#accal1a

Alec swallowed, summoning all of his bravery as he sought Magnus's staring, unseeing eyes. The journey to this very moment was a cloud of adrenaline and instinct. Looking back on it now, guilt laced his every decision in doubt, and he found himself regretting every moment. He should have been prepared... He should have been on guard... He should have seen her coming... She'd predicted his every impulse, knowing he'd come home taxed and tired but would even still run to protect Magnus long before sparing any concern for himself. "Don't," he pleaded. "Don't give it to her. Please. I'm not worth it, Magnus!"

As far as he was concerned? He deserved this. had brought it upon himself. And anyway, he was a Shadowhunter... Shadowhunters were expected to die young.

 But... not like this?

Tears welled in Magnus's eyes, his ancient heart wrenched apart by the fear Alec could never hope to mask from him - from his friends, his family, even his parabatai, but never from Magnus. "Let Alexander go," Magnus begged, unable to tear his eyes off Alec. Even as he spoke, he knew the lie in his words, and knew speaking them would be but a fruitless act of desperation. "This is a matter between Warlocks, between you and me. He has nothing to do with it."

Her amused laughter shook her shoulders enough to bring her claws unnervingly close to piercing Alec's skin. But, of course, she was careful to leave him unscathed - after all, it would do her no favors if her hostage found himself bleeding out on the ground. "My dear Magnus Bane," she chuckled, glee-dazed eyes sweeping back to almost dotingly admire Alec's exposed arm, "this sweet little Shadowhunter has everything to do with it! Unless I'm mistaken?" Her wicked gaze lifted in feigned curiosity. "Perhaps you don't care for this single, insignificant mortal?"

Before he'd even registered what had happened, Magnus's hands were raised to his sides, an unholy fire raging in both palms. His lips had pulled back into a vile snarl, and the thinned slits of his cat-eyes burst through their glamour to narrow upon the corner of Alec's eye in alarm. The Warlock's free hand had moved there, a single dripping nail positioned just far enough away from the white of Alec's eye to remain harmless, and in the aftermath of that brief, intense moment Magnus's heart fell in realization of the opposing Warlock's play.

She snickered at him, a delighted child playing with her favorite doll. "...He must truly be special, I think, to have bound your once-stone heart so tightly."

"More than someone like you could ever know," Magnus muttered bitterly. Even still, his hand moved, slowly, out to his side, where his ringed fingers began their delicate curl through the air. A swirling cloud of gentle, magenta smoke replaced the flames, sweeping around his hand in careful, almost methodical spirals. At last, its task completed, leaving a single, dusty book clutched between his fingertips. "The Tome of Ancients," he presented, his tone thin and as even-toned as he could manage.

Alec's eyes widened, and he tried once more to struggle against his paralyzed limbs. "Magnus, no! Don't do this!!!" he begged, but it was too late, his fruitless efforts ignored by both immortals.

The invading Warlock's wide grin curled into a victorious purr. "There's a good boy..." she giggled, hungry eyes studying the book in Magnus's hand. When she was satisfied he'd summoned the correct book, she snapped her fingers, and in a sudden burst of green light Alec and the book had switched places, his paralyzed body falling against Magnus and the book slipping into her upheld hand. "You see? Things are so much easier when you just cooperate!"

All of Magnus's pent-up rage burst in that instant, cradling his prone boyfriend in one strong arm while his other threw its fireball directly where the other Warlock stood.

Of course, she'd expected as much, her free hand throwing a counter-spell of her own to collide with the fireball mid-air between them. In the momentary still that followed, she whirled and fled, offering the pair not so much as a single snicker in farewell as she slipped through their loft's door.

"Damn it, Magnus!" Alec growled at his side. With her departure, the spell upon his body had begun to wane just enough for him to wrestle out of Magnus's arms only to fall upon the floor, unable to help himself up. "Why did you give it to her?! Now she'll—"

"—spend the next week or so translating from Ancient Greek," Magnus replied with a sly smirk. "I transcribed it when I first read it, you see. Far too powerful a tool for the common Warlock." Then, thoughtfully, he amended, "Of course, that was no 'common' Warlock. It's quite possible she happens to know Ancient Greek."

Alec sighed, unable to do much more than glare up at his boyfriend from where he lied. "You're insufferable," he asserted. "And reckless."

"People change in their old age," Magnus offered alongside a nonchalant shrug. He adjusted beside Alec, slowly lowering himself at his Shadowhunter's side. One hand propped his head up from the floor, his other doting with the frayed curls of Alec's hair. "And anyway... I don't think I'd much enjoy a world without you in it. Such a world can burn to the ground, for all I care." A kind of silent tension followed his words, the pair of them wondering just how much Magnus meant what he'd said. Soon, it grew too uncomfortable for Magnus to continue examining, and so he turned down to Alec with a bright smile. "Plus, you're a plenty competent Shadowhunter. I have utmost confidence you'll be able to hunt her down before she gets up to any real trouble."

"Gee, thanks," Alec glowered. He still wasn't entirely pleased with Magnus... but, admittedly, he was grateful for the sacrifice, and touched by the severity of emotion Magnus has displayed in his little stand-off. His brow softening in loving sympathy, he found strength enough to raise his hand and cup Magnus's face, his thumb idly stroking his Warlock's cheek. "Well, do you know her? Where I might find her?"

Magnus grinned wide, showering Alec with an insufferable brightness. "I haven't the foggiest idea!"

"I hate you."