An Unexpected Miracle

Chapter 12: Deja Vu

Isabelle, Maryse, Jace, and Robert were all seated in the living room of the institute, discussing their predicament in hushed tones. They were interrupted, however, by a very flustered-looking Buddy, who stormed into the room with a panicked expression.

"What's going on? Who let you in?" Maryse asked, standing from the couch.

"Clary let me in. Something's wrong." Buddy said, panting slightly; he had obviously run a fair distance.

"What is it?" Isabelle asked.

"Elfred's missing. Do you know where Alec is?" Buddy asked.

"He's in his room..." Isabelle said, realizing what Buddy was implying, and getting up to check on him. She returned a moment later with and identical expression as Buddy's.

"He's not there." Buddy sighed. It wasn't a question.

"What does this mean? You think the Seelie Queen stole them back?" Jace asked.

"Maybe...Or they may have gone voluntarily..." Buddy suggested. No one in the room knew which of the two they would prefer.

"What do we do now?" Maryse asked.

"The only thing we can do: get in there and see for ourselves what is going on."

MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC.

Magnus zoned out of the dramatic speech that the Seelie queen was giving to process the information. It was a boy. Alec and he were having a son. He wrapped his arms around his stomach, and bowed his head. That thought made him want to break down: Alec may never meet his son. God, how he hated the Seelie Queen. If he were let go after this was over, nothing would ever be the same. He knew that he rather die than go back into the 'real world' and pretend that none of this had happened.

Magnus looked up slowly as he realized that all had gone silent in the room. He looked up to see the Seelie Queen staring open-mouthed at the door across the room. He glanced over and was surprised to see Elfred standing there. What the hell was he doing? He was in exile; he knew that to come back would be fatal.

"Elfred..." The Seelie Queen gasped out in shock. Magnus saw something that he had never seen before in her expression...he couldn't quite place it.

Elfred smiled, without kindness behind it. "Good day, Mother."

MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC MALEC.

Buddy led the way to the entrance to the fae's realm, he stopped suddenly after spotting a figure sitting on the side of the pool in the moonlight. The figure looked up at them through the short, dark veil of its hair.

"Alec? What are you doing here?" Isabelle asked, stepping towards her brother.

"I-I'm sorry, Buddy...Elfred said that you would be mad if you knew what he was doing...I would have told you, but...I need Magnus back." Alec confessed. Buddy knelt in front of the boy and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not mad, Alec, just please tell me what Elfred is doing."

"He-he said that he had a p-plan for how to save Magnus, and he said that it was the only way, so I agreed to let him do it..."

"Alright, but what does this plan involve?" Buddy prodded.

"He didn't say, he only said that you would not be happy if you found out that he was doing..." Buddy nodded and stood, turning back to the Shadowhunters.

"I will go in after him. If Magnus is let out, please just take him home. Don't wait up for us..." Buddy turned, and without waiting for a reply, walked into the water, and into the fae's domain.