Though my heart and brain don't really believe the words I'm telling myself, I let my body believe it. My fingers become less numb, my mind more focused. Much better.

"Okay." I say again, and notch an arrow with surprisingly sure fingers.

Then I take a deep breath, square my shoulders, and continue into the midst of the battle.

The battle lasts hours, finally ending in the early hours of the morning, lit only by witchlights and the glow of seraph blades. Basically, the shadowhunters are providing angelic light in the darkness, as has always been their destiny.

The shadowhunters take everyone back to the Insititute, agreeing to settle vampires like myself into the Sanctuary.

I see Jace and another shadowhunter half-supporting, half-carrying Magnus. He's okay, then. Thank the Angel for that. Jace catches my eye and cracks a smile.

"He'll be fine." He mouths, and I nod, uncomforted.

Instead, I throw myself into ushering exhausted young Praetorians into buses and checking them for wounds. When everyone is on the bus, I sink into a seat myself and close my eyes, resting my head against the cold glass of the windows. Then there's a pressure and I sense someone beside me. I open an eye sleepily and see Matthew collapse into the seat beside me. He's covered in dirt and sweat and looks absolutely exhausted.

"He's okay." He tells me in a hoarse voice, and I know he's talking about Magnus.

"Thank you." I say, those two words in no way portraying just how grateful I am.

He nods, but he's asleep, slumped down in his seat, before he can reply.