Archive of Our Own ^beta

Once upon a time, in a kingdom nestled between the Shadow Sea and the Nocturne Woods, began one of the greatest stories ever told: of magic and myth, of warlocks and dragons, of soulmates and, most importantly, love.

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The sun streams down in soft rays of light, dappling the grass and gently warming Izzy’s body as she stretches out languidly. A woollen blanket from the palace is laid out underneath her, and she settles back down with her head in Maia’s lap.

Absently, Maia runs her fingers through Izzy’s loose hair, sighing contentedly as she takes in the view around them.

“Can we just stay here forever?” Maia asks, a wistful edge to her voice.

Izzy closes her eyes and smiles, letting the peaceful stillness of the moment wash over her. There’s nothing but the two of them sitting out in the field, with twittering birds and the rush of a nearby stream the only sounds they can hear.

In the far distance back towards the imposing turrets of the castle, Izzy can see a group of knights running through training drills, their yells and shouts barely filtering through to the little world she and Maia have created.

“Forever isn’t long enough,” Izzy complains mildly, still smiling.

The grassy field around them looks as if it stretches for miles. There’s very few guards this far out, which was part of the reason Maia decided to take Izzy here for the first time almost exactly a year ago. Since then, the sun-dappled field has almost become their place - a place where they can be in love, without the pressures of their future soulmate mark weighing them down.

The ceremony is so soon and it feels overwhelming to think of the worst case scenario. The best outcome, of course, would for them to be each other’s soulmates. Izzy knows in her heart what she wants, and just hopes that her soulmate mark reflects that.

But she still has her doubts every day: what if we get others? What if Maia is happy about who she gets, despite it not being Izzy?

Izzy knows she has limited control over the situation. In the end, she’d rather enjoy what time with Maia she gets.

Soulmates are just taken so seriously, and Izzy’s never understood why. She gets that they’re a big deal in a sense that they give everyone a lover - someone to share their life with. But people never seem to talk about the hurt behind them. No one talks about how soulmarks can break up couples that are in love and tear apart friendships. Instead, everyone plasters on a smile and expects people to drop their lives to be with their soulmate.

It’s probably the only downside Izzy sees about living in the kingdom of Idris. She loves King Luke and thinks he’s an honorable and good man - a just king. But it’s just not in his power to be able to control how the public takes in the image of soulmates.

They’re a sign that souls can be compatible, almost perfectly. Simple people don’t tend to argue with the word of the angels, and even if Luke has moved on in private, to most of his kingdom, he’ll forever be mourning the loss of his soulmate, Queen Jocelyn.

“Still, a girl can dream,” Maia says. Her fingers stop curling through Izzy’s hair. “This time next week, we’ll have our soulmarks. Everything will change then.”

Izzy frowns and sits up. “I don’t want it to change.” She can hear the petulance in her own voice but can’t help it; she wants to be with Maia, just as much as she knows she can’t change the soulmarks that either of them get.

“I don’t either,” Maia says, leaning forward to kiss Izzy gently. “But there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Maia’s right - even more so for the two of them. Those that reject their soulmates and live with the people they choose to love can only be found on the fringes of the kingdom, living in smaller communities. They’re outcasts, going against the values that everyone lives by, and that’s not a life Izzy or Maia have the freedom to choose.

As the daughters of high ranking families - Maia’s dad is a duke, as was Izzy’s, before his death - they’re expected to marry their soulmates, whoever they might be.

Izzy sighs, picking at a piece of stray wool. She knows all this, but it doesn’t make the doubts fade.

“Hey,” Maia says softly, putting her hand over Izzy’s. “Isabelle.”

Izzy looks up at her, her shoulders sagging.

“It’s been me and you against the world for this long. No matter what happens next week, my heart will always belong to you,” Maia says, her brown eyes wide and earnest. Izzy feels like she’s falling in love all over again.

She’s leaning in to kiss Maia when there’s a sound of clanking armor close by. Izzy’s memorised the knights’ patrol schedules from looking at her brother’s rota; at this point in the afternoon, the patrol crosses the stream and cuts back to the castle. Izzy leans back and adjusts the blankets around them, trying to look nonchalant as the knights pass by.

This close to the Soulmate Ceremony, neither Izzy nor Maia should be in relationships. Then again, neither of them have ever been good at following the rules.

They wait until the knights are out of sight before sitting close again. Izzy resumes her comfy spot in Maia’s lap, lacing her fingers through Maia’s.

“Do you remember when we were eleven and you dared me to ride Trident down to the Great River?” Izzy a sks, smiling fondly at the memory.

Maia laughs. “I didn’t think you even knew how to ride a horse,” she says. “Until then, I’d only seen you sewing and following your mother around the court.”

Izzy huffs. “Of course I knew how to ride,” she says. “I grew up with Alec and Jace.”

Her voice drops away at the end, going hushed like it always does when she thinks about her brother. Jace had died in a battle, taking a dagger wound to the stomach. They’d all mourned, but life moves on.

“True,” Maia says, trailing her fingers over Izzy’s wrist. “It’s just not fair that someone as beautiful as you could be good at so many things. Is there anything you don’t know how to do?”

I don’t know how to stop loving you , Izzy thinks, but she doesn’t say it. The heaviness in the air from their previous discussion had only just dissipated, and she wants to savour the time they have left without souring the memory. Instead, she makes some comment about past participles in French that makes Maia smile, and their teasing conversation and stolen kisses make Izzy feel like she’s floating on air as they walk back to the castle.

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Alec fixes his tie in the mirror, grumbling at the fact that it’s a little crooked. Izzy laughs from where she’s lounging on Alec’s bed, sprawled against the cushions and having made herself at home, as usual. Alec smiles at her. Seeing his little sister so excited for her Soulmate Ceremony makes him happy, reminding himself of how he’d once felt.

He remembers not being able to sleep the night before the ceremony for people of his age, lying awake with dumb romantic scenarios running through his head. He’d always wanted to be swept off his feet by a handsome prince - someone to save him from a dragon, someone magical.

He reckons he’s hoping that Izzy gets Maia almost as much as she is herself.

Back when Alec got his mark, he didn’t know who to expect. Regardless, getting Raj was a huge surprise. Raj is one of Alec’s closest friends, but they’re not in love - not like that.

Even two years later, there’s no romantic spark between them. While Alec doesn’t mind sharing a house with Raj and spending most of his days with him, they’re just friends, and they both know that’s all they’ll ever be.

Alec sometimes wonders if the soulmate mark is meant to be more than that. Growing up, he’d thought that love between soulmates was earth shattering - it was about being so deeply in love that you would walk to the ends of the Earth to see them smile.

But Alec can’t complain, though. Despite the fact that he can feel judging eyes swivel towards the pair of them whenever they enter a room, can sense the snide comments hidden not-so-discreetly behind hands when he and Raj walk past, he and Raj make their situation work for them.

It’s not unusual for people to be paired with a soulmate they don’t know, don’t love, don’t like . Though most people just accept it, those who have gotten their soulmark and choose to spend their lives with others are deliberately ignored and pushed aside.

Alec and Raj find themselves somewhere in the middle. They share a mark, they live together. But Raj’s relationship with Benjamin Underhill hasn’t stayed as secret from outsiders as he’d hoped. Just as people can’t fathom Raj choosing to be with someone other than his soulmate, they can’t fathom Alec accepting it.

But it works for both of them. Naively, as young as they were, they’d shared a kiss when they first got their soulmate marks. It took all of two seconds for them to realise it wasn’t doing anything for either of them. Their mutual respect for each other and desire to see the other happy led them to an agreement where if they wanted to see other people, that was okay.

After fumbling more with his tie, Alec drops his hands with a frustrated huff. Izzy hops off the bed and walks over to him, standing in front of him and undoing his tie before starting over. He looks down at her, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

“You nervous?” he asks.

She meets his eyes momentarily before continuing the task at hand. “A little? I don’t know.”

Izzy finishes the knot and smiles triumphantly, fixing it just so before taking a small step back and examining her work.

Alec narrows his eyes, watching her carefully as she scrutinises his outfit. She opens her mouth and then closes it, sighing.

Whatever she’s gearing up to say has clearly been worrying her, but just at that moment, there’s a knock at the bedroom door.

“Come in,” Alec calls, turning away from Izzy but not before he puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Raj opens the door but he doesn’t move into the room. He sends the two Lightwoods an easy smile, looking handsome in a wine coloured three piece suit with gold accents, his long dark hair neatly styled.

“The car will be here in ten minutes,” he says. Then he looks to Izzy. “How are you feeling, Isabelle?”

Izzy shares a glance with Alec. “Excited. A little like I might throw up.”

Raj grins and nods at her. “Don’t we all?”

“You look very smart,” Izzy says. Raj shrugs, but he’s still smiling.

Alec smiles at him too, teasing and light. “He’s gotta look good for his man.”

Raj rolls his eyes, though his lips tip up at the sides. “Shut it, Lightwood,” he says fondly. Then, almost to himself, “Also, do we need to go over the definition of the word secret again?”

Alec laughs. They’re comfortable enough around each other - and Alec’s good enough friends with Ben, too - that Alec enjoys hearing about what the two of them get up to, and enjoys light-heartedly teasing Raj about Ben even more.

He knows they’re lucky that they’re in a position to be able to go after love - real love - like this. If they were from less highly ranking families, their decision would have cast them out to the edges of society, and Alec knows he’s judged less harshly for their joint decision than Raj anyway.

Part of him is glad that Raj gets this chance at happiness and love, even if it is a shade of what it could be, but another part of him is heartbroken that this is the way they have to live.

Raj taps the doorframe on his way out. “See you in five.”

When Alec turns back to his sister, he sees her watching the pair of them with a sad smile. Her shoulders sag; he can well imagine the negative and dark thoughts weighing heavily on her. Alec knows the feeling - it’s a Lightwood specialty.

Still, he and Izzy have been looking out for each other their whole lives. She’s usually an open person, sharing her secrets with him before anyone else, and her trying to hide herself must be eating her up inside. He waits patiently, and after a few moments, Izzy speaks again, her voice quiet.

“What if it’s not her?”

Alec doesn’t need to ask her to clarify who she’s talking about.

“Hey,” he says softly, pulling her into a hug. “Try not to think like that. If the angels have any sense, they’ll see how much you and Maia mean to each other. And even if it doesn’t happen like you want it to, you don’t have to live by it. Look at Raj and me.”

Izzy exhales shakily and nods against his chest. “But neither of you get to be openly with who you love. I don’t want to have to creep around in the shadows to be with Maia.”

Alec’s heart clenches painfully. As much as he wants to reassure his sister, she’ll see right through bland platitudes about how it will all work out in the end.

“I know,” he sighs. “I guess we’ll just have to cross that bridge if we come to it.”

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The Soulmate Ceremony is the busiest the palace ever gets. The preparations have been going on for weeks, and everytime Izzy’s visited the palace over the past few days, it’s been a flurry of activity. When walking past the ballroom, she’s seen people rushing around, draping the room in swathes of deep burgundy, symbolising long lasting love and unity.

It’s already the most important occasion of every year, but this year every eye is on Princess Clarissa. Clary turns 21 in August, meaning she is to get her soulmate mark. But for the princess, it’s about more than just the chance at love. Somewhere in the crowd right now is the future king or queen.

It’s added a lot of tension to the ceremony. The soulmarks of the royalty are the most honored and revered of all because it determines who’s going to take over the throne, and if Clary ends up with someone awful, it’ll cause a lot of complications for Luke.

Izzy can’t imagine the pressure on Clary. She’s quite happy with her own worries for the ceremony, thank you very much.

The crowd of soon-to-be marked is getting a little antsy as they all wait to head into the ballroom for the ceremony to begin. Izzy’s fingers drum against the side of her pink dress, a sleek silk gown she’d picked out with her mother.

It’s not helping her nerves that she can’t see Maia in the crowd. In fact, she hasn’t seen her since they parted ways that morning. Even though everything had been such a whirlwind, Maia had still made time to pull her aside after breakfast and kiss her, leaving her breathless.

“No matter what happens tonight, Isabelle, you will always be my soulmate,” Maia had said, before her mother called for her and she disappeared into the chaos of the day’s festivities.

Izzy closes her eyes and breathes deeply. She’s standing in a line of pink with all of the other people who are going to get their soulmarks tonight too. They’ll all make a grand entrance into the ballroom, receive a round of applause, then party until midnight. Then, when the clock strikes twelve, it’s the part of the night everyone dreams about: getting your soulmate mark.

Izzy has the schedule memorized easily by now, and she clings onto it like a lifeline. She wants to be excited and hopeful, but the doubt growing in her mind is threatening to overwhelm her.

After another minute Izzy sees the grand doors opening and the line starts to move. The applause has already picked up by the time the first few people lead the procession out. Izzy walks into the light of the ballroom, holding her dress in her left hand and the banister in the other. She’s smiling - she has to be. For her mother, for Alec. For Maia, even though she can’t see her.

“Welcome, everyone,” King Luke says loudly once the applause has died down. “The soulmate mark ceremony is the most important night of the year. Tonight, I join hosts of proud parents from years gone by, as I have the privilege of watching my own daughter find her soulmate.

“I say to her nothing more than what I would say to you all: tonight, you are not searching for the other half of your soul. You are whole without them. Your soulmate is a companion, a guide, a love, to journey through life with you.”

While he continues on his speech, Izzy makes sure her posture is straight and her smile is in check as she frantically scans the crowd for her brother. His supportive smile and small thumbs up ground her, quelling her doubts somewhat.

Her stomach flips in anticipation for the night.

Luke tells everyone to have a good time and as the speech ends Izzy bolts - gracefully, of course - to where Alec is standing. Raj is next to him, as well as Aline and Helen, two of Izzy’s favorite people who were blessed with being given one another as soulmarks. Izzy can only hope she and Maia are as lucky as them.

“Need some of this?” Alec asks when she reaches him, offering her his drink. Izzy nods frantically, taking a gulp and noting the taste of apple on her tongue, as well as the familiar burn of alcohol.

“I love you,” she says, and Alec laughs, pulling her into a half hug. She’s glad he’s so calm about this.

“I love you, too.” Alec leans in close to her ear. “Mom doesn’t know, but I had about three of these cocktails during my ceremony. As long as you don’t get wasted, no one will notice.”

Izzy laughs despite herself, unbelievably grateful to have her brother by her side.

“Hey,” someone says from behind her, and Izzy turns, finding Simon and Maia standing there.

“Hi,” Izzy says, smiling at both of them. Simon has been Alec’s best friend since they were young kids who met at a local festival; he’s long been a part of their family unofficially.

He eyes Izzy handing Alec’s cup back and grins. “I’ll get us some drinks.”

Simon steps around Izzy and Maia to say hello to Alec and then head on to get them drinks. He’d worked out about Izzy and Maia many months ago, but he’s loyal and believes in true love almost as much as they do, so he hasn’t told a soul.

They’ve been lucky so far, but tonight will determine how much that luck has really been worth.

“Deep breaths, Izzy,” Maia says softly. Izzy smiles at her - she can’t help it. Maia looks stunning in her laced up pastel pink gown, but then again, she always manages to take Izzy’s breath away.

“You look - ” Izzy says, then falters, unable to put how Maia makes her feel into words.

“You too,” Maia says, and the up and down she gives Izzy doesn’t feel very innocent. They share a private smile, then tune into the animated conversation Alec and Raj are having. After a while, Simon comes back, handing a wine glass to each of them.

“I’m so nervous,” Simon says, taking a sip of his own red wine. “Me and Clary have been freaking out all week about it.”

“I can imagine,” Maia says sadly, swirling her drink around in her glass. “It’s not just a soulmate for Clary.”

After a while, with the gentle warmth of alcohol running through her veins and the lively, excited atmosphere of the ceremony, Izzy feels herself begin to relax a little. Instead of cataloging every little detail, she lets herself laugh with Simon and Alec and shares a short but friendly conversation with Clary.

They’ve known each other for a long time - longer even than Izzy’s known Maia - and, while Izzy’s always been aware that Clary is the princess first and her friend second, the two struck up an easy camaraderie as girls that’s lasted through the years.

Soon after, the dancing begins. It starts off very traditional, with all the marked people in attendance pairing up and facing their soulmate, turning in gentle circles with the backs of their hands raised and touching, before coming together in hold. They sway together, twirling and spinning.

Later, when some of the older marked people have migrated to the edges of the room, the orchestra starts playing soaring versions of newer songs. The dancing becomes more free and relaxed, led by those who are currently unmarked. They dance with excitement and anticipation, but Izzy’s sure she’s not the only one who can sense the ripple of fear in their abandon as the clock draws closer to midnight.

She seeks out Maia in the crowd, wanting the comfort of being near her. This might be the last time they get to be together. She can’t think about that or her heart will shatter.

They dance together, bodies too close for anyone to misread it as platonic, but in the crowd they get away with it. Izzy’s hands on Maia’s waist and Maia’s hair tickling her cheek would give her a rush at any other time, but now she just feels desperate.

As the chime of the clock shudders through the ballroom Izzy clutches at Maia, feeling panic start to set in.

“Maia, I -”

“I know,” Maia says, her own nervousness reflected in her eyes and the way she nibbles at her lip. “We have to believe.”

Izzy nods. The dancing slows down as all the unmarked around her stop moving to look at their wrists, concentrating hard. At the head of the crowd, an excited gasp goes up; Izzy doesn’t need to look to know the first letter on the princess’ wrist has appeared.

She can hardly bring herself to look at her own wrist, but once she has, she can’t look away. Her stomach drops as she sees a curved line start forming, nothing like the angular strokes of an M. No no no -

“IL,” someone murmurs beside her. The whole crowd is abuzz, looking from Clary to the people around them and back again. “It’s IL - who’s IL?”

Izzy feels like she’s been doused in cold water. Her head jerks up and she shares a glance with Maia, eyes blurring with tears that she hastily blinks away.

Maia looks like she’s been punched in the stomach, but she throws back her shoulders and lifts her chin defiantly when people start coming up to the pair of them.

“Isabelle Lightwood,” a light voice says. Clary is walking towards her, the crowd parting for her. Izzy tries to stop her eyes darting sideways for an escape.

Clary smiles almost shyly at her. She pauses for a moment, eyes flickering worriedly over Izzy’s face before she reaches forward and squeezes Izzy’s hand.

“I think you’re my soulmate,” she says, holding up her wrist. Izzy can see an I and L etched there in flowing black script; she holds up her own wrist to show Clary the C and G written there.

Clary beams at her, a beautiful princess who wants her happy ending, and Izzy tries not to cry. She steps forward and hugs Clary, who holds her at arm’s length when they pull apart.

“What’s wrong?” Clary asks softly.

“Nothing,” Izzy says. She can’t help looking sideways at Maia, but pulls her eyes back to Clary. “I think I just need some air. Please excuse me, My Lady.”

Clary nods, a thoughtful frown appearing on her face as she looks at Maia too. “Of course. Take as long as you need.”

Izzy flees from the ballroom, ignoring the way Alec calls after her. She stumbles outside, heels clacking on cobbled stones as she crosses the courtyard, gulping in lungfuls of air.

It wasn’t meant to be like this.

She runs through the night, dress flaring out behind her. She knew this would happen. She knew she wouldn’t get her happy ending with Maia and the unfairness of it all wants to make her wants to cry and rage.

When she gets home she takes a moment to lean against the doorframe and get her breath back, a sob working its way from her throat.

“Isabelle,” a voice says behind her. Izzy whirls around, seeing Maia standing in front of her like a vision, even through Izzy’s tears.

“You ran after me,” Izzy says with a watery laugh.

