Alec gazed at his reflection in the mirror that stood before him, letting his eyes wander over the black garments of the Bayang Hitam’s attire that covered his body from head to toe. Amazed by how comfortable and light the fabric was, he understood now why the assassins had chosen this type of clothing. The pants and the matching tunic moved fluidly with his body without hindering his actions in any way and he could visualise himself moving freely from one rooftop to the next while on an undercover mission.
Alec snorted at the direction of his thoughts as he reached for the belt that would complete his outfit, atop of the half-height chest of drawers adjacent to the mirror. He had almost tied the belt around his waist when two strong arms encircled him from behind, embracing him with a warm and firm squeeze. Alec raised his head, his eyes flicked to meet Magnus' gaze in the mirror’s reflection. The assassin rested his chin on Alec’s right shoulder regarding his appearance with a mischievous smirk on his lips. Alec couldn’t ignore the hungry look lingering in the other man's eyes.
"I've always known that you would look, simply breathtaking in the Order's attire," Magnus whispered into his ear, so deep that it sent a shiver cascading down Alec's spine.
Alec arched a brow and turned within the cage of Magnus' muscular arms, noticing that the assassin had finished dressing for the tonight's ceremony. The only variation to Alec's appearance was the lack of knife that Magnus had attached to his belt and the amulet with the Order's insignia dangling around the assassin's neck.
Alec wasn't permitted to don a knife during tonight’s ceremony. He wasn't an active member, after all; He would simply be bound to the leader of the Bayang Hitam by the promise of the Cinta Kekal.
"So, does that mean you approve?" Alec asked with a low whisper, making his voice sound dark and husky. He knew exactly what effect it would have on Magnus and he wasn’t disappointed.
The assassin immediately pushed him backwards until Alec's back hit the cool surface of the mirror behind him. Alec just managed to draw in a breath before Magnus' lips were invading his. Hungrily, the assassin nibbled on his lower lip while slipping one leg between Alec's thighs, parting them and making room for himself.
Alec gasped against Magnus' mouth as the assassin rubbed his muscled thigh against his gradually swelling erection. The light fabric of the Order's garb did nothing to dampen the sensation. Fuck…
Alec placed his hands on the perky globes of Magnus' ass, drawing the assassin closer against him, seeking more friction. Within seconds the kiss turned exceeding, more passionate and Alec greedily started to suck on Magnus' bottom lip, rubbing their bodies against each other in emboldened sensual movements.
Alec felt feverish and dizzy, his heart was racing against his chest but he didn't care. A low moan escaped him when Magnus licked at his bottom lip. He parted his lips to grant Magnus greater access as their tongues twined together in a passionate and vehement dance.
All too soon the need for oxygen became rather essential and Magnus broke away, leaning his forehead against Alec's chest and breathing heavily. "Wow, shit ..."
"Yeah…" Alec uttered, also seeking to catch his breath. He glanced at the clock on the wall, cursing inwardly as he noticed that they only had fifteen minutes before the Order's solemn ritual was to begin. Damn it… That was certainly not enough time for them to seek some much-needed relief.
Alec leaned his head backwards, closing his eyes. He took another shaky breath while trying to quell the blazing fire whirling inside him. The prominent and almost painful throbbing between his legs made it difficult for him to think clearly.
"Why do you have to look so damn hot?" Magnus asked, then let out a tortured laugh.
Alec opened one eye to look down at his boyfriend. Magnus had turned his head up slightly so that Alec was able to see his face. The assassin had closed his eyes, his dark eyelashes spread like little fans over his flushed cheeks. His swollen lips were slightly parted and Alec thought that Magnus had never looked more irresistible than right now.
"If there’s anyone here who looks hot and sexy, it's you," Alec said, causing Magnus's cheeks to take on an even darker tone. Beautiful, Alec thought.
It was a rare occurrence that Magnus blushed, even when Alec was to compliment him. Alec enjoyed it all the more - instigating such a reaction. But, this also made it that more difficult to resist his wonderful boyfriend.
Alec inhaled slowly, trying to gather himself so as not to continue where they had left off a few moments ago, but he couldn't stop himself from taking a second look at the clock...
"Do you think we still have time for something quick?" Alec asked, not caring how desperate and needy he sounded.
