Unique (Malec)

Chapter 3

"Do Shadowhunters not know how to use their phones to call ahead?" Magnus asks from where he sat on his couch, a cat curled up right next to him. He doesn't even have to look to know it's the usual group of Shadowhunters coming to ask for his help.

"Magnus, please." It's Isabelle's voice. "Alec is hurt, we don't know what's going on with him."

The mention of Alec makes the warlock turn around. He sees Isabelle and Jace carrying an unconscious Alec. Magnus sighs to himself and stands up, his cat running off to hide somewhere (probably under Magnus' bed, which is practically the clubhouse for all his cats).

"Tell me what happened," Magnus orders, already grabbing a blanket to lay down on the couch so Alec could be set there. There's a concerned look on the warlock's face as he lays the blanket down. He looks over at the passed out Shadowhunter and sees more clearly that he looks terrible. Alec's face is pale and he looks almost weak. Which is a contrast to what was only a few hours ago the last time Magnus saw him.

Jace and Isabelle walk over with Alec in their arms and place him on the couch. Magnus catches a glimpse of the blood stains in his shirt.

"He and I were training, just the normal hand-to-hand combat. I didn't even touch him, he just started screaming in the middle of it and passed out. We tried the medic there, but she's new and has no idea what's going on with him. We thought you might have an idea," Isabelle says, recalling what had just taken place.

Magnus nods. "Help me take off his shirt. I need to examine his back."

Jace steps forward and does as Magnus says. He helps the warlock pull off Alec's bloody shirt.  The warlock turns Alec onto his side so he can check out what's going on with his back. On Alec's back, in the middle of all the blood, are two white things poking out of the Shadowhunter's back. They look like white stubs that have broken through the skin.

From behind Magnus, Isabelle gasps at the sight. It certainly isn't a pretty one.

Stepping back, Magnus turns to Izzy. "You said it was the new medic who you went to?"

"Yes. The old one just passed."

Magnus nods. He places his hands together. "Well, I know what's going on and I know why this new medic doesn't." He pauses to look at both of the Shadowhunters in turn. "Alexander here has a mutation. It's extremely rare and uncommon, but not unheard of. I've never seen a case of it up close and personal like this, but I'm aware of some Shadowhunters who did have it."

"This would seem to be the first stage," Magnus continues on. "There are five stages that come along with this mutation. By the end of it, Alexander will have a pair of wings on his back. From what I'm aware, most Shadowhunters do have wings as you all are Nephilim. You do not feel them, I've heard, and some don't even know they have wings. Your wings all stay on a plane of existence that is invisible to everyone, unless you use a powerful rune. This particular mutation, however, restricts Alec's wings from staying in the plane of existence. Instead, they grow out on this plane."

Jace and Isabelle exchange looks. "How long will he be like this?" Jace asks.

"His wings will be permanent. Unless you cut them off, which I hear has been tried before and, well, that Shadowhunter died because of it." Magnus says this as if it's not a big deal. "But if you mean in pain, then only a week or two. Right now is the most pain he'll feel throughout this little change. So if I had to guess, I'd say he'll only be unconscious for another day or two."

"But he'll be fine right?" Izzy asks, a worried look on her face.

Magnus nods. "Yes, he should be. I'll keep him here for a few days since your new little medic clearly knows very little on this subject. You all can manage without him, correct?"

The two Shadowhunters give identical nods.

A pained groan comes from the couch. The trio all look over to see Alec beginning to thrash around on the couch. Isabelle is the first by his side, Jace quickly after. Magnus, however, stands a few feet away from them. The warlock thinks for a moment before snapping his fingers in a 'got it' way.

"Try to keep him still. I have something that may help with his pain." He runs off to find torpor herba, a numbing herb that would hopefully soothe the Shadowhunter's pain. Magnus can hear Jace and Izzy struggling to control Alec in the other room as he frantically searches for the healing herb. "I swear I just had it restocked," Magnus mutters to himself, searching each shelf.

"Hurry up, it's getting worse!" Jace calls from the other room.

Magnus rolls his eyes. "I know, I know. I'm doing my best here." Then Magnus lets out a victorious laugh as he spots the small container with torpor herba inside of it. He grabs the container and returns to the other room. Even from a few meters away, Magnus can see the blood beginning to stain the blanket that Alec was laying on. He liked that blanket..

"I've got it," says Magnus, walking back over to the others. "Try to keep him still."

Alec struggles against Jace and Isabelle's grip, his eyes shut tight, his back arching in pain. His movements are slowed by his sister and parabatai. Not completely stopped, though, due to the harshness of each quake.

Magnus takes out a pinch of the torpor herba and rubs it between his fingers. He then takes the crushed herbs and steps in between Izzy and Jace. "I'm going to have to force feed him it for it to work," he explains to the pair.

"Do it," demands Izzy.

And so he does. It takes a few tries for it to go down, but it eventually does. Magnus moves his hand to touch Alec's forehead, a sliver of blue magic appearing as Magnus gently touches the Shadowhunter's forehead. For a moment, Magnus leaves his hand there. Alec's thrashing and struggling stills to a stop. The warlock steps back. "He should be good now. Unconscious, but not feeling any pain."

Isabelle sighs, obviously relieved. "Thank you, Magnus."

"Ah, there is one more thing," the black haired man warns. "When Alexander wakes up, he will need something. Something that isn't easy to access..."

The blonde Shadowhunter crosses his arms. "What is it?" Jace asks, his voice sharp.

Magnus doesn't respond for a moment, his hands clasping together. He sighs. "A mate."

Jace shrugs. "That's easy. He already has a parabatai. I can just—"

"No, it's not that kind of mate. He needs a life-long partner to help him out. It doesn't have to be sexual, but mates that are needed are used for.." Magnus clears his throat. "More intimate things. Like cleaning wings, for example."

"That isn't so bad.." Izzy says.

"He'll need a mate within a couple weeks of his wings completing their growth. Or he..." The warlock slides a finger across his throat, mimicking death.

The pair of Shadowhunters look alarmed at this.

Magnus feels a bit bad, honestly. Alec, a young man with so much of his life ahead of him, has to choose a life long mate that he'll have to constantly be in contact with. And to have to pick the person you want to spend the rest of your life with is a pretty hard decision for someone so young.

And no matter how much he tried, Magnus couldn't quiet the voice in his head that maybe Alec would pick him as a mate. But with the way Alec has been treating him recently, Magnus doubts that Alec would even consider him as an option.