Chapter 4

Jace sat on Magnus's couch, absently rubbing his parabatai rune. When it had flared up in agony earlier, it had felt like Alec was dying. The pain and sensation of the bond withering up had crippled Jace. He barely remembered Clary yelling at him in panic. And when the agony had finally ceased, it still felt like a live wire inside him, a crystal thread that could shatter under any further strain.

Jace never wanted to feel something like that again.

He dropped his head into his other hand. That was probably what Alec had felt when Jace died.

He clenched his fingers in his hair, feeling shaky again just thinking about it. The way pain had speared through his chest when he'd been stabbed. How his breaths had painfully hitched with failing lungs. Clary's face. And the darkness…

Jace gave himself a sharp shake. He couldn't let this get the best of him. He wouldn't let it. He'd spent all this time trying to outrun his issues and hadn't been there for his brother when Alec needed him. And even though Jace wanted nothing more than to go and hunt down this Nathaniel, he wasn't going to leave until he knew Alec was all right.

"I grabbed a security image of Nathaniel from when he was at the Institute," Isabelle said, "and it's been distributed to every shadowhunter who are now out looking for him."

"My pack is also out looking," Luke put in.

"Is everyone in pairs?" Clary asked. "This guy is too dangerous to take on alone."

Luke merely nodded; the New York pack knew how to handle themselves.

Jace's attention was drawn to the bedroom door as Magnus finally stepped out, and Jace immediately surged to his feet.

Magnus held up a hand. "He's stable." His expression was drawn and he sounded exhausted, but Jace knew Magnus wouldn't lie, not about Alec.

"I think it would be a good idea for one of you to activate his healing and nourishment runes," Magnus added. "Help his body recover the physical strength that was also siphoned off."

"I'll do it," Isabelle volunteered, already pulling out her stele as she headed for the bedroom.

Magnus looked around at the rest of them. "I've only gotten snippets of what's been going on, but from what I've pieced together, there's a warlock named Nathaniel killing downworlders by magically stealing their life essences, and for some bizarre reason, he offered to help the Institute search for the culprit?"

"It was a smart move," Luke said. "Best way to avoid being a suspect? Investigate the crimes yourself."

Jace's hands clenched involuntarily. "Well, he blew his cover when he attacked Alec," he said angrily.

Magnus's brow was furrowed with worry. "Yes, I can't fathom what he hopes to achieve by doing so."

"He might try to make a run for it," Luke replied.

"So how do we find him before he does?" Clary asked. "I tried to use a tracking rune on the blood, but it's like it keeps changing and I can't get a lock."

Magnus reached a hand up to stroke his chin thoughtfully. "Probably because it is. He's mutating himself."

"Then how are we supposed to find him?" Jace nearly growled.

"I might be able to cast a spell tracking the essence signatures he stole from the werewolf, vampire, and Alec's angelic life force. That combination will certainly leave a unique marker."

"Alright, then let's get on with it," he said impatiently.

"Maybe you should stay here with Alec," Luke suggested.

Jace spun toward him. "I am not letting that bastard get away."

"Jace," Clary stepped in. "We can find Nathaniel. Someone should stay with Alec until he wakes up."

"Would you stop treating me like I'm made of glass!" he shouted at her, and instantly regretted the way she flinched.

There was a pregnant moment of silence before Luke spoke again.

"Try a coiled rattlesnake. You're about to snap, Jace. And that's gonna get people hurt."

Jace looked away. They were right; he knew they were right. But his blood was boiling and he needed an outlet. Izzy could stay with Alec.

Magnus cleared his throat softly. "Jace, on the small chance Nathaniel tries to come back and finish what he started, I think it'd be a good idea if you remained here with Alec."

Jace wanted to argue, he did. But when it came to Alec's safety, he couldn't. That would always be one of his topmost priorities.

He gave a clipped nod in concession. Weren't they here because Jace had gone off his own in the first place? So he would stay and take care of his brother like he was supposed to.

Magnus stood at the casting table where all the ingredients were laid out, including bodily samples Isabelle and Lucian had retrieved from the first two victims, and then a strand of Alec's hair. He placed them all in a bowl and uttered an incantation to set them alight. There was a small pop and tendril of smoke, but that was it so far.

