It was so bright when they arrived, the orange flicker lighting up the air in front of them, that for a minute Alfred thought it was sunrise already. But he knew that it couldnât be, his adoptive father would never have risked him turning to ash like that. He loved and trusted both warlocks, implicitly. Ash and smoke rose, clouding the air and it felt thick even for the boy who no longer needed to breathe.
He was close to Mara, both bonding over their un-dead immortal status in a house full of Warlocks and the trip to see her had been one heâd been excited about despite the circumstances. He could only hope that Mara had fled, pray she wasnât inside. Alf could feel the heat from there, it licked at his cool skin, and he flinched. He was a second behind Jake, a second long enough to see the Shadowhunters. By the time he could open his mouth to warn his father, it was too late, they were already fighting. He could swear he felt his heart pace in his chest, though it was very still, his utter terror evident in his chestnut hues.
âDad,â he whimpered. He watched the scene in front of him, shaking, his fangs sliding down as he snarled at the Shadowhunters.Â
(It had taken him a while to take to calling Jake, dad and even longer to call Eli, mum. But with the other downworld children around him, it had eventually become second nature.)
âDonât hurt him.â He said, his muscles locked in place, fearful that even the slightest twitch would cause the Shadowhunter to move the blade. As much as he wanted to fight, he wouldnât risk his adoptive fatherâs life. Jake was the only father figure heâd had, he couldnât lose him. Alf feared the rune so stark on the manâs neck, and he feared mostly what they would try to do. Experiments? What were they going to do?
His instinct changed instantly. He wanted him to run. he needed him to run and yet Alfred had stayed, probably afraid that they would kill him. But Jake wanted him to be safe, to go back to Eli and tell her what happened and at least assure her that he was safe and... have them start searching for Mara. Oh Mara, his sweet girl. If what he saw was right he was on his knees in front of his daughters pyre, having lost her forever.Â
And alf, his boy, was right there, in danger. They killed these vampires, what was to stop them from throwing Alf into the burning building?
âDonât hurt him.â Jake almost mirrored his sons plea. He knew it gave away that the two cared deeply about each other. It revealed that having one gave them power over the other and almost immediately they grabbed the vampire and threateened him in an equal fashion, with blades turned to the kid as well.
âOpen a portal.â They ordered the warlock. While they didnât utter a threat against Alfred, he knew circle members red ruthless. They would kill Alfred if he didnât behave and that was the one thing he didnât want to see, so Jake opened a portal. As soon as that was done, the circle members grabbed his arms ad tied his hands painfully and so tightly they he could no longer move them, let alone use them for magic. he was virtually powerless as they dragged him through the portal.
They were in a drafty place, like an old castle. He hadnât seen this place before. A bunch of young shadowhunters, all wearing the same rune. They smirked. âThrow them in a cell.â They dragged them downstairs to a cell. The steel was reinforced, so that neither of them could break out even if they wanted to. And with his hands out of the count, there was no way he could magic them out. Once the door closed, he slumped to his knees. âAlf... I am so sorry. Why didnât you run?â