A Malec Story

Chapter 62: Sophie's Choice

Hang on when the water is rising
Hang on when the waves are crashing
Hang on, just don't ever let go

Hang on when you are barely breathing
Hang on when your heart's still beating
Hang on, just don't ever let go

- Plumb, Hang on

Alec

The world was spinning. Alec pressed his hands against his temples, trying to control his breathing. Sebastian had come into Alicante. He'd been in the Council room, smearing it with Angels blood and then he went for Clary at Amatis's house. Jace had fought him off and he and Clary were both okay and safely inside the Gard now. The Consul had send messages to the Downworlder representatives dinner to notify Luke and Jocelyn. But there came no answer. Alec felt a nagging uneasiness spreading through his body. Something was wrong, he couldn't explain it completely, but he knew it, he felt it in his bones. Something had happened during that dinner.

Hours later another party of Shadowhunters went to the Faerie representative house and searched it. When they came back to the Gard their message cut through Alec like a knife. "No one's there, it seems as if they've vanished from the face of the earth."

Magnus.

What happened? Where is he? It must have been Sebastian's doing. He'd taken them, there could be no other explanation. How was this possible? The representatives house was guarded, they should have been safe. Magnus should have been safe. He wasn't even supposed to be here, and now... Now he was gone and Alec had no idea if he were still alive, if there was a chance he'd ever see him again. The idea of losing Magnus forever, even though they'd broke up, was so painful, it made it difficult for Alec to breath.

The Council came together in session to discuss the events. Alec was frustrated by how it was going. No one knew anything, tracking them turned out to be impossible. There was nothing.

They were still in the middle of arguing about their options when an Endarkened warrior appeared on the dais, seemingly out of nowhere. His arm thrown around a startled Jia, a knife pressed against her throat. "Nephilim," his voice roared over the crowd, "stay where you are! Do not approach, or your Consul dies!"

Alec heard Aline screaming for her mother. He recognized the man as Matthias Gonzales from the Buenos Aires Institute. Matthias was yowling over the crowd, telling them Sebastian held the Downworld representatives as hostages and he wanted to exchange them for Clarissa Morgenstern and Jace Lightwood.

Even though Alec had known it, he still felt the truth hit him hard. Magnus was being held captive. And the only way to get him back was to lose Jace. Why was this happening?

He pressed his hand against his head and spoke to himself sternly. Get your act together, Alec Lightwood. Hang on.

He knew that Jace was willing enough to go. Jace would do it for him, knowing how much he loved Magnus. But the idea of Jace going alone to Sebastian was not an option Alec was willing to consider. They had to go together, as parabatai.

Jace's voice shouted through the room. "I will go, I will go willingly."

"Jace, no," Alec said, but his voice was drowned out by the noise.

Clary, too, started to walk forward. Simon, standing next to Alec tried to stop her. "Don't."

"He said both of us," Alec heard her whisper. "If Jace goes to Sebastian without me, Sebastian will kill him."

"He'll kill you both anyway." Isabelle said. "You can't go, and Jace can't either—Jace!"

Alec saw Jace turning towards them, reacting to Isabelle's cry. He saw Clary struggling to get to him and mouthed to her, "No."