Magnus didn't know who this Nathaniel was, but the warlock had made a big mistake murdering downworlders in Magnus's territory. He'd also broken the Accords, but the fact that it'd been Alec bubbled Magnus's ire over into barely contained fury. Either this Nathaniel was that brazen, or he had no clue who Magnus Bane was. Because anyone who knew of him—or had half a brain—knew not to cross him.

The contents of the bowl started to fizzle, and Magnus jerked ramrod straight as the air wobbled. He closed his eyes, homing in on the tenuous link that had been established and following it to a location.

After several moments, he opened his eyes. "I found him."

Clary, Isabelle, and Lucian all wore fierce looks as they waited for Magnus to open up a portal. He'd used a lot of magic to bring Alec back from the brink of systemic shock, but he had enough left in him for this. Waving his hands, he threw a portal at the wall, destination the street outside where he'd sensed Nathaniel was currently. There was no telling how much longer he'd be there.

The four of them marched through, landing outside a rundown apartment complex. Magnus lifted a hand still fizzling with magic from the tracking spell, and then gestured for the others to follow. He cast a glamour over them, though there were few mundanes about, even at this late morning hour.

Magnus followed the pulsing trail of life essences, cringing the closer he got to their source; he could feel them resonating with silent screams from how they'd been so viciously torn from their bodies. The tenor of trembling angelic energy alone was enough to send red sparking from Magnus's fingertips.

He stopped outside a door to one unit, indicating with a nod that this was the place. Clary drew her seraph blade, Isabelle her whip, and Lucian had his gun in hand. Even with his stolen abilities, Nathaniel shouldn't be much of a match for them.

Not that he'd be a match for Magnus, period.

Magnus let the fire erupt in his hand, and shot it at the door, exploding it inward. The four of them swept inside and fanned out, slowing when they spotted Nathaniel sitting in a small kitchen, shirt off and chest riddled with holes. He had one hand poised over one of the wounds and looked to be magically trying to extract the bullets Lucian had shot him with.

Nathaniel's eyes blew wide in shock, and he jumped to his feet, but Magnus fired off red coils of plasma that swiftly subdued him before he could attack. Now the man's eyes were bulging as the crackling bonds cinched tight around him.

Magnus eyed him up and down carefully. Warlocks were immortal and did not show their age, but there was a decidedly young impression about this one. Between the clothes choices that he might have bonded over with Simon, his oh-so-humble abode, and his lack of portal usage, Magnus had a growing suspicion about this warlock.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Why does that matter?" Nathaniel spat.

"Humor me."

The other warlock gritted his teeth for a long moment, perhaps trying to muster enough magic to break free, but when it was clear that wasn't going to happen, he finally let out a strained cough. "Thirty-five."

Magnus's frown deepened. "Thirty-five years?" So he was young. Very young. "Is that why you've been stealing the abilities of other downworlders? You haven't mastered your magic yet?"

"Wait," Clary interjected. "Is that what this has been about?"

Nathaniel sneered at her. "Guess my demonic gene is on the weaker side. But I'm not going to stay weak."

"You've broken the Accords," Magnus interrupted.

"I don't answer to the likes of shadowhunters."

"And the laws of my city," Magnus spoke over him. Part of him might have wanted to find pity on one so young and misguided, but another part of him recognized the vitriolic hate so prevalent in this young man's heart that nothing would uproot.

Nathaniel was quiet for a moment, and then the corner of his mouth started to curve upward. "Maybe it's time for a regime change."

He uttered a short incantation under his breath, but it was enough to trigger an explosion of light and power from the side where a trap had been set, that shattered Magnus's own concentration and magic. He felt the whoosh of air and ice as Nathaniel cast a freezing spell on the four of them, binding them in place. Magnus mentally cursed; how could he have let his guard down?

Nathaniel stalked toward him. With a snap of his fingers, green coils swirled up and around Magnus, and then the freezing spell was lifted, but he was still bound.

"If I take your magic," Nathaniel said, "that would make me the most powerful warlock in North America. And in several other parts of the world, I'm sure."