“I couldn’t let you go,” Maia says, with a little shake of her head, taking a step closer. Her bottom lip trembles and Izzy rushes to her, wrapping her in a hug.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, burying her face in Maia’s neck. Maia holds her close, her shaky breaths warm against Izzy’s skin. “I’m sorry. I wish it wasn’t like this. It’s so fucked up. I wanna be with you .”

Maia’s quiet for a long moment, then she pulls back to peer at Izzy with dark, serious eyes. “Do you mean that?”

Izzy frowns, cupping Maia’s cheek. “Of course I do,” she says immediately. “It’s me and you against the world, remember?”

Maia’s lips tip up ever so slightly. “Run away with me,” she whispers.

Izzy blinks. “What?”

“Run away with me,” Maia says again, voice growing more certain with every word. “We’ll go to the Soulmate Council. If we show up on their doorstep, they’ll have to listen to us.”

“I don’t think it works like that,” Izzy says, but she can’t help laughing at the idea of the two of them storming into the Soulmate Council and yelling at them until they change Izzy and Maia’s soulmarks.

“Then we’ll start a new life as farmers and live in a little cottage in the middle of nowhere,” Maia says decisively. Then she breaks into giggles and Izzy laughs with her. Maia looks so beautiful in the moonlight, her eyes shining and her beaming smile, that Izzy has to kiss her.

They kiss slowly for a moment that stops time, Izzy’s world narrowing down to Maia’s lips pressing softly against her own.

When they break apart, Maia looks so hopeful that Izzy starts to wonder if maybe, just maybe, things might work out. Sure, first they’ve got to find out where the Soulmate Council is and then get there, and then convince them to change soulmarks which has never happened before in the history of their world, but with Maia at her side, Izzy’s ready to take on anything.

“We have to go tonight,” Maia says, holding Izzy’s hands tightly. “If we don’t, the royal guard will be knocking on your door tomorrow, demanding you go and see the princess.”

Izzy nods. “Come inside,” she says, turning and leading Maia into her house. “We’ll pack a bag and get some supplies.”

While Maia puts together a pack of food for them, Izzy heads up to her room. She draws a sword she stole from the palace a few years ago from under her mattress for Maia and then roots around in the back of her wardrobe for her own staff.

She lays some more sensible clothes out for Maia then gets changed herself, and she’s halfway back downstairs when she spots Alec, standing next to a guilty looking Maia.

Alec lifts an eyebrow at her. “Leaving without saying goodbye?”

Izzy rolls her eyes, putting the weapons down by the door. “I’m going, big brother,” she says. “You can’t stop me. Maia, I left some clothes for you upstairs.”

Maia smiles at her and gently squeezes her hand as she passes to go and change.

“I mean it,” Izzy says, when Alec doesn’t reply. He’s watching her with a careful expression. Her voice breaks when she says, “I have to go. It’s my only chance at being with Maia. Properly being with her.”

Alec wanders over to her, but he doesn’t try to hug her like she expected he might. Instead, he picks up the sword and inspects it with mild disdain.

“When did I say I was going to stop you?” he asks. He taps her gently with the sword. “You need a better weapon than this.”

“What?” Izzy asks, staring at him.

Alec frowns at her. “This sword,” he says, running his finger along the blade. “It’s blunt.”

“I - it’s old,” Izzy says, wrapping her arms around herself, with no clue why she sounds so defensive. “What do you mean, ‘when did I say I was going to stop you’?”

Alec’s expression grows soft. “I want to come with you,” he says, looking a little unsure for the first time. “I know you can defend yourself just fine, but I’m your big brother. I can’t let you and Maia run off into the woods alone. Besides,” he says, shrugging and turning his attention back to the blade, “I have some things I want to say to the Soulmate Council, too.”

“Alec -” Izzy starts, but the sudden lump in her throat steals her words. Instead, she throws herself at him and hugs him tightly, belatedly glad that his quick reflexes mean he managed to fling the blade aside in time.

The touching moment is broken by Maia’s amused voice floating down from upstairs. “Is it safe for me to come down now?”

__________________

Undercover from the darkness of the night, the three of them sneak back to the castle. Alec had volunteered to get them horses from the palace stables, as he would be least suspicious of all of them if he was caught wandering around the palace. Maia and Izzy, of course, were still supposed to be at the Soulmate Ceremony.

The two of them try to keep out of sight as they make their way back from the armoury. Maia had helped Izzy fix a scarf over her hair; they reasoned that if the royal guard were on the lookout for anyone, it would be Izzy, as the princess’ soulmate.

Izzy’s heart pounds as they creep along the palace corridors, shadows flickering on the wall as they pass every flaming torch. They’re maybe ten, twenty paces from an exit when they hear footsteps behind them.

“Go,” Maia whispers quickly. “I’ll hold them off -”

“Isabelle?”

Izzy’s eyes grow wide. Maia sighs, closing her eyes, and clenches her jaw as she turns to face Clary.

“My Lady,” she says, curtseying. Clary smiles at her, but it’s a little sad.

“I understand,” Clary says, before Izzy can greet her. Her voice is hushed and she glances back down the corridor she came from. “I - I had hoped that my soulmate would be someone I could fall in love with. Someone I could love the way - the way you two love each other.”

Izzy steps forward. “Clary -”

“You’re going to go to the Soulmate Council, aren’t you?” Clary asks, her voice still quiet. The lack of response from Izzy just confirms her suspicions, and Clary smiles. “I hear my father talk to this soulmate warlock consultant quite often - his name is Ragnor Fell, he might be able to help you. Find him.”

Izzy stares at her. No one expects to have their soulmate be one of the royals, but when it does, they accept it. Never before has anyone dared refuse a royal, and here Izzy is running away from Clary.

Most confusingly, Clary has...accepted it? Izzy doesn’t understand.

“I’ll hold off the guard as long as I can.”

The torches on the wall flicker suddenly; the three of them freeze inexplicably. It’s not like they’ll blend into the stone walls, even if they don’t move.

Izzy breathes a sigh of relief when she sees the familiar lanky form of her brother round the corner, seemingly on full alert. He relaxes slightly on seeing Izzy and Maia, then his eyes go wide when they land on Clary.

He clears his throat.

“My Lady,” he says, with a slight bow. Then, “Iz,” he hisses, “we need to go.”

Maia nods, tugging on Izzy’s hand. Izzy looks between them.

“Clary,” she says, stepping forward, “I don’t know how to thank you.”

Clary shakes her head, smiling softly. “You don’t need to thank me for anything. Now go. Stay safe.” She glances to Alec. “Look after my friends, Sir Alexander.”

“I will, My Lady,” Alec promises, and then he leads Izzy and Maia from the palace.

They sneak out a back door close to the kitchens, out into a grassy clearing that leads into the woods beyond. Alec has tethered three horses to the trees - Izzy’s heart swells as she recognises her brown mare, Trident. Beside her stands Alec’s black horse, Raven. Another she doesn’t recognise, grey with spatterings of white like freckles, tosses its head majestically as they draw near.

Alec helps both girls onto their horses and then unties them before releasing Trident and climbing up himself.

“Clary said we need to find a warlock by the name of Ragnor Fell,” Izzy says, looking at Maia and then Alec.

Alec looks at her for a moment, and then nods. “Then we head east, into the forest and towards the village of Chthonia. A lot of warlocks live near it, so we might be able to find him there.”

“Okay,” Izzy says, grabbing the reins.

“To the Soulmate Council,” Maia says, with the faintest hint of a waver in her voice. She shares a glance with Izzy before clicking her tongue and urging her horse on, and Izzy follows her into the unknown.

__________________

“How much is left?” Izzy asks Alec.

Alec sighs, shaking the canteen and strapping it onto the side of Raven. “Two days worth, maybe. We need to hit Chthonia soon and stock up on supplies.”

Izzy nods. As she looks from Maia up ahead to Alec right beside her, she can tell they’re just as worn out as she is.

They’ve been travelling for two days straight, only stopping once to give the horses a chance to rest. They’d left the palace in such a hurry they hadn’t properly rationed the food, and they’re lucky they remembered canteens of water, or else they’d definitely be screwed. They’ve been heading east for miles now, but Izzy trusts Alec to get them to Chthonia soon.

Izzy nudges Trident gently with her knees where she sits astride her and Trident walks ahead, up next to Maia. When she’s close enough, Izzy takes Maia’s hand.

“Just a little longer, then we can rest properly,” Izzy says, and Maia smiles at her, but Izzy can see the bags under her eyes and the sag in her shoulders.

“I know this path,” Alec suddenly says from where he’s trotting along in front of them on Raven. He’s staring out,  assessing the path that leads between two hills. “We’re only a few miles from Chthonia.”

Maia gives a small but enthusiastic cheer and Alec beams at them, signalling to his horse to move a little quicker. They ride for a while, but soon Alec is dropping back, staying close to the two girls. Izzy notices his hand resting on the strap of his bow that runs over his chest and he seems to be glancing side to side more often.

“Stay close to me,” Alec says sternly, his voice mimicking how he sounds when he speaks to his fellow knights.

When they’re about halfway through the path between the two hills, loud shouts fill the air. Izzy’s head whips to the right hill, where about a dozen people in dark clothing are running down it towards them, carrying weapons.

Bandits .

“Go, go!” Alec shouts at Izzy and Maia, already riding towards the men to engage, but the girls don’t move. There’s no way Alec can deal with this alone, and there’s no way Izzy is leaving her brother to go up against this many men.

Alec takes off his bow and begins to shoot at the men from his horse, while Maia and Izzy jump off their horses and begin hand to hand combat. Izzy plucks her staff from its fixing on Trident’s saddle and instantly uses it to hit someone hard on the side of the head before butting it into their chest, making them stagger back and fall.

Maia’s unsheathed her sword and is swinging it at two men, constantly rotating and never leaving her back exposed. Izzy uses her staff to knock another man’s feet out from under him and kicks another bandit in the chest.

“Dimitri, no!” Maia calls, and when Izzy turns her head to the right, she can see a hooded man riding off with Maia’s horse. Dimitri had most of their weapons and some food and they really couldn’t afford to lose any more supplies.

Only a few men are left. Izzy takes one out with a strong hit to the face, while Maia stabs another guy in the shoulder and uses his clothes to clean off her sword. Alec uses his bow to knock out the man in front of him. The three of them share relieved glances once they notice the crowd of fallen bandits around them.

They’ve lost a horse and with it some valuable supplies, but if they reach Chthonia, they should be able to recover just fine.

Izzy looks from Maia to Alec a second too late to notice an assailant Alec had wounded stalking up behind him with a dagger, aiming it right at his back.

He’s only a step away from Alec but Izzy’s too far away to shove Alec out of harm’s way. She’s opening her mouth to scream Alec’s name as the bandit thrusts the dagger forward and then just -

Stops.

The dagger freezes in midair, as does the bandit. Alec jumps forward and out of the way at Izzy’s warning, but the attacker doesn’t reach him. He seems to be held by some sort of invisible force.

“Didn't anyone teach you to check that your enemies are properly dead before celebrating, handsome?” someone says, and Izzy, Maia and Alec all turn their heads towards the voice.

A man emerges from the trees, his hand raised with his fingers gently curled in the air. He has dark hair and eyes, his form-fitting tunic accented with shades of purple and blue. As he walks towards them, his head held high and a slight smirk on his lips, Izzy knows instinctively he’s someone powerful.

The man doesn’t take his eyes off Alec. When Izzy looks over at her wide-eyed brother, his jaw has hit the floor. Izzy’s always been in awe of warlocks and their magic, but it’s clear that it’s a different kind of spell this man has cast on Alec.

“Uh,” is all Alec manages to get out. The man laughs, snapping his fingers so the dagger flips and stabs the attacker in the heart. Magnus doesn’t peel his eyes away from Alec once and Izzy sees her brother visibly swallow.

“This path isn’t very safe,” the stranger says, finally sparing Izzy and Maia a glance.

“Yeah,” Izzy says, with a huff of laughter, “we know.”

The man continues to study them patiently. “Where is it you’re looking to go?” he asks.

“Chthonia,” Alec blurts out, and Izzy’s eyes narrow as she sends him a warning glare. They don’t know this man. He might have saved them, but he’s still a stranger - not to mention an obviously powerful one. He could rob them and kill them with a flick of his wrist.

The man hums. “The journey I’m taking leads me past there. What is it you’re looking for in Chthonia?”

Izzy and Maia share a glance. Maia tips her head towards the man almost imperceptibly and Izzy gives one small nod.

“A man by the name of Ragnor Fell,” Maia says, her stance cautious as she regards the man.

His eyes light up immediately.  “Ragnor Fell happens to be one of my closest friends, my dear,” he says. Izzy barely holds back a snort; of course this man is best friends with the person they’re seeking. Either this is one lucky coincidence, or the stranger thinks they were all born yesterday.

Izzy curls her fingers protectively around her staff, reassuring herself that she’s not defenceless, that she can protect both herself and the two people she loves most in the world if it comes to it.

“What do you require of him?” the man asks. He doesn’t seem concerned that Izzy is on guard; in fact, he seems particularly at ease, leaning casually on a nearby tree trunk as he watches them.

It doesn’t seem to be an act: he looks genuinely unconcerned with the situation they’re in, as if they’re having a pleasant chat down at the market, not surrounded by slain bandits who just tried to rob them. Mind you, if Izzy had the same magic as the man at her fingertips, she might be pretty relaxed, too.

It’s that last thought that really convinces her to trust him, even for now. It’s clear that, if he’d wanted to, he could have hurt or killed them with just a snap of his fingers, but instead he’d saved Alec’s life and tried to help them out.

“Information about the Soulmate Council,” Izzy says, finally giving in. If the man is honestly good friends with Ragnor Fell, then it’ll save them a lot of time. She doesn’t want to think about what will happen if he’s lying.

He tilts his head to the side, his expression full of amusement. “Consider me intrigued.”

“Could you…” Maia trails off, then, sweeping her gaze over Izzy, turns back to Magnus. “Would you lead us to him? If it’s not too much of a bother?”

The man seems to consider it. His eyes find their way back to Alec, who hasn’t stopped looking at him since he first made his presence known. Izzy rolls her eyes fondly.

“Very well. I will,” he says, and that’s that.

The man pushes off the tree trunk and walks over to Raven, petting the horse’s mane and cooing at it softly. A couple of sugar lumps materialise in his palm and he feeds them to the horse, still ruffling its mane.

“I’ll take you to Ragnor,” he says. “Though I must warn you: he’s rather prickly at times.”

Izzy nods, but she’s not sure if the man is teasing them or not. He turns away from Raven and looks at each of them in turn.

“So, are we going to introduce ourselves? Travelling is dreadfully dull when you don’t know the names of your companions,” the man says. “I’m Magnus Bane.”

“I’m Maia Roberts,” Maia says, taking a step forward and holding out her hand. Magnus smiles at her and kisses it. Then, Maia gestures beside her at Izzy. “This is Isabelle Lightwood.”

Magnus’ eyes flit between the two of them, a kind, knowing smile appearing on his face. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he says. He looks to Alec, smile growing wider. Teasing, he adds, “And you, good sir?”

Alec grins, ducking his head as he takes a step closer to Magnus. “Sir Alexander Lightwood,” he says, holding out his own hand. Izzy’s never seen her brother blush so hard as when Magnus, instead of shaking Alec’s hand, raises it to his lips and presses a soft kiss to his knuckles.

Magnus’ eyes fall on Alec’s wrist where his tunic sleeve has ridden up. When Magnus drops Alec’s hand, Izzy notices h is smile has turned a little strained at the edges.

“The handsome ones are always taken,” Magnus quips, thumb and finger rubbing together as he spins on his heel and walks towar ds Raven again. “Isabelle, Maia, why don’t you take a horse each and Alexander and I will walk?”

Izzy and Maia look at each other, then shrug.

“It’s okay,” Maia says. “I don’t mind taking it in turns.”

Alec clears his throat. “No, it’s - we could always share.” He glances furtively at Magnus, then at Maia and Izzy. Izzy tries and fails to disguise her laughter at her brother’s lack of subtlety as a cough. “Iz and Maia, you take Trident.” He looks to Magnus. “Magnus, we could take Raven.”

Magnus looks Alec up and down, then quirks a brow and shrugs. “Fine by me. Chthonia is still a couple of hours ride away - should I take the reins for a little while?” He glances wryly at the three of them. “I promise not to lead you astray.”

Alec nods, smiling at him. Izzy laughs softly at her brother, then turns to Maia and takes her hand.

“Do you want to ride?” Izzy asks her. Maia shrugs, then nods.

“We can swap halfway there,” she says, climbing up onto Trident’s saddle, then holding out her hand to help Izzy up. Across from them, Alec has his arms loosely around Magnus’ waist, biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling. Magnus picks up the reins and urges the horse into a trot.

“Come on,” Izzy laughs, wrapping her arms around Maia and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her neck. Knowing Magnus and Alec are out of earshot, she says, “Let’s get out of here before Alec falls any more in love.”

__________________

It’s dark when they reach Chthonia. Alec had slept for the last half hour, leaning on Magnus’ back, and Izzy’s eyes are practically burning from the lack of rest. They stop at a large, dimly lit inn and Magnus greets the owner with a warm hug. They whisper between themselves for a moment as Izzy, Maia and Alec dismount but stay behind, barely able to stand on their feet.

The woman Magnus hugged earlier takes the reins of their horses and leads them around back, most likely to the stable. The three of them are too exhausted to argue.

They follow Magnus into the inn and up the stairs to the second floor. There are multiple rooms; Izzy and Maia walk into one that Magnus gestures to and practically weep at the sight of a bed. Within a few minutes, they’re out cold, the past three days of travel weighing heavily on them.

When the sun filters in through the windows hours later, Izzy wakes feeling more refreshed than she has in a while. She wraps her arms tighter around Maia, not wanting to let go. This is what she wants forever - just the simple pleasure of waking up next to someone she loves, everyday.

“Morning,” Maia whispers, and Izzy smiles as Maia turns in her arms, pressing a soft kiss to Izzy’s lips.

“Morning, beautiful,” Izzy says after they pull apart, playing with one of Maia’s curls. “Do you remember getting here last night?”

Maia laughs. “Barely,” she says. “I was too tired.”

“Me too,” Izzy says, kissing Maia again. She cups Maia’s cheek and kisses her slow and deep, feeling one of Maia’s hands on her waist, her other hand running down Izzy’s leg and pulling up her knee so that they’re pressed closer together. Izzy moans into Maia’s mouth, her hands traveling down Maia’s body, when there’s a knock on the door.

“Iz? Maia?” Alec says hesitantly. Maia pulls away from Izzy with one final parting kiss, before rolling away.

“Yeah?” Izzy calls as Maia starts getting dressed. Izzy pouts dramatically, making Maia laugh.

“Can I come in? Are you decent?” he asks, and Izzy sighs, finally getting out of bed herself.

“Give us a minute,” she calls back, and starts getting dressed. In a few minutes Izzy opens the door to reveal her brother, fully dressed already, but with wildly messy bedhead.

“You aren’t going to impress Magnus looking like that,” Izzy jokes, ruffling her hands through his hair to make it look more presentable.

“Shut up,” Alec replies half heartedly, though he lets Izzy do what she wants.

“Did you sleep okay?” she asks, flicking the front of Alec’s hair up a little and smiling in approval.

“Yeah, thanks. Do you know where Magnus is? I knocked for him but there was no answer,” Alec says, and Izzy and Maia both shake their heads.

“Let’s head downstairs,” Maia says. “We should also probably find some food, because I’m starving.”

After doing one last sweep of both their rooms to make sure they have everything, Alec leads the way downstairs. The downstairs opens up into a living area and a bar. Two people are sitting on the bar stools, having coffee and chatting away, and Magnus and the woman from last night are tucked together at a dining table, talking about something.

