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“I don’t like this,” Catarina grumbles with her arms crossed, staring into Lorenzo’s back. She watches as the warlock continues to place the last black candle in its spot on the circle he’d drawn in white chalk, ignoring her comment. When she’d received a fire message earlier that morning, she raced over, worried something had happened with Briar. Instead, she found the warlock sitting in his parlour surrounded by ritual ingredients and his face in an old and worn spellbook.
“I’m aware,” he says dismissively, then he turns around and faces Catarina with a determined look on his face. “You’ve made your thoughts on this ritual very clear Cat”
“Because it goes against everything the elders have taught us, Lorenzo!” Catarina stands chest to chest with Lorenzo, her blue skin appearing from underneath her glamour. “Time travel is dark magic Lorenzo, the smallest change could have huge consequences down the time, there’s a reason the elders have banned it!”
“I’m aware”
“So why take the risk?” She sighs and pulls the man from through the carefully drawn circle. “Help me understand why you want to go back in time and talk Alexander out of visiting that institute?!”
“Tell me Magnus isn’t worth it. Tell me you wouldn’t do anything to see a smile on that old warlock’s face again.” He spins on his heel and stands back in the middle of the circle and conjures a lighter into his hand. “Tell me Cat, that you wouldn’t do anything to see your friend do anything other than to drink himself into a stupor every night so he won’t dream of his dead husband’s face again!”
Alec’s death was a shock to everyone.
Alec didn’t die in battle fighting for something he believed in or saving someone’s life. Nor did he die an old man with wrinkled skin, grey hair in his husband’s arms. Alec died alone, at an institute poisoned by another shadowhunter.
Despite all the steps Alec had made with the downworld, there were still some shadowhunters and downworlders who didn’t agree with his views. But he paid no mind to their glares or the things they’d whisper under their breath as he walked by. Apparently, at this institute, all the shadowhunters had been kind and welcoming with handshakes, hugs, and warm smiles, which led to Alec letting his guard down that night. He’d accepted a drink from a shadowhunter, but not long after retiring to his room saying he was tired. Half and hour later chaos would ensue, shadowhunters would be seen racing to the guest quarters and a portal from the New York Institute would open with Jace falling through it with tears in his eyes a hand on where his parabatai rune should be, a blade in his other hand and Magnus behind him with sparking red magic surrounding him. Magnus would try everything, putting every ounce of magic he had into Alec to save him, but it would be no use. Alec Lightwood had murdered.
Lorenzo had never seen such a large funeral, and he’d been too many in his long life. Downworlders and shadowhunters from institutes from many countries came to pay their respects to the fallen shadowhunter. Magnus was distraught but kept a stiff upper lip as he held a sobbing Isabelle and haunted-looking Jace. After the funeral, Magnus disappeared. He locked himself in their home and strengthened his wards so no one could enter. He ignored phone calls, text messages, and even fire messages. Magnus threw himself into his work, taking client after client and even taking on shadier clients he normally wouldn’t have. Lorenzo and his other friends left Magnus alone, letting him grieve in his own way, figuring he’d come to them if he needed them.
But he never did.
Instead, over a year later, when he emerged from his home, he was different. He was cold, with dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, his skin paler from lack of sunlight. He was thinner than usual and he’d completely changed his appearance. His hair was longer, now hitting the top of his shoulders. He wore no makeup, and his wardrobe contained no colour. Lorenzo thought he looked like Asmodeus.
Before Catarina can reply, another portal opens into the parlour. Lorenzo whips his head towards the portal and glares back at Catarina when he sees the woman who walks through.
“Did you really tell my daughter?”
She shrugs “I figured if anyone could talk you out of something stupid, it would be Briar”
“And I’m glad she did” Briar marches into the parlour and tosses her jacket over the back of the couch. She stands in front of her father, crossing her arms over her chest with a frown on her face. “Time travel, dad, are you insane?!”
