Chapter Text
Brocelind Forest
Idris
They were all sitting on the moss-covered ground in a green, cool forest, holding hands in yet another damned circle. More and more magic, silver and green just like the forest this time, danced around in a glittering cloud around Magnus and Alec who were in the middle.
Jace was getting sick of this sitting around and waiting. He just wanted Alec to get better, to all those bloody wounds and the goddamn burns on his skin to fucking disappear. And for his brother to wake up, roll his eyes, hide his smile, and say that he was alright.
Izzy squeezed his hand from his right, her gaze fixed on Alec's naked, battered form that was still lying unmoving in Magnus' arms. He knew she was thinking along the same lines. The pain and the grief that marred her face reminded him that he was not alone in this, she was here too, along with one High Warlock they knew and four others whom they didn't, but all of them invested in healing Alec, nevertheless.
He just had to be patient for a little bit longer.
………
Magnus held the cold, battered and abused body of his Shadowhunter close to his chest, his eyes firmly shut so that he wouldn't be distracted by the countless injuries that marred the perfect, rune-covered, pale skin underneath it all.
He felt the healing magic of Brocelind forest rise around him to engulf them both, called forth and directed by the Ancients and given familiarity by the Lightwood siblings to do its work. Magnus let the healing magic guide his mind and his own magic into the depths of the precious souls he held in his hands, to reunite, rejoice and restore back to health.
He realised that Alec was as bad as he looked, maybe even worse as the entangled magic flowed. The collective strain of all the injuries, the blood loss, the exhaustion and those cursed burns in places Magnus didn't want to imagine, had all taken a severe toll on Alexander, leaving him precariously on the very edge of death itself. He was only alive because of the dragon who was diligently guarding his soul, keeping it firmly tethered to the body that was on the verge of succumbing to its wounds.
Alec's mind was absolutely quiet as well, no trace of awareness to be found within him as Magnus continued his descent. It had gone and shied away from the torture and hidden in a corner, nowhere to be found yet.
Magnus didn't push. He knew Alec would come back to himself when he was ready, when he was safe, and the pain was gone. He was a fighter, a defender and a protector. He would not just give up. Magnus had faith.
He let his mind sink in further, looking for the other soul that sheltered within Alec, Noswaith.
He found him in a place that was bright, warm and overflowing with love. If Magnus had ever tried to imagine heaven, he was sure that it would have looked and felt like this.
He had found Alec's soul, and nestled safely within, the dragon.
"Welcome back," Magnus said in ancient Draig, calling out to the tiny figure curled around in the cosy warmth. "How are you, my old friend?"
The dragon opened his bright, red eyes and blinked at him sleepily. "A pure Nephilim is entirely different than a warlock with magic," he yawned, flashing a row of pointy teeth. "I hadn't realised."
"Yes, I would imagine so," Magnus replied with a smile. "You could not bond with him fully to shift into your natural form, not with only the angelic power that runs in his veins. How are you feeling?"
"Rested and recovered," the dragon yawned again and sent a puff of smoke that dissolved into a million shining sparks all around them. "His core had given me strength," Noswaith said, his voice full of disbelieving wonder. "Strength he could have… should have used for himself…"
That explained a lot. Alec would be more worried about the dragon whom he knew was inside him than his own predicament.
"I guess that's Alexander," he said to the dragon. "Always putting others first."
Noswaith got up and stretched, shaking his clawed legs and spiked tail vigorously to get rid of the traces of his slumber. "It is very beautiful here. It feels so peaceful and warm."
"I agree," said Magnus. But the dragon couldn't continue to stay here, no matter how much he was welcome, and neither could Magnus. "What will you do now?" he asked the dragon gently.
"It was my choice to save him, to choose the branch that had not yet been formed…"
Magnus knew he was talking about a possible future he had foreseen.
"I cannot leave, for that might end him," said the dragon. "Yet, I cannot stay, for that might end him as well."
Dragons and their riddles. Magnus had a feeling he knew what the Raven was talking about. "Quite the conundrum, my friend," he said, making the offer without the slightest hesitation. "You know I'm here for you always, don't you? You are always welcome with me. You know this."
The dragon smiled then, glinting crimson eyes and rows of sharp teeth. "I do."