The woman spots them first and stands up with a smile, making Magnus turn to look at them as well.

“There you all are,” she says, tucking a strand of long brown hair behind her ear. “I hope you all slept okay. My name’s Dot - I’m a good friend of Magnus’ and the owner.”

“Thank you so much for letting us stay here last night,” Maia says instantly offering her hand which Dot shakes. They all get acquainted and Magnus invites them to sit down.

“Would you all like coffee? Possibly some breakfast?” Dot asks, and Magnus grins as the rest of them nod eagerly.

With a wave of her hand Dot produces a coffee pot full of coffee and some breakfast pastries. Izzy’s eyes widen, entranced by the magic. She doesn’t know why she’s so surprised that Magnus’ friend is a warlock just like him.

All of them start digging in, and after a few minutes the food’s almost fully gone, with Dot promising to give them more from the inn’s bakery for their journey.

“Speaking of which,” Magnus says, holding a mug of coffee next to his lips. “Do you have any idea where Ragnor would be? Last I spoke with him he was headed towards Chthonia, so I assumed maybe you’d have seen him.”

“I’m afraid not,” Dot says, chewing on her lower lip. “Catarina might know, though.”

“Cat’s in town?” Magnus asks, instantly perking up.

“She came in a few days ago. She’s only staying for a month on business,” Dot says, but the blush high on her cheeks looks all too familiar to Izzy. It’s the same way Izzy used to react at the mention of Maia’s name before they were together.

“Maybe we’ll pay Catarina a visit,” Magnus muses, taking a sip of coffee.

“I need to get back to work,” Dot says, and Magnus stands up with her to give her a parting hug. “It was so nice catching up, Magnus.” She turns to the rest of them with a warm smile. “Safe travels. It was a pleasure to meet you all.”

Enthusiastic noises of thanks sound from the three of them, and Dot leaves with a small wave. Magnus sits back down and sips more coffee, looking contemplative.

“Catarina will probably be towards the north side of town. We could walk there and see if she knows anything, then come back and be on our way,” Magnus says.

The three of them nod.

“Magnus,” Alec says, leaning forward slightly. “Thank you. For helping us yesterday and for giving us a place to stay. We’d be completely lost if it wasn’t for you.”

Magnus’ eyes warm at Alec’s words, and Maia leans forward too, putting her hand on top of Magnus’. “Alec’s right, thank you so much.”

“It means a lot to us,” Izzy says. Magnus nods, looking pleased and a little flustered.

“Of course,” Magnus says. “We should get going.”

The village is lit up with life. They walk through the cobblestone streets and into the flea market that’s happening in the main square. A man with a long brown beard is selling fresh bread that smells divine, and the woman next to him is selling flower crowns. Izzy’s tempted to buy something for Maia, because when Izzy looks over at her girlfriend, she’s smiling like she’s on top of the world. Her eyes are bright and happy, and Izzy wants to hold that joy in there forever.

Izzy wants to go everywhere with Maia, on every adventure. Alec buys two small beef tarts, giving one to Maia and Izzy and splitting one himself with Magnus. Izzy and Maia walk a little ahead of the two of them, holding hands and munching on the delicious food.

Maia gets intrigued with a particular jewelry cart, where Izzy sees a small bracelet made out of a purple and pale pink stone.

“Ah, you like the sugilite bracelet?” the woman at the cart asks, smiling at them and putting her dimples on full display. Her white hair is pinned up into a bun at the top of her head.

“It’s beautiful,” Izzy says.

The woman smiles. “It’s called the ‘Stone of Affection’. It promotes love and affection and is believed to absorb pain.”

Izzy looks at Maia while the woman explains the stone. Love and affection are two emotions Izzy is overwhelmed with feeling for Maia.

“I’ll take it,” Izzy says, taking out a few coins and giving it to the woman. Izzy picks up the bracelet and slips it onto Maia’s wrist, right over her soul mark.

Maia’s eyes are wide, and she’s smiling softly. She touches the bracelet gently, and then looks up at Izzy.

“Thank you,” she says, and Izzy leans in, kissing her quickly and softly.

“Something tells me you’re on a difficult quest,” the woman says, interrupting their moment. She’s rubbing her thumb over a black stone in her hand.

“Yes, we are,” Maia says politely, not giving any more information.

The woman studies them for a moment with her gray eyes and then nods, shuffling in her satchel for something. She takes out a small green stone that looks like the rings of a tree. “This is malachite. It’s known as the ‘Stone of Safeguard’. It’s meant for travelers like yourself, and is a protection stone. This stone is also special, because it’s enchanted.”

She takes Izzy’s hand and places the stone into it, curling Izzy’s fingers around it.

“Whenever you’re in a troubling situation, just think of somewhere you want to be, and it’ll take you there like that,” the woman snaps her fingers. “Be warned though, my dear. This stone only has enough magic to be used once, so use it wisely.”

“Thank you,” Izzy says, opening up her hand and looking at the beautiful stone.

“Good luck,” the woman says, and Izzy feels a soft tug on her elbow.

“We need to get to the bar before the sun sets,” Maia says softly, and Izzy nods.

“Thank you again,” Izzy says to the old woman, and the woman lifts up her hand in parting, her smile warm. The stone feels warm in her hand, and Izzy pockets it safely before taking Maia’s hand and catching up to where Magnus and Alec are standing at a hat stand, Alec wearing the most ridiculous bright red hat. Magnus is laughing, a hand on his stomach, and while Alec usually hates being teased like this by anyone other than Izzy, he seems to be enjoying himself.

The four of them continue down the road, the village still full of color and light, now illuminated by gentle pink and orange hues. It’s unlike anything Izzy’s ever seen before, and she can’t get enough. Maybe when they get home, Izzy will let her mother know about these lively flea markets and see if they can host them in Alicante.

If they go home, Izzy thinks, then sighs, steeling herself. She can’t afford to think like that now.

The bar they enter smells like beer and sweat, instantly making Izzy feel uneasy. Her hand is clasped in Maia’s and she presses closer to her, looking around. Everything is painted in a shade of black. There are grown men with lengthy beards sitting at the bar, obnoxiously chugging their beer and hollering at one another. Women are walking around in tight corsets giving out beer to the tables full of people. It’s not the kind of establishment Izzy frequents, that’s for sure.

Magnus walks ahead of them, leading the three of them with purpose. He looks around when they reach the middle of the bar, and spots a table with one woman sitting by the fireplace. Izzy assumes it’s Catarina, because when she spots him she stands and embraces him in a tight hug.

Magnus seems to have a lot of friends. If the theme continues, then she’s willing to bet that Catarina is a warlock too.

“Alec, Izzy, Maia,” Magnus says, “this is Catarina. A dear friend of mine, who always chooses the most delightful bars for us to visit.”

“Such high standards,” Catarina laughs. She eyes the three of them warily, her gaze falling on the sword resting on Alec’s hip. “So, Magnus, where did you meet these three strangers?” she asks pointedly.

Magnus rolls his eyes, taking the seat next to Catarina and gesturing for the others to sit down too. “I stumbled across them in the woods,” he says airily. Izzy can’t help smiling; he must know that’s not going to help his case of proving to Catarina that they’re trustworthy. “Saved -” Magnus’ finger dances in the air as he points at Alec “- his life, they were eternally grateful, etcetera, etcetera.”

Catarina blinks at him, then turns to Maia and Izzy. “Has he been like this the whole time? I do apologise.”

Magnus’ offended noise gets lost in their laughter, and it breaks the ice just enough that any awkwardness melts away.

“On a completely unrelated note,” Magnus starts, fiddling with rings Izzy hadn’t noticed until now, “have you seen Ragnor, recently? I haven’t heard from the grumpy old bugger since he told me he was coming here to Chthonia.”

Catarina narrows her eyes at Magnus. “Who is it that wants to know?” she asks, turning her gaze on Izzy, Maia and Alec. Izzy senses that even if Magnus has apparently decided to trust them, Catarina isn’t about to do the same, so she decides honesty is the best way to go if they’re going to get Catarina’s approval.

“We do,” Izzy says, gesturing between herself and Maia. “We want to go to the Soulmate Council.”

Maia nods. “We turned 21 a few days ago,” she explains. “We got soulmarks, but they weren’t each other’s initials. We’re going to plead with the Council to change their minds.”’

Catarina’s eyebrows have climbed up her forehead and she shares a disbelieving glance with Magnus. “Mundanes,” she says exasperatedly, shaking her head. “What do you need Ragnor for?”

Maia shrugs. “We were told he consults for King Luke about soulmates,” she says. “We figure if anyone knows where the Council is, it’s him.”

Catarina narrows her eyes at them, then turns to Magnus. “You’re just going to lead them to Ragnor?” she asks.

“Ragnor is a perfectly adequate warlock,” Magnus answers. “He can look after himself.”

Catarina just curls her lip. She turns to Izzy, Alec and Maia and asks, “Where did you say you were from, again?”

Izzy and Alec share a glance. “Alicante,” Izzy says, fidgeting a little on her chair. The way Catarina’s expression changes makes something uncomfortable settle in Izzy’s stomach.

“I don’t doubt Ragnor can look after himself,” Catarina says to Magnus, “but I don’t think he’ll take kindly to you bringing two ladies of Alicante and one of the Shadow Hunters to his doorstep.” Her eyes flit to Alec. “You are, aren’t you? One of the king’s guard.”

Alec nods. “How did you know?”

“Your sword,” Catarina says, tipping her head towards it. “It’s made of adamas and engraved with the crest of Idris.”

“Look,” Magnus says, waving his hand a little impatiently, “I’ll be escorting them to Ragnor’s and making sure they leave.” His face softens. “These two girls just want to find the Soulmate Council so they can be together, Cat. Surely that means something to you.”

Catarina looks at him for a long moment, then sighs. “Who am I to stand in the way of true love?” she asks, with a wry quirk of her lips. Magnus snorts.

“So, have you seen him?” he asks.

“A few days ago, he mentioned he’d run out of honeyblues,” Catarina says. Izzy shares a blank glance with Maia and Alec, but the comment seems to mean something to Magnus, because he wrinkles his nose.

“That means he’s headed to the Rock of Duduael.”

Catarina laughs, sitting back in her chair and watching Izzy, Maia and Alec with no small amount of amusement. “Good luck,” she says. “You’re going to need it.”

Maia swaps glances with Izzy. “Why?” she asks. “What’s at the Rock of Duduael?”

“Nothing much,” Magnus says, staring out at the crowd of the bar with mild distaste. “Winding paths. Fresh air.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Alec starts, a little hesitant.

“Oh,” Magnus says, drawing his eyes away from the crowd and looking at Maia, Izzy and Alec, “did I forget to mention the dragon?”

__________________

Duduael is about a day’s journey from Chthonia. They leave first thing the day after they see Catarina, as Dot insists they stay at her inn for another night. Traveling in the daytime is safer, she says, and the four of them should be well rested for when they face whatever lies ahead.

The road to the top of the Rock is steep, and they take short breaks every two hours to let the horses regain some much needed energy.

“We’re almost there,” Magnus says, looking up at the mountain.

They’re all hoping that it doesn’t come down to fighting the dragon, but as Magnus had explained on the journey, the reason that honeyblues are so rare is because they grow right outside the Barrel - a cave in the Rock of Duduael where the dragon Ladon lives. Many people have tried to retrieve the flowers, only to fall for the dragon’s tricks and end up being its lunch.

Ragnor had apparently mentioned some sort of plan for outwitting the dragon to Catarina, but Izzy can see Magnus is still worried for his friend.

“Do we have a plan for what to do if we need to fight the dragon?” Maia asks, walking over to Magnus and gazing up at the mountain alongside him.

“Try not to die?” Magnus jokes, and Alec snorts from where he’s brushing Raven’s mane.

“Solid plan,” Izzy says, smiling as she nods. After they give Trident and Raven some more water, they make their way up the final stretch of the mountain.

They skirt gingerly around one large rock that sticks out jaggedly from the face of the mountain. As Izzy inches forward, carefully placing one foot in front of the other, a cascade of stones tumbles over the edge of the path.

Izzy peers over the side as the stones fall and swallows hard, then grits her teeth and carries on up the mountain. Before she can even think about what would happen if she missed her footing, the Barrel is in front of them. It’s a huge black mass ripped into the mountain face, like a mouth yawning open.

Despite the fact that it’s daytime, the cave is so dark Izzy can’t see anything further than a few yards in.

“The Barrel,” Izzy says out loud as they all pause to gape at it. The outside of the cave is lined with bushes of beautiful blue and yellow flowers. They’re vibrant and hard to miss, and for just one moment Izzy thinks Maia would look nice with one in her hair. Then she remembers that this is exactly how the dragon gets its victims.

There’s a dark brown patch of leather contrasting the green grass, and Magnus rushes to it, picking up the satchel.

“This is Ragnor’s,” he says, face clouded with worry. He grips it and casts another look back at the cave, and none of them need confirmation to know that they’re going to go inside and find Ragnor Fell.

They tie Trident and Raven’s reigns to a nearby tree. Then, the four of them walk forward and stand in front of the entrance of the cave. Alec has his hand on the strap of his bow, Izzy is holding her staff, Maia’s hand rests on the head of her sword and Magnus’ magic is lighting up his fingers in deep navy flames. As they stare at the black hole in front of them, Izzy gulps, mentally preparing herself.

This is the adventure she signed herself up for. She’s fighting for her love with Maia alongside her. If a dragon is just another obstacle they have to overcome, then so be it.

“Stay alert,” Magnus says after a beat of charged silence, and then takes a step forward, Alec right behind him. The only thing illuminating their path is the light from Magnus’ magic, and it’s not enough to light the whole cave.

The faint sound of water droplets comes from all around. As they walk deeper inside, the temperature drops, sending a shiver over Izzy’s body. Once the light from the cave entrance fades, Magnus shifts his magic. Instead of a faint glow from both hands, one palm now curves around a ball of flame that he uses to light up their path.

“We need to move faster,” Magnus says, looking back at them. “I can’t drain too much of my energy with this.”

The three of them nod in understanding and hurry up ahead. The cave feels like it goes on an endless dark loop, but after another few minutes of walking, there’s a light up in front.

“Magnus,” Alec whispers, and Magnus nods, letting them know he sees it. He dims his magic completely, hopefully giving them the element of surprise, and they start walking closer to one of the cave’s walls.

Once they gets close enough, they press up against the wall, listening for any sounds. Rushing water drowns out almost every other sound, so they all inch forward, knowing they won’t be heard. Izzy glances to her right and meets Maia’s concerned eyes, so she tries to nod reassuringly.

It’s just a dragon. How scary can that be?

“I see Ragnor,” Magnus whispers harshly over the sound of the waterfall. “He’s unconscious, but breathing. If you clear a path for me, I can make it to him and we can get out.”

“I’ll cover you,” Alec says, and Magnus nods.

Slowly, they creep out from their hiding spot. Barely a step into the light, all four of them freeze. There, sitting on a rock just left of the waterfall, is an enormous, black scaled dragon. Its skin glimmers under the light from the top of the waterfall opening.

On further inspection, Izzy can just make out the way Ladon’s huge ribcage is rising and falling, and every time it snores, slow puffs of smoke rise from its nostrils.

Maia, Izzy, and Alec spread out around Ladon, but Izzy is praying that there’s no fight. That Ragnor Fell will wake up and they can quietly tiptoe out of here. There’s a reason Ladon resides in a secluded cave halfway up a mountain.  

Izzy watches Magnus flick his wrist and with a wave of magic, Ragnor’s body, which was laying on pile of seaweed by the waterfall, is now hovering in midair. This dragon had been looking forward to sushi, apparently.

They all hold their breath, waiting for Magnus as he floats Ragnor towards them.

Magnus is careful, hand curling with a slow, deliberate movement. Though Izzy knows he needs to take his time, she can’t help but grow impatient, imagining the chaos that will happen if the dragon wakes up.

Her eyes flicker between Ragnor’s floating body and the sleeping dragon. Once Ragnor is over the stream of the waterfall and on their side, Magnus jerks his head to signal that they should head towards the exit.

Izzy takes a step but she doesn’t see a pothole in the uneven ground below her feet and she trips, her staff clattering on stone as she catches herself on her hands. Everyone freezes from the noise, but it’s too late. The damage is already done.

A monstrous roar echoes in the cave.

Izzy bolts up and grabs the staff. Her attention zeroes in on Ladon, her heart hammering in her chest. He’s even more terrifying with his eyes open, glaring at the five of them with beady black eyes.

She doesn’t have time to regret not looking at her feet before Alec has drawn his bow and started to shoot, Magnus a few feet behind him already working his magic. The dragon roars as Alec’s arrows hit its neck, just barely missing his eyes.

As Ladon gets increasingly furious, a punishingly hot blast of fire shoots from his snout. He breathes it in Alec’s direction and Magnus tugs Alec out of the way just in time, both of them tumbling to the ground.

Izzy occasionally loses sight of the two of them as they all battle Ladon, working in tandem to distract him and take aim at him. Magnus’ magic wraps around Ladon’s throat, tugging at it as Alec alternates between shooting his arrows at Ladon’s face and feet.

Maia and Izzy take chances to come close to Ladon and slice and stab at him when they can. The dragon is taking longer each time to attack them, slowly being defeated, but they need the perfect moment to finish this.

Izzy’s startled when a swirl of bright green magic shoots past her, muzzling the dragon’s mouth and making it impossible for it to blow more fire at them. She turns to find Ragnor standing on shaky legs, looking pissed as hell at the dragon who captured him.

This is the moment they were waiting for, Izzy thinks. Maia seems to understand Izzy’s plan - they lock eyes momentarily as Maia nods.

“Now!” she shouts.

Izzy darts forward, slicing at the dragon’s large, scaly legs to distract him. Ladon bellows in pain and turns, giving Maia the perfect opportunity to jump on his back.

Alec fires an arrow directly into Ladon’s eye, causing the dragon to writhe in pain. The jerky movements cause him to break free of Ragnor’s magical hold, screeching and shooting fire in Alec’s direction.

Izzy’s still trying to make her way around him, running in a circle, and she’s almost by her brother’s side when Ladon turns sharply, knocking her off her feet with his tail. She’s vaguely aware of Alec screaming her name as she hits the wall of the cave roughly and lands on her back, winded as she hits the floor.

The impact brings tears to her eyes and she groans, not even bothering to try and move. She gasps in breaths and blinks roughly once, twice, and when her vision clears she sees Ladon’s mouth wide open in front of her, barely being held at bay by the familiar blue light of Magnus’ magic.

She doesn’t even have time to gasp, much less scramble away from being either burnt to a crisp or eaten to death, when suddenly Maia slides around Ladon’s neck, her sword gouging a scarlet tear through his scales. Magnus’ magic sputters out just as Ladon’s eyes stop blinking and deep red blood starts dripping from the long gash that circles his neck.

Within a moment, the large dragon thuds against the rough cave floor, dead.

“Maia,” Izzy breathes out, her heart racing and hands shaking, and suddenly Maia’s wrapping her up in her arms, pressing kisses to her head.

“You’re okay, baby, I got you,” Maia says softly, and Izzy peels her eyes away from the dead dragon to look at Maia.

“You saved me,” Izzy says, awestruck.

Maia just smiles, brushing Izzy’s hair out of her face. “You’re welcome.”

Izzy’s about to reply, maybe kiss Maia senseless, when she remembers the others. Both Ragnor and Magnus’ magic had flickered out and her stomach drops, fearing the worst.

She turns her head and spots the three of them. Ragnor’s laying on the ground, panting heavily, and Magnus is leaning against Alec’s side, gripping his hand.

