Malachi's Eyes Held Skylar's. There Was Rage In Them, Rage, Desire And Something Else Skylar Could Not

Malachi's eyes held Skylar's. There was rage in them, rage, desire and something else Skylar could not identify. The rage was from Skylar pulling away from him as he did. "Soulmate?" He spat. "You already have a soulmate!"

Straightening, Skylar held his head high. "I do. And he is not you. It has never been you. You rampaging about the city, needlessly attacking innocents is not going to change that."

The older fae's lip curled in a snarl. That anger. It blazed in his eyes. And had Skylar not had something so precious to protect, he would have cowered away from it. "Do not think I do not remember how you ran from me. How you hid yourself from me. You shall not be forgiven for that." He took a step forward, driving Skylar back a step. "Soulmate or not. You. Belong to me. You will always belong to me. And I shan't allow you to get away again. But..." He held out his hands. "It will be you who decides how many innocents as you say will fall under my hand."

Atti had been watching Skylar and the strange fae with horrified eyes. He hadn't known. If he'd known he never would have left. Put Skylar in danger as he had. It was his fault. All his fault. Angry tears threatened to fall down his cheeks. But then, he felt him. Kwan. Kwan was there. He felt it in his heart. And then his voice, he heard him. And the sound of his voice was such a relief to Atti. Because it would be okay now. Kwan would make it okay. It was what Kwan did. What his kind did. The nephilim appeared before him. Marks black as night, but he glowed.

Malachi and Skylar both jumped, turning to face the new threat. Skylar moved further away while Malachi's attention shifted away from him. He needed to get to Atti. And this nephiilim, whoever he was, had come just in time.

"Nephilim!" Malachi snarled, squaring his shoulders at the other man. "I thought I'd dealt with you already. You have no stake in this." But he didn't allow the nephilim to speak before he was on him. And the two began to fight. A dance of combat.

Skylar used the distraction and bolted for where Atti sat crumpled on the ground. He seized him by the arms, pulling him to his feet. "Come on....come...sweet Atti we must go!"

But Atti only had eyes for the two locked in battle. His eyes wide and horrified as Malachi produced a hunting dagger and used it against the nephillim, driving him back. "But....but Kwan." He said. Finally seeming to notice Skylar there.

Kwan. Skylar remembered. Was, Atti's nephilim. It made so much more sense to him now. Why Atti had run off in the first place. "We have to go." Skylar said more urgently, pulling on Atti, but only making it a step before the younger fae stopped again. "Atticus!" Skylar hissed. "We have to go!"

The sound of his full name did something to Atti's focus and he turned his wide eyes more towards Skylar now. Seeming to track a little better.

"We have to go." Skylar said again, ultimately very sorry he had to do this at all. Knowing how important it was for Atti. For Kwan. But getting him back to the safety of the studio was the only thing Skylar could focus on just then.

Malachi let out a howl of outrage, the nephilim, Kwan, having finally managed to hit him. Blood streaming down from a long gash on his arm. He caught Kwan by the back of the neck, hurling him through the air. The nephilim's body hit the wall with a crack that echoed through the alley.

Atti let out a cry. He tried to go to Kwan then, but Skylar held him still. Whirling back on Skylar he started to shake. The adrenaline being too much for him to bear. And Kwan. Kwan lay bleeding at Malachi's feet. "Help him!" He pleaded to Skylar. "Please! Help him!"

There was nothing else Skylar could do. He realized in that moment. A firm resolve tightening his features. Gently, he cupped the side of Atti's face, brushing a kiss to his forehead. "Tell Eric..." He said into his ear. "Tell Eric I'm sorry. And that I love him." Atti stared back at him with wild eyes. "It is going to be okay." He told him. Because he'd make it so.

Skylar left Atti then. Moving so quickly it was like he vanished from one spot into the next. Malachi stood over the motionless body of the nephilim boy. Dagger held high. Ready to deliver the killing blow. But Skylar fell on top of Kwan, holding him close, clutching at him. "Stop!" He cried. "Stop this madness, Malachi! Stop!"

Startled by Skylar's sudden appearance, Malachi actually staggered back a step. His eyes were dark, pupiless. His breathing hard and labored. But he lowered the dagger. He stared down at Skylar as he clutched the lifeless body of the nephilim.

Atti had fallen back against the wall. Tears streaming down his face. In such shock he couldn't move, couldn't think. His eyes locked on Kwan, held tightly in Skylar's arms. Kwan who was bleeding, lifeless. And he screamed then, a piercing cry.

Malachi sheathed his blade. He cast an indifferent look at the wailing fae. Almost in disgust. He reached down, catching Skylar by the elbow. He easily pulled him from of the nephilim. "I've no time for this." He growled, hauling Skylar up and against him. His hand closing possessively on the back of his head, holding him there. Almost like a lover would. Almost. But the touch sickened Skylar and he squeezed his eyes shut against it. A disgusting, sticky laugh reverberated through him. Jostling Skylar as he did it. "This is over." He told the nephilim boy. "Tell your people." He didn't much care if his message was delivered or not. He'd gotten what he came for. He opened a portal with a wave of his free hand. Stepping through it, pulling a struggling Skylar with him. The two disappeared.

Atti let out another anguished cry. He couldn't force his legs to work so he crawled to Kwan. His jeans becoming muddy and unraveling as he did so. He pulled the nephilim into his lap. "Kwan...." His voice was hoarse, panicked. "Kwan....please." He begged him. "Open your eyes....Kwan." He felt like his chest was going to explode. A fear gripping him, preventing him from taking a breath. He choked on a sob. And he begged, and he pleaded with Kwan. Wishing, praying for someone, anyone to come and help him.