Magnus shook his head without lifting it from the position against Alec's chest.
"As much as I would like to accept your proposal, it is out of the question to tear the Order's attire from your body. If I were to, I would certainly like to take my time and do it prop-"
Magnus fell silent when a knock echoed loudly through the room. The assassin straightened himself and ran his hands over his black tunic to smooth any creases before asking the interloper to enter, his voice flowing with authority.
Another shiver ran straight down Alec's spine. Shit… Oh, how he wished for nothing more right now than to hear Magnus' authoritative voice, but under other circumstances. He bit his lower lip and shook his head, trying to drive the erotic image that had popped into his head out of his mind. There would be time for that later…
Alec quickly withdrew himself from the mirror, ran his hands over the black tunic once to smooth it, and then stood beside Magnus with a neutral expression on his face.
The heavy wood door opened and Raphael entered. He bowed and promptly knelt on one knee in front of Magnus, his head bowed and eyes lowered.
"Everything is ready, Tuan."
Alec saw Magnus' shoulders tense, but the tightness vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. He knew that Magnus still found it uncomfortable to be addressed with the title his father had carried over the last thirty years.
"We'll be down in ten minutes," Magnus informed him.
Raphael nodded, rose from his humble position then glanced up briefly at Alec and back again at Magnus. The assassin's right eyebrow twitched briefly, but his face remained expressionless, not revealing what was going through his mind at that moment. Although Alec had an inkling as to what that might be, he pursed his lips tightly together to stop the smile that was insistently tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Without uttering another word, Raphael hurried from the room, closing the door behind himself. Magnus turned to Alec and held out his hand towards him, an amused grin on his lips.
"Let's get it over with it as quickly as possible, Alexander."
"As quickly as possible?" Alec asked, raising a questioning brow.
"I have something very important to do afterwards." Magnus coyly winked at him.
A knowing grin appeared on Alec's lips. He took Magnus' hand and let himself be lead out of the room.
***
Alec stood in the front row between the senior members of the Assassin Order, looking around in amazement.
The room was bathed only in dim but warm light, it didn't hide the room's actual capacity. Alec was sure it could easily accommodate a few hundred people. He had been surprised to learn that there was a room of such size within the Edom Duke's mansion, even more so when he found out how many assassins were part of the Order.
Over the past few days, numerous members had arrived. Consequently, all guest rooms in the huge manor were occupied. Officially, a rumour had been circulated - After the Duke’s complete recovery, he was now to hold a private memorial ceremony for his father, to which only privy guests were invited.
Alec kept his eyes on the members of the crowd that were settled around a small platform in multi circle rows when suddenly, a soft murmur passed among the people. The circle of assassins parted in front and on the opposite side from Alec, revealing Magnus standing there with his chin held high and a serious expression on his face, he stepped slowly into the centre of the circle. The gap closing instantly behind him.
Alec watched Magnus closely as the assassin stepped onto the platform and slowly turned around to look into each member's eyes. Alec guessed that Magnus was using his gift and found confirmation in the warm feeling when their eyes briefly met.
It was quite in the room and every single pair of eyes was on Magnus; everyone was waiting for him to start the ritual.
Minutes passed before Magnus gave Raphael a sign with a nod of his head. The other assassin stepped into the circle advancing slowly until he was standing in front of his leader and then knelt on one knee while presenting a dagger to Magnus in his open palms. Alec could see that it was decorated with silver ornaments.
Magnus accepted the knife without a word and drew the blade over his right palm. He folded his fingers into a fist and held it over his head, stretching it up into the air. The sleeve of his tunic slid down, revealing Magnus' forearm. Blood ran from his closed fist and down over his now exposed arm, leaving bloody red lines on the bare skin.
Alec heard Magnus taking a deep breath before speaking the oath, which would seal his position as leader of the Bayang Hitam. Unfortunately, Alec couldn't understand the exact words because Magnus was using the Order's language, an ancient tongue that was similar to Indonesian.
However, Magnus had translated the oath to him that morning so Alec would at least know what it was about. He had told him that with these words he would promise loyalty to the Order and its members, as well as, to follow all the rules representing the Bayang Hitam. Alec smiled at the memory of it. After all, Magnus had once broken the most important of the rules by revealing his identity to him and Jace. Still, nobody knew about that and it would remain so until they die.