"Will it kill him?" Magnus had to know. "If you had to leave?"
"No," said Noswaith. "I won't allow it. We can save him together if you are willing…"
Magnus had an inkling as to what he was saying. He knew he would have to have a long and arduous conversation with Alec after this. But he would be alive and well, then, and able to make his own choice on accepting what was on the offer fully… or not .
"Of course," he said to the dragon. "Raven, he's very important to me. I would do anything for him."
Noswaith lifted his long, sinewy neck and straightened, taking a step towards Magnus.
"Then let it be so."
Magnus heard the words of magic echo inside the bright soul they both left behind in a brilliant, golden flash as the dragon made his move.
……….
Jace gasped, blinking furiously to banish what he was sure was an exhaustion-induced hallucination.
One moment he was brooding and staring at Alec's unmoving form lying on Magnus' arms, and the next, ah….
He didn't want to think about it, let alone say it because he feared he had finally lost his Raziel-given mind.
It was Izzy who did it.
"By the angel," she swore loudly, craning her neck back as far as it would go without breaking the handholds. "Is that… is that… A dragon!"
Well, Izzy said it, not him. He was alright. He was not crazy. There really was a dragon, well, a hazy, transparent image of one, at least, because otherwise, they'd all be crushed under its form.
The massive form was easily the size of three freaking buildings. It was covered in obsidian scales from its long neck to the wickedly spiked tail. Those scales gleamed and flared in an ethereal glow as they caught the rays of sun that filtered through the thick green foliage above them.
"It is not a dragon," said the female warlock with long black hair and emerald eyes. She had a smile of pure joy on her face as she looked up at the form above them. "Not yet. It is his soul. A physical manifestation of pure, unbridled magic from a realm far, far away…" her voice changed then, into one of reverence as she addressed the dragon form. "Noswaith, ceidwad y glorian, the Keeper of the Balance."
The voice that came out of the hazy soul was like the thunder itself. Jace was sure it was speaking a language that was incomprehensible to him. But, somehow, he could understand what it was saying in his mind. It was the strangest feeling.
"Greetings, Baba," said the dragon, its deep voice vibrating around them. "Aldous, Issac and Elphas," he turned his snake-like head around as he addressed the other three warlocks. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you all."
"The pleasure is ours," they chorused together in the same guttural language. "Great Dragon."
"They are talking to it," Izzy whispered beside him, her eyes wide as saucers.
"Either that or we are all mass hallucinating," Jace whispered back, still on the fence about believing the entire thing. Did he mention he was beyond tired?
"The sister of the child of the angel and the one who shares his soul," the dragon turned to both of them then, pinning them both with big, cat-like eyes that flared bright red. Izzy moved closer to Jace, their shoulders touching. "I am honoured to meet you. I am Noswaith. You may call me Raven."
Izzy once again proved her resilience by recovering first. "Uh, I'm Isabelle," she said, her voice reasonably steady. "You can call me Izzy."
Then it was Jace's turn. The black dragon waited patiently with what looked like a crooked smile on his snout. Jace thought he could see a neat row of pointy teeth on the side.
"Jace, uh…" he muttered. Was he going to give Wayland, Herondale or Lightwood? Damn it! "Jace, just, Jace." he settled in the end.
"Izzy and Just Jace," the dragon gave a solemn nod.
What? "No," Jace stuttered, going bright red. "I mean, I'm Jace."
The dragon took pity on him, realising that his appearance was one big jolt to Jace's already frayed nerves. "I was jesting," he said with a chuckle that managed to shake the ground slightly. "And, I assure you, I am no hallucination, not at all."
Magnus called out from where he was, barely visible under the form of the dragon. He sounded relieved and light. "Quit scaring the kids, Raven."
Dragon nodded again and came down so that his big snout was firmly at the same level as Jace and Izzy's.
"Do not fear," he rumbled, blinking earnestly. "Your brother lives. He shall be well in time."
That was what they were really waiting to hear. "Thank you," they both said at the same time.
"It was a pleasure."
The magic around them flared and swirled, creating a vortex above them, and as fast as he had arrived, the dragon was gone, leaving behind only the silvery green sparks of the healing magic. The only trace of evidence of where the dragon had gone was the bright, golden sphere of magic that flashed brilliantly above Magnus just before diving inside him to vanish out of sight.
