Chapter Text
“Alexander! Move your left hand up, yes… that’s right. That is how you do it, understand? Don’t twist your wrist… good. Let’s see if you can actually implement that in real life! Go with Jonathan and get rid of the demons. Stephen will accompany you!” Valentine said. “If you fail to complete this, you know the punishment.”
The two boys ran from the room, followed by Stephen Herondale. It wasn’t the first time they were sent to kill a demon, but it was the first time an adult wasn’t allowed to intervene. They accomplished it almost – the blonde one scouting while the dark-haired one did most of the killing.
“Boys! I hear that you didn’t kill all the demons yourself!” Valentine told the boys in a deceptively soft tone. They recognized the danger immediately. “Which one of you is to blame?”
“I am. I was supposed to scout, and I must have missed some of them!” the dark-haired one said, lowering his head. The blonde one started at his lie but accepted what he said, without question.
“Well then Alexander. Looks like you will get punished anyways.”
The blonde boy woke with a start, stifling his screams at what was to come. ‘It’s just a nightmare!’ he repeated to himself, over and over. ‘Nothing is happening to Xan. Nothing. He is safe from Valentine, perfectly safe.’ He calmed only fractionally, before sleep dragged him back into its embrace. In his dreams, he felt a calming sensation from a bond that he didn’t know existed. And with it came the memories.
At the same time, the dark-haired boy woke, stretching his aching back, displaying jet-black wings. ‘John is fine. Just a nightmare. He’s alive and fine and he can’t feel me through the bond!’ he didn’t fall asleep unlike the blonde, but went to get himself some food, sending calming waves through the bond. He sighed when he was only greeted by silence from the other side. He bided his time, and as dawn approached the wings retracted into his back.