Chapter Text
“Well, Magnus, at least we’re together this time.”
“I must say, I’m a fan of the tank top. Your arms are…enchanting.”
Alec smirked. “Yeah? Maybe I’ll wear one around the house more often.” He shifted, and the chains above his clanged together. “What about the chains? They doin’ anything for ya?”
“Oh, you have no idea.” Magnus, although playing into banter, was undoubtedly distracted. His eyes kept skittering from one corner of the room to the other.
“Magnus,” Alec lowered his tone. “Take a breath. Yeah?”
“I’m breathing just fine.”
“Alright.” Alec relented and leaned back against the wall behind him. “I’m never late to the Institute, so Jace and Izzy will catch on soon. And clearly they have no intention of killing us.”
“There are a lot of other things they could do in the meantime, darling.”
“Shadowhunters are taught how to withstand pain. If you’re worrying about me, you don’t need to.”
Magnus whipped his head towards him. “Have you ever been tortured, Alexander?”
Alec blinked. “No.”
“Well, I have. It’s not exactly a pleasant experience.”
Closing his eyes, Alec pressed his lips together and let the words brush over him. He didn’t blame Magnus for being on edge. The Circle was certainly not a laughing matter, and whatever they were here for, it wouldn’t be fun for either of them.
“I’m sorry, Alexander.”
Alec opened his eyes.
Magnus was sitting on the ground. He had his head in his hands. “I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you getting hurt because of something I did.”
“It’s the Circle, Magnus.” Alec rolled his shoulders back to stop the aching. “We’ve both screwed up their plans.” He eyed the runed circle around Magnus. “Any way for you to get yourself out of there?”
Magnus glanced down. “No. Only another warlock can get me out of here.”
“Well. That complicates things.”
“Yes. It does.”
“Magnus, can you look at me?” Alec waited until he saw two eyes staring back at him. “We have a team of the most talented Shadowhunters and Downworlders in the world as our friends. Jace, Izzy, Clary, Simon, Catarina, and even more. They’ll be looking for us soon. In the meantime,”–he pointed at the door–“we can’t let them take away the hope we have.”
Magnus blinked a few times, stood up, and then brushed his palms off on his pants. “Yeah. Okay.” He scowled. “You know, this wouldn’t be so upsetting if I wasn’t wearing this jacket. I really don’t want blood on it.”
Alec clicked his tongue. “I told you not to wear it.”
“Yes, yes, I know, ever-knowing nephilim .”
A smile tugged onto Alec’s lips again, and he let his eyes drag around the room. One window, but far too small for them to fit through. It let a slice of moonlight in that blazed a line between him and Magnus.
Concrete walls surrounded them, and cobwebs hung from the ceiling. The room was large enough that the scuffle of Magnus’s shoe as he paced around his circle echoed through the room.
Outside, he could hear boat horns.
“Harbor,” he said quietly. “We’re close to a harbor.”
“That doesn’t narrow down much–”
“And a fire station.”
“There’s a lot of sirens in New York.”
“They’re originating from the same spot.”
“How are you–? Oh. Right. Shadowhunter ears.”
“And…music. It sounds live.”
“Summerstage. Or Pier 17.”
“We’re near the Manhattan Bridge,” Alec concluded.
“If we’re still in New York.”
“We are.” Alec faintly remembered being dragged into the building. “I could smell it when they were carrying us in.”
“That’s hot.”
Alec smirked. He was just about to give a saucy response when the door slammed open.
A single Circle member stepped through the door and made a beeline for Alec. He saw the stele just before the tip touched his skin, and his stomach dropped with the realization of what he was drawing.
Vaguely, he heard Magnus calling his name.
Then familiar pain burned through Alec’s body, and a cracked, broken scream snapped out of him.
***
Magnus winced when Alexander screamed, and he wanted desperately to throw his magic out at the cackling, twisted man casually watching his writhing body.
“Alexander!” Magnus was familiar with the pain of the agony rune. And the thought of Alexander going through that… “Stop! Just stop!” He pushed against the circle holding him captive, but all it did was burn the palms of his hands.
Alexander went limp, and the Circle member moved away.
“Alexander?” Magnus craned his neck. “Alexander!”
A groan echoed through the room, and Magnus almost collapsed out of relief.
“Did you enjoy that, Magnus Bane?” A man stepped forward, examining the stele that had drawn the Agony rune on Alexander in the first place. “His pain?”
“What do you want?” he asked quietly. “I’ll do it. Whatever it is. Just leave Alexander alone.”
“No.” Alexander, somehow, was conscious. And his glare sent chills down Magnus’s spine. “He won’t do it.” A smile twisted onto his face. “I’m used to the pain. Bring it on.”
Slowly, the man with the stele turned back towards Magnus. “Let’s play a game, Warlock. If you can remain standing, your nephilim friend goes unharmed. But if both knees hit the ground.” He held up the stele teasingly. “One more Agony rune can’t be all that bad.”
Magnus stopped himself from screaming at the man and stepped to the back of the circle.
It wasn’t that large. Only about five feet in diameter.
“If you defend yourself? Same deal.” The man leaned forward. “Do you understand, Warlock? Or do I need dumb it down for you.”
Magnus swallowed his rage. “Fine.”
“Magnus, no, don’t–”
The first punch sent Magnus careening back. His back slammed against the border of the circle, burning the skin there and sending him bouncing forward again. A fist slammed into his jaw.
He managed to take in a breath. Punch after punch after punch. Magnus bounced back and forth between the edge of the circle, and the man’s fist.
Someone was screaming–probably Alec.
Then it stopped.
Magnus swayed, but kept himself upright. The Circle member was standing near the door, talking with a woman. And then he stepped out of the room.
“Magnus, are you–”
He fell back, and a breathy wheeze leaked out of him. “Ow,” he managed. Magnus stared up at the ceiling.
“Shit,” Alexander snapped. “That was stupid, Magnus.”
“No. You would have done the same.” The skin on his back was raw. He shifted onto his side, careful that his knees didn’t touch the ground. Even now, he didn’t want to take the risk. “This is much better than the rune.”
Alexander’s chains rattled. “Maybe. But it hurts just as much watching you like that.”
“Mmm,” Magnus hummed. “What did you mean earlier? When you said you were used to the pain?”
Silence crept up on them, only broken when Alexander cleared his throat. “I was supposed to be the most elite Shadowhunter. That meant nothing could phase me. Mother made sure I was…familiar…with anything that could be used by enemy forces.”
Magnus stilled, and then sat up. “Maryse used the agony rune on you?”
“Many times.” Alexander’s head was lowered. “As screwed up as it is, part of me is grateful. Because this time around, it really wasn’t all that bad.”
“Oh, Alexander…” Magnus shook his head. “I can’t–that’s horrible. Did she do the same with Izzy and Jace?”
“No. Mother never treated them the way she treated me.”
“When we get out of here, I’m sending her a nasty letter.”
Alexander chuckled. “Well, she's already disowned me. I suppose a letter wouldn’t do that much damage.”
Magnus sat back again and let himself smile. “You don’t deserve any of that. To think that a mother wouldn’t be able to see the achievements of her own son…”
“It’s alright. I don’t need her approval.” Alexander shifted, and the chains above him rattled. “I know you won’t agree with this, Magnus, but I have a plan. And it might be our only shot at getting out of here.”
Magnus raised an eyebrow and made himself look at the Shadowhunter chained up across from him. “Alright, Alexander. I’m listening.”