Maia stands up, then offers her hand to Izzy, who takes it and lets Maia pull her up. Maia slips her arm around Izzy’s waist as they walk over to Alec and Magnus, which they both know is unnecessary but Izzy’s sure as hell not going to point that out.

Alec glances up at them as they approach. Izzy quirks an eyebrow.

“I’m sharing my strength with Magnus,” Alec says before she can open her mouth, but Izzy knows the protective arm Alec has around Magnus’ shoulders is more than just friendly.

“Are you going to be okay?” Izzy asks Magnus, and he chuckles softly.

“I should be, darling,” he says. “Just give me a moment to regain some energy and we can make our way out of here.”

Maia stays with Alec and Magnus while Izzy goes to Ragnor and checks up on him.

“Ragnor Fell?” she asks, and Ragnor heaves a little, blinking his eyes open.

“The one and only,” he responds, and Izzy smiles, offering him her hand and helping him stand up.

“Come on,” she says. “Let’s get out of here.”

It takes another few minutes for Magnus to regain most of his strength. Ragnor hasn’t eaten properly in a few days, being the dragon’s prisoner, so Alec helps him walk, Ragnor’s arm slung over his shoulder. Izzy notices that Alec doesn’t stray too far from Magnus’ side, though, as if a magnet keeps pulling Alec towards him.

They were lucky to come out mostly unharmed. Izzy and Maia link hands and walk ahead a little, making sure the path is clear. The walk through the cave seems to take much longer than it did on the way in - as soon as the sunlight illuminates their way, Izzy almost breaks into a run, so relieved to be out in the open.

She’s also so happy to see Trident that she could cry, and she jogs up to him. She grabs the half full canteen from her bag and takes a huge gulp of water before passing it to Maia. While they all pass water around and Alec shares out some apples from his pack, Izzy brushes out Trident’s mane and gives her horse some love and attention.

The five of them gratefully collapse under the shade of a nearby tree, taking a few moments to catch their breaths. Ragnor seems better just for being outside - he bats away Magnus’ attempt at doing magic on him, but Izzy sees Magnus surreptitiously sending blue wisps of magic towards Ragnor when he thinks he’s not looking.

After a while, they agree to make their way back to the foot of the mountain. The path is just as treacherous as it was on the way up, but the time seems to pass more quickly because Izzy’s absorbed in listening to Ragnor telling them about the Soulmate Council, the angels he believes it’s composed of and how Izzy, Maia, and Alec might get there.

“If you head north east from here, several days’ ride, you should come to a village called Little Attican,” Ragnor says. He goes on, “Just past there, another half a day’s walk at most, is a clearing in the forest called the Beehive - named for the collection of rocks there, shaped like a bee hive. The rocks mark the earthly entrance to the Soulmate Council.”

Izzy tries not to gulp and shares a look with Maia. Butterflies flit around her stomach, nerves mingling with excitement in equal parts. Maia catches her hand and squeezes it, and it gives Izzy faith that they’ll make it on their journey, the way they always do: together.

__________________

Dawn is one of Alec’s favourite times of day, especially when it’s the height of summer, like it is now. The sky is a watery blue, watching over everything that’s just awakening. He treads carefully through the grass, both avoiding the pretty foxgloves and bluebells peeping through and trying to be as soundless as possible.

Tracking animals to hunt is a good distraction for him, a way to shut off all his thoughts and narrow his focus to the task at hand. Only today, he’s not doing such a good job of it, too aware of Magnus at his side.

Magnus had already been sitting on a log in front of the firepit when Alec woke. The embers had finally died out after they went to sleep the night before, and he was staring at the burnt wood with a pensive look on his face.

Alec hadn’t wanted to pry, but he had wanted to take Magnus’ mind off whatever it was that had him looking so sad. Alec imagined it was something to do with Ragnor; he would have been half out of his mind if Izzy had been kidnapped by a dragon, after all, and Ragnor had insisted on making his way back to Chthonia without Magnus once they’d gotten down the mountain.

So, Alec had suggested Magnus accompany him on a morning hunt. He wasn’t sure if Magnus had ever been hunting before - after all, when you have magic at your fingertips, some things become unnecessary. However, from the way Magnus is able to keep quiet and alert as they pad through the forest, Alec suspects there’s much more to Magnus than meets the eye.

They’re so close that he can feel the warmth Magnus is radiating, a welcome contrast compared to the slight chill of the early morning. Instead of watching the deer they’d been tracking, he’s wondering if it would be too forward to take Magnus’ hand.

Probably. It’s not really appropriate, either, since they’re on a hunt - but then again, maybe it is, because Magnus has ensnared Alec’s heart very easily.

“So, do you do this a lot, Alexander?” Magnus asks, voice hushed. Alec doesn’t often go on early morning walks with beautiful men, no, but he knows Magnus doesn’t mean it like that. A little preoccupied with Magnus calling him Alexander , he almost trips over a stray rock and rights himself with a huff of laughter, hoping Magnus didn’t see.

“Not so much now,” he says. “My mom actually taught me how to use a bow, but when I’m training I use my sword.”

“A man of many talents,” Magnus says, sounding, if Alec’s not mistaken, rather appreciative. He sends Alec a smile that’s blinding in the sunlight and Alec’s breath catches.

“I do my best,” he says nonchalantly, smiling back at Magnus. Under Magnus’ watchful gaze, he stands up a little straighter, trying to get focused again. He doesn’t want to show off exactly, because he doesn’t think Magnus is the type to be impressed by false bravado, but it’s not false if you’ve got the talent Alec does with a bow.

A rustle of leaves sounds from their right and Alec holds up a hand, wordlessly stopping Magnus in his tracks. Deer hoofprints dent the ground and a flash of tawny brown catches his eye behind the bush they’re looking at.

With precision and practiced ease, he lifts his bow and nocks an arrow. After a beat, drawing in a breath, he aims at the deer and shoots, the arrow hitting its target as cleanly as possible. He doesn’t take any pleasure from killing animals, but he is glad that the four of them will get to eat a decent meal, and what they don’t use for food they can take to the next village to trade for supplies.

Alec skirts around some gnarly tree roots towards the deer, but as he’s approaching it, Magnus steps forward.

“Allow me.”

Alec is trying to think of a way to politely ask whether skinning an animal is one of those things better done by hand than magic when he sees Magnus easily twirling a blade between his fingers. A spark of heat races down his spine and he looks away, adjusting his bow over his shoulder and squinting out into the woods.

A man of many talents . It takes one to know one.

While Magnus skins and cleans the kill with expert hands, Alec scours the plants a few yards around them, foraging for some edible berries and nuts. It’s nice, the two of them spending time together. Well - more than nice, actually.

Alec’s never gotten along with someone so quickly and so easily as he has with Magnus. The man is sharp, seems to know everyone and everything, and faced down a dragon to save one of his best friends without so much as a second thought.

That kind of loyalty and bravery mean a lot to Alec. Plus, he was really into seeing Magnus wielding so much powerful magic. It was...breathtaking.

So, when Magnus breaks the comfortable silence between them by saying, “I think you’re quite unusual,” Alec’s heart sinks a little. He doesn’t want Magnus to think badly of him. He wants Magnus to think he’s someone worth knowing.

“How so?” Alec asks, rolling a blackcurrant he’s just picked between his thumb and forefinger, then popping it in his mouth. It bursts across his tongue, tangy and refreshing.

Magnus looks up at him, a slight crease in his brow. “I don’t know many people who’d volunteer to go to the Soulmate Council,” he says.

Alec shrugs. “I’d do anything for Izzy. She’s my sister.”

Magnus makes a small noise, lips curving upwards. He glances to the side, then back to Alec. “You have a soulmate yourself?” he asks, almost hesitantly.

“I - yeah. It’s.” He sighs and comes to sit beside Magnus on the ground, holding out a little bunch of blackcurrants. “It’s complicated.”

“I’ve been told I’m a great listener,” Magnus says. Then he nods at the deer. “I don’t think she’ll be complaining, either.”

Alec snorts a laugh, eating a couple more berries. “I do have a soulmark,” he starts, “but Raj isn’t my soulmate. I know that sounds like it can’t be true, because that’s what a soulmark tells you. But it is. He’s - he’s great, you know? We’re good friends.”

He looks out into the woods, shaking his head.

“That’s all we’ll ever be. I guess I’d hoped for...something more.”

Magnus hums, placing a hand on Alec’s arm. “There’s no shame in that,” he says. He sounds wistful when he goes on, “I think most people are searching for that special someone.”

Something in Magnus’ tone is almost haunting, and Alec feels a pang in his chest at the thought of Magnus being alone. Not because he thinks everyone should be in a relationship regardless, but because someone as wonderful as Magnus deserves to have someone to fill his life with love and laughter.

“Do you?” Alec asks. Magnus blinks at him. “Have a soulmate, I mean.”

Magnus purses his lips and looks away, expression growing tight.

“No,” he says, after a short pause. “Magical beings aren’t worthy of being gifted soulmarks by the angels.”

Alec stares at Magnus. “What?” he asks dumbly a moment later.

“Haven’t you ever wondered why your soulmates are always other people from Idris?” he asks, frowning at Alec.

“I -“ Alec closes his mouth. “I hadn’t thought about it,” he finally admits, a little shame-faced.

Magnus doesn’t say anything in response; Alec doesn’t expect him to. Eventually, he speaks again.

“I’m glad, in many ways,” Magnus says. “I’ve known people with soulmarks before - rather like Maia and your sister, in fact - where the mark has broken apart a relationship, rather than bringing two souls together. At least I have the freedom to choose who I want to be with and I can live openly with them.”

The words resonate with Alec. That’s why they’re on this journey in the first place, so that Izzy and Maia can be together properly. He thinks about Raj and Ben, and the way their love will never be recognised in the same way Raj and Alec’s would have been.

“I guess the romance of the idea has always appealed to me, though,” Magnus admits quietly. He clears his throat. “Anyway. No - no, I don’t have a soulmate.”

Alec furrows his brows and looks down at his hands momentarily. That seems highly unfair. He’s no more deserving of a soulmark than Magnus is, and yet by virtue of his birth, he has one. Magical beings shouldn’t be treated any differently than mundanes are.

“You said your mother taught you how to use your bow?” Magnus says after a while, clearly changing the subject. Alec nods, grasping the conversational offering.

“Her father taught her as a little girl,” he explains, picking up his quiver and laying it across his lap. He fiddles with the fletch on the end of an arrow. “She stopped once she married my father, you know, but she always loved teaching me how to do it.”

Magnus nods, smiling softly at him. “Somehow, archery has never been my forte,” he says after a beat. His gaze dips along Alec’s body to where his fingers are playing with the arrow.

“I find that hard to believe,” Alec says, one side of his mouth tipping up in a smile. “You’ve been incredible at everything I’ve seen you do so far. Yesterday, with the dragon...that was magical .” He flushes, wishing he was smoother. “Obviously it was magical, you have magic. But -”

“Alexander,” Magnus says, drawing Alec’s eyes to him immediately. He’s watching him with an open expression, still smiling. “Thank you.” Alec licks his lips, not taking his eyes off Magnus’. “I might have been incredible at everything you’ve seen so far, but that’s only because you’ve not seen me try to shoot.”

Alec’s smile grows. “Be my guest,” he offers, picking up his bow from the side of the log he’s sitting on then holding out the quiver, too. Magnus throws him a look, but stands up and clears his throat all the same.

“I’m a little rusty,” Magnus says, running his fingers over the curve of the bow in a way that should not be allowed, and oh, angels, now Alec’s thinking about -

“I can show you?” he asks, standing up quickly.

Magnus looks over at him, one eyebrow quirked. Then he nods, slowly nocking an arrow and raising the bow into position. Alec comes up behind him and uses gentle fingers to make small adjustments to his hold, his posture.

“What are you aiming at?” he asks, lifting Magnus’ elbow ever so slightly.

Magnus hums. “I’ll let you know when I hit it,” he says, and Alec can’t help the laugh that escapes him.

He doesn’t believe for one moment that Magnus is bad at archery, so the fact that he’s playing his ability down is either meant to be tricking Alec into letting his guard down for whatever competition they inevitably start, or so that Alec will press close to him and help him with his technique.

Frankly, Alec doesn’t mind either option.

“Good,” Alec murmurs, letting his fingers brush against the sleeve of Magnus’ tunic where it’s straining over his bicep for just a minute. Magnus exhales slowly, standing up a little straighter. “Then let go when you’re ready.”

Magnus draws in a breath and holds it as he lets the arrow fly. It shoots straight ahead, squarely hitting a tree trunk 100 yards away.

“Wow,” Alec breathes out despite himself, then clears his throat. “I thought you said you were rusty?”

“Alexander,” Magnus says, turning slightly so he’s facing Alec, sending a flirtatious smile his way, “don’t tell me you’ve never told a little lie to end up in the arms of a gorgeous man?”

Alec can’t fight the smile rising to his face. His chest feels like it’s overflowing with happiness and he doesn’t even know what to say with Magnus looking at him like that - in fact, he doubts words are enough.

He’s never been this flustered, this giddy with delight before. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice whispers that this is what it should be like meeting his soulmate for the first time.

It’s the thought of a soulmate that jerks Alec back to reality from the dream playing out in front of him; Maia and Izzy are doing this quest on borrowed time and they’re probably waiting to set off on the next leg of the journey.

Reluctantly, Alec lets Magnus go and pulls back. Magnus is still looking at him, warm and sweet, and Alec squeezes Magnus’ hand before he steps back completely.

“You, uh, don’t have to lie to end up in my arms,” he says, and from the way Magnus’ smile brightens, Alec knows it was exactly the right thing to say.

__________________

They continue on their quest up north. The day is beautiful and sunny, and after a few hours of traveling, they stop by the side of the road to rest again. Maia is finishing her food, chatting with Magnus, Alec is sharpening his and Maia’s swords, and Izzy is checking Raven and Trident, making sure they’re okay and energized.

Izzy’s just about to say that maybe it’s time to head out when there’s a chorus of hooves against the ground. All four of them freeze, and Maia’s the first to jerk upwards and whisper “hide!” harshly.

Everyone scrambles out of sight, Izzy and Alec quickly yet cautiously moving the horses behind a bush. They all hold their breath and peek out from behind their hiding spots as few of the royal guard, the Shadow Hunters, comes into view.

They carry a flag of Alicante and bear the Shadow Hunters’ crest on their navy uniforms. The knights stop right in front of where the four of them are hiding, and Izzy tries her best to hold still, her heart racing.

Sir Alaric, the head of the royal guard, hops down from his horse and looks around, hands on his hips.

“Any sign of where we should go, Sir?” one of the other Shadow Hunters asks.

Alaric takes a few calculated steps towards the tree Maia is hiding behind. Izzy watches her with wide eyes, praying they don’t get caught. Alaric, however, just bends down and picks up an arrow at the root of the tree. He inspects it for a moment and then turns.

“Is that Sir Alec’s?” another Shadow Hunter asks as Alaric spins the arrow between his fingers.

“It appears so,” Alaric responds, his thumb running over the Alicante crest engraved on the metal tip of the arrow. He pockets the arrow and hops back on his horse.

“We head northwest,” Alaric commands, and kicks his horse with his heel, taking off in that direction. The other knights canter after him, but only after a few minutes have passed do Maia, Izzy, Alec and Magnus come out of their hiding spots.

“I’m - I’m sorry,” Alec says, looking at the spot where Sir Alaric had found his arrow.

Izzy rubs his arm up and down, and shakes her head. “Nothing to be sorry for. They were on our tails anyway.”

Alec sighs, and Maia looks at Magnus.

“We head northeast?” she asks, and Magnus nods.

“We should hurry,” he says. “Let’s go.”

__________________

There’s residual warmth in the air as Alec comes back to the clearing they’ve made camp in with two newly-full canteens of water. Magnus and Izzy are ahead of him, depositing armfuls of wood and kindling to stoke the small fire just beside it, and Maia is tending to the horses.

Since their close call with the Shadow Hunters earlier in the day, they’ve been keeping more watchful, covering their tracks as much as possible. Even though they’d headed in the opposite direction to the guards, Alec couldn’t help but be worried. Izzy was essentially on the run from the princess, and he himself had deserted his post as guard to the royal family to go on the quest with them.

He manages to push the thoughts to the back of his mind when he sees Magnus and Izzy laughing at something, Maia joining in as she comes to stand with them. Happiness looks good on them.

Alec puts the canteens down by some logs they’d brought over to act as benches and then sits down, stretching out his legs. Magnus catches sight of him and comes to sit beside him, barely any space between them. Alec tries to hide his smile behind his hand, but from the way Izzy waggles her eyebrows at him, he’s not very successful.

She takes a seat opposite him and Magnus with Maia beside her, and together they eat their evening meal, talking and joking. As the heat leeches out of the air and dusk draws in, Magnus lights the fire with a wave of his hand, prompting an awed noise from Izzy, who promptly looks rather embarrassed and buries her head into Maia’s shoulder with a smile.

Magnus just watches the pair of them fondly. Alec can’t help being charmed when, a moment later, Magnus snaps his fingers and makes a small spark phoenix float over the flames before it disperses into the air. Izzy watches with wide, impressed eyes and a smile that melted Alec’s heart since the very first time he had seen it, and Maia hugs her girlfriend closer into her side.

“Can I ask you something?” Izzy asks, nestled against Maia’s shoulder. Magnus nods. “What’s it like using magic?”

Alec isn’t surprised by Izzy’s question - she’s been interested in magic for as long as he can remember, always reading about it in the palace library and talking about it with the warlocks who trade at the edge of the city.

Magnus hums thoughtfully. It takes him a while to answer. “It’s hard to explain,” he says slowly. “It’s so much a part of me, so natural, that not having it is...unimaginable.”

Izzy nods.

“I guess it’s a little like riding a horse for you, Isabelle. It feels like an extension of you, something that you can do without thinking about it.”

Alec listens, enraptured, as Magnus tells them more about his experience of being raised around magic by his elders in the Spiral Labyrinth, and learning spells from them throughout his childhood.

“Of course, at that time it was much safer to be around other magical beings,” Magnus says, his voice taking on a pained, bitter edge. “Once King Luke overthrew Valentine, there was less tension in the air. It didn’t change overnight, but it meant I could travel more freely across these lands, meeting new people and sharing our knowledge.”

“Do you know Luke?” Maia asks.

Magnus nods, a smile spreading across his face. “He’s a good man,” he says. “He’s been holding council meetings with magical representatives for a couple of years now, and I think we’re making real progress.”

“How did you become a representative?”

“I’ve known Luke for many years,” Magnus tells them. “He was sent on an expedition by Valentine and our paths happened to cross. He got badly injured and I saved his life. I didn’t expect him to repay the blood debt; he was one of Valentine’s best friends, after all.”

His brow quirks wryly.

“But he did. At great personal cost, he got word to me about some of Valentine’s deadliest attacks so that I could get my fellow warlocks to safety. After the war, he wrote to me and asked me to join his new council. I accepted gladly. I believe in the world he’s building.”

Alec nods, taking it all in. He knew Luke was respected throughout not just Idris but the lands around the kingdom, but he didn’t realise how much he’d risked to help keep everyone safe.

He’s glad Luke has people to lean on - Magnus, Ragnor, Sir Alaric and more. Alec is fairly sure he could count his mother among the people Luke finds solace with, too.

“My friendship with Luke was one of the reasons I decided to trust you,” Magnus admits, eyes landing on Alec and his expression softening. “I saw the crest of Idris on Alec’s sword and, knowing Luke only chooses the best men to be his own Shadow Hunters, I thought I’d take a chance on you.”

