Felix Blinked Back At Jaime. He Frowned At Him. Because Of Course They Would Go After Kwan. Of Course

Felix blinked back at Jaime. He frowned at him. Because of course they would go after Kwan. Of course they would. Why would Jaime ever doubt that? He took Jaime by the elbow. "Come on, love. Let's go find him." He guided Jaime out of the Institute. Sending Bo a quick text to let him know what was happening. His parabatai could meet up with them if he chose to. That wouldn't make a difference as to what Felix intended on doing. He kept a hand on the small of Jamie's back as they stepped out into the night. "Do you know where he may have gone?" Felix asked softly. Having two of them in a frenzy wouldn't be of any use to them. So Felix would keep his head about him. Knowing that Jaime would be too upset to. But if he did know where Kwan had gone, it would make it easier to find him. Felix did consider asking some of the other nephilim to come out to help. But that might alert Hayden. And Felix wasn't sure they wanted Hayden involved just yet.

He let Jaime lead the way. Trusting his instincts to lead them to his parabatai. They came upon and alleyway. The remnants of magic sat heavy in the air. It clung to his skin as they stepped in closer. There, in the corner were two figures. Felix recognized Kwan immediately. He caught Jaime by the wrist to keep him from going to him. Needing to make sure the danger had passed before he allowed him to. Cradling Kwan was a young fae boy. He was crying, clutching at Kwan. Mumbling things over and over again. That as they drew closer Felix could hear. He was begging. Begging someone.

Felix couldn't pick up anything other than the ghost of the magic. So he released Jaime to run to Kwan. He approached slower. As to not scare the fae worse than he was already.

Atti didn't notice the two figures at first. They seemed to materialize out of the darkness at the mouth of the alley. He clutched Kwan's bloodied mangled body closer to him. The tears were still streaming down his face. He could feel Kwan's heart beating but that was all he knew. And it wasn't beating nearly as fast as he wanted it to be. One of the figures approached, throwing himself down by them. He reached for Kwan, and Atti made a sound. A terrified cry. He held Kwan tighter, shaking his head over and over again.

The second of the two figures approached them. And it took Atti a long time to register that they were nephilim too. They were nephilim. He let out an inconsolable sob. "Help me..." He whimpered. "Please....he's dying....he's....Kwan."

Kwan glared at the nephilim they hurt his Atti, that threatened Atti's family. "We are many, asshat. Come at me!" Kwan growls, charging when the Fae did as their battle ensued. Kwan had to hand it to the Fae, he was a competent fighter. He could tell the Fae was just as highly trained as he was. Then it hit him, this was the deranged knight that Nyx warned them about that was rampaging the city.

The Fae was good but Kwan wasn't incompetent himself. So the battle waged on, the Fae howling in pain when Kwan dealt a deep cut to the other man's arm, making him switch hands that held his blade as blood gushed from his wound. "Give it up old man. I can do this all day." He goads, sweeping the Fae's feet. "You don't fuck with my Atti." He growls, landing a few more blows and cuts before he goes flying through the air and hitting the wall with sickening crack. He felt his rib crack, bone puncturing his lung and making it hard to breathe. His head hit the wall and he cried out, blood pouring down his face before he landed on his arm which broke and twisted at an odd angle. He passed out cold from the trauma.

Meanwhile across town, Jamie and Felix were in his room talking about things after their talks with Bo. Jamie felt a sudden rush of anger through his bond with Kwan that was so intense he gasped.

"Kwan! Something's wrong." Jamie gasps, feeling a boost of adrenaline and then excruciating pain that brought tears to his eyes. Then he felt nothing. "He's hurt. I can't feel him! We need to find him." He chokes out with tears running down his face. He could feel the pull of their bond enough to track him but not his emotions. He sobbed as he slipped on his shoes and grabbed his bow despite being on leave. He couldn't just leave Kwan there to die. He turned his wide eyes to Felix. "Please, Lix. He's my family." He chokes out.

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 bumped in beside him. "Oh gosh...I hadn't realized you've been adopted too."

In a Dark Corner

"It would be rude of me to not at least make an appearance considering Magnus adopted me years ago." Eric shrugs as he sips his whiskey.

Atti’s eyes widened. “Oh gosh!” He squeaked. “You are so right! I totally forgot my manners!” That made him shiver a little. His mother would have cracked him on the knuckles for that.

Atti giggled behind his hand, eyes bright with mirth. "Is it really his birthday? Is he really like a million years old? I heard he was."

Atti beamed, tickled to have been sprinkled with glitter. "Wow! It's so pretty here!" He exclaimed. "I haven't even seen Mr. Magnus yet....is he really pretty too?"

Rory hummed thoughtfully. "I don't think a little bit would go amiss, but I think you'd have to catch it after it settled onto a surface." She laughed a bit, pointing at his jacket. "Already got a bit on your shoulder."

"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,"