Chapter One

Magnus was frowning- I knew that much. Over my shoulder I could see how his eyebrows turned downward, probably with irritation at me.

"Alexander, why, why must you get yourself into these situations? And not calling me immediately... You let the poison fester! Do you not understand how much harder it is to cure when you let it sink into your system?" He carefully sent another spell at my shoulder. I had been out scouting with Isabelle when the demon had gotten it's claws into me.

"I just didn't want to bug you..." I mumbled, letting my sentence trail off as Magnus glared at me. "Would you have waited if Isabelle was hurt?" He demanded.

"No but thats-" His eyes narrowed.

"It's exactly the same, Alexander. Why you hold yourself at so little importance is beyond me, but I would hope that by now you would at least tell me; at least realize that your welfare is important to me."

I snorted.

"My welfare? That's what's important to you? You sound like a nurse, not a..." Once again, I found myself unable to finish.

"The word is boyfriend, Alec. I'd think that by now you could say it aloud." My blood started to boil. "I'm just getting used to this! I'm trying, alright? You know how I feel." My glare turned imploring as I muttered the last few words.

"Do I? Really? A few kisses, a few mumbled words?" I froze and turned to face him fully, my blood going from warm to ice cold in an instant.

"You damn well know that a kisses and a muttered word means a thousand things to me. Why can't you accept that I'm not prepared to be the type of all-out gushing boyfriend that your obviously used to, Magnus?" My voice was strained.

"Used to, am I? You don't know anything! Your just like... Your just like..." This time, it was Magnus who couldn't finish. But I didn't care, I'd heard enough.

"That's right Magnus. I'm just like all the others, all the other boys and girls who were too young to know anything about the Great Warlock Bane." I bolted up, wincing as my shoulder flexed in pain. "Alec, wait. Your shoulder-" I cut him off.

"Can be fixed by someone other then you, Magnus Bane. Have a nice night." I grabbed my jacket and left, disappearing into the cold winter night.