“It’s not like I haven’t done it before,” Lorenzo says, gesturing towards the crystal ball across the room.
“That’s different dad, you went back to collect memories of Papa.” Briar takes Lorenzo’s hand in hers and squeezes them. “What you’re suggesting is changing the past! It’s dangerous and against so many rules—”
“He found a spell!” Lorenzo blurts. “Magnus found a ritual that could make Alec semi-immortal; their souls would be bound..” He clears his throat, trying to hold tears back but fails and quickly wipes them from his cheeks. “And if he’d said yes, then maybe Andrew..”
Briar’s face softens.
“Dad”
Briar wraps her arms around Lorenzo, pulling him in for a tight hug. He buries his face in Briar’s neck and cries.
Unlike Alec, Underhill had died a peaceful death. He died of old age, wrapped in Lorenzo's arms with a kiss to his lips just as he took his last breath. Unlike Magnus, who seemed to do everything he could to push the memories of his husband from his head, Lorenzo did everything he could to keep Underhill alive in his memories. Andrew’s clothing still hung in the closet. His stele was now in a locked glass case Lorenzo kept in his office. Photographs of the two of them and Briar covered the walls and on a table was a crystal ball where he kept his favourite memories.
Through a ritual and some complicated dark magic, Lorenzo took his fondest memories and kept them in the crystal ball so he could go back and relive them. Lorenzo had never been a sentimental person, but Andrew changed him. Andrew softened him in a way no one had before. Briar was a good example of that. He’d never been interested in having children before and had never thought about raising an orphaned warlock. But then one night Alec summoned him to the New York Institute for an abandoned warlock baby. He had no intention of keeping her. Lorenzo knew a couple who wanted a child of their own, but the moment he saw Andrew with the young warlock in his arms, Lorenzo knew the baby was theirs. That was his favourite memory along with their wedding, vacations they took and many evenings of the two of them that most people would call boring, but Lorenzo treasured them.
“I miss him too,” Briar whispers in Lorenzo’s ear. “I miss his hugs, I even miss his awful cooking”
Lorenzo chuckles, memories of eating burnt food for the man he loved flutter to the surface.
Briar pulls back and squeezes her father’s hands. “Is there any way we can talk you out of this?”
“No,” he says firmly. “I have to try. I’ve given Magnus a hard time in the past, but the shadow world needs Magnus Bane”
Briar nods and wipes the tears that have fallen from her eyes, then looks over her shoulder at Catarina who sighs.
“Then we’ll help you,” Catarina says with a sigh
For the next half an hour, the three warlocks busy themselves preparing the ritual. Dressing the candles in herbs and oils, drawing protection sigils and perfecting the circle to keep everyone safe with such a dangerous ritual. When they’re done, Lorenzo grabs a handful of herbs and stands in the middle of the circle, looking at his daughter and friend.
“You’re going to make it back, dad!”
Lorenzo smiles softly and nods. He takes a deep breath and with his hand not holding the herbs; he takes the folded piece of paper in his jacket pocket with a spell written in another language written on it. He clears his throat and slowly repeats the words written, then he throws the herbs down in front of him and shuts his eyes. For a moment it’s quiet and nothing happens, but seconds later he feels a clench in his belly and the floor opens up beneath him in a pool of dark reds and oranges as he’s falling. It feels like he’s falling forever, but then, much like a normal portal, it opens to the New York Institute’s grounds. It looks much like he remembers. The same trees cover the grounds, the same old stone and brick, and he can feel the magic of Magnus’s wards on the building.
He walks up the steps and knocks on the large doors. A lone shadowhunter opens the door and waves him in, recognizing him as Lorenzo’s boyfriend.
“Andrew is in a meeting at the moment, sir, but I can tell him you’re he—”
“That won’t be necessary.” Lorenzo interrupts. I’ll wait for him in his room and be sure not to tell him it’s a surprise”
The shadowhunter nods and leaves.
