broken hearts • alec lightwood

five

Casey's screams cut through the air just as easy as Valentine cut through his skin. And burned and carved. There was no word in any language that could describe the absolute agony that Casey had been feeling 24 hours a day for the past three weeks. It was never ending.

When Valentine became tired or simply bored of hearing his sons screams he would retreat to the top deck, allowing one of his men to fall into a state of euphoria as they took so much joy in torturing the young man. Valentine and his men had several methods of torture that they dealt upon Casey, some of which his father preferred more than others. Valentine began by of course lining the chains with electrum - a substance that neither Casey nor Jonathan could bear as it reacted with their demon blood and burned through their flesh right to the bone.

Valentine had the smallest bit of electrum within the chains, but it was still enough to have Casey writhing in pain when he tried to pull away from the chains, which was often. Valentine would wait until the electrum burned right through to his bone, then he would apply an iratze and within a few hours they were back to square one.

That was his favourite method of torture, so simple and not messy, it was perfect. His second favourite method of torture was the agony rune. A nasty rune that the clave had introduced during interrogations. Valentine would carve the rune on Casey's shoulder blades as the closer the rune was to the heart the more effective and long lasting it was.

After three weeks Casey had stopped trying to escape, he physically couldn't. He couldn't channel the elements, he couldn't fight, hell he couldn't even stand up straight. He held in his screams, well as many as he could. Valentine didn't deserve the satisfaction.

Casey turned his head and spat out a moutful of blood upon the floor as Valentine stepped back and cracked his knuckles. "Casey Casey Casey. We're going round in circles."

"Because this has no point?" Casey snorted and Valentine clenched his jaw. "Casey do you understand why I'm doing this?"

"Because you're a prat?" He said innocently, giving him a bloody smile. "No Casey. I'm doing this because you need to understand that I reward loyalty and punish betrayal."

"I think I've been punished enough." Casey growled. "It's been three weeks." Valentine stared at him for a moment before he burst into laughter. He clapped his hands as he paced momentarily, leaving Casey in a state of confusion.

"Oh Casey I thought you were better at math. Well given, you are in a dark room in a boat in the middle of the ocean, I'll let this one slide. But no, not three weeks try ... six." He paused, deliberating. "Wait maybe it's seven
I suppose you were unconscious a lot. Quite rude of you." He cocked his head to the side like a dog and shrugged. "Meh I don't really care - technicalities and all that there. Anyway you can stop being all moody because I have a chance for you to redeem yourself and earn my trust back."

"And then we do what huh? Put this behind us and go back to being the iconic father and son duo? No thanks rumpilstilskin, I'll keep my first born."

"By the angel Casey always with the dramatics, it's so exhausting. No, I don't want your first born I simply want you to help me rescue Jonathan."

Casey's head snapped up and Valentine smiled smugly knowing it would catch his attention. "What did you do?" He snarled, pulling at his chains, which caused a sizzling noise to fill the air.

"Calm down son, I didn't do anything. Your precious Clave on the other hand - well they've arrested your brother for being with me. They think I'm the bad guy, the Clave and their narrow minds." Valentine shrugged and almost pouted - it was disgusting.

"News flash." Casey snarled, so much anger coursing through his veins he was almost frothing at the mouth. "You are a manipulating, vindictive mass murderer. Oh and you're a shitty dad."

Valentine narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "You will help me." He roared but Casey stood his ground. "I will do no such thing. Jonathan may be imprisoned but he is so much safer with the Silent Brothers. Infact he is safer anywhere that you cannot touch him. I have faith in my sister, she will find a way to free him. But I will not subject Jonathan to your ways anymore, he does not deserve it."

Valentine turned his back on his son and roared. He had not anticipated that Casey wouldn't comply. He needed him to be part of Jace's escape, it was a vital part of his plan. If the Clave saw two of their vital assets come to his side, stand with him as family they would be unstoppable and the Clave would have no chance.

They would begin to doubt those within their own ranks, unable to tell who is truly on their side and who isn't. In a flurry of anger he turned to the table near him and stared at its contents. His arm flashed out like a viper and he snatched he snatched the pipe of pure electrum, feeling its weight in his hands.

Turning back to his son, he saw the fear in his eyes. Having that pipe pressed to his skin for a single second would cause more agony and injury than anything the Morgenstern had experienced. At best he could last a handful of seconds, and that was pushing it.

Taking his time in walking up to his son he barked a laugh upon seeing how Casey tried to back up, but his chains restricted him. "If you won't help me willingly, I'll just have to make you change your mind."

Reaching up he used his left hand to grab Casey's chin, and using his left he placed the pipe of pure electrum upon Casey's cheek. The scream Casey let out upon impact was instantaneous and so inhumane that those who heard it throughout the ship shivered.

The smell of his own burning flesh filled his nostrils, the sizzling and hissing noise seeping into his ears. And the feeling, oh god the pain was inexplicable. He writhed, pulling hard at his chains, trying to escape. Valentine smiled as he saw the tears roll down Casey's cheeks, his mouth wide open as they screams reached the air continuously.

"Casey my dear it's only been twenty seconds please do shush." Valentine cackled, pressing the pipe in further, only for him to feel bone. "Oops, don't want to go too far." He laughed, and removed the pipe from his sons cheek, Casey's flesh covering the silver surface.

Feeling dizzy, Casey turned his head and vomited, the pain overwhelming. Valentine tilted his head, peaking at the damage he had made. He could see right through Casey's cheek, straight tto he young mans teeth. As for his temple, Valentine could see right down to his skin. Whistling, he pulled out a phone from his back pocket.

"Look I'm not really into mundane products but damn these phones are fantastic." He laughed. "Smile." He added and snapped a picture of his son. "Sorry hope you don't mind, this is of course your phone. Now this isn't the best angle of you, but I feel like your sister will get the picture. Both metaphorically and literally." He laughed at his own joke before sliding the phone back into his pocket and picking up the stele from the table.

Continuing to whistle as if this were a family outing, Valentine activated the iratze upon Casey's shoulder blade before apply another upon his cheek. Casey was too drained to even react to the feel of the rune or Valentine's words, he was too wrapped up in his own pain.

Standing back, Valentine folded his arms and watched his handiwork be healed. The iratze of course was no miracle worker, his wounds weren't healed completely but a thin layer of flesh had formed over his cheek.

"So Casey ready to play the hero and save your brother?"

With the last of his energy, Casey raised his head and spat at Valentine's feet before he fell unconscious from the immense pain.

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a/n
Lowkey wanna write a Jonathan/seb ff ngl