Inside Baba's Cottage
Brocelind Forest
Idris
A day later.
The consciousness arrived slowly, carefully, as if it was testing the water by dipping in just a toe. Then it let out a relieved sigh, telling Alec that the coast was clear. He was, finally, waking up somewhere safe without any aches, pains or injuries. Maybe only a little tired. All signs pointed to the fact that he had been rescued and healed.
It felt like a very nice place, too, Alec realised with a smile. The bed under him felt like a cloud that cradled his body in a gentle hold. He felt fresh and clean. His skin was not even sticky or scratchy, just comfortably warm thanks to the soft sweatpants he could feel hugging his legs and the cosy blankets that piled around him, keeping him wrapped in a cocoon.
He let out a sigh and wriggled around a bit, trying to burrow more into the comfort, intent on enjoying the nice feeling as long as he could.
Then he heard a noise, a very subtle rustle of clothing, and even a softer chuckle. Alec felt his own smile stretch more, even as he continued to doze. He knew that sound. He kind of, sort of, loved that sound.
"I know you're awake, darling," Magnus said, and Alec heard the amusement in his gentle words. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Alec mumbled into the fluffy pillow he had his face buried in.
"Alexander…"
Okay. So Magnus could understand his muffled words and the little, white lies.
"A little drained, tired," he sighed. "but fine."
He wanted to stay there, listening to Magnus' beautiful voice and keep hugging the fluffy blankets. But he was awake now, and that brought memories.
Jonathan. Jace. No. Jonathan.
A dark, suffocating room.
An aegis that kept cutting him.
The touches.
The burns…
The touches, and the touches and…
It came at him in waves, all jumbled and relentless. He let out a cry and jerked up on the bed in alarm and terror, trying to get away, trying to shut it off, shut them out. But the pile of blankets hindered his frantic movements, their cosy warmth suddenly turning into a restraining force that redoubled his mindless fear.
"Hey, hey," Magnus abandoned the couch he was lounging on in a flash, coming to sit at the edge of the bed next to Alec. "No need for panic, darling. You're safe now. It's over. It's all over."
He kept repeating the words softly, getting through to Alec despite his panic. He trusted Magnus. If he said it was over, then it was, Alec knew that. With what felt like a Herculean effort, he took a grip on his hysteria and stopped his struggles. He let himself go pliant under the warm hand of the warlock that came to rest on his bare shoulder. There was a tendril of soothing magic that helped him calm down and sort through the onslaught of dreadful memories.
Through the still vastly jumbled haze, he recalled bits and pieces of the events in a semblance of order.
He waded slowly through the memories of the hordes of demons, the battles all over the city that went on for countless hours and, finally, ending up finding the warlock girl. He recalled how helpless he felt then, on that island full of horrors, how he couldn't stop what was happening to him or the girl.
A flash of gold.
Sinking into a depthless blackness.
A soft promise.
He remembered how waking up had hurt and how he had panicked seeing that he was all alone with Jonathan. His mind blanched and withdrew then, stirring the memories back into an incoherent mess that deliberately shrouded the things that happened after. It was enough for Alec to realise that he had gone through a very, very bad time.
"It's okay, Alexander."
He focused on the voice and the soothing circles that Magnus rubbed on his shoulder, getting this breathing under control again.
"You're safe now. We've got you."
There were other things that Alec could concentrate on, the things that he could find out without getting lost in the bad times. Things he needed to know.
"The dragon! How is he?" Alec wanted to know. He had to know because that was one of the clearer memories in his still hazy mind.
"Noswaith is doing quite well, darling," Magnus promised.
"How is the little girl?"
The warlock smiled, his eyes crinkling at the edges in a way that was full of adoration. Alec couldn't help but smile back at him.
"Madzie is fine. They are all okay," he said. "Even Jace and Isabelle are here, sleeping in the next room. We are at Baba's cottage in Idris. You were the one we were all worried about for a while…"
His siblings were here. And they were resting. That meant things were not dire. "Well, I'm okay," he sighed. "I mean, I will be."
Magnus stayed quiet, letting his magic flow freely as he kept rubbing his shoulder. His entire presence was a cooling balm to Alec's fractured mind.