Alec looks back at Magnus, his eyes shining in the firelight, and thinks, I hope I was worth it . Magnus is watching him with a little smile tugging at his lips, and it’s like the rest of the world around them has melted away until one of the horses whinnies loudly and startles him into looking away.

He keeps stealing glances at Magnus through the rest of the night, enraptured as Magnus tells them story after story about his travels across various kingdoms and all the people he’s met. Eventually, they get around to talking about soulmates and how different groups of soulmarked people live.

“Do you think our plan will work, Magnus?” Izzy asks, turning wide eyes to him. Maia blinks down at her, looking pensive.

“I can’t say for sure, my dear,” Magnus says kindly. “My knowledge of the Soulmate Council is limited. But for anyone to deny the love you two share for each other...well, they’d be fools.”

“We just have to hope it’s enough,” Maia says, lifting her chin. Alec feels suddenly very grateful that Izzy has found someone like Maia; he knows they mean the world to each other, and he can’t think of anyone better for his little sister to be with.

Their determination to challenge their soulmarks is inspiring, too. It makes a warm hope flicker to life in Alec’s chest that he might be able to change his own soulmark, alter the course of his - and Raj’s - fates, that it might give both of them the chance to live the lives and celebrate the love they deserve.

As they settle for sleep that night, Alec curls on his side and watches Magnus, who’s lying just a foot away from him. After dusk, Alec can see the vague outline of Magnus’ body, his chest rising and falling with soft, even breaths.

The last thing Alec registers before he drifts off is Magnus smiling at him, and he dreams of a future with a man whose eyes flash gold and whose laugh is like a melody.

__________________

“It’s getting dark,” Izzy says over the wind. They’d been blessed with good weather throughout their trip, but today they were crossing open fields and the wind was extra strong. They wouldn’t be able to make it to Little Attican on time to sleep and Izzy could tell the group was getting desperate. Alec had been more blunt than usual and Maia kept checking the descent of the sun in the pale sky.

Magnus had magically produced some thin but warm cloaks for all of them, but nightfall was coming, and it would only get worse than it is now.

“Can we cut through there?” Alec asks, pointing to an entrance into some woods.

Maia squints at it, holding Trident’s reigns tightly. “It’s worth a shot. We can’t keep going across open land.”

“It might be quicker too,” Izzy says.

All of them glance at Magnus for confirmation when a large gust of wind blows through, startling Raven. Alec calms her down with his hand, making sure to keep a tight hold on her reigns as well, and Izzy can see the realization that they don’t really have a choice settling on everyone’s faces.

“Let’s go,” Magnus says. The four of them dismount from the skittish horses and hurry towards the woods, Trident and Raven in tow. Izzy holds up a hand to block the wind from her face, her eyes watering.

Once they’re in the woods, the wind can still be felt, but they’re sheltered from the worst by the trees. This is the densest woods they’ve been in, with no path in sight, but as long as they keep moving east, there shouldn’t be an issue.  

They walk deeper into the woods, a dark green ambiance surrounding them as they step over thick tree roots. It’s darker in here, but at least the horses are more stable. Maybe they can even rest before they reach Little Attican. It’s the town closest to where Ragnor said the Soulmate Council would be, and they’re all going to need to recharge before continuing on with the hardest part of their journey.

Izzy is the first to notice the furrow in Magnus’ brow as they walk.

“Everything okay?” she asks, and it takes Magnus a moment to realize she was talking to him.

“I’m...not sure,” Magnus says, walking a little bit ahead and looking around. All of them slow down a little behind him. “I don’t like how it feels here.”

“Well, we’re committed now,” Maia says with a sigh. “Might as well keep walking and make it through.”

Magnus continues looking around thoughtfully. They all pass him and continue walking, when a faint humming sound whizzes by.

Alec and Izzy whip their heads to the side, then share a worried glance. The distant humming sounds continue in random waves, and as the sounds go on, all four of them start to hear it. The group slows down, Alec and Izzy keeping hands on their respective horses to keep them steady.

Suddenly, a flicker of tiny light flies up and around them, circling the group before disappearing high into the trees.

“Oh no,” Magnus says quickly, “I know where we are. This is -”

“Seelie territory,” an unfamiliar voice says lowly, and Alec, Izzy and Maia turn around to see about a dozen soldiers with pointy ears and heavy armour, one of them pointing a spear almost directly into Magnus’ face.

Alec instantly steps forward, but he freezes when a long sword is unsheathed in seconds and touches his neck, right in front of him.

Izzy slowly moves her head to see that they’re surrounded - circled by Seelie warriors, all holding their spears out at them, with a sword still at Alec’s throat.

She swears they should have heard the knights coming, but it’s like they appeared from within the trees. Izzy figures this is why Alec had told her in stories long ago that they’re one of the most dangerous armies - quick, stealthy and deadly. She just never imagined that she’d be on the receiving end of their weapons.

“We don’t appreciate trespassers.” Izzy assumes the man who just spoke is a Seelie general, judging by his uniform, but Magnus stands his ground, refusing to back down.

“We don’t mean any harm. We’re just passing through,” Magnus says.

The Seelie smirks.

“Unfortunately, your purpose on our land is something you’ll have to take up with the Queen,” he says, then he jerks his head to the left. The army circled around them shifts into a U shape, though their spears are still aimed high and ready to kill.

The Seelie with the sword lowers it from Alec’s neck with a snarl, grabbing his own spear and hoisting it into the same position as the others. They organize the four of them into a line: Alec, Magnus, then Maia and Izzy.

“Walk,” the Seelie general instructs.

One Seelie pokes Alec’s back with the spear - he jumps a little but starts moving. The four of them walk through the woods, the Seelie guards a halo around them, preventing them from escaping.

With a look over her shoulder, Izzy sees the Seelies are leading the horses behind them, but they’re being gentle. If what she knows about Seelies is true - that they care about plants, about all life itself - then she doesn’t need to worry that any harm will come to Trident or Raven.

As they delve deeper into the woods, Izzy notices little spots of light coming to life around them. They look like small orbs, but only when one flies close to her does she see why they’re illuminated - they’re tiny fairies. Izzy has never been exposed to so many magical creatures all at once in her life.

They walk for another few minutes, then are brought to a halt.

The Seelie general tips his spear forward and says a few words in another language under his breath. Two trees in front of them spring to life, their twigs spiraling around their trunks, reaching out towards each other till their branches are intertwined. The branches form an arch high up and the newly-formed entrance seems to shine, as if it were made of invisibile silk.

“Walk,” the general commands again, and they start to make their way under the arch. It isn’t until Alec passes through that she notices he’s vanished and Izzy gasps, but the Seelies keep them trapped with their weapons, making sure they have no choice but to go forward.

One by one, they disappear through the arch between the trees, until it’s finally Izzy’s turn. She steps through and immediately the bland green forest that was in front of her vanishes. In its place is quite literally a kingdom.

It’s another forest, decorated with blue hues, fairies flying everywhere, providing flickers of light. The trees are thicker here, tiny little fairy homes twirling up them in swirls. It’s clear this is its own community. The seelies live in unity with the fairies, and many people pass by Izzy and the rest of them without batting an eyelid.

Farther along the main path ahead, Izzy can see the thickest and tallest tree of all. Its branches are shaped like a forest castle and Izzy doesn’t doubt that’s where the Seelie Queen lives. It’s lit up and looks ethereal - Izzy can’t stop an admiring murmur passing her lips. This whole realm is breathtaking.

They’re led down the main road, past various homes and quaint little stalls full of fruit and handmade jewelry. There are even some miniature carts as well, presumably intended for fairies to shop at. A fairy whizzes over Izzy’s head, looking like a shooting star.

It’s magical , Izzy thinks in awe.

Past the large, intricately entwined castle doors, they’re led directly to what Izzy assumes is the main hall. In the center of the room sits a woman - a girl , barely sixteen. Her face shows nothing innocent, though. It’s stone cold, her jaw set.

Alec, Magnus, Maia and Izzy stand before her in a line. It isn’t until the guards bang their spears on the ground in unison that the Queen stands.

“What business?” she asks, her voice hard.

“Your Highness.” Magnus speaks up while the rest of them stare, wide-eyed, in silence. “We didn’t mean to trespass on your land. We were merely passing through.”

The Queen’s eyes flash to Magnus and she seems almost delighted. “Magnus Bane, in my realm? A pleasant surprise.”

Izzy glances over to Magnus, but his attention is focused on the Queen, almost like if he looks away she’ll stab him in the back.

It seems bizarre to Izzy that this entire kingdom can be ruled over by just a young girl, but Magnus looks so uneasy himself that Izzy can’t possibly image what havoc this teenager can bring.

“This calls for a celebration,” the Queen continues. Magnus’ jaw clenches before he relaxes and holds up his hands placatingly.

“There’s really no need, Your Highness, we can just -”

“Nonsense!” the Queen says, a smile on her face that seems a little too tight around the edges. “We’re having a party tonight in honor of my half birthday. It’ll be incredibly fun.”

Magnus opens his mouth to respond, but the Queen has already turned to her guards.

“Escort them to some private rooms and change them into more presentable Seelie attire,” she says in a stern tone, sitting back on her green velvet throne and smiling. “The party is merely an half hour or so away. You came just in time. Some might call it... fate .”

A tall Seelie with bright blonde hair walks up to Maia and Izzy and gestures for them to follow her, and Izzy sees Alec and Magnus being escorted the other way by a male Seelie. As soon as she can, Izzy grabs Maia’s hand and gives it a comforting squeeze.

They’re taken into a hollow hallway before being shown into different rooms. Izzy’s room is small and comfortable, a tiny bed with a small vanity set up. On her bed lies a deep rich green dress that looks like a ball gown, but less poofy.

Izzy knows that while she’s alone, she has to abide by the Seelie Queen’s rules. When the four of them are reunited, they’ll form a plan to escape.

The dress is beautiful, but she can’t enjoy wearing it right now, instead running a nervous hand through her hair. This detour in the Seelie realm is causing them to lose time. What if they escape and the royal guard is waiting for them right outside?

Before she can really think the worst, the door to her room opens, and the same blonde Seelie from before appears.

Izzy expects her to say something, but the Seelie keeps quiet and leaves the door slightly ajar, sending Izzy a sign to follow.

They walk down the same hallway and into the main hall again, but it’s decorated now. Golden lanterns float in midair near the top of the hall. There are tables lining the walls full of food and alcohol, and the center of the room is cleared off, clearly a place the seelies can come and dance.

Izzy spots Alec standing by one of the tables of food, glancing around the hall. She’s relieved to see him, and when he spots her his features soften.

“Where are Magnus and Maia?” Izzy asks when she reaches him, and he shrugs with one shoulder, eyes sweeping the crowd again.

“I don’t know, but something about this doesn’t feel right,” Alec says, chewing on his lower lip. “Guards are stationed at all the exits. Unless the Seelie Queen just lets us go, we’re going to have to go out with a fight.”

Izzy hums, wringing her hands together. Seelies slowly start entering the ball, dressed in long extravagant dresses and form fitting coats. Seelies clearly know how to dress up. She looks back at Alec, noticing his fresh white tunic and brown tailored vest over it.

“You look handsome,” she says, and Alec gives her a look, despite the smile playing on his lips from his sister’s teasing.

“That he does,” a voice says behind him, and Izzy recognizes it’s Magnus’ without needing to turn around.

Alec flushes at the compliment, but when he looks at Magnus, he seems at a loss for words. Izzy turns to find Magnus dressed in a forest green outfit that compliments Izzy’s dress. He looks stunning. She’s sure Alec agrees.

“Magnus - you’re - wow,” Alec stutters out, and Izzy hits his arm, exasperated at her brother’s inability to flirt. He shoves her back softly and she can’t help but chuckle.

Magnus watches them with an amused look. “Thank you,” he says softly.

Izzy sees Maia come up behind Magnus. Even though that’s her girlfriend and the love of her life, Izzy’s brain short circuits at how gorgeous Maia looks. The off-white dress compliments her skin tone and is strapless, showing off Maia’s shoulders and collarbones. Izzy feels like she’s just seen Maia for the first time.

I love you , Izzy thinks. When I look at you, I see my future - my forever.

Maia’s smiling at Izzy, like she knows exactly what Izzy’s going through. Maybe she’s thinking the same thing.

“You look -” Izzy starts, and Maia laughs, reaching out and taking Izzy’s hand, tugging her in for a short kiss.

“You too,” Maia says when they pull apart. Izzy’s heart constricts at the amount of love she hears in Maia’s voice, and she’s unable to resist kissing Maia again.

Maia spots the platter of food they’re standing behind and cheers.

“Thank goodness,” Maia says, reaching for it, but Magnus puts a hand on her wrist.

He shakes his head.

“Listen,” Magnus says urgently, looking at the three of them. “The Seelie Queen - she’s a special kind of evil. I’ve only met her once before in passing, but she doesn’t have a good reputation. She was rumored to have some sort of deal with Valentine.”

Maia gasps. Izzy suddenly feels very uneasy being here.

“I don’t trust her. Not her drinks, or her food, or her fake kindness. We need to get out here as soon as possible.” Magnus looks around. “I don’t know what tricks she has up her sleeve.”

“All the guards are armed and stationed at every exit and entry point,” Alec says, his hands clasped behind his back in a soldier stance. “What’s the plan?” he asks, looking at Magnus.

“We entertain her wishes for a little bit, and use the time to come up with a plan,” Magnus says.

“I’ll stick to the north side of the hall and see what the Queen does throughout tonight,” Maia says. Magnus nods. They agree to send Izzy to the west side, Alec towards the south, where the most guards are, and Magnus to the east.

“We’ll meet up in an hour or so to look less suspicious,” Maia suggests, and the three of them nod.

“Talk to people, see if you can get any information,” Izzy says, and Magnus does a small salute.

“See you all soon,” he says, and they split up.

The night flows easily. Izzy talks to a Seelie who has nothing but kind things to say about his Queen. They’re almost too loyal to their Queen - Izzy recognizes that look from the stories her mother told her about Valentine’s followers. They’re ruled by fear. The Queen has got them all in a chokehold, too afraid to wrong her.

Then Izzy speaks to a Seelie couple, but they’re the same as the rest. They all worship their Queen. Izzy even tries to flirt a little with a guard, but they’re all stoic and cold, and the one she approached barely glanced her way.

They all meet up near where Izzy is stationed.

“Anything?” Alec asks, and they shake their heads. Everyone here is too polished, their smiles too tight and forced, and the guards aren’t willing to give up any information or their post. Despite the fact that this is supposed to be a party and Seelies have been on the dance floor all night, fairies swirling above them, it feels like they’re trapped in this room.

“Shit,” Maia says. They all turn to where she’s looking: the Seelie Queen, approaching them with a quirk of her lips.

“My honorable guests,” the Seelie Queen says once she’s close enough, two very muscly guards on each of her side. “How are you enjoying the party? Have you tried the carrot bites - they’re simply to die for.”

Izzy can’t help but shudder. Magnus steps forward, a polite smile on his face.

“Thank you, Your Highness, for the warm welcome, but we should really be on our way,” he says, and the Queen’s smile doesn’t falter in the slightest from hearing this.

“Oh, Magnus Bane,” she says, “I’ve heard great stories about you, but no one ever warned me you’d be so naive.”

Izzy’s eyebrows furrow, and she glances at Alec, worried.

“I beg your pardon?” Magnus asks, and the Seelie laughs humorlessly.

“You’re in my territory now,” the Seelie Queen says. “I choose when you’re allowed to leave my kingdom, and I’m afraid I’ve decided to keep you as my pets for a few decades. With your warlock magic you’d make a fine architect here, and your companions would make wonderful village servants.”

“Thank you for the kind offer,” Magnus says, voice tight, “but we’ll have to respectfully decline.”

Izzy holds her breath, and she feels Alec tense by her side.

The smile the Seelie Queen sends Magnus is deadly, and for the first time Izzy can see past the facade. “I wasn’t asking, Bane.”

Magnus nods. “Yes, I thought that would be the case,” he says. In a flash, he swirls a circle with his arms, activating his magic, and directs it towards one of the doors near them, sending the guards positioned there flying across the hall and bursting the doors open.

There isn’t a better sign that it’s time to go. None of them have their weapons or their horses, so it’s a matter of being slick and fighting their way out out without getting killed.

Alec tugs on her elbow and tosses her a dagger from a fallen guard, even as he’s reaching down for a sword from another.

They all bolt towards the exit Magnus created.

The Seelie Queen shouts, “Seize them!” and Magnus shoots another wave of magic behind him.

“I thought you said we were gonna use the time to come up with a plan,” Alec yells to Magnus as they run across the hall. “When did all hell breaking loose become the plan?”

Magnus laughs, aiming a ball of magic at another set of guards and sending them crashing to the floor.

“I’m improvising ,” Magnus shoots back.

They burst through the doors and down a corridor. Magnus momentarily stops them, waving his hand to make their weapons appear.

“Thanks,” Maia says breathlessly, and Izzy pats him on the arm with a grateful look, knowing that Magnus can’t waste too much of his magic on miniscule things when they have an entire army after them.

They race through the palace halls and have almost reached the grand staircase when the Seelie guards catch up with them. They attack instantly. Izzy hits a Seelie’s head with her staff and it’s clear how skilled they all are at fighting. She prays her luck doesn’t run out.

Maia’s dancing around a Seelie, dodging hits and trying to take swipes with her sword. Alec fights with a rather tall Seelie, shoving him over the edge of the bannister and watching him fall before going back to fighting. Magnus’ magic is a vibrant orange as he attacks the Seelies that are trying to figure out how to get close to a warlock.

Izzy doesn’t back down from fighting, twirling her staff in hands and crouching down, knocking two Seelies off their feet and then hitting another across the chest.

They slowly make their way down the staircase, though it feels like no matter how many Seelie guards they see to, there’s always more on their way. Out the corner of her eye, Izzy catches sight of a Seelie behind Maia, knocking her down and making her tumble a couple of steps, sword clattering out of her hand as she falls.

No , Izzy thinks, seeing red. Her heart is racing from the adrenaline of the fight and watching a Seelie hold a sword over Maia, who’s shuffling on the ground trying to get away, ignites a fire in Izzy.

She runs towards them and uses her staff and the element of surprise to knock the Seelie’s sword from his hands. She whirls it again and uses the staff to crack him over the head, a loud clang echoing as the wood makes contact with his metal helmet.

He staggers forward and then drops to the ground, unconscious. Maia stares up at Izzy with wide eyes.

“You saved me,” Maia says, an awed smile on her face.

Izzy plays it off with a shrug and holds out her hand to pull Maia up. She picks up Maia’s sword and tosses it to her. “You’re welcome.”

“Come on!” Alec calls. They dart out of the palace, Magnus continuously sending waves of magic to fend off the guards as long as possible. There’s more soldiers waiting for them outside, on the main road, and the four of them prepare to fight.

Running forward, Maia draws her sword and engages one of the Seelies, light on her feet and drawing him away from the group. Alec takes two at once, his training as a knight giving him a clear advantage over Maia and Izzy when it comes to facing soldiers. But Izzy refuses to be outdone, wielding her staff and taking the feet out from under several Seelie knights.

They slowly battle their way down the road and when Izzy looks up, she spots their horses not too far away, reins tied to a post.

“Alec!” she cries, nodding in the horses’ direction. Izzy runs forward and distracts the knight fighting with Alec so he has a chance to pull his bow. Two arrows arch through the air and cleanly sever the leather reins holding the horses.

“We need to get out of here,” Maia shouts over the commotion.

When Magnus looks at them, his eyes are a vibrant yellow, slitted like cat’s eyes. He nods once as their silent plan is formed: get to the horses and try to ride off. It’s the only way.

