Chapter Text
Alec and Magnus had been living in Alicante for a year, savoring the rhythms of married life whenever their busy schedules allowed. Alec’s days were consumed with Inquisitor duties and the ongoing reform of the Clave; Magnus, equally occupied as High Warlock, balanced his own responsibilities while keeping the magical community in check. Time together was scarce, but every moment was precious. Their family life had stabilized as well, especially since Clary had returned a few weeks ago, and regular contact with friends and loved ones reminded them that they were never truly alone.
While Alec was in New York on Clave business, he seized a rare opportunity to have dinner with his mother and sister. Just the three of them, as the rest of the family was engaged in other duties, the evening took on an intimate warmth. Maryse had recently visited Max and eagerly shared updates on her youngest son’s progress. Most other conversation revolved around mundane matters: work, and the small victories and annoyances of their respective lives and partners.
During dessert, Isabelle’s phone chimed sharply.
“By the angel!” she exclaimed, reading the alert.
“What is it?” Alec asked, concern threading his voice.
"It seems New York has suddenly been swarmed by vampires attacking mundanes at random. There have been several deaths reported already. And, of course, this has to happen while Jace is off duty and out of town with Clary.", Isabelle explained grimly.
“If you need me, I can help,” Alec offered immediately, a familiar resolve sharpening his tone.
“Are you sure?” Isabelle asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes. I haven’t been in the field for a while… and I miss it,” Alec admitted, a spark of eagerness behind the professional demeanor.
“Alright,” his sister agreed, a small smile tugging at her lips.
While Isabelle began contacting Simon to assess rumors, Alec called Magnus to explain the situation.
“I’ll be late tonight,” he said.
Magnus’s voice carried steady reassurance. “If Izzy needs you, you have to be there. Just… come back to me safely.”
“I will. I love you, and I’ll see you later,” Alec said softly.
“I love you, too.”
Maryse hugged her children tightly as she said goodbye.
“I know I don’t need to say this, but I will anyway: Please take care of yourselves.”
Alec and Isabelle promised they would. Afterward, they returned to the Institute, trading casual attire for mission gear. Alec had left a spare set in New York precisely for moments like this. They had already been armed – a Shadowhunter was rarely going out without weapons – so they didn’t need to bother with that, but they had to meet with the team and plan the mission.
Alec was paired with Underhill, heading to Park Slope, the site of the most recent attack. What they found was worse than either had anticipated: an entire family brutally slaughtered—grandparents, parents, four children, the youngest barely a baby. Silence fell, heavy and grim, as they scanned the scene for clues. The devastation weighed on Alec’s mind, yet beneath the grief and duty, a lingering sense of being watched prickled at him. He could see no one, yet instinct screamed that they were not alone.
While searching the backyard for further clues, Alec finally spoke to his temporary partner, breaking the oppressive quiet.
“So… you and Lorenzo Rey. I didn’t see that coming. But it seems to work.”
“It does. And I know he hasn’t always been easy for you,” Underhill admitted. “But now he’s Magnus’s ally, and yours as well. We work well together. I love him, and he loves me.”
Alec smiled quietly, recalling the backlash he himself had faced in loving Magnus. How could he judge another for the same?
“I wish you both the best, Andrew,” he said, using his partner’s first name for the first time.
“Thank you, Alec,” Underhill replied, a brief warmth passing through his eyes.
Then chaos erupted. A portal opened, spilling at least eight vampires into the yard, faces twisted with rage, fangs glinting, clothing smeared with blood. Alec and Underhill immediately fell back-to-back, weapons ready.
“I had a feeling we were being watched,” Alec muttered through gritted teeth, angry at himself for not paying more attention.
“Oh, such a clever Shadowhunter. It seems Magnus didn’t pick you just for your looks. Shame you’re about to be far less pretty with a few bite marks, darling,” a female voice said behind Alec — a voice he knew all too well.
"You should have trusted your gut. But, on the other hand, it wouldn't have mattered. I would have got to you anyway. But I wanted to thank you for saving me the trouble of going to Alicante. It would have been much harder to snatch you away under Magnus's watchful eyes.”, she continued, glancing at the vampires she had summoned.
Alec’s chest tightened. “Camille! Why aren’t you in the Gard?”
“Little boy toy,” Camille said, her smile devilish, “the prison that can hold me hasn’t been invented yet.” She turned to the other vampires.
"I want him alive," she ordered, pointing at Alec. “Do with the other what you like."
Back in Alicante, Magnus was sitting at his desk writing out an order for some specific plants that he needed to make a potion that a client had requested, when he was interrupted by a knock on the door. He got up and approached the door cautiously, sensing that the presence behind it was not well-intentioned. When he opened the door, he was face-to-face with a vampire.
“Delivery for Magnus Bane,” the young woman announced, dropping a small box into his hands. He wanted to hold her back but was unable to stop her as she jumped into a portal that had just opened behind her.
He closed the door and took the box to his desk, scanning it with his powers before opening it. Inside, he found a small scroll, and beneath that, an object he knew well, as he wore its twin on his left ring finger. His heart stopped for a beat. It was Alec’s wedding ring – with several bloody spots on the surface.
“No, no,” Magnus gasped, having to sit down before unrolling the scroll. He recognised the handwriting on it immediately.
“Come to New York if you want to see your husband alive. Come alone or I will kill him on the spot. Yours truly, Camille.”, it read. Beneath that was an address in Chelsea.
Only when a sharp sting shot through his palm and blood began to drip onto the carpet Magnus realized he had clenched the ring in his hand so tightly that his fingernails had pierced his skin. He forced himself to loosen his grip, staring at the crimson stains now smudged across Camille's elegant handwriting on the scroll.
He was still recovering from the shock when his phone rang. At first, he didn’t want to answer, but then he saw that it was Isabelle calling.
"Magnus!" his sister-in-law called out as soon as he picked up. "There was an attack by vampires on Alec and Underhill! Underhill is badly injured, but Alec gone!”
"I know," Magnus replied grimly. "Care to tell me why Camille isn't in the Gard? It seems she is behind this."
"One moment."
Magnus could hear Isabelle typing on a computer. Several moments later, she returned.
"It was only recently discovered that Camille managed to escape amid all the chaos surrounding the reawakened Valentine. She encantoed some wards to remove her files from the computers. They have regained their memory merely days ago. Damn, why didn’t these idiots of the Gard inform us immediately?”
"I'm coming to New York," Magnus answered, his voice quiet but lethal, before ending the call.