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The sway of the East River was doing nothing to calm Magnus' nerves. He'd always hated water, or rather the fact that a simple stretch of it could cause his entire body to seize up in fear. He knew the source of the fear, as well as the fact that his father was long dead and couldn't hold him under anymore, but that didn't stop the instinctive cringe that came whenever he encountered anything larger than his bathtub.
The warlock inhaled sharply as a behemoth of a demon fell off the railing of the ship, its form lasting long enough to make a huge splash that caused the pickup to rock and dip in the waves it created. Magnus gripped the dashboard of the truck, murmuring lowly under his breath. Ancient words of extensions and protection that would ensure the wards around Valentine's ship would stay down, and the automobile would stay up, even if he passed out. Magnus' voice faltered as he thought of sinking under the surface, stuck in a metal death trap. He shoved the thought away, his voice rising in volume as his strength continued to disappear.
His eyes caught sight of a body falling off the side of the ship. It wasn't a demon, it was human, and for a moment Magnus felt a sense of pity. He didn't need precognition to know that the Nephilim were fighting a losing battle above. He also knew that he was already being pushed beyond his limits, all for Alec. Magnus couldn't help but smile grimly. Even though his boyfriend didn't care to tell anyone about the two of them, or tone down on the way he let his eyes wander over Jace, when they were alone Alec was entirely enchanting. His cautious, yet entirely innocent nature was entirely attractive for Magnus, who had known and loved too many people with ulterior motives.
Magnus caught sight of another body flying off the side of the ship, and he tried to look away, but a nagging force in the back of his head said otherwise.
Keep looking. It insisted, and Magnus did. He watched as the body grew steadily larger and vaguely wondered if a human could have survived the fall from the deck of the ship to the sea below. Probably not, but Nephilim were an entirely different story. The Shadowhunter was close enough that Magnus could make out that their hair was short and dark-his heart stuttered in his chest. Magnus threw himself over into the driver's side of the pickup, the one closest to the giant steel wall that made up the side of the ship, his eyes fixed on the falling body. No. No, it couldn't be.Magnus caught the briefest glimpse of the Shadowhunter's face, seeing blue eyes wide and full of panic.
“Alec!” He screamed, his voice cracking as Alec crashed under the waves. His fingers dug into the peeling vinyl lining the side of the driver's seat, watching the rocking water. Magnus couldn't breathe, counting the beat of his pulse in his ears.
One, two, three, four, five.
Alec didn't come up.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Alec wasn't coming up.
Magnus stared at the churning black waters. There was nearly 30 feet between him and the place Alec had landed. Too far. It was too far. Magnus shoved away the panic filling his mind, sparks crackling as he directed the pickup towards where Alec had fallen in, hoping to see him surface, completely coherent and alive.
He remembered Alec sleeping off a night spent tagging along with Jace, sprawling out across his couch with his muddy boots still on, the Chairman sitting on his chest. Then he thought of Alec, his clothes soaking wet and smeared with blood. His body limp in a similar, but entirely different way, his blue eyes empty.
Magnus yanked on the handle, throwing himself against the door with enough force that when the it flew open he was suddenly in the water. Magnus dragged himself towards the surface, kicking his legs roughly as memories tried to yank him down. He could feel hands around his neck, choking the life out of him. For a moment he faltered, before kicking even harder. Magnus broke the surface, dragging in a gasp of air before looking around. He caught sight of the pickup and realized that he was already being sucked away by the current, the pickup drifting away quickly. The warlock swung through the water with his arms, kicking roughly to were he thought Alec had fallen under. He dragged in a shaky breath, squeezing his lips shut as he dove down, squinting through the murky water to try and find his boyfriend. Magnus swam down as far as he could, light exploding in the water from his fingertips, only managing to illuminate just a few feet around him in the murky water.
Where was he?
Magnus looked around, his chest aching from holding his breath.
Where was he?!
He jerked around as something brushed against his foot, seeing something drifting down below him. Magnus twisted about, latching onto what he realized was an arm. He yanked the arm closer, relief flooding him when he recognized Alec's face. It was short-lived. Alec's eyes were closed and his entire body was lax, like he was dead. Magnus yanked the Shadowhunter close, kicking with his feet and dragging an arm through the water until they surfaced. Magnus coughed out a breath, looking around for the truck. Magnus threw an arm out, sparks flickering around his fingertips weakly as he tried to summon the pickup closer.
The truck was far away, Alec was so heavy that Magnus was having trouble keeping both their heads above the surface. His legs occasionally tangled with Alec's limp ones, causing both of them to drop under for a few panicked seconds. Magnus struggled to think, and a thought crossed his mind, dark and cruel.
Let him go.
Alec would be just another casualty in the Nephilim's war against demons. Magnus could continue on, live, and find another. There was always another. Magnus' grip loosened slightly, thinking of all the times Alec had pulled away from him whenever Jace or his family was brought up in conversation. Like he was ashamed to be with Magnus in the first place. The warlock was tired, his strength all but gone, and he didn't know if he could drag on his reserves anymore.
And then he remembered Alec sitting on his couch, looking awkward yet determined as he said that he liked really did Magnus. Magnus remembered Alec pressing his lips back against his, that spark of triumph in his blue eyes when he pulled away to run down the stairs. The casual way Alec stretched out across his furniture, paging through Magnus' books or petting the Chairman's fur. The love in Alec's eyes when they kissed, hands wandering and teeth nipping.
There wouldn't be another of Alec, not ever.
Magnus began an awkward, exhausting game of yank and push, using the last of his energy he had to propel the two of them towards the pickup, as well as will the pickup to them. Magnus focused less on the seconds and more on his shaky breaths. Alec wasn't breathing, and every breath lost was a chance that he wouldn't wake again. The warlock doubled his efforts, grunting when a wave slammed the two of them against the side of the pickup. Pushing Alec onto the bed was a challenge, his numb arms deciding then and there to scream in protest until the Shadowhunter rolled limply onto the ridged surface. Magnus clung to edge of the pickup for dear life for a few moments, before he climbed up as well, crawling over to roll Alec onto his back. Magnus pressed a hand against Alec's chest, the other over his mouth and nose, magic glowing dimly, instead of it's usual crackle. Alec jerked and coughed, water spilling from his mouth as he struggled to sit upright. Magnus sagged back, letting his eyes slip closed for a moment.
Thank god. He thought, opening his eyes and staring into Alec's blue eyes. Alec's body was shaking from the cold of the river, but he was alive. Alive was all that mattered right now. The Shadowhunter was staring at him with wide eyes.
“What-what happened?”