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As acting Institute Head, Alec made it a point to go on at least three patrols and a handful of missions a week. His sleep schedule and ability to visit Magnus regularly suffered, but it was worth it to keep team morale high when everyone was walking on eggshells after Valentine and as Circle members kept popping up out of the woodwork.
Except that, had, of course, led him to their current issue. He held up his hand, signaling Isabelle, Jace and Clary to stop and wait.
“Well well, what have we caught here?”
Alec’s stomach gave a violent roll as he watched the Circle members step closer to the warlocks that were held immobile thanks to the spell from another of their kind. His eyes darted around the nearby buildings with a scowl. Unless he could find that other warlock and neutralize him, rushing in to help the other warlocks was only going to get them as trapped as they were.
He stepped back and handed his phone to Clary. “Text Magnus. Tell him where we are, what is going on. Tell him to get here immediately,” Alec ordered, keeping his voice quiet. He looked to Jace and Isabelle. “There are seven Circle members and one warlock. Stay here until I give the signal to attack. Understood?”
“What are you going to do?” Isabelle hissed, glancing out at the warlocks they were trying to protect.
Alec took a running jump at the fire escape a few feet above their heads, pulling himself upright, glad he had thought to apply a Soundless rune before the patrol. “We need higher ground, and I need to find that warlock holding them in place.” He hurried up the fire escape, vaulting onto the roof a moment later.
Thankfully, this building gave him a view of all the surrounding ones, and Alec found the warlock in a matter of seconds. He ducked behind a large air conditioning unit, glad for the noise and peeked around again. The warlock hadn’t seen him. He took a deep breath and nocked an arrow, stepping around the opposite side, lining up the shot.
In.
Out.
Release.
Alec waited for the split second shout from the warlock as his arrow struck true, knocking the warlock back and off his feet. “Izzy, Jace, now!” he shouted, running for the edge of the roof, stepping on the edge before jumping. He hit the ground with a roll and sprinted in front of the warlocks, readying another arrow on his bow.
“Don’t worry,” he called over his shoulder to them, watching Izzy and Jace advance on the Circle members. “Magnus Bane is on his way, if you can portal, get the hell out of here, and we’ll protect you in the mean-”
“Alec, look out!”
Alec’s eyes widened as two more Circle members stepped out of an alleyway towards him and lowered his bow, stepping between the warlocks and their hungry gaze.
“Betraying your own kind, Shadowhunter?” One of them sneered.
Alec narrowed his eyes. “They are my kind.”
“They’re half demon. Should be hunted like the demons they are-ghhhrk!”
Alec pulled out another arrow as he watched the one Circle member drop to his knees, an arrow sticking from his neck. “I take it you don’t know who I am.”
“You think that matters to us?” The other Circle member taunted, his eyes darting around.
Alec smirked, keeping his bow trained on him, listening to the sounds of Izzy and Jace and their fight growing closer. “It should,” he said, his tone light and conversational.
He scoffed. “And why is that? Think it means we’ll go easy on you?”
“No,” Alec said. “But if you did, you’d know that my boyfriend is the High Warlock of Brooklyn. You’d know that every single warlock under his protection is also under mine by association. And you would know that neither of us will leave you alive, Clave rules or no,” he added, his eyes dark as he fired again, watching the body fall to the ground with satisfaction.
“Alec, we could use your help!” Jace shouted.
His attention snapped to where Jace and Izzy were being backed into a wall by the four remaining Circle members. He looked to the warlocks who were still standing behind him. “Can you portal out of here?” By the quick shake of the head from all of them, he nodded. “Fray! Protection detail!” He barked, pulling more arrows from his quiver, advancing to back up Izzy and Jace.
“Any time you want to join us would be great, big brother!” Izzy snapped, her whip narrowly missing one of them as he dove out of the way.
A flash of red dashing past him had Alec glancing back to make sure it was Clary standing in front of the warlocks, and it was. He turned his attention back to the Circle members still standing in front of him.