Magnus stiffened. Oh, this was not going in a good direction…

Nathaniel closed the distance between them, and reached up to stroke Magnus's cheek. Magnus could only blink in befuddlement before realization struck with icy fangs and Nathaniel leaned in to kiss him. Magic sparked at the contact like literal fireworks, but not the good kind, not the kind Magnus felt when Alec kissed him. The flutter in his stomach wasn't from butterflies, but from his muscles seizing; the breathlessness wasn't from excited ardor, but from a foreign mouth pressed violently against his…and all Magnus could think in that moment was this was what the bastard had done to Alec.

Magnus felt his magic slithering through his veins toward Nathaniel, unable to break away. And he thought with savage umbrage,

"You want my magic. Here."

Magnus let everything he had blaze forth with such explosive force that Nathaniel was thrown backward across the room. The magic cords around Magnus broke, as had the levee. His arms up to his elbows were wreathed in red plasma as he launched fireball after fireball at the wretch cowering against the wall. Nathaniel screamed under the assault and tried to throw a sphere of magic back, but he couldn't stand up under the barrage of one very pissed off High Warlock.

Finally, Magnus threw one last energy orb that splashed around Nathaniel, restraining him in a swirling mass. He then turned to the others and undid the spell that had frozen them. Magnus was definitely beginning to feel the exhaustion now, and he swayed slightly. He could feel the wary looks his friends were giving him, but chose to ignore it.

Clary eventually broke the silence. "Should we take him back to the Institute to hand over to the Clave?"

Magnus narrowed his gaze on Nathaniel. "The majority of his crimes were against downworlders, and it is my prerogative to punish my own people." He turned to Lucian. "One of your pack was his victim. I would ask Raphael for his input, but he can't be with us since the sun is up. So what would be your choice to see done to him?"

Luke considered it for a moment. "Eternal imprisonment in the City of Bones is punishment enough for any living thing."

Magnus looked at Nathaniel somewhat sadly. If only he might have met the young warlock sooner, mentored him before he became this.

But Magnus knew from his long life that he couldn't save everyone.

Taking a deep breath, he whipped up a portal to the cell block at the Institute and thrust Nathaniel through. Given the entire shadowhunter community was on the lookout for him, Magnus was betting they'd know what to do with him when he suddenly arrived.

Magnus's shoulders slumped from exhaustion, and he turned to Clary with a beseeching look. "Would you mind portaling us home, Biscuit? I'm afraid I may have overextended myself."

Clary gave him a wan smile, and pulled out her stele to draw the portal rune.

Magnus wanted a drink and a nap. But more than that, he just wanted to get back to Alec.

Alec woke slowly, feeling groggy and incredibly weak, like someone had sucked the marrow from his bones and replaced it with air. His mouth was dry and cottony, and opening his eyes took more effort than he was okay with. Everything was fuzzy at first, but the swathe of colors seemed familiar, and gradually they coalesced into familiar decor. He was in Magnus's bedroom, in his bed.

Alec shifted, biting back a low moan as he squeezed his eyes shut again. What was wrong with him?

A piece of furniture squeaked.

"Alec?"

Firm fingers wrapped around his, and another hand settled on the side of his neck. He felt the well-known thrum of his parabatai.

"Alec, open your eyes."

Jace sounded worried, so Alec forced himself to oblige, prying his eyelids upward and blinking blearily.

"Wh-what happened?" he croaked.

Jace's expression darkened. "Nathaniel was the killer. He was draining life essences from his victims, and tried to do that to you. Luke got here just in time to stop him, and Magnus used his magic to heal you. Or, mostly, I guess. They went after Nathaniel."

Alec's brow pinched slightly as memory slowly returned. How he'd been growing more and more wary of the strange warlock before Nathaniel had abruptly turned on him.

He closed his eyes and finally let out a groan of self-reproach. "I shouldn't have included him in the investigation," he said hoarsely.

"This was not your fault," Jace replied sharply.

Alec sighed, but didn't argue; he knew he wouldn't get far when his brother had that tone. Alec focused on Jace, taking in his appearance which was even more haggard than it had been lately. And the haunted look in his eyes was a hundred times worse.

Alec swallowed hard. "That bad, huh?"

Jace's throat bobbed, and his hand still in Alec's tightened. "It felt like you were dying."