The four of them keep pushing forward, less concerned with taking out their opponents and instead trying to press on towards the horses without getting injured or killed. Maia’s the first one there, but even as she’s leading Raven and Trident towards the forest, she’s shaking her head.

“The trees are too close together,” she says hurriedly when the others join them. “There’s no way through.”

“We can’t go on foot,” Alec says. “They’ll hunt us down.”

Magnus glances back at the palace and swallows, a determined look settling over his face. “I don’t know how much longer we can hold them off, but we can try.”

He swirls his arms through the air and a magical barrier shimmers into life, buying them a few minutes of precious time.

Izzy looks at all of them, racking her brains to try and find a way out of the Seelie Court. The knights are advancing on them, trying to get through the barrier. She can’t think of anywhere she wants to be less than here, but if she’s going to die, she’ll go down fighting.

“Just think of somewhere you want to be,” she gasps. Her hands fumble for the malachite stone in her little coin bag, tucked safely away under her corset.

Whenever you’re in a troubling situation, just think of somewhere you want to be, and it’ll take you there. The woman’s words ring in her mind as she presses the stone into her palm. That’s their way out.

“Make a link with each other - just trust me,” she says quickly.

They make a chain, all touching one another somehow - Maia’s hand on Izzy’s shoulder, Alec’s on Magnus’, Izzy and Alec both touching their horses, and Izzy shuts her eyes, trying to concentrate.

Take us away from here, right outside of Little Attican, Izzy thinks, feeling the weight of the malachite in her hand. Save us, please, please, please -

It feels like Izzy’s floating for half a second, and then there’s grass beneath her feet. She opens her eyes and they’re in a forest, the view of Little Attican right down the road.

The stone worked.

Izzy’s body sags in relief. She looks at the rest of them: Maia appears exhausted and shaken up, but unharmed. Magnus looks absolutely drained, though he sends her a weak smile. Izzy exhales shakily, relieved they’re okay, but just as her eyes turn to Alec, he falls to his knees, body coiled tightly in on itself. It doesn’t hide the arrow lodged deep inside his shoulder.

“Alec!” she cries, rushing to his side. “What happened?”

“My magic,” Magnus says, helping her maneuver Alec to a sitting position against a tree. Alec’s entire face is etched with pain, his eyes squeezed shut. “I couldn’t hold the barrier anymore, and an arrow made it past just before you portaled us away.”

Magnus looks pale, his magic clearly running out as his eyes flicker between deep brown and bright gold.

“I can help him, just get me a rag or something,” Magnus says, cupping Alec’s face gently. Despite Alec’s discomfort from the injury, he leans into Magnus’ touch.

Izzy rips a piece of her dress and hands it to Magnus. The dress is ruined anyway and all her thoughts right now are focused on making sure Alec is okay. Maia grabs their canteen of water that was on Trident’s saddle, getting ready in case they need it.

Magnus rolls up the fabric from Izzy’s dress and softly presses down on Alec’s chin, making him open his mouth and bite on the cloth. Then he tears Alec’s tunic at the shoulder seam so he has better access to the wound.

“This is going to hurt,” Magnus tells him.

“Magnus,” Izzy says, her eyes going between Magnus’ weary form and the arrow sticking out of Alec’s shoulder. “Are you sure -”

“Isabelle,” Magnus says softly, and just nods once, holding her gaze. It’s enough for Izzy to trust that Magnus knows his own limits, and he cares enough for Alec to push them.

Magnus puts one hand on Alec’s shoulder. It glows with bright purple magic and it seems like he’s pushing it under Alec’s skin to ease some of the pain.

Then Magnus grips the arrow firmly and pulls it from Alec’s shoulder. Alec bites down on the rag; Izzy grabs his other hand, letting him squeeze hers in support.

Maia pours water over the wound to clean away the blood. Alec writhes against the tree and Izzy pushes his hair back from his sweaty forehead, her heart clenching from seeing her brother in pain.

Acting quickly, Magnus lifts both his hands and focuses on Alec’s open wound. Before Izzy’s eyes, the wound patches itself up until there’s nothing there but a small scar and dried blood. Alec finally opens his eyes, his breathing heavy as he blinks from his shoulder to Magnus.

“Thank you,” Alec wheezes out, and Magnus smiles. Alec can’t stop looking at Magnus as if he hung the moon and Izzy feels a little like she’s imposing on some kind of intimate moment between them.

Alec reaches for Magnus’ hand and presses it to his chest, over his heart.

Now that Alec’s alright, Izzy slumps back against the tree trunk. It’s finally settled in that they’re all alive and out of the evil Queen’s grasp.

Maia sits down next to Izzy and rests her head on Izzy’s shoulder as Izzy wraps an arm around her, pulling her closer and pressing a kiss to her hair.

Izzy looks over to Magnus and Alec, where Magnus is leaning on the tree, his eyes momentarily closed. His hand is still on Alec’s chest and Alec is looking up at Magnus with wonder in his eyes, like he’s never seen him before.

Izzy leans her cheek against Maia’s hair and sighs, closing her eyes for a minute. They all deserved a minute to catch their breath and be comforted by the fact that the four of them are all here, alive and well.

__________________

Drained and exhausted from their ordeal in the Seelie Court, as soon as they leave the glade they’re on the lookout for somewhere safe to spend the night. After a few hours’ ride, they hit Little Attican , and a wave of relief washes over Alec.

He’s so thankful that they made it out the glade safely. Well - apart from getting shot in the shoulder with an arrow. But Magnus had healed him, face concerned, hands gentle, and Alec doesn’t know how he can ever repay him. That kind of wound could have killed him. As a knight and member of the Shadow Hunters, Alec isn’t a stranger to facing close calls, but now he feels like he truly has something to live for.

Some of the villagers give them strange looks as they pass by. Alec isn’t surprised in some ways; they’re dirty and roughed up from escaping the Seelies, Maia and Izzy’s gorgeous dresses ripped and ruined.

Maia points up ahead to the centre of the village. There’s a small gravelly square, with a cluster of market stalls and a tavern around it.

“Come on,” she says, lacing her fingers through Izzy’s.

They follow her as she weaves her way towards the tavern. The sign above the door reads The Crow Club and jovial laughter sounds from the door as it opens to let a pair of girls out.

Maia pauses momentarily to look back at the three of them for confirmation, and Alec nods at her.

“Anywhere’s better than the Seelie Court,” Magnus says, stepping forward to open the door for Maia and Izzy.

Inside, the tavern is cosy, dark beams lining the ceiling and wooden benches and tables filling most of the floorspace. Groups of people chat and laugh loudly, sharing platters of food and pints of ale. It’s so far removed from the stately, tense atmosphere of the party in the Seelie Court that Alec feels instantly relaxed - not enough to completely let his guard down, perhaps, but enough to be able to just enjoy spending time with his three friends.

They make their way to the bar. With a skill Alec doesn’t even have it in him to be envious of, Izzy convinces the barwoman to lend them some of her and her husband’s clean clothes.

It turns out that the barwoman is good friends with the village innkeep - a friendship built on the basis of herding drunken patrons into a nearby bed, apparently - and so, with a definite place to stay for the night and the promise of clean clothes and some hearty food, all the tension drains from Alec’s body.

While the two girls go and get changed in one of the tavern’s backrooms, Alec and Magnus order drinks and find a table. Magnus watches him with a small smile as they sit down and Alec meets his gaze, smiling back at him.

“To us,” Magnus says, holding his tankard of cider aloft. Alec clinks his own against Magnus’, echoing the toast, and sighs happily as the drink hits his tongue.

“It’s been a long day,” Alec says, and Magnus nods.

“It has,” he agrees, sipping his cider, “but this is a good end to it.”

They chat easily for a few minutes, enjoying the atmosphere of the tavern around them. When Izzy and Maia come back, looking pretty and refreshed in clean cotton dresses, Alec and Magnus go to change, too.

There’s a bowl of water warming by the fire in the backroom, and a couple of clean tunics and trousers are laid out across a chair. There’s a brief moment where Alec wonders if they’re going to get changed together, but then Magnus gives Alec a once over and crosses the room to look out the window with a coy smile, effectively turning his back to Alec.

Alec can’t help laughing slightly. “The perfect gentleman,” he teases, and Magnus tosses him a wink over his shoulder before turning back to the window.

He eases his vest and tunic off, feeling only the slightest twinge in his shoulder. It doesn’t really hurt, just a phantom ache, and once again he feels in awe of Magnus’ power. He remembers the feeling of Magnus’ warm palm in his, then the agony of the arrowhead piercing his shoulder. Transporting somewhere new had only intensified the pain, the magic making it feel like the arrow was being twisted in deeper. After that, he’d been half-conscious, a loop of I don’t want to die yet playing in his head.

“How’s your shoulder?” Magnus asks conversationally, still staring out the window.

Alec smiles. “Good as new,” he says. “Thank you, Magnus.”

“You’re very welcome. Warlock TLC comes in handy sometimes.”

“How are you feeling?” Alec asks. “I guess you must be pretty drained after using that much magic.”

Magnus makes a non-committal noise. “I’ll be fine once I’ve had some food,” is all he says, and Alec narrows his eyes, but lets it pass. He washes and dresses quickly, then moves to the window and places a gentle hand on Magnus’ shoulder to let him know that he’s done. Alec watches a couple of the villagers wandering around outside while Magnus changes.

When Magnus tells him he’s finished, Alec turns around, his breath catching as he drinks in the sight of him. He’s only wearing a simple white tunic over dark pants and his usual leather boots, but it only serves to accentuate his broad shoulders and muscular arms, the loose neck of the tunic showing off a tantalising glimpse of light brown skin underneath.

Alec swallows hard. He thought he’d been blown away by Magnus in the Seelie Court, but there are so many sides to him and they’re all completely captivating. He’s stunning .

“We, uh, we should -” Alec starts, the words stuttering from his mouth.

“Right,” Magnus fills in easily, stepping closer to him, “we should go back to Maia and Isabelle.”

Alec gives a staccato nod and forces himself from the room before he sweeps Magnus into his arms and kisses him breathless.

When they return to the now food-laden table, Izzy and Maia are talking to a tall, thin man with shoulder-length dark hair, who’s holding a serving tray under his arm. He has a scar swirling up one side of his face and assesses Magnus and Alec with piercing eyes. Something about his appearance is familiar, but Alec can’t put his finger on what.

“Oh, Alec, Magnus, this is Meliorn,” Izzy says, smiling at him They nod hello at him while retaking their seats. “He was a Seelie Knight.”

Meliorn nods slowly. “I used to serve the Seelie Queen...and now I serve the tavern’s patrons,” he says, with a wry smile. “Life’s paths may twist and turn in strange ways, but I don’t miss it. The poison in that glade isn’t just from the plants.”

Maia nods. “When we told Meliorn about what happened, he said it’s almost impossible to get away ,” she says to Magnus and Alec.

“It is,” Meliorn confirms. “I’m truly impressed you managed to escape.”

“We couldn’t have done it without Magnus,” Izzy says, turning to him with a smile. “He was incredible. We owe him everything.”

“That’s very kind of you, Isabelle,” Magnus says, looking pleased.

Alec sits forward, gently covering Magnus’ hand with his own. “Izzy’s right,” he insists. “We’d have been prisoners in the Seelie Court for the rest of our lives. Thank you.”

Magnus smiles warmly at him, turning his hand palm up and tangling their fingers together. The move draws all of Alec’s attention, a happy giddiness growing in his chest. He can’t take his eyes off Magnus - the way his eyes shine in the light from the torches around the tavern and how his smile brightens his whole face.

He doesn’t notice Meliorn make his excuses and depart; it’s only when Izzy throws a hazelnut at his head that he manages to tear his eyes away.

“What?” he asks, a shade too quickly.

Izzy’s clearly laughing at him and Maia is too, though she’s doing a better job of hiding it. “Nothing,” she says innocently. “Let’s eat.”

Magnus seems to be in on the joke too, from the way he’s grinning at Alec, but he squeezes his hand before he lets go to pull some food towards himself, so Alec isn’t too annoyed.

Later, once they’ve eaten and moved onto their second ciders, some of the patrons in the tavern push back their tables and clear a space in the middle of the floor. Someone procures a lute and a fiddle from somewhere and strikes up a jaunty tune, and a bunch of people move onto the floor and start dancing.

Those who are still sitting at the sides start clapping and banging a beat on tables, and before long, the whole tavern has been taken in with the infectious joy of the music. Maia’s smile is blindingly bright as she takes Izzy by the hand and pulls her into the crowd, the two of them dancing and skipping with everyone else, though they never let go of each other.

Alec watches them, feeling something warm spread through his whole body. It’s not just the pleasant buzz of alcohol; it’s his immense pride and love for his sister and the woman she’s chosen to love, how the two of them are taking a stand against their destiny and forging their own path.

He would go to the ends of the earth to keep those smiles on their faces. He wants them to be happy and he wants to get to the Soulmate Council, because he has absolute faith that their love will see them through.

Alec can’t say why it hits him so strongly in that moment, but he knows he wants to find that kind of love, too.

Magnus stands and appears directly in Alec’s line of sight, holding out his hand. Alec looks up at him and he quirks a brow.

“Don’t tell me you don’t dance, Alexander.”

Alec looks at the crowd, then back to Magnus. “I don’t usually dance,” he says, a slow smile spreading across his face, “but I’ll dance with you.”

Magnus beams at him and leads him by the hand to the dancing crowd. It’s nothing like the stuffy Soulmate Ceremony - everyone is cheering and clapping and stamping and singing, and Alec finds himself laughing within minutes.

Magnus’ hands are warm in his own, a grounding touch. He pulls Alec closer, their bodies slotting together; Alec’s hands find Magnus’ waist as they dance in time to the music. He’s never felt this carefree, this joyful before. In Magnus’ arms, the angels could descend and he wouldn’t even realise.

He blinks at Magnus, struck with a sudden rush of feeling, his heart skipping a beat. This - this is the moment he’d been hoping for while he was growing up. He glances down at his wrist, naively thinking that the letters MB would be curling across his skin in black ink, and when it doesn’t happen, it feels like he’s been dealt a blow to the stomach.

They’re never going to have matching soulmarks. It was a foolish thought. His chest constricts, the shattering realisation crashing down on him, and he pulls away from Magnus and then stumbles out the crowd.

Magnus follows him, concern etched into his face. “Alexander?”

“I just - need some air,” Alec manages, and he pushes his way out of the tavern. It’s still light outside but it’s much cooler than in the tavern, and he sinks onto a low stone wall beside the entrance.

A few moments later, a gentle hand brushes his shoulder. He looks up, expecting Magnus, but instead Izzy takes a seat beside him, smoothing out her skirt.

“You okay, big brother?” she asks.

Alec nods, then leans his head against hers. She takes his hand and holds it tightly between her own, thumb rubbing soothing circles on his skin.

“You should go and be with Maia,” Alec says. “Don’t stay out here with me.”

“Look, once we go to the Council, Maia and I will be able to spend our whole lives together. A few minutes now with you won’t hurt,” Izzy tells him.

Alec laughs quietly, squeezing Izzy’s hand. His sister’s unshakeable determination to succeed at whatever she puts her mind to is one of the things he loves most about her.

“You looked happy tonight,” he says. “I’m glad you get to have that.”

“I am happy,” Izzy says. Alec can hear the smile in her voice, even though he can’t see her face. “Being together and being free - it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt, Alec.”

Alec swallows. “It never bothered me too much before,” he begins slowly, “that I wasn’t in love with my soulmate. But going on this journey with you - I see how you and Maia look at each other. And - and being around Magnus…”

“You like him,” Izzy says, knowing but kind. She sighs. “This quest, it’s not just for Maia and me, Alec. We’re going to see the Council so that we can be together, but when they say yes, that won’t just have an impact on us. It matters for everyone.”

Alec turns his head and kisses her temple. “I always knew you’d change the world,” he says, and she laughs.

She gives him a hug and then stands up. The last thing she says before she heads back into the tavern is, “I know Maia’s my soulmate, even if we don’t have matching soulmarks. Trust your heart, Alec.”

Izzy squeezes his shoulder as she leaves. A few people spill from the tavern around Alec as he sits there, lost in thought.

For so long as a boy he’d been excited about getting a soulmate, someone for him to love, gifted by the angels. Then his soulmate had turned out to be Raj, and they’d both made peace with their marks. It hadn’t bothered him so much, especially knowing that Raj had found happiness with another.

But knowing he would never fall in love with his soulmate and facing the reality of loving someone who he doesn’t share a soulmark with are very different. He just hadn’t known it until now.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

The voice is filled with light humor, but when Magnus takes a seat beside Alec, his expression is somewhat worried.

“Magnus,” Alec says, throat thick with emotion. “Hey.”

“Just wanted to see if you were okay,” Magnus says, knocking Alec gently with his shoulder.

“Yeah, I -” Alec stops. “Yeah. Are you?”

Magnus nods. “I’m all into parties, but I think I might turn in for the night, actually,” he says.

“I can walk you back,” Alec offers immediately, standing up.

Magnus badly hides a smile. “The inn is on the other side of the square,” he points out, and Alec glances at it before shrugging.

“Let me be a gentleman,” he says, holding out his hand to pull Magnus up from the wall. Magnus’ expression softens and he slips his hand into Alec’s.

While they wander the short distance across the square, Magnus looks around them with mild interest. “Little Attican i s the last port of call on our journey,” he says idly. “We’re almost at the Soulmate Council. What are you going to do once Isabelle and Maia have spoken to them?”

The question makes Alec pause. He hadn’t really thought about it, in all honesty - everything had just been focused on getting Maia and Izzy to the Council since they left Alicante.

“I guess it depends on what the Council says,” he says. “I know Izzy believes they’ll change their minds, but we need a back up plan in case they don’t.”

“What sort of plan?” Magnus asks, opening the front door of the inn for Alec.

Alec shrugs as they walk towards their rooms. “Izzy’s technically on the run from the princess of Idris and I’ve deserted my post as a Shadow Hunter, so whatever it is, it probably involves hiding somewhere unreachable.” Despite the bleakness of his words, the thought makes him laugh. “Perhaps we’ll go back to the Barrel.”

Magnus laughs too. “You’ll have to excuse me if I decline any dinner invitations,” he teases. Then he sobers a little. “You don’t have the same faith in the angels as your sister?”

“I don’t think Izzy has faith in the angels, I think she has faith in her love for Maia,” Alec answers. “I don’t know. I guess I used to, when I was younger. I believed in everything the angels gave us.”

“You always dreamed of meeting your soulmate,” Magnus says, slowing to a halt outside the door to his room.

Alec pauses, then shakes his head. “I - I always dreamed of meeting someone like you , Magnus.”

Magnus sucks in a breath beside him, eyes going wide.

Alec swallows and powers on. “You’re right - until my Ceremony, I thought that someone who made everything so easy, someone who I could be myself around, would have a soulmark matching mine. But meeting you, it’s like…”

He sighs. The words lodge themselves in his throat, but he continues quietly, “For the first time, I wish I didn’t have my soulmark yet.”

Alec lets the sentence drop away, the because I think you might be my true soulmate going unsaid.

Magnus still looks awed and somewhat taken aback.

“Oh, Alexander,” he says, hushed. He cups Alec’s cheek with one hand, taking a st ep closer to him. “I don’t set much store by the angels’ marks, but I do believe in fighting for a chance at love when you find it.”

Alec’s heart thunders in his chest. Does Magnus really mean -?

“You might not have my name on your wrist, but you have my heart, Alec,” Magnus says, smiling softly around the edges of the words.

