Chapter Text
They are born with a red mark burning into the skin of their forearm which signifies what their mark will look like, the white skin replaces the searing red one within minutes and the red sinks into the flesh. The mundanes don’t get them which led them to think only blood infected or blessed with supernatural abilities get the mark. When the Nephilim saw this mark on warlocks, werewolves and vampires, they looked at it in disdain. Faeries were different though, they actually had angel blood in them but what about the damned ones?
The mark had swirling lines looped around in each other in a complicated fashion as if it was trying to merge into itself, but it was only half done, the other half appeared on the partner’s arm. The appearing of the mark was painful as if a fire was burning underneath the skin, creating the mark in its wake.
Alec felt the burn when he was 18 and he was the one to have a warlock share his mark.
It was not unheard of, Alec had read about in books; old Shadowhunters who had Downworlders as their soul mate. He just never expected to be one of them. Most of the Shadowhunters found their soul mate before they were 16. Idris was small after all and most of the Shadowhunters died young.Jace was still hadn’t found his soul mate, Max was always excited to have one, Isabelle was one of those rare people who didn’t have a mark. Alec remembered when she found out first, she had locked herself up in the bedroom and cried for hours but then she had come back and there was a steadiness in her eyes that Alec had never seen before.
‘No one defines who I am, certainly not my soul mate,’ she had told him.
Alec couldn’t agree more. He was afraid of his soul mate. What if it wasn’t a boy, what if it was a boy? What if the Clave stripped him of his marks? What if his father never looked at him the same way again? He spend the nights, some worse than others, lying in bed thinking about his flaw. It was a flaw in him, Izzy didn’t have a mark. His mark was the other way around. His insecurities took a hold of him so much that he wore long sleeved sweaters to hide the mark if it appeared, no matter how hot it was, especially when they went out.
He wished for his soul mate, even longed for him sometimes, picturing him in his head. Picturing how his hands were, his arms, his hair, his eyes, his lips, the way he probably stood but it was pointless. He didn’t want it to pointless.
Jace entered his room his eyes wide, his hair wild like he had run all the way.
‘Jace,’ Alec said pushing himself off the bed, stele ready in his hand but Jace just shook his head and closed the door behind him. He was breathing a little hard and his gold eyes held eagerness in them.
‘Alec,’ he breathed. ‘Alec, I found my soul mate.’
Alec only blinked. He felt a flash of jealously which he put down. It was his brother’s moment, he should be happy for him; he was happy for him. Jace’s happiness meant the world too him but he couldn’t help but think he’d never felt that excitement and anticipation.
Alec smiled at him, ‘Tell me about her.’
He met Clary the next day. She was a small, red headed with bright green eyes and she was full of fire, vigor and life. Also she knew how to shout, Alec had to cover his ears up at one point while she demanded that they do something to find her mother. Alec stared at her mark and unconsciously drew the sleeves of his sweater down.
The door of the apartment opened revealing the High Warlock of Brooklyn.
Alec hissed and clutched his forearm. His eyes widened when he realized what was happening and he met Magnus Bane’s shocked expression with his own.