Kwan hadn't seen Atti in a while and despite them having video chats while Atti was confined to the studio with Skylar by Eric and David, he missed holding and kissing him. He knew something was going on if Eric and David had him quarantined to the studio so he tried his best to hurry so that Atti wasn't alone after he sent the text saying he wanted to see him.

He felt fear run through his bond with Atti followed by pain and Kwan used his stele to activate his speed rune and got to Atti just in time to see a menacing Fae dropping him from his hold around his throat and another small Fae, who Kwan assumed was Skylar, distracting the threat. This was the one everyone was protecting and Kwan felt his protective instincts kick in to protect both his boyfriend and the other Fae Atti had come to be fond of.

"HEY YAH!" Kwan screamed out, blade at the ready and appropriate runes activated. He sized up the man, noting they were similar and height and build with Kwan being slightly taller than the menacing Fae. "Why don't you pick on someone you're own size fucker?" He spat.

Atti pouted. Not liking the idea of Kwan doing something that would hurt him. But knowing it didn’t hurt as much anymore made him feel a little better about it. But only a little. He puffed out a breath, it blew through his bangs. Granted, he supposed he could understand it.

Atti made an unhappy sound at Kwan’s story. His bottom lip quivering a bit like he meant to cry. “They were mean to him?” He asked in a small voice. Atti was sheltered his entire life. The only things he knew things he learned from books. It left him out of sorts with the outside world. And some of it really bothered him, some even scared him. “Say Kwan?” He asked hesitantly. “How did you know that Jaime was going to be your parabatai?” He was so curious. Wanting to know everything he could about the cute nephilim. He felt rather attached to him already. His eyes lit up. “A water slide?” He giggled. “You should definitely have a theater room too! And a library! With a lot of books!”

Kwan beams back at the Fae, his little squeal and giggles causing Kwan to giggle himsel. "Thank you, Atti." He says smiling.

Kwan frowned a little at the way Atti seemed to act a little unsure of himself. "Hey, that just means that I can show you all the fun things." He grins at him, giggling at his question. "Of course I'll be your friend. I'd love to. And hey! I can introduce you to Jamie, my Parabatai, and you can be friends too!" He beams at him, hugging him back at he excitedly hugged him at the prospect of Korean hot dogs. "Let's go." He says as he takes Atti's hand again. "So were you like born in Faerie or here?" He asks, wanting to get to know the Fae better.

He nodded vehemently. His wide eyes still taking in the party with fascination. "I came with David." He said with great affection. "He said I should experience something grand. And here I am!"

"Courtesy of our host," Juliet noted with a laugh of her own. "Is this the first party of Magnus' that you've come to?"

Atti could only nod as his eyes practically rolled back in his head. He swayed a little, almost falling on Kwan but caught himself. "Oh gosh! Sorry, Kwan!" He giggled.

Atti let out an excited squeal as Kwan twirled him. When he stopped he was a little disoriented and couldn't quite figure out what direction he was supposed to be in. His cheeks were flushed and he just giggled more. The glitter falling down all around them. He threw his arms around Kwan's neck, pressing in closer to dance. Resting his spinning head on the nephilim's shoulder he sighed happily. Just enjoying everything so so much.

Kwan watched as Atti grabbed a drink and took a sip, his eyes darkening slightly at the way his soft moan at the taste sent tingles throughout his body before shaking it off and grinning back at him. "It's so good right?" He grins.

"Oh my god, yes!" Kwan exclaims excitedly. "I love to dance. Let's go." He says pulling Atti into the sea of dancers and clumsily twirling him into him with a giggle.

Atti was utterly fascinated by what Kwan told him about nephilim. Oh he’d read books about them. But there weren’t really texts on the shadowhunters and the information available to him was contradictory. So it was really so exciting to have solid evidence. He traced one of the runes Kwan showed him. Marveling at how it felt under his fingertips. Then he frowned as a thought came to him. “Do they hurt? They burn into your skin right? That must really hurt.” He found himself squeezing Kwan’s arm with worry for him.

Atti’s smile faded a bit when he noticed the limp but he didn’t comment on it. Kwan was doing his best to be strong for him. And didn’t want that to go unnoticed. He gasped in delight at the tune, reaching out to touch it as he did the marks on his arm. “That’s so cool!” He gushed. A little color in his cheeks. He did take a little peek at Kwan’s flat stomach before he let the shirt fall back down over it. Atti flushed a little deeper. But Kwan’s words startled him out of this reverie. “Oh…” his smile eased back onto his face. “I didn’t really know.” He said. “You don’t really mind things you don’t know about.” His eyes softened a bit. “And it’s going to be a great biiiiig house!” He giggled.

Kwan beams back at the Fae, his little squeal and giggles causing Kwan to giggle himsel. "Thank you, Atti." He says smiling.

Kwan frowned a little at the way Atti seemed to act a little unsure of himself. "Hey, that just means that I can show you all the fun things." He grins at him, giggling at his question. "Of course I'll be your friend. I'd love to. And hey! I can introduce you to Jamie, my Parabatai, and you can be friends too!" He beams at him, hugging him back at he excitedly hugged him at the prospect of Korean hot dogs. "Let's go." He says as he takes Atti's hand again. "So were you like born in Faerie or here?" He asks, wanting to get to know the Fae better.

"This realm?" Atti asked, eyes wide with wonder. "Are you from faerie?"

"You know this is the first party I've been to in this realm,"