Chapter Five

"Y-you're a sky?"

Skull jerked away as the baby decimo reached for his hand, feeling panic and terror race through his being. He'd managed, for over two decades to hide his sky flames from the world, terrified of being caged to one famiglia or another. He didn't want to lead again, not when all it ever led to was pain.

No.

He refused to be forced back into his mold, back into the perfect soldier mold.

No.

No.

NO!

His flames burned brighter, stronger, lips curled into a vicious snarl as he felt the beginnings of a cloud rage beginning to over take him. Distantly, he heard Reborn curse and yell for the child to get back, but the little decimo was stubborn, his gaze still warm.

"Sh, its okay, Skull. No one wants to cage you. You're fine. Everything is fine."

Lies.

All they'd ever wanted to was cage him, lock him into the role they'd set for him.

He wouldn't go back to that!

He was free!

"Sh," The younger sky cooed, his gaze still gentle but his presence was commanding, comforting. "No one will force you back. We won't let them. You're safe."

Safe…

He...was...safe.

Protect-

They would protect him.

Caracassa.

Odako.

Colonello.

Lal.

Mammon.

Verde.

Reborn.

He was safe.

He was-

Darkness crept in on him, and he looked into that inviting gaze, seeing the promise, the steel, as oblivion dragged him under.

Safe.

Secure, he felt the last vestiges of rage leave him and allowed himself to fall. As he slipped away, he felt strong arms catch him.

Yes, they would protect him.

*/*

He'd known something was wrong as soon as the man in the fedora had pointed his gun at Jace.

After all, no matter who he was, what mask he hid behind, there was no part of Alexander that would stand for a threat against his family, especially his parabatai.

He'd watched the shock that overcame the group his former lover had surrounded himself with as he'd snapped at the man, watched as purple flames sparked at the finger-tips of his nephilim, bright orange intertwined with them.

Magic.

Or so he'd thought, until the young fluffy haired child had drawn Alexander's attention to the flames.

Until those violet eyes had filled with unrestrained panic and rage, their owner snarling as if caged by something only he could see.

The gun-wielding mundane had yelled at the child, as if Alexander would attack the boy, but the child had only talked to him, whispering words that made Magnus' heart ache.

No one will send you back.

You're safe.

Each statement had soothed that rage, that panic and then the flames were gone, Alec falling forward into the arms of the braided man, Fon, unconscious.

"What just happened?" Izzy asked, her voice wavering and the boy, the one Alec had called Decimo (tenth, what?), turned to her, his kind expression hardening into something so much older than it had any right to be.

"I understand that Skull's...absence has been tough on all of you. However, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down. Reborn," He turned to the fedora man, who raised an eyebrow, "You antagonising Skull's family isn't helping."

'Reborn' narrowed his gaze at the teen, who stared back evenly. Then, with a glint of pride in his eyes, he nodded.

Returning the gesture with one of his own, he turned to Fon, who pulled Alexander's limp form closer.

"The Shadow world consists of all the things that would be considered fairytales by normal humans. Skull, and myself, are part of a race called Nephilim. Humans with angel blood. While Bane-san, I believe, is a warlock. A child born of the union between the Fallen and a human woman."

Magnus nodded, his brow rising at the lack of the use of the word Demon by the younger man. The teen nodded, then frowned at them.

"And Skull? You said it's been over twenty two years since you'd seen him?"

Jace pursed his lips. "He was exiled. Treason, heresy, and homosexuality." His eyes flashed with the barely restrained rage that he'd been holding back since Izzy had broken the news to them all those years ago. "They barely gave him a chance to say goodbye to us."

Reborn scowled. "Homosexuality isn't a crime." He sneered and Isabelle nodded in agreement, but it was Magnus who responded.

"At the time, Nephilim were not producing as many children with active angel blood as they had in the past. The Clave outlawed any relationship that didn't have the potential to result in heirs. As the heir to his family, Alexander was tasked with carrying on his family name. Add in the fact that nephilim were not allowed to have serious relations with non-nephilim and you have Alexander's resulting exile."

Decimo's eyes widened in horror as did those of the majority of Alexander's new friends.