Thanks to the promise that Alec and Magnus had given each other, he had been officially accepted into the Order, meaning that the transgression was no longer valid if it came back to him. As for Jace, the three of them had no other choice but to keep it a secret.
Alec pushed his thoughts about the conversation they had had this morning aside and continued to listen to Magnus' melodious words.
The oath also included a promise to lead the Order wisely and well-considered, that Magnus would fight and stand together with the Black Shadows against all the evil and darkness in the world and only give just punishment to those deserving.
A whisper suddenly spread through the crowd and Alec held his breath for a few seconds, unable to stop the hint of a smile emanating from his lips.
Magnus had told him that the actual oath verbatim would normally require him to vow to kill anyone who threatened the world's imbalance - but, Magnus had sort to change the wording. Although it still conveyed the message to stop all ill-doing, he had deliberately left out the actual word killing. By doing this, Magnus opened a back door for himself and other Order's members to be able to fulfil a mission without having to end a human being's life.
Magnus knew, though, that he wouldn't be able to prevent each one of Order's members from further killings. After all, they were assassins. But he had been desperately looking for a way to avoid ending human lives without having to turn his back on the Order or impose rules on the members that contradicted the real meaning behind the Order. By removing one single word, everyone in the Order could now decide for themselves how far they would want to go, as long as everyone could ensure that the missions were fulfilled according to the other Order's law.
Ultimately, the Bayang Hitam's tenet was to restore balance. It didn't say that killing people would be the only method to achieve their goals. Alec wasn't quite sure how Magnus would handle his future missions, but he trusted him to find a better way.
The only problem was, that the other Order's members had to accept the change to the oath, not merely the vast majority but their entirety.
Alec glanced to his left and then to his right, seeing varied expressions on the other assassin's faces. Some of which were shocked, some, just surprised but most were staring at Magnus with an unreadable countenance on their faces. Alec wasn't entirely sure whether it was a good or a bad sign.
Magnus had given his speech, standing on the platform with his hand still raised towards the ceiling. He looked around, waiting for the soft murmur to subsided. Alec felt the tension vibrate through his own body like a plucked bowstring on the verge of snapping. Minutes passed but no one present raised their voice.
A triumphant smile tugged at Magnus' lips and he nodded slightly when the collective silence gave him the approval he had hoped for. Alec let out a relieved sigh, having not expected it to be so easy.
Magnus threw a glance in his direction before speaking the last words, vowing that if he were ever to break his oath, the blades of the Bajang Hitam should end his life immediately. Alec swallowed hard when the room was plunged again into silence. As much as he would have liked Magnus to remove the last part of the oath, as well, he knew the assassin couldn't take that action.
Magnus lowered his arm and then slowly dropped to his knees. The blood on his right forearm had already begun to dry. He took off his tunic and passed it to Raphael, who was still next to him. Magnus' skin shimmered golden in the dim light, and Alec scanned the assassin's bare torso. Magnus had started the Order's martial arts training a few weeks ago, and even though he still hadn't regained his former strength, his defined muscles revealed that the hours of training had indeed been successful.
There was a movement to Alec's right and left when every Order's member reached for their knives. One by one each of them cut into their right palm and then separately stepped in front of Magnus, repeating the oath that Magnus had sworn a few moments earlier - a condensed version. Even though Alec didn't speak the Order's language, he was convinced that some of them now chose their words equally. He looked at Magnus and found the confirmation of his theory in the assassin's knowing smile.
After reciting the oath, each member ran his right blood-soaked thumb over Magnus' bare torso before making space for the next assassin and soon the leader's skin was covered with red stripes. Raphael was the last to perform this ritual and then he approached Alec, handing him the dagger that Magnus had used earlier.
Without hesitation, Alec grabbed it and cut into his right hand, following the same ritual. The cut burned hot and painfully, but Alec managed to not let the pain show. He dipped his thumb into his blood while bridging the few meters between himself and Magnus, then gently he rubbed his finger over the last clear area of skin on Magnus' chest, just above his heart. Their eyes met and Magnus covertly winked at him.