Alec’s breath catches. He stares at Magnus: the tenderness of his expression, the way the stars above them are reflected in his eyes, and leans in closer, their lips brushing together. It’s a simple, chaste kiss but it ignites something inside Alec, a feeling he never wants to let go of.

When they pull apart, Alec keeps his eyes closed for a moment longer, trying to savour the blissful moment. He feels warm all over - partly from the alcohol, and partly from the taste of Magnus’ lips.

“I should - um,” Alec stutters, opening his eyes and looking into Magnus’ brown ones. They’re still so close. Alec is tempted to kiss him again and invite Magnus to his room, but he wants to be a gentleman - wants to do this right. “I should get back to my room.”

“Yeah,” Magnus says, a little breathless. He runs his thumb over Alec’s cheekbone and drops his hand, taking a small step back. “Goodnight, Alexander. Sweet dreams.”

“They’ll be of you,” Alec says softly, and the warm smile he gets from Magnus makes the corny line worth it.

Alec goes back to his room, unable to stop smiling, and replays the moment he kisses Magnus in his mind until he falls asleep.

__________________

“Iz.” Maia’s voice is hushed but brimming with excitement. Trident and Raven slow to a trot as the four of them ride along the path through the forest. “That’s the -”

“Beehive,” Izzy finishes, mouth agape as she stares at the rocks they’re advancing on. A large collection of smooth, circular stones sits up ahead of them, small discs at the bottom with bigger ones piled on top of them, then tapering to tiny rocks at the top. It mimics the shape of a bee hive so perfectly Izzy can’t believe it was created naturally, but there are some chips and weathered patches in the rock that suggest it was.

Maia pulls Trident to a stop and twists in the saddle so she can face Izzy. “We made it,” she says, laughing giddily. “Ragnor said this is where the Soulmate Council is.”

Izzy blinks rapidly at the sight in front of her, heart pounding so loudly she’s sure Maia can hear it. They’ve made it.

She can’t believe they’re finally here and hops down from Trident on shaky legs, relieved and shocked and mildly terrified.

Maia comes to stand beside her and slips her hand into Izzy’s, the touch calming Izzy’s nerves. They do this together, like they always have. Izzy has no clue what they’re going to face when they actually get into the Council and see the angels, but the one thing she is sure about is how much she loves Maia.

It’s the driving force that’s kept her going through this whole quest. She wants to share a soulmark with Maia and wants to be able to love her openly, have their partnership and devotion to each other celebrated, rather than having to hide away. Her heart thuds in her ears as she takes a step closer to the Beehive, towards the Council entrance hidden behind it.

This is the end of their journey - there’s no turning back now. There’s no way she’d want to turn back. After everything they’ve been through, fighting dragons and Seelies and running from the Shadow Hunters, all four of them have made it to the Soulmate Council, and she’s damn proud of them.

Something about the thought tugs at her mind, but she can’t figure out what until she catches sight of Magnus standing in front of the Beehive, his hands waving elegantly through the air and glowing with magic. All four of them.

“Magnus,” Izzy says, brow furrowed. He pauses and turns to look at her, palms still bathed in blue light.

“We’re definitely in the right place,” he says. “I’ve examined the energy signature here - there’s old magic at work.”’

Izzy nods, but she’s not really registering it. She takes several steps towards him, lifting her hands to gesture around them. “You’re here.”

“I...am,” he confirms with a bemused smile. His posture is relaxed, arms swinging loosely at his sides, but she can’t help noticing the way the blue glow over his hands fades and he starts rubbing his thumb and forefinger together.

Izzy feels her chest constrict with sudden emotion at the wonderful man in front of her: how he helped them with no obligation to do so, saved their lives time and time again, made her brother smile more brightly than she’s ever seen before. She knows she wouldn’t have made it through this quest if it wasn’t for Maia and Alec, but Magnus took their little group under his wing and led them on their journey with wisdom and courage, all because of the kindness of his heart.

As if sensing something’s going on, the other two wander over, Alec glancing between Izzy and Magnus with a questioning gaze. Izzy just smiles at Magnus, clasping his hands in hers.

“You came all the way with us,” she says softly.

Magnus swallows and he glances away, then he lifts his chin and looks back at Izzy.

“I knew when we set out that, somewhere along the way, I’d have to leave you,” says Magnus. “But then I found I didn’t want to.” His eyes settle on Alec with a burning intensity, but then sweep over to Maia. “I didn’t want to leave any of you.”

“Well, we’re honoured to have you with us,” Maia says, stepping forward and slipping an arm around Izzy’s waist. “Once we’ve seen the Council, the least we can do is ride back to the Spiral Labyrinth with you.”

Magnus nods, smiling. “I’d like that,” he says. “Perhaps when you return to Idris, we could...” He looks at Alec again, his expression tender and filled with longing, but after a moment, he seems to shake himself, physically turning away and clearing his throat.

He strides towards the Beehive, sure-footed and focused. Izzy’s watching him call his magic again when Alec accidentally knocks past her, urgently calling out to Magnus in warning.

One of Alec’s arrows whizzes past her, hitting its target squarely in the shoulder. Izzy’s never seen anything like them before: they’re almost human, built like brick with their mouths twisted into grimaces on grey-tinged faces. Three of them charge out from behind the hive, swords raised at Magnus.

Alec races forward, abandoning his bow and unsheathing his sword, parrying a hit that would have cut Magnus if given the chance. Magnus springs into action himself, magic turning from blue to orange as he charges floating spheres with power.

Hearing a noise behind them, Izzy and Maia whirl around, seeing more attackers coming from the treeline.

“The Forsaken,” Alec shouts, holding two at bay. “The angels’ warriors.”

Right now, Izzy doesn’t really care what they’re called. She’s worried about a far bigger problem: the four of them are surrounded.

__________________

The few patrons in the tavern startle when the door swings open forcefully, three men in uniform walking in. The easy midday chatter dies down and for a moment the bar is silent as the soldiers - guards - assess the place.

Meliorn continues to wipe off the clean beer pitcher with a rag, looking uninterested. People in uniform don’t scare him anymore. He’s lived their life and knows that serving the law can turn someone into a shell of a man.

The guard in front steps forward and places a piece of paper on the bar right in front of Meliorn. A sketch of the nice folks who had escaped the hell that was the Seelie realm stares back at him - Izzy with her sweet smile, Maia with her beautiful eyes, Alec with his unruly hair. The only one not pictured is Magnus, the fourth member of their little squad.

Meliorn remembers watching the two couples dance to the upbeat music, tipsy off the booze and, most likely, off the joy of surviving the Seelie Queen.

“Have you seen these people, by chance?” the guard asks. Meliorn finally looks up and studies him momentarily.

He feels protective, suddenly, of the four kind souls he met that night.

“I’m afraid I haven’t,” Meliorn says, setting down the now-dry pitcher and picking up the next wet one, beginning to wipe it.

“Are you sure?” the guard presses, pointing down at the sketch. “It’s crucial that we -”

“With all due respect, gentlemen,” Meliorn says airily. “I already told you, I haven’t seen them. And if you aren’t going to sit down and have a drink in my tavern, then you can kindly show yourselves out.”

The guard narrows his eyes and opens his mouth to say something else when another soldier behind him rests his hand on the main guard’s shoulder.

“Alaric, they aren’t here,” he says. “It’s a dead end - let’s keep going.”

Meliorn tries to look uninterested, though he keeps on alert. The guard huffs.

“Thank you for your time,” he says, and Meliorn nods curtly as the three of them shuffle out.

After Meliorn watches the door close, he sighs, his shoulders sagging. Whatever his friends are up to, he hopes they’re safe and that he made the right call. The tavern slowly starts murmuring again, coming back to life.

“Hey Gretel,” Meliorn calls across the floor, raising the clean pitcher when she locks eyes with him. “How about another round on me?”

__________________

“Izzy, Maia!” Magnus shouts, then lets out an oof as he ducks and dodges a Forsaken’s club. “Get to the Council!”

From the corner of his eye, Alec sees Izzy parry an attack from a Forsaken’s sword with her staff. His heart leaps into his throat at the sight of his baby sister in trouble; she’s clearly shaken by it, but she springs forward and butts the warrior in its chest with her staff. Beside her, Maia is fiercely fighting one of the warriors, driving it back with a look of grim determination.

“We’re not leaving you!” Maia calls.

The fight continues, violent and desperate, Alec blocking hit after hit and shoving the Forsaken back.

“Any ideas for improvisation?” he shouts to Magnus as he blocks a vicious blow from a Forsaken’s sword. Magnus laughs but it sounds strained, and when Alec glances momentarily over his shoulder, he sees Magnus fighting ably with a sword in his hand.

It takes Alec’s attention for too long; he’s so worried about Magnus not using his magic that he gets nicked on the arm by the Forsaken’s blade. It stings like hell and is enough to get his head back into the fight, but he’s still concerned that all the magic Magnus has performed over their journey has taken more out of him than he’s letting on.

It’s hard for Alec to wrap his head around the fact that Magnus has stayed . He’s been so enamored with Magnus that he hadn’t stopped to fully take in that Magnus hadn’t parted ways with them at a certain point on the journey. Now he’s here, at the entrance to the Soulmate Council, fighting alongside Alec.

Maybe Alec had wished in the back of his mind that Magnus would stay, but he didn’t think Magnus actually would . Getting his hopes up and then watching Magnus walk away would have been soul-crushing.

Alec swings his sword at another Forsaken, not sparing it another glance as it falls to the ground. Facing this many opponents in close combat makes Alec’s training kick in and he loses himself in the fight, blocking and parrying and pushing the Forsaken back.

But the exertion from the entire journey is beginning to settle into his body; it makes his movements almost sluggish in a way he can’t afford. They’re not going to be able to last much longer but he refuses for it to end here - they’re so close and they’ve made it so far. Izzy and Maia are going to see the Council if he dies trying.  

“Magnus and I will cover you,” Alec says, his voice carrying over the clearing. “Go! Or this whole journey has been for nothing.”

There’s a momentary pause. The clatter of swords and the whoosh of Magnus’ magic fills the air.

“Be safe,” Maia says eventually, with a stern look at Magnus and Alec. Alec nods at her and then to the entrance of the Council.

“Go!” he calls again. Beside him, Magnus takes down two Forsaken with startling efficiency and Alec blinks once before turning his attention back to Izzy and Maia. “Good luck!”

Alec and Magnus end up back to back, Alec’s ability to focus on the fight anchored by the fact that he can feel Magnus, strong and sturdy, against him. Together they take down Forsaken after Forsaken, Alec with his sword and Magnus alternating magic and his weapon.

He can see Izzy and Maia out the corner of his eye, steadily making their way towards the beehive. Alec almost thinks they’re going to make it when thudding hooves ring out in the clearing and the Shadow Hunters appear in front of them.

“Halt!” Sir Alaric calls. Alec ignores him and continues fighting. “Young ladies, come back here!”

It’s the badly disguised panic in Alaric’s voice that makes Alec look over. Izzy and Maia are close enough to the entrance of the Council that another step and they’d be through; the guard and Forsaken advance on them desperately.

Izzy and Maia share a glance.

“Go!” Magnus shouts to them, magic flaring up bright orange again. When Alec turns around, Magnus looks other-worldly, and by the time he’s torn his eyes away, Izzy and Maia have disappeared.

__________________

In a flash, the sounds of the fight are just a muted blur of voices shouting and swords clashing. The entrance to the dimension closes behind Izzy and Maia as they step through it, almost as if it was only going to let the two of them in.

Then again, they are dealing with the angels here, and Izzy’s sure they have an eye and ear on everything happening near their realm.

It’s insane to think that they’ve made it this far. A terrifying dragon, an army of Seelie knights and an angry mob of Forsaken later and here Izzy and Maia are, just steps away from confronting the angelic council that didn’t want to give them their happy ending.

The new dimension they’ve landed in is almost too perfect. Every leaf on every branch is a vibrant green, the grass practically sparkling with the reflection of the sun.

There are apples growing on a nearby tree, every single one of them bright red and the same exact size as another. It feels to Izzy as though they’ve stepped into a painting, every detail made with delicate strokes to tempt even the richest of men.

“We have to stay focused,” Maia says softly. She’s right - being in a place like this is daunting, and Izzy wants to get them out of here as soon as possible.

They walk a little until they both spot a waterfall, a gentle stream that shows them they’ve headed in the right direction. Izzy and Maia walk towards it and stand a few steps in front. Birds chirp in the distance, a few butterflies fly by, and a rainbow hits the stream at a perfect angle.

Izzy’s gut twists with the reminder that this isn’t paradise.

“Él síla lúmena vomentienguo,” Maia says in the ancient tongue, soft but sure. It’s a phrase Ragnor had made them memorize before they parted all those days ago, telling them it would be the last piece of the puzzle. According to Ragnor, the phrase in Telerin roughly translates to, ‘a star shines upon the hour of the meeting of our ways’.

The wall of rocks starts shifting and cracking, moving apart slowly. A bright light shines through the opening and Izzy clutches Maia’s hand tighter. Maia lifts her free arm and hold it in front of her face to shield herself from the bright light.

The rocks suddenly stop moving, and when Izzy’s eyes adjust to the light, she can see they’ve opened up just enough to make an entrance for the both of them. Izzy and Maia exchange a look, too overcome with emotion to speak, and yet their eyes say enough. At this point, Izzy doesn’t think she’ll take no for an answer.

As they walk into the light, Izzy looks down and notices that they’re walking on glass. Everything around them is pure white and radiating with light.

If there is a heaven, Izzy thinks, it’d definitely look like this. It’s no wonder the council is referred to as the angels.

Izzy is so busy looking at the surroundings in awe that she startles a little when Maia gasps. Izzy looks to where Maia’s gaze is locked.

In front of them sit twelve people in a U shape. They’re all bigger than Izzy and Maia, though Izzy can’t really tell how much, and they’re all wearing extravagant clothing that looks like melted diamonds.

This is it. The Soulmate Council in the flesh.

Izzy’s chest tightens as a curvy dark skinned angel towards the left of the council stands. The top of her own head reaches roughly the same height as the angel’s waist.

Their black hair is braided into beautiful buns at the top of their head, and, like everyone else, they’re wearing a crown. Their dark brown eyes seem overjoyed that Izzy and Maia are here.

“See that? I told you they’d show up,” the angel says, their voice soft and sweet despite the teasing tone as they send a look towards another council member towards the right.

The other council member, who’s pale as snow, rolls their eyes.

Maia takes a step closer to Izzy, and Izzy squares her shoulders.

“We’re unhappy with our soulmarks,” Izzy says, and the angel standing up laughs.

“Oh sweetheart, we know,” the angel says, their smile soft. “We’ve watched over as you and Maia Roberts fell in love. Your story is quite beautiful.”

Maia’s brows furrow. “You’ve watched over us and yet we aren’t each other’s soulmates? How does that make sense?”

The angel rolls their eyes, but there’s still a small smile on their face as they sit back down with a flourish, crossing their legs and leaning back leisurely. The other angels are all watching the interaction happen.

“You humans - always taking things so seriously ,” the angel says, laughing. “Initials appear on your wrists and a useless man years ago decides it indicates the person you’re meant to be with, and of course humankind takes it too far.”

“The soulmarks are people your soul is compatible with, yes, and does provide someone you can be with forever if you so choose,” another angel with golden curls says, and Izzy and Maia divert their attention. “However, it’s a mere suggestion. You humans made it too complicated.”

“So it’s not about true love?” Izzy asks, and the pale angel from before scoffs.

“No, Isabelle Lightwood,” they say, “it’s more of a cure for loneliness. It’s about companionship - about never having to face the world alone.”

“The originator for the soulmark was an old angel by the name of Raziel,” an angel with a blue mohawk explains, their voice a deep baritone. “After the devastating War of the Angels, Raziel was left all alone. But they were powerful, and they knew if there was a supposed future where the angels were to watch over humans, there would have to be a sacrifice.”

“So,” they continue, “fueled by their sorrow and forlornness, they burned themselves out to make the soulmark and restart the angel council. Their sacrifice was meant to give every human a partner.”

Izzy and Maia stand there, shocked. Izzy remembers learning a little about how there was a time without soulmarks in her history classes, but no one ever went into detail because no one ever knew. What the angel is saying is true though - there’s not necessarily a romantic connection between soulmate marks.

All Izzy’s ever known is soulmates meaning love, but no one bothered to think about how many types of love there are.

“Raziel’s magic is hard to undo, unfortunately,” the first angel explains with a solemn shake of their head. “Even if all of the angels b ound together, our magic wouldn’t encompass the amount of anguish and determination it took for the soulmarks to be created.”

The angels pause, waiting for Izzy and Maia to respond, but they’re both standing still, disbelieving of the situation they find themselves in. For as long as Izzy can remember, soulmarks seemed to be the most important part of her life, and while it was all based around love, the type was never specified. Izzy’s sure she could love Clary, but as a best friend maybe, or a sister. Nothing like the way she loves Maia.

“What does this mean? That we can choose who we want to be with?” Maia asks incredulously.

“The most powerful form of love,” the angel says softly, their eyes alight, “is the one you choose.”

Maia’s breath hitches. Izzy can feel her heart pounding in her chest. Does this mean they did it? Is the Council giving their blessing for Maia and Izzy to be together and free from the soulmark expectations?

Only one way to find out , Izzy thinks.

Izzy steps forward, puffing her chest out a little and praying that her voice doesn’t waver. “I choose to be with Maia. I’m in love with her, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

The first angel steps off of their throne and kneels down besides Izzy, a smile on their face. This close, Izzy can see the way their crown twinkles.

“Then go, brave one,” they say, putting their hand out and opening their palm as a small ball of white light floats to Izzy. She catches it; it feels like a cloud. Izzy looks back up at the angel.

“Go and have your happily ever after.”

__________________

When Izzy and Maia stumble back through the portal to their dimensions, giddy with delight and clutching each other’s hands, the first thing Izzy notices is the tension thrumming through the air.

Alec is scowling at one of his fellow Shadow Hunters; the point of the guard’s sword is aimed, if loosely, at Alec. There are iron cuffs around Alec’s wrists and he looks annoyed about this, more than anything. His gaze darts back and forth between the cuffs and where Magnus is standing a little way over.

Magnus has his hands up in surrender, though from the tight set of his jaw he’s not given up on the fight. From the casually defensive stances of the rest of the guards, Izzy’s pretty sure they know that too.

“Lady Isabelle! Lady Maia!”

Izzy and Maia share a glance, then step forward, still hand in hand. Knowing what they know now, there’s no way Izzy is ever letting go of Maia.

“Please release my brother, Sir Alaric,” Izzy says, crossing to him and bowing her head. “He was just trying to protect me.”

“Iz, don’t -“

“Our mother always says I’m very headstrong,” Izzy continues, quelling Alec’s words with a sharp look.

Alaric eyes her for a moment. “It’s something you get from her,” he says eventually, his lips curving into a minute smile. Izzy’s not surprised. Alaric is the king’s right hand man and she knows he’s fond of Maryse.

“No matter. My Lady, I must insist you return to Idris with me immediately.” Alaric’s eyes flicker over Alec, who’s still staring down the guard pointing a sword at him. He sighs. “Sir Duncan, lower your weapon. Alec may have deserted his post -“

“Temporarily,” Izzy interjects.

“- but he’s still a Shadow Hunter.”

Another of the guards unlocks Alec’s cuffs and Alec rubs at his wrists when they fall away, though he sends a grateful smile Izzy’s way.

“Now, my Lady?” Alaric asks. He looks at Maia, who’s standing behind Izzy. “And you, Lady Maia. You might not be the princess’ soulmate, but your parents - and the King - would have my head if any harm came to you.”