"They caged him." The child whispered in horror and Reborn bared his teeth in anger.

Clary frowned. "Caged? Alec wasn't caged."

Fon pursed his lips, his previous calm visibly shaken as he laid the unconscious man in his arms down on the sofa. To Magnus' surprise, his former lover, who had always been a light sleeper, didn't so much as stir.

"To you, Skull wasn't caged. But by restricting his freedom to love, placing that amount of responsibility on one so young, the Clave essentially trapped him." His brow furrowed. "However, If Skull is truly Alexander Lightwood, that begs the question, why he looked so young when we met him. To my knowledge, the eldest Lightwood was in his mid twenties, yet Skull looked to be 20 or 21 at the most."

Magnus frowned, but it was Alexander himself that answered, sitting up on the sofa. No one had even seen him wake.

"It's the same reason I'm still alive. My cells are continuously propagating, and have been since I awakened my flames. I haven't aged since the day they've awakened."

Reborn moved to the younger man's side, his hands glowing bright yellow in a fashion similar to Alexander's. It was only the vague annoyance in Alec's eyes that kept Magnus from using his magic to shield his former lover. Instead, he watched the younger push reborn away.

"I'm fine."

Jace snorted.

Isabelle rolled her eyes.

The Arcobaleno sighed.

But it was the fedora-wearing man who voiced their thoughts. "Shut up, Lackey."

Alec heaved a put upon sigh. "I just said my cells propagate continuously, and I wasn't injured. I'm. Fine."

"Alexander-"

His love flinched subtly, and Magnus could see Reborn's hackles rising, something possessive and protective in the dark-haired man's onyx eyes. Almost hesitantly, Alec looked up at him, apprehension and longing in his eyes as well as a deep pain he tried to keep hidden.

Before he could continue what he was going to say, his phone rang. He bit back a sigh of annoyance, knowing who it was without looking. After all, they'd been supposed to return over an hour ago.

"Maryse." He greeted calmly and Alec paled, curling in on himself more.

"Magnus," She replied, something desperate and frantic hidden in her voice. "I haven't been able to find Isabelle or Jace, and neither is answering their phone. Please tell me they're with you. Max has been losing it since he woke up and to find them gone."

His heart clenched. She hadn't taken Alexander's banishment well, especially since her and Robert had divorced shortly after. In the time he'd been gone, she'd come a long way from the woman she had been, and had even confided in him that she regretted losing Alec more than anything. That she regretted allowing him to be exiled.

"They're here. We ran into ...an old friend of mine and got caught up."

He could almost see her visibly calming herself at the words. "I see. Well, Lady Hibari has established a meeting with the downworlder leaders here and she wants us all present for it. It begins in an hour. Being a member of the original council she would like to garner some input on the differences between our council and theirs."

Nodding the warlock glanced over to find Alexander watching them, even as Reborn spoke to him, and he made a snap decision.

"Would a friend of mine be allowed to attend as well?"

"Of course."

"We'll be there. See you in an hour."

Closing the phone he turned back to the group in front of him. "Perhaps we can all meet another time. I would love to learn more about your- flames. However, we," He gestured to his shadowhunters and Simon, "have a meeting in an hour."

Reborn glanced at his watch then smirked. "Actually, so does Dame-tsuna." Decimo blinked in confusion.

"Nono said he'd wouldn't be here until noon, its only- 11:49! HIEEEEE!" He shrieked racing upstairs with quick goodbye. The rest of his group shared similarly panicked glances and raced from the room while Alexander blinked rapidly and glanced at his own watch then at Reborn.

"Senpai."

"Yes, Lackey?"

"It's only 11:15."

The man smirked, whacking the younger man with his gun- where did he keep getting the damn thing? Alec didn't even flinch, just pouted slightly.

Somehow, Magnus could tell that his Alexander had changed alot since they'd last been together. And, as he extended the invitation to his love to attend the meeting at the institute, one that the younger then extended to Reborn and Fon, and a few others that had yet to be named, he found himself wanting to learn them all. Learn what had changed and what had stayed the same.

But first.

First he had to figure out how to talk to his love alone.

TBC...