"Sayang," Alec finally began his oath in the Order's language. He was not allowed to use Magnus' real name during the ceremony. They had considered whether Alec should also address him with the official title, but they had decided against it. After all, Magnus was not his leader as he was for the other members, but his partner and lover.
Alec drew in a shaky breath before continuing to speak, as he switched back into English. As a passive member and unfamiliar with the Order's vernacular language, Alec was allowed to choose his own words in his mother language as long as they complied with the Order's rules.
"I accept you as leader of the Bayang Hitam and I promise you eternal allegiance. I will, as far as I can, respect and follow the rules and laws of the Order to which I am bound by our holy promise. I will not reveal the knowledge I have about the Black Shadows to anyone outside our ranks. If I were ever to break my oath or put the Order and its members in danger in any way, your blade shall judge me."
Alec fell silent and Magnus nodded and gave him a gentle smile, and Alec knew it was meant for more than just approval. The assassins' leader rose to his feet and Raphael handed him back his tunic, which Magnus slipped on again without removing the bloody streaks from his skin. Only then did he descend from the platform, thereby ending the ritual.
Alec wanted nothing more than to pull Magnus into his arms and kiss him, but until the ceremony was officially over, he had to hold himself back. Even though everyone in the Order knew that the two of them were together and gave each the promise of Cinta Kekal, it wasn't necessarily well-received if they were to display their love in the presence of the members. And to be frank, Alec wasn't sure if he could leave it at a kiss, so he just put his hand on Magnus's lower back.
Together, they turned around towards the members of the Order. Most of them had already gathered in several small groups and were talking quietly among themselves. As much as Alec would like to withdraw from the ceremony presently, the lengthy custom required that Magnus makes time for each of his assassins following the ritual; an exchange of a few words with each of them would be enough.
If Magnus accompanied him to ceremonies during the day and stood by his side with a smile on his face while Alec was receiving guests as King, their roles were reversed at night. In matters of the Order, Magnus was the head, and Alec stood by his side, reserved and smiling.
They were walking over to the third group when Alec's phone vibrated in his pocket. He placed his hand on Magnus' arm and bent down to him.
"I'll be right back," he whispered into the assassin's ear so that only he could hear him. Magnus raised his eyes and nodded in reply.
Alec excused himself to the other assassins with an apologetic expression and then made his way through the many small groups towards the exit. He could feel individual assassins' eyes on his back as he stepped through the large double door.
Alec had barely left the ceremony room as he broke into a run, his long legs taking him down the long dark hallway, he continued to sprint up the stairs taking them two at a time, taking him from the basement level to the ground floor.
He stepped through a small door and then stood in the spacious entrance hall of the manor house. Alec looked over his shoulder and saw the door to the secret room disappearing into the wall behind him. Not anyone who didn't know about this door would ever be able to distinguish it.
His phone started to vibrate again and he quickly pulled it from his pocket. Jace's name was on the display and Alec answered the call. Before Alec could breathe enough air into his lungs to say a single word, his best friend started to speak.
"Alec, the baby is coming."
‘Oh damn it,’ Alec instantly thought. His nephew had to choose the day of Magnus official designation to come into the world.
"Alec?" Jace asked again when Alec didn't respond.
"Can you ..." Alec glanced down at himself before speaking, "Come pick me up in twenty minutes?"
"You need that long to bust a nut?" Jace asked in an amused tone.
"Jeez, Jace!" Alec shook his head in exasperated disbelief, even though he knew that Jace couldn't see him. Alec glanced over his shoulder to see if there was anyone in the lobby he might have overlooked. When he saw no one, he continued to speak but lowered his voice just to be sure.
"I just have to put on something else. I can hardly appear in the Order's garb at the hospital."
Jace chuckled, but he assured Alec that he would be at Magnus' as asked. Alec ended the call and let out a heavy sigh. He didn't wish to leave Magnus alone, but his sister was about to give birth to her first child, so he had no other choice. He had ultimately promised to be there on the day of the birth.
Before Alec could figure out how to pass on the news to Magnus, the door to the secret basement opened. Dot appeared in the entrance hall, a worried expression on her face.
"Your Majesty, is everything alright?" she asked unobtrusively.
"Dot, please tell Magnus that I have to go to the hospital… To my sister," Alec said, keeping his voice low.
Dot eyes widened and peered at him speechless for a moment.