Lorenzo rolls his eyes at the shadowhunter’s easy trust but makes his way to the offices. Shadowhunters pass him and either nod acknowledgement or ignore him completely, which suits him just fine, especially if he’s trying to be subtle. He quickly finds Alec’s office and knocks on the door. When he hears Alec’s familiar voice on the other side, he takes a deep breath and opens the door.
Lorenzo tries to mask his surprise when he opens the door, and he sees a young Alec Lightwood, all bright-eyed and full of so much hope with no idea of his fate in a few short days. His gold wedding band reflects in the light, making Lorenzo’s chest tighten as he remembers Magnus pulling the band off his dead husband’s finger and wearing it on a chain he still wears to this day.
“Mr. Rey, I don’t remember scheduling a meeting with you?”
He clears his throat, shaking the memories from his brain. “Oh no, we didn’t schedule one. I hope I’m not intruding, but this is a..personal matter”
Alec squints his eyes at him and for a moment Lorenzo thinks he’ll be sent on his way. But Alec opens the door and waves him in, shutting the door firmly behind them. The office looks the same as he remembers, the same stained glass window with the angel large behind Alec as he sits. Pictures of Magnus and the daughter they recently adopted Celeste line his desk along with a stack of work he was no doubt working on.
“So Lorenzo, what can I do for you?”
Lorenzo sits and takes a deep breath before he speaks. He knows he must be careful with words, not revealing too much or making Alec suspicious while warning him enough, so he’ll cancel his visit and live.
“If I remember correctly, you’re appearing at an institute in the next few days?”
Alec nods. “Yes, Providence. They’ve elected a new head, and she wants my help to get him acquainted with their local downworlders”
“Providence, is that wise?”
Alec leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest and gives Lorenzo a once over.
“Why wouldn’t it be wise?”
“Oh” Lorenzo’s eyes widen and he swallows slowly “I’ve just of some resistance over there and I worry for your safety”
Alec hums gently. Lorenzo watches as the shadowhunter runs the fingers of his right hand over his desk and suddenly shackles appear from the legs of the chair he’s sitting on and wrap around ankles, binding him to the chair. They must be magical shackles because he feels weaker, his magic dampened and unreachable for him to use.
“Alec!” Lorenzo pulls at the binds around his ankles, attempting to wiggle himself free and pushes to reach his magic, but it’s of no use. “Alec, please,” he pleads, watching the shadowhunter get up from his chair and circle the desk until he’s in front of the warlock. “What is the meaning of this? It’s me Lorenzo Rey unbind me!”
Alec steps forward, his shoulders square looking very much the soldier and imposing figure he is. He leans over and pins Lorenzo’s wrist to the arms of the chair with his calloused hands and squeezes tightly. He leans his body forward until his face is inches from Lorenzo’s own.
“I’m not unbinding you until you tell me exactly who you are and what you have done with the real High Warlock Lorenzo Rey”
“I am the real Lorenzo. Who else would I be, Alec?”
Alec steps back and leans himself against his desk with his arms crossed over his chest and his lip upturned.
“You know my husband Magnus Bane.” The way Alec emphasises Bane would make any demon or shapeshifter terrified and if Lorenzo is honest with himself for the first time, he feels nervous around the shadowhunter. “When we married and even before we married, he worried about me becoming a target, so he installed special wards on my office and spelled my ring that would alert me of any dark, demonic or nefarious magic”
Lorenzo winces. Somehow, throughout all his careful planning, he’d forgotten about Magnus and how protective he’d been of the shadowhunter. Of course, he’d have special wards and spelled Alec’s wedding ring to keep him safe.
“It’s me, Alec,” he pleads. “This isn’t a trick!”
“Then why are the wards going off because of dark magic, Lorenzo, or whoever you are?! Explain that to me!” Alec stands up from the desk and walks around back to the chair. “Maybe I’ll just call Magnus now and he can sort this entire thing out”
“No!” Lorenzo exclaims, then sighs in defeat. “I’ll tell you but I don’t know if you’ll believe me”
Alec smirks and walks back around the desk and sits on it. “I’m married to Magnus Bane, former High Warlock of Brooklyn, son of Asmodeus. Not much surprises me anymore.”