“That’s kind, Sir Alaric,” Maia says, with a respectful nod. “But before we leave for Idris, Izzy and I need to tell you something.”

Izzy opens her palm and releases the soft ball of white light the angel gave her. Across the clearing, the message rings out, like chorus in harmony: the most powerful form of love is the one you choose. Let your society be rid of the burden of soulmarks - while your souls can be bound, your hearts should be free.

Izzy looks around at their companions’ faces as the words of the angel sink in. Alaric seems torn between surprise and annoyance, Maia is beaming brightly at Izzy, Magnus’ expression is carefully blank but he keeps his eyes trained on Alec and Alec is looking at Magnus, stunned.

“But….do they mean -“ Alec cuts himself off with a shake of his head, taking three strides forward and crossing the clearing in front of the Beehive to where Magnus is standing. “I could be with anyone?”

Izzy shares a look with Maia, who squeezes her hand with a grin.

“Have faith in who your heart chooses,” Maia says, and though she’s talking to Alec, she doesn’t take her eyes off Izzy.

__________________

The journey back towards Idris seems to take forever, though it’s perhaps because the monotony of two days ride without a trip to the Seelie Court or fighting any dragons seems - not boring, exactly, because any moment where they’re not fearing for their lives is positive in Alec’s opinion. It just seems a little mundane compared to the excitement and adventure of the trip out.

The sun is beginning its descent in the sky on their second day when they draw near to a crossroads. Alec recognises this route from patrols; Idris is straight ahead, the path to the Spiral Labyrinth to their left and the Nocturne Woods to their right.

As they come up on the approach, Magnus slows Raven to a trot. The movement makes Alec realise that this is it: this is where they part ways, possibly never to see each other again. He’s hit with a sudden pang of loss and swallows around the lump in his throat, holding onto Magnus a little tighter for what time he has left.

“Well,” Magnus says reluctantly, drawing up the reins and making Raven stop. He shifts in the saddle, but before he can say anything else, a shout of impatience comes from one of the guards ahead.

Maia’s noise of exasperation is audible as she and Izzy come up beside Alec and Magnus on Trident.

“Ignore them,” Izzy says dismissively. She hops down from the horse as gracefully as one can and waits for Magnus to dismount too before wrapping him in a hug. “Thank you for everything, Magnus.”

Magnus smiles and kisses her temple when they pull back. Maia crosses to him and he hugs her tightly too, whispering something to her that Alec doesn’t hear but which makes Maia smile. She squeezes his hand before climbing back onto Trident with Izzy.

“We’ll buy you some time,” she says, with a nod to the Shadow Hunters up ahead. Alec nods in thanks and dismounts from Raven himself.

He steps closer to Magnus, slowing down the moment as much as he can. He’s not ready for their journey to be over. He’s never felt like this before, never had this kind of connection with someone. It’s new and exhilarating and he doesn’t want to give it up.

Both of them are discovering what this thing between them could blossom into, and now it might be over before it could really begin. He has so much more to give Magnus and he doesn’t want to say goodbye.

Alec comes to a stop in front of Magnus and clears his throat, his chest tight with emotion.

“I suppose this is where our story ends,” Magnus says, with a sweep of his hands and a sad smile. He steps forward, so close their toes touch. “Farewell, brave knight.”

Alec rests his hands against Magnus’ chest, feeling the steady beat of Magnus’ heart through the thin fabric of his tunic. If Magnus did the same to him, he’d feel Alec’s heart beating just for him.

Magnus’ hands come up to curl gently around Alec’s biceps.

“I don’t -“ The lump in Alec’s throat makes it hard to speak. “I don’t want it to end.” Magnus’ expression is guarded, but there’s a spark of hope in his eyes.

It makes Alec feel braver, like there might be even the smallest chance that they can make this work outside of the journey they’re on. Maybe, even with the real world rushing around them, they’ll be able to forge a path together.

“The council said I could be with whoever I wanted,” Alec continues, feeling more certain with every word, “and if you want it too, I want to be with you, Magnus.”

Magnus’ face melts into a soft smile. “I do want that,” he admits quietly, cupping Alec’s cheek. He leans up and kisses Alec, brushing his lips against Alec’s own. “But I fear our situations are conspiring against us.”

The truth of Magnus’ words settles over Alec. They come from completely different worlds and they both have a duty to their people - Alec to the royal family he serves, and Magnus to his fellow warlocks. Magnus has come to mean so much to him in such a short time, but Alec knows that they’ll both put other people before themselves.

He knows that, however reluctantly, he’ll accept what Magnus is saying.

“You have commitments,” Alec says. His fingers smooth small circles over Magnus’ tunic. “You’re on Luke’s council.”

Magnus nods. “You’re a Shadow Hunter.”

Alec shoots a wry glance to the guards at that. “Maybe not for much longer.”

“Oh,” Magnus says with a smile, “if you regale them with tales of your heroism at the Seelie Court, I’m sure they’ll find it in their hearts to forgive you.”

Alec laughs a little and leans into Magnus’ touch. His gaze flits over Magnus’ face. “I’ll miss you.” He swallows hard, his heart thudding rapidly in his chest. “Will you - will you come back?”

Magnus runs his thumb along Alec’s cheekbone. “Why wouldn’t I?” he says, with a gorgeous, tender smile that makes Alec’s heart flip flop in his chest. “Look what I have waiting for me.”

Alec tips his head to kiss Magnus again, sweetly, full of promise and possibility. When they draw back, Magnus’ eyes are shining, and with the way he’s looking at Alec right now, Alec knows in his heart that, somewhere, somehow, they will have a future together.

__________________

“I’m starting to think there’s a reason you didn’t become a knight,” Alec teases as he slows Raven down from the sprint she was in before.

“I don’t think my mediocre horse riding skills are the only reason, Alec,” Simon says as he finally catches up with Alec, slowing his own horse to a trot. Clary laughs from her position on the picnic blanket under a nearby tree next to Izzy and Maia.

The past month and a half seems to have gone by achingly slow. Izzy, Alec, and Maia had been forced to face King Luke for their actions, and while they’d been reprimanded, ultimately Luke was just glad they’d made it back alive. With the way Maia’s father embraced her and Maryse held tight to Izzy and Alec, it was clear everyone was happy the three of them were safe.

Alec can’t help thinking that the fact that they succeeded on their mission to get to the Soulmate Council helped, too. They’d got back to Alicante just in time to hear a pronouncement from the angels, their voices emanating from a glowing ball of white light that floated into the centre of the king’s court and relayed over the entire city.

It spread the message of love and companionship that the angels had said to Izzy and Maia, causing quite the stir among the members of the court and government. The talks about changing laws are still ongoing, but there’s been a big movement and an outcry of support for giving greater recognition and more rights to people who aren’t living with their soulmates.

Above all, it gives Alec hope. He sees the way the people fighting for their love look at each other, and it makes him think of Magnus and everything that they might yet get to be. He’s exchanged only a couple of letters with Magnus - wouldn’t have expected more, because he knows Magnus is busy in the Spiral Labyrinth - but he keeps them tucked safely in his room and rereads them every night before he goes to sleep.

It’s been wonderful to see Raj and Benjamin’s relationship bloom properly, too. Alec had spoken to Raj as soon as he could when he got back, eager to share the news and help Raj get his happy ending too.

Watching Raj and Ben, and King Luke and Maryse, rejoice at the announcement had made Alec feel like everything he, Magnus, Maia and Izzy went through to get to the Soulmate Council was even more worth it. He’d not properly taken in just what the angels’ words meant at the Beehive, but seeing the ripples of change coming from what Izzy and Maia dared to do makes him believe anything is possible.

“Hey,” Clary says, though she’s still giggling, “Simon has always been my handsome protector.”

Alec rolls his eyes, but he can’t help smiling at the pair of them. Simon hops down from his horse and presents a flower from the side of the path to Clary with an exaggerated bow. Clary just laughs harder, accepting the flower with a broad smile.

She’d been nothing but overjoyed when Izzy and Maia had returned to the city with news of their meeting the Council. Alec had expected the princess to put up some resistance, but she’d not stood in the way of his sister’s happiness, and for that he was eternally grateful.

“Handsome?” Alec teases, squinting at Simon.

The three girls all swat at Alec, even as they laugh.

“Don’t listen to him, Simon,” Izzy says. “He’s just stupidly in love with someone else.”

Alec feels his cheeks heat up. “I’m not in love ,” he says, and doesn’t mention that the word yet is on the tip of his tongue.

“And I didn’t kill a dragon,” Maia throws at him, laughing, and Alec rolls his eyes fondly.

Simon brings up next month’s Samhain festivities as he ties the reins of his horse to a branch on the tree, and they all start chatting away. Alec is about to hop down from Raven and join them on the grass when he hears Izzy gasp.

His gaze shoots down to look at her. She’s looking to her left, her mouth slightly open.

“Alec, is that…?” she asks, and Alec follows her line of sight until he sees the exact person he hasn’t stopped thinking about since their last kiss.

“Magnus,” he breathes, face lighting up with a smile.

Magnus is standing at the edge of the field, a fair way in the distance, but Alec would recognise his silhouette anywhere. He’s making his way across the field and Alec spurs Raven into a gallop towards him.

As Alec draws closer, he slows the horse down and dismounts, running the last few yards. Magnus is grinning from ear to ear and he opens his arms, letting Alec crash into him and hold him tightly.

“You’re here,” Alec keeps saying in wonder. He buries his face in Magnus’ neck and breathes him in, relishing in the feel of Magnus’ body under his hands.

It’s real. Magnus is here, and it’s not just a dream that escapes as soon as he wakes, trying to cling onto the wispy moments where he and Magnus are together in his mind.

Magnus holds to him just as tightly. Alec can feel his smile pressed into his skin.

“Alexander,” Magnus says, beaming at him when they draw back. He’s not letting Magnus go too far, though; they keep hold of one another, but part enough so they can look into each other’s eyes. “I missed you.”

“I missed you,” Alec replies, laughing softly. “I can’t believe you’re here. You’re really in Alicante.”

Magnus smiles at him and cups his cheek, fingers threading through the hair at the back of Alec’s neck. “I promised you I’d come back, didn’t I?”

Alec’s breath catches as he takes in Magnus’ words. Not that he ever doubted Magnus or thought he would go back on his word, but seeing him now, after what feels like an eternity, it’s almost like there’s too much feeling inside of him. He can’t hold back his grin and pulls Magnus into another hug, revelling in finally having him here.

However long Magnus is in Idris for, Alec is determined to make the most of it. He can show Magnus around Alicante; they can go dancing again; he can meet Alec’s family.

Even though Magnus is just visiting, it’s cemented something in Alec’s chest. Their relationship isn’t just something that exists within the bubble of the incredible journey they went on to the Soulmate Council: it could have faltered, dwindled into unanswered letters and missed chances, but now it’s able to blossom.

It’s something beautiful to nurture and so Alec keeps everything he feels for Magnus tucked safely in his heart.

He finally steps back a little, their hands still joined as he looks Magnus up and down, unable to stop smiling.

“How long are you staying for?” Alec asks.

Magnus glances away, then back at Alec, badly hiding a smile. “Indefinitely,” he says quietly.

Alec blinks. “What?”

Magnus squeezes Alec’s hands.

“We’ve been in talks for months at Luke’s council meetings about lifting the ban on magical beings living in Idris,” he explains. “The kingdom is opening its borders to anyone who wants to live here.”

Alec sucks in a breath. Hope is spreading like wildfire in his chest and he keeps gripping tight to Magnus, afraid if he lets go that Magnus will float away and this will all turn out to be a bittersweet fantasy concocted by his mind late at night.

“Of course, the change isn’t going to be immediate,” Magnus allows, with a tilt of his head, “but to have the King’s support behind such a move - it means a lot.”

“Luke’s a good man,” Alec agrees, though his mind is just replaying Magnus saying indefinitely on a loop. “This is the right thing to do.”

“Long overdue, too,” Magnus says. His gaze falters and he starts to say something before changing his mind. After a pause, he does speak again.

“I’ve accepted a permanent position here in Idris as one of Luke’s advisors,” he says, a little haltingly. His eyes dart to Alec’s face. “I can split my time between working here and my commitments to my fellow warlocks and the Spiral Labyrinth. But it means that - well, what you said back at the crossroads...”

Magnus looks at him with his beautiful brown eyes shining in the late summer sunlight and inhales deeply. “If you still want me, we could have something.”

Alec’s breath catches. He feels like he’s floating on air; a smile rises to his face and he almost laughs. Imagine Magnus thinking Alec might not want him anymore - Alec’s never heard anything more ridiculous. The prospect of seeing Magnus again has filled Alec with nothing but excitement and thinking about Magnus’ smile has stolen Alec’s attention on more than one patrol over the last month.

He draws his hand out of Magnus’ grip to cup Magnus’ face.

“If I still want you?” Alec repeats, incredulous, but he’s still smiling. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we parted. Of course I still want you, Magnus, I -“

The rest of what he was going to say gets muffled against Magnus’ lips as he surges forward to kiss Alec, arms going around Alec’s waist to pull him closer. Alec kisses him back eagerly, pouring every ounce of want and longing he’s felt over the last month and a half into it.

They stand together in each other’s arms, kissing under golden rays of afternoon sun. Alec feels so full of happiness he might burst, and after a gloriously long moment of kissing Magnus he has to pull back, because he’s smiling too hard to carry on.

Finally he pulls himself together and takes Magnus’ hand.

“Come on,” he says, turning back towards the others. “Izzy and Maia will be mad if I keep you to myself for too long.”

Magnus smiles at the mention of the two girls and starts towards them, heading across the field with Alec.

They amble easily, just soaking up being in each other’s presence once more. Alec tells Magnus about what happened with the angels’ announcement and how it seems like their society might be on the cusp of real change.

“Did you know when we left that you’d be living here?” Alec asks, after a short pause. He glances across at Magnus and sees he looks momentarily uncomfortable. “I’m not mad or anything,” he reassures hastily. “Just curious.”

Magnus’ expression soothes out. “I hoped,” he says. “The talks were nearing their final stages, but nothing was set in stone. I didn’t want to get your hopes up - get my hopes up - for it to come to nothing.”

He pauses, squeezing Alec’s hand again.

“And you still wanted to be with me,” Magnus continues, sounding awed. “Even though it would make our story harder.”

Alec swallows around the lump in his throat, feeling unexpectedly emotional. “We’ve battled dragons and Seelies and both nearly died more times than I can count,” he says, laughing softly. “The rest of it, you and me, that’s easy.”

Magnus smiles, stopping Alec from walking with a gentle hand on his chest. “Alexander…” he says, voice hushed.

“Yeah,” Alec says, smile shining through his voice. “Me too.”

Alec tips his head to kiss Magnus once more, sunlight dancing across them and dappling their skin, and knows he’s never, ever going to let Magnus go.

__________________

Izzy tries to get her breathing under control, sweeping the coral blush over her cheeks. Despite her nerves, Izzy sees her smile in the reflection of the mirror and reckons she looks just how she feels - impossibly in love and effortlessly happy.

And it’s all thanks to Maia.

It’s the two year anniversary of the disaster of a Soulmate Ceremony that kickstarted their adventure to the Soulmate Council - the adventure that brought Izzy and Maia closer together, brought Magnus to Alec, and brought more peace across the land.

There’s a knock on the door, startling Izzy from her thoughts.

“Come in,” she calls, finishing off her blush and double checking her lipstick before turning in her vanity chair to see who’s walking in the door.

Alec pops his head in and smiles at Izzy.

“Almost done?” he asks. “We’re about ready to start.”

Izzy nods, taking a deep breath. Alec enters the room, closing the door behind him.

“Help me tighten my corset, please?” Izzy asks, standing up in front of the full length mirror in her room as Alec walks over behind her to lace her corset.

“You look nervous,” Alec says. Izzy groans.

“Is it that obvious?” she asks, wringing her hands together.

“Only to me,” Alec says softly, continuing the task at hand with a concentrated furrow in his brow.

Her eyes sweep over his reflection in the mirror - his styled, messy hair and the navy velvet tunic he has on.

“You look handsome,” she says, and Alec flushes a little, but he’s smiling, too.

“Magnus picked it out,” Alec responds, finishing up the corset and squeezing Izzy’s shoulders comfortingly.

“You’re dating a man of good taste,” Izzy says as she smooths down the front of her off-white dress. It has lace detailing and hugs her body beautifully - perfect for today.

Alec just hums in response.

“You have nothing to be worried about, you know,” Alec says, meeting her eyes through the mirror. “You and Maia - Iz, you’ve been to Hell and back together, and you’ve come out stronger. Today’s a good day.”

“More like to Heaven and back,” Izzy says, laughing when Alec rolls his eyes fondly.

“Luke’s going to come get you in a second, okay?” Alec says, kissing the side of her head. “I’ll see you out there.”

She gives him a reassuring smile and sighs when the door closes behind him. “Today’s a good day,” she repeats easily.

Her fingers run idly over the CF on her wrist. To think, all of this started with some ink on her body - a mark laying bare the truth that though her soul might to tied to one, her heart belonged to another.

Clary was actually doing amazingly. She’d decided she was going to to rule the kingdom alone, when her time came. A few months ago, she’d made her first announcement alone, Luke watching from the side as she told the King’s Council about her decision. She claimed she didn’t need a partner to rule; while it was both a risk and a bold move, Izzy could tell Luke was proud of Clary for making her own decision on the matter.

Izzy can tell why the angels soul bonded her to Clary. They’re even better friends now and hang out a lot of the time, but in a way that’s similar to Alec and Raj. There’s no love spark; only familial love.

This change to the love behind Clary and Izzy’s soulmarks, along with the gradual acceptance of relationships where the pair’s marks aren’t shared, has also allowed Luke and Maryse to finally be open about their love.

It seemed that everyone was getting their happy ending. Even Simon had started seeing someone recently, a boy from the next village over. Every time Maia and Clary tease him about it, he turns as red as a tomato, but Izzy’s happy for him.

Then there’s Alec, who’d taken Magnus out the day after she’d seen them in the field. Ever since then, they’ve been practically inseparable.

Izzy doesn’t remember a time she’s seen Alec this happy. Magnus is someone Izzy admires a lot and someone she’s honored to call a friend - and she’s sure that, in another year or so, she might be calling him her brother in law.

“Isabelle?” Luke says, his voice muffled by the door.

“Be out in a second,” Izzy calls, grabbing her veil and putting it on. She smoothes it down her back and takes one final look in the mirror, unable to wipe the smile off of her face.

She walks out to see Luke standing there, looking every bit as regal as a king should.

“You look beautiful,” Luke says with a bright smile.

Izzy beams at him. He offers her the crook of his elbow and she places her hand there, walking with him.

She’d asked Maia to marry her only two months ago. It had been spontaneous, like most things they did, but Izzy had had the ring since the day they came back to Idris. They’d been having dinner at a local tavern and ended up taking the scenic route back home.

Izzy still doesn’t know why she’d taken the ring to dinner that night, not really. Maybe she was looking for a sign that it was the right time. And when they stood overlooking the river, Maia’s face lit up by the moonlight, Izzy was helpless but to ask her to marry her.

As Luke and Izzy stop in front of the grand doors to the palace ballroom, Izzy squeezes Luke’s arm. He looks over at her, placing his hand on hers.

“You ready?” he asks. Izzy nods slowly.

“I’m ready,” she says. She’s never been more sure.

As the doors open and Izzy sees the smiling faces of her loved ones in the crowd, Maia’s awestruck eyes at the end of the aisle, Izzy knows that their love story has only just begun.

__________________

“A heart to love, and in that heart, Courage, to make’s love known.” (Macbeth – Act 2, Scene 3)