Left For Dead [malec fanfiction] [complete]

Thirteen: Secrets and Lies

"Welcome to the City of Bones."

City of Bones. The name almost suited the place considering what surrounded the small group on the wall. It should've been named "City of Severed Heads" but Alec refrained from saying anything that could risk the lives of his group.

"I think they're speechless," Raphael chuckled. "They don't seem to be responding well to our hospitality."

"Give them time," the bald man said. He had made his way towards Alec, eyeing each one of them carefully. "You. What's your name?"

Alec didn't look up and didn't respond, which prompted the bald headed man to grab his hair and force his head back. He winced at the contact but still said nothing.

"How rude. I asked you what your name was. Normally people respond with their name or a pleasant 'fuck you!'" The man laughed and leaned in close to Alec's face. "I'm Valentine Morgenstern. I'm kind of a big deal around these parts. Have you heard of me before?"

The hand gripping his hair tightened and Alec grunted in pain. "No. No, I haven't. None of us have."

Beside him in the corner of his eye, he could see Magnus duck his head even lower than it already was, as if he was trying to divert Valentine's attention away from him.

Valentine looked over at Raphael. "Hear that? They've never heard of me before." He laughed as he returned his attention to Alec. "Where are you from? You must've came from a different community. Wandered off too far from the herd."

He seemed to think this was funny as he released Alec's hair from his grip. The eldest Lightwood shook out his head, still feeling the ghost of Valentine's fingers in his hair. "Our community was destroyed in a freak storm. We've been on the road ever since-"

"Oh yeah. That storm was something, huh? And which community are you talking about? My men have never come across another group of people from another community before," asked Valentine. He seemed to be genuinely interested in where they were from.

Isabelle spoke up. "Alicante. It's completely destroyed now and everyone is dead."

Valentine turned his attention to her. "Alicante? Never heard of it. Who was your leader?"

"We didn't have a leader. We had a council," Clary said. "Selected individuals who voted-"

"I know what a council is, young lady. But thank you for trying to explain it to me," Valentine said with a smile.

Clary grumbled something under her breath but Valentine didn't seem to hear her.

"Since you're all here, I'll lay down some ground rules. Things that will help keep you alive during your stay here in this humble little community." Valentine spun on his heel to face the wall behind him. "You will all be given a job to do. You will work from 8 am to 8 pm or vice versa. If you don't like the job given to you well that's just too bad because once it's given to you, there's no declining it. With me so far?"

The group said nothing, but what sounded like a laugh hidden under a cough came from Magnus. Alec failed to see what was so funny about this entire situation.

Valentine continued. "You will work everyday on a 12 hour shift unless you're a runner. You get back when you get back. All the other jobs have 12 hour shifts so you can be either on the day shift or night one. All depends."

At the mention of runners, Alec perked up. He knew he shouldn't have because this man and this place in general disgusted him, but if he was going to do a job here, he'd rather do something he was familiar with. "Do we get to pick our jobs?" He asked.