“You’d rather protect some filthy Downworlder scum over-”
Alec didn’t bother letting him finish his sentence. He sank down to his knees, two arrows in his chest. He stepped up behind Izzy and Jace, another arrow already at the ready.
“Surrender,” he ordered. “Or you’ll join him.”
“The Clave won’t condone this, you’ll be stripped of your runes!”
Alec shifted his aim to the Circle member that had spoken and stared him down. “You think you’re the first Circle member I’ve killed? That we’ve killed?”
A ripple of fear moved across the man’s face and Alec scowled, lowering his bow. “Should we show you mercy? Would you have shown them mercy?” he added, gesturing to the warlocks behind him.
“You’re out of your mind! You can’t-”
“I think you’ll find that I can,” Alec said, his voice conversational as he stepped up with three arrows nocked, aiming at each of them. Certainty settled over his shoulders and he took a deep breath.
“You can’t hit all of us!”
Alec hummed and nodded. “You’re right. I can’t.” His eyes darkened. “But I only need to hit one of you to leave the other two for them,” he added, gesturing to Jace and Izzy. “I think you’ll find my odds are much better than you might think.”
It was the work of an instant to draw his bow back and fire, all three arrows striking the Circle members in their chests, sending them crashing to their knees. None of them were lethal blows, but the danger was gone. Both Jace and Izzy had them ready for transport to their holding cells in a matter of seconds.
Izzy let her whip curl around her wrist again and looked at her brother, rolling her eyes. “Show off.”
Alec grinned and winked at her before turning to hurry back over to the warlock family standing behind Clary. “Hey, is everyone all right?”
“Yes, thanks to you and your team, Shadowhunter.”
Alec held out his hand and smiled. “Alec Lightwood, Head of the New York Institute. I’m glad we were able to-”
“Alexander!”
Alec looked up at Magnus’ frantic voice, the warlock having appeared, magic curling angrily around his hands.
“It’s all right Magnus,” one of the warlocks called. “We’re quite all right, thanks to your shadowhunter, here.”
“Nathaniel,” Magnus said, exhaling hard, relaxing as he approached Alec. “Are you all right? Is everything okay?”
“Magnus,” Alec interrupted. “There was a warlock helping the Circle members. I think he’s still incapacitated on the roof, I need you to-” In a flash, Magnus was stepping through a portal, angry red sparks flaring around his hands. “Right,” he finished, giving the family a sheepish grin.
Nathaniel studied the young man in front of him, and the numerous bodies with arrows in them around the battlefield. “You meant what you said.”
Alec tilted his head. “In regards to…?”
“You consider us under your protection. Outside the Accords.”
Alec stared at him, solemn, knowing the weight of those words, and his willingness to back them up with actions. “I do. I know not all Shadowhunters share my views yet. But any warlock under Magnus’ protection? Is also under mine.”
Nathaniel gave a considering hum. “You saved us tonight. I owe you a debt.”
A hint of a smile showed up on Alec’s face. “Thank you. No debt is required. Though, I’m sure if you offered, Magnus could find something he would enjoy as satisfaction.” Defaulting the perceived debt to Magnus was perhaps cheating, but he knew that it would make Nathaniel much more comfortable. And based on the immediate relaxation in his shoulders, he was right.
“Thank you, again.”
When Magnus appeared a moment later through a portal, dragging the other warlock with him, over to the other Circle members, Alec let the last of the tension fall out of his shoulders. Afterward, a portal into the Institute, and a portal home for Nathaniel and his family, Magnus turned to him with raised eyebrows. Alec looked back at him.
Magnus shook his head and smiled. “You never cease to amaze me, Alexander.”
Alec glowed with the praise, grinning back at Magnus. “I try.”
“Mmm, well. Taking out a warlock on your own, then killing two Circle members, and injuring another three? I’d say it was overkill, but it appears very well deserved,” Magnus said, reaching out to brush dust off Alec’s shirt. “Is it enough to take the rest of the night?”
Alec grinned. “I think it just might be.”
Magnus’ answering smile was blinding.