“I am Lorenzo Rey,” He watches as Alec raises a thick brow and goes to interrupt him again “I’m just not your Lorenzo, I’m from the future, and I came back to help you.” Lorenzo sighs “Well, more like help you and Magnus”
“Magnus? What the hell does my husband have to do with any—”
“You’re going to die, Alec!” Lorenzo exclaims interrupting Alec “If you go city name tomorrow, you’re going to die, a shadowhunter betrays you and they’ll find you the next morning nearly dead on the floor and even with Magnus’s magic it’ll be too late”
Alec freezes and stares at the warlock wide-eyed “A shadowhunter..betrayed by one of my own”
Lorenzo nods “You’ve made great progress with the relationship between downworlders and shadowhunters Alec, but still there’s a few—”
“How do I know I can trust you?!” Alec exclaims, standing from the desk. “This could still be some awful trick”
“You were the first person Andrew told about our relationship. Andrew always starts later on Mondays because every Monday morning I portal us to a little cafe for breakfast. And you leave early on Fridays to have dinner with Magnus and despite clubs not being your scene, you go to Pandemonium a few times a month just to make your husband happy”
Alec’s breath stutters. Very few people would know about his and Andrew’s schedule.
“How..how is this possible?”
“A time travelling ritual it’s v–”
“Very dark magic,” Alec finishes “I know, Magnus says it’s forbidden”
Lorenzo shrugs
Alec smiles for the first time during their entire meeting. “Lorenzo Rey, saving a shadowhunter, I never thought I’d see the day.
Lorenzo groans. “Don’t tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold”
“You’re dating a shadowhunter. I think that reputation is gone,” Alec stands. “I’ll cancel my appearance tomorrow and figure out a way to let Ensley know of that shadowhunter.”
Lorenzo nods, then watches as Alec leans back and pushes at a piece of his desk and suddenly his ankles are no longer bound. The warlock groans and shakes out each leg one at a time.
“That ring on your finger. It’s what actually tipped me off first, the Lorenzo I know isn’t married yet.” He pauses and looks at the warlock with a soft expression. “Can I ask… is it, Andrew?”
Lorenzo rubs the rings he’d forgotten to take off before entering the portal with a soft smile. “Yes, I loved him very much”
“How will you get back?”
“A spell.” Lorenzo reaches into his pants pocket and takes out a small jar with a cork top inside. “I throw this to the ground and if I’ve done it correctly, I’ll be back in my timeline.”
Lorenzo stands and leaves the office with a shout of good luck from the shadowhunter. He easily slips through the institute again, nodding at the shadowhunters who greet him. Once he’s out of the institute and the coast is clear, he smashes the bottle to the ground and he’s engulfed in a cloud of purple smoke and feels the same clenching of his stomach that he’d felt when he came here.
***
“Magnus, get up. We need to pick up Celeste from her sleepover with Briar”
Magnus groans and winces at the light shining through his bedroom window. When he sits up and his eyes finally adjust to the bright bedroom, he slowly looks around their bedroom. A picture of him,
Alec and a small child with bright red ringlets sits on a dresser. His and Alec’s clothing litters the bedroom. It looks normal, all of his things are in their place, but something feels off..
“Magnus, if you’re not up I s..honey are you alright”
Magnus spins his head to the sound of his husband’s voice, the weirdness forgotten. He smiles gently at the shadowhunter standing before him in front of his robe and, hopefully, nothing else.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he waves Alec over and pulls him down for a gentle kiss “I just had a strange dream that’s all, it felt so real”
Alec hums and kisses him again. “You can tell me all about your dream over brunch with Lorenzo and Andrew, but first you need to get your butt into the shower. And if you’re lucky, I may join you.
“Now how can I refuse an offer like that”