"What happened to the dragon?" Alec asked after a moment.
"He's with me now."
"Is that… is it the same dragon?" Alec asked softly. "Is it your friend?"
"Yes. It is."
Then, as Alec watched, Magnus' brown eyes changed into a pair of bright crimson ones. A pair of big, blinking slits stared right into Alec's soul. Alec knew the dragon was on the surface, greeting him through his bonded warlock.
"Hello, Alexander." The dragon said in the ancient language that reverberated in his mind. Alec was surprised to find that he could understand him. The deep, guttural voice radiated happiness at meeting Alec, calming his inner turmoil even more.
"Hello, uh, NightRaven." Alec smiled back happily, relieved that the magical soul was somewhere he could exist to his fullest potential, safe and under the care of Mangus. The best place to be, really, in Alec's biased opinion.
"Thank you for sheltering me," said the dragon.
"Well, you saved me first," Alec replied. "It was the least I could do."
"We shall call it the start of a beautiful friendship." the dragon said with a smile before retreating back inside Magnus, leaving the warm, brown eyes to gaze fondly at Alec.
"Yeah." Alec chuckled. Then he took a proper look at Magnus, this time noticing the rumpled clothes, the messy hair and the dark circles marring the eyes that had no makeup around them.
"You look tired."
"I was worried." the High Warlock admitted.
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault, my darling," he said, smiling softly at Alec. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm sleepy, still," Alec admitted honestly. His eyelids were starting to feel heavy again.
"Not hungry?"
"Nope."
"Rest then, darling," Magnus said, tugging up the blankets to cover him. "I will be here."
Well, Alec could rest even better if he had the warlock closer, he was sure.
"Um, uh," he swallowed and took a deep breath under Magnus' inquisitive stare. "Will you… do you mind, um, laying down next to me?"
The brilliant smile that lit up his entire face said that, no, Magnus didn't mind that invitation at all. He got in the bed as Alec wriggled to make space for him and let out a heavy, satisfied sigh when the warlock settled at his back. Magnus wrapped his arms around him, engulfing him in an embrace that felt like the safest place in the entire world.
"Sleep, Alexander," he heard the gentle voice, already far away as he drifted back to a peaceful slumber. "You're safe now."
Epilogue
Devil's Cauldron of Hell
Edom
Lilith felt the exact moment that blazing power graced the realm. A pure rush of angelic power washed over her and her cage, chasing away the permanent melancholy and the misery that smothered the surroundings for a fleeting second.
She watched the flaming redhead as she walked towards her cage slowly, her footsteps measured and purposeful. Lilith had to step back as far as her confines allowed to get away from the pure heavenly fire that radiated a painful heat from her visitor.
"As I live and bide my time, I seem to be popular these days," she squinted at the figure lit from within. Then, as she watched, the power subsided, letting Lilith catch her breath and straighten from her huddle at the opposite side of the cage. "What brings you to my lands, Angel?"
"Let's make a deal."
Lilith couldn't help it. She laughed. She had made more deals during the past week than she had in decades.
"Please, my dear," she purred and then watched in satisfaction when the girl grimaced in annoyance. "I'm all ears."
"I'm getting you out," said the angel in a no-nonsense tone. "In exchange, you're bringing Jonathan back."
That wiped off her mirth completely. Jonathan Morgenstern was hers. She had felt each and every second of those twenty years of his life. Not even the confines of this Seventh Level of Hell hadn't stopped her from being connected to her child. His existence had been the fragile hope that had kept her relatively sane through the long, lonely years of her punishment. She had been there with him in every moment, every hurt, every emotion, every dream, every breath he had taken since his inception.
Jonathan was, always, hers.
This angel implied that he had…
No. Never. Lilith wouldn't allow it.
"What happened to my son?"
The angel told her.
"Take me out," Lilith snarled. She was still the Queen of this realm. If he had departed the land of the living, that meant he was here. And here, there was nowhere that Lilith had no access. "I shall find him, and I will bring him back."
The angel extended her hand, her right palm already starting to glow in a brilliant, white light. Lilith covered her face, not able to stand the Grace from heaven.
She would be free.
She would find her son.
She would rain hell upon the ones who had harmed him.
She vowed.
The End of Part One.