Alec grimaced. "I'm sorry. I never wanted you to have to feel that." After he'd gone through it himself, he wouldn't wish the experience on anyone.

Jace stiffened, suddenly looking stricken as though he'd put that together, and Alec once again regretted his words.

"Jace…"

His parabatai pulled back, face ashen. "Alec, what happened at Lake Lyn…" Jace dropped his face into his hands as his shoulders started to shake. Alec tried to push himself up enough to reach out, but didn't make it far before Jace was looking at him again, a wild gleam in his eyes.

"I died," Jace blurted.

Alec gazed at him uncomprehendingly. "What?"

"Valentine killed me," Jace ground out. "And Clary asked the angel Raziel to bring me back."

Alec sank back against the pillows, stunned. Coming back from the dead, that was… And no wonder Jace had been so temperamental lately.

"Well, then thank the Angel," he said.

Jace shook his head and made a low growl in the back of his throat. "Alec, this is not something that- it's not natural."

"Doesn't matter. You're back and that's all I care about. I couldn't live without you."

Jace gave him a wan look. "You have Magnus now, Alec. You'd- you'd be okay."

Alec finally mustered the strength to prop himself up on his elbow and lean toward him. "You're my parabatai," he said earnestly. "I need both of you. So, please, don't keep pushing me away. Or Clary, or Izzy. We love you."

Jace dropped his gaze as though ashamed, and when he spoke, his voice was hushed. "I don't feel right, Alec. Not since I came back. What if something's wrong with me?"

"Then we'll figure it out," Alec immediately responded. "Together. That's what we do for each other."

A tear escaped to trail down Jace's cheek as he looked up again, and he surged forward to wrap Alec up in a fierce embrace. Alec tried to return it, but his strength lacked the fervor of his conviction. Still, Jace clung to him, and Alec let himself just rest in that space.

Until there was a commotion out in the living room followed by the bedroom door swinging open.

"Alec!" Izzy exclaimed, rushing around the other side of the bed.

"Hey," he said weakly, reaching an arm toward her. "I'm okay."

She clasped his fingers and squeezed, and Jace pulled back and helped him lie back down.

"Nathaniel?" Jace asked, that dark hint returning to his tone.

"In a cell at the Institute," Magnus replied, eyes locking with Alec's even though he was addressing Jace. Alec gave him a soft smile before turning serious.

"Nathaniel said something about stealing downworlder abilities so he'd be strong enough to protect himself in the coming war."

"But Valentine is dead," Clary argued. "The war is over."

"There will always be fanatics," Luke pointed out. "Most recently the Seelie Queen, who may still want to instigate conflict between the shadowhunters and Downworld. It never stops."

"No, it does not," Magnus spoke up gravely. "But neither shall we."

Luke nodded in agreement, then to Alec. "Glad to see you're doing better."

"I hear you're to thank for that," he replied, returning the nod.

The corner of Luke's mouth quirked. "Get some rest." He glanced at Jace with what appeared to be a flicker of concern, and then excused himself.

Izzy gave Alec a kiss on the forehead and said she should check in with the Institute. Jace flicked a look between Magnus and Alec before quietly backing out, Clary right behind him.

Once they were alone, Alec tried to get up, but Magnus came over and quickly pushed him back down.

"Take it easy, Alexander. You have nowhere you need to be right now other than recuperating."

Alec sighed; he hated being out of commission, especially with so much to deal with. But it did sound as though Izzy could wrap things up with Nathaniel.

Magnus took the chair Jace had been occupying. "I can't leave you alone for a single day, can I?"

Alec would have rolled his eyes if he wasn't starting to feel extremely sleepy. He tried to stay awake, but his eyelids began fluttering without his consent.

Magnus leaned forward and lightly kissed him, and the warmth and security was enough to banish the last lingering vileness from Nathaniel.

"Just rest," Magnus whispered, carding his fingers through Alec's hair. "Everything's fine now."

"Not quite," he murmured, exhaustion tugging him down. He still felt completely drained, and Jace was struggling with his own demons. "But it will be," Alec mumbled as he drifted off.

They'd all make sure of it.

A/N: And that's all she wrote. For now, anyway. I've got another fic idea I'm still brainstorming but hope to write soon. Thanks to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed! I'm glad you enjoyed it.