"The baby is coming?" She then asked.
"Yes… Jace will pick me up in a few minutes. I have to get changed quickly and it will take too long to inform Magnus personally."
A gentle smile appeared on the face of the former assistant.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'll take care of it."
"Thank you, Dot," Alec said and then ran up the stairs towards Magnus' bedroom. He quickly got rid of the Order's clothing and slipped on his own, then hastily ran back downstairs. He had to turn back halfway twice when he realized that he had forgotten his phone first and then his jacket.
When he finally left the mansion, Jace was already waiting in front of the house, tapping one foot impatiently, arms folded in front of his chest.
"You're late, Alec. Did you go in for a second round or something?" Jace asked him as Alec came to a halt.
Alec cast a look at his best friend, which he hoped would give Jace nightmares the following night.
"A King is never too late," Alec deadpanned, ignoring Jace words.
Jace snorted and shook his head. Then a devilish grin appeared on his face that put an uncomfortable feeling in Alec's stomach. Alec quickly raised his right hand in warning before Jace could even voice another of his dirty thoughts.
"One more word and Clary will have her hands full defrosting your frozen balls the next time Magnus and I take a long walk on a cold night."
As if to underline his words, a freezing wind suddenly swirled across the driveway and made them both shiver. Jace immediately closed his mouth and opened the back door of the limousine with a pout on his face.
Alec rolled his eyes before dropping into the leathered back seat. Jace followed suit, then signalling the driver to leave. The limousine had barely started moving when Alec's phone vibrated once again. Alec rummaged for it in his jacket pocket and saw that Magnus had sent him a message.
[Magnus]
I'll follow as soon as I can tear myself away from here. Watch out that Isabelle doesn't tear Simon's head off. She will most definitely regret it afterwards. - xx
Alec let his thumbs dance across the keyboard as he wrote an answer.
[Alec]
Sorry that I had to leave and can't be there for you. Don't turn your back on anyone.
[Magnus]
Don't worry, love. That's why I have Raphael by my side :)
[Alec]
How comforting :/
Alec waited for a reply from Magnus but when he received none, he put his phone back in his pocket and sighed softly. Not that he didn't trust Raphael, but knowing that Magnus was now alone with a horde of assassins left a queasy feeling in his stomach.
"Are you all right, Alec?"
Alec made sure the tinted partition windows to the driver was up before answering Jace's question.
"I just don't feel comfortable with Magnus being alone with the entire Assassin Order. I don't trust them. I mean, after all, they are..."
"Assassins? Hitmen?" Jace deadpanned, cutting him off.
Alec rolled his eyes at Jace's words.
"Magnus can take care of himself, Alec. I'm sure of it and I don't think they will kill their leader if they have just sworn allegiance to him. As you said the entire Order is present."
"Thank you, Jace. I feel much better now," Alec replied with a slightly sarcastic tone.
"I'm serious. Magnus will have enough supporters to protect him, with their lives if necessary. No one would dare kill the new Order's leader right now."
Alec made a face, even though he knew Jace was right. His best friend let out a frustrated sigh and turned in his seat to face him completely.
"Alec, Magnus will also be aware of this and have made sure that he has enough people around him to protect him. You don't need to worry. Assassins always kill quietly and secretly and not when they have hundreds of witnesses."
"I know," Alec sighed.
"Hey, I completely understand how you feel, or Clary does. How do you think she feels about having the King's bodyguard as her boyfriend? We’ve talked a lot about it," Jace said while winking at him encouragingly.
Alec nodded slowly.
"Thank you, Jace."
"For what? "
"For always being there for me."
Jace waved his hands in such a way, to indicate that there is nothing to thank him for. Alec didn't miss the slight blush on Jace's cheeks, and he knew that his words meant more to his best friend than he would ever admit to him.
Alec was really glad to have Jace as his bodyguard and best friend at his side. He had saved him from Jonathan last year and had always been there for him through the tough times that followed.
"Well, enough of the sentimentalities. We have to hurry if we expect to find Simon alive," Jace said before knocking against the partition window three times, telling the driver to speed up. As fast as the traffic allowed, they drove to the hospital. After all, they had an important mission to fulfil. They need to succour the King's sister but more important to save